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

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

R R EMARKER

MAY 13, 2016 VOLUME 62 ISSUE 7

NOT UP FOR DEBATE

After an eight year drought, seniors Ansch Khullar and Ammar Plummar bring home the Debate National Championship trophy, and end their season with a win —by starting the tournament off with a loss

INSIDE News Malecall Life Perspectives Buzz Commentary Sports Backpage

‘THE ULTIMATE GOAL

WAS TO WIN SPC. WE KNEW WE COULD MAKE IT

PAGE 3 MOLDING THE FUTURE

Bill Kysor rtires after forty-seven years of teaching ceramics and leaves behind a legacy that spans far beyond the studio.

N .’

- Senior William Caldwell

PAGE 11

PAGE 32

2 9 11 16 20 21 24 32

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ou know who he is. • He’s more likely to look out the window than at the whiteboard. He might blurt out in class. Fidget. • Fight to stay focused. • He’ll sometimes finish his tests in a different period or classroom. • You know him as “the extra time kid.” The kid with ADHD. • But what you don’t know is how he got this label. • How did he become “the extra time kid?” Continued, page 8

STORY CASE LOWRY JOHN CRAWFORD KOBE ROSEMAN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION FRANK THOMAS CASE LOWRY

End of the road ahead for Class of 2016 as Commencement nears

ommencement will be held May 20 on the Green Commencement Theater in the Perot Quadrangle at 8 p.m. White tux-donning seniors will walk across the stage to receive their diplomas and complete their journey here. Jbeau Lewis ’98, former Headmaster’s Cup winner and a music agent in Los Angeles, will give the Commencement address. “I like the fact that the speaker choice is a departure from the normal,” senior Ward Rushton said. “It’s someone who was a valedictorian, but did something different and found success that way. I’m sure he will have some

great stories to tell.” At Commencement, distinguished seniors will receive awards recognizing their service to the school and their embodiment of the school’s values. These awards include the Citizenship Cup, the School Flag and the Headmaster’s Cup. “For me, the whole Commencement ceremony will be really powerful,” senior Zachary Naidu said. “Especially since I’ve spent all 12 years here, there’s a lot to think about during this culmination of our experience. I haven’t really had a chance to sit back and soak it all in yet, so I think that will really be the night that I go through all of that.”

It’s an emotional moment for many Marksmen — some members of the 12-Year Club who began here in the first grade will complete their high school education. “I’ve been doing a whole lot of work for the majority of my whole life for this and I consider myself really fortunate to have been here for 12 years,” senior Harrison Kampf said. “I will consider it one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.” The valedictorian, who hasn’t been announced, and Senior Class President Philip Montgomery will both give speeches, along with Lewis. “I’m looking forward to

thanking all the people who have contributed to our journey so much,” Montgomery said. “A lot of times, we forget how much work goes into us being on the graduation stage, and so it’s good to have that chance to just get to give thanks. This night is about the Class of 2016, but it is also about the parents, friends and teachers who have put so much time into our growth.” It’s the culmination of the St. Mark’s experience: the surreal moment when the seniors will be cheered on by fellow classmates, teachers and family members. While graduation may be a bittersweet moment for many seSee Commencement, page 7

Commencement Event

Commencement for Class of 2016 May 20 Date 8 p.m. Time Location Green Commencement Theater in the Perot Quadrangle Music agent Speakers Jbeau Lewis ‘98 Class president Philip Montgomery Valedictorian (to be announced) Headmaster’s Cup Awards School Flag Citizenship Cup Follows in Great Hall Reception

N new s

PASSING THE BATON CHRIS MCELHANEY PHOTO

As senior JT Graas graduates, he looks to hand the reins of the Senior Class, Student Council and Upper School to newly elected President, junior Christian Mcclain.

page 4

DEBATE WINS CHAMPIONSHIP

OBJECTS OVER THE YEARS

CUM LAUDE

COMMENCEMENT

Two best friends’ longtime dedication to the debate program culminates in a National Championship.

History Department Chair Byron Lawson’s career at St. Mark’s through the view of the objects on his desk. A look into the study habits, class tips and strategies of the newest inductees into the Cum Laude honor society. A preview into the upcoming Commencement ceremony and a look at the legacy that will be left by the graduating Senior Class.

PAGE 2 FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2016 I REMARKER

fifth grader taught me how to be an upperclassman. This bright-eyed, energetic fifth-grader sprinted toward me, a Spanish test inscribed with “100” on it held on for its life as it was shaken by his excited hands. He jumped when he saw me. “Alec! I did it! Your trick worked!” My trick? I didn’t even know the kid. “Thanks for showing me!” He ran back down the hallway, scooped up his backpack and threw it over his shoulder. Since when did I do anything significant enough to make a fifth grader that happy? Since when did anyone care what I did or thought? Every day, in the crowded halls of Hoffman, my new follower would smile when he saw me and reach for a high five. Slowly, high ALEC DEWAR fives evolved into “what’s ups,” which evolved into quick questions and answers, which finally evolved into full conversations about sports, education and social life. With each encounter, I would walk away grinning. It was only after two months of daily conversations in Hoffman that I found out what “trick” I had revealed to him by accidentally leaving my computer screen open to my Quizlet set for a vocabulary quiz. He valued my opinion, shaped himself after me, worked to be like me. Everything I did and said was scrutinized closely and was mimicked by him. I was now a role model, but what type of role model was I going to be? My whole life I have been a kid following his role model. I shaped myself after my brother. He taught me how to shoot a basketball, study for a spanish test and annoy my parents. He helped me with my problems, always aided me with work and never ignored me. Whatever he did, cognizant of it or not, he set an example for me: good or bad. My brother always managed to set good examples for me and has shaped the person I am today. Not only did he teach me how to work hard, he also taught me how to be a good role model myself. As my classmates and I graduate into the final stages of our high school career, we will take on the role of being an example for younger children without knowing it. As students graduate and advance towards their senior and junior years, they must realize their role as an example for younger students and must make sure to set a good example for them. In order to ensure that the following generations of Marksmen are hard-working students, we must teach them how to be successful at a tough school like ours. After all, you might just learn something from them yourself.

stories around campus in brief

• CUM LAUDE SPEAKER GIVES LESSON TO INDUCTEES Cum Laude speaker Paul Genender ’87 addressed the Senior, Junior and Sophomore Classes in his speech April 20. He told gathered students, faculty and parent guests how his own journey as a Marksman prepared him for struggles he would later face in life. “I tried to share my observations and experiences with both successes and the setbacks or failures that often lead to them,” Genender said. “St. Mark’s is a unique place. It is demanding and provides ample opportunities to achieve at high levels. It also provides boys many opportunities to miss the mark or fail and then

learn from that experience.” • EIGHTH GRADE PREPARES FOR PECOS ADVENTURE Students in the Class of 2020 prepare to take the next step towards their graduation: the Pecos Wilderness trip. As a piece of general advice to the next generation of campers, Wilderness Program co-director Nick Sberna thinks a positive mindset is the most crucial factor of having a great experience. “The guys who approach it with the right mindset say that this may be tough and it may be uncomfortable,” Sberna said, “but I’m going to just do my best to stay positive and make the best out of the situation.

• CLASS OFFICERS SELECTED FOR 2017 Three first-time class leaders were elected to the presidency of their classes in balloting April 26. New class presidents are for senior, Shailen Parmer; junior, Owen Berger and sophomore, Joshua Kang. “In addition to the roles that the officials are expected to fulfill,” Kang said. “such as planning class events, I hope that the officials can address some of the more ambiguous or obscure school rules.” Overall, 16 freshmen, 16 sophomores and 12 juniors ran for a position. All candidates were required to attend a workshop April 21 as well as

give speeches April 25. Freshman class officers will be elected at a later date. • FOURTH GRADERS TAKE SKY RANCH TRIP The Fourth Grade class took their annual trip to Sky Ranch earlier this month. The trip gives the class an opportunity to get to know each other. “One of the primary [goals] that I consider really important is the fact that they come together as a class, and they have memories and shared experiences as a result of the trip,” fourth-grade instructor Janet Wadkins said. “It’s different, and it makes you learn some things about yourself and your class.”

— Matthew Coleman, Michael Lukowickz, Antonio Ivarra and James Rogers

in the

MOMENT events on campus told through photos

TOUCHING BASE Alumni return to campus to reunite with their former teachers and coaches, as well as past classmates. The Alumni Weekend involved an annual golf tournament, alumni classes and a banquet.

Say what?

the

Around corner

comments made by faculty, staff and students around campus

TODAY What Prashe 2016 Fashion Show When 7-10 p.m. Where One Arts Plaza 1722 Routh St.

WEEKEND

What National Mini Golf Day When Saturday 10 a.m.11p.m Where 17717 Coit Rd.

NEXT WEEK What The Abolitionists release When Monday, 7:30 p.m. Where 8687 N. Central Expressway

CREATIVE COMMONS

QUICK hits

FRANK THOMAS PHOTO

TIME TO STEP UP

What “Friday Chill Out” Painting Workshop When 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Where 17290 Preston Rd.

What Mother’s Day Chocolote Tour When Sunday, 1:00 p.m.- 4:15 p.m. Where 5118 Greenville Ave.

What Warbirds Over Addison When Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Where Cavanaugh Flight Museum THROWBACK Warbirds Over Addison offers the chance to get up close and personal with the largest collection of flying historic and military aircraft in the southwest. This year’s event will feature a massive P-51 Mustang gathering.

I’ve seen The Notebook three times. If there’s anything to know about love, I know it. — Sophomore Niteesh Vemuri

Honestly, after Vest Day, it’s all been downhill. — Master Teacher Jon Valasek on how his week has been.

Abs are the only muscles girls know about. — Junior Parker Kirby

Today I swallowed shampoo in the shower and almost died. — Sophomore John Gunnin If there’s one word to describe Jimmy (Rodriguez), it’s fuel efficient. — Sophomore Zach Landry

J.T. Sutcliffe is my home boy. —Math Instructor Corindo Martin

PAGE 3 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

NEWS

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

ONE MIND

FRANK THOMAS PHOTO

After an eight year drought, seniors Ansh Khullar and Ammar Plumber bring home the NDCA National Championship trophy and end their season with a win — by starting the tournament off with a loss.

LEAVING A LEGACY Seniors Ammar Plumber and Ansh Khullar stand next to their National Championship plaque, a symbol of their successes around the country on theNational Debate Coaches Association debating circuit.

he judges finally made their decision, each giving a sound reason as to why they voted the way they did. For senior debaters Ansh Khullar and Ammar Plumber, the only thing registering was: We lost? Before the day had even begun, the eventual national champions were eliminated from a tournament they were heavily favored to win. The two giants of the debate world walked towards their younger teammates, avoiding eye contact, saying nothing. It was Director of Debate Timothy Mahoney that snapped the two out of their slump. “They aren’t the first team to stumble early in the year,” Mahoney said. “The tournaments we attend have tough competition and the line between the 50th best team in the country and the number one team in the country isn’t as big as people make it out to be. We learned they shouldn’t doubt that they were capable of being the best team in the country.” Immediately listening to their coach’s advice, the duo began to work towards their ultimate goal, to become national champions. “After that we put in a lot of work,” Plumber said. “We didn’t doubt ourselves and then we went to the next tournament in Chicago and that brought our confidence level back up.” On the road towards a national championship, Khullar and Plumber found out how important their long time friendship and team chemistry was to their success. “A lot of times, if a debate goes poorly partners tend to have a lot of

Rowland-Hall Highland Park (MN)

pent up tension and frustration at the debate,” Plumber said. “Often that is directed toward each other. In our case I think we were very good about managing our frustration, talking to each other about it in a way that is cordial and also not having hurt feelings after a loss.” Mahoney agrees and believes that is the main reason for the team’s annual debate retreat. “This year we started the year off with a debate retreat at a lake a few hours from Dallas,” Mahoney said. “We did a lot of hard work there and had some great conversations about the debate topic. But we also had some fun, creating a squad culture of working together.” For the debaters, the summer retreat set the tone for the entirety of the year. “The environment of the retreat was very positive and very optimistic about how the season would go.” Plumber said. “It also demonstrated commitment on the part of the coaches and the debaters in that everyone was willing to set aside some time during their summer to go to the retreat and

collaboration culminated in the ultimate prize for their years of hard work in debate: the national championship. “I was stunned,” Plumber said. “It honestly didn’t hit me until the next day.” Khullar was left speechless as well. “I almost felt like numb for a second,” Khullar said. “This is something we had worked towards for so many years. I have thought about it since I was a freshman and for it to happen was just crazy.” Given time to reflect on his national championship win, Khullar is satisfied with the way his debate career has come full circle. “I remember when I was a freshman and sophomore, I really looked up to and tried to model the things that Charlie Marshall ‘14 and Nikhil Jain ‘14 did when they were on our top team and all the tournaments that they won,” Khullar said. “They set a tone for excellence, which they emulated from people before them. It feels nice to say that we were able to carry on some of that legacy in winning a national championship this year.” Mahoney’s goal as a coach in debate is far beyond the desire for an individual group’s success. “I want them to feel like they are a part of something really special,” Mahoney said. “Whether they compete at a lot of national tournaments or just a few local tournaments they can play a role in the success of our program, which isn’t just measured by tournament championships.”

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP Rowland-Hall

CHAMPIONS Rowland-Hall

Montgomery Bell Glenbrook South

fully invest themselves in the season ahead of us.” Plumber attributes the team’s success to the dedication and diligence of the various debate coaches. “Our coaches were phenomenal all year,” Plumber said. “They did a great job with us and we were winning.” Khullar believes part of what makes Mahoney such a good coach is his being an educator of men first and a debate coach second. “Beyond showing us how to do our own work, he’s also done a good job of making sure we get the most out of every topic,” Khullar said. “For example, we spent about a week or two talking about the FBI and Apple’s encryption battle. A lot of schools wouldn’t have had that conversation because it may have not necessarily been the most strategic thing to talk about or it may not have directly contributed to us winning debates. However, we have gotten a lot more value out of debate because of that.” s the season progressed, the two seniors continued to win the rest of their tournaments, feeding off of their teammates continued success as well. “[Sophomore] Harris [Wilson] and [senior] Jake [Galant] were able to win a lot more debates because we were able to provide some of our research for them,” Plumber said. “We had a lot more involvement from every member of the team and we in turn had a lot more success.” Then the combined contributions of teammate chemistry, dedication and

Montgomery Bell

Peninsula Westminster Westminster St. Mark’s

New Trier St. Mark’s St. Mark’s

STORY BLAKE DAUGHERTY, ALEC DEWAR, MOHIT SINGHAL PHOTO FRANK THOMAS

NEWS

PAGE 4 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Passing the baton Incoming Student Council President Christian McClain has some big spikes to fill. For the next year, he hopes to improve communication between the student council and the student body, among other tasks. HANDING IT OVER As the final leg of the 2015-2016 school year finishes, outgoing Student Council President JT Graass extends the various duties that come with the position to newly elected president Christian McClain for the upcoming year.

unior Christian McClain was sitting in the water polo conference room April 5 when he first found out that the responsibilities of Student Council president would rest on his shoulders for the 20162017 school year. Next year it will be his job to run Student Council meetings, organize large school events and meet regularly with the head of Upper School. Holding weekly audiences of roughly 400 students, the Student Council president has the opportunity to massively impact the entire school culture. “It was kind of nerve-wracking,” McClain said, “because at the moment I realized just how much responsibility I’d have.” As Student Council president for next year, McClain has taken it upon himself to act in favor of the student body in all that he can do. “I kept saying to myself that I wasn’t going to run for myself,” McClain said. “I was running to help the school. I wasn’t running just so that I could say I was Student Council president or put it on my résumé. I was running so I could make next year an outstanding year.” Student Council sponsor Casey Gendason, however, believes that the job of a council president is far more involved than genuinely wanting to help the school and the students. “It’s embracing the values of our school,” Gendason said. “It’s being a great role model. It’s being the one that other people look towards when a situation occurs and how a student should react and handle it.”

According to McClain, communication is one of his natural talents, and since he’s already gotten in touch with the school’s administration for next year, bridging the gap between student and faculty will be easy. “I love people, number one,” McClain said. “I love talking to anyone about anything. I just love hearing people’s opinions whether it be about issues or just funny things.” One of the major issues that comes up which the president needs to address every year is the hectic planning and scheduling dilemmas that come up during the fall.

CHRISTIAN MCCLAIN Incoming Student Council president

Every year, Gendason instructs the Student Council president to focus on one event or issue he would like to tackle around this time of the school year. “In previous years we’ve looked at the cell phone policy, we’ve looked at the dress code and how sweatpants can come into play when it is cold or a change as to whether or not a tie is needed,” Gendason said. “I hope that Christian and his council select a good project or issue and we’ll see where they take it.” While McClain is not entirely adamant on a singular change at this time, he does have several suggestions for improving the daily life of a student, including music in the lunchroom on Fridays and regular

greetings from the seniors on Monday mornings. “I really like in the mornings when I’m walking to school and I see all the seniors sitting outside Nearburg with the music playing and they’re handing out necklaces,” McClain said. “It’s always a really good start to the day because in the morning I’m always kind of bummed, so seeing them out there cheering really gets me motivated for the day.” or next year, McClain has several ideas on how to improve current rules and regulations ranging from the acceptable use policy to library noise levels during lunch hours. To him, communication is key. To achieve this, he plans on instituting a chain of communication which will make it easier to transfer information down to the individual student. His inspiration for this is the Boy Scouts’ patrol method. “I think if we got them [the class representatives] to reach out to their class and talk to them,” McClain said, “then they can bring their ideas into the meetings. I think that would be a really good way to get the other people’s opinions especially if they took notes in the meetings and then shared what we said to their class via Facebook or just word of mouth.” As far as the acceptable use policy goes, however, McClain’s aim is to find a middle ground between two popular opposing opinions on the issue. “I think if we can find a middle ground,” McClain said, “to where we can say it’s acceptable to use your phone during passing periods, or more than just

the certain areas we have right now, then I think that will make the phone policy more pragmatic in the school atmosphere.” While planning events isn’t necessarily the centerpiece of a Student Council president’s political agenda, McClain wants to emulate this year’s broader focus on planning. “In years past,” McClain said, “they focused a lot on decorations, what kind of food they were going to have there and all the little stuff. I think this year they focused more on kind of the music and the lighting which kind of brought everything together.” According to McClain, Spring Fling in particular was successful in being the first of its kind, but he sees some improvements that could make it even better for next year. “I loved how it was in the gym,” McClain said, “because it made it feel homey, but I did think there was a little bit too much awkward empty space, but I think if we put everything in one half, then it would keep everyone close so there wouldn’t be that awkward space.” Whether by adding in little details that help the common Marksman get excited for the day or by gathering the community to make changes to benefit everyone, McClain stands by his own explanation of what it means to be Student Council president. “As a president,” McClain said, “my job is to serve the students and express the students’ opinions to the faculty so we can make the year the best it can be. It’s really just to serve y’all.”

STORY SAM SHANE, MATTHEW COLEMAN PHOTO CHRIS MCELHANEY

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PAGE 5 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

NEWS

WORKSPACES

His son’s lamp, a cookie jar Assistant to the Headmaster Byron Lawson’s desk is not just a place to work; it offers a revealing look at the soon-to-be new headmaster of Trinity Preparatory School in Florida.

Byron Lawson

1. Three Frogs team photo

Three Frogs and St. Mark’s lacrosse have been totally intertwined. It has been a huge part of my life for so long. I have gotten so close to so many families. I have done some wonderful things in terms of growth and building community inside of the school. It is a program where you are always inviting a new eighth-grader to go on the trip with all the other eighth-graders to start the fall off with a built in group of 25 friends. We stayed at the same hotels, at the same restaurants, parents traveled, sisters, grandparents. I have met more grandparents with lacrosse then I ever did during Grandparent’s Day during school.

5. Lacrosse head

2. Byrd’s Famous Cookies jar When I got my new job, I had a school in Florida send that as a welcome. (Lawson is leaving St. Mark’s to serve as headmaster of the Trinity Preparatory School.) It had lemon cookies. I took a bite of one, and my whole face just scrunched up because it was so sweet and lemony and very citrusy which makes sense because it is from Florida. I knew I was going some place that was very particular when a nearly 100-year-old cookie company with the same glass jar and design for forever had sent me this. It was a guy I hadn’t met but was affiliated with the school, and it was a really nice welcome. It really was.

3. Chinese catapult That is one of my favorite contraptions. This is a scale design of a Chinese catapult. It’s a working design. I gave an extra credit where you had to build, from scratch, by design, to scale, a working device from the ancient world. Almost nobody ever did anything. It sits on four feet, made off of an actual Chinese design. It unwinds, and you throw by pulling on the hook. My entire history class and this kid goes out on the Quad. We were on the library steps,

and he shot a ball from us all the way to a backpack sitting in that walkway. The whole class erupted, I mean, it was amazing. That kid got an extra 100. The first person to design one would get a test grade of 100, but it had to be a working device to scale and so that was, man, maybe it was ten yards, 15 yards, 1:50 scale. I was thinking, “You just made something that could throw a rock 1500 feet, you win!” It was dead on target. He hit the backpack four times

I have a bad habit of collecting colorful heads. I string standard heads. I still string heads so I stay close to the game. It is as close as you can get to being able to tune your own stick and being able to tune other people’s sticks. I find it oddly relaxing. It’s a complicated job but getting the stick to do exactly what you want it to do provides a sense of accomplishment. The last lacrosse game I played with it was 30 degrees outside on a frozen field. You can’t do that with a mesh. You have no idea what your sticks gonna do and it’s gonna shrink up and change during the game. Standard one’s don’t do that. Consistency of return, I still string it the exact same way. This one always stays in my office. 4. His son’s childhood lamp Lacrosse has been a It was the first lamp that was small obsession of mine given to us when my oldest son my entire life. It won’t go was born. Somebody figured that away even with the next I was a teacher and he was a job. It will take form in baby, and this made all the sense some play. I will figure in the world. out a way to get out to As you can imagine, I have a the lacrosse field. I am 17-year-old son, he outgrew the definately gonna coach lamp and I said, “Could I use it,” in Florida. and he goes, “You can have it.” There are those things It has stayed in my office for that are just part of who a very, very long time. It has been you are, and lacrosse is a part of my surrounding since I one of them. have moved into my office. Of what I’ve done here, It’s a nice reminder of home lacrosse has been the when you’re up late at the school most rewarding outside working hard. of teaching.

in a row. I believe that for a student to really prove that they know something thoroughly, they have to demonstrate mastery and some of history doesn’t lend itself to demonstrate mastery by taking a test. You can’t prove you’ve mastered geography by pointing to a point on a map. History can be really boring and talking about mastery and understanding the ancient world. I found sometimes mastery is more important and more effective then “knowing.”

STORY ALEC DEWAR, BLAKE DAUGHERTY PHOTO OWEN BERGER

CELIAC AWARENESS MONTH Science instructor Karan Windham battles Celiac disease by Lyle Ochs

cience instructor Karan Windham has known she has had Celiac disease for 25 years. She leads a gluten-free life as an example for others who have the disease. Celiac disease, which affects more than two million Americans, according to FIGHTING THROUGH Windham manages to continue on with her daily life, refusing to allow Celiac disease to control what she loves to do.

the Celiac Disease Foundation, is a more serious form of gluten intolerance that causes a person to feel sick to their stomach and not be able to take away nutrients from their food. “Because you aren’t getting the necessary nutrients from your food,” Windham said, “you are basically starving.” When people have not been diagnosed, some can die from this disease, says Windham, because of the amount of damage that builds up over time. But unlike those who went undiagnosed, Windham was diagnosed after years of off-and-on looking anemic and being sick for days at a time. “I was very weak and was losing muscle mass,” Windham said. “I didn’t have a lot of energy.” After being diagnosed, Windham quickly changed her lifestyle. “Once I found out what was wrong, changed my diet and removed as many of

the products containing gluten from my diet, then I was able to put on weight and get my blood and mineral balance back to healthy levels,” Windham said. These changes included making more meals from scratch, being more careful when eating out and reading the labels many times in the grocery store. “There are some things in processed foods where gluten is hidden like the spices, the flavorings or even the colorings,” Windham said. One place that most people don’t expect to find gluten is soy sauce, according to Windham. Along with managing a gluten-free diet for herself, she also prepares food for her gluten-eating husband. “It is a lot of separating,” Windham said. “If I am making myself a gluten-free sandwich and he wants regular sandwich, then I will get the bread out and set it on a plate and then wash my hands. Every time

I touch something with it [gluten], I wash my hands.” Even when there are dipping sauces, Windham puts a little aside for herself because she will react to the gluten in the chips or crackers that touch the sauce. Sometimes, she has to wear gloves to protect her hands. “I would get blisters on my hands from baking cookies,” Windham said. To avoid the painful effects of Celiac, there are support groups for people who have the disease, according to Windham. She also has many tips, tricks and recipes that she gives out to people who need a gluten-free diet. Many people ask Windham things about how she lives without pizza or bread. “I just live because there have been several times that I have been so ill that it’s easy to give it up when you’ve been so sick,” she said.

NEWS

PAGE 6 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER CUM LAUDE

Recipe for success The Cum Laude Society is the school’s most elite and prestigious honor society. The ReMarker sat down with junior inductees Aiden Blinn and Andrew Chuka to learn how they got on the path to earn this high academic distinction. JOIN THE CLUB Members from both the Senior and Junior Classes were awarded for their academic prowess in the form of induction into the Cum Laude Society. The ceremony achievement took place in the chapel April 19, with Paul Genender ’87 as guest speaker.

What motivates you to study hard and do well in school? Aiden Blinn: I think what really motivates me the most to study is that I’m a pretty goal oriented person. I realize the effect that studying will have on my grades and on the success I’ll have at St. Mark’s, and the success at St. Mark’s really translates to success outside of school. It’s because of that that I’m always thinking about the future and setting a new goal for myself, and every time I pass that, I set new goals so that I’m constantly trying to reach something. Because if I settle with reaching a goal and not going any further then that, not pushing the boundaries, then there’s really no motivation for me to study. Andrew Chuka: To be perfectly honest, sitting down and hammering out some studying is probably my least favorite thing to do, but throughout my school career, I’ve been saved by the fact that I enjoy to learn the things that are taught here—for the most part. And so that keeps me learning and working hard even when I hate studying. If you could say something to your freshman self, what would it be? Aiden Blinn: I would tell my freshman self to figure out time management then, so that I don’t have to do it now because it’s something that you really have to learn to do, and I had so much more free time freshman year that I really didn’t need to figure it out, but it definitely would have helped to figure it out. Andrew Chuka: Sleep more. Where’s your favorite place to study? Aiden Blinn: My favorite place to study is at the kitchen table with my brother and sister.

Andrew Chuka: In my room really early in the morning. What I found works best for me through trial and error is going to sleep early, waking up super early like 3 or 3:30 [a.m.] and doing all the work then. I tend to get much more motivated with a set deadline of 6:30 [a.m.] when I need to go eat breakfast. Either that or the library, if you ever need a place to get some quick studying in, that’s the place. Longer stuff, I’ll do on weeknights though. What has been your biggest struggle or failure this past year? Aiden Blinn: I think my biggest failure has been procrastination and time management because it’s really hard to stay motivated to study for three hours after a two-hour crew practice or after a really hard PE workout. So, I would say that this year’s been about a fight against feeling tired and a fight against the internet and the dangers of just going on Facebook for two hours or going on Reddit or other sites. Andrew Chuka: For the entire first trimester, I barely slept because I’m really bad at doing work on time, but I fixed that, so its all good now. Who has had the biggest impact on you this year? Aiden Blinn: A lot of teachers have had influences on me throughout my time here because they’re all really dedicated to the students and to the sense of education. I think this year Mr. Brown, my English teacher, has had a really big impact on my academic year because he really motivates us to expand our thinking and go beyond the traditional, planned three body paragraph paper. In his class, I’ve tried to push into new

territories and really work on my writing. Andrew Chuka: There have been a few. I’d say Ms. [Amy] Pool has been my advisor and she’s helped me in realizing that not sleeping is a really bad thing and its largely owing to her help and support that I figured out how to not struggle. In terms of other things, I’d say that in Mr. [Kenneth] Owen’s class, its been great generally because the class is not only challenging, but it has some really fascinating material, and Mr. Owen presents it really well, so I love that class. And then there’s Mr. [David] Brown’s class where he’s taught me to push the limits of conventional constraints with writing, and I’ve been doing that the whole year, and that’s very fun. What do you consider to be your best quality? Aiden Blinn: I think my best quality is my desire to try everything and find out what I’m interested in because I’ve been taking classes in a lot of different fields. And with the knowledge that I’ve gained from that, now I know what I want to do, and now I know what classes I want to focus on senior year. So, because I’ve taken all of these different classes, I know what I want to focus on for senior year and for college. Andrew Chuka: Academically, my best quality or at least the quality that allows me to succeed the most is that I tend to enjoy and care about the material that’s presented. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t like what I was learning.

brother can attest to because a lot of times I sacrifice sleep because I’m too lazy to start my homework on time. Andrew Chuka: I procrastinate all the time. It’s a real problem, but it’s getting better. Do you have any tips for finals? Aiden Blinn: Schedule everything really early and clear out all of your weekends leading up to finals that you know you have a certain amount of time to study and you know what you’re going to do. Pick a day to study history or pick a day to study English, or math, so that you don’t find yourself one week before finals with a really booked weekend. Andrew Chuka I’ll say this: I need tips from other people on finals. But, I mean, studying beforehand is always a good idea. If you don’t know something the night before the final, you’re just not going to know it. There’s no sense in staying up late and studying. I know from personal experience that sleeping less tends to mess with your long term memory pretty badly.

Cum Laude membership

What do you consider to be your worst quality? Aiden Blinn: My worst quality again would have to be my tendency to procrastinate which my parents and my

Senior inductees Drew Baxley Ashton Hashem- ipour Noah Koecher Aidan Maurstad Ammar Plumber Anvit Reddy Mitchell So Abhi Thummala Brent Weisberg Junior inductees Aiden Blinn Kevin Choi Andrew Chuka Andrew Lin

Rahul Maganti Rohin Maganti Patrick Magee Eddie Yang Daran Zhao Returning members Jackson Cole Alden James Eric Li Akshay Malhotra Tim O’Meara Tim Skapek Eugene Song Albert Thieu Kevin Wu

INTERVIEWS WASEEM NABULSI PHOTO ARNO GOETZ

Monday, May 16

The 2016 Exam Schedule

Upper School English In-class writing

Tuesday, May 17

Wednesday, May 18

Thursday, May 19

Upper School English In-class writing

Reading day All day

8th grade math (8 a.m - 10 a.m.)

8th grade science (8:30 a.m - 10:30 a.m.)

Upper School Spanish, Mandarin II & III (8:30 a.m - 10:30 a.m.) Mandarin Chinese IB (9 a.m - 11 a.m.) Mandarin Chinese IV & IV-H & Latin (1:30 p.m - 3:30 p.m.)

Monday, May 23

Tuesday, May 24

Wednesday, May 25

Thursday, May 26

Upper School math (8:30 a.m - 10:30 a.m.)

Upper School science (8:30 a.m - 10:30 a.m.)

Upper School make-up exams

Blue Shirt Day All day

Photography and Upper School Wood & Metal (1 p.m - 4 p.m.)

(Source: Paul Mlakar, director of Academic Information Systems)

Friday, May 20 Upper School history (8:30 a.m - 10:30 a.m.)

Friday May 27 No classes for students Faculty workday

PAGE 7 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

NEWS

COMMENCEMENT

COMMENCEMENT End of the road for members of the Class of 2016 Continued from page 1

seniors, it is also one of the most important experiences for a student. It’s the moment they can reflect upon their legacy and impact at 10600 Preston Road. It’s the moment they celebrate their classmates’ achievements. It’s the moment they can look forward to bright futures. MONUMENTAL PLANNING For graduation to run smoothly and efficiently, however, the Parents’ Committee, along with other members of the school community, began planning for graduation last September. Graduation Coordinator Virginia Arsers believes that a successful graduation requires consideration from many different perspectives. “At the end of graduation each year, I meet with the Parents’ Committee,” Arsers said. “There’s a committee of eleventh grade parents that help implement this, and we meet and exchange ideas–what went well, and what do we think we need to improve? And then we have a similar meeting with all of the personnel at St. Mark’s that are involved in graduation.” Arsers’s goal for graduation is to have a fun and celebratory night for seniors, families and teachers, praising the students for the hard work and successes. “Our attempt is to make [graduation] a celebration for the boys,” Arsers said.

Class of 2016 officers

“That particular ceremony is a very longstanding tradition here. We want to make it a very fun and elegant evening for the seniors and their families to celebrate all their hard work to achieve graduation. We try to blend a combination of traditions and new ideas.” Arsers also believes graduation is important for the seniors because it provides a bonding experience, which strengthens lifelong friendships between fellow classmates. In addition to the importance of celebrating the seniors’ hard work and achievements, graduation is also a time where seniors can look back and begin to think about their future. Some seniors have clear plans of what they will pursue in college and beyond, but for others, the future remains uncertain. 10600 AND BEYOND Student Council President JT Graass, a noted distance runner, plans to run in college and eventually pursue a career in medicine, but he is still not completely sure and is willing to accept any other interests that may arise. “I think that if I choose to run in college, that could potentially lead to a career involving physiology, kinesiology or physical therapy,” Graass said. “But once again, I’m going to focus a lot of my energy into excelling in the classroom, so

In addition to continuing his current interests in college, Cole also believes his school activities have prepared him well for contributing to his future communities. “I want to make a positive impact on whatever career path I end up choosing,” Cole said, “and St. Mark’s has absolutely prepared me to not only be successful but to thrive and push my communities forward.” But even as these 88 Marksmen sing the Alma Mater for the last time as a class, the school still stays in their lives. PHILIP MONTGOMERY Senior Class president will address classmates

“A unique quality here is, once they graduate, [the school] still is their family,” Arsers said. “I know my son and all the boys still have ties here, and they are lifelong friends. Not only with their classmates, but with faculty members, and I think that’s a very strong takeaway that this still is their family. That’s what we’re celebrating and wanting them to know that their family is around and sending them off.” Besides the class president, the class has been led by sponsors J.T. Sutcliffe and Dr. Stephen Balog.

Annual Baccalaureate to be held May 17 in Chapel by Mark Tao

Philip Montgomery President Anvit Reddy Vice President Eugene Song Secretary Jake Byers Class Rep

hopefully I learn more about Pre-med or any other field.” raass believes the retention of what he has learned throughout his education is a key to success after graduation. “I think we all learn so much in high school, and it seems like such a waste to forget everything we’ve learned,” Graass said. “From time management to hanging out with friends, the most important thing for me to do is learn how to transition everything I’ve learned into something productive in college because I know how much of a shock [college] can be.” Senior Jackson Cole also hopes to incorporate his school experience into his life in college. Particularly, Cole is passionate about integrating his love for community service and The Leadership and Ethics Program into his college schedule, as well as anything else that piques his interest. “At St. Mark’s we push forward the idea of head, heart, and hands,” Cole said, “and I want to make sure I’m pushing myself as much as I can in that same direction. More than anything, I think trying new things and expanding my horizons will lead me to my future career since we live in an ever-changing world where many people have no clue what they are going to end up doing.”

The annual Baccalaureate ceremony will be held in the chapel May 17 at 7:30 p.m. as a celebratory commemoration for graduating seniors. Offered exclusively to seniors, faculty and the seniors’ parents, the ceremony serves a similar role to the final chapel before graduation.  “The ceremony mimics ordinary, weekly divisional chapels,” said the Rev. Stephen Arbogast, who organizes the ceremony. “There are usually readings, singing and prayers.” In addition to regular chapel activities, the Baccalaureate ceremony also includes two speeches given by a student speaker, selected by the faculty, and a faculty speaker, selected by the students. “It isn’t someone like the valedictorian or the class president, but it’s someone who the faculty thinks can do a good job of summarizing the class’ experiences,” said

Cole Gerthoffer ‘14, who spoke at the 2014 Baccalaureate ceremony. Although the ceremony isn’t very long, Gerthoffer believes the ceremony is an important experience for the Senior Class to go through. “It’s an intimate, Mathematics spiritual experience,” Department Chair Joe Milliet has been Gerthoffer said. “To a lot chosen by the Senior of students, it’s probably Class as the faculty the last time you’ll be in member asked to speak at the the chapel. It’s a big deal ceremony. in that sense.” For Gerthoffer, the ceremony gives a sense of anticipation to the seniors as they leave the school. “It’s an incredible moment in our lives,” Gerthoffer said, "but we are still on the precipice to do even bigger things and grow even more. It’s sad and it’s scary, and it’s hard to condense a class’ memories in five to ten minutes.” Although Gerthoffer believes the school

isn’t incredibly religious, the spiritual impact the ceremony has on the senior class cannot be ignored. “Even though we’re not nearly as religious as a lot of the private schools in the area, I’m still glad that there are such spiritual elements that come into play during baccalaureate,” Gerthoffer said. According to Arbogast, the speakers will be decided within the next few weeks. “The seniors will propose a speaker through the class sponsor to the headmaster, and the headmaster will discuss [the speaker] with a variety of different people,” Arbogast said. Because Baccalaureate is one of the last true final senior gatherings before graduation, the ceremony means a lot to the seniors. “I remember a lot of my friends and the parents of my friends crying,” Gerthoffer said. “It’s a very reflective experience for everybody. I believe that everyone will be really affected by it.”

COMMENCEMENT STORY ZOHEB KHAN, MICHAEL LUKOWICZ, GOPAL RAMAN ILLUSTRATION NAFTAL MAUTIA

Skapek’s experience as senior buddy? Another way of giving back to the community by André Arsenault

he entire school crowds into the Great Hall. Filled with energy and chatter, the room is alive and eagerly awaiting the start of the annual Christmas Party. Outside the double wooden doors stand the 88 seniors with their excited younger buddies. Senior Tim Skapek stands outside those doors with his first grade buddy, Will Thomson. For the first and second graders, walking down the aisle at the Christmas Party is a rite of passage. For the seniors, it’s much more than that. “It’s a great event for everyone in the school,” said Skapek. “But everyone knows there is a special level of it when you’re one of the little buddies or one of the seniors. Walking through the doors of the Great Hall and walking down the aisle with Will on my shoulders was a pretty awesome experience.” This gathering is one of the many events the seniors and their buddies partake in. The activities occur almost every week and bring them closer each time they meet. “At the start of the year, we just met and the first day we did some homework assignments and puzzles and stuff like that,” Skapek said, “but it’s a lot of fun most Fridays to get to go out and play on the playground and play tag and run around and really get to know Will better and fit into a mentor roll by the end of the year if I can.” From these activities, memories form. One of the more interesting ones for Skapek happened when Thomson lost a t-shirt.

“For football, we all got shirts with the players’ last names on the back that we gave to our little buddies,” Skapek said. “Will lost his shirt that he had gotten so I went and got another one for him, and then we got everyone on the team to sign it, so it was pretty cool. I saw Will wearing it last week for free dress day.” kapek sees the program as a way for the seniors to give back to the Lower School before they leave. “It’s a unique way for the older kids of the school to become more connected to the younger kids in the school,” Skapek said. “It’s really a way for the seniors who are just about to leave the community to give back to the lowest level of the school, and at the same time to learn things, from the foundation of St. Mark’s until they go off to the next level.” Thomson enjoys interacting with the older boys. “It’s exciting,” Thomson said. “It’s really good because you get to meet with the older boys, and it’s helpful in a way. That’s really it.” According to Skapek, there aren’t many things that need to be changed in the program. “I think it’s a pretty solid program where it is right now,” Skapek said. “If I were to change anything, I would add one or two more events during the year. We have the zoo trip at the end of the year, we have the Christmas party, but those are pretty much the two big things that happen. Skapek, a four year Marksman, is able to see how the Lower School functions through this program.

“I haven’t been at St. Mark’s for very long and wasn’t even in the Lower School,” Skapek said. “To get to sit down with Will on Friday mornings and see how the lower school works and see what the teaching at St. Mark’s is like from the first day of school all the way up through the twelfth grade is pretty cool and gives me a better idea of how to connect with the younger kids on a deeper level.” When asked about what a lasting memory will be when Skapek goes off to college, Thomson replied with a simple answer. “Probably playing tag,” Thomson said. “That’s really it.”

NEWS

PAGE 8 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER LABELED |ADHD DIAGNOSIS — CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

IT’S NOT OVER

THE COUNTE It’s no secret that ADHD affects students across the school. It makes homework longer, tests tougher and focusing more difficult. But while the common perception is that anybody can just get diagnosed, the reality couldn’t be more different.

unior Ben Budner is one of the of the nearly 6.4 million kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) in the United States, and according to Budner, there is a negative stigma that comes along with the diagnosis. ”There are kids who you just know have it and need it, because it seems like there is an “extra time kid.” I like to get away from that image, so when a teacher in the middle of class is like, “you and you have extra time so you have to do things differently,” there is a negative feeling that comes along with that that I do not like.” Could this stigma be preventing kids from getting diagnosed in the future? Lower grades counselor Dr. Gabriela Reed thinks so. “Parents can be hesitant to go down that path,”Reed said. “They worry that, ‘well if we actually get a formal diagnosis, will this diagnosis follow our child?’… It’s my job to educate them and say, ‘If this is really ADHD, that is a chemical, physical, biological, executive function issue. This is a real thing. It’s not a label that we just give people who are misbehaving or who aren’t paying attention, just because.” Reed tries to work with parents to encourage their children to get diagnosed. “We try to educate parents but even though we do our best,” Reed said. “there is still that stigma that leads parents to think, ‘I don’t

want my child to have that di agnosis.’ And then those students end up floundering because this place is hard, as you know. And if you have true ADHD, it can be really hard.” This school is hard, and due to the increase in pressure that comes with high school, that’s when Director of Counseling Barbara Van Drie sees the symptoms of ADHD begin to spike up. “As students get older,” Van Drie said, “it’s tasks like not getting a paper done in Curtis Smith’s ninth grade english class or the tenth grade family history paper or a research paper. It’s difficulty with being able to initiate a big task like that. A student feels, ‘I can’t just sit in my chair and get started’ or ‘I have to wait until the last minute, until I have enough of a sense of urgency so I can initiate the task.’” Van Drie suggests that students with ADHD need a crisis to initiate to work. “And that’s a bit of what Inattentive ADHD is,” Van Drie said. “It’s an underaroused brain. It needs a little more ‘umph’ or sense of urgency to get started on a task.” DHD is not a one-size fits all type of psychiatric disorder. It comes in varying degrees of severity that designate the amount or even need for medication. Budner and Cotten are at polar opposite ends of this spectrum. “I like having extra time,” Cotten said. “I don’t see it as a bad thing because I know I need it. I don’t feel rushed during tests and it lets me focus on the material in front of me instead of cramming in the amount of answers I need on the paper or worrying about exactly how much time I have left in the test.” For Budner, the need for extra time varys and sometimes seems like too much. “There were times during the ERBs where I would finish in half the time given to us for a section and would take a nap and wake up and there would still

be time left in the section.” Budner said. “Kids would still be working till the very end. Part of this is probably because I was immature and didn’t take the questions as seriously as I should have, but sometimes I definitely felt that I didn’t need extra time.” But to find the students with ADHD who have not been diagnosed yet, Reed stresses the importance of a strong counseling office at a school. Having two counselors on campus who have studied at the doctorate level, the diagnostic process for kids on campus is very involved. “I think we do a really nice job here of doing things in a really systematic and scientific way,” Reed said. “which I think is important, and it helps parents feel better too that we have gotten to the right diagnosis.” Being the counselor for grades one through seven, Reed is called to observe kids who may have ADHD several times a year. She’ll go to several of the student’s “environments” whether it be drama, recess or writing, and take detailed notes on his behavior. “Generally pretty often I can walk in a room of 15 second graders and if there is a kid who is exhibiting some of those symptoms, it’s pretty easy to see,” Reed said. “I’ll watch to see how they interact with other kids, see if they are listening, are they able to stay in their seat, do they need instructions repeated? I’m looking for anything that stands out that would get in the way of their learning.” For the older grades, Van Drie does not need to sit in on classes to observe students because with age comes the ability to “self-report.” “On older students as well as younger students we gather teacher feedback, so teachers can provide input on what they observe,” Van Drie said. “This is a requirement of the assessment process. There are

a lot of similarities in what we do, but in the Lower grades they would also be gathering information through direct observation in the classroom.” n top of observation, Van Drie and Reed come to diagnoses through indepth interviews with parents, student, and teachers. In addition, the two use a videogame-like computer screening test called the Conners Continuous Performance Test to help accurately diagnose ADHD. By the time the two have used all of their tools, they can sit with the parents and tell them the results and make recommendations from there. While Van Drie and Reed’s arduous screening process helps to manage all the cases of ADHD at the school, it ultimately comes down to the student. Students can struggle for years with ADHD without knowing it. They can dismiss it as stress, immaturity, or lack of ability, all without getting the help they really need — a diagnosis. “I hate seeing someone present with Inattentive ADHD in 11th grade,” Van Drie said. ‘It’s too late. Because it’s not like the student is failing, it’s just that he is underachieving. He could have done better. What I tend to find in our students is their IQ is high, their achievement level is high, but their grades don’t reflect this because the process of doing school is more difficult for them. It’s the process of doing school that is hard. They have the innate ability.”

STORY CASE LOWRY, KOBE ROSEMAN, JOHN CRAWFORD ILLUSTRATION KOBE ROSEMAN

HYPERACTIVEIMPULSIVE TYPE

• Often fidgets or squirms in seat. • Leaves seat when staying in seat is expected.

• Often runs about or climbs in inappropriate situations.

• Has difficulty engaging in leisure activities quietly.

• Is uncomfortable being still for an extended time.

• Often talks excessively. • Frequently blurts out and interrupts.

• Has difficulty waiting his turn. • Often intrudes on others.

percent of kids in Texas ages 4-17 currently taking medication for ADHD.

SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

INATTENTIVE TYPE Frequent faliure to give careful vattention to detail. Has difficulty stustaining attention in tasks and activities. Doesn’t listen well when spoken to.

• • •

Stuggles to complete tasks.

•

Has difficulty organizing tasks.

•

Dislikes or avoids tasks that require sustained mental effort.

•

Often loses important things.

•

Easily distracted by other stimuli.

•

Often forgetful in daily activity.

•

1 10 in

children in the U.S. ages 4-17 have some type of ADHD.

PAGE 9 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

MALECALL

NEWS

THIS ISSUE

MONEY MAKING SUMMER SUNGLASSES TIPS TO MAKE SUMMER GREAT

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

MAKE MONEY FAST

MAN SCHOOL

How to make a quick buck

TIPS FOR MAKING #SUMMER2K16 A GREAT ONE

With summer quickly approaching, having spending money is essential. From going to the movies to buying some tacos, having cash on hand is a good way to enhance your summer experience. Luckily, The ReMarker has you covered — here are some ways to make cash fast so you have some spending money this summer.

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

ideogames, or too much of them at least, hamper a good summer. Staying in the house gaming doesn’t get anything done— you don’t see friends, you don’t talk to people, and it’s overall just a waste of a day. Get out of the house — see some friends, ride your bike or go to the park. Whatever it is, don’t spend an entire day in front of a screen.

DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY

good way to ensure you are spending time doing things to make summer awesome, think of tasks to do every day, then do them. Whatever you do, don’t loaf around the house eating and sleeping. Having things to do will make the few days of summer you have productive and more fun. Its know it’s not easy to get out of bed every day during the summer, however, it will definitely make your summer more fun. By doing things each day, you won’t get borded. Summer is a great time to have fun as well as get things done, so dont waste it.

BE SOCIAL

on’t be afraid to text first. Get out there, text people and see if they want to hang out—you could even text—a girl. Everything is more fun with a friend, no matter what it is. Don’t sit around all day waiting for someone to text you. Make plans with friends then do them.

PUSH THE ENVELOPE

oing things you don’t usually do is a good thing. Try new things this summer, find a passion and pursue it. Who knows, you might end up loving something you previously had no interest in. The more you try, the more opportunities will come and the more fun you will have. TIPS FOR A G REAT SUMMER BY RETT DAUG BJERG

2. 1) Washing Cars: go through your neighborhood, house-byhouse, and simply offer to wash their cars. Bring a hose, some car soap, a small towel and a big towel. Wash the car with the small towel, then dry with the big one. To make even more money, you can offer a detailed wash including interior vaccuming, window cleaning, tire cleaning, etc.

2) Mowing Lawns: first, you gotta have a lawnmower. If you don’t have one, rent one from a local hardware store. Again, go door-to-door in your neighborhood asking if your neighbors want their lawn mowed. You can even charge less than usual for small lawns and more for the bigger ones. Cut the grass in strips, making sure not to miss any lines.

4. 3) Painting Curbs: first, go to your town hall and ask for information on painting curbs because laws and licensing vary from town to town. Gather supplies: spray paint and stencils, and start painting. Spray the background with white paint in a box, then spray over the stencils in black to make the numbers. Go door-to-door asking to paint curbs.

4) Housesitting: enjoy your summer staycation by staying in someone else’s house. Surely you will have friends and neighbors who leave town for summer vacation. Offer to watch their house for them while they are gone: bring the mail inside, take care of plants or pets, etc. Charge by the day and enjoy the luxury of making money with little effort.

STORY RETT DAUGBJERG PHOTOS MATEO DIAZ

Stylin’ summer shades Arguably the most important part of summer is the shades you rock. The ReMarker has a guide for the hottest sunglasses styles on the market.

Aviators

Channel your inner TopGun, wear aviators. Whether you are chilling by the pool or flying a plane, they are a solid summer pick. Do not be alarmed that girls wear them, a nice pair is a great unisex style.

Classic

Outdoorsy

These are timeless sunglasses; the style that keeps coming back. Ray Ban’s are nice, but you can even cop a pair from free giveaways. Everyone loves the style of these classic sunglasses, and you can get them for very very cheap.

Polarized lenses are a must for every fisherman, increasing the visibility in the water. A nice pair of Costas are a one time investment as Costa will fix your glasses for little to no charge should something happen to them.

STORY RETT DAUGBJERG PHOTOS RETT DAUG BJERG

Sporty

If you play sports and are a cool dude, you have Oakley’s. Albeit expensive, these sporty shades will hit all of the bases needed for a good pair of sunglasses: nice lenses, sturdy frames, and a tight fit. Home run.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON RILEY SANDERS PHOTO

Like his father and grandfather before him, senior Reid Gaskill continues to work on restoring a Triumph Spitfire 1500.

li fe

page 15

SAYING GOODBYE

TEN YEARS

12 13

Master Teacher Bill Kysor, Lower School Head Barbara York and other faculty members leave campus. The school’s photography program has been named top in the state.

RENAISSANCE MAN

Along with serving as choirmaster, Tinsley Silcox works as music director at Northpark Presbyterian Church.

SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS

With a promising summer for Hollywood releases, The ReMarker gives the scoop on what to see... and what to skip.

PAGE 10 FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2016 I REMARKER

HANGING OUT WITH

SAMMY SANCHEZ

TO FRANK THOMAS PHO

With Wednesday chants of “Vest! Vest! Vest!” a cultural phenomenon has taken the campus by storm. The ReMarker sits down with sophomore Sammy Sanchez, creator of Vest Day.

QUICKhits

stories around campus in brief

• FINAL COFFEEHOUSE The last Coffeehouse of the school year was held April 23 from 7-9 p.m. in Decherd Auditorium, which was decorated with stuffed animals, posters and balloons to match the theme “Mickey Mouse Trap House.” The event consisted of 23 varied performances out of over 42 slot requests, including singing, poetry and improv, among other things. “This theme was a personal favorite of mine,” Fine Arts Board Chair Avery Powell said. “I actually came up

with it during a meeting for last year’s Coffeehouse. We opened up the theme of the final Coffeehouse to a board member vote, and Mickey Mouse Trap House won unanimously.” • ARTS AND MUSIC FESTIVAL ON CAMPUS After a successful run last year, the Underground River Music Festival was held in Hunt Stadium May 6 at 5:30 p.m. Senior Will Clark looked forward to this year’s list of performances, which include the band Pink Freud, the Blues Club, Tim

Mank ‘87, Timothy Hicks and the band Wolf Lewis and the Howlers. “I had a lot of fun playing last year,” Clark said. “I think this year will live up to the hype that everybody is building up.” • JUNIORS AWARDED BAND EXCELLENCE Juniors Rahul Maganti, Liam Sohn and Chirag Gokani received the Scott Hubbard ‘85 Band Award for their efforts and devotion to band throughout the year. The three juniors have made their mark on the band community.

The award signifies the recognition of three band members who stood out in the program this year, and winners were announced during the Spring Concert. “Band is one of those things that requires a lot of social interaction,” Maganti said. “That really requires you to put a lot of effort into one thing and focus on it, and then achieve your goal.”

publish its latest issue May 17. This issue will boast an ancient civilization theme including Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Asia and the Americas. “It’s a little bit of everything—poetry, fiction, non fiction, a lot of digital art and photography as well,” said Mini Marque sponsor Meagan Frazier. “A little bit of everything.” This year’s Mini Marque wil be longer and with higher quality content than ever before thanks to a more specific selection process for the works and entries featured in the magazine.

• MIDDLE SCHOOLERS RELEASE MINI MARQUE The Mini Marque, the Middle School’s literary magazine, will

— Duncan Kirstein, CJ Crawford, Eric Hirschbrich and Mateo Guevara

in the

MOMENT events on campus told through photos

Tell me the story of how Vest Day started. Blake DeSantis and I were hanging out in the Commons, talking about vests. At that point, I hadn’t really come out of my vest cocoon. Like I knew I could be a vest guy if I wanted to, but I didn’t break them out all the time. But Blake was like, “Sammy, you can’t be a vest guy,” and I was like, “Blake, anyone can be a vest guy, and guess what, tomorrow and every Wednesday after that is Vest Day.”

What’s the perfect day to wear a vest? Obviously, this is a trick question because every day is the perfect day for a vest. But if I had to pick perfect vest weather, it would be one of those days where it is never really hot, more neutral temperarture, kinda just hanging out in your vest. Besides you, who has been the most influential person in Vest Day? [“Doc” Nelson Master Teacher] Mr. Valasek. He helped to spread it to the common man. A lot of people heard about it and thought, “That sounds like a highfalutin holiday, that sounds like some crazy cult.” But Mr. V really got what Vest Day was all about. He knew where things were going.

OWEN BERGER PHOTO

What makes vests the optimal outerwear? Outside of the obvious style benefits, it keeps your core warm, but your arms are mobile.

Taking the stage

cting out a scene from one of their plays, lower schoolers perform for their friends, families and senior buddies as part of the Lower School Fine Arts Evening April 21. After practicing for weeks leading up to the night, the lower schoolers came together in performace, with parts from their favorite plays and songs.

What you need to know in the coming week

TODAY

So what is the best part of Vest Day? It’s the vestivities obviously.

What Wicked When 7:30 p.m. Where Dallas Summer Musicals, 909 1st Ave.

Vestivities? Vest-festivities. They always include cake. They usually involve eating cake and talking about vests and camaraderie, it’s always a great time. If you’re wearing a vest, you’re always invited to the vestivities.

WEEKEND

What’s your emotional state on a typical Vest Day? I want the people on the outskirts of the vest kingdom to participate. I see vests everywhere, and I feel it deep in my soul. I cry a little bit. If it is a vest kingdom, what does that make you? And what do you want from the vest kingdom? I hesitate to call myself the vest king because we aren’t a monarchy—we are just a family of vesters. I want to come back ten, maybe 15 years from now on a Wednesday and see vests everywhere. Also, be on the lookout for custom Vest Day vests.

ArtistsinAction

the Around corner

What Eye of the Collector Exhibit When All day Where Perot Museum of Nature and Science, 2201 N. Field St.

What Scarborough Renaissance Festival When Saturday10 a.m. Where 2511 FM 66 Waxahachie

What Memphis When Sunday 7:30 p.m. Where Theater 3, 2800 Routh St.

What Frank Stella: A Retrospective When All day Saturday Where The Modern Art Museum, 3200 Darnell St.

What Erin Stafford: Misbehaving When All Day Sunday Where Kirk Hopper Fine Art, 3008 Commerce St.

NEXT WEEK What Tango in the Park When Friday 7:30 p.m. Where Klyde Warren Park, 2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway

What Journey and The Doobie Brothers concert When May 20 7 p.m. Where Gexa Energy Pavilion 1818 First Ave.

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

THE ARTIST Blake DeSantis

THE ART

Shelves, tables and other art crafted from wood.

HIS WORDS

Wood and metal has taught me to view the practical nature of objects in a more abstract manner. I love seeing the finished project.

PAGE 11 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

Molding the future RETIRING TEACHERS

L LIFE

PHOTO CHRIS MCELHANEY

Saying farewell

Head of Lower School Barbara York talks about her retirement after 22 years.

Sitting in front of the periodic table he sculpted in 1990, Founders’ Master Teaching Chair Bill Kysor reflects on his 47 years at St. Mark’s

ith short steps and a slow but experienced stride, he walks through the quad. His round-rimmed glasses and somehow-still-young eyes take in the campus. For the last time in his 47 year journey as a teacher, Bill Kysor walks down the brick path, headed home. He leaves behind irreplaceable legacies. Forty-seven years of pots in display cases. Forty-seven years of jokes with students and faculty. Forty-seven years of Marksmen inspired. Kysor’s impact at 10600 Preston Road will be felt long past his retirement: on the periodic table, on pedestals and shelves in Nearburg Hall and on the faces of hundreds of his students. His warmth will remain forever. His story begins back in 1969. After dropping out of college, focusing on his art became his main objective. Because of what he calls “synchronicity,” he met a woman, whose husband, a strings teacher at St. Mark’s, knew of a job opportunity in starting an arts program. He immediately applied for the job, and about four months later, he was hired. Kysor started working with Middle School boys on the basics of art: sculpting, painting and some higher level projects. Kysor soon noticed the students gravitating toward working with clay “because of the functionality their creations had,” he said. “They could make a cup and drink out of it. That’s how it all started.” After a donor gifted the school three

What was your first day here like? Boys started arriving in carpool, and it was just such fun to see them come in and watch them head to their classrooms and then to go up and down the halls and see what they were doing, and then to teach my own classes.

pottery wheels, Kysor saw his own students’ interest in the medium and soon bought his own wheel, ready to jump headfirst into the world of ceramics. After a decade of teaching art and ceramics, he began to leave his own marks on campus, forever changing the face of the school. As the campus evolved around him with additions to the science building, thenHeadmaster David Hicks proposed to Kysor a rather demanding task. Hicks asked Kysor to build and install the periodic table on the wall in the center lobby of the science building, marking “the transition from the new building to the old building,” as Kysor puts it. Upon the request, Kysor immediately got to work. orking with professional companies alongside devoting countless hours of his time, he became completely committed to the project. According to Kysor, he “was essentially coming up to school at three o’clock in the morning and working on [the periodic table] until it was time for [him] to teach.” The completion of the periodic table was just one stepping stone on his journey as a teacher, as Kysor values his interactions with and opportunities to teach the people in the community—particularly his students—the most. “I want them to be able to experience art at a higher level than they would have if they hadn’t taken an art course,” he said. “They don’t necessarily have to become artists. That isn’t the goal. I just want them to have that in their soul.” Beyond just the classroom or art studio,

Kysor loves the chance to interact with and influence all students around campus, cherishing the moments, events and assemblies that bring the whole community together. “I’ve been lucky enough to do a couple readings for Evensong and Lessons and Carols,” he said, “and those were huge moments in my life.” His impact has been felt by many of his students, both those long-graduated and still on campus, across his tenure here. In particular, senior ceramacist Zak Houillion, after spending endless hours in the studio with Kysor, has grown thankful. “Kysor is a one-of-a-kind dude,” Houillion said. “I’ve been around him so much. I’m always in [the ceramics studio] and he is. We’ve definitely developed a teacherstudent relationship, but he is more of a parental figure than a teacher. He has taught me to stick with anything I do in life, not just ceramics.” During his 47 years of teaching, Kysor grew to love many members of the community. And many members of the community grew to love him. But what’s next for Bill Kysor? Spend time in the studio, spend time with his wife, see a few movies. After all, it has been a “gazillion” years. But Kysor won’t ever forget his time at 10600 Preston Road. And the school won’t forget him either. “I have had the greatest job in the world,” he said. “That job has been to share my passion for life, opening the eyes and minds of our boys. I have had the opportunity to grow as a teacher and as a person. I have been able to change their lives.”

What has your favorite experience been? The all-school Christmas chapel where the little boys ride on the senior buddies’ shoulders. I’ve known a number of the boys when they were in Lower School and now they’re coming back and they’re on the bottom and they’re carrying one of the little boys and, oh, that’s just delightful to watch. What do the Lower School boys mean to you? Oh my, I don’t know if I can tell you. It’s just they represent the future and they’re absolutely wonderful and I just I love being a part of helping them to grow strong and to be good men. How have you been mentoring Mrs. [Sherri] Darver (who will serve as interim head next year)? How has that relationship evolved? We’ve talked two or three times already and as soon as things slow down at school we’ll spend a good deal of time together just looking over things and getting her ready for next year as the interim head of lower school. I have every confidence that Mrs. Darver will do a great job. Describe what it will be like for you to walk off campus for the last time. Painful. The word that best describes that is bittersweet. But it really has been such a pleasure to be here and it’s awfully hard to think of leaving all the wonderful people who are here. I plan to have lots of Kleenex.

STORY ZACH GILSTRAP, DAVIS BAILEY ADDITIONAL REPORTING ALBERT LUO, SAHIT DENDEKURI PHOTO FRANK THOMAS

Final comments Myles Teasley Fellow

What does St. Mark’s mean to you? It represents my first main teaching job. It represents a time where I have the opportunity to teach and coach, which is something I’d wanted to do for a very, very long time. It means a lot. What has been your most memorable moment here? The first time I really felt like a Marksman was when varsity volleyball won its first SPC. Either that or when the freshman team last year beat Trinity Valley 25-2.

Lei Zhang

Chinese instructor

What will you miss the most? I will miss the feeling of building the students up and seeing them really learn and gain something from Chinese. What does St. Mark’s mean to you? I used to work as a molecular biologist for almost 30 years, but I will say that the nine years I have spent teaching Chinese at St. Mark’s have been some of the best parts of my life.

Departing faculty, staff members look back at their careers at 10600 Preston Road

Byron Lawson

History Department Chair

Miguel Mesta

Student Services supervisor

What will you miss the most? I have been a part of this community for such a long time. I will miss things like seeing my son play volleyball for this school and spending time with the friends I’ve made here.

What was your favorite experience? Being in charge of the student services and being able to interact with the students. It was something I will always remember. I learned so much from them while working with them for so long.

What does St. Mark’s mean to you? It means growth. It means challenge. It means exhaustion. I think the impact on the St. Mark’s experience on my son and my family has been great.

What will you miss the most? I will miss the interactions I had with the students and the faculty. I view the people that I’ve met in my 30 years here as my family.

Francis Donald

Karen Llewellyn

Assistant director of Admission

Assistant to the director of College Counciling

What will you miss most about the school and the community? I will miss the kids. Being a former student myself, the school hasn’t changed much. It has been a joy to be a part of this community and to interact with the students.

What will you miss the most? The interaction with all of the people here. I’ve made some really good friends during my 25 years here, so I’ve developed some really great relationships with the faculty and staff. St. Mark’s is family to me. What do you plan on doing after you leave? I plan to be able to visit my daughter in San Francisco more often. Other than that, I’m going to enjoy not having plans for a while.

Will you carry your connections here on into the future? Yes, those relationships that you build here don’t ever go away. St. Mark’s will always be a part of me, wherever I am.

Cindy Osborne

Lower School administrative assistant

What has been your most memorable moment here? When [fifth-grader] Charlie Estess hugged me at the front door on his first day of school and every day since. What are you planning on doing next? Read, relax and ride our Harley as much as possible. What will you miss most about the community? The boys and their smiles, their tears, their questions and their love. The parents and their gratitude.

L LIFE

PAGE 12 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

PHOTOGRAPHY TEN YEAR ACHIEVEMENT

Ten years of excellence Vortex No. 3, William Hall

The Association of Texas Photography Instructors has honored the school’s photography program with another high achievement: ATPI Top Program — for an unprecedented tenth straight year.

Torres del Paine, Harper Sahm

he photography program, under the tutelage of Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair Scott Hunt, has been honored as the top program in the state of Texas by the Association of Texas Photography Instructors (ATPI). For the tenth year in a row. “Up to this point,” Hunt said, “we had won nine years in a row, and we have been fortunate enough to have been named top program every year we have entered. This is the tenth year, and that worked out for us, thankfully.” Regarding the recognition, Hunt feels very proud of the students for their continued accomplishments. “The recognition is gratifying,” Hunt said. “I find it gratifying to see that our boys continue to take good pictures and the fact that they have been able to create this much quality over such a long time tells me that they are doing things right.” The process of submitting to the ATPI judges involves entering several different portfolios and artist statements to the organization. There are also many categories in which schools can enter photos. “There are seven categories,” Hunt said, “including things like photojournalism and sports. Schools

can enter up to four portfolios, and there are multiple judges that look over the portfolios we submit and decide who and what to award.” Hunt also believes the students’ success is also due to the amount of time he has been able to work with them throughout their careers as student photographers. “I think the big thing is that I am able to have the students from seventh grade and introduce them to the basic visual elements of photography,” Hunt said, “The fact that I’m able to work with these guys for so long is frankly the key. To form that relationship is pretty critical to our success.” Despite the prolonged success the photography program has experienced, Hunt still feels like work can be done to even better improve the craft of his students. “[The recognition is] gratifying and reaffirming,” Hunt said, “but at the end of the day, we just need to keep going. There are areas where I think our boys are spectacularly strong, and there are areas where I think the boys still need work. There’s always more work to do. Not only are the kids constantly changing, but there’s always something to strive for. How you get there is the big question.”

STORY ZACH GILSTRAP

Ruthie DeWit, Israel Arno Goetz

Revenant, William Hall

Woman at the White House, Will Cotten

Athenæum Bucharesti, Wesley Hibbs

PAGE 13 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

L LIFE

TINSLEY SILCOX

Around the clock 9

Not only is Tinsley Silcox the choirmaster of the Middle and Upper School choirs and the director of the library, but he is also the music director at the Northpark Presbyterian

Church. With such little downtime, Silcox must manage his time wisely.

e picked up the pencil and waved it around like a magic wand. With the pencil, he imagined controlling the sounds of the Strauss Blue Danube Waltz cascading off the walls. Before him, a hundred pair of imagined eyes gazed at his every swish. His parents would watch him, their five-year old son, enjoying the recording they put on for him. He would conduct for hours with endless enjoyment. Ever since, Choirmaster Tinsley Silcox knew he wanted a career in music.

Silcox had fulfilled his ambition and succeeded in finding several jobs conducting. After earning multiple degrees in music, Silcox traveled across the south until finally settling in Dallas in 1995. He would serve as the director of music at the Northpark Presbyterian Church. “I was excited as I usually am when it comes to this stuff”, Silcox said. “But the beginning of the week that I was supposed to start, my father passed away back in Tennessee so I delayed starting for a week.” Despite the new setting and the new group of coworkers, he found comfort and affection the very first day he arrived. “So when I came in a week later to start, I was obviously feeling pretty sad”, Silcox said. “But even though I didn’t

know those people, they just surrounded me with love and support from the very beginning.” Twenty years later, Silcox celebrated his anniversary with the church. To show their appreciation for his contributions, they made a presentation for him. “It was sort of a roast,” Silcox said. “It was actually really fun. They did a top ten list of ‘Tinsleyisms’. Some of my favorite sayings that I’ve used over and over again. My favorite one is probably ‘What are a sopranos three volume levels? Just like Star Trek: loud, stun, and kill.’” Despite all the levity that went along with the celebration, the church brought back the memories of his time as choirmaster. “They had an original manuscript for one of the scores that I had written

framed,” Silcox said. “It was just great. It was a bunch of tributes and it was funny. People from all over the country who had previously sung in the choir sent in video tributes.” With so much time dedicated to the church, Silcox’s day fills with responsibilities including that of being a teacher, a librarian and a choirmaster at multiple churches. Work days can last from before sunrise until after sunset. “Sometimes it can go from 7:30 [a.m.], that’s usually when I get here, and if I have a rehearsal at church, I’m home by 9:30 [p.m.],” Silcox said. “So Wednesdays in particular are 14-hour work days for me.” Although he has a fairly constant workload, Silcox still sees downtime as a necessity. “I really do consider that I have three jobs,” Silcox said. “And they all seem full-time sometimes. You know, there’s a wonderful quote that I love: ‘The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play.’ So I’m not saying I have a complex mind, I’m just saying I work a lot and I enjoy my playtime too. So

I’m either playing with my dog or swimming in the pool or killing zombies on my Xbox One.” While rest is just as important to Silcox as work, he still does not see his major time commitments as work. “It doesn’t feel like extra work to me,” Silcox said. “Everything that I do are things that I love. I love this library. I love all the things that we do here. I love buying these wonderful new materials. I love coming up with innovative ways to use this space. And of course my love of music… it’s such a large part of my life and who I am. I can’t imagine not doing both.” Despite the sleep deprivation and the responsibility that comes with every day, Silcox stays jolly. And he’s not quite sure why. “Why am I happy?” Silcox asks. “You know what? I don’t know. I wake up every morning and I think ‘I get paid to do this?’ I love what I do. I love my colleagues here. I love the students here. I love my choir at church. I love the choir here. I have the world’s greatest jobs. How could you not be happy?”

STORY DANIEL COPE, JOHN GUNNIN ILLUSTRATION NAFTAL MAUTIA PHOTO FRANK THOMAS

by Nathan Han he Marque won its fourth consecutive Gold Crown award, announced March 18 at the spring CSPA (Columbia Scholastic Press Association) convention at Columbia University. The literary arts magazine’s 53rd edition, led by editors Purujit Chatterjee ‘15 and Alex Kim ‘15, revolves around a theme of “the future,” which won the Marque its sixth Gold Crown ever, and fourth consecutive in the last four years. Marque faculty sponsor Lynne Weber credits the new way in which the designs are made for the magazine’s sudden influx of success. “Editor Rishi Bandopadhay ‘12 came in and created design wars, where the students would come in for a night and design

a spread and whichever spread was the best would win a prize,” Weber said. The design wars, also known as design nights, were a driving force behind the improvement in design for the Marque. “Rishi was the editor four years ago, and each year since, we’ve won a Gold Crown,” Weber said. The editor of this year’s Marque, junior Killian Green, attributes the Marque’s recent success to their high standards. “We have really high standards for submissions and for photographs and all of the art of that gets put into the Marque,” Green said. “So upholding those high standards and trying to get really good design, that combination seems to work.” In addition, Green believes that the high school literary magazine scene is not as

refined as the other yearbook and newspaper fields. “The literary magazine world, at least at the high school level, is still developing, so it still hasn’t reached it’s height or standards that perhaps the newspaper or yearbook standards have,” Green said. That is not to take away from the magazine’s success, as it is one of only 16 high school Gold Crown magazine winners in the world. But the Marque leadership is not just looking forward to more awards or national acclaim. “It’s going to be really interesting to see the growth and development not only of the Marque but also the high school literary magazine world as it begins to evolve and change,” Green said.

PHOTO COURTESY CSPA

Marque iterary magazine wins fourth consecutive Gold Crown from CSPA

ALL SMILES Accepting their Gold Crown award from CSPA’s Executive Director Ed Sullivan, editors of The Marque and juniors Josh Bandopadhay and Killian Green stand with Lynne Weber, their faculty sponsor.

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CODING

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0 10010 0101001111 101 11 001011 0 0 010 10111100101010101001111 1011110010101 101 11 001011 0 1011110010101 1011110010101 0 0 0 0110000101001111 1011110010101 1011110010101 0 0 01100 0 010 1010001100 0 0 0 01100 101 11 001011 0 0101001111 101 11 001011 0 0101001111 01100 101 11 001011 0 0 010 1011110010101 101 00101001111 101 11 001011 0 11 001011 10100 01101 101 11 001011 0 1011110010101 0101001111 10100 0101001111 01110 0101001111 0 010 1011110010101 101 11 0 01110 0 001011 010 0 010 01100 1011110010101 01110 10100 0101001111 101 11 001011 0 0101001111 0 0 0 01100 0 010 1011110010101 0101001111 01100 01100 01110 1011110010101 1011110010101 1011110010101 1011110010101 1011110010101 0 010 101 11 001011 0 11 001011 0 0 010 01100 10100 1011110010101 11 1011110010101 001011 0 0 0 01100 101 01101 101101 11 001011 0 00 01100 01110 101 11 1011110010101 001011 0 0 010 110100010100 10100 01100 101 11 001011 01100 0 010 101 11 001011 0 101 11 001011 0 001011 0 010 10100 01100 01110 110000101 10100 101 11 0110000 0 0 01100 0 010 010101011011 1011011110010101 1101110 001011 0 01101000110 0 11 0010110101001111 101 11 001011 0 0 11 1011110010101 101 11 001011101 01110 010 10010 00 1011110010101 01110 101 11 001011 0 1011110010101 0101001111 011 1011110010101 0101001111 01110010011010 101 11 001011 0 01110 0101001111 1011110010101 1011110010101 1011110010101 01100 101 11 001011 0110000 0 0 01100 01100 0101001111 0 0 0 01100 101 11 001011 0 01100 10111110100 01100 0 0 0 011000101001111 0 1011110010101 1011110010101 101 11 001011 1011110010101 0 0 0 01100 101 11 001011 0 101 11 001011 0 10100 0 0 0 01100 1011110010101 01110 0 0 0 01100 0101001111 1011110010101 101 11 001011 1011110010101 01100 11 1011110010101 001011 0 0 0 010 101 101 11 001011 0 01100 0101001111 1011110010101 01100 1011110010101 0101001111 101 11 001011 0 0 0 0 01100 0 0 0 01100 101 11 001011 0 101 11 001011 0 0101001111 0101001111 1011110010101 10100 101 11 001011 0 0101001111101 11 001011 0 1011110010101 1011110010101 10100 101 11 001011 0 01011110010101 010 10100 0 0 0 01100 0 010 01101 0 010 1011110010101 1011110010101 10100 0 0 0 01100 0101001111 0101001111 101 11 001011 0 1011110010101 10100 0 0 0 01100 0101001111 0 11 001011 0 001011 0101001111 0 010 101 11 001011 10100 101 101 11 001011 0 11 1011110010101 1011110010101 101 0 1011110010101 01100 0 0 0 01100 1011110010101 0 010 01101 101 11 001011 0 1011110010101 10100 01100 01110 1011011110010101 11 001011 0 0101001111 0 0 0 01100 0 0 0 011000101001111 0 0 0 01100

With schools around the country replacing foreign languages with coding, will this ever happen at 10600 Preston Road?

anguage: a vehicle through which a culture can communicate. It has become an educational staple to include a foreign language in a student’s curriculum. The common choices for students have been languages like Spanish, French, Chinese and Latin. However, with today’s ever changing technological climate, some institutions feel their students should learn another type of language. Something not rooted in culture or tradition. Something unconventional. Recently, in hopes of becoming a national leader in technology, the state of Florida has decided to implement the option for its students to take coding classes in place of the traditional foreign language options.

This brings the conversation back home to 10600 Preston Rd. Should coding be able to replace foreign languages? For Foreign Language Department Chair Nancy Marmion, the importance of learning a foreign language boils down to one aspect: culture. “Students benefit from learning languages because languages and culture are inseparable,” Marmion said. “You can’t really learn about the culture if you don’t learn its respective language.” While she recognizes the benefits of coding for students, Marmion believes the fundamental sharing and embracing of cultures found in the study of traditional languages is missing in the study of computer coding. “I don’t think computer coding is a foreign language,” Marmion said. “ I

think it’s an important skill, and I think it’s going to be important for students to learn, but to me it’s not the same, and it’s not something organic that is developed from a culture and carries cultural content as part of it.” Senior Spencer Cheng has been taking computer science classes for most of his academic career. He believes in accordance with the current technological age, computer science and coding are being pushed to the forefront. “As the internet gets more and more connected,” Cheng said, “programming is going to be essential regarding almost every field you enter, even in college.” Additionally, he believes that an extensive knowledge of coding is something that many companies will look for in their new applicants.

“With coding right now and the knowledge that I know,” Cheng said. “I could get an entry-level development job and have a salary capable of being financially independent as a high school student. I think that’s very important, and I think there are generally more benefits to experience immediately.” However, along with Marmion, he believes that coding shouldn’t replace the traditional options for foreign languages. He also believes that coding lacks some of the aspects that would qualify it as a legitimate language. “I don’t know if I would really consider it a foreign language, but more of just another skill like mathematics or physics,” Cheng said. “There’s not really any vocabulary or grammar you need to know. Most of it is just basic syntax.”

‘

I THINK CODING WOULD BE A GOOD SKILL TO KNOW BECUASE CODING IS BASED A LOT ON MATH.

KURT THOLKING

Computer Science Instructor Kurt Tholking finds many similarities between the instruction of traditional foreign languages and the instruction of coding. “The requirements for [a language class] is you have to understand and learn to pass the course,” Tholking said. “In a spoken language, just like you do in programming, you have to break down

the language and understand how to interact. At the core, I don’t think there is a difference.” Tholking believes classes on coding and computer science are gradually becoming more important because the lessons from the class could apply to anything from a future job to fixing a bug on one’s computer. “Programming classes are important because everyone, not just students, needs to understand how things work, now that we have things like phones and computers -- they’re everywhere,” Tholking said. However, Tholking doesn’t see the implementation of coding as a foreign language as a feasible option in the future and believes it should be separate from the Foreign Language Department. “Foreign language and computer science are two separate things at this point,” Tholking said. “Computer science is more mathematics-based. I really don’t see [coding] fulfilling a foreign language class. It should be its own separate department.” Despite her opinions toward coding as a foreign language, Marmion believes that a student should make the effort to study the language that caters best to their interests. “I think sometimes students want to be different and study a different language,” Marmion said. “It could also be because of their heritage. It depends on different students and what they find appealing.”

STORY ZACH GILSTRAP, MOHIT SINGHAL ILLUSTRATION NATHAN HAN, NAFTAL MAUTIA

Sophomore Vemuri leads Upper School Play Red Badge of Courage by CJ Crawford and Albert Luo

ith less than a week left until the first production of the spring play, The Red Badge of Courage, the limited 11-person cast worked frantically to polish up its performance. Ultimately, the play went well and was considered an overall success in both ISAS and at school. Sophomore Niteesh Vemuri, acting in the lead-role of the play, says that the production went smoothly despite facing various challenges. “It wasn’t the best story, but we did the best we could with it,” Vemuri said. “I guess considering all the acting and everything, I think we did pretty good even though the story was off.” Among those challenges, Vemuri believes that the most unique aspect of this production was the inexperience among the actors. “For most of us,” Vemuri said, “we really didn’t have that much acting experience, so we kinda had to discover what we were made of on the spot.” Furthermore, Vemuri adopted the lead role of the play as a sophomore with limited experience.

“If you look at me, I don’t think you get the impression of guy who yells all the time, but that was essentially what my character was transforming into,” Vemuri said. “That was the hard part throughout the entire rehearsal process really.” According to Vemuri, a large factor of their success was the commitment during the final few days, in which the cast grew closer and formed a real group bond. “Most of the guys were really committed to it,” Vemuri said. “You know those five days where everyone is taking it seriously, those are the days when everybody really starts to come closer to see what was going on.” Additionally, senior leadership aided the progression of the play. In particular, Vemuri applauds senior Albert Thieu for his assistance. “Kudos to Albert, he pushed through,” Vemuri said. “He had a big throat problem; He couldn’t talk on the day [of the production], and here he was addressing 150 people, and he did it perfectly. That’s something really commendable.” Finally, Vemuri attributes their success to drama instructor Marion Glorioso.

“[Ms. Glorioso] played a huge role,” Vemuri said. “She was so great. Throughout the entire [play] she was really supportive of whatever we were doing.” Eventually, the play came along so well that it ran during alumni weekend. “At first it wasn’t suppose to be in front of the whole school,” Vemuri said.

“At first it was just an ISAS thing but it came along so well during the end.” After Vemuri’s first experience, he is looking forward to acting once again. “I think [drama] it has definitely become something that I really enjoy doing,” Vemuri said, “and I hope to have that experience again sometime in the future.”

L LIFE

PAGE 15 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER CAR RESTORATION

From a rat-infested frame with frayed wires to a shining 1977 Triumph Spitfire, Reid and Thomas Gaskill worked relentlessly to achieve their goal of restoring a car. And on one fateful day, the roar of the repaired car’s engine brought the elation of success.

weating profusely, senior Reid Gaskill knew it was time. Please let it work. Please let it work. Please let it work. Two years of work. Nearly $1600 spent. Never mind the countless hours Reid and his father, Thomas Gaskill, had worked on it. The engine started for the first time in 20 years. A tidal wave of euphoria rushed over Reid and his father. Their hard work and dedication led to this moment; the engine finally worked. Soon, the engine died out, letting them know there was still more work to do. However, the story of this 1977 Triumph Spitfire 1500 represents more than an engine starting; it represents a father’s tradition passed down to his son. Thomas Gaskill’s passion for working with cars dates back to his teenage years, while working with his father on a classic Jaguar. His interest then extended into his college years, when he discovered the Triumph Spitfire. “When I went to college,” Thomas said, “I switched over to the Spitfire. Since then, I’ve now done eight of those. I specialized in them because they’re so cheap and easy and people loved them once you got them polished and waxed.” Reid Gaskill heard many of his father’s stories about his time working with the Triumph Spitfires. He then proposed a task to his dad; they would work on a Spitfire together. Thomas Gaskill agreed and began searching for a car. “Reid was 15,” Thomas said. “He knew the story of

A father-son

Reid Gaskill, the most arduous part of the process was the cleaning and refurbishing of the car’s engine. “The longest part for me,” Reid Gaskill said, “was cleaning out the car, because it felt like there was not much progress.For the first year, we were pretty much trying to clean it up. We were scraping off all the rust and hashing all the holes. We had to do things like going under the hood and cleaning out the engine.”

Triumph

ne of the highlights of the renovating experience, according to Reid and Thomas Gaskill, was hearing the first grunt from the car’s engine. The whirs of the engine represented compensation for their hard and taxing work. “We spent all those years putting it together,” Thomas said. “The engine was rebuilt from every bolt, and everything was cleaned and refurbished. And it could actually start up! It was awesome.” As of now, Reid and Thomas have made considerable process on the car; the body is refurbished, paint has been applied and it has even been given a name: Lolita, after the flamenco color of the original body of the car. They are still working on fixing the brakes and some of the details of the hydraulics. However, besides it teaching him more about his upcoming major of engineering, the experience of restoring the Spitfire represents to Reid a bonding experience with his father. What Thomas was able to enjoy with his father, Reid was able to enjoy with his. “It made us spend a lot more time together,” Reid said, “hanging out and talking about more things than normal. The experience really strengthened our father-son dynamic.”

the Spitfires. So, he said, ‘Maybe we can get one.’ I advertised and looked around and all of sudden I had people making me deals that I couldn’t refuse.” The Spitfire they bought was in broken down, poorly kept up, and even infested with rats. Even so, Reid and Thomas Gaskill looked at the task they had ahead of them and felt determined to get to work. “When we first got the car,” Reid said, “I was looking at it like, ‘Oh my God, how am I going to do this?’ The car was really, really bad. All the wiring was chewed up and there was rust everywhere. The floor of the car was just gone. Eventually, after working on it for a while, it started looking good and I thought it could actually be something. After that, we really just dove into it.” Reid and Thomas Gaskill initially had to start from scratch with their renovation of the car. According to

STORY ZACH GILSTRAP, MOHIT SINGHAL PHOTO RILEY SANDERS

Seniors sing for the last time in spring Choir Concert by Eric Hirschbrich and Dylan Liu or freshmen, it’s been a new beginning. For sophomores, it’s been just another year. For juniors, it’s been a year of anticipation. But for seniors in the choir, it’s the end of a run. After the choir’s April 19 Spring Concert, the choir’s seniors are in the homestretch of their high school careers. Senior Leighton Okada looks back on choir as his opportunity to love music and says that choir allowed him to find his place in the musical community, and that by taking a chance and he was able to find an activity that he is passionate about. “I had no idea what I was doing, but I think something just clicked for me,” Okada said. “I just had to do it, and it was something I loved. There’s nothing else I’d rather spend my time doing.” Choirmaster Tinsley Silcox said the choir program helps seniors prepare for their adult lives. “What I really notice is that everyone who has the devotion and dedication and desire to be in the choir works really, really hard,” Silcox said. “I think as they [the seniors] look back onto all the years they’ve participated in the choir, they have real mixed emotions.” Okada says he will miss singing with

the choir, and the time he spent singing at the Spring Concert was bittersweet. “[Singing for the last time] is sad, but I also use that time to reflect on the really great experiences that I’ve had with choir,” Okada said. “It’s something that’s changed my life and I am so thankful for the experiences that I had.” Silcox says high school graduation is both exciting, but it is hard to let go of the programs and communities associated with school. He says a community like choir is special, and the outgoing seniors should be proud of what they have achieved in choir. “There’s great joy about graduating, but there’s certainly mixed emotions about not being part of this ensemble, not being able to come together as a group of friends to work everyday towards a common goal,” Silcox said. “But at the same time, I think there’s a real sense of pride and accomplishment of all the great work that they have done. Okada thinks losing a lot of seniors will be hard on the program itself, but he still has a bright outlook on the future of choir. “I’m not worried, because I know that the juniors right now will do a really good job of leading the choir,” Okada said. “I’m looking forward to see what kind of sound comes from the smaller group.”

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PERSPECTIVES

PAGE 16-17 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

CANCER AND

Taken to

The second deadliest killer in this nation isn’t It’s cancer. And this disease isn’t something here, too. Below, freshman Colton Barber a

In memoriam for Winston K.C. Lam and Sue Barber

He strolls into his mom’s room. After a normal day, he only wants someone to talk with. He sits down near the edge of the bed and begins to open up about school. But no matter what he says, no matter how loud he shouts, no matter how long he rambles on, she never reacts. His mom has been in hospice care for two months, wavering in and out of consciousness each day. There is nothing the doctors can do. His mother is dying of pancreatic cancer.

Freshman Colton Barber’s mother passed away on March 27, 2014, just 15 months after being diagnosed. In his eyes, she was only present as a motionless body. “She was basically gone,” Barber said. “She had been under cancer treatment for a year, so at that point she was never awake.” Pancreatic cancer starts off as a nearly undetectable NEVER FORGOTTEN Honoring their parents, freshman Colton Barber (left) and senior Cameron Lam (right) and h disease, with symptoms usually Sue suffered from pancreatic cancer. Sue passed away March 27, 2014, and Winston passed away June 25, 2015. Both not developing until the cancer spreads to the blood vessels surrounding the pancreas. Once the symptoms begin to her.” in high school, it could have appear, they can include jaundice, digestive issues, abirector of Counseling Barbara Van Drie suggests mental to his grades. Howev dominal pains, loss of appetite, blood clots and weight finding backing is one of the most effective ways to his grades did suffer a drasti loss. cope with the toll that any death delivers. “I definitely didn’t stud The cancer starts in the pancreas, then spreads to “I would use support wherever they find it because very minimal homework.” the surrounding tissue and blood vessels and the last a lot of times, grief interferes with the ability to funcLam, on the other hand, stage is classified with the presence of the cancer in tion in many domains of life,” Van Drie said. to his father to continue doin multiple organs in the body. She also said support doesn’t have to come from thus leading him to a top-tie Senior Cameron Lam, whose father died of cancer someone inside the school community. For some, aca“It’s even more importa in June 2015, had a very similar experience after his demics and athletics can be welcomed escapes from the because he had given me the father’s condition took a turn for the worse at the beheartache at home. most of what I had,” Lam sa ginning of the summer. “Sometimes guys just want school to be a place try to find success.” “It was really just a part of life,” Lam said. “Howwhere things are kind of normal when things aren’t Van Drie believes both r ever long he had left was really just how long he had normal anywhere else,” Van Drie said. “It’s a place because everybody deals wi left. I just kind of mentally prepared myself, but it was where they don’t have to deal with it so much.” “Lots of times you don’t still hard.” Even if school is a way to escape, there is no way to you lose some of your routin While Barber was offered help from the counselor, truly get away from all of the challenges students of all prised if academics were affe his family and his friends, he turned it all down. To this grades are faced with. for some kids, the reaction is day, he believes assistance could have facilitated his Because they were still enrolled in their classes, er. They want to do well to m emotional healing. Lam and Barber both had to find ways to handle their they almost have the opposi “I don’t really regret any choices I made,” Barber coursework and life outside school. But their strategies Once the academics can said, “except not talking to her more when she was sick were very different. for a short time, much of wh because I isolated myself from everybody, including Barber said if he had to deal with his mom’s death and Lam’s minds are though

LOVING FAMILIES (From top to bottom) Posing for a photo, father Winston Lam with senior Cameron; Winston and his wife, Paula, pose with their kids Cameron, Cuyler and Geralyn; Sue Barber and her son in 2009; freshman Colton with his mother and sister in 2010.

STORY PARKER DAVIS ADDITIONAL REPORTING GOPAL RAMAN, CORDAY CRUZ, RISH

D ITS VICTIMS

oo soon

t drug abuse, gun violence or even terrorism. that only affects a distant population — it’s and senior Cameron Lam tell their stories.

“Every once in a while, I will just think about it, and everything around me stops. And it all really makes sense for a second. I think, ‘Wow. That happened.’ I am faced with that thought a lot, that she did pass away, and I didn’t really understand it.” am is faced with those same heart-wrenching thoughts day-in and day-out, even more so when uncommon or new things happen. Even something as simple as Homecoming. “Normally what we would always do for Homecoming was me and my mom and dad would take a picture,” Lam said. “So when you start noticing those differences, and you realize that this thing you have always had by your side is just not there anymore.” Van Drie said these differences can produce a personality change that varies from student to student. Much of this depends on the developmental stage of the child — younger children don’t often understand death until they are much older. “Grief is unique to every individual,” she said, “so I don’t think there is any one reaction.” This response extends past school itself, affecting behavior and disposition, on top of many other noticeable changes. One of the best ways to counteract these transformations is to attempt to find new habits because most, if not all, of the old ones are disrupted by the changhold up pictures of their parents, Sue and Winston. Lam’s father, Winston, suffered from lung cancer. Barber’s mother, es that come after the passing of h were active members of the school community. a family member. “In general, we have routines – we find them come been much more detriparents. forting,” Van Drie said. “Finding ver, even in Middle School, Barber still sees his mom as a very positive influstructure and routine, it helps soothe us.” ic drop. ence, even though much of what he remembers These routines have allowed both Lam and Bardy,” Barber said, “and I did comes from stories told to him by family and ber to get back into the familiarity of daily friends after her death. life. Barber took time to adjust but is now , felt he had a responsibility “I never saw her in a negative light able to help his dad much more than ng the best work he could, because she was happy to be wherevbefore, now that his sister is away at YOU TRULY DON’T er college in the future. er she was,” he said. college. CHERISH THINGS ant now that he’s gone Lam remembers many of the “My dad filled both roles for ENOUGH UNTIL THEY e opportunity to make the same things about his own father. a while, but now we’re kind of aid. “So I owed it to him to he custom of telling stories evening out,” Barber said. ARE GONE. ESPECIALLY shortly after a person’s death Lam knows, even though he KIDS, KIDS DON’T reactions are normal, simply has helped keep his dad’s memory is now able to live life as close to REALIZE IT. ith loss and grief differently. alive in Lam and his family’s hearts. normal as ever, he will continue to t sleep as well, sometimes “I have a lot more childhood feel his father’s influence later in life, — Senior Cameron Lam nes, so I wouldn’t be surstories that I could tell now and stuff acting as a guide in every decision he ected,” Van Drie said. “But like that,” Lam said. “He wasn’t infallible makes. s different. They push hard- or perfect — by any means, like no one is — “You’re trying to think about where make that person proud. So but I remember all of the positives way more than you’re going to be in the future,” Lam said, “and ite reaction.” any of the negatives.” thinking about those kind of things, it is natural for me n be pushed to the side, even Barber said it has become natural to have his mind to think about what Dad would want me to do. What hat floats around in Barber wander off to thoughts of his mother, no matter the would he think? What should I do that would make hts and memories of their time or place. him proud?”

H BASU PHOTOS FRANK THOMAS, COURTESY COLTON BARBER AND CAMERON LAM

Pancreatic and lung cancer

7% Pancreatic cancer accounts for 7 percent of all cancer deaths in the U.S.

in men will suffer from lung cancer sometime in their lives.

BILLION the size of the 2016 budget for the National Cancer Institute

the most common cancers in the U.S. Rate of patients per 100,000

The diseases:

123.1

41.9 Colon and Rectal

131.8

63.7

Lung and Bronchus

Female Breast

Prostate

SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

L LIFE

PAGE 18 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

AVERY PEARSON

Do you ever find it difficult not to laugh or break character while telling your jokes? No, because all that practice desensitizes you from the joke. It’s not funny to you or to any of your family or to your dog anymore—it’s just a stupid joke. Who is your favorite comedian? I’m going to have to go with Eddie Murphy. I like him a lot, but Kevin Hart is a close second. Who is your favorite stand up comedian? That would have to be Chris Rock. What stand up comedian are you most inspired by? Probably Kevin Hart. The reason is because he’s more with the times. I like Chris Rock, but I can’t model my stand up after him. Kevin Hart is more modern and he doesn’t curse as much, and he tells stories too. Would stand up comedy be something that you would seriously consider as a profession? Yes, that’s one of my dreams is to become [a] professional [stand up comedian]. So, I will definitely pursue this in my life. Stand up is one of those things that I can do till I’m super old. It would be my dream to have my own show and I star in it. STAND UP GUY Pearson performes his skit to the audience at the April 23 Coffeehouse hosted in the Decherd Auditorium.

How do you come up with your material? When I’m bored at school, I just write ideas that pop into my head. And I create a list of like 36 things that would be funny, and I go home, and I cross out 30 of them. Then I come up with about five or so, and I write a whole bit off of each one, and I decide which bit would be good.

Upstanding comedian

What has been your proudest moment since you started pursuing stand up comedy? My proudest moment came at the first Coffeehouse when I got up on the stage, and I wrote a good bit, and I was proud of myself for getting up there and doing what I did. I wasn’t scared, I didn’t falter, I just got up there, and I said it, and I was proud [and] confident of what I said.

Sophomore Avery Pearson sat down with The ReMarker to discuss his pursuit of stand up comedy after his third successful performance at Coffeehouse. How did you get into stand up comedy? I was telling jokes at the lunch table and people were just like, “Hey, Avery, you should really do that in front of a crowd!” And I was like, “Nah, nah nah.” But then, that night, I didn’t have a lot of homework, and I was inspired to do this out of boredom. [I] wrote my first bit, and it was god-awful, and I performed it in front of my friends, and it was just terrible, but that’s how it began. What’s your favorite part about stand up? One of my favorite parts about stand up is telling stories from my past. I’m a storyteller when I’m doing stand up. What’s the hardest part about stand up comedy? The hardest part about stand up is when you get up there and you think that joke is going to hit really hard, and everybody’s just sitting there staring at you. I’m just like, “Well, that’s it guys. Sorry.”

What is the “trick” to stand up comedy? It’s a lot more work than you think. And a lot of people just think it’s going up there and being funny, but you have to practice a lot—and not just practice but practice in front of people. And it has to be people you trust. I practice in front of my sister, in front of my friends, my dog, just in general people that you love. And you have to keep on writing [because] your jokes will always get better.

‘

What is the most important element of standup comedy? Be confident. Don’t falter. You’ve got to be confident in what you’re saying. The crowd will support you—they may not laugh—but they will support you if you are confident. Do you have any tips for someone who wants to get into standup? A tip I have for them is don’t quit. If someone doesn’t like your bit, don’t just go and sulk and just be sad about it. Go and try and get better. You got to get back out there. Even if it sucks again, you’ve got to keep on going.

SOMETIMES AFTER YOU GET SHOT DOWN A COUPLE OF TIMES, COMEDY MAY JUST NOT BE YOUR THING, BUT IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE IT’S YOUR CALLING TO BE IN COMEDY, THEN I SAY DON’T QUIT. — sophomore AVERY PEARSON

STORY WASEEM NABULSI PHOTO FRANK THOMAS

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PAGE 19 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

L LIFE

Happy birthday, Niegel! SENIOR PRANK DAY

11 p.m.

or the Senior Prank, the Class of 2016 capitalized on an inside-joke four years in the making. With bounce houses, balloons, cake and a giant present, the 88 seniors stayed late at school April 22 to transform the campus into a birthday party for their classmate Niegel Stevens, even though his real birthday is in November. The ReMarker follows the setup and the payoff of the prank throughout the day.

11 p.m. 7 a.m. 8 a.m. 10 a.m. 12 p.m. 2 p.m. 4 p.m.

With seniors working late into the night, the campus quickly becomes decked out with balloons, streamers and other birthday garb. Students and teachers arrive to the sound of the birthday song on the chapel bells and the sight of a giant present in the quad. As classes begin, students notice the previous night’s work, including the transformed “Periodic Table of Niegel” in the Science Building. With the Upper School preparing for assembly, the Middle School and Lower School fill the bounce houses, racing and jumping. As the day nears its halfway-point, seniors retreat to “Niegel’s Quarters,” hanging out in the brightly decorated Centennial Lounge. After enjoying a friendly helping of birthday cake, Middle Schoolers race up the bounce house mountain, about to slide down. Enjoying the last few moments of his “birthday,” Stevens stands atop his birthday sign, standing guard over his kingdom.

4 p.m.

7 a.m.

8 a.m.

10 a.m.

2 p.m.

12 p.m.

STORY DAVIS BAILEY PHOTOS FRANK THOMAS, KABEER SINGH

PAGE 19 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

L LIFE

Happy birthday, Niegel! SENIOR PRANK

11 p.m.

or the Senior Prank, the Class of 2016 capitalized on an inside-joke four years in the making. With bounce houses, balloons, cake and a giant present, the 88 seniors stayed late at school April 22 to transform the campus into a birthday party for their classmate Niegel Stevens, even though his real birthday was in November. The ReMarker follows the setup and the payoff of the prank throughout the day.

11 p.m. 7 a.m. 8 a.m. 10 a.m. 12 p.m. 2 p.m. 4 p.m.

With seniors working late into the night, the campus quickly becomes decked out with balloons, streamers and other birthday garb. Students and teachers arrive to the sound of the happy birthday song on the chapel bells and the sight of a giant present in the quad. As classes begin, students notice the night before’s work, including the transformed “Periodic Table of Niegel” in the Science Building. With the Upper School preparing for assembly, the Middle School and Lower School fill the bounce houses, racing and jumping. After enjoying a friendly helping of birthday cake, Middle Schoolers race up the bounce house mountain, about to slide down. As the day wraps to a close, seniors retreat to “Niegel’s Quarters,” hanging out in the brightly decorated Centennial Lounge. Enjoying the last few moments of his “birthday,” Stevens stands atop his birthday sign, standing guard over his kingdom.

8 a.m.

7 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

12 p.m.

4 p.m.

2 p.m.

STORY DAVIS BAILEY PHOTOS FRANK THOMAS, KABEER SINGH, OWEN BERGER

PAGE 19 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

L LIFE

Happy birthday, Niegel! SENIOR PRANK

11 p.m.

or the Senior Prank, the Class of 2016 capitalized on an inside-joke four years in the making. With bounce houses, balloons, cake and a giant present, the 88 seniors stayed late at school April 22 to transform the campus into a birthday party for their classmate Niegel Stevens, even though his real birthday was in November. The ReMarker follows the setup and the payoff of the prank throughout the day.

11 p.m. 7 a.m. 8 a.m. 10 a.m. 12 p.m. 2 p.m. 4 p.m.

With seniors working late into the night, the campus quickly becomes decked out with balloons, streamers and other birthday garb. Students and teachers arrive to the sound of the happy birthday song on the chapel bells and the sight of a giant present in the quad. As classes begin, students notice the night before’s work, including the transformed “Periodic Table of Niegel” in the Science Building. With the Upper School preparing for assembly, the Middle School and Lower School fill the bounce houses, racing and jumping. As the day nears its halfway-point, seniors retreat to “Niegel’s Quarters,” hanging out in the brightly decorated Centennial Lounge. After enjoying a friendly helping of birthday cake, Middle Schoolers race up the bounce house mountain, about to slide down. Enjoying the last few moments of his “birthday,” Stevens stands atop his birthday sign, standing guard over his kingdom.

4 p.m.

7 a.m.

8 a.m.

10 a.m.

2 p.m.

12 p.m.

STORY DAVIS BAILEY PHOTOS FRANK THOMAS, KABEER SINGH

L LIFE

PAGE 20 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

BUZZ

THIS ISSUE SUMMER MOVIES CARLO’S BAKE SHOP HEADLINERS

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

Finding Dory June 17

the claustrophobic mess that was Purge: Following The Purge and the chaotic terror of Anarchy, Election the Purge saga comes to its bloody conclusion with Election Year. Elizabeth Mitchell leads the Year cast as Senator Charlie Roan, a presidential

July 1

es, Finding Dory is technically a kid’s movie. Yes, the theater will likely be filled with squealing babies and wrapper-crinkling 6-year olds who talk during the movie. However, none of this should stop you from going to see Pixar’s latest project, the long awaited sequel to 2003’s Finding Nemo.

candidate who hopes to end the yearly Purge, a 24-hour period where all crime is legal. Brutal and endlessly thrilling, Election Year is a must watch for any horror fan.

X-Men: Apocalypse May 27

Lthe Marvel Cinematike their brothers in

TITLE

MOVIE PREVIEWS DIRECTOR

CAMERA

SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS

DATE

SCENE

TAKE

It’s summer. The sun is shining, the waterparks are open. But even better than that, many highly anticipated movies come out then. We previewed some summer movies that you might -- or might not -- want to see.

REVIEWS AUSTIN MONTGOMERY PHOTOS CREATIVE COMMONS

ic Universe, the X-Men have had a decent run of things lately— Days of Future Past was adored by both critics and audiences, and Deadpool blasted onto the screen with a perfect blend of sharp comedy and gruesome violence. Now, Fox hopes to capitalize on this success with X-Men: Apocalypse, an adaptation of one of X-Men’s most popular stories.

Yabout the Civil War ou’ve learned

Free State of Jones

in your history classes. However, The Free State of Jones tells a different—and in my humble opinion, a criminally under appreciated—story of the war between the states. This true story puts Oscar darling Matthew McConaughey into the role of Mississippi guerrilla Newton Knight, a farmer-turned-soldier who led an alliance of deserters and freed slaves.

June 24

B A K E R Y

R E V I E W

Carlo’s Bake Shop: Overrated? Sophomore Austin Montgomery goes to the famed Carlo’s Bakery to see if it’s really worth the hype.

HIGH DEMAND As usual, the line for Carlo’s Bake Shop is wrapped around the corner, a testament to the city’s demand for its cupcakes, pastries, croissants and donuts.

the FOOD REPORT CARD | Carlo’s

Oreo Cupcake

B-

Caramel Cupcake

Croissant A+ Glazed Donut

B-

y friend told me to arrive early when I mentioned going to Carlo’s, a bakery made famous by Cake Boss veteran Buddy Valestro. “Like, you need to be there when it opens, or you won’t be getting any food. It’s worth it though.” He was certainly correct on the first count—you do need to get there early. I arrived at 6:37, nearly half an hour before opening time, smugly assuming that I would be at the front of the line. Much to my dismay, this was not the case—people were lined up around the block, huddled under the red and white veranda like pastry-craving penguins. Unfortunately, I would have to wait nearly an hour to find out if Carlo’s was worth waiting for. But was it? Well, sort of. Carlo’s has a lot going for it—the prices are excellent, the atmosphere is filled with the gloriously comforting aroma of baking bread, and while the lines are long, Carlo’s compensates with surprisingly efficient service. After inquiring into what the house specialties were, I proceeded to order several items — a raspberry linzer tart, a croissant, a glazed donut and two cupcakes (one caramel, the other Oreo). There was a definite variance in quality among the bunch—while there was nothing particularly noteworthy about the cupcakes, and the donut was just decent, the linzer was a pitch perfect explosion of sugary delight, and the croissant, a flaky, slightly sour masterpiece of baking, may be the best I’ve ever tasted. There’s definitely a strong argument to be made that the bakery deserves its popularity, although Dimples soundly defeats them in cupcakes, while Krispy Kreme still owns the donut scene. Is Carlo’s Bakery as good as its lines would suggest? No, not really. But if you have a free morning, and you don’t mind waiting a bit, Carlo’s bakes top quality products at a top quality price.

REVIEW AUSTIN MONTGOMERY PHOTO CHRIS MCELHANEY

Head iners Rihanna

Concerts

May 13 at 7:30 PM American Airlines

Journey & The Doobie Brothers May 20 at 7:00 PM

Gexa Energy Pavilion

Jason Aldean

May 21 at 7:30 PM Gexa Energy Pavilion

Kenny Chesney June 4 at 5:00 PM AT&T Stadium

Albums Ariana Grande

Dangerous Woman May 20

Dierks Bentley Black May 27

Rae Sremmurd

Sremmlife 2 June 24

Movies

Money Monster May 13

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

May 20

X-Men: Apocalypse

May 27

Now You See Me 2

June 10

WHAT IS A CLUB

commentary commentary

page 22

PAGE 21 FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2016 I REMARKER

THE REMARKER

MY BIGGEST REGRET WAS...

THE MATRIX

UNSUNG HERO

Marksmen share what they wish they had done this year.

We delve into what a club should be, and how we should create clubs based on actual care, not for the resume.

We give our opinion on some of the most recent events around campus

TWe recognize two students who have done a great job this year at supporting our teams.

page 3

EDITORIAL

EDITOR IN CHIEF CASE LOWRY

DESTINATION

TIME

STATUS

MANAGING EDITOR RISH BASU

SPAIN CAMBODIA THAILAND ARGENTINA PRAGUE BHUTAN ROMANIA ICELAND

1200 1205 1240 1320 1340 1410 1420 1500

DEPARTED DEPARTED DEPARTED DEPARTED DEPARTED DEPARTED DEPARTED CANCELLED

ISSUES EDITOR JOHN CRAWFORD CREATIVE DIRECTOR GOPAL RAMAN SENIOR CONTENT EDITOR CORDAY CRUZ MAGAZINE EDITORS CRAWFORD MCCRARY, KOBE ROSEMAN DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR RETT DAUGBJERG GRAPHICS DIRECTOR NAFTAL MAUTIA RESEARCH DIRECTORS WASEEM NABULSI, REECE RABIN HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER FRANK THOMAS

Consistency needed for international travel policy

PHOTO EDITOR OWEN BERGER COMMENTARY EDITORS NICK MALVEZZI, JIMMY RODRIGUEZ NEWS EDITORS BLAKE DAUGHERTY, ALEC DEWAR LIFE EDITORS DAVIS BAILEY, ZACH GILSTRAP SPORTS EDITORS WILL FORBES, MIKE MAHOWALD CAMPUS COORDINATOR SAM SUSSMAN REVIEWS SPECIALIST PARKER McWATTERS, AUSTIN MONTGOMERY BUSINESS MANAGER CARSON CROCKER COPY EDITORS ANDRE ARSENAULT, SAM SHANE STAFF WRITERS GABE BANKSTON, MATTHEW COLEMAN, DANIEL COPE, CJ CRAWFORD, ANDY CROWE, JOSH DANIELS, PARKER DAVIS, SAHIT DENDAKURI, MATEO GUEVARA, JOHN GUNNIN, NATHAN HAN, JAMES HANCOCK, ERIC HIRSCHBRICH, ANTONIO IVARRA, ZOHEB KHAN, DUNCAN KIRSTEIN, ZACH LANDRY, DYLAN LIU, JAHAZIEL LOPEZ, MICHAEL LUKOWICZ, ALBERT LUO, JACK McCABE, KAMAL MAMDANI, JASON PENG, MATTHEW POLLOCK, JAMES ROGERS, LYLE OCHS, CONNOR PIERCE, MOHIT SINGHAL, BILLY STALDER, MARK TAO, SIMON UNGLAUB, NICK WALSH, MATTHEW ZHANG PHOTOGRAPHERS OWEN BERGER, MATEO DIAZ, WILLIAM HALL, WESLEY HIBBS, REID JOHANNSEN, CHRIS McELHANEY, TUCKER RIBMAN, RILEY SANDERS, KABEER SINGH CARTOONIST CHRiSTIAN MCCLAIN STAFF ARTISTS DANIEL BYEON, DANIEL GARCIA, JOON PARK, BRAYDON WOMACK

he administrative team is in the process of making a clearer policy regarding international travel after a student on a recent trip to China taken by a school in New England was bitten by a tick and given a serious disease that caused her to lose the ability to speak. Her family sued the school for $40 million and won the case. For the past 15 years, the photography program has been on international excursions to places like Cambodia, Bhutan and, most recently, Argentina in the summer of 2014. They planned to go to Iceland this summer, but to the dismay of Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair Scott Hunt, the school’s photography instructor for the past 18 years, and his students, the trip was cancelled in light of that recent lawsuit. However, two months ago, the members of the varsity and JV water polo teams traveled to Romania to train and compete

School-sponsored international travel greatly expands the educational experience. Administrators here are right to provide a consistent policy for all groups who wish to travel beyond the borders of the United States.

alongside some of the best teams in that country, in a trip arranged by head coach Mihai Oprea. The reason for the seemingly inconsistent ruling? The photography program, which generally travels on these trips under Scott Hunt Photography, was deemed to be a school trip, while the water polo trip, travelled as Trident Water Polo, though it consisted of entirely boys from the school and with the head coach of the water polo team. While we are disappointed in this lack of consistency, we realize the administration is doing its best to evaluate these trips in light of the recent lawsuit. Administrators are in the process of writing a written policy, which would give clearer details as to what a “St. Mark’s” organization is and what it is not. We approve of the making of a new policy, and we urge the administrators to include the following: • The policy should state that the travel excursions will be evaluated on a on a caseby-case basis, while still staying true to basic guidelines that are clearly spelled out. This will ensure consistent treatment to each group wishing to internationally travel, and will still make it easier to understand the decision made. By doing so, each group’s travel plan will get the chance to be evaluated on its educational value. • The policy should include a liability agreement that each group has to sign in

order to ensure that, if a tragedy should occur, the school will not be held responsible. This will clear any confusion that could arise from accidents that could occur on trips, while still allowing the groups to go to most places. While the school should offer these international rips, it should not be held responsible for any accidents that might occur during the trip. • When completed, the administration should make the new policy transparent by giving copies to all faculty who might potentially be traveling, such as department heads, coaches and club sponsors. By doing this, the new policy will be easily followed and understood, instead of unknown to those who wish to travel. While the school attempts to provide one of the best high school educations in the country, there are still some opportunities that cannot be made good within our community and within our country. A place like 10600 Preston Road should be looking for ways to add to the educational experience of its students — even if those are continents away. The photography program has benefited greatly from many expeditions that have produced enhanced skills and many awardwinning pictures. We look forward to seeing the photography program — along with other groups — back in international territory and urge administrators to have this policy ready for the start of the 2016-2017 school year.

ADVISER RAY WESTBROOK ONLINE VIEWING. Each issue of The ReMarker, along with archival copies, can be viewed on the school’s website, www.smtexas. org/remarker. READER INVOLVEMENT. The ReMarker encourages reader input through letters, guest columns and story ideas. Contact the appropriate editor for submissions. Suggestions will be given due consideration for future publication. ADVERTISING. Contact the business staff at 214.346.8145. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Inclusion of an ad in the newspaper’s pages is not an indication of an endorsement by The ReMarker, any of its staff members or faculty or staff members of St. Mark’s School of Texas. DISTRIBUTION. Press run is 3,800 copies. Copies are provided free of charge to students, faculty and staff at various distribution sites on campus. More than 2,600 copies are mailed out to alumni courtesy of the school’s offices of External Affairs, Development and Alumni divisions. MEMBERSHIP. The ReMarker maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, New York City, NY; National Scholastic Press Association, Minneapolis, MN; and the Interscholastic League Press Conference, Austin. St. Mark’s School of Texas 10600 Preston Road Dallas, TX 75230. 214.346.8000 www.smtexas.org

My biggest regret this year was...

what

comes to

mind?

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

“Not reading last night.” — Sophomore Omar Rana

“Not managing my time well enough.” — Seventh grader Sarvik Saha

next year

A new topic will be revealed in early August.

“Not working out.” — Fellow Myles Teasley

“Not doing more at McDonald’s Week.” — Junior George Dau

“Not having a strong first trimester.” — Sophomore Clay Cassidy

“Not eating during wrestling season.” —Seventh grader Cooper Ribman

Stay tuned to ReMarker social media as the 2017 school year begins in August to learn the first prompt for September.

PAGE 22 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

COMMENTARY

editorial

Recognizing what a ‘club’ is Students need to make a distinction between groups that share common interest and those organizations (clearly defined as ‘clubs’) which exist to serve the community.

fter last month’s article that lined out what constitutes a club, it became very evident that there should be some new guidelines before actually enacting a club. A club is differrent from an interest group. While we understand that there are some groups that want to meet weekly to do something they all enjoy, not every group should have to get their picture in the yearbook. A club is not only an interest group, but it is a group that works together as a cohesive unit to better the community. Watching a movie every week is not what we consider a club. Building new solutions to everyday tasks is. Next year, we believe there should

be some new guidelines as to what can be considered a club. First, there are too many clubs that are too similar. These are often the result of some members of a certain club being aggravated that they did not receive leadership positions and deciding to create a club of their own. This has to stop. Being left out of a leadership role is not a reason to begin a new club — just to satisfy your resume needs or your ego. Second, don’t create clubs as resume fillers. Not only does it become very clear that filling your resume is your goal, but often times these clubs are ones that don’t meet, don’t have a specific goal, don’t last very long and especially don’t get anything

accomplished. Third, make clubs that are actually trying to accomplish a goal or have a specific mission. We commend Associate Head of Upper School Dr. John Perryman for creating the “Mission Statement” requirement, which helps to whittle out clubs and interest groups that aren’t serious. As Marksmen, we need to and should do a better job of this. Over the summer when you are thinking of beginning a new club, think if it is actually a club, if there isn’t a club like yours already, and if it is purely selfinterest and not for the resume. So, before you fill out a club application, think about whether or not it is actually a club, or whether it is just an interest group.

THE

MATRIX

Our musings of happenings around campus condensed into single boxes

SIGNIFICANT Club announcements

Finals

Cum Laude

During assembly, an average of five to ten minutes is spent listening to announcements for clubs the majority of students don’t attend.

During these last weeks of school, it’s hard to stay focused, but it’s important that we do. Just keep working, it’ll be over soon.

On April 20, the induction ceremony for the Cum Laude Society took place, inducting nine seniors and nine juniors into the prestigious society.

FUN

Byron Lawson Invitational The annual Byron Lawson Invitational will take place today, a fun way to get together with others and play the great sport of frisbee golf.

Alumni weekend With visiting scholars like Ali Rowghani ’91 and Ned Price ’01, Marksmen were given a great opportunity to hear from leaders in different fields of work.

Student Council elections Students from each grade built up the courage to give speeches to their respective grades and the Upper School for important class leadership positions.

Slip and slide baseball

Senior prank

Marksmen ball

After winning the SPC championship, the varsity baseball team celebrated a successful season with a game of whiffle ball... with slip and slides making the base paths.

Carrying on the age-old tradition, the Class of 2016 put on a prank to commemorate a gradewide inside joke. Happy birthday, Niegel!

Tomorrow, the Marksmen yearbook theme and dedicatee will be revealed at a dinner with seniors, faculty and staff.

Intent: the real reason to care

s a freshman in Curtis Smith’s English class, I read T. S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral. The main theme is that you shouldn’t do the right thing for the wrong reasons — in this case, an archbishop defending his church so that he can be revered for generations to come. Now, this particular scenario isn’t too applicable to St. Mark’s, but the overarching theme very certainly is. The most prominent, obvious display of this is in our community service quota: as a freshman, I realized that I wasn’t handing JOHN CRAWFORD out waters in freezing temperatures to runners because I enjoyed supporting the Too Cold To Hold 5k. No, I realized that I needed to fulfill my five hours for the trimester, and this was the nearest opportunity. Another very common example is the case of the vanishing clubs. While there very well may be a burgeoning cricket community at St. Mark’s, to see the club be founded and quickly vanish out of neglect exemplifies the problem: does one actually found or join these clubs because they enjoy the subject, or because they want to boost their resume? Of course, it isn’t necessarily bad to do the right things. But doing something for the wrong reasons, like to fulfill a quota or boost a resume, means you can’t put in your best, most genuine effort. It is very easy to fall into this trap, as it is easy to be motivated by darker, less genuine desires. Avoiding it requires thoughtful introspection: before you act, ask yourself why you want to do it. If it’s not because you enjoy the action, or because you desire to better yourself or your community as a direct result of completing that action, it’s generally not the right reason. cting in one’s true interest also benefits those around you — nobody has to decipher why you’re into ultimate frisbee or theater. You do it because you like it. And for those of you skeptical that you won’t get into a good college because your resume only contains clubs and activities that you enjoy, I can assure you, according to any college admissions officer, they prefer depth rather than width; they want to see a true interest in an activity rather than a myriad of clubs and activities and sports that you joined to squeeze out an extra page onto your resume. So while I don’t expect everyone who reads this to suddenly drop all extraneous extracurricular activities, I do hope the seed is planted for future interests, that you will read this and at least pause for thought as to whether you’re doing something for the right reasons.

BUGS CLUB | CARTOON CHRISTIAN MCCLAIN, NAFTAL MAUTIA, KOBE ROSEMAN

Somewhere below the science building...

HOUPT

MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

SHORT & TWEET

More than just a pair of shoes

or my last three consecutive birthdays and Christmases I’ve asked for shoes. My bookmarks bar on my computer contains Facebook, obscure sites to watch episodes of Suits for free and Sneakernews.com, a website for news, about sneakers. On June 26 I set three reminders that the Yeezy Boost 350s (a shoe) would be dropping the next morning and that I needed to wake up at 6:15 a.m. Three reminders. Just to tap me on the shoulder to set my alarm. I often forget to set reminders to go to writing conferences or other vastly more important things of that nature. The point is, I really like shoes. But I would also consider myself a fairly good person. I hold the door open for people, I always tip and I save the planet pretty regularly by switching my car into eco-mode on the weekdays. So when I got home one day and there was a size 11 hole in my closet and my Carolina blue air max 90s were missing, I didn’t verbally punch the nearest family member in the face. I corked my rage CASE LOWRY and decided to get to the bottom of this by asking the all-seeing eye of the Lowry household, or my mom, where they were. When she told that she gave them to a homeless man I would like to say that my rage evaporated, but really it just slid back like a low tide waiting to wash over my mind a little later. It wasn’t until she told me why she donated some of my most coveted sneakers to this man that my anger fully disappeared. She said she saw the homeless man hobbling down Northwest Highway with an unrecognizably dirty sneaker on one foot and a filthy sock on the other, then drove home and gave him one of my ample pairs of shoes. She asked me to think about what he was going through. About what it was like to drag for him to drag his feet step after step across rough, burning asphalt. hat it was like to have my goal for the day to be a destination instead of an accomplishment. She told me about his piercing stare and unintelligible gesture as she passed by him on the way home. About his puzzled expression when she pulled into the shell station on Northwest Highway and hopped out of her escalade with a black bag. About the way his sun-battered face creased into a smile for probably the first time that day when he slid on the pair of limited edition Air Maxes and some snow-white socks. I nodded in understanding as she relayed the encounter to me. My fury had dissipated. But it was replaced by guilt. I had driven by this same man twice that day, yet when I had, I carefully lined up the few inches of car that separated the windshield from the passenger side window with his line of sight so I could avoid the same pained, piercing gaze that charged my mom to give him a prized pair of my kicks. I wish I could have pulled forward a couple of inches and stood at an even ocular plane with him. I wish I could have been animated by the same compassion my mom was. I wish I could have simply delved into my collection of sneakers and popped out with a pair that would be perfect for a day spent on your feet (a soft yet supportive midsole and a sturdy upper). But mostly I want to charge everyone that the next time you see a man or woman like this, think about what you would feel like if you were in their shoes—or lack thereof.

Unsung heroes

A peek at Marksmen’s tweets

corbinwalp1997

The only difference between Boy Scouts and gangs is leadership — Senior Corbin Walp

GRAHAM KIRSTEIN, PHILIP SMART SUPERFAN MEN Seniors Philip Smart and Graham Kirstein have created Facebook events for Lion’s sporting events throughout the year

angel_reyes44

Curtis paper or chel practice — Senior Angel Reyes

The only movies that Netflix recommends for me are highly disturbing horror movies and sammysanchez_19 “Legally Blonde.” I dont know what that says about me

—Sophomore Sammy Sanchez

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain

joshbando17

—Junior Josh Bandopadhay

hile the multiple Facebook events may have gotten a bit annoying (self admittedly), it was because of those reminders that people got out to support our teams. From “SM Lions vs. ESD Eagles” in the fall to “Lions Playin’ Sports” in the spring, these events have continued to produce great crowds. This was a great way to get the community involved, while not also forgetting about the sports that may not get as much love around campus. Thank you, Superfanmen, for keeping the community engaged around oour great sports teams. Your contributions will be greatly missed.

hot or not?

Quick thoughts on some recent events at 10600 Preston Road. Hot | Vest Day Thanks to sophomores Sammy Sanchez, Blake Desantis, Carson Crocker and Davis Bailey, hump day has become a day to look forward to thanks to the group of students wearing vests.

PHOTO CHRIS MCLHANEY

Warm | Underground River Arts Festival Last week, seniors Avery Powell, Tim Skapek and Will Clark headed the second annual festival celebrating students’ plethora of talents, including painting, ceramics, music and wood and metal.

PHOTO DAVIS BAILEY

COMMENTARY

PAGE 23

Cool | Science lounge sloppiness Over the past few weeks, the science lounge has started to look like a teenager’s bedroom. We don’t want to get banned from there, too, guys. Clean it up.

Icy | Study hall closure While we understand that some students’ behavior has been unacceptable recently, we do not agree with the banning of all students from study hall during fourth and fifth periods.

Please stop winning the National Spelling Bee

t’s about that time of the year again. The Scripps National Spelling Bee. I know you’re probably wondering why a kid like me has any connection or affiliation with such a prestigious event for such incredibly talented kids. And your queries are definitely justified. As something I would classify as one of the greatest accomplishments in my life, I made it to the eighth grade spelling bee once from Mrs. Ferguson’s English class. However, my accomplishments were short-lived as my entire family witnessed my elimination in the first round because I spelled the word “enamel” as “animal”. And I don’t think any of my past English teachers at this school would be quick to call me the next greatest English scholar of the 21st century. So yes, you are correct in assuming that the Scripps National Spelling Bee and Rish Basu should never be put in the

same sentence (except right there). But this column is a formal proposal to all the Indian-American kids who participate in the National Spelling Bee: please stop winning. You guys have won the last ten National Spelling Bees – and also 12 of the last 15. To put the dominance of Indian-American kids at the Scripps National Spelling Bee into layman terms, the combined dominance of the Golden State Warriors, RISH BASU University of Connecticut women’s basketball team, and the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls would still not achieve the level Indian-American kids have in the recent Scripps National Spelling Bees. So please, speaking on behalf of every other mediocre, barely above average Indian-Amer-

ican kid in the entire nation: give us a break! Every year, my mom turns on the National Spelling Bee, and I hear the same, awe-struck statement from my mother: An Indian kid won the Spelling Bee again! If they can do it, you can do amazing things too! So that is why I want you guys to stop winning. There’s too much pressure on kids like me who want to spend their weekends watching Netflix. Anyone who knows me is aware that I’m always up for a challenge but being compared to an American-Indian kid winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee is like being matched up against Tiger Woods in his prime. An unstoppable force. And, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that my mother is watching kids who have basically dedicated their lives to spelling. While I was learning how to take my first step, they were spelling

words. While I was watching cartoons, they were watching Spellbound. And by the time I was attending basketball camps over the summer as a six-year-old, they finished writing their fourth dictionary. You get the point. In a perfect world, I wouldn’t know anything about the National Spelling Bee, and the chances of ESPN being turned on at the Basu household come May 26 would be slim to none. But recently, I figured out that one of our own, Sai Gunturi ’07, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2003. As you could probably guess by now, Sai Gunturi was an Indian-American kid from St. Mark’s, who went through the similar pressures of this school as I am now. So maybe, just maybe, there is still hope for me of achieving something as great as Sai did back in 2003. After all, implementing my mother’s mindset: if Sai can do it, so can I.

S sports

RECRUITING

An investigation into the SPC’s rules about recruiting athletes.

A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE

STACKING Looking at how tennis teams can unbalance the playingfield.

Middle School and senior athletes compare their views of what it means to play for Lions.

BACK IN THE DAY Faculty members reminisce about their favorite Lions sports teams.

UNEXPECTED STAR Despite his diminuitive stature, lacrosse player Will Wood is a dangerous scorer.

page 25

26 27 28 29

PAGE 24 FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2016 I REMARKER

QUICKhits

stories around campus in brief

• JV SPORTS FINISH ON WIN STREAKS knew I was short, but I never realized just After a slow start how short until Coach Mank informed all junior varsity baseball five feet and change of seventh grade me ended its season with a win streak. The bats that I just wasn’t big enough to play quarcame alive for the Lions, terback and that I’d have to find another and they eventually avenged their early position. season loss against I moved to wide receiver and bitterly conference rival Trinity toiled through that season. I didn’t get much Valley with a dominant playing time, so during games and practices 7-4 win. Baseball rallied to end their year with I constantly critiqued the other quarterbacks’ every mistake in my head and made a five game win streak and finished with a 7-8 excuses as to why I wasn’t playing more. record. But no matter how many times I comComing off of a plained about it and used it as an excuse, the shaky start, the junior varsity lacrosse team reality remained. ended their season on a

• MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS WRAPPING UP The Middle School sports season is winding down. The seventh grade lacrosse team has had

an outstanding season finishing with a 9-1 record and entering the playoffs as first seed in their district. The eighth grade lacrosse team had a hard fought season with a final record of 5-5. “For next year,” seventh grader John Hubbard said, “me and my teammates are looking forward to improving our skills and building bonds with each other so that we can positively impact the future of St. Mark’s lacrosse.” The Middle School baseball teams had a

rough season due to a lack of players. Despite this, both teams are looking forward to next year’s season. “We hope to be able to have a better season than this year,” seventh grader Jack Davis said, “both with having fun and with improving skill.” • SCHOOL HOSTS AREA P.E. CONFERENCE The school hosted the annual Lower School P.E. Network Conference April 14. The conference consisted of a roundtable

discussion between elementary school PE instructors from eight local schools and then a demonstration of a typical P.E. class by some Lower School students. “We had a great turnout of schools from around the Dallas area,” athletic trainer Doc Browning said. “The kids enjoyed it, which is special in my opinion.” Local schools that attended the conference included ESD, Greenhill, Hockaday, Wesley Prep, Parish, Good Shepherd, St. John’s and St. Alcuin.

— Jahaziel Lopez, Andy Crowe and Zach Landry

in the

PHOTO COURTESY JACK MORRIS

I was still short. And when basketball tryouts rolled around, there was only more of the same. Owing to my below average stature, I got cut from the team. I chalked my first two seasons of middle school sports as L’s and began to prepare for baseball, my main sport. I was determined to make sure baseball season wouldn’t be the embarrassing final chapter of my seventh grade book of futility. Thankfully, I made the team and earned a starting job at second base, preserving what was left of my dignity and building my confidence. I had a successful season, contributing significantly to the team’s undefeated record. Eighth grade saw more success than seventh, and freshman year was more of the same. I had some WILL FORBES varied success but was still overshadowed. But then it happened. The growth spurt that my parents had been promising me finally came and I shot up five inches, reporting for football two-adays at a cool six foot one. I was on top of the world and a head taller than some of my teammates. But after a few days of football I came to a new realization: being tall didn’t automatically make me better at sports. Regardless, and as I prepared for baseball season I was certain that I was going to be one of the few sophomores selected for the varsity squad. et again, the coach disagreed with my self-evaluation, and I was sent down to JV, while three of my former teammates, guys who I was now taller than, made the jump to varsity. While initially disappointed, my mindset changed. I accepted that I didn’t deserve to be on varsity yet, and worked harder. Additionally, the game experience I got on JV was invaluable to my development as a player. I became a force on JV, and I am much more prepared to make the leap to varsity next year. I wish I would’ve had this mindset change earlier. My focus should have been on working harder to make myself better rather than worrying about circumstances that were out of my control. Patience is a virtue in sports, so embrace an extra year on JV. Don’t worry about your classmates who are on varsity, worry about getting yourself better. Don’t fixate on your height. Improve technically as a player and you can still have success. Height is by no means the be-all end-all of a high school athlete. Just wait. Control what you can control and everything will work out.

three game win streak, finishing the year with a 6-4 record. Their biggest win of the season was a 7-6 game over Allen highlighted by key team work and the defensive play of freshman Blake Rogers. “I feel like ending on that win streak shows how much potential we have going forward,” Rogers said.

MOMENT events on campus told through photos

Michael Jordan plays at homecoming game

ALL THE WAY UP

Competing in the SPC championship track meet, sophomore Clay Morris high jumps six feet and five inches. Morris finished third in the high jump and second in the long jump, contributing 14 points and helping track to a second place finish in SPC.

the Around corner

sporting events to look out for this summer

TODAY What Senior vs. Faculty softball game When 4 p.m. Where Arthur P. Ruff Field

Going low Playing well under pressure, junior Sam Clayman had some of his best rounds of the season in the SPC tournament in The Woodlands. He finished fifth and helped his team earn the runner up spot.

What Stockyards Championship Rodeo When 8 p.m. Where Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth

THE SCORE JUNIOR SAM CLAYMAN SHOT ON BOTH DAYS OF THE SPC TOURNAMENT, LEADING TO A FIFTH PLACE INDIVIDUAL FINISH.

WEEKEND What FC Dallas vs. Seattle Sounders FC When Saturday 8 p.m. Where Toyota Stadium

What Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays When 7:05 p.m. Where Globe Life Park in Arlington

SAM CLAYMAN

COMING UP What AT&T Byron Nelson When May 19 - May 22 Where TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas

What Dean and Deluca Invitational When May 23-29 Where Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth

What Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins preseason When August 19 Where AT&T Stadium

What Varsity football vs. Greenhill When August 26 Where Norma and Lamar Hunt Family Stadium

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

PLAYING THE WAITING GAME

“The SPC tournament is always circled on my calendar. It’s the pinnacle of our high school golf season, and I am just happy that I was able to perform on that stage. This has proved to me that I can perform in big tournaments, and I look forward to getting another chance to play for something as meaningul as an SPC championship.”

PAGE 25 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

SPORTS

EXPECTATIONS VS. REALITY

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

On the verge of

Having just finished

starting Middle

the final season of their high school

School sports, sixth

sports careers,

grade athletes

seniors talk about

discuss their anticipations for high

their favorite sports

school sports, what it

memories, the lessons

means to play for the

they’ve learned and

school and what they

what they will take

want my most out of

with them now that sports are done.

the next six years.

A CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE Seventh grader Beto Beveridge exits the locker room, ready to step into the spotlight of school sports, while senior Drew Baxley enters, his time as a Lion over.

hey all say the same thing. The three middle school athletes are all about to begin playing for the school. They all play different sports, but they all have the same hope for their St. Mark’s athletic careers. The three sixth graders won’t be teammates, but they still have the same goal for the next six years: a championship. And the motivation behind this goal is, again, universal. All three of them think that winning SPC or state while they are in high school will be the crowning achievement of their own athletic careers. However, the three of them feel that this personal desire for a title coupled with other factors that go into playing sports for the school will increase the pressure on them to be successful in the coming years. Throughout lower and middle school, these younger athletes have watched their older peers win countless games and championships. This winning tradition, created by the varsity teams’ nearly year in and year out success, has set a standard for the aspiring athletes. And they think that next year, when they begin their upper school sports careers on some of the various seventh grade athletic teams, the pressure on them will increase. laying for the school will bring added notoriety on campus and bring them closer to their classmates, but it also creates the fear that they will somehow let the school down. “You feel like part of the school, like you’re more important,” runner and basketball player Cooper Cole said. “They [older athletes] have set a standard and you have to try to be as good as them or better. I don’t want to screw up. It’s hard to deal with the pressure.” Swimmer and water polo player Jeffrey Chen saw water polo win the State

Championship last year. He agrees with Cole about the increased pressure going into school sports. “I saw them really happy and they sang the alma mater,” Chen said after the victory. “I feel like there will be a lot of pressure to win and be an example to the younger guys.” Although the standards set by previous players certainly create pressure for their successors, they are also welcomed as a challenge. “It is kind of like a friendly competition to see if you can be better than them and make a higher standard.” Chen said. “I feel like there is pressure to live up to what other people have done.” As the competition steps up, the pressure gets greater and the weight on the athletes’ shoulders increases. They feel the individual power is what drives the team. “If you play bad then you feel like it is your fault Having watched the but if you play good ‘big boys’ for years, and you win middle schoolers you feel like eagerly await their you did it turns in the spotlight. all,” Cole said. Over the next six years, they will have the opportunity to compete for the school and go after SPC and state championships. Their sports are only going to grow in importance as they pursue these championships, and pressure will increase along with that. For each of them personally, there will be pressure to achieve their goals. On top of that, there will be pressure to represent the school well. And a pressure-packed championship game is exactly what they want. “I think that is how the game is supposed to be played, with a lot of anxiety,” baseball player Harrison Lambeth said. “It would demonstrate how confident we are in what we do.”

enior William Caldwell had accomplished just about everything there was to accomplish athletically. A starter on the varsity football, basketball and baseball teams ever since his freshman year, Caldwell has been a fixture in school sports for the last four years. And having earned countless all-SPC designations and other individual accolades, Caldwell is one of the most decorated athletes in school history. Yet something was always missing. Although he came close a couple times, Caldwell was After four years of never able success, seniors to secure an reminisce on their time playing sports. SPC championship. Until, finally, in his last season of high school sports, Caldwell and the baseball team knocked off Kinkaid and Caldwell finally won his elusive championship. “It was fulfilling and very special,” Caldwell said. “The seniors each year before taught, not only me, but everyone else on the team, how to lead and how to play together as a unit. I think finally winning an SPC championship is very special, but I really owe it to those seniors because they taught us how to get there and they taught us what it really takes.” Finishing off his career as a champion changed Caldwell’s outlook on his body of work over the last four years. “It’s a confirmation that everything was worth it,” Caldwell said. “All the work we put in in the offseason was worth it and we finally came out and won.” dditionally, throughout his time playing high school sports, Caldwell felt that there was always a sense of pressure that came with representing the school. “St. Mark’s is the school everyone circles on their calendar to try to beat us and everyone plays their best against us,” Caldwell said. “If everyone in SPC wants

to beat us, we must be doing something right. We hold ourselves to a very high standard and I think that is shown to the rest of the conference.” Senior JT Graass, a captain of both the cross country and track teams, agrees that competing for the school is a unique experience. He thinks that competing for the school rather than for personal recognition contributed to him reaching his peak performance. “When I first started playing sports, I always kind of ignored the whole idea of ‘play for your school,’” Graass said. “I certainly wanted all the personal glory I could get, and I didn’t care much about ‘playing for the school.’ Only when I wasn’t racing for myself, but rather for the school was I able to push myself to such a personal best. Graass’s high school sports career ended in a much different manner than Caldwell’s. Despite an unprecedented personal performance (he contributed 50 points to the team’s total), the track team came up just short in SPC, losing to St. John’s by only four points. “While it would have been great to win,” Graass said, “I think that there are now a lot more lessons for us to learn because we lost. And ultimately, that’s what high school sports are for: learning lessons.” Caldwell agrees that the wins were great, but the main things he is going to take away from are the lessons he learned and the friendships he made with his teammates. Finally winning a championship was certainly a huge accomplishment and the crowning achievement of Caldwell’s decorated career. But in regards to his favorite sports memories? “Obviously winning SPC my last sports season ever is pretty special,” Caldwell said. “But honestly, even if it sounds cliché, I think it’s just the different memories I’ve made with my teammates. It seems like every season has gotten more fun as I’ve gone on.”

STORY WILL FORBES, BILLY STALDER ADDITIONAL REPORTING ANDY CROWE PHOTO RYAN NORMAN

PAGE 26 MAY 11, 2016 REMARKER

SPORTS

RECRUITING POLICIES

Bending the rules QUESTIONS ABOUT RECRUITING POLICIES IN SPC ARE CONSTANTLY ASKED. BUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY ALLOWED?

tudent athlete. The term has a different connotation depending on where you look. Schools open their doors to certain types of students based on the needs of the school

itself. Here, a vast amount time and effort goes into the admissions process. The school’s rigorous academic load demands the right type of kid: someone who is willing to put in hours of work in the classroom—and on the field. According to the athletic director Mark Sullivan and associate athletic director Josh Friesen, this is what makes this place so special. Not only do athletes play hard on the fields, but they work hard in school and bring a lot more to the table. “A unique challenge for St. Mark’s is finding that kid who is not only academically strong enough to cut it here, but also a really good athlete,” assistant athletic director Josh Friesen said. “That may not be the same that another school might face.” The job of an admissions office is to fill classrooms with talented, curious students. However, different kinds of schools have different kinds of goals. At private institutions like the schools in SPC, students aren’t bound to attend the school in their district. Even though SPC does their best to prevent it, this gives schools the opportunity to recruit students specifically for athletics. As a conference of honor though, not everything can be prevented. “If an individual is brought up to the conference, then the conference would have an obligation to look into that individual,” athletic director Mark Sullivan said. “There’s a group of people—the commissioner and board of directors would then look into that accusation.” In their rulebook, the conference admits that an athletic program may be a significant lure for students looking for a school, but they also specify that students are not allowed to be admitted specifically for an athletic purpose, nor are schools allowed to host admission events specifically for sports. However, both Sullivan and Friesen agree that if a prospective student has the ability to succeed academically, his athletic ability could help with his school

experience. “There’s things that a kid can bring to the table and they can meet our academic standards or benchmarks,” Sullivan said, “but we’re not out there looking at what a kid’s physical statistics might be.” Even though we don’t seek kids out who have an athletic history, sophomore Garrett Mize believes that our perennial success in SPC contests is what attracts good athletes. “We are perennially one of the best programs in the conference,” Mize said. “I think that in itself is a huge reason why athletes try and come here, And we offer a lot more than just sports.” The school does a great job of finding academically inclined students, while other schools may find themselves in the opposite position. This leads to consistent finishes and increases the strength of the SPC. “They can find the athletes, but they can’t find the athletes that are also smart,” Friesen said. “Whereas we can find the smart kids who are also athletic.” Schools can certainly enroll students who have a better reputation on the playing field. That is their right, but this is where imbalances in strength of teams among schools can occur. In the end though, it comes down to the institution’s integrity and its’ ability to distinguish right from wrong in deciding whom to admit. And while small-scale recruiting can make a team better, it’s not significant enough to affect the entire program. “Recruiting can definitely make a

team better at a specific sport,” Mize said. “But I think what makes St. Mark’s so successful are our multi-sport athletes. They provide consistency throughout our whole athletic program.” Ultimately, recruiting in SPC does come down to trusting your opponents. “When it is all said and done you just hope that all the schools are ultimately trying to get the best kids,” Friesen said. “We have to have a lot of blind faith in other schools that they are doing it the right way without making athletically based merit decisions.” Not only do schools have an obligation to meet their individual needs, but also the needs of the conference. When all schools within the SPC are well balanced in both academics and athletics, it is a testament to the strength of the conference and of each school. “We want the other schools to have great athletes,” Friesen said. “We want the other schools to have great academics, because ultimately the power and strength of our conference is a collective strength. We can’t have one school that is great and other schools that are not.”

What SPC says Recruiting rules and regulations as taken from SPCSports.org: SPC recognizes that 1. While athletic opportunities offer specific attraction to many student-athletes, the conference strives to balance athletics with academic excellence though member schools 2. Even may not recruit student-ath-

letes for their athletic abilities, schools may recruit student-athletes in the same way they recruit non-student-athletes

recruiting in3. Innapropriate cludes: sponsoring open-houses for prospective student-athletes only, visiting other schools targeting athletes or coaches and soliciting specific prospective student-athletes through telephone, electronics etc.

STORY MIKE MAHOWALD, JOSH DANIELS ILLUSTRATION NAFTAL MAUTIA

Bear Goldstein ‘13 named captain of Princeton lacrosse team

mindset, work ethic or production on the field, but rather because of my ability to influence others.” This season, as he steps into his new role as captain, Goldstein knows he will have to change his mindset. Whereas in the past he could focus solely on his own game, now he has to become a leader and think about the whole team before his own needs. “My role on the team has changed a lot since I have become captain,” Goldstein said. “I have had to take on a lot more responsibility. Communication with the coaches, managing the team’s attitudes, running captains’ practices and firing the boys up all rest on my shoulders more than they ever have.” His focus isn’t on adding to his é impressive resum of personal accolades, but rather on the ultimate team goal: a conference championship. “Our goal for the season is, first and foremost to win an Ivy League Championship,” Goldstein said. “After that we will chase the National Championship.

We have a very tough and physical team and I firmly believe that we are strong contenders in the league.” Goldstein credits the St. Mark’s lacrosse program, and the school as a whole, for preparing him mentally and physically to make such a smooth transition to the college game. He was forced to work hard and push himself at St. Mark’s, and he recognizes that he’s better it now. “Being at St. Mark’s wasn’t always easy and I didn’t always agree with what was happening there, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” Goldstein said. “My coaches and teachers taught me how to manage my passions, think differently, and take control – qualities that have allowed me to succeed at Princeton.” “Everyone in Division I lacrosse is big, strong, fast and talented, but the people that stand out are those that know how to compete. St. Mark’s gives you that competitive edge.” Goldstein knows that it’s important for him to improve as both a player and

a leader this year. He knows that it’s a challenge, but he embraces the opportunity. “It is a lot of work, but it is one of the most worthwhile tasks I have ever had the opportunity to assume,” Goldstein said.

COURTESY BEAR GOLDSTEIN

by Will Forbes ear Goldstein ‘13 was named as one of the captains of the Princeton lacrosse team, an impressive feat in and of itself, but even more impressive considering he’s only a junior. An accomplished high school player, Goldstein has made a strong transition to the college game over the last two years. He started every game on defense for the Tigers as a freshman, and then was named as second-team All-Ivy League after his sophomore year last year. Goldstein feels like his ability to garner respect from his teammates and have a positive influence on the team were the main reasons he was selected, and he feels like his selection is a testament to his growth since arriving at Princeton. “I have grown up a lot since I have gotten to Princeton,” Goldstein said. “I don’t always succeed, but I try to learn and grow from every experience. I was named captain not because of my

LEADING THE WAY Starting as a defender on Hayward Lee’s varsity lacrosse team, Bear Goldstein ‘13 has solidified a spot as a captain on the Princeton lacrosse team.

PAGE 27 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

SPORTS

Stacking the odds With SPC tennis becoming more and more competitive, teams are resorting to stacking their lineups to gain an edge.

queaks of tennis shoes echo across the hard, concrete courts. The varsity tennis team gives everything they have to try and secure the 2014 SPC Championship, only to fall short. “In the 2014 SPC tournament, there were significant issues,” former head coach Scott Palmer ‘401 said. “Many schools decided to stack to gain an advantage, and certain matches within a match were completely uncompetitive. Several matches were decided, not by the players on the court, but by coaches correctly engineering their lineups.”

Stacking the odds In tennis, stacking is the altering of lineups in order to guarantee yourself at least one win in a match.

This year, the varsity tennis squad was loaded with as much talent as the team has seen in years. With such a strong, deep lineup, the team was one of the favorites to take home the SPC trophy. Until they fell in the first round of the tournament to a team that had stacked their lineup. In tennis, stacking is a strategy in which a team moves one of their lower ranked players to the number one spot in their lineup, essentially forfeiting the match. Then, the team will bump their better players down a spot, essentially guaranteeing wins. With only three singles and two doubles matches, a winning team only needs to win three out of five. Since there are so few matches, each has an elevated importance. So, when opponents move their best players down in their rankings to get easier

wins, it makes a huge difference. Captain Albert Thieu has witnessed teams stacking their lineups ever since he was a freshman on the team. To this day, he still recalls a few specific instances of stacking. “My freshman year, I remember our number three singles guy was playing a guy who didn’t even have a foundational skillset in tennis,” Thieu said. “Meanwhile, both of their doubles teams contained players leagues ahead of their number three. Some were notably better than their number two. They knew our singles lineup was especially strong, so they put many of those good guys against our doubles to get wins I suppose.” While other teams stack their lineups, Thieu believes stacking is unnecessary due to this year’s deep roster. “Personally, I don’t think it would help because our team is crazy deep,” Thieu said, “and I wouldn’t want to do it either.” In SPC, stacking has always been a heavily controversial topic. Athletic director Mark Sullivan has seen three rule changes in the last three years. “Forever, stacking has been illegal,” Sullivan said. “But every year, it’s a controversy at the SPC tournament. So and so will claim that somebody else has stacked or this or that. They’ve actually, over the course of the years, forced teams to change their lineup because they’ve supposedly stacked.” Eventually, in 2014, the tension among tennis teams and athletic directors became so great, the conference dropped the rule completely. “Well, that caused even more chaos with the coaches than the prior ruling. So, we settled back in this last year back to a stacking rule. We modified it in the sense that the only thing the rank order affects is the singles matches.” With the new ruling, teams are re-

quired to submit their rank order prior to the SPC tournament. However, this does not apply to doubles matches. “You can’t technically stack your doubles team,” Sullivan said. “The coach has to know in his heart—and it’s a conference of trust—he has to know in his heart that his number one doubles team is better than his number two doubles team.” Even though Sullivan sides with his coaches and votes against stacking, he believes learning how to apply the strategy could be a valuable tool. “The sportsman in me says do away with rules against stacking,” Sullivan said. “Let everybody play their team. It’s a team game in our conference, so let the coaches score the points in that team match. Because there’s nothing that prevents your opponent from countering what you’ve done, but they have to guess if you’re going to stack.” After hearing every argument for and against strategy, he believes stacking does not have massive effect it seems to have.

“The bottom line is the best teams always seem to rise to the top,” Sullivan said. “I can’t say that wholeheartedly anybody’s gained an advantage. Maybe some of the tennis coaches might claim that there is an advantage. But, when I watch them play at SPC, the best teams are winning the tournament. The teams that aren’t quite there yet are somewhere in the mix.” Ultimately, as a player, Thieu has discovered the difficult challenge that stacking can inflict on a team, and he still believes it makes things uneven and unfair. “I think sadly it is a part of the team tennis game,” Thieu said. “It’s just not right for the spirit of sports. For example, in any other sport, if you are the better team and you play better that day, you are going to win. But in tennis, if you are the better team objectively, and you play better that day, you can still lose if the other team guesses your lineup right and stacks. I don’t think there is any other sport where that really happens, and I don’t think that is right.”

STORY SAM SUSSMAN, MIKE MAHOWALD ILLUSTRATION NAFTAL MAUTIA, MATTHEW COLEMAN

by Andy Crowe

ast summer, freshman Seth Weprin toured Europe with his soccer club, the Dallas Texans, competing in tournaments. After playing a tournament in Spain, Weprin, along with his 17 teammates and coach, flew to Sweden to compete in the Gothia Cup. Weprin’s team was in Sweden for one week during their last tournament of their tour of Europe. The Texans had 200 impressive teams to compete with from over 70 countries, some nationally ranked. “We were really nervous.” Weprin said. “There were so many teams, and they were all really good.” Many teams the Texans played had much more experience and more players than they did. Earlier that year, Weprin’s club experienced a big coaching change. “Our coach got caught up in that [the coaching changes] and that really affected us,” Weprin said. The Texans not only lacked experience together, but also didn’t have their whole team. “There were a couple of players on our team that couldn’t afford to go,” Weprin said. “We got a couple of younger kids to come with us. It wasn’t as cohesive as much as we would have liked going into the tour.” Entering the tournament with players that were lacking experience, the Texans were not expecting to go

very far. “We weren’t even planning on coming close to the championship,” Weprin said. “We were just hoping to get out of the group stage.” However, Weprin had a few personal goals in mind when he was in Sweden. “I wanted to show that I was better than I had been playing the week before in Spain,” Weprin said. “I think everyone came together and played much better in the Gothia tournament.” The Texans advanced through the group stage with ease thanks to Weprin and his fellow defenders’ lockdown defense, beating one team 13-0. After winning three more games, they were in the quarterfinals. “It was interesting playing these teams from other countries,” Weprin said. “They spoke a different language and played so much differently than we did.” The Texans quickly adapted to these foreign teams’ styles and advanced to the finals against Angered FC. “The team we played in the championship was really good,” Weprin said. “We watched a few of their

COURTESY SETH WEPRIN

Freshman Seth Weprin wins international soccer tournament games beforehand and knew it would be a tough game.” The Texans had a lot of pressure going into the finals not only to win, but also to represent their home. “We were all nervous walking out into the final,” Weprin said. “We got to play in one of the big stadiums and there were about 1,000 people watching.” The Texans fought well and beat Angered FC 3-0 in the championship. Weprin has since quit his club team to focus on playing for the Lions. “I hope I can contribute to the team with everything I have and maybe be a captain one day,” Weprin said. “This year the JV team gave me a chance to really be myself on the field and the varsity team really welcomed me with open arms when I was moved up, so I hope I can give back for at least what the program has done for me already in my first year, which was a great deal.”

PAGE 28

SPORTS

MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER CLASSIC GAMES

Ones for the ages

With many decades of experience under their belts, athletic trainer Doc Browning, coach Dwight Phillips, English instructor Curtis Smith and Head of Middle School Warren Foxworth have watched a lot of Lions sports. We interviewed them and found their all-time favorite games and teams throughout the years.

Athletic trainer Doc Browning

Coach Dwight Phillips

English instructor Curtis Smith

Head of Middle School Warren Foxworth

• Team: 2007 varsity football • Record: 9-1 • SPC finish: Champions

• Team: 2005-06 basketball • Record: 25-4 • SPC finish: Runner-up

• Team: 2009 varsity baseball • Record: 17-6-1 • SPC finish: Champions

• Team: 1965-66 basketball • Record: 33-1 • SPC finish: Did not exist yet

What is your favorite game that that team played? In [the] 2007 [football season], we had to go up and play Holland Hall at Holland Hall for the SPC championship. Well, they had beaten us at Holland Hall in the regular season 55-34. So we go up, and it is just a freezing cold day, just blisteringly cold. We end up winning the game 10-7. It was a battle of a game that was just amazing.

What team do you remember best from your time here? The 2005 [basketball] team. Although we didn’t win the championship, we were just big and athletic. Our lineup consisted of guys who were 6’10”, 6’8”, 6’7” and 6’5”. We only lost three games that year, but we lost the SPC championship

What is your favorite game that that team played? I remember this particular baseball game from 2009. It was coached by Mr. Tom Adams, and it was actually his last game of coaching 40 plus years here. It was the bottom of the last inning, and St. Mark’s was down by three or four runs. Senior Kirk Hayes is at bat with the bases loaded, and in the last game of an SPC tournament, Kirk wallops it, and we tie the game and then get one more run to win.

What team do you remember best from your time here? My senior year, the 1965-66 basketball team. They were something like 33-1. A couple of guys would go on to play in college. One went to Vanderbilt, one went to SMU one went to Texas. The way I remember it was that we had five or six kids who were first team all-conference – it was that good of a team.

Why does that game stand out to you? We had struggled early in the season, and we had to rally late in the season to be able to get in the championship game. We really had to battle to get into the playoff that year. That was really special, to see those guys do so well.

Why does that game stand out to you? It was a combination of it being Mr. Adams’s last game and also the fact that Kirk Hayes just got up to bat and walloped it over the fence. It was just a great finish.

Why does that team stand out? It stands out because of the record. As a senior, it gave me a lot of pride in St. Mark’s. I didn’t play basketball, I played soccer, but it still was a vicarious pleasure for me to bask in the glow of these other guys’ accomplishments. I was a cheerleader, too, so I got to go to the game and cheer them on. What moment from that season stands out? The loss. I don’t know enough to know if we just had an off night, but I felt disappointment for all those guys that had been working so hard.

RISING UP Emmanuel Acho ‘08 leaps to defend a Holland Hall pass in the 2007 SPC championship game.

Describe a moment from that game that stands out in your memory. They had this little scat-back kind of kid, number 14 if I remember correctly, but he was lining up in the slot on the Holland Hall side. It was the first quarter of a really hard fought game. Whit Shaw [‘09] was not a big guy. He was a senior defensive back for us. He was 5’ 7” maybe 150 pounds, if even that, but he was tough as nails. So anyway, on this play, they threw a screen fast out to this kid, and Whit times it just perfectly, and when Whit arrived and just met this kid with an audible smack that you could hear throughout that stadium. He separated that kid from the ball. It was just this massive hit from a little guy on one of their best players.

Fun fact: Emmanuel Acho, a senior

captain on the 2007 team went on to star at the University of Texas and play in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles.

THROWING DOWN Junior center Jordan Hershiser dunks in a game against Parish. Hershiser and Samuel Acho highlighted the athletic squad which placed second in SPC.

Why does that team stand out? That team was the most talented team we had. I mean, we should have won [the SPC championship]. The team that beat us, we had beaten them the week before in a match here, and we felt like we would have home cooking in the next game. They were as big, but they were one-anddones. What moment from that season stands out to you? We went up and we played a nationally ranked high school in Arkansas. That was the game that tested our metal big time. We got in foul trouble early, and we lost by about 18 points, but that was the type of competition we wanted to play.

Fun fact: The 2005 team had two future professional athletes — in other sports. Jordan Hershiser ‘07 was a pitcher for the Los Angles Dodgers and Sam Acho ‘07 plays linebacker in the NFL for the Chicago Bears.

INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY PARKER DAVIS PHOTOS REMARKER ARCHIVES

WINDING UP Senior Kirk Hayes pitches in a day game at Arthur P. Ruff field. The staff ace recorded 11 wins to deliver the team an SPC championship.

Describe what it was like watching that game. I just walked out there toward the last two innings, and I said, ‘Oh, this doesn’t look too good,’ just because we were down. Then St. Mark’s just made this great big comeback, and there was a great big dogpile and everything.

DRIVE-BY Rick Wittenbraker ‘66 drives past his defender during an SPC matchup against Casady.

Fun fact: Rick Wittenbraker

‘66 (above) was the first college basketball player from the school. He went on to play at TCU.

PAGE 29 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER WILL WOOD

SPORTS

UNDER THE RADAR Sophomore Will Wood has been imposing his will against opposing defenses this lacrosse season, despite being as much as a foot shorter than the defenders.

ven the smallest gap in the defense is more than enough. A couple of feet are all he needs to dump one into the back of the net. Sneaking around the back of the crease, sophomore Will Wood has always been comfortable flying under the opponent’s radar. All five feet six inches of him.

Wood scored a season-high eight goals to lead the lacrosse team to a 19-10 victory over SPC rival Greenhill April 12. Although he is the one who did most of the scoring that game, he attributes all of his goals to great teamwork and game planning. “We have two solid dodgers at attack with [junior] Jake Vaughan and [senior] Graham Gillespie, so that just left me on the crease, while they did all the grunt work,” Wood said. “They would beat their guy and cause the whole defense to rotate, and I would just sneak around and cut off ball to look for gaps in the defense and then finish.” Wood may be prevented by his lack of height in some sorts, but he also likes to use his lack of height to his advantage. “Schools that don’t really know who I am kind of just assume I’m the weak link,” Wood said. “They don’t focus on me, which lets me roam around and get open on the inside and score a couple goals before they realize, ‘Oh, we’ve got to watch the little dude too.’” Varsity lacrosse coach Francis Donald ’03 feels as if Wood’s height has not prevented him from having success due to his completeness as a player. “His stick skills are great, which makes him a very complete player,” Donald said. “He’s just in a situation where size-wise he doesn’t match up always, but what he has is probably every other tangible or intangible that

COMING UP BIG Despite the fact that he is one of the shortest players on the field, sophomore Will Wood has been one of the leading scorers for lacrosse, contributing greatly to the team’s second place finish in this year’s SPC Championship.

you would want out of a lacrosse player, which is why he’s been able to start for us. I know that as long as I’m putting him in a place where he can use all of his skills, the size really is a wash.” Despite being one of the smallest and one of the youngest players on the team, Wood has become a leader for this team. “I’ve been able to become a leader mostly because of our team’s mentality,” Wood said. “I feel that we play to our strengths and listen to each other, so when I notice something, the seniors and our whole team listens and tries to work from what I’ve noticed.” Donald recognizes what a key factor Wood has been for the team this year, and he believes that Wood’s success comes from his intelligence and the complete skillset he possesses. “Will Wood in my opinion has the highest lacrosse IQ on our team,” Donald said. “He’s the kid that just understands the game and understands where to be and how to communicate.” Wood’s improvement from last year is due to many things, most notably his growth and his recognition of what he is best at. “Last year I didn’t have as much success as this year, and I think it’s because I’ve grown,” Wood said. “But also last year I was trying to do too much. I’m not a good dodger because my size gives me a disadvantage, so it helped me once I realized that.” Another reason for his improvement may be his reestablished confidence in his abilities. “Last year, I started a couple of games, and then I played the ESD game, and I didn’t do well there,” Wood said. “That game kind of wrecked my confidence for the rest of the season. But this season, I knew that I could be an important role player on the team, so I started playing with a kind of confidence and swagger that ‘Hey, I can be a stud too.’”

This new confidence paired nicely with Wood’s competitive spirit has created a force to be reckoned with on the lacrosse field. “Will is an extremely competitive kid,” Donald said. “He just has a burning desire within him to do really, really well. There’s a fire in Will, and you know if a defense doesn’t play him right, and we get him the ball, he’s going to score a ton of goals.”

STORY SAM SUSSMAN, ZACH LANDRY PHOTO OWEN BERGER

Assistant track coach hopes for spot in Olympic trials by Jimmy Rodriguez ssistant track coach Tiffeny Parker is attempting to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team for the 2016 Olympics. The 27 year-old from Moreno, CA is training under head varsity track and field coach John Turek. Parker moved to Dallas in the middle of January to train under Turek with a group of three other women who come to the school or another location six days per week. For Parker, the decision happened after she thought about the type of athlete she wanted to be, and she realized she wanted to change things up after spending over eight years training under her college coaches at Azusa Pacific University, which is near Los Angeles. “For me to be able to succeed, I need to be around someone that can develop who I am as an athlete, with a little more

time and be able to have a little more time to really understand what I’m doing,” Parker said. “And so I decided to call coach [Turek], and I packed my life up and I moved to Texas.” Each week, Parker and the other two women in her group come to the school from Monday through Saturday, at least two times per day, to train with Turek. Since she participates in the heptathlon, a contest consisting of seven events ranging from hurdles to javelin, they try and train for each event she participates in twice per week, a process called a microcycle. To go to the U.S. Trials, a heptathlete has to score a total of 5,900 points in the year leading up to the trials. The points are given based on the athlete’s performance on the different events in the heptathlon. Also, in order to go the Olympics at all, the athlete has to meet

the Olympic standard of 6,200 points. “It’s kind of cutthroat, because [the U.S.] only [takes] 24 people [for the trials], and they only allow three people to represent in the Olympics,” Parker said. “If you have three people at trials that are top three, but they don’t have an Olympic standard, then the U.S. won’t send anyone.” Parker is also one of the sprint and hurdles coaches on the track and field team, helping Turek before they train later in the night. Turek believes Parker is a good example for the athletes on the team to see how a professional athlete works. “She gives me another expert in the field of track and field so that I can have her come and be a part of the team,” Turek said. “And the guys get an example of what it means to be an elite athlete.”

THE LOWDOWN The numbers behind Wood’s odds-defying sophomore season

8 34 13 25 18

Wood scored a season-high eight goals against Greenhill April 12.

Number of goals Wood has scored this season

Number of assists for Wood on the season

Number of ground balls won by Wood this season

Number of turnovers forced by Wood this season (All stats as of May 6)

SPORTS

PAGE 30 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

WRAP-UPS

FINISHING WITH POISE As the spring seasons came to a close, Lion athletes finished through the line for the hardware Junior Rish Basu

Lacrosse makes postseason play by Nick Walsh

Senior Max Sadlowski

Lion attackmen

MAKIN’ PLAYS Lion midfielders, attackmen and defensemen fought hard througout the entire season.

ed by seven returning seniors and head coach Francis Donald, the lacrosse team captured second place in SPC, losing to ESD 12-4 in the championship game. But Donald feels that the team’s most defining moments were the preceding SPC tournament wins against St. John’s and Kinkaid, won 15-2 and 12-4, respectively. “It wasn’t necessarily the fact that we won those games, it was more the way we won them,” Donald said. “We always talk about having great effort, energy and enthusiasm and we had all of that and more.” Donald thinks the team’s drive comes from its natural toughness. “Top to bottom, we are a really tough group, and we are also one of the most skilled groups we’ve ever had,” Donald said. “Being tough and being skilled can take you a long way. In my three seasons here, I think overall this is the strongest group we’ve ever had.” Senior captain Max Sadlowski feels the key to the team’s success and SPC run was their constant improvement throughout the season. Sadlowski also netted his first goal of the season in the St. John’s game. “Making it back to the SPC Championship this year,” Sadlowski said, “although we fell short, felt really good.”

Tennis squad places sixth in SPC

ARNO GOETZ PHOTO

LACROSSE

Junior Luke Rogers

Junior Frank Thomas

by Jahaziel Lopez

ehind the leadership of the upperclassmen, the varsity tennis team finished sixth in SPC. For senior captain Anvit Reddy, this year’s team should be remembered for its versatility on the court throughout the season. “The most memorable thing about this year’s team is the sheer depth,” Reddy said. “We have so many strong, solid players, and it was challenging to figure out how exactly we would utilize this depth to best serve our team.” With new head coach Hayward Lee came the implementation of the “tryout ladder.” This new system allowed members of the team to further develop their skills and forced them to compete for their spots in the lineup. Sophomore Harris Wilson, the team’s number one singles player, was proud of seeing the younger players establish themselves on the team. “We challenged each other for spots on the starting lineup,” Wilson said. “It was kind of ridiculous how hard some of the younger members of our team worked.” As individual players began to show their potential, it was the bonding and formation of friendships off of the courts that made the team so close-knit. “The best part of this year,” Wilson said, “was seeing how much we came together as a team.”

NOTABLE The Lions had only lost one counter match leading into the SPC tournament

RYAN NORMAN PHOTO

TENNIS

Sophomore Jack Parolisi

Golf team takes second in SPC by Jahaziel Lopez

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

GOLF

NOTABLE Junior Sam Clayman had the lowest scoring average in school history this season.

Junior Sam Clayman

he golf team finished second in SPC, and three times during the season broke the school record for the lowest single day score. Although they were not able to clinch the title, head coach David Baker was very proud of his team, and he knows that they need to hone in on their skills for next year. “Golf is a skill and patience sport,” Baker said, “You develop your skills over a period of time, and then you have to have the patience to let those skills carry you through a round of golf.” Along with developing new skills, captain Sam Clayman said the team has to step up because they are losing one of their best players, captain Cameron Clark. “I don’t think there is much to change next year except for filling the huge void that senior Cameron Clark is leaving,” Clayman said. Baker says there is a promising group of juniors, Clayman, Devan Prabakhar and Nick Chaiken who are ready to lead the team a victory next year. “For next year, I think the team is in very good shape,” Baker said, “it will have three seniors who have extensive experience playing tournament golf.” Baker was very proud of the team’s success, and he thinks the team will have a shot at the championship if they continue to do what they have been doing. “We have great golfers, we have a very supportive athletic staff,” Baker said. “We couldn’t do anything we do without the help of this school.”

IN PLAY Junior Frank Thomas puts a ball in play during a match against Greenhill School April 19. The Lions lost to the Hornets 4-1.

HOW THEY FINISHED

The final scores of both days in SPC Junior Sam Clayman Day 1

Day 2

Senior Cameron Clark Day 1

Day 2

Junior Nick Chaiken Day 1

Day 2

Junior Devan Prabhakar Day 1

Day 2

Sophomore Rett Daugbjerg Day 1

Day 2

PAGE 31 MAY 13, 2016 REMARKER

WRAP-UPS

SPORTS

Water polo squad captures state championship by Josh Daniels

WESLEY HIBBS PHOTO

HOISTING THE CROWN Before winning their third consecutive TISCA state championship, the water polo squad won regionals. The Lions defeated Southlake 8-4 in the state championship.

TRACK & FIELD

Junior Jonathan Libby

Junior Brian Buckenham

Senior J.T. Graass

Junior Andrew Lin has been on the team for three years now and believes that his experience has been one to remember. “It’s a surreal experience to have already won three championships. If we win a fourth, then it would fulfill a goal I’ve had since May of my freshman year after our first championship,” Lin said. Lin would score his third goal in the fourth quarter giving the Lions a seven to three lead. Kamran would score the last goal of the game for the Lions making the final score eight to four. “We didn’t have the star-power that we’ve had in the past, so we had to play as a team,” Lin said. “Every person had to work incredibly hard and learn how they could contribute to the team. When we all played our correct roles, we were hard to beat.”

WATER POLO

P A

ure joy echoed through the natatorium as they jumped into the pool. t Texas A&M Natatorium in College Station, where the TISCA water polo state championships were held, the water polo team capped off its season April 30 winning its third straight state championship, defeating Southlake 8-4. Juniors Andrew Lin and Wesley Hibbs combined for five goals in the championship-winning final. The Lions went on to score two more goals in the first establishing an early lead. Scorers include senior Philip Montgomery, junior Rohil Rai, and senior Daniyaal Kamran, each scoring one. The Lions won their third straight staight championship despite graduating star players like Tim Simenc, Mason Smith and Nathan Ondracek.

Senior Bill Dannenmaier

Junior Shailen Parmar

Senior Nico Sanchez

ALDEN JAMES PHOTOS

TESTING WATERS Getting ready to take the waters, the group of three juniors and one senior prepare for their race during the Heart of Texas Invitational.

Crew looks to finish season strong by Parker Davis

Track team sprints to second place in SPC by Parker Davis oach John Turek’s track and field team lost a heartbreaker in the SPC tournament, falling to second place after leading by four points going into the final event. The Lions led St. John’s by a score of 116-112 before the last race, the 4x400 meter relay. However, St. John’s clinched the title by taking second place in the final contest, while the Lions placed fifth. The final score was 128-124 St. John’s. Senior captain J.T. Graass said he felt both helplessness and anguish watching the St. John’s runner cross the finish line after the final lap of the 4x400 relays. “It was painful,” Graass said. “Seeing SPC slip out of our hands right before my eyes was not enjoyable. Sitting on the sidelines and

watching us lose felt pretty awful.” The team was plagued by injuries this year. In the week leading up to SPC, junior Daniel Cope and freshman Matthew Coleman, both 4x400 relay team members, were banged up. Their bad luck continued during the first day of the meet when sophomore Fausto Reyher jumped the first hurdle in the 110-meter hurdles event before pulling up with a hamstring injury. In Graass’s eyes, these injuries were the main reason for the team’s narrow defeat. With three of their top performers throughout the season gone with injuries, Graass knows that the chances of winning were strong. “We only lost by four points,” Graass said, “and if we had those points, which we probably would have without any injuries, we would have won.

he crew team finished up their season at the national qualifier Central Youth Championship regatta, which took place in Oklahoma City, OK May 7-8. This year was not the most successful in recent history for the team, however, the rowers took home four medals in the two regattas prior to Centrals. Three of those came at the Texas Rowing Championships, where the team won one silver and two bronze medals. “I feel we did relatively poorly, compared to other years,” senior captain Alden James said. “I think that is because the competition this year was a lot stiffer. Our team is strange because, of the top teams in Texas, we are the only private school, so we only have our student body available to us versus the best in the area. This year has been posed as a developmental year for the team. They only have five outgoing

seniors, but the Junior and Freshman Classes are much larger, and have quite a bit of talent. In James’s eyes, the commitment of the ninth graders was important this year as it will be in future years. “The novices don’t usually win medals,” James said, “but there were some freshmen who were always showing up for morning practices and giving their 100 percent. I never would have shown that kind of dedication as a freshman. That will help strengthen the team the next few seasons.” James thinks the team will fare well in the next few years because of the numerous underclassmen. “In many SPC sports, there are teams that are successful for as much as a decade,” James said. “In crew, the dominant teams are much more fluid. Next year, even, could be the year we succeed in a lot of ways, mostly because of the large Junior Class and the strong sophomores we have.”

CREW

The Lions were only 4 points away from capturing first place and the SPC title. It all came down to the last 4x400 race.

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

NOTABLES: Senior captain J.T. Graass contributed 50 points to the team’s SPC total of 124.

THE GRIND FOR THREE Junior captain Andrew Lin takes a shot on junior goalie Christian McClain during a water polo practice in April. Water polo won its third straight state championship April 30, beating Southlake 8-4.

R R EMARKER

ST. MARK’S SCHOOL OF TEXAS

10600 PRESTON ROAD, DALLAS, TX. 75230

ARNO GOETZ PHOTO

THE BACK SPORTS PAGE THE REMARKER FRIDAY MAY 13, 2016 PAGE 32

UNDISPUTED CHAMPS Seniors go out on top as baseball captures SPC championship enior Drew Baxley stands at his spot in center field. There are two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the Lions hold a commanding lead. Baxley can barely stand the anticipation. After four years of futility, Baxley and the other seniors are about to win their first SPC championship. Sophomore Reece Rabin rears back and throws a biting curveball. The Kinkaid hitter swings, hits the ball in the air, deep to center. Baxley gets the read, takes a step back and then settles under the flyball. The ball feels light as air as it smacks into his glove. Ballgame. Baxley sprints towards the infield in elation to join the growing dogpile of ecstatic Lions baseball players. They’re on top of the world. They’re SPC champions.

The varsity baseball team had an outstanding season. Heading into the season, the group of ten seniors emphasized to the team that they had a great shot at winning the program’s first SPC championship since 2009. One of these senior leaders, captain William Caldwell, a fouryear varsity starter, has been waiting his entire high school career for a championship. “It’s been really special winning SPC my final year at St. Mark’s. Speaking not only for me but for [seniors] Brannon Rouse, Jackson Cole and Drew Baxley, we never won a SPC championship before,” Caldwell said. After coming up just short last year, dropping the championship game to Kinkaid, the varsity team was determined to come back and win SPC this year. “The ultimate goal was to win SPC, but we knew that would be very tough,” Caldwell said. “We lost in the finals last year, but weren’t expecting to make it to the finals at all. We kept the same core group of people and so we knew we could make it again.” The Lions entered SPC as the first seed in the North Zone with a

8-1 conference record. After receiving a bye in the first round, the Lions played St. Andrew’s in the quarterfinals. Down 2-7 in the fifth inning, the Lions came back strong and tied the game after scoring five runs. The Lions found themselves with two outs in the last inning when sophomore Zach Landry hit a walk-off single to put the Lions into the semi-finals. The Lions faced the Episcopal High School of Houston in the semi-finals. Caldwell threw a complete game shutout and Rouse’s run was the game winner. oing into the finals, the Lions were facing Kinkaid. This matchup held a special significance for the team, as they had fallen to Kinkaid the previous year in the championship. “I had made two championships before this,” Caldwell said. “My sophomore year in football we lost to Kinkaid, then in my

junior year for baseball we lost to Kinkaid.” The Lions were down 5-0 in the fifth inning when Landry hit a two-RBI single. Later that same inning, Caldwell completed the comeback and tied it up with a three-run home run. “He threw an 0-2 slider that was breaking away from me and down in the zone and I recognized it and swung and thankfully made solid contact and it carried enough to go over,” Caldwell said. The Lions scored six more runs in the top of the seventh to ice the game. After four years of hard work, the seniors finally won a baseball championship. Caldwell summed up the emotions. “I remember it was the seventh inning, and we had gone up eight to five and ,Brannon and I hugged in the dugout because we realized this was it,” Caldwell said. “This was our time to finally win SPC in the last game of our last season.”

STORY ANDY CROWE, WILL FORBES PHOTO PRESTON PATTON

Trail to the title A brief recap of the baseball team’s championship run

QUARTER FINALS

10 Saint Andrew’s 9

St. Mark’s

After mounting a fierce comeback, sophomore Zach Landry hit a walkoff RBI single knock off St. Andrew’s

SEMI FINALS

St. Mark’s EHS

1 0

Behind a sifling pitching performance from senior WIlliam Caldwell, the Lions edged out Bellaire Episcopal.

FINALS

St. Mark’s Kinkaid

11 6

Falling down 5-0 early, the Lions scored 11 unanswered runs to clinch the championship.

ON TOP Coach Johnny Hunter’s baseball team huddles to admire its trophy and celebrate the SPC championship win after knocking off Kinkaid 11-6 in the finals April 30. The game was played at Fort Worth Country Day.