Alex Rothkrug ’12 , Scientific

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Discoveries

March 11, 2021

SCI-MARK A scientific Marksman

Seeing an interest in and need for a science-based student publication, Alex Rothkrug ‘12 decided to create his own.

The ReMarker student newspaper was founded in 1933.

Marksmen yearbook began in 1959.

The Marque got its start in 1962.

For decades, student publications have been a major facet of school life. So, to Alex Rothkrug ‘12, it was astonishing that despite the school’s focus on a diversity of academic subjects, the school did not produce a sciencecentered student publication.

In 2010, he decided to start his own — and the Scientific Marksman was born.

When he was in high school, Rothkrug spent his afternoons at Barnes and Noble reading up on the latest publications.

“I would always enjoy reading weekly science news, science journals and other science publications,” Rothkrug said. “I realized pretty early during high school that I wanted to be a medical doctor, so I was pretty passionate about science and especially biology.”

He knew that other publications on campus already had a solid track record of national recognition, including the ReMarker and the Marque. He knew he didn’t have the experience in design or journalistic writing that his peers had, so he was hesitant.

“Admittedly, I never thought of myself as having an interest in or an innate talent for the subjective literary arts, but science was objective and made sense to me,” Rothkrug said. “I still believed there was a special place for something that would create a platform for exchanging knowledge and inspiration that would connect with and engage science nerds like me and others who eventually helped create the first edition of the SciMark.”

Having researched topics and looked into designs, Rothkrug started a staff.

“Funnily enough, several people who initially doubted the SciMark eventually became writers and editors for it,” he said. “If you have enough conviction in Rothkrug and confidence in your ability to create and execute, and you put in the work upfront, others will eventually be excited about it too.”

Once he decided on a timeframe and recruited a few prospective members, Rothkrug needed a faculty sponsor. For him, former Science Department Chair Stephanie Barta was an obvious choice.

“Her devotion to science education, in my opinion, was unparalleled,” he said. “She always inspired me as a learner. Her face lit up with excitement when I first told her about my idea, and she was instantly all-in.”

Even with a promising goal and committed members to back it up, Rothkrug was met with a few difficulties in balancing the time, experience and capabilities the team shared.

“As you might imagine, communication pitfalls, staffing, deadlines and funding all presented challenges to the process,” Rothkrug said. “I believed very strongly that it was important to create a special science publication for future Marksmen that would endure long after I graduated.”

This year’s Scientific Marksman faculty sponsor Bonnie Flint notes how the publication has changed since its inception. She now realizes the value in letting the students develop it more individually.

“There are not a lot of large, nonacademic projects at St. Mark’s that teachers can allow students to fail at,” Flint said. “For SciMark, if they don’t take on the responsibility, then we won’t publish the magazine. I will let that failure happen. I think it’s a low-risk, high-reward endeavor where students really get to experience that pressure and pride of making something happen in a team all on their own.”

As for Rothkrug, he’s eager to see where Scientific Marksman goes.

“If you told me in 2010 that the SciMark would go on to win multiple Columbia Gold Crown awards, I might not have agreed out loud, but I certainly believed that it would,” Rothkrug said. “I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

STORY Han Zhang, Nikhil Dattatreya PHOTOS Courtesy Alex Rothkrug

FIRST OF ITS KIND

Covers of the first (left) and second (right) issues of the Scientific Marksman. Rothkrug wanted to be able to share his passion for science with others.

Alex Rothkrug SciMark founder

$500 off

Katy Rubarth School mourns campus hero

On Feb. 4, a titanic void opened in the community when Katy Booras Rubarth lost her battle with cancer. Having forged connections with nearly every person in the school community as both a mother of three Marksmen — two alumni and a current eighth grader — and the director of communications since 2009, those closest to Rubarth remember her for her dogged work ethic, unparalleled commitment and unselfish nature.

After first meeting Rubarth through their sons’ connection in the Class of 2020, Kathy Mallick, Lower School administrative assistant, accompanied her on many trips to the doctor through each battle with cancer. From regular chemotherapy sessions to late-night emergency room trips, Mallick was there every step of the way.

“There were times people didn’t even know about,” Mallick said. “There’s a cancer emergency hospital that we would go to from time to time. It didn’t open till 7 p.m., so we would go there and get treated. And she might get back on campus the next morning, and nobody would have any idea that she had been fighting something significant the night before.”

Even when Rubarth was named last year’s Marksmen yearbook dedicatee, Mallick remembers Rubarth fighting through one of her worst days.

“She felt so honored and so humbled,” Mallick said. “I think she was pretty sick that day, and I don’t think anybody really realized that she wasn’t feeling great at that moment in time, but she was so honored and humbled. It was extremely meaningful to her.”

One of Mallick’s fondest memories

of Rubarth came on former third grade instructor Frank Jordan’s annual trip to Yellowstone National Park. On a hike, they encountered a Marksman who didn’t think he could make it to the top with his blistered feet. Rubarth knelt with the boy, bandaged his feet and convinced him to keep going.

“The whole time, she said, ‘You’re gonna be able to do this,’” Mallick said. “‘We’re gonna do this with you. We’re gonna make it to the top. We’re gonna help you do this. All we have to do is get your foot squared away, and then you’re gonna be able to do it.’ She was so loving and caring and didn’t think twice about it. Just immediately dropped to her knees and started taking care of him and telling him he could do it. And by golly, he did. They got to the top.”

Mallick said that — even in her own uphill battles — Rubarth didn’t want any more attention than the next person, equating her cancer to the obstacles that nag all people.

“She didn’t like it when people would say, ‘You’re a fighter. You’re our example. You’re our hero,’” Mallick said. “She’d be like, ‘No, I’m just going step by step, trying to keep going. This is what I’ve been handed, so I’m going to deal with it.’ She just was always getting back up and getting back in the ring, no matter the opponent.”

With two alumni and another in the eighth grade here, former director of communications Katy Rubarth formed an extreme connection with the school and the entire community.

“She had such a love and appreciation for the people here: students, teachers, colleagues, parents, alums,” Headmaster David Dini said. “The genuineness and the authenticity of her care for and love for others, it was really special. I feel really lucky to have been her colleague and friend for all that time, and I wish it could have been for a lot longer.”

Dini first met Rubarth when she was just a parent at 10600 Preston Rd. They had a few informal conversations, but their relationship would not deeply form until she joined the staff.

“My first meaningful interaction with her was when she applied for the Director of Communications job,” Dini said. “We got a chance to sit and spend a lot of time together, like we do with any candidate, and talk through her background and experience to learn things about her that I didn’t know.”

Because of the two’s proximity, Dini and Rubarth became extremely close.

“I was still working in Nearburg at the time before I was headmaster,” Dini said. “I was obviously involved in hiring her and then working very, very closely with her throughout her tenure [beginning] right at the very outset of her taking on the director of communications role”

Dini and Rubarth became so close that they’d have small inside jokes from drafting countless notes to faculty, students and parents through the 2019 tornado and COVID-19.

“One of the things that I’m inclined to say and I’ll put in letters is using the term ‘most importantly,’” Dini said. “Mrs. Rubarth would always say, ‘No, it’s not ‘most importantly,’ it’s ‘most important.’’ So we would jabbed back and forth about a lot of other grammatical things.”

Their inside jokes and quirks, which Dini included in his email to the community as tributes to Rubarth, were small, but to Dini, they were important. Even the word “wicked” held a special connection to her.

“‘Wicked’ is not a term you hear in Texas,” Dini said, “but it’s a term you hear in the North a lot, right? And she had that nature to her, an intensity to her that was fun. There was great energy there.”

Not only did Rubarth do everything she could to support her community, but her community returned the favor, filling in for her when she was absent.

“She was in a significant amount of pain, yet she’d show up with a smile and optimism and never complained about being sick or wanted to burden anybody else,” Dini said. “It speaks volumes about this community that so many people rallied around her, including her team and the communications team, the advancement team. People stepped in when she needed to be away and tried to smooth that because of the care they had for her and appreciation for her.”

Rubarth was known for her strength: to smile and be there for the boys no matter the pain or struggle she was experiencing. She always strived to do everything she could for her community.

“There were so many examples over time, where, dealing with illness on and off for so many years, she just exhibited incredible grace and determination, even when she was struggling mightily physically,” Dini said. “Up until even last year, there were times when we were dealing with tough issues, like on the front end at COVID, when she felt the need to be here. And that was true over many years, where she was going through significant medical challenges and personal struggle and pain, even, where she was here at events at night, and I’d say, ‘Go home. It’s okay. We got it. Go take care of yourself.’ [I remember her] even saying, ‘I was supposed to have treatment this afternoon, but I’ll move into Monday because we have got to get this done.’ And I say, ‘No, absolutely not.’”

One thing is for sure: she was a titan who’s mark on campus will last.

“She was a special, special person, and did a lot of great, good things for St. Mark’s,” Dini said, “which I’ll always be indebted to her for.”

[Katy Rubarth is] integral to the success of the school. She’s a doting mom who has faced death and fought it tooth and nail. Because of her indomitable sprit and the strong examples she has set for all of us, Katy Rubarth is the recipient of the 2020 Marksmen yearbook dedication.

Marksmen yearbook dedication, 2020

STORY Siddhartha Sinha, Jack Davis PHOTOS Courtesy Dave Carden

LEGACY

Whether it was as a parent (right) — pictured with two of her sons, Charlie ‘20 and eighth grader Oliver — or as an administrator (far right) — seen embracing first grade teacher Teri Broom and Lower School Head Sherri Darver — Katy Rubarth’s impact on the school community came in a number of forms.

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Alumni

Alumni Weekend officially postponed, marking second year without annual staple. Page 10

Fundraiser

Eighth grader Jaden Ouyang put his musical talents to good use. Page 11

Charity

Inspired by loss, freshman Ben Foster dedicated himself to a cause close to his heart. Page 12

Ghostbusters

Looking back at photos from this year’s Ghostbusters-themed McDonald’s Week. Page 13 In brief

TIB TALKS, TELOS TO RETURN

Dr. Martin Stegemoeller, leader of the Ethos leadership program, has expressed that TIB Talks, due to current conditions, can now be prerecorded by anyone who wishes to present one.

In addition, the transition from in-person to online school has made the Telos program difficult to maintain. During online school, the Telos program was placed on hold, but with a return to in-person schooling, the Telos program is planning on returning to normal with sixth and eighth graders.

FIRST GRADE PLAY The first graders will be performing the musical Going Buggy for their parents and siblings tomorrow night. After a month and a half of learning scripts and songs and rehearsing, the six and seven-yearolds are ready to display their talents. The students are led by Lower School music teacher Mary Ann Livengood, Lower School drama teacher Shannon Schnaible and Lower School art teacher Suzuko Davis.

MODEL UNITED NATIONS

CONFERENCE One senior, three juniors and a sophomore received special recognition at the Harvard Model United Nations Jan. 28-31. Senior Max Palys received Best Delegate in the Native American Tribal Conference. Juniors Pranay Sinkre and Ekansh Tambe received Honorable Mention in the United States Constitutional Convention. Junior Tomek Marczewski was awarded Outstanding Delegate for the International Children’s Fund. Sophomore Bijaan Noormohamed earned Diplomatic Commendation in the UN HIgh Commission for Refugees.

SENIOR AUCTION While a firm date has not been set, seniors are still in the process of planning the online Senior Auction, which will take place after Spring Break. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Auction will be held online through Murad, a service for hosting online events.

The format for the auction has not been finalized yet; however, the auction co-chairs will send out an email with final details before the event.