12 minute read
All-boys
A masculine environment
10
All-boys
May 21, 2021
BACK IN THE DAY Marksmen hopping off the school bus in the 1950’s, soon after Cathedral School for Boys and Texas Country Day merged to form St. Mark’s School of Texas.
It’s 8:33 a.m. on a Monday morning.
Streaming in from the parking lot are hundreds of tousledhaired, unshaven boys in half-tucked Oxford shirts.
By 8:35, they’ll be pouring into classrooms and giving each other morning nods as they drowsily settle into their chairs.
By 11:35, they’ll be up and at ‘em — playing spikeball on the quad or laughing about some YouTube video over their lunch.
By 3:35 in the afternoon, they’ll be flooding back into the parking lot in hordes: it’s time to change for baseball or track practice.
That’s a typical day. Welcome to an all-boys school.
Single-gendered schooling has been around for a long time. In fact, the first public school in America was all-boys.
That raises a question in and of itself: have they become outdated in the face of more popular coeducational schools?
Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini certainly doesn’t think so.
“I firmly believe in the significance of singlegendered schooling,” Dini said. “But I also believe that being engaged in broader conversations is really important. It’s not to the exclusion of other genders in any way, shape or form because I think we should be having inclusive conversations all the time. Nevertheless, having the opportunity to be in an environment full of shared experiences is really influential.”
To Dini, being an all-boys school is a critical ingredient of what makes up the Marksman experience — but it is just one ingredient.
“The fact that it’s a boys school enables us to do some things that contribute to our uniqueness,” Dini said. “Although, I think there are a lot of things that contribute to what makes an environment like ours special. Through that single-gendered facet, we’re able to tailor experiences and programs and activities and interactions towards traits that tend to be more prevalent in boys and young men.”
According to the International Boys’ School Coalition, a non-profit organization of all-boys schools, researchers have used functional magnetic resonance imaging to observe differences between the developing male and female brain that demonstrate why boys and girls learn in different ways.
Boys’ brains are wired to require movement, space, action and rest. They also learn better when material is presented in small portions. Thus, a typical co-ed classroom that favors verbal and auditory learning can put an active boy at a disadvantage.
“Whether it’s what we’ve done with Spirit Week in April or our annual trip to the Pecos wilderness, many aspects of the experience are enhanced by the fact that we’re a boys school,” Dini said. “Shared experiences and perspectives among students are also a really important aspect of the experience. The sense of brotherhood we foster is really important to daily life, culture and community.”
Former Headmaster Arnie Holtberg also feels strongly about the advantages of an all-male environment. The primary benefit he sees is a freedom from posturing.
“We might try to impress members of the opposite sex in ways that may or may not be constructive,” Holtberg said. “We felt that we were providing an alternative where boys could be themselves in the most positive sense possible — taking intellectual risks, taking social risks.”
Both Dini and Holtberg had their own valuable experiences in single-gendered settings growing up. Holtberg attended Princeton University when it was a men’s college, while Dini went to high school at Strake Jesuit in Houston. “Strake was very formative for me,” Dini David Dini Headmaster said. “It shaped my high school experience in such a positive way. I draw on all the bonds, the shared experiences and the mentoring to this day.”
Throughout his discussion of the benefits of single-gendered education, Dini stressed time and time again that the all-boys facet of the school does not make Marksmen superior.
“There’s also so much value in co-educational schools,” Dini said. “It’s not to the diminishment of them in any way, because I think they serve a really important function. Many students thrive in co-ed environments.”
Although they attended all-boys schools as students, both Dini and Holtberg began their teaching careers at multi-gendered schools.
“My all-boys high school experience wasn’t necessarily connected to my being at St. Mark’s later in my life,” Dini said. “But my time at co-ed schools has helped me to develop a tremendous fondness and appreciation for the strength of culture that we have here.”
Misconceptions: what role do women play in the lives of Marksmen?
St. Mark’s boys aren’t well versed in interacting with women. That’s a common stereotype.
You go to an all-boys school, you don’t meet girls.
You go to an all-boys school, you don’t talk to girls.
You go to an all-boys school, how do you know how to act around girls?
For Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini, this stereotype is just that — a stereotype. In fact, Dini believes students develop well-rounded female interaction skills right on campus in spite of attending an all-boys school.
“In many ways, you are learning both alongside and from women directly,” Dini said. “Think about the many women across campus and in y’all’s classrooms. If our faculty were all male, that would be different. I certainly believe it’s important to have male role-models on campus, too. But that’s why you see — from top to bottom — so many strong, impactful, experienced female leaders, which is great for all of us and certainly for Marksmen.”
Given the impact he sees women having on the student body, Dini dismisses generalizations about unsubstantial female influence in the academic setting.
“Some people think that women don’t play as active of a role in the educational experience, when in fact they do,” Dini said. “Which is why I think it’s so critically important to have the kind of women that we have on campus. Look at our counseling office. You’ve got three highly accomplished professionals, all women. It’s the same across every discipline in the school, in classrooms and on playing fields.”
Beyond their educational impact on students, Dini finds great value in the role of female community members in fostering the development of the young men on campus.
“When you go to college, almost all are going to be co-ed experiences,” Dini said. “We’re fortunate that our faculty is split evenly, male-female, literally 50/50. You’re going to learn from women in every discipline, including athletics, fine arts and core academic disciplines. You’ve got women leading across campus, in senior administrative roles and department chair positions, and you’re going to be mentored by women every day, in and out of the classroom.”
In addition to positive female role models, academic programs throughout the school prepare students for the reality of co-ed environments. Director of Counseling Gabriela Reed maintains that these programs familiarize younger Marksmen with equality in the classroom. (continued, next page)
TEACHER IN ACTION History instructor David Fisher leads his freshman Foundations of World Societies class in a discussion about the Renaissance in Northern Europe.
Dini recognizes the ambivalent importance of single-gendered education to applicants and parents, just as he felt when first searching for a job.
“Sometimes I think families don’t necessarily choose St. Mark’s because it’s a boys school,” Dini said. “They choose it because they believe it’s a strong educational environment. We’ll often hear years later that both parents and graduates will reflect and say, ‘The fact that St. Mark’s is a boys school was actually part of what made it such a positive, unique experience.’ They didn’t see that on the front end, and perhaps might have even chosen the school in spite of the fact that it was single-gender — but they found such benefits.”
Beyond Dini and Holtberg’s diverse experiences,
but it’s more of a natural, genuine competition as different. One prominent event that took place April opposed to fighting.” 21 was a virtual forum on diversity and inclusion. Ultimately, Santuosso found a deep appreciation “The IBSC has always been interested in for the all-boys environment. Having her son Jacob, conversations about pertinent topics,” Lange said. a fourth-grader, along with her at the school, she “This very first one was about racial equity and values the interactions her son can have in a single- identity, particularly at boys schools. 17 member sex environment spanning from first through 12th schools participated, and St. Mark’s was one of grade. them.” “Back in the day, in the Great Hall, I’d see seniors Each member school sent five boys and one high-fiving Jacob or I’d hear him say, ‘Mom, I saw faculty member into a Zoom meeting, where this person today,’” Santosuosso said. “I don’t know moderators from the Aspen Institute led a discussion. if those relationships would form at other schools.” The five Marksmen who participated were seniors Blake Hudspeth, Josh Mysore and Cristian Pereira, St. Mark’s will be home to hundreds of faculty as well as junior Samuel Eluemunoh and sophomore and staff from across the globe during the 2022 Morgan Chow. International Boys’ School Coalition Annual “Those boys can talk circles around most of the history instructor Michele Santosuosso has had the Conference (ISBC) June 26 through 29. Middle School boys and many of the moderators in regards to racial opportunity to teach at both an all-girls school — Assistant Head Jason Lange, who chairs the school’s equity and identity,” Lange said. “In fact, during Ursuline Academy — and an all-boys school. After host committee, is particularly excited because it will the Zoom meeting, the moderator sent me a backnine years at Ursuline, be the first in-person conference in three years. channel message complimenting them.” Michele the transition took some “An IBSC conference — in a non-pandemic To Dini, an in-person conference like IBSC’s 2022 Santosuosso History getting used to. era — is four days long and on a school’s campus,” meeting will be a refreshing change from the plethora instructor “I’m very sarcastic, Lange said. “We like to gather on a school’s campus of virtual events, as well as an excellent opportunity and I remember certain instead of at a convention center; we’re all educators, to hone all-boys teaching techniques. things I would say that administrators, parents and professionals, after all.” “We were fortunate to host the conference here would impact and hit girls The program on campus will consist of in 2004, but the coalition is now so much bigger,” more,” Santosuosso said. workshops, keynote speakers and a myriad of Dini said. “I would imagine we’ll have a huge crowd “During my first couple conversations and dialogue about the best practices of educators from leading boys’ schools all over the weeks with boys, I remember I would say something for teaching boys and managing an all-boys world. Honestly — I can’t wait.” and be like, ‘Oh, I shouldn’t have said that,’ and then community. it would come right back to me, and I was like, ‘Oh, I “Conversations will revolve around found my people. This is more for me.’” sustainability, diversity, pedagogy and all the other
There were multiple important differences things that teachers are interested in,” Lange said. “In between the two styles of school that she noticed. the evening, it’s up to the host to show off the culture
“Keeping the attention of boys was a little more of their city, so there will certainly be social events challenging,” Santosuosso said. “Teaching girls, I involved. Here, we can imagine evenings under the could sit for 90 minutes, and we could just talk. On stars, perhaps at a ranch with live music — some the other hand, I feel like boys regulate and help each barbecue, maybe, or some Tex-Mex.” other more in the classroom. There’s competition, This summer, IBSC activities looked very
EARLY BROTHERHOOD Students lock arms in front of Founder’s Hall burned down in 1943 before Davis Hall was built. Both buildings precede Centennial Hall. This photo is presumed to have been taken in the late 1930s or early 1940s. FEMALE INFLUENCE Humanities instructor Dr. Katherine Magruder helps sixth-grader Tripp Schoellkopf III as he creates his labels for an ancient history project.
STORY Austin Williams, Toby Barrett, Will Pechersky PHOTOS Courtesy Jan Forrester, Dave Carden
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May 21, 2021
All-boys
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During Holtberg’s tenure at the school, boys had the opportunity to participate in joint classes with The Hockaday School, sister school with 10600 Preston Rd.
“I do sometimes worry that not having direct competition from girls in the classroom can skew the way boys think about girls academically,” Reed said. “That’s why we have programs like when we get the fifth and sixth graders together and do cool STEM activities to try and get them to join together and see the girls as worthy opponents.”
Reed also feels curricular additions concerning gender roles prompt students to consider their view on women as partners.
“Unfortunately, our society sends us lots of messages about the worth of girls and women versus the worth of boys and men,” Reed said. “I’m hopeful that all of the education we’re doing around consent, healthy relationships and gender roles help to plant some seeds that say, ‘Hey, maybe I’m not seeing the full picture here. What’s out there in the media is not what’s real.’”
When students prepare for college and the transition to a co-ed learning environment, their social lives in high school can affect in how easily they fit into this foreign setting.
“[The transition] depends on how much time you’ve spent outside of school with girls,” Reed said. “There are a lot of guys here who have really deep, great relationships with girls at other schools, and they’re a big part of their friend group, while there are other guys who have only got themselves or maybe only male friends. For them, it might be a bit of a shock and certainly an adjustment. But I also think that’s controllable — you can choose to expose yourself to different things.”
Former Marksman Merritt Fisher, a freshman who transferred to coeducational Phillips Exeter Academy last year, understands this transition firsthand.
“I know girls better,” Fisher said. “They’re just people, you know — friends. It’s basically the difference between talking to somebody only online versus talking in an actual classroom environment.”
Yet despite the heightened ease he now feels in talking to girls, Merritt believes single-sex education environments foster a more closely knit community.
“I’d say, back when it was singlegendered education, I just feel like you could get closer with people,” Fisher said. “The entire classroom environment is less awkward than it is here, because you’re basically close to everyone — it’s like a brotherhood. Whereas here, you’re friends, and you know everyone, but there’s less flow. In the classroom environment, people are trying to connect because they have to, rather than because they want to interact.”
Merritt Fisher former Marksman