The ReMarker | February 2013

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NEWS Habitat for Humanity houses p. 7

ARTs Senior SPOrts FreshHansen Kuo at man Caleb Purple Cow p. 13 Crowe p. 20

president george W. bush

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remarker student newspaper

St. mark's school of texas | DALLAS, TEXAS | VOLUME 59, ISSUE 4 | Friday, FEB. 8, 2013

Among lowest in 10 years

b u sh

Budget for 2014 offers 3.5 percent tuition increase

c e n t e r

Peace

When the final phase of the Bush Center opens in April, the former president’s wish is not just to commemorate his presidency. George W. Bush gives his take on the new educational institute.

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTOS

promoting

PRESIDENTIAL POSITIONS From left: President George Bush takes the oath of office after being elected in 2000. Posing for photos, Bush sits at the Peace Corps in Botswana. Shortly after 9/11, Bush throws out the first pitch before game three of the 2001 World Series in New York. Bush greets returning soliders. Bush inspects Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath in 2005.

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itting across from him on the other side of a large desk on the 14th floor

of a 20-story office building just off Northwest Highway — far removed from the one he occupied in the Oval Office at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — was a lot less intimidating than I had anticipated.

The 43rd President of the United States, the guy who took down Saddam Hussein, was plopped in a black chair, his brown leather shoes resting on the corner of a surprisingly empty mahogany desk. He wore a blue, short-sleeve

Polo shirt and sweater, and he didn’t feel the need to sit up too straight in his chair. I was thrown off guard when he first reached out to shake my hand and said, in that inimitable voice of his: What position do you play, Meat?

Continued, page 18

▶ by Paul Gudmundsson, managing editor, additional reporting by Daniel Hersh, editor-in-chief | photo by Michael Doorey, head photographer

INSIDE

I think the largest goal is to provide space and support for an institute that will be an action-oriented place based upon principles that will have a longterm effect on improving humanity.

Page 18

NEws | 2-8

Arts | 9-14

Commentary | 15-17

promoting peace | 18

sports | 19-23

overtime | 24

By Vik Pattabi staff writer Following a Board of Trustees meeting Jan. 8, the tuition increase for next year will be 3.5 percent, and other budget goals focus on remaining the same as the current year.

Although the tuition increase is up from last year’s increase of 3.25 percent, it remains one of the lowest of the past ten years. Other major budget points — including planned number of students for next year and the percent of endowment drawdown — will remain the same, with the goal of financial sustainability again in the coming year.

“Our tuition increases in the past ten years have averaged 4.23 percent yet over the last five years, they’ve only been 3.3 percent on average,” Director of Finance and Administration Suzanne Townsend said. “How much we increase tuition affects how much we’re able to provide in salary increases and how we address the increasing cost of benefits.”

The planned budget for next year is conservative in its revenue estimates, allowing the school to continually increase the more than $100 million endowment.

“There are many schools, even locally, who charge more for their tuition because they have to, because they have to pay everything out of that,” Townsend said. “We don’t have to.”

Other goals of the budget include professional development, financial aid and the implementation of new master teaching chairs through the Centennial Challenge campaign.

“If it were not for the good planning [of the faculty and staff], we wouldn’t be as successful as we are,” Townsend said.

Dallas Mayor Rawlings selected to speak at commencement

By Alex Munoz copy editor Dallas Mayor and former Pizza Hut CEO Mike Rawlings has been chosen as the commencement speaker.

“Graduation is a moment a lot of us have been idolizing since we were little,” Senior Class President Dylan Kirksey said. “Our class is definitely excited about commencement. And I know I am too.”

As class president, Kirksey also helped pick out the speaker. The speaker is selected to deliver an inspirational message to the graduates, so he must be able to specifically connect with the student body here.

“We narrowed it down to a few possibilities, but ultimately we — the class officers, the class sponsor, the headmaster and the head of Upper School — decided on Mike Rawlings,” Kirksey said.

The graduation speaker provides some of the last advice to the graduates before they “commence” their new lives as alums, so the decision to choose Continued, page 5 EYE OF THE STORM | 1B-4B

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Green initiative page 3

Great strides have been made to make the school environmentally friendly, like the donation of this Nissan LEAF.

NOW. news around campus

THE REMARKER | Friday, Feb. 8, 2013 | PAGE 2

upcoming

weekend

▶ "High School

Musical" will be performed at Hockaday at 7:30 p.m. The musical, starring Taubert Nadalini as Troy and Charlotte Gunn as Gabriella will be performed again at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday.

MICHAEL DOOREY PHOTO

< Science faculty members Dr. Stephen Balog, Stephanie Barta, Dan Northcut and Ken Owens will be speaking at an alumni event at the Perot Museum Feb. 25.

the

newsfeed

•••

The Computer Science Department will increase the Internet bandwidth. More bandwidth will give students and faculty a faster Internet connection.

Sam Morgan became the first fourth-grader to win the school’s Middle School Spelling Bee. Winning on the word “brachiosaur,” Morgan advances to the county spelling bee set for Feb. 19 at UTD. The winner of that competition advances to the regional spelling bee, with he winner of that event going to Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Morgan will attempt to follow Sai Gunturi ’07 and become the second Marksman to win the national competition.

Gus Lee, a best-selling author and ethicist, will be on campus In March for one to two days to vis-

small talk

▶ Imposition of Ashes, Ash Wednesday, will be held in the Chapel 7:15 a.m. Feb. 13.

▶ Evensong will be held Sunday in the Chapel at 7 p.m.

This will be the third Evensong service of the school year.

▶ No school on Feb. 15

or Feb. 18 for Winter Weekend and winter SPC events.

▶ Alumni Leadership Speaker Series panel discussion at the Perot Museum featuring science faculty members at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25.

▶ The Chinese New Year is Sunday. This year’s new year signals the start of the year of the snake.

•••

The Robotics Team will compete in the 2013 Oklahoma Botball Tournament in Norman, OK, March 9. The topic of this year’s competition is to create a “Mars Sample

•••

•••

▶ Community service hours for the second trimester are due Monday.

▶ The 2nd Annual Crawfish and Blues Festival at the House of Blues at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow.

it with specific groups of students and faculty.

Lee ran a seminar here in August and later met with each faculty member who wanted to be assessed individually. He also spoke last year at Commencement.

Botball competition logo

Return Mission” robot. The team is preparing for the upcoming competition by learning how to use a new microcontroller platform.

Weber’s AP English 12 classes attended a conference with eight other local-area schools at the Oakridge School Feb. 6 celebrating the 100th anniversary of the publication of James Joyce’s Dubliners. Eight students were chosen to present their papers at the conference, including James Rowan, Noah Yonack, Zach Alden, Steven Tsai, Meyer Thalheimer, Zach Burdette, Warren Smith and Will Chang.

•••

University of Richmond President Dr. Edward L. Ayers spoke to the Upper School at a special assembly Jan. 30. Ayers, an advocate of digital history, spoke about the American Civil War with the use of multiple online history projects.

Ayers also co-hosts a public radio

•••

St. Mark’s hosted the twelfth annual Dean’s Program Jan. 28.

The deans of admission from Columbia University, Pitzer College and the University of Richmond took part in the event. The program included a special assembly for sophomores and juniors.

•••

Trustee Master Teacher Lynne

Dr. Edward Ayers

call-in program, ‘BackStory with the American History Guys.’

comments made by faculty, staff and students around campus

▶ ‘Do you really want your daughter to be an Ugg-wearing mall-rat?’ ­— Brachman Master Teacher Dr. Martin Stegemoeller to his sophomore English class.

▶ ‘I don’t do singing movies.’ ­— sophomore Carrington Kyle on choosing not to see the Oscarnominated Les Miserables. ▶ ‘I think there’s a bunch of little gremlins

▶ ‘Sorry for watching the Kentucky Derby.’ ­— senior Mark Senter on his knowledge of horses.

▶ ‘Everything I know about rap I learned on Math Team.’ ­— senior James Rowan talking about Math Team in the senior lounge.

opinion

this month

a quick look at news around campus

First grade teacher Kay Carrio now holds the Ackerman Family Master Teaching Chair in Lower School. This master teaching chair was established in 2008 and is one of 15 posts on campus. Carrio has 36 years of teaching experience, seven of which are here.

We can learn how fortunate we are in our lives and how important it is to give back to those kids that may be less fortunate than us. Page 7

startingout

things to do in the weeks ahead

today

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Sophomore Mason Smith

running in there. Forget it. I’m not going to buy it.’ ­— history instructor Bill Marmion on his

disdain for computers. ▶ ‘I’m sort of obsessed with guitars. And Scandinavian crime novels.’ — physics instructor Stephen Houpt to his physics class.

will

Moor

Put your money where your mouth is

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get a lot of opportunities to read the opinions of my friends. A self-realized social media junkie, I’m Facebooking, Tweeting or commenting whenever I have the opportunity. So this election season, I was shellacked with political opinion from every part of every wing, and quite possibly some beaks and tails as well.

For those of you who exercised, and continue to exercise, your First Amendment rights on every medium you can, I have a message for you. For those of you who passionately defend your political angles in the senior lounge and argue ‘till you’re hoarse in your classrooms, I’d like you to take note.

To whoever keeps screaming about income tax reform three tables over from me during fifth period lunch, please stop yelling and let me eat my meatball sub in peace. And still read this next paragraph, I guess.

Keep talking, keep debating, keep believing. I firmly believe those are part of what makes our country great. But for the love of all that is Holtberg, if your beliefs are that strong, you need to do more than talk.

I quote my dad about three times a day, but here’s one of my favorites: “Words are just wind.”

Don’t just post a bunch of gun violence statistics to your Facebook and call it a day. If you really believe every American should be licensed to carry a thermonuclear warhead or whatever, write your congressman and share that with him. Seek out petitions and sign them. Contribute a few bucks of your allowance to the NRA. If you think an American citizen shouldn’t wield anything more dangerous than a kitchen knife, send money to the Gun Control Network or try writing an op-ed piece to The Dallas Morning News. ail on the Democrat or Republican candidate for Senate. Rave about your favorite.

But while you’re doing that, make your words count for something. Volunteer in their offices.

Buy a bumper sticker. Seniors, get out and vote, and not just for president. Research your local government, support issues you care about.

For all the forums and discussion groups, there is no strong presence from chapters of Young Republicans or Young Democrats in our community. I can’t listen to the rhetoric around our campus and think it’s because we don’t care.

I’m not limiting this to politics. If you hate where music is going, support your favorite artists and buy their music instead of grabbing it on Frostwire or 2conv. Don’t just complain about the content in your courses, discuss it with your teacher or the department head. Just having the courage to say something to the right people can do wonders. Write the ReMarker a letter, we’ll get what you have to say in print.

If you’re reading this and saying “Hey jerk, I’m very involved. I do X, Y and Z for what’s important to me,” then I think that’s awesome.

Tell me about it. Tell your friends. Get them involved too. Sit on the stage at assembly and announce what you’re doing and the time and place you’ll be doing it. I’d like nothing more than to look like an idiot and see every student at 10600 Preston Road acting and advocating for what he believes in.

Talk is cheap.

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NEWS around campus

THE REMARKER | Friday, FEB. 8, 2013 | PAGE 3

Study guide 4

AP teachers 5 Gr e e n

Scheduling 6

Habitat for Humanity 7

Future Leaders 8

I n i t i a t i v e

The green team With the recent donation of an all-new and all-electric nissan leaf, the school’s green initiative — a complex project spearheaded by a team of environmentallysavvy faculty — is making conserving cool again.

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he books keep him warm.

Nestled in the corner of S110, Director of Environmental Studies Dan Northcut ’81 surrounds himself with thousands of pages written by environmental experts and plant enthusiasts, authors of 100 Edible Mushrooms and Clean Remodeling and Hybrid and Alternative Fuel Vehicles.

These books tell the story of a neverquite-achieved, always-in-progress dream. A dream with all-electric cars, completely recycled paper, wind turbines on the roof.

A dream of solar panels and modern greenhouses, renewable energy and LEED certification.

A dream for a spotless, undisturbed future.

Northcut, along with many of the campus’ instructors and administrators — including Headmaster Arnie Holtberg and Science Department Chair Stephanie Barta — is engineering the way for a cleaner existence, a renewable campus, a healthier future.

The green revolution is starting to turn heads. And this isn’t a dream.

The two-year donation of an all-electric Nissan LEAF by car dealership owner Clay Cooley, father of freshman Chance, is the most recent of many green improvements.

We’ve seen shifts toward recycled printer paper, an expeditious recycling program that cuts waste hauling in half, and electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot, aimed at the newly invigorated green initia-

tive, a program headed by the Environmental Sustainability Committee and driven by a single, yet powerful, sustainability advocate: Northcut.

The LEAF is a 180-degree turn from the gas-guzzling Yukons the school normally uses for transportation.

Yet the car doesn’t mark the start of a dream for Northcut’s environmentally-conservative pursuits. Ironically, the dream starts with its charging station.

“The immediate reaction of people is, ‘Well, does anybody have a plug-in car?’”

Northcut said.

“And the answer was no. To me, this is one of those cases where you got to put the [charging] station in there so that people will know it’s there, and then they will make the move towards having a plug-in hybrid or an all-electric vehicle.”

And then there were two. Along with the newly added electric car, Barta, naturally, has her own. Her LEAF, which she alternates with a Lexus 200H hybrid vehicle, is the mode by which Barta is doing her part in reducing carbon emissions.

“In addition to reducing our carbon footprint, I think fossil fuels need to be saved for making plastics and medicines,” she said.

“I could use less, but the point is I really try to do the most I can with not more than it takes to do that.

“I’m not ready to live in a monastery and give up the world – that’s not what this is

about – but I would like to have as good a life as I can with as little demand on the Earth as possible.” oltberg calls this little-by-little style of conservation “becoming part of the whole,” characterized by the sometimes seemingly trivial efforts of mere individuals. Together, a lot makes a little.

“If every organization, every family, every individual were to use less, waste less, reuse more when possible, we will all be doing our part to ensure the sustainability of this globe,” Holtberg said. “If all of us develop better habits, then we’ve contributed to the whole.”

Though the green initiative is primarily successful through minor additions that together form a whole, the school also has bigger, more noticeable plans on its radar.

For instance, though early in its development, Barta has worked with school administrators to draw out plans for a new, modern

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If every organization, every family, every individual were to use less, waste less, reuse more when possible, we will all be doing our part to ensure the sustainability of this globe.

HEADMASTER ARNIE HOLTBERG

greenhouse to occupy the space cornered by Centennial and the Science Building.

“What we wish to do is create an environment that is much more suited toward instruction than our current greenhouse,” Holtberg said.

“The new facility will be one where teaching is primary, not only with teachers with the specific sciences associated, but other teachers too. We want to make it a user-friendly place where students can really think about plant life.”

Northcut worries if sustainability advocates such as Barta, Holtberg and himself don’t throw around ideas big and small, then the world of today won’t be the world of tomorrow.

“If we don’t work on this and continue to work on it, then our offspring and their offspring will not have as healthy a place to live as we do,” Northcut said. “It bothers me to think that that could happen. That’s why I’m teaching now: to try and make sure that doesn’t happen.”

And even though this green initiative is an uphill battle, meaning it’s attempting to solve something that doesn’t have a solution, it’s still important to fight.

For a clean existence, a healthier world, a safer future.

“This is not something that goes away,” Holtberg said. “It’s something that must be on the forefront of our agenda. We can still do more, and we can do better.”

THE GREEN TEAM story by Noah Yonack, news editor and Alex Kim, staff writer | artwork by Robbey Orth, graphics director

The school’s statement of environmental policy “Respecting the needs of future generations, St. Mark’s School of Texas will provide leadership in environmental sustainability and responsibility. The school assigns significant priority to integrating environmental awareness, understanding the stewardship into its academic mission, campus improvements and operations.

As part of these efforts, we recognize the importance of the following: (i) the education of students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and our local community concerning sus-

tainability and the environment. (ii) the conservation of natural resources; and (iii) fiscally responsible decision-making as a part of all sustainability projects and programs.

This process will be guided by the school’s ongoing strategic planning and will take into account the school’s resources and “The Campus Master Plan.” We also recognize that planning for sustainability is a learning process and requires flexibility, creativity and adaptability.”

— as told by Dan Northcut

The all-electric Nissan LEAF Lesser known initiatives In addition to the new Nissan LEAF, the school has also been implementing some lesser known green initiatives.

Here are just a few examples: • Food audits in the cafeteria • Biodegradable dishware • Lights retrofitted with motion-sensor controls

CLEAN RIDE The Nissan LEAF, donated by Clay Cooley, father of freshman Chance, emits no tailpipe emissions or greenhouse gasses, running solely on electric power.

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

S TUD Y

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GUIDE

A PIECE OF QUIET Studying during free periods is a key to academic success. Here’s a look at some of the best places on campus to hit the books.

Centennial Lounge

While the number of people available for help can be useful, the rowdy environment of the Centennial lounge can make concentrating on those late history assignments difficult. If you really want to get work done, avoid this lounge and actually go do your homework.

Science Lounge

Hoffman Lounge

With convenient access from the Great Hall (this is what that lone door in between Spencer Gym and the Student Store is for) and quick passage to your teachers’ offices, this lounge is a great lunchtime destination.

SCIENCE AND MATH QUADRANGLE

Green Library

Pass the threshold of the Green Library to really crack open the books. The librarians are incredibly helpful with research projects. Make sure to be quiet or you’ll find yourself asked to leave.

Facebook Groups

While we’re definitely not condoning Facebook use during school, imagine this — you’re sitting at home, ready to do the English assignment. But alas, Whipple Hill is unexpectedly down, your teacher is no where near technology and even though you post a message to Twitter, Instagram and Google+, no one seems to see it. That’s where your newly founded English 9 Facebook group comes into play. Just don’t get trapped behind the fortified and unescapable stronghold that is the Facebook Wall.

Quizlet Flashcards

When you see everyone flipping through a set of vocabulary flashcards on his phone, you know it’s time for a Thursday vocab quiz in Victor F. White Master Teacher David Brown’s English class. With an online flashcard quizzing system that works incredibly well, especially on phones, there’s no reason everyone shouldn’t be using this. Whether it’s a biology exam or a history test, Quizlet flashcard sets are an incredibly useful study tool, especially during finals week at the end of the year.

A piece of QUIET story and illustration by Zuyva Sevilla, staff artist | photos by Andrew Goodman, visuals director

Math Team takes first at Metroplex Math Competition; prepares for MIT contest Feb. 16

By Richard Jiang staff writer With the competitive math season in full swing, the Math Team, captained by junior Victor Zhou and seniors Rachit Mohan and James Rowan, has enjoyed success in their first few competitions.

Even while missing many members who were in Oklahoma for a swim meet, the team took first place in the overall sweepstakes competition at the Metroplex Math Competiton held at Parish Episcopal.

At the Paris competition, three people placed first in different categories. Rowan took first in both the Precalculus Open and the Calculus Open, senior Sam Libby placed first in Calculus Closed and eighth-grader Kaden Han won both the Algebra I Open and the Geometry Closed categories.

Rowan looked forward to fun and success at the annual Rice University math competition. The event, hosted by the university, was held on Feb. 2 and was open to all schools in the southern United States.

“Rice’s contest form favors our team,” Rowan said. “It doesn’t advantage you if you have a lot of people.”

For the seniors, this was their last competition in Texas, and Rowan went in hoping to do as well as they had in previous years.

“We generally place in the top five,” Rowan said, “and I hope we can place really well this year.”

However, because this was the last trip that the

team can go as a whole, Rowan hopes to pass down some skills to the younger participants.

“A lot of us want to go out there and make a good run this year,” Rowan said, “and the seniors want to train the underclassmen the best they can.”

But the team faces a bigger challenge when they travel to MIT Feb. 16 for the annual Harvard MIT math competition, which allows the team to take only their top eight members.

Over 100 teams will participate in this contest, which includes teams from around the world such as China.

Rowan views this competition as something on another level.

“We considered it a real success last year to get 41 out of 103,” Rowan said. “The tests are so hard that solving three out of the ten problems is considered good.”

As these competitions draw closer, the team just wishes to perform to the best of their abilities and have fun.

“We just want to go have fun, get challenged and represent our school well,” Rowan said.

Other top finishers • Nick Jelsma: third place in Algebra I Open •

and Calculus Open Chandler Burke: third place in Geometry Open

A perfect balance of peace. Very little rowdiness and convenient for when life decides you won’t have physics class that day. Also, there are several large fish tanks.

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

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A P TEA C H E R S A d v a n c e d pl a c e m e n t

Teaching outside the classroom part of the master teacher’s job description is to have a wider influence on his or her profession.

Some do this as ap consultants, exam writers and sat leaders.

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rustee Master Teacher Lynne Weber looked out from her position in front of the class.

This class wasn’t like her normal school classes.

She thought it was going to be small, like the one at school.

Instead of a small group, Weber faced a room filled with 100 teachers who had now become her students. She was handed a microphone and told to begin her speech.

Weber, along with, Math Department Chair Joe Milliet and McGee Master Teacher J.T. Sutcliffe have taken their teaching talents outside of 10600 Preston Road by leading College Board-sponsored Advanced Placement (AP) teaching workshops in their respective subjects.

“Over the years, I’ve probably taught 5,000 different [English] t e a c h e r s ,” Weber said.

“When you do that, you get Lynne Weber the sense that your teaching is extended beyond your own classroom. I can’t go into every one of those 5,000 teachers’ classrooms and teach their 150 kids, but I can show them some things that I know, and those kids get to benefit from some of the work that I’ve done.”

WRITTEN A few teachers across the country, like Sutcliffe and Milliet, are entrusted with the responsibility of writing the AP calculus exams for the entire country.

Just as Weber taught thousands of AP English teachers across the country, Sutcliffe and Milliet have both taught workshops on teaching methods and topics for AP calculus classes. In addition to teaching workshops, both Sutcliffe J.T. Sutcliffe and Milliet have served on the AP calculus Test Development Committee which is responsible for writing the AP calculus exams.

“There’s only seven people who get to write the exam for the country,” Milliet said.

“It’s always four college teachers and three high school teachers, so you’re one of three people from high schools that get to write the exam.”

Sutcliffe, who worked on that committee during the 1980s, believes writing the AP exam for the entire country was extremely valuable to her growth as a teacher.

“It affects the quality of the tests that I write,” Sutcliffe said. “When you think about how to help teachers help their students, it makes you think deeply about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it and helps you be clearer, more informed. All those good qualities come back to the St. Mark’s classroom.”

In addition to serving as an AP consultant and a test author, Sutcliffe currently cochairs the SAT Math Committee which is responsible for ensuring that the SAT math section is a good and fair tool for assessing students’ math skills.

“It really lets you know and colleges know, if we do it carefully and correctly, how well you can think outside the box and how well you know your basic mathematics,” Sutcliffe said. “But that’s only going to be true if it continues to be a well-crafted, fair exam, so it’s fun to have my fingers in the pie to help make sure that happens.” uring the process of evaluating the questions for the section, Sutcliffe takes the test herself.

“It’s embarrassing when you miss the questions,” Sutcliffe said. “I don’t care who it is. Some of the most prestigious mathematicians that have been on that committee laugh about how often they miss a question. I would have a lot of difficulty scoring an 800. Not because I don’t know [how to do the problems], but because if you have a mistake that I can make, I will take advantage of doing that.”

If several members of the committee miss the same question, however, it often raises a red flag.

“That’s where we get triggers that something might be misleading,” Sutcliffe said. “If two or three of us answered this, what was

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it that was causing us to go off in the wrong direction? Is there something not clear about the question or is there a trickiness with it that we don’t intend to have? It’s not intended to be tricky. It’s intended to check reasoning and skills.”

Even though Milliet taught students while developing the AP calculus exam, he didn’t have a problem keeping his exam writing separate from his classes.

“The exam is written a year in advance,” Milliet said.

“By the time that you’re getting to that exam, you’ve already spent Joe Milliet a year working on a whole different exams.”

Sutcliffe believes the creative opportunities afforded by her work with the SAT Math Committee and the calculus test development committee have improved the level of teaching both in her classroom and across the country.

“These are places I get to have creative opportunities outside the classroom,” Sutcliffe said. “I bring that back to the classroom with me. It affects what I do in the classroom, but it’s also hopefully helping to maintain quality of things for students and teachers outside of St. Mark’s.”

Teaching Outside the Classroom story by Ryan O’Meara, news editor | artwork by Robbey Orth, graphics director, photos by Michael Doorey, head photographer

School hires new security officers

By Vik Pattabi staff writer In response to the Newtown school shooting that took place Dec. 14, the school security team has been supplemented by the hiring of a new security guard and the placement of a second Dallas Police Department officer on campus.

In addition, campus security officers will now approach and question unknown visitors in an attempt to grant greater security to the school’s open campus, according to Head of Security Julious Connor.

“The police officers will be responsible for the buildings, and we will be in charge of the outer areas and parking lots,” he said. “But we might rotate also.”

The decision to increase security was made by Director of Finance and Administration Suzanne

Townsend following the Dec. 14 incident.

Connor believes the fact that the school is situated on an open campus greatly increases the difficulty of keeping the area safe.

“It’s a hard situation to maintain because people can come from everywhere,” he said. “but that’s why we rotate and approach them.”

Although Connor has faith in his security team, he encourages everyone, including students and faculty members, to be watchful as well.

“Everyone, not only security, needs to be aware of their surroundings,” he said. “It’s very important. Any suspicious activity you know, report it. Quickly.”

The new additions to the security team include guard Kevin Lim and Dallas police officer Martin Hoffer.

Mayor Rawlings to speak at commencement (Continued from page 1) Rawlings came with

much planning.

“We really just started with figures we thought would have something to offer like experience with leadership and ethics,” Kirksey said. “Then we started narrowing it down based on how accessible that person would be.”

Kirksey feels confident that Rawlings, as the mayor of Dallas and former CEO of Pizza Hut, will help the graduates take their first steps in their new, independent lives.

“He [Rawlings] knows Dallas, so he has a great sense of the community that we’re all come from,” Kirksey said. “He’s also very aware of St. Mark’s and what it stands for. He has an incredible history of giving back to the community.”

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings • • • • •

Lettered in football at Boston College and graduated magna cum laude.

Originally came to Dallas with only $200 to his name.

Worked up to become the CEO of Pizza Hut and is now mayor of Dallas.

Defeated former Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle in the mayoral race in 2011.

Reduced the number of chronically homeless in Dallas by 57 percent.

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S C H EDU L ING

Shuffling the deck After a recent alum created an online petition against removing science labs, administrators discuss possible schedule changes for the 2014-2015 school year.

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or years the school’s schedule has been the same. First through ninth period, 45 minute classes, a small time slot for chapel or advisory in between.

But in a few years that might all change.

Last spring the Committee on the Academic Program (CAP) formed a subcommittee to decide which scheduling features need changing. In reaction, a petition was recently created on Facebook to convince the administration not to take away labs from the course load or schedule.

Mathematics Department Chair Joe Milliet is part of the planning committee and denies that labs will be removed from the schedule.

“It’s not true,” Milliet said. “Labs will not be going away. Ever. But will we still do them in the schedule the same way we do them with the double block? Not necessarily.”

The committee in charge of the decisions includes department heads Nancy Marmion, Stephanie Barta and Nicholas Sberna along with the school’s Provost and Dean of Campus Scott Gonzalez and Head of Upper School Wortie Ferrell. This group has been looking at schedules of schools around the country. Ideas like rolling schedules and interdisciplinary classes are making their way around the table and being considered.

“Some people want to look at rotating classes,” Milliet said, “so you don’t have to have the same class first period every day – where the kids always come tardy or they’re not awake, so you don’t have the same class at the end of the day everyday where they’re tired.”

The majority of the faculty agrees they want more crossovers between classes and more time for activities outside the classroom like seminars.

“We’re trying to get things that people want for the students: less scheduling conflicts, collaborative learning, interdisciplinary classes, seminars, rotating classes,” Milliet said. “Things that the faculty wants, things that, even if the student doesn’t want, we think would benefit the student.”

The committee will not be considering a block schedule like the one that Hockaday put into effect several years ago, where classes meet for 80 minutes every other day.

“If we don’t come up with what we want this spring then we’re staying with this schedule next year,” Milliet said. “If we get there what we’d probably do is run some test weeks, like have the school go on the new schedule for two weeks and see how everybody feels, see what the kinks are.”

Matthew Runas ’10, who created the official petition group against St. Mark’s removing labs on Facebook, got word from a teacher acquaintance that labs may be adjusted or taken away completely. He decided to take matters into his own hands.

“After a few days of being in Texas and talking with my family and other old classmates from St. Mark’s about it, we decided this was one of the worst decisions that the school has ever made,” Runas said. “In things like physics or chemistry it is critical to be able to see some of the concepts on more than just a whiteboard.” owever, CAP members have never suggested that lab periods be eliminated. Instead, the committee is looking at new ways to incorporate the necessary learning experience that labs provide into the eight hours of the school day.

Science Department Chair Stephanie Barta wants to keep the current number of labs. She believes that the quality of laboratory experiments will diminish if the second period is taken away.

H

CHANGE? Although administrators are considering a new schedule, the possible changes wouldn’t take effect until the fall of 2014.

“You can’t start boiling, stop it, then start again the next day,” Barta said. “Some labs can be interrupted, and some you have to start over again when you stop it. I’m very committed to keeping the number of labs that we have, which is one a week.”

The committee first started working on ideas last spring. At least 20 different models have been proposed by various members of the CAP since the idea to revamp the schedule was first proposed.

However, the earliest any scheduling changes will be put into place is the 20142015 school year.

“The most frequent thing I’ve heard is a ten-day rolling schedule,” Barta said. “A class would meet nine out of ten days. On

the X-day, the day where you didn’t have class, another class would meet for a double period. Every single class in the Upper School on this schedule would have a double class every ten days.”

Every schedule has pros and cons for students, and the process of finding a schedule that works for everyone can prove daunting and extremely complicated. Ferrell believes the current layout of classes and periods could use improvement.

“Any schedule’s got good parts and drawbacks,” Ferrell said. “The one we have now is that way. If we were to adopt something in the future, it would have things that were fantastic about it. But I’m sure that within each kind of change, you give something up.”

The school’s layout of periods and X-days has changed numerous times over the years.

“I think that the school has looked at its schedule periodically in the past,” Ferrell said, “and it’s back to the point that any healthy, any evolving institution needs to take a look at its practices everywhere.”

Although the final decision may be to keep the school day as it is, some teachers still feel the administration should assess all possible options. Ferrell believes that a change in scheduling is a healthy part of progressing as a school.

“I would like to see us have programs and schedules and everything that helps to nourish and develop and grow all parts of the student body,” Ferrell said. “If a different schedule is part of the equation to make that happen, then I’m for that.”

SCheduLING story by Jacob Chernick, staff writer, additional reporting by Stephen Rambin, issues editor | illustration by Purujit Chatterjee, staff artist

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

H a b i t a t

f o r

7

H u m a n i t y

To build a home

The annual habitat project will be twice as impactful with the addition of another house to be completed by juniors and seniors.

RAISING THE ROOF Volunteers lift the roof frame into place on the Moreno’s house, which is located at 1842 Homeland Drive. The other house, located at 1831 Bickers Drive, does not have a planned owner yet but is scheduled to be completed at the same time as the Moreno’s house. Construction on the two houses began Jan. 12.

T

hey’re building more than just houses this year.

In the past, juniors and seniors have worked together to build an annual house for a needy family through Habitat for Humanity.

But they’re about to go above and beyond the five-year tradition.

Marksmen will take their services to a new level when they dedicate a record-breaking two houses March 9.

Not only are upper schoolers making a record two houses this year, but freshmen and sophomores will also join the cause by tutoring children in the neighborhood of the St. Mark’s-Hockaday construction projects.

Community Service Board Chairs for Habitat, junior Riley Graham and senior Harrison Quarls, wanted to give freshmen and sophomores the opportunity to have an impact on the neighborhood.

“This year we wanted to expand our horizons and include as much of the Upper School as possible in the Habitat community,” Graham said.

The Habitat for Humanity project positively affects the neighborhood, and many

freshmen and sophomores wanted to help the cause, though students must be 16 to work on the houses.

In fact, a study from Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business reported in a study that every dollar invested by Habitat in Dallas generates $3.18 of local economic activity.

“The Habitat houses have been proven to reduce violent crime in the neighborhoods, as well as increase economic activity in the areas,” Graham said. “It also provides the families with an affordable home because they don’t have to pay for the labor expenses since volunteers build the houses.”

The new tutoring service also helps the children of the community by helping them with their academics.

“The kids can get help with a large variety of scholastic subjects as well as participate in arts and craft and strategy games, such as chess,” Graham said. ophomore Mason Smith, a member of the Community Service Board, supervises the new tutoring branch of the Habitat project. Smith hopes to give freshmen and sophomores experience with the Habitat project, while showing them how fun it can be to help out on the construction when they become juniors.

“Our main goal, though, is to help these kids have some fun and guide them by being role models,” Smith said. “We hope to break the monotony that their lives may have. Also,

S

I think our tutoring could help bring the neighborhood kids closer together by giving them time to get to know each other better.”

The chairs of Habitat agree that the tutoring can provide an equally powerful and fulfilling effect to the tutor himself.

“Tutoring teaches us that even the small-

home and a new start to two families.

“We wanted to make an even bigger impact,” Graham said. “So Mr. David Michel, who has a daughter at Hockaday, took the initiative to raise twice the funds in order to achieve such an incredible feat.”

Only one family has been finalized for this year’s houses, and Graham is thrilled to support them: the Moreno family. ulio Moreno was born in Guanajuato, Mexico and moved to Dallas four years ago to work as a driver at Action Shred.

His wife, Bertha Munoz, stays at home and cares for their two children, Jose and Valeria.

They’re more than excited to have the opportunity of moving into a home with their own bedrooms, backyard and kitchen.

“They are great people, and it has been a pleasure to work alongside them,” Graham said. “Even with the addition of a second house, it has surprisingly not been that much of a challenge. It’s gone very smoothly thanks to the large amount of volunteers that continue to show up.”

Although they’re working to improve the lives of needy families such as the Morenos, volunteers share a reaction similar to Graham’s excitement.

“Last year as volunteers, we were just completely overjoyed,” Graham said. “I didn’t play as big of a part then, but to know that you helped a family take a huge step into a new, more prosperous future is an incredible feeling.”

J BUILDING AN EDUCATION Freshmen and sophomores who can’t participate in the construction of the houses tutor the neighborhood children in a new program aimed to increase student involvement.

est influence that we can make on a kid’s everyday life can go a long way,” Smith said.

“We can learn how fortunate we are in our lives and how important it is to give back to those kids that may be less fortunate than us.”

Besides the addition of tutoring, Marksmen and Hockaday students alike strive to help more than just one family. By building two houses this year, they’ll provide a new

To build a home story by Alexander Munoz, copy editor | photos by Andrew Goodman, visuals director

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Coat drive raises money for local charities

By Jacob Chernick staff writer More than four hundred coats for the homeless and needy were collected by the eighth grade Community Service Board Jan. 14-18 in this year’s Winter Coat Drive.

For one week, students, parents and faculty dropped off new and lightly used coats in boxes located around campus. Eighth graders stood outside every morning to accept donations.

Co-supervisor of the eighth grade Community Service Board, senior George Law, was pleased with the amount of coats which were generated in such a short amount of time.

“I was really pleasantly surprised by the response of the community,” Law said. “The people around us really stepped up and were able to help some people who were less fortunate.”

The donated outerwear was sent out to six charities: North Dallas Shared Ministries, Pebbles Apartments, Austin Street Centre, West Dallas Community Center, JC Phelps and the Salvation Army. Social

workers will distribute the coats to adults and children who cannot afford their own clothes.

“The majority of the coats went to North Dallas Shared Ministries,” Law said.

In addition, some of the clothes will also be donated to Austin Street Centre’s new store. These coats will be sold in order to raise money for Austin Street’s many charitable efforts toward benefitting the homeless.

“Austin Street is opening their thrift store,” Assistant Director of Community Service Jorge Correa said. “They haven’t had one for years. Now they’re opening up a brand new one. Many of these coats will probably go there.”

The coat drive is the only drive every year to be operated by eighth grade Community Service Board members. The Upper School board co-chairmen also helped in organizing this year’s efforts.

“The eighth graders, the new guys, run this drive for the very first time in their lives,” Correa said. “We can see how they work and if they’re doing a good job. They need to be very proactive to pull this off.”

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

F u t u r e

S

L e a d e rs

Teachers of leaders

STUDENTS TEACHING STUDENTS Student mentor Noah Yonack helps a Future Leaders Program participant understand a difficult math concept.

tudent mentor Jonathan Ng sat with Future Leaders Program (FLP) participant Caleb Contreras in the back of a classroom, re-explaining a geometry theorem that Contreras found difficult to grasp.

Week in and week out, Ng and Contreras kept at it, making sure Contreras fully understood the concepts Ng had explained during the class.

All the hard work paid off after Contreras finally passed his geometry term final after failing the class the past two years.

“That was really great to see him do that,” Ng said. “He was quiet and sat in the back corner every day, didn’t participate much and didn’t seem to get much out of it.

But as I sat with him one-on-one and taught him the material, he was finally able to pass geometry. I could see that my efforts really paid

8

The Future Leaders Program is in place to help public school students excel, but teachers and student mentors claim they get just as much out of the experience off.”

Founded by the Bickel & Brewer Foundation in 2001, the FLP helps more than 200 students from urban communities within the Dallas Independent School District (DISD), teaching the participants academic as well as leadership skills.

“My partners and I realized that the greatest impact we could have on our community was through education,” partner at Bickel & Brewer and chairman of the FLP advisory board William Brewer said. “We were inspired by the belief that we could make a difference in the lives of deserving children.”

The FLP, which has been recognized by the Texas State Board of Education and the Texas Governor’s Office, has a variety of classes taught by a combination of student mentors, DISD teachers and private school teachers, such as Comput-

er Science Chair Dean Baird, who helps coordinate the FLP at the school and teaches a technology class.

“It reenergizes me every time they’re here,” Baird said. “I get a lot out of the energy that they bring.

It’s a different dynamic in the classroom, a very positive one.”

According to Baird, who has been involved with the FLP since its creation, watching the students grow is priceless.

“My favorite moment in my time in the program was when the first group of students who were in FLP graduated from high school and went off to college,” Baird said.

“And watching them on stage and seeing the success that they had and that they were moving on to college, it was really special.”

Director of College Counseling Veronica Pulido agrees that it is rewarding to work with the FLP participants.

“The most exciting thing about these students is their ability to look beyond the norm in terms of what other students consider,” Pulido said. “They have their eyes wide open in terms of what colleges should look like to them, and they’re open to a lot of different options in colleges.”

Although the program is in

place to help the participants excel and prepare them for success in college and beyond, Ng, Baird, Pulido and Brewer all agree that they get just as much out of watching the students mature as scholars and leaders.

“On a recent trip, I listened in as our high school ‘future leaders’ described the vision of their collective futures,” Brewer said. “Hearing them describe how they intend to change the world after college was a favorite moment I will never forget. It is always a special moment when you realize how this program affects not only students, but also families, schools and communities.”

FUture Leaders Graduates in College • • •

138 total college acceptance letters received by graduates of the program $3 million (approximately) in scholarships offered to graduates 80 percent of program participants will be first-generation college students

Teachers of Leaders story by Tabish Dayani, staff writer | photo by Michael Doorey, head photographer

First person | Presidential Inauguration

photo courtesy powell family

Witnessing history: freshman Avery Powell discusses his inauguration experience

HiSTORY IN THE MAKING Freshman Avery Powell stands alongside hundreds of thousands of other Americans waiting to see the official inauguration.

By Avery Powell beat reporter THE WHOLE IDEA OF GOing to the inauguration didn’t appeal to me at all.

Most people would say how lucky I was, or how I’ll be able to tell this story to my grandchildren. Of course, to me it just seemed like my mom was making me stand in the cold for five hours and wait for a President that I wouldn’t be able to see.

And of course, they were right. And I was wrong.

The reason for why they were right was that there was going to be one crucial part of this inauguration that everybody forgot to mention, and that was the people.

Not the dignitaries or the politicians or even the President himself. The people who had so many different reasons for being there, with each person having his or her own story to tell. All joined into one, harmonious mob.

Made up of all sorts of people from all over the country with different backgrounds, cultures and upbringings, the crowd put aside their differences while they huddled together in the 48 degree frigid weather, sharing the strong bond

that the second inauguration of the nation’s first African-American president brought.

In some ways, the biggest bond that was shared was the entire process of getting to the viewing spots: waking up at 5 a.m. and walking through the dark city, only to be greeted by a sea of people at the Metro subway station.

Having to empty out our pockets at TSA security checkpoint.

And finally, joining together to stand for five hours on the National Mall and listening to President Obama take the oath of office for the second time.

Standing way too close to way too many people for the entire morning, I witnessed the President step out to the podium.

Out into the open. Out under the gaze of millions.

To many of us, this was our opportunity to actually witness the first African-American President in person. To others, it meant the continuation of an impossible dream.

But to all of us, it marked another chapter in a storybook of nationwide change.

After a roar of applause and cheer, I looked to my left to see a short, dark-

skinned old man. He wore a royal blue baseball cap with the word “OBAMA” made out with dulled rhinestones on the front.

Leaning his upper body forward so that his cane held more of his weight, he strained to tilt his head so that he could maybe, just maybe, catch a glimpse of the President of the United States.

A woman standing by him, probably his daughter, asked if he was proud. No words came out of his mouth, but every single one of those 800,000 people could have understood his answer.

It was just a simple smile. But it was one that every person gathered there, from me, a 14-year-old freshman from Dallas, Texas to the newly inaugurated President of the United States, could truly appreciate.

To many of us, this was our opportunity to actually witness the first AfricanAmerican President in person. To others, it meant the continuation of an impossible dream.

FRESHMAN AVERY POWELL

a

Literary Festival page 10

Visiting Writer Sid Balman ‘76 spoke to the Upper School during the annual Literary Festival Jan. 10.

arts.

Fine ARTS around campus

THE REMARKER | Friday, FEB. 8, 2013 | PAGE 9

upcoming Kelly Clarkson, Verizon Theatre, March 1, 7:30 p.m.

Former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson will be bumpin’ her tunes on the first of March at Verizon Center. The recently engaged Clarkson will be sure to entertain. The show will probably sell out, so be sure to get your tickets as soon as possible.

>

^The members of Muse

the

sketchbook

Rohan Pinto ‘15 won first place at the Chinese World Bridge Speaking Proficiency Competition in Kunming, China

Rohan Pinto

last November after competing in regional competitions to qualify.

Pinto competed in the Dallas competition and the Southern national competition where he received third place both times.

He was then hand picked from other high placing competitors to be on Team USA for the world competition.

••• Travis Nadalini, Matthew Co, Raymond Guo and Leighton Okada were selected for the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State Choir. These students were selected after recording two works and submitting them to a panel of choir directors to judge.

Additionally, during Jan. 12, the 40

the

darkroom HIS WORDS

Michael Gilliland: “I came across a lizard silhouetted on top of a ground lamp, and thought there was potential for a cool picture there. I played with it in Photoshop and ended up with a result that I really liked. It was the basis for several images in the same strain that were a part of the portfolio I took to Miami for YoungArts Week.”

eighth playoff seed. > P!nk, American Airlines Center, February 22, 7:30 p.m.

If you want to see an artist who uses an exclamation point instead of an “I” in her name, head on over to American Airlines center on Feb. 22. An artist clever enough to come up with that must have good music, r!ght? > Valentines

Day, everywhere, Feb. 14.

It’s that time again — time to rush to a store last minute in a failed attempt to find something sentimental that will make the girl of your dreams swoon. We can’t tell you what to get, but we recommend avoiding anything from a convenience store (too cheap) or tickets to an action movie (there are plenty of bad

rom-coms out this time of year). Either way, just be nice and have some fun if you can.

just

hangin’ out

with LINK LIPSITZ

> Muse, American Airlines Center, March 13, 7 p.m.

The American Airlines Center is really pulling out all the stops this spring.

We already mentioned P!nk, but they have a lineup including Muse, Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, and Rihanna soon after. This British trio rocked Olympic Stadium at the closing ceremony last summer, so look for some high energy and exciting riffs this spring. > Mardi Gras, Feb. 12.

Get all of your carb-loaded greasy indulgences over with before Fat Tuesday if you plan on observing Lent.

If not, Mardi Gras is a great excuse to eat as much as you want.

a roundup of people’s artistic accomplishments

all-region members performed the two pieces at a concert at TCA. ••• DADYO Club members will be working with the Telos Society on talking to eighth grade advisories on bullying. They will be talking with kids about the difference between joking around and bullying. They will also let eighth graders know when they have crossed the line with their jokes.

••• Seniors Will Chang, Hansen Kuo, Sam Libby and Raffy Salcedo were selected to the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State Orchestra. Junior Jonathan Ng was also selected while sophomores Timothy Cho, Rohan Pinto and William Su will also be playing with the orchestra.

Freshmen Joshua Choe, Kevin Kim, Eric Li and Eugene Song and eighth graders Christopher Chen and Patrick Magee will play in the orchestra.

••• St. Mark’s and Hockaday theater will be performing Disney’s ‘High School Musical’ tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30. The final performance of the production

“

will be Sunday at 2 p.m. The play features seniors Will Altabef and Taubert Nadalini.

••• Seniors Steven Tsai, Jorge Hinojosa and Chris Hicks, junior Robert He and sophomores Umer Nadir, Nick Buckenham and Chris Carter were selected to play for the Texas Music Educators Association All-State Band.

••• Tommy Lee Jones ‘65 was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in Lincoln when nominees were announced Jan. 10. Lincoln was also nominated for Best

Tommy Lee Jones ‘65

Picture at last month’s Golden Globes. Jones has previously won for his role in 1993 film The Fugitive. The 2013 Academy Awards will be aired on ABC television Feb. 24.

Link Lipsitz

^

Mavericks vs. Warriors, American Airlines Center, tomorrow, 7:30 p.m.

Steph Curry and the Warriors come into town tomorrow to face our very own Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs have raised their level of play lately, so hopefully the wins keep coming tomorrow. It won’t be easy against this young, talented Golden State team.

The Mavs need this one because they’re four and a half games back from the

>

things to do in the Month ahead

Taylor Hamra '95

Television is a crazy business because it's all about catching lightning in a bottle and getting everything right. Page 11

Freshman Link Lipsitz is known for his singing performances, the ability to hit high notes, and his YouTube videos. Lipsitz sat down and shared his varied interests with staff writer Shourya Kumar.

MUSIC I usually just listen to the popular music on the radio [Top 40], but recently I’ve been catching up on my High School Musical tracks to get pumped for the musical!

Surprisingly I don’t actually like a lot of the music around me... so I don’t listen to tons of it. It’s hard to be creative and write music with all of the other stuff in your head.

SINGING Not surprisingly: Rolling in the Deep by Adele. It’s my go-to song and everyone knows it.

TV SHOWS Favorites have to be Homeland and The Good Wife. I love strong-willed women on television.

BOOKS It’ll have to be one we just read in Mrs. Mailer’s class, Jekyll & Hyde. It is truly a classic and was enjoyable. It had me on the edge of my uncomfortable Harkness seat the whole time.

BEST CONCERT My all time favorite concert was Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball. I love how great entertainers can pour their heart and soul out on the stage in front of thousands of people. It’s really magical, all the energy in there.

top photos chosen from photography instructor scott hunt’s program

what

This picture shows the rusted hood of a truck in Miami cracked from exposure to the elements.

where

This picture was taken in the Little Havana area of Miami while in Miami for YoungArts Week.

a

arts around campus

Taylor Hamra ‘95 11

THE REMARKER | Friday, FEB. 8, 2013 | PAGE 10

Student jobs 12

Technology cleanse 13

Oscars coverage 14

s i x t h a n n u a l l i t e r a ry f e s t i v a l

Billy and the gang: writers share love of words The sixth annual Literary Festival attracted some of the top talent in American literature and journalism. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins was joined by Sid Balman ’76, Curtis Sittenfield and Marion Winik in bringing excitement and insight to the halls of this school.

W

hen the four writers who came here for last month’s sixth annual Literary Festival departed the school, they left Marksmen with hearty laughs, fond memories and a rejuvenated Literary Festival experience.

Former Poet Laureate of the United States Billy Collins joined international journalist Sid Balman ’76, noted novelist Curtis Sittenfeld and essayist Marion Winik to visit classes and interact with students in both a well-received assembly and a reception.

Victor F. White Master Teacher David Brown, who worked with junior Ryan O’Meara, Literary Festival chair, and sophomore William Sydney to coordinate and carry out the festival, was pleased with the outcome.

“We got writers who not only educated but also entertained,” Brown said. “The combination of genders and genres was a success.”

For Brown, it was special to have as notable and distinguished a poet as Billy Collins visit the school. Collins, who was also the Robert E. Dennard Visiting Scholar, helped to bring a new level of accomplishment and wit to the walls of Decherd Performance Hall.

“It was surreal at times,” Brown said. “We had a literary celebrity here. It’s something I won’t forget. His poetry is easier for students to understand than the usual poetry they are assigned.

Combining his intelligence and humor really entertained our students.”

Collins, who led a poetry reading as part of the Dennard Visiting Scholars Program, started studying poetry as a teenager despite its lack of respect at the time.

“When I was in high school, to write poetry was to become unpopular,” Collins said. “Poetry was something that didn’t have value.”

His father brought home poetry magazines, and Collins’s initial forays into poetry blossomed into one of the most successful poetry careers in modern history. Still, becoming United States Poet Laureate in 2001 came as a huge shock.

“It was a big surprise for me, I never even had an expectation,” he said. “I wasn’t in the majors; I thought I was still playing triple-A ball. Then the Librarian of Congress contacted me.”

Collins’s unexpected triumphs in poetry may go unmatched in the near future, but anyone can aspire to relate real life as effortlessly as Collins seems to.

“Poems are a reminder of how amazing it is to be alive and how fleeting that is,” he said. “It say’s ‘I’m here, I find myself at the conjunction of these events and that’s special.’ Poems are a declaration of presence.”

Billy Collins’s Advice for young poets • “Every poem is a start from scratch and your 501st poem isn’t much easier than your first.”

• “Small things, like pieces of fruit or salt shakers, are keyholes into big things.”

• “The way to start writing is to read the poems

you feel jealous of, read them so you can write poems that will make those writers jealous of your writing.”

• “Some poems are un-teachable and should just be read, not analyzed.”

• “You start to write by imitating. My advice to young poets is to read as much as you can and begin to emulate writing.”

ON THE JOB Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins sat in on a poetry discussion with multiple senior English and Philosophy classes. The group talked about the importance of poetry in education, and Collins discussed his book Poetry 180, a compilation of poems from many authors which are meant to be accessible and enlightening to students. Collins also visited other classes and read selections of his work to the entire Upper School as part of the Robert E. Dennard Visiting Scholars program.

1

1 Curtis Sittenfield

2

3

2 Marion Winik

Author of The New York Times bestselling Prep and American Wife

What has been the high point of your career?

“I interviewed Michelle Obama for Time magazine at the Democratic Convention. I like her a lot as a person, so that was cool. Also, my book American Wife was an answer on Jeopardy so that was cool.”

MAKING IT HAPPEN The authors spent time in various classes throughout the day. Curtis Sittenfield (top) read and discussed her novel Prep, which is assigned to various Upper School English classes. She, along with Marion Winik (left, middle) and Sid Balman ’76 (right, middle) took part in the annual Literary Festival Panel (left) during a special assembly Jan. 11.

Author of Above Us Only Sky and the upcoming Highs in the Low Fifties

What inspires your writing?

“I write true stories about other people involved in my life. One of the things I’m always learning about is the right way to do that. My son, who is 22, has recently become very annoyed with me for writing about him so much. It’s an ongoing lesson I’m still working on. I always quote Charlotte’s Webb, when they say of Charlotte that ‘It’s not very often that someone comes along who’s a good writer and a true friend,’ so my mission is to be a good writer and a true friend.”

What was your vision of your career from high school?

“I always wanted to be a writer, but I wanted to be famous. I wanted to be on television and have a talk show. I almost went to Harvard Law School. I applied and got in but at the last minute I realized that I really didn’t want to go to Harvard Law School. I wanted to go to law school, but I didn’t want to be a lawyer. Lawyers interpret and deal with rules all day, and I hate rules! It would be very frustrating.”

What is your advice for an aspiring writer?

“Everyone is going to say this: read. Everyone will say reading is important to writing, to me, reading is writing. The things happening in your brain while you read are making you a writer. “

What is your advice to an aspiring writer?

“I would say read a lot, especially in the genre you want to be a writer in.

Also, you don’t need to be in a rush. It’s not gymnastics — you don’t peak at 20. Any writing you do will be enhanced by life experiences, so you don’t have to be a professional writer by 23 or even 33.”

What has the written word taught you?

“Being a professional writer is the easiest when I’m organized and consistent about it. I can get it done if I’m not, but I enjoy the process more and put out better work if I am organized. Some writers are binge writers, but I try not to be. I think it is important to always pay attention to what is going on and be observant of the world.

3 Sid Balman ’76

International journalist, author of numerous articles for United Press International

When did you first realize you could have a future as a writer?

“It wasn’t until I was in college that I got turned onto something other than sports. When you start to realize that you’re going to have to make a living, you have to do something that you’re going to enjoy. I read this book, On the Road by Jack Kerouac. That lit a fire under me and kind of got me started thinking about the wider world of writing.”

What has been the high point of your career?

“The height of my career was a time of fundamental change in the world.

I was a fly on the wall to historic things. I was there for the first summit between the Soviet Union and the United States…. I saw the Berlin Wall fall…

I played cards with Bill Clinton in the back of his airplane. I would really have to point to my body of experiences than one big one in particular. You get exposed to these incredible things, and that’s really what I was aiming for.”

What did St. Mark’s teach you?

“If St. Mark’s taught me anything, it was the power of perseverance. I remember when we graduated just how sad I was to be leaving here and my friends. It was such a special moment in our lives. You’ll achieve like you did here but you’ll never have quite the same feeling among you and your friends.

It’s a special time.”

Literary Festival story by Dylan Clark and Aidan Dewar, arts editors | additional reporting by Henry Woram, editorial director | photos by Michael Doorey, head photographer

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

T a yl o r

H a mr a

11

‘ 9 5

Southfork scribe With TNT’s Dallas revival enjoying its second season, series writer Taylor Hamra ‘95 sat down to talk about what makes the series work, why the show is so special to him, and why its late star, Larry Hagman, was such an enduring icon.

T

he Ewings are back.

One of TV’s favorite families is back on the air, thanks to TNT’s revival of the primetime classic, Dallas. Bobby and J.R. Ewing, played by Patrick Duffy and Larry Hagman, have been captivating audiences since the 70’s. And, with the new season premiere pulling almost three million viewers last Monday, they still seem to be doing the trick.

However, while the Ewings are the face of Dallas in front of the camera, behind the scenes live the tireless writers and producers, including Taylor Hamra ‘95.

Hamra, who serves as a writer and supervising producer on the show, understands that television is, above all, a collaboration, and attributes Dallas’s success to the people behind it.

“Television is a crazy business, because it’s all about catching lightning in a bottle and getting everything right,” he said, “and [with Dallas] it feels like everything aligned, from the right studio, to the right network, to [show-runner and executive producer] Cynthia Cidre, who picked the right director, who hired the right people.”

For any show, the hiring process is vital. But for a show as cul-

Hamra’s odyssey

turally specific as Dallas, finding the right people was especially important. Hamra remembers how his Dallas upbringing helped him land such a coveted job.

“I was actually at a party,” he said, “and someone asked me, ‘You’re from Dallas, right? Have you read the new Dallas script?’ It sounds silly that it matters, but in my agent’s mind it was, ‘Taylor’s from Dallas. Of course, he should go out for the show Dallas!’ … It’s so funny that just growing up in a certain zip code helped me get a job writing dramatic family television.”

Dallas films at the infamous Southfork Ranch, which is actually located in Parker, a small town between Plano and Allen. As Hamra points out, the Ewing’s ranching and oil-drilling lifestyle is hardly the Dallas experience familiar to students here.

“Those people really have nothing to do with the city,” he said with a laugh, “Southfork Ranch and horses are, by no stretch, the mainstream kind of Dallas we see at 10600 Preston Road.”

Yet, shooting on location in the Dallas Metroplex was an absolute must for the producers.

“When the studio wanted to do the show Dallas, they wanted to

St. Mark’s Class of ‘95

Hamra describes his journey from 10600 Preston Road to television.

“I have a very deep love for St. Mark’s. The essence of the school is that it lets the students find who they want to be.”

IN THE FAMILY Two generations of Ewings (center), including Hagman’s J.R. (right), are back-stabbing their way to television success. Hamra (left) has enjoyed two seasons of writing for these characters.

shoot in two different cities, and neither of them were the actual city of Dallas,” Hamra said. “But [director] Mike Robin said, ‘We’ve got to shoot this thing on location.’ And that little thing is responsible for the show’s authenticity. If you watch the show and you love the city, it’s cool to recognize places and say, Oh, they’re at the Winspear or they’re at the symphony. This upcoming season we even shoot at Museum Tower a lot.”

Shooting in Dallas has made Hamra’s experience on the show a career highlght.

“I think it has become one of the most wonderful experiences of my career,” Hamra said. “It shoots in my hometown, I get to come home, and it means something to

Dartmouth Class of ‘99

“I just enjoyed college. I had the same reaction to Dartmouth that I did to St. Mark’s.

Just really connected to the essence of it.

my parents that I get to work on a show that people actually watch!”

“I remember coming home and my parents asking me about my work, ‘Oh, how are you all going to handle J.R.’s death?’” Hamra said, referring to the passing of Dallas star Larry Hagman, who died last fall of leukemia.

Hamra says Hagman’s passing was like a death in the family.

“It was heartbreaking, but I think the beauty of it was, you couldn’t have done it any better than Larry did it.” Hamra said. “He was a true, original, authentic personality. He treated everyone the same way, he was never in a bad mood to a fan. I think he moved above just an actor. He was an icon.

He had something special.”

Just Shoot Me!

“So then I’m on Just Shoot Me as a writers’ assistant, sitting with all these funny, creative people and I just wonder, “Is this real?”

Hagman passed away with a large amount of the current season unfilmed. So, the challenge became, how does Dallas continue without J.R. Ewing?

“It’ll be interesting to see how people watch this season, knowing that he doesn’t make it through the whole thing,” Hamra said.

Yet Hamra believes that, even with its star gone, this could be one of Dallas’s most special seasons ever.

“There was no way to honor Larry without making his passing everything,” Hamra said. “It’s created this incredible opportunity for us, one I hope we rise to the challenge. And it will make the season that much more special,” he said, “maybe historic.”

Dallas “It seems like I’ve engineered (my career path). I cannot deny the fact that a lot of things seemed to go my way for no reason at all.”

Southfork Scribe story by Cole Gerthoffer, reviews specialist | photos courtesy IMDb.com

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iCelebrate YouTube contest rules changed

By Vik Pattabi staff writer With the start of the New Year, the rules for the iCelebrate YouTube contest have been changed to encourage student participation and increase faculty and parent involvement.

The new contest sorts video entries into four categories: sports, comedy, music and miscellaneous. The winning video for each category will be voted upon by a panel of students, faculty and parents and the Grand Prize of $2,500 in Apple Store credit will be given out at the St. Mark’s Auction on April 13. Although the number of “likes” will contribute towards the chance of a video winning, it is not the determining factor, as it was in 2012, according to iCelebrate chair Kristin Simenc.

“We felt it was a better way to give everybody a chance, and not just those who maybe have a better social network or friends that are more willing to vote,” she said. “We really wanted to give everybody an equal footing.

Loosening other restrictions, including the two-minute time limit, which is now expanded from 30 seconds to 30 minutes are aimed to inspire more students to enter the contest. Videos also don’t have to be made solely for the purpose of submitting them to the contest.

“A number of kids do some things for ISAS or they do things on their own which they did in the past which weren’t able to be used,” Simenc said, “but we’ve just really wanted to increase the scope

of what was allowed.”

The iCelebrate group also aims to increase parent and faculty participation by posting on the class pages, emailing, visiting faculty-staff meetings and raising awareness via the iCelebrate website.

The winning videos will be shown at the auction as a display of the school community and student body.

“We feel the more that participate, the more videos we will have to really be a display of our talents,” Simenc said, “because we have incredible talent here.”

In order to enter the contest, students must sign the waiver provided on the iCelebrate website, celebratesm.org.

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

S TUDENT

12

JO B S

ALL IN A DAY’s

work WITH hours of homework, sports and clubs competing for marksmen’s free time, most students feel as though they do not have time for a job. But some go above and beyond to make a few extra bucks.

A JOB WELL DONE Setting the table before the next rush of customers arrive, senior Hansen Kuo works at The Purple Cow on the weekends. Kuo is one of many Marksmen who balance studies with a weekend job.

D

riving his foot into a grimy wall in the alley behind the Purple Cow, senior Hansen Kuo hangs his head in disgust and exhaustion.

He’s so stressed he’s ready to get in his car in the middle of his shift, start the engine and drive home, never to come back. Kuo makes milkshakes for Purple Cow, and on this particularly busy day he singlehandedly dealt with a barrage of seemingly endless orders.

You’ve been working here too long. Don’t quit now. You need this job. Keep going, a voice in Kuo’s head says.

So Kuo straightens his uniform and marches back inside to go back to work. Not lifeguarding for day camp or babysitting or mowing the neighbor’s lawn. This is ten to 15 hours every weekend of real employment, every month of the year.

Very few Marksmen have the drive to seek employment after a week of pursuing excellence in their studies, athletics, and extracurriculars — especially seniors, who have to worry about college admissions on top of all that. What separates Kuo from the rest are his views regarding personal finances.

“I’m just the type of guy that doesn’t like feeling like I owe people stuff. And without my job I had always had to ask my parents for stuff,” Kuo said, “And that is just not who I am.”

Of course Kuo’s job isn’t all toil; in fact, Kuo enjoys himself most when he gets to interact with Marksmen at work.

“The best moments are when you get a really nice customer and you actually have a really good conversation with them,” Kuo said. “The other day, I had a St. Mark’s parent come in, and I talked to their kid, who’s in like fifth grade.

And I asked him like, how’s school? What classes do you like?

And it was just really fun talking with him.“ Kuo says he owes his parents for more than gas and food.

“The education here is pretty expensive. I feel like they’ve already done enough for me, supporting me and I just don’t

want to ask them for more,” Kuo said. “So by getting my job, I feel like it takes a weight off me. It just feels good.”

Junior Victor Calvillo has a similar motivation. Calvillo’s single mother works hard for him and his older brother, so Calvillo feels obligated to shoulder some of the burden.

“I want to take the burden off my mom,” Calvillo said.

“So I help. I pay my phone bill. I just do stuff like that. Me and my brother work, so why not pay our own phone bills?”

Calvillo also pays for gas and dining out. Sometimes, he notes, the money leaves his wallet faster than it comes in.

“I do spend a lot, and then I spend the new money that I get,” Calvillo said. “At times, you have to set a goal in order to save money.”

Kuo comments on the same phenomenon.

“I found out that even when you have a job and everything. I’m still broke,” Kuo said. “It’s really easy to just pull out your card and pay for whatever, couple dollars here and there, it all builds up.” imilarly, junior James Diamond spends weekends working at Not Just Soccer, and sees himself as a more responsible person because of his work experience.

“You just have to commit to it and know how long you’re going to be there,” Diamond said. “People think of you in the store as an adult, as a salesperson, as someone that they can trust on issues and stuff like that, so that’s pretty important.”

Diamond feels as though his work experience has given him stronger social skills. “[I’ve acquired] social skills from learning how to talk to people,” he said. “It’s the ability to pretty much talk to just whoever and convey your ideas clearly, that’s really helpful.”

According to Diamond, students also learn the value of respect through both customer and co-worker interaction.

Given the advantages of making some extra money and gain-

S

ing firsthand experience working while learning how to be both more responsible and respectful, Diamond acknowledges the disadvantages.

“It cuts into the time,” he said, “and sometimes I think I would be there from 3 to 7 p.m. on school nights once or twice a week, so that kind of time constraint. Just like, I’d get home late; I’d be tired from work. I’d just be tired from working, just standing up and moving around.”

However, according to Diamond there are no real negatives, as long as one doesn’t schedule themselves to where one misses school work because of his job. Being able to feel when one is too busy is key.

“It’s not that bad, there aren’t really any negatives I see,” he said. “I never felt like I was over-committed because of work. It just isn’t that big a deal.”

The perks of working “I’ve acquired social skills from learning how to talk to people. It’s the ability to pretty much talk to just whoever and convey your ideas clearly, that’s really helpful.” — James Diamond “The best moments are when you get a really nice customer and you actually have a really good conversation with them.” — Hansen Kuo “I want to take the burden off my mom. So I help. I pay my phone bill.” — Victor Calvillo

Hours worked per week • Victor Calvillo • James Diamond • Hansen Kuo

All in a day’s Work story by Henry Woram, editorial director, and Shourya Kumar, staff writer | photo by Andrew Goodman, visuals director

Senior Martinek authors children’s book, ‘The Rain Baby’

By Ford Robinson staff writer Senior Otto Clark-Martinek, along with his mother and his brother, are the authors of a recently-published children’s book, The Rain Baby, which can be purchased on Amazon or in the Apple Store.

Clark-Martinek offered to compose the story to match his younger brother’s godfather, David W. Wharton’s, paintings.

Wharton had wanted to write a children’s book for a while but only had the illustrations completed, so Clark-Martinek suggested the idea that he take over the duties of writing the story. “[Wharton] had painted a character but hadn’t written a story,” Clark-Martinek said, “so my job was to rearrange the paintings into a certain order, to compose a storyboard and, of course, to write the story.”

Clark-Martinek started by analyzing the illustrations that Wharton had already produced, and from there, Clark-Martinek had to see if there were any parts of the story “The Rain Baby” than needed an extra illustration.

After that, the writing began.

Clark-Martinek was fascinated by Wharton’s illustrations, and his first reaction was a mix of surprise and fascination.

“These paintings are really good,” he said. “I immediately knew that it was going to be very difficult to write something that would do these different paintings justice.”

The story is about the importance of water conservation and ways to improve our own society wasting water.

Clark-Martinek, who definitely considers himself an outdoorsman, was thrilled that the children’s book was going to be focused around a topic of discussion that interested him so much.

Because the senior cares about the topic, the amount of time that was put into the process of writing the story didn’t phase him. Although it took a few days of work to finish the book, Clark-Martinek enjoyed the process.

Between the organization and writing, he was kept busy.

“It’s not like I wrote a novel or anything,” Clark-Martinek said, “but it sill took me a fair amount of time to compose everything, and with the help of my mother and brother, make it look good.”

The children’s book is now being sold in the Apple store and on Amazon.

If the book makes money, Clark-Martinek will definitely pocket some cash. But he’s certainly not driven by the money.

“Of course, if the book makes money, I’m going to get paid,” he said. “But I’m not doing this to get rich. I’m doing this because it’s a nice thing to do for my little brother’s godfather, and I’m very interested in the topic itself.”

14 hours 10 hours 15 hours

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

T e ch n o l o g y

13

C l e a n s e

THE PHONE

CLEANSE Managing Editor Will Moor exchanged his smartphone for an old Nokia 6103 for one week. Sounds easy, right? No Facebook, Twitter or texting for seven days. But it wasn’t as easy as you think. Moor kept a running journal of his week without modern technology.

Tuesday 1/22

O ELE C TR

Thursday 1/24

T

his is going to sound kind of high maintenance, and possibly a little gross, but you know what is actually terrible? Not having your phone when you’re going to bathroom. I completely forgot what it was like to just sit there and look at nothing. No ESPN, no tweets, no silly toilet selfies to your friends, nothing. I literally resorted to just looking through the contact list on my temporary phone (which has been christened Spencer Pratt) while I wait to finish my business. Later on in the week, I’ll discover that bathroom time is, if you’re lucky and it’s quiet, one of the best places to think and be alone for a little time out of your day. I came up with this month’s column there. Think about that for a second.

NI C S

Friday 1/25

M

y lady friend has not been over the moon about my inability to text through this week, so Friday night is all hers. I would like to add a disclaimer that she is a charming, remarkable conversationalist. If I could change one thing, she may or may not respond to every text she receives during dinner. Why haven’t I noticed this before? Because I always check my phone when she does it.

Well now, I kind of look like an idiot in the middle of Penne Pomodoro who is seriously boring his dinner companion. (and you guys know that wasn’t the case) Also, I was struck with an overpowering need to steal her phone and play Temple Run. Yeah, I could’ve been less snippy that night.

Monday 1/28

D

ear Lord it’s almost done. I get precisely nothing done Monday. By the way, you know how easy it is to type “Face” and then enter into your keyboard?

I type it over and over “Face…face…face” like I’m in The Shining. The chipped Nokia with it’s weird charger stares at me from my bedside table. I thought I’d develop some affection for the plucky little phone—but I really just still want to chuck it. To be fair to my Nokia, I read more, did more homework, and had more legitimate conversations than I did when I had my iPhone. To be fair to me, I wouldn’t do this again for a hundred bucks.

Two Days Later | The aftermath

Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. My head was up more, I talked more while I was hanging out with my friends, and I wasn’t near as terrible of a driver without fiddling with my phone every 3.2 seconds.

I had meaningful conversations with every member

Wednesday 1/23

he big exchange is upon me.

I pop the SIM card out of my iPhone 4S, hand it over to my trusted editor Daniel, and slide my information into a beat-up red Nokia flip phone. Texting is disabled, my Twitter is gone, and I will not be Facebook stalking for 168 hours.

The whole exchange has kind of a funeral, changing of the guard feel, until Daniel starts giggling while I fail to find a single bell, whistle, or Angry Bird on that godforsaken antique.

Daniel successfully dodges both a punch to the shoulder and a beat-up red Nokia flip phone. Said phone hits the wall and fails to break. (Note: this may or may not become a recurring theme)

T

habitual smoker who was trying to quit once told me he reached for his pack about once every 20 minutes for weeks after he threw his last one out. If I can ever work up to 20 seconds, I will consider myself Shiva, destroyer of worlds. I check my phone for tweets, texts, or snapchats at a pretty reasonably rate, but I’m pathological at this point.

You just want to see if someone out there is trying to make contact with you, and then tell your friend you were just checking the time. Each and every time I go to the well, I’m just terribly disappointed. Oh no one has called me?

Of course, no one has called me. It’s 2013!

Saturday 1/26

Sunday 1/27

S

o far, this experiment has run the gamut from infuriating to liberating, but it hasn’t quite crossed the line into sheer inconvenience.

Well, now it most definitely has. While trying to finish up arrangements for going to the Junior Symphony Ball, I miss out on every single text message that comes my way about restaurant changes and afterparty developments.

I literally find myself calling my friends and asking them to read the group text to me so I know what’s going on. I haven’t a clue how people did this stuff before texting, and by the end of the day I’m just showing up at a restaurant and keeping my fingers crossed. Nokia hits the wall again. I find a little hope when the battery cover pops up, but the phone is alive and well. Good stuff.

A

After swearing up and down to my mom that I wouldn’t say “I can’t get through church without my cell phone” in a publication the whole school reads, I will say this: there are so many places where a flip phone is just entirely unhelpful in a social situation. I want to keep my head down and not be recognized by that guy who can’t have a conversation under ten minutes? Yeah, no one’s believing that you’re looking at a 20th century phone for that long. There’s a squirrel eating a piece of pizza outside your window?

Ha, good luck having memories of that moment. The worst part is I made neither of those things up. I don’t know how the pizza got into my front yard, but he ate it just like a little person!

Tuesday 1/29 The final day

N

ow don’t talk to me. There’s like a million and six Facebook photos I haven’t seen yet.

See ‘The iPhone Chokehold,’ Commentary, p. 16

of my household, which isn’t always something that happens every week. While I definitely wouldn’t recommend an entire week of no cell phones, try a minicleanse — give it to your mom for a night, or maybe turn off your phone when you go to family dinner. You might be surprised what you find out.

< Senior Will Moor with the iphone he gave up for a week.

The phone cleanse story by Will Moor, managing editor | illustration by Zuyva Sevilla and Purujit Chatterjee, staff artists

By Aidan Dewar arts editor The students of St. Mark’s and Hockaday will debut their performance of High School Musical tonight at 7:30 in Hockaday’s Hoblitzelle Auditorium.

Senior Taubert Nadalini, who plays Troy Bolton, says his favorite part of the musical is the atmosphere.

“In my experience, there’s hardly anything that compares to ending the day backstage being supported by a mess of funny, odd and friendly people,” Nadalini said. “The friendships I’ve developed as a result of the musical have been the strongest I’ve known during my time at St. Mark’s.”

Nadalini thinks this musical is unique because it one of the first shows the school has performed that is from the 21st century.

“Seussical the Musical was SM/ Hockaday’s first experience with 21st

century music, but it’s been new to play a modern-day teen for the first time,” he said. “This musical is also unique because of the audiences it attracts.

Usually, with musicals like Mame and Fiddler on the Roof, our seats are filled with older generation adults who know the classic, ‘American Songbook’ songs by heart.”

“With High School Musical, we’re anticipating audiences of almost entirely 12-year-old girls.”

Director Beth Wortley is proud of her cast and crew because of all the work it has taken them to perform.

What she likes most is how modern and challenging the musical is.

“The music is really hard and sung in four-part harmony most of the time,” Wortley said. “The chorus had a lot of songs and choreography to learn — more than any other show I can remember.”

Senior Ryan Eichenwald, who

plays Chad Danforth, agrees — this musical is the most difficult he is has ever done.

“The singing is more complicated and there’s a lot more of it,” Eichenwald said. “The dancing is more complex—‘Get’cha Head in the Game’ is just intense, in terms of the dancing involved. But that just makes it all the more fun.”

Playing the part of Zeke Baylor, senior Will Altabef thinks the musical will be special because of the amount of production numbers that involve the whole cast.

“It’s not just a series of duets, you’re going to see a lot of people on the stage doing some pretty special stuff,” he said.

“I think I am most looking forward to seeing how the audience falls in love with our lead characters.”

The performance will also have a 7:30 p.m. showing tomorrow and a 2 p.m. showing on Sunday.

Michael Doorey Photo

‘High School Musical’ to debut tonight, one week after school play ‘Almost, Maine’

ACTING HIS AGE Acting with passion, junior Reid Stein practices his part during a dress rehearsal of “Almost, Maine” on Jan. 30. Stein, along with many of his classmates and Hockaday girls, performed the play on Feb. 1, 2 and 3 for audiences.

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

Osc a rs

Frenzy ebruary

quarters

Silver Linings Beasts of the Playbook Southern Wild

Semis

Finals

C o v e r a g e

March Madness is still a month away, but we’re already filling out a different kind of bracket this year. The film fans of St. Mark’s got together to look at the best picture nominees and decide who they want to win the Oscar.

(Sorry, we didn’t see Amour). The Academy Awards will be televised on ABC television Feb. 24 .

The Blockbuster Book adaptations

The Indie crowd-pleasers

14

Les Misérables

Life of Pi

NineteenthCentury Epics

the

Django Unchained

The CIA Thrillers

Zero Dark Thirty

Lincoln

Argo

Two of the biggest feel-good movies of the year, Beasts’s story of a young girl surviving outside the levees of New Orleans just barely has the edge on Playbook’s tale of a bi-polar romance. Not that writer-director David O Russel doesn’t pour his heart into Playbook, but Beasts is far more original.

Best-director winners Ang Lee and Tom Hooper both had their way with beloved novels this year, and while Les Mis boasted great performances, Life of Pi rocked some of the most gorgeous special effects we’ve ever seen. We love Hugh Jackman, but this year, we loved Richard Parker even more.

With its incredible acting, fantastic production value, and Steven Spielberg’s expectedly wonderful direction, Lincoln is an undeniable piece of master-class filmmaking.

But at the end of the day, Django is one of the cleverest, bestmade, most irresistibly entertaining movies we’ve seen in years.

After The Town and The Hurt Locker, Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow established themselves as two of the most exciting directors in the business. That said, of their two new true-life spy thrillers, Affleck’s Argo was just that much more focussed, driven and exciting. Tough call, but we go Argo.

Winner: Beasts

Winner: Life of Pi

Winner: Django

Winner: Argo

The Daring Rescues

The Kid-versus-Creature Features

Acting

Writing

Beasts’s Quvenzahné Wallis and Pi’s Suraj Sharma make great debuts, but Wallis stole our hearts.

Argo’s script is mighty quotable, but when it comes to writing, Quentin Tarantino is a god among men.

Special Effects

Directing

The ten minutes of good animal effects in Beasts have nothing on the two hours of brilliant effects in Pi.

Tarantino and Ben Affleck both do such admirable jobs, we‘re actually gonna call this one a tie.

Music

Music

Pi’s score is nominated (and will probably win), but Beasts soaring score is our favorite in years.

Any soundtrack that features Rick Ross, Ennio Morricone and James Brown is unbeatable in our books.

Winner: Beasts

Winner: Django

The Southern Masterpieces “I don’t know if I’d watch Beasts again, but I’d go see Django again in a heartbeat. Despite Tarantino’s ego, his distinctive style is just so much fun to watch.”

— Victor F. White Master Teacher David Brown “Both of these movies are near perfect. I love ‘em both, but while Django is beyond fun, Beasts may be the most original, inspiring movie I’ve seen in years.”

— Cole Gerthoffer “It’s tough to call, but I’d probably say Django. Only because I thought it was a lot funnier and I really enjoyed the story.”

— Junior Harrison Perkins “Beasts is one of those original gems that you seldom discover. Django covers trodded ground, but Beasts takes you somewhere you’ve never seen. ” — Editorial Director Henry Woram “Django is just so much fun. Jamie Foxx is the man, the soundtrack is masterful, and the blend of violence and comedy is just such a blast.”

— Reporter Nabeel Muscatwalla

Winner: February Frenzy package by Cole Gerthoffer, reviews specialist | photos courtesy Collider.com

c

commentary on student affairs

Turf field 15

THE REMARKER | Friday, FEB. 8, 2013 | PAGE 15

iPhone chokehold 16

Sparkling dreams 17

[editorials]

HENRY WORAM PHOTO

ZUVYA SEVILLA GRAPHIC

Campus, illuminated

1 Lamar Hunt field turf

Safety hazard needs repair, monitoring

A

s the soccer team warmed up before the Nov. 30 game against rival ESD, junior midfielder John Garnsey rolled his ankle in a divot on the field. The injury sidelined Garnsey for two weeks, bringing attention to the cavities on the turf.

These cavities are formed in highuse areas of the field, particularly near the end zones and around the goals.

Even in areas on the field that aren’t necessarily high-use, the plastic panel under the turf can break or sink, making the turf above sink. As a result, divots are formed. Garnsey’s injury showed these cavities can be dangerous.

The good news is that the divots can be fixed. Maintenance is necessary to avoid future injuries during games and practices. The turf can be maintained with the following steps: • The heavily used areas on the field need to be regularly checked.

During these checks, the height of the infill (the rubber beads under the grass) needs to be measured.

• The field should be regularly swept to keep the infill distributed uniformly over the entire field surface.

Visitors are impressed by the manners and class Marksmen display on campus. Students perform simple acts of kindness like holding open doors and helping visitors find buildings. Students should continue to show their kindness and class, which reflects well on the institution.

the

SO-SO

Apple mail app When authenticated and using the wireless network across campus, students cannot access their mail through the mail application that comes standard with every Apple product. Fix this one server error and students with Mac products can stay connected.

GOOGLE IMAGES

BAD

2. DIRTY LUNCH TABLES convey a message of disrepect toward the entire school community. Most of us have been drilled since fourth grade into putting trays away and need not be reminded to clean up our lunch area. But those who continue to trash the tables must stop.

cafeteria

Students need to clean tables

T

he scene is the same every week: Dr. John Perryman stands up to make his announcements in the Friday assemblies and as soon as he mentions the Great Hall, the Decherd Auditorium fills with snickers because we hear it every week: The tables in the lunch room are a mess.

We laugh, and we disregard it without a second’s thought. The cycle repeats itself seven days later.

But Dr. Perryman is right.

The way we treat that lunchroom after we eat is a microcosm for our respect of this campus and this institution.

Any guest who walks through the Great Hall would be

# @

rmiller1994

@

reidthmpsn

@

CarlDickson95

@ @

tweet

A peek at Marksmen’s tweets

— Senior Ryan Miller

— Senior Reid Thompson

— Senior Carl Dickson

mgenecov — Senior Matt Genecov

Online homework systems

The online assignment systems should be universalized so students can see all of their assignments in one place.

Without the ability to see every assignment in every class, the system is flawed.

repulsed by the sight of the stray trays, smears of food and melting ice cream all over the tables.

Not only are we expected and required to take the extra 30 seconds and walk the extra 50 feet to the trashcans, but it’s also just the right thing to do. We aren’t exempt from the rules because our Lower School teachers aren’t enforcing them anymore.

We should be embarrassed to have someone else clean up after our mess.

Marksmen are supposed to address the little things, and this is one of those things.

Let’s do our part and show this place the respect it deserves.

&

short

@

the

SMTEXAS.ORG

longstoryshort

concise opinion

Manners around visitors

ANDREW GATHERER

GOOD

1. THE LARGE DIVOT on Lamar Hunt field, though it is shallow, is a serious safety concern for our athletes. How many more turned ankles will it take to get this thing fixed?

After heavy rains, infill that was swept away should be replaced. Infill should be swept evenly across the field.

• When cavities do form, the panels under the turf need to be replaced.

Also, infill needs to be added to the low spots in layers.

• The divot that Garnsey stepped in is not the only blemish on the school’s modern turf field. In addition to several cavities, a patch of turf near the lacrosse goals has risen above the normal level. All of these irregularities can generate unnatural footing that is capable of hurting players and causing future injuries.

If the maintenance crew and athletic department take the steps above, the field will be level and free of dangerous divots. Although fixing the divots may be time-consuming, it is a necessary element for safety.

This school has always provided high quality athletic facilities. Better and more frequent maintenance and inspection can improve the modern field’s quality, which ensures the most important thing of all: the safety of our student-athletes.

the

2

Atass33 — Senior Alex Tassopoulos

malcombowman32 — Junior Malcolm Bowman

Victor Zhou asking me for help on the stat test we got back #newsheriffintown

Meatless Mondays...? Really St. Mark’s?

Jerry Jones, you’re old. Stop making decisions and check yourself into a nursing home.

This just in! Lance Armstrong actually murdered Manti Te’o’s girlfriend after she forced him to take PEDs. #thetruth #bamboozling

Omg bachelor tonight!!!! Jk roll tide y’all #sec

Back in Dallas, now it’s paper time. #procrastination.

commentary

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

16

The iPhone chokehold

Henry

Woram

M

ost mornings, you, sprawled by my side, wake me up with your sweet tune.

And if I decide it’s not time to get up, I’ll swat at you and you’ll politely shut up, only to wake me ten minutes later.

Then after I wash my face and slap on deodorant and slide into my uniform and walk the dog and feed the dog and throw down cereal with milk, I re-holster you.

Backing out of the driveway, I set you next to me and you sing songs to me, always the ones I choose though.

In history class you tell me the definition of some word Dr. Westrate just masterfully used, then I put you back to sleep by my side before yet another of my mentors can scold me for using you too frequently.

In calculus class, you show me a few notes passed along by my favorite Hockadaisy.

Now that the school lets me use you sometimes, I’m even more unabashed, recklessly ripping you from my pocket whenever you beckon me with your gentle vibrations.

At lunch you show us all pictures from the weekend before and we die laughing. Then

back to my side you go.

I only last an hour. One freaking hour.

Then out you come again, and I drown in your mesmerizing embrace. Your pale blue light washes over my face, and I stare at you longingly until your clock shifts to 3:05, letting me know it’s okay to take you out from under the desk.

Most days you wait silently until sports are over. Then before I even start my car’s engine, we’re at it again like newlyweds in Bali.

I caress you with one hand on the wheel, reading all the things you’ve saved for me while I ran and chased soccer balls. As I engage in this, the most illicit of our activities, my brain screams at my hands to let you go. I try to avert my gaze to the road, but you always win the battles for my attention, so why would you give up now? Even now as I’m teetering on a statistical tight rope, you easily capture the lion’s share of my mind’s attention. I statistically could have slammed three tequila shots after practice and driven safer than I’m driving now, as I stare at your stupid messages instead of the pavement.

I think back to the day in the pouring rain, when I gave you more attention than the road. How you punished me that day. How I backed right into that truck, gave it a pretty sizeable dent.

ESD Spirit Night | Blazing

iPads and Nintendos and iPhones, tapping the devices like chimps fixated with simple tools, it comes as no surprise that people could literally drive to their deaths doing the same thing.

When I walk out of a shopping mall and for a brief few seconds experience intense bodily terror as I look for my iPhone, horrified by the concept that I may have left it in a dressing room, there’s a problem with my relationship to my technology.

Every time I find you though, I don’t have the time to even think about what I’m doing.

Before I realize it, I’m reclining with you and I hand over even more chunks of my life to your mindless distractions.

I left my iPhone in the other room while I wrote this column. And, I know what you’re thinking. Woopdy-doo, big deal. But it was actually pretty tough. Maybe I could go a day, a week.

But then I’d run back to you, and fall asleep beside you. And as I slept, aloof, you would extend your cold electronic hands around my neck, squeezing tightly, tighter, tightest, until I bent to your will like the pathetic drone your companies want me to be.

See “The Phone Cleanse”, Arts, p.13

heat The

What’s hot — and what’s not — around 10600 Preston Road

Return of the Zucas | Freezing While we happily eat our tandoori and listen to Dr. Perryman read to us from his sticky notes, there are 12-pound panzer tanks of Swedish backpacks coursing over our campus, terrorizing our Sperry clad students.

Literally any throwback — lax sticks, Armstrong bands, swine flu — would be preferable to Zucas. Soon they will multiply, and we will have to wear steel-toed combat boots and lock ourselves in the SKA lounge to survive the onslaught. Maybe one day Dr. Ploegstra will return with his sandals and a band of roving Luddites to save us.

CARTER MANK PHOTO

So...we all know that last Friday night didn’t go the way we wanted. But there’s hope. We saw the future. Not that our seniors aren’t dropping J’s or placing that perfect ball upper ninety, but we saw a new generation of Lion’s sports on the rise in the sophomores and freshmen. Sophomore Walter Johnson was weaving his way through the Eagles on the field, and little (massive) Caldwell was laying up the buckets. There’s hope yet.

I was 16, only had my license for a week and was terrified. So I fled. I drove away, and fast. No note. No nothing. That moment still haunts me, I still wake up wishing I had just left a note. Wondering who the owner of that truck was, and how he or she had to pay for my dangerous addiction to my phone.

Sometimes I have this nightmare that my distracted driving accident wasn’t so innocuous. I’m staring out from a cracked windshield, blood splattered all over the console. As I bleed out, I hold you in my hands, your murderous pale blue light shining across my cracked head. Then blood runs down across my eyes, and it all goes black.

For plenty of people, this nightmare is a reality. 16,141 people in the past six years have fallen into the hands of the grim reaper of our time: texting and driving. More of us, like me, are lucky, and get away with a fender bender — 23% of auto collisions in 2011 involved texting and driving.

••• I periodically vow never to text and drive. I’ll even make CDs and put my phone in the glovebox and print out maps ahead of time so I have no possible excuse to use my phone.

But somehow I still find myself doing it.

When I stare out at restaurant tables with two parents and three children bent over their

Google Images | Frosty ZUYVA SEVILLA ART

We understand that Google is a wild, ravaging beast that needs to be kept in an abusively small cage. But we should be able to search the word “cat” without being banned because of pornography or online gambling.

We’re prep school guys. I don’t think our perfect Purell innocence needs to be preserved so intensely.

An unmanly pursuit

‘Novel communication’

T

— Stephen Rambin

W

GOOGLE IMAGES

here was a time when men were men, and women were women. When men lived by football, red meat and power tools. When women were the only ones that went to the spa, went shopping just to look, and took goofy selfies to send to their friends. But recently, with the advent of that insidious and nefarious iPhone app “Snapchat,” many Marksmen have begun joining the female ranks.

I’m baffled.

I know some have put the app to better, nobler use, but the majority of my experience with Snapchat has consisted of watching my classmates take absurd photos of themselves and send them to other guys. What could possibly be appealing about that?

In the end, Snapchatting really isn’t much better than taking a bathroom selfie and making it your profile picture on Facebook. Think about that the next time you hold your phone up to your face and begin snapping away. And when you are on campus, look the Path to Manhood statue square in the eye and ask yourself, “would Snapchat make him proud?” The answer is undoubtedly nay, my fair lady.

By the way, Dylan, you look great in that dress.

THE TOAST

[SQUARING OFF]

THE ROAST

Snapchat Editorial Board members Stephen Rambin and Dylan Kirksey square off on the new form of social media, Snapchat.

hoa there, Rambo, I haven’t seen you get this worked up about something this silly since your mom asked you to finish your salad.

Take a note from Ghosty the Snapchat ghost and lighten up a little bit, will ya? Also, boo. Because he’s ghost.

Really, Stephen, why can’t you just let us have fun?

Like the crotchety octogenarian who grumbles about those youths and that brain-melting “dub-wub” music they listen to, you’re spending a lot of energy ranting against something that causes you no real inconvenience in your daily life.

It’s not as if we — the snapchatters — are hindering your bland, sad, picture-messageless way of life or infringing on any constitutional rights. We’re not even asking you to download the app and add us as a friend, since we’re all just terribly afraid of the hell-wrought images that you would set loose on the unsuspecting world.

We’re just a proud band of brothers, connected in our pursuit of novel communication.

What could be manlier ­— or marksmanlier — than that?

— Dylan Kirksey

commentary

page

the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

17

12-year-old Juan: sparkling dreams

vishal

Gokani

T

he day I met Juan, he was sitting at a wooden table at the Jubilee Center, balancing a soccer ball on his foot.

It was my freshman year, my first day at Jubilee. Every Saturday, Marksmen visit the low-income neighborhood to tutor kids. I just wanted to get my community service hours out of the way.

Juan was way ahead of his classmates. The 12-year-old blazed through algebra problems while his friends were still working on basic arithmetic.

“One day, I’m gonna be a sports car designer,” Juan said as he worked. “I’m gonna make a ton of money.”

“What’ll you do with all that money?” I asked as Juan scribbled down numbers.

“Give it to my family,” Juan said. “We’re gonna move out.”

“Where do you want to move?” I asked.

Juan looked up from his worksheet and said, “St. Mark’s.”

I looked out the window at the small houses in the East Dallas neighborhood, where many residents speak Spanish and only 59 percent of adults graduate from high school. Then I straightened up in my chair and leaned forward. “Do you want to go to school there?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Juan put his pencil down and started flipping through a biology magazine.

He came to a picture of a lion. “I wanna be in the band. I’m gonna play trumpet.”

“Where do you want to move?”

I asked. Juan looked up from his worksheet and said, “St. Mark’s.”

“Sounds like fun,” I said, pointing at the lion. “That’s our mascot.”

“I know,” he said. “I wanna play on the soccer team, too. I’m gonna score a hat trick every game. I’m gonna have to get in first, though.”

That’s when I realized Juan was dead serious about the whole thing. “You mean you’re planning to take the tests and everything?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yeah. I’m good at math and science.”

“I think you have a shot,” I said. “I can get your parents in contact with the school.”

“Okay.” Juan smiled. Then his face fell.

“I’m not so good at reading, though.”

“Well, that’s what we should work on,” I said, grabbing a book from a nearby shelf.

“You ready?”

He closed the magazine and dropped the soccer ball.

“Ready.”

•••

The day Juan came on campus to apply, the rain was pounding the ground. Next to Nearburg, Sr. Correa and I waited for Juan’s family to pull up.

For a year and a half, I’d worked with Juan every free Saturday to improve his reading level. We started with short stories for kids, then moved to novels. I didn’t even realize how many community service hours I was racking up.

But Juan still struggled with Middle School books. His parents only spoke Spanish, so Juan didn’t get many chances to practice English. I was worried his reading ability would hurt him in the admission process.

The admission team started testing in Nearburg, but Juan still hadn’t shown up. I started to get worried.

Correa called the family and talked with Juan’s parents in rapid-fire Spanish. He took care of communication between the family and the school.

Señor hung up and said, “They’re in the Lower School Circle.”

I dashed into the rain, splashing through the puddles. The family was waiting by their rusty car. I shook hands with Juan’s parents and introduced myself in broken Spanish.

Juan was ready. He was wearing new dress shoes, a dress shirt and slacks. He’d also

gotten a haircut. Juan and I started jogging to Nearburg.

“This place is so big,” Juan kept telling me. “It’s like a college. What’s that stage for?”

I turned. Juan was looking into Decherd.

“That’s where we have concerts,” I said.

“I’m gonna play trumpet there,” Juan said. We approached Nearburg. “That building with all those pots is a museum.

Look at that glass. It’s sparkling.”

I’d never noticed Nearburg’s glass glistening in the rain.

“That’s where we’re headed,” I told him.

Panting, I left Juan in the lobby, where the admissions team took over. I caught my breath. Now there was nothing I could do but wait.

•••

Juan didn’t make it.

He just wasn’t ready. He didn’t even have time to finish the admission tests.

“But it’s okay,” I told Juan during my next visit to Jubilee. He was sitting at a wooden table, balancing a soccer ball on his foot just like when I met him. “I didn’t get in the first time, either. I had to repeat first grade.”

Juan watched the ball as it wobbled. “I’m gonna apply next year,” he said.

“Good,” I told him. “Keep trying.”

“I still wanna be a car designer,” he said, looking out the window at the small houses.

“We’re gonna move out. I’m gonna make a car that’s like that museum. It’s gonna have lots of glass, and it’s gonna sparkle when it rains.”

Chilly logic | Dylan Kirksey

r

remarker student newspaper

editor-in-chief managing editor, operations managing editor, content deputy managing editor issues editor editorial director special projects editor business manager visuals director head photographer

Daniel Hersh Paul Gudmundsson Will Moor George Law Stephen Rambin Henry Woram Rachit Mohan John Caldwell Andrew Goodman Michael Doorey

news editors Ryan O’Meara Noah Yonack arts editors Dylan Clark Aidan Dewar sports editors Charlie Golden Sam Khoshbin opinions specialist Dylan Kirksey deputy editorial director Vishal Gokani news coordinator

Alan Rosenthal reviews specialist Cole Gerthoffer copy editor Alexander Munoz graphics directors Nic Lazzara Robbey Orth staff artists Zuyva Sevilla Purujit Chaterjee staff photographers Halbert Bai, Otto Clark-Martinek, Michael Doorey,

Richard Eiseman, Andrew Gatherer, Andrew Graffy, Riley Graham, Justin Harvey, Parker Matthews, Corbin Walp staff writers Aarohan Burma, Jacob Chernick, Matthew Conley, Tabish Dayani, Teddy Edwards, Will Forbes, Cyrus Ganji, Andrew Hatfield, Richard Jiang, Alex Kim, Shourya Kumar, Nabeel Muscatwalla, Vik Pattabi, Ford Robinson,

William Sydney beat reporters Bradford Beck, Kent Broom, Jack Byers, William Caldwell, Cameron Clark, Will Clark, Will Diamond, Kevin He, Noah Koecher, Akshay Malhotra, David Marsh, Roby Mize, Philip Montgomery, Zach Naidu, Matthew Placide, Avery Powell, Anvit Reddy, Philip Smart, Abhi Thummala, P.J. Voorheis adviser Ray Westbrook

student newspaper of st. mark’s school of texas • dallas, texas 75230 • 214.346.8000 • www.smtexas.org/remarker Coverage. The ReMarker covers topics, issues, events and opinions of relevance and interest to the St. Mark’s School of Texas community.

Letters. Send submissions to the editor at 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, 75230 or via email at remarker@smtexas.org. Letters should be brief and signed, although the writer may request anonymity. Letters may be

rejected if libelous or obscene material is contained therein.

Editorials. The newspaper’s opinion will be presented in each issue in the form of editorials, which are clearly labeled and appear on the Commentary pages.

Columns. Personal opinion is expressed through by-lined columns, which appear throughout the publication.

Advertising. Contact the business staff at 214.346.8145. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.

Distribution. Press run is 3,800 copies. Copies are provided free of charge to students, faculty and staff at various distribution sites on campus and at our sister school, The Hockaday School. More than 2,600 copies are mailed out to alumni

courtesy of the school’s offices of External Affairs, Development and Alumni divisions.

Membership. The ReMarker maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, New York City, NY; National Scholastic Press Association, Minneapolis, MN; and Interscholastic League Press Conference, Austin.

Online Viewing. Each issue of

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

Reader lnvolvement. 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.

promoting peace

page

the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

18

▶ Continued from page one | ‘promoting peace’

Nation’s 43rd president grants exclusive interview POTUS Sitting inside his office off Northwest Highway, former President George W. Bush responds to questions from ReMarker managing editor Paul Gudmundsson and editor-in-chief Daniel Hersh (far left). The Bush Institute building is situated next to the library at SMU (left).

F

rom the beginning of the conversation, I had to remind myself to pay attention to the words coming out of this man. This man — who had met world leaders, comforted this country in the time of its most horrific attacks and dealt with his own fair share of journalists and media members — had agreed to give The ReMarker a few minutes of his time.

However, unlike the feet that were resting comfortably on the desktop, many issues of discussion were off the table for this meeting with former President George W. Bush.

Before the interview had begun, my partner, ReMarker editor-in-chief Daniel Hersh, and I knew that our interview would not include politics or past events, which meant nothing about the Iraq War or Katrina or the upcoming presidential election. Instead, the topics we wanted to discuss were the missions of the Bush Center and its intended effects locally, nationally and globally.

But, with alumni, parents and even the St. Mark’s Heart of Texas debate tournament tied to the Bush Center and all that it encompasses, that would prove to be more than enough.

The former president began by complimenting St. Mark’s, especially its academic rigor.

“It sets high standards and expects you to meet the standards,” he said. “It’s hard work to get through St. Mark’s, like it was for my high school. So I admire that. St. Mark’s isn’t for everybody, but for those who go to St. Mark’s, you’re prepared for life at the school.”

Then, Bush took us through an exhaustive briefing of the new center, which will open in April. It will consist of the presidential library and museum, the Bush Policy Institute and the offices of the George W. Bush Foundation.

“I think the largest goal is to provide space and support for an institute that will be

an action-oriented place based upon principles that will have a long-term effect on improving humanity,” Bush said. “A place to live out the call to serve others without being political.”

From the beginning of the interview, Bush spoke passionately about the project.

He needed no prompting or technical assistance. Every word he spoke came forth with such ease and southern articulation, proving that he has specific visions for the future of the center.

He spoke easily and confidently, treating Daniel and me as his equals. It wouldn’t matter if I were a U.S. senator or a foreign dignitary or his golf caddy. President Bush speaks like President Bush, no matter who we were.

Once the icebreakers and initial “Bushian” jokes and chuckles were dispensed and the reality settled in, Bush recited off countless statistics and goals of the center.

He explained why Dallas and SMU were decided upon as the location. He told us about the archives that would contain every email ever sent by his staff during his presidency.

He informed us about some of the peripheral perks of the center like the restaurant, surrounding parks and “Texas Rose Garden” and full-scale replica of his Oval Office, the only one of its kind. ut about halfway through the interview, Bush broke his own rule. His conversation turned from menus and roses to a past event: September 11, 2001, the defining moment of his presidency.

“How old were you guys on 9/11?” Bush asked, straightening both his voice and face.

We quickly answered in unison, “Six,” before he paused to think. I realized how it must have been strange for him to talk to two young men who, at the time of 9/11, were not old enough to comprehend the gravity of his presidency’s seminal moment.

B

“For you, it was kind of a wonderment,” he said. “It didn’t have the impact it did for people who could really understand what was going on. I’m sure your parents were shocked, and as a result, you were shocked. I suspect you weren’t quite sure what to be shocked about. Well, there’s going to be an exhibit in there that will walk people through the week and remind people of the lessons of 9/11, which I think will be very important historically.”

Before he said his next words, both Daniel and I knew the point he was trying to make.

He knew exactly how the present can become history and how quickly people can forget events they lived through. For him, the Bush Center is not an attempt to preserve his own name and legacy but a mission to promote the issues that are most important to him, especially the importance of free enterprise. “[It’s] the best engine for growth, the fairest economic system and a system which helps alleviate poverty,” he said. “Free societies are societies that help promote peace. All human life is precious. Hopefully people will get that message – that certain principles are important in life, and personality-based institutions fade rapidly.”

In other words, the Bush Center is not about George W. Bush. It’s not about his presidency or his party. It’s not about 9-11 or the war in Iraq or tax policy. It’s about his vision and ultimately, his hope for mankind.

“Here’s the danger,” Bush said. “I don’t know if this makes sense when it comes to writing the article ­­— but in order to make the Bush Center lasting, it has to be based on something other than the personality of the person. I’ll always be a former president, but I will fade quickly into memory. In order to exist and be consequential, the Center and the Institute have to be based on something other than me.”

▶ by Paul Gudmundsson, managing editor | photos by Michael Doorey, head photographer

The Bush Center An inside look at the features

▶ George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum LIBRARY: The 13th presidential library will house the official records of Bush’s Presidency, including 200 million emails, 4 million photographs and more than 42,000 artifacts.

Museum: Will tell the story of Bush’s presidency and the decisions he made through permanent and temporary exhibits.

INSTITUTE: Seeks to improve the human condition through education reform, global health, human freedom and economic growth.

OPENS: Dedication ceremony, April 25; opens to public May 1.

Information obtained from www.bushcenter.com

▶ Bush during the interview.

Bush Institute to host annual ‘Heart of Texas’ debate tournament

By Vik Pattabi staff writer One of the biggest debate tournaments nationwide, the Heart of Texas Invitational shuts down the entire campus for four days each October. Only debate team members in their distinct blue shirts and competitors, dressed in suits, dot the campus.

But a recent partnership with the George W. Bush Institute will make the tournament an even bigger occasion, as the finals of the tournament will now be held at the Institute on the SMU campus along with a celebratory dinner.

With a focus on community outreach through education, the Bush Institute associated with debate coach Tim Mahoney, whose squad is consistently ranked among the nation’s best. In order to reach as many youth as possible, the Institute worked with alumni and Mahoney to increase the scope of their impact. Together, alongside the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance (DUDA) they offered the inaugural Bush Institute Economics Debates this past fall.

Focusing on promoting economic literacy in high school students, the Bush Insti-

tute chose the topic for the tournament this After the economics debates, teams who past October as the value of property rights had passed the quarterfinals were invited to a in emerging economies like China and India. dinner with President Bush, who praised the “[The Bush Institute] really wanted to work of the debaters and DUDA. focus on questions like this because one of But few St. Mark’s debaters attended the their missions was teaching high schoolers event. about modern economic issues,” Mahoney “The Institute debates are a great opporsaid. “We all had some input but ultimately it tunity,” he said, “but with the Heart of Texas was their decision.” finals on Sunday as well, everyone here is too Along with the debaters of 10600 Pres- busy working. We did have one student atton Road, the Bush Intend though, [senior] stitute partnered with Noah Goetz.”

SMU and DUDA, an Debate teaches vitally importThe different style organization focused ant life skills, such as good of the Institute deon providing a debate research and hard work. It bates, which is based education for DISD stuallows kids to be well-read and on individual competdents. knowledgeable on any topic, itors as opposed to the “I was actually a whether it is space exploration two-man teams found debater at St. Mark’s,” or the economy. in policy debate, was DUDA founder Craig also a factor in lowerCraig Budner ’83 Budner ’83 said, “and ing St. Mark’s particiI believe that debate pation. teaches vitally important life skills, such as “I strongly support their goals, but the good research and hard work. It allows kids focus of their program is not towards us,” to be well-read and knowledgeable on any Mahoney said. “We just played a part in maktopic, whether it is space exploration or the ing the event possible.” economy.”

The Bush Institute, which was officially

opened three years ago, is a part of the SMU campus and will also focus on boosting academic discussion and providing support for teachers at the school as well.

“At first, some [SMU] teachers were opposed to the idea of the Bush Institute because they did not want to be associated with President Bush’s politics,” Institute president Mark Langdale, who served as ambassador to Costa Rica during the Bush administration, said. “When they saw our work on the Institute and the goals we had in mind, it definitely changed their minds. We have a partnership between the Institute and the SMU faculty to work together and better SMU as well.”

These collaborations exemplify one of the main goals of the Institute. “[President Bush] is interested in policy,” Langdale said. “He’s interested in smart people working together to solve issues.”

And this is exactly the point of the economics debates.

“I think these debates will be a great opportunity for all local high schoolers,” Mahoney said. “They really illustrate the value of the Bush Institute.”

s

“

Seventh Grader Will Forbes

Kendrick Spraglin page 24

I feel like it was kind of a blessing-in-disguise that I lost the first time. This is what I want to do when I grow up.

Page 22

The senior’s abilities are captured frameby-frame as he throws down dunks in Hicks Gym.

sprint. sports around campus

THE REMARKER | Friday, FEB. 8, 2013 | PAGE 19

upcoming

Sporting Events in the week ahead

thesideline

today

weekend

▶ Basketball has

a counter game at home tonight against Holland Hall at 7:30 p.m. in Hicks Gym. ▶ The soccer team faces Holland Hall in a counter game at 7 p.m. in Hunt Stadium. ▶ The JV CONNOR OLSON PHOTO

basketball team hosts Holland Hall at 5:30 p.m. in Hicks Gym. < Junior Jacob Wilner dribbles the ball against All Saints Jan. 25.

the

tip-off

next week

▶ Basketball is

back at it again tomorrow, with another counter game against Casady at 1 p.m. in Hicks Gym.

▶ Soccer also faces off against Casady in a counter game matchup at 1 p.m. in Hunt Stadium. ▶Freshman basketball tips off against The Home School Athletic Association at 2:30 p.m in Hicks Gym.

▶ The basketball, wrestling, swimming and soccer teams will compete at the highest level at this year’s SPC tournament. This year, the competition will be held in Dallas instead of Houston. ▶ Soccer squares off

away against Greenhill Tuesday at 6:30 for the final counter game before the SPC tournament.

▶ Preseason for spring sports continues through Friday.

a roundup of studentS’ athletic accomplishments

The Middle School swim team travelled to Lewisville, Feb. 2 for the Metroplex Championships at 10:30 a.m.

They hold the record in every event and defended their records in the competition.

•••

At the 51st annual Dallas Marathon, St. Mark’s brought a squad of five runners to compete in a relay style competition.

Seniors Taubert Nadalini, Dylan Kirksey, Robbey Orth, junior Harrison Perkins and freshman JT Graass, finished the event with a combined time of

While the 8-13 JV basketball team, led in shooting percentage by Umer Nadir, has suffered serious blows with close losses, coach Josh Friesen’s freshmen players, have started their Upper School careers well, going undefeated through 17 games.

The JV team will wrap up the season in the Thomas O. Hicks gymnasium in a game against Holland Hall today at 5:30 p.m., and the freshman team will compete at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon against the Home School Athletic Association.

•••

CONNOR OLSON PHOTO

F o r eighth grade basketball, the gold team has a 6-9 record while the blue team has a record of 5-10.

In seventh grade, the VICTORY Sophomore Umer Nadir looks to pass during gold team is JV’s win against the Trinity Valley School Jan. 11. of 11-4 while the blue team is a record of two hours and 51 minutes.

The team finished third 10-2. overall in the high school boys ••• division, as well as 32nd overCoach Timothy Davies’ sevall. enth grade soccer team is off to a hot start with an 10-2 re•••

cord with an impressive 9-0 win against All Saints. Meanwhile, the eighth grade soccer team finds themselves with a 7-5-1 record.

•••

After 16 games from locations all across the Metroplex, JV Soccer stands 9-7 for the first three months of the season.

A 3-1 record for January sporting victories against Trinity Valley, Cistercian, and All Saints is an improvement from the 3-5 record of December, and with a few more games to go, the team is not finished yet.

•••

Coach Justin Turner’s va-

risty wrestling squad was awarded the Stan Parker Sportsmanship award at the Big Blue Invitational in Christianburg, VA Jan. 18.

The award was given at the end of the tournament to the Lions, who, according to the referees, demonstrated the best sportsmanship on and off the mats at the tournament.

The team placed 13th out of 30 competing teams, while junior Zach Papin and senior Jimmy Papin both finished in the top five of their respective weight classes.

Game-changer Gearing up in conference play, Sophomore Corson Purnell turned on the jets against rival ESD, being a defensive stopper in the Lions’ 42-36 loss Feb. 1. He tied the score 35-35 on this breakaway layup after a game-chainging steal, showcasing his signature tongue-out adrenalaine rush.

MICHAEL DOOREY PHOTO

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES IN LIONS’ ATHLETICS

ANDREW GOODMAN PHOTO

hotshots

Opinion

The hat-trick king Seventh grader Houston Engleman has dominated the seventh grade soccer scene, leading Coach Timothy Davies’ team with 31 goals. Engleman has had four games with three or more goals and has been the driving force behind the team’s 10-2 record.

charlie

Golden

A giant helping hand

I

f you weren’t a fan of the Houston Texans this season, become one now.

If you hadn’t been rooting for J.J. Watt all season long — if the swatted passes and huge hits weren’t enough for you — root for him anyway.

Because as big of an impact as he’s had on the field, he’s had an ever bigger one off of it — to my family.

••• Two summers ago, I went to France with a friend and had an amazing time seeing World War II battle sites. I don’t think I’ve ever been as enthusiastic about history as I was on that trip. And I remember looking forward to the day I got home, to telling my parents all about it.

Now, I don’t remember that day as the day I got back from France.

I remember it as the day I found out my cousins had been killed.

They were distant cousins. I’d met them only once at a family Bar Mitzvah. But of all the extended family that were there, Robin and Josh Berry made the impression that stuck, just as really, really nice people.

And now, hearing my dad telling me how they died, hearing the devastation in my grandma’s voice over the phone, I felt an even stronger imprint from them.

Returning to their Houston home after a trip to Colorado, the Berrys and their three children were driving through West Texas at night when a careless driver swerved onto their side of the highway, hitting their car head-on.

Robin was killed instantly. Josh died in the hospital that night. Their two boys, Peter and Aaron (8 and 9), were both left paralyzed from the waist down. The little girl, Willa (6), escaped with some broken bones. As the only one conscious, she had to tell the state troopers what happened.

••• Simone and Matt Berry, the orphaned children’s aunt and uncle, suddenly inherited three more kids on top of the two they already had. The family was in disarray. Suddenly, there were seven mouths to feed and a mountain of medical expenses to pay.

Fortunately, people came together to help. The local Jewish community held multiple fundraisers.

The Houston Rockets held one, too. Justin Bieber launched a “Show Your Hearts” awareness campaign that went viral on Twitter.

And the children, still in the hospital at this point, received a visit from J.J. Watt, then a rookie.

Little did they know this was the first of many visits to come.

Nineteen months later, the children are used to living with their aunt and uncle. Peter and Aaron have adjusted to using their wheelchairs. And while several reminders of that horrible summer night remain, so does J.J. Watt.

The superstar still sees the Berrys. Only now, it’s at their house. He hangs out with them, shooting hoops and helping with math homework.

All of the amazing things J.J. does for the Berrys are documented in a Rick Reilly story on Watt and the Berry children that ran before the Texans-Patriots game Dec. 10th on Monday Night Countdown. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. Or look at his Twitter (@JJWatt) — you’ll see the kids mentioned several times.

From signals to the kids in games to sideline passes to a trip to a Bieber concert, Watt’s commitment to the Berry kids is beyond admirable — it’s truly heartwarming.

So come next fall, if and when you give up on the Cowboys, root for the Texans. Root for J.J. Watt. Root for big hits — and a bigger heart.

I know I will.

••• To see the Rick Reilly feature, Youtube “J.J. Watt’s Remarkable Friendship.”

To learn more about the Berry family, visit www.showyourhearts.org

s

sports around campus

Kathryn Schoeberlein 21

THE REMARKER | Friday, FEB. 8, 2013 | PAGE 20

Will Forbes 22

Playing Against Giants 23

Overtime 24

UNDE R C L A S S M EN

this season, underclassmen are having a big impact, and heading into SPC, it may well be their performances that make the difference between good finishes and great ones.

young YEAR OF THE

YOUNG GUNS Underclassmen on all four winter teams are key to their team’s success heading into SPC at Greenhill next weekend. The impact players include (from left) sophomore Andrew McClain, sophomore Jack Fojtasek, freshman Caleb Crowe and sophomore Jack Gordon.

BASKETBALL Young duo impresses

I

n a year in which other SPC teams

boast high national rankings and touted college recruits, varsity basketball coach Greg Guiler knows his team isn’t favored to dominate conference competition.

But he’s optimistic, thanks in part to two new faces making a big — if not unprecedented — impact.

William Caldwell is the first freshman to be officially on the varsity squad since Guiler began coaching the Lions in 2007.

And Jack Gordon leads the team in scoring as a sophomore.

Add in strong veteran leadership and a 13-8 record, and the team looks able to make a run at the SPC tournament.

Guiler is clear on whom he credits with the young players’ growth.

“I think it’s a testament to the seniors how they have made [Gordon and Caldwell] better players,” he said. “They didn’t give those guys any breaks. So I really give our upperclassmen as much credit as anyone for the development of the young guys.”

That development has been key to the Lions’ success, adding to the team’s well roundedness.

“Our diversity is hard for teams to guard, Guiler said. “There’s not a guy who can’t make a play. Depth and versatility have been key. It’s hard for any team to guard us when our five man can shoot the three as well as our guards.”

As SPC approaches, the team looks to ride this momentum, incorporate the pair of underclassmen and minimize errors. With those ingredients in mind, Guiler has hope.

“We’re going to have to play perfect basketball to beat some of these stronger teams in the conference,” he said. “But if we keep growing, I think we can beat anybody on a given day.”

SWIMMING Another broken record

B

reaking records is not a common practice for the swim team, but this year, two freshmen, Caleb Crowe and Eric Li, have changed that.

Coach Mihai Oprea’s swimmers have broken three school records this year, and Crowe and Li were involved in each one

— the 200 free relay, 200 medley relay and Crowe’s 100 backstroke.

With these record-breaking times, the freshmen look to lead the team with hopes of an fifth straight SPC victory.

“Although setting the 100 back record was exciting,” Crowe said, “it cannot match the excitement of breaking two records as a team and sharing that experience with my relay group.”

Li felt the same way, crediting his win to hard work and his teammates.

“I was very thankful for such great teammates,” Li said, “and I finally felt that all my hard work was worth it and paid off.”

Because breaking the record was great for Li and Crowe, it also proved exciting for Oprea.

“It was so exciting when they broke the record because it doesn’t happen that often,” Oprea said. “That record had been in place since 1984. This is only the fourth time we’ve broken a record since I came here.”

While Crowe and Li have proved to be exceptional swimmers, Oprea expects more out of them with SPC on the horizon.

“It’s exciting for the guys and for the program,” Oprea said, “because we can only imagine what they’ll do in the next three years.”

Crowe expects even more out of himself during his varsity swimming career at St. Mark’s, hoping for multiple SPC wins.

“I hope to set the SPC record and leave St. Mark’s name in the SPC record book,” Crowe said.

SOCCER Slew of sophomores

F

or Cory Martin’s varsity soccer squad, underclassmen may not be helping to lead the team, but their play may be the determining factor between a good and a great finish at SPC. This year, Martin moved an extra player to defense, allowing sophomores Christopher Carter, Jack Fojtasek, Ben Wilner and Jack Dayton to step up and make a significant difference.

Their added contribution, combined with talented seniors who have never placed worse than second at SPC, gives the Lions’ a serious shot at a repeat title.

“Our key has been that when we sub-

stitute, you don’t really have a dropoff in talent,” Martin said. “And those sophomores are the important complement.”

Senior captain Kareem Itani agrees, highlighting Carter’s contributions.

“When [senior] Danny [Koudelka] missed the Cistercian game,” he said, “Chris shut down his mark and was able to contribute to our offensive strategy, which is more than what we asked from him early on.”

The team, which will play 27 games, many more than most teams in the conference, has hope heading into the tournament.

“Our best soccer is ahead of us,” Martin said. “If those [sophomores] can really play and improve, they’re gonna raise our level.

We’ll go from trying to make sure we’re in division one to becoming the surprise of the tournament.”

SPC BREAKDOWN As told by coaches

Basketball

Competition St. John’s, EHS Strategy conditioning Strength speed Weakness size Senior Alex Tassopoulos

Swimming

WRESTLING Building skill

W

ith a smaller team facing high

expectations, coach Justin Turner has looked to the Sophomore Class for reinforcements.

A key sophomore has been Andrew McClain, who has boosted the team during many tournaments this year.

“Because he’s young and still new to the sport, he’s inconsistent,” Turner said. “But he works hard, and he’s bought in to what we’re trying to do here. He’s going to have a great future because of that.“ With two years left to improve, McClain knows that things will only get better.

“Since our numbers are so low,” McClain said, “my biggest contribution has been my presence on the team and my ability to represent St. Mark’s.”

While this may be his biggest contribution overall, Turner believes McClain was at his best during the Colleyville Heritage Tournament in December.

“Andrew got beat early but came back and slowed down and thought about what he was doing,” Turner said. “He had a great tournament as a result of that.”

Turner hopes to see more performances like this out of McClain in the future.

“He’s done a good job at improving every week,” Turner said. “He’s continued to get better. It’s a long journey for him, and it’s not an easy journey by any means.”

YEAR OF THE YOUNG story by Charlie Golden, sports editor and Matthew Conley, staff writer | photos by Michael Doorey, head photographer

Senior Otto Clark-Martinek

Competition Cistercian Strength depth Philosophy no bad days; no excuses

Soccer

Strength senior leadership Weakness lack of first touch Strategy play the most games Competition ESD, Holland Hall Senior Evan Chang-Tung

Wrestling Competition EHS Strength strong individuals Weakness numbers Strategy win by pin Senior Jimmy Papin

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

21

in her own words | kathryn schoeberlein

She’s the man Soccer coach Kathryn Schoeberlein finds being a female mentor to a squad of all middle school boys no big deal.

And, yes, she does it all without even stepping into the locker room. > One of my best friends in college actually went to Hockaday, so I had gone to see St. Mark’s and knew some St. Mark’s alumni from when I was at SMU. I knew it had a great reputation as a boys’ school. > I’ve always wanted to teach at a boys’ school. The first place I started teaching was a boys’ school, and I always wanted to get back into teaching a boys’ school. So when I heard St. Mark’s had an opening, I jumped on the application as quickly as I could. Fortunately for me, it all panned out and led me back here to Dallas. Now I live three or four miles away from where I lived in college. > I came down here, did my four years, but after four years I was done with Texas.

I did not think I would make a home or a life down here in Texas. I was going to go back home to the East Coast with the ultimate goal of moving out west, and here I am.

> I came back specifically for St. Mark’s. I’d moved back to Baltimore and started

teaching there, that’s when I first got into education, I knew I wanted to be a teacher.

> I started out playing rec league when I was younger and then wound up, when I was in elementary school, playing club level travel team. We would travel around to different tournaments and I would play with them. And I did that all the way until high school. I made my high school varsity team as a freshman and then played with them all four years. When I left, I went to SMU and played some club soccer down there and some sorority league soccer.

Quality Teaching Teaching both on the turf and in the classroom, Schoeberlein says she instills the same qualities regardless of whether it relates to soccer or humanities. Shoeberlein (right) cheers on her Lions in a 3-1 win over Greenhill.

> I coached a coed varsity team and a middle

school team at an international school in Idaho. After that I assistant coached varsity soccer for my own girls’ high school where I attended. And then I coached at an all girls’ boarding school in Baltimore.

A Schoeberlein story

> In middle school I’m really enjoying it now because we’re still teaching the basics a little bit, but we’re also able to do set plays and

athryn Schoeberlein grew up in Baltimore, MD and attended the Bryn Mawr School.

Schoeberlein has been involved in soccer for most of her life.

During her younger years she played club soccer, but she focused on playing for the varsity soccer team for all four years of her high school.

After high school, she came down to Texas for college. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science and her master of educational leadership and administration at SMU, where she also played sorority soccer.

Schoeberlein went back to the Bryn Mawr School and became the assistant coach. She then moved on to the Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills, MD where she was the head varsity coach.

— Sam Khoshbin

> I think coaching at each level has its pros and cons. Coaching little, little beginners is fun because they are just learning the skills

K

take the skills that they have and develop them into higher caliber players.

and you see the excitement and you’re helping to promote teamwork and good sportsmanship.

> Boys like I see at St. Mark’s, running around and playing outside, they want to be like the NFL players and the Major League Base-

ball players and the professional soccer players. They’re emulating them.

> It really didn’t cross my mind until after I had finished college and got back home and started teaching, and it was just a natural progression. School ended and I immediately started to look, ‘When’s practice start?’ > When I coach girls I have to be more aware of different aspects of my coaching. For example, moderating my voice or being aware of the tone of how you’re giving constructive criticism. > I’ve had girls leave practice and cry, whereas I have yet to see that. Maybe they cry in the locker room, I don’t know. But they have yet to cry on the field. > I think they look at me differently because I’m a young female coach. They’ll go out there practicing and tell me about their girlfriends, thrown notes in class. They’ll tell me about their girl problems and who likes who at Hockaday. > They treat me like I assume male coaches are treated, but I definitely do not enter the inner-sanctuary known as the locker room. > I will tell you that my seventh-grade team has been talking and gossiping a lot at practice, so take that for what it’s worth. > I straddle the line between a coach and a fun older aunt — does that make sense? > I’m enjoying Middle School now because it’s kind of a mix. It’s the best of both worlds: teaching the skill set you want them to have in

high school and combining it with the fun and the energy and the teamwork and the sportsmanship you find with the beginners.

> Coaching is an easy extension of what teaching is. It is a way to help the boys develop into a full person. I’m teaching the same skill

set in the classroom as I teach on the field.

> The smell alone makes me keep at least a hundred foot radius of the locker room.

She’s the man story by Sam Khoshbin, sports editor | photos by Michael Doorey, head photographer

By Teddy Edwards staff writer You can hear him BEFORE you see him.

Hear kids laughing as he argues over who’s hottest girl in the world.

Hear him ask about a student’s sprained ankle, taking a genuine interest in an athlete who he never has nor will coach.

Hear him yell out “Move the rook, Kimosabe!” as he chimes in on another intense training room chess game.

But after Feb. 28, his voice will no longer be heard on campus.

Five year varsity baseball assis-

tant coach Chad Allen is taking a job with the New Britain Rock Cats, the Minnesota Twins AA ball club.

“It’s like me playing my first game in the big leagues when I went to go interview,” Allen said.

“I was nervous, my words stuttered every once in a while because I was in front of the General Manager for the twins who was actually the G.M. when I played. I was still nervous even though I knew him because I was a player then, now I’m a coach.

I needed to sell myself again.”

Allen will leave at the end of February, but the lessons he has learned coaching with long time friend and teammate Head Baseball

Coach Johnny Hunter will stay with him forever.

“The thing I learned more than anything from Johnny,” Allen said, “is that when I played I was a very intense high energy guy, and in coaching you have to have the energy but you have to tone it down.

That’s one thing that I have learned from just watching him. Just to be patient and to teach out players to do it the right way, but not loud and vocally.”

The memories and friends that Allen has made will also last him into the next chapter of his life.

“Relationships with kids have been my favorite part of St. Marks,”

Allen said. “Mattingly, Schmidtmier, Andrew Ngo, all those guys from five years ago, we still talk. It may not be on the phone, it may just be a text or on Facebook, but it’s seeing guys go from freshman to seniors and now they’re in college. That to me is just awesome. You get to see guys grow and to me that’s the most rewarding thing.”

Allen has made his mark on the school, the students and staff he interacts with; they have also left a mark on him.

“It was an honor to work here,” Allen said. “I enjoyed all the kids; I loved it. I will never forget this school.”

PHOTO COURTESY BASEBALL ALMANAC

Assistant baseball coach Chad Allen hired by New Britain Rock Cats

Big Leagues Allen will return to the Twins, his old MLB team, coaching their AA affiliate, the New Britain Rock Cats.

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

w i ll

22

f o rb e s

Pressing ahead 7th grader nabs ‘Sports Illustrated’ writing job

W

hen he was younger, Will Forbes dreamed of holding Super Bowl trophies, sporting World Series rings and seeing his name and face plastered on the covers of sports magazines across the country.

Now a seventh-grader, Forbes has begun to fulfill those dreams about professional sports – but not quite as he imagined. Instead of winning fame for his triumphs on the field, Forbes is making a name for himself in the press as a new kid reporter for Sports Illustrated.

When it became clear to Forbes that being a professional athlete probably wasn’t in the cards

Covered Admiring his predecessors, Will Forbes studies many past issues of Sports Illustrated to improve his own writing.

for him, he knew that he needed to find a new, more promising outlet for his love of sports. While reading a Sports Illustrated Kids (SI Kids) magazine one day, Forbes saw an advertisement encouraging readers to apply for a job as a kid reporter with the magazine and thought it would a good fit for him.

“I first came across the contest [for kid reporter] in 2010,” Forbes said. “I wanted to enter then, but I was really raw. I liked writing and I liked sports, but I had never really done much sports writing before.”

To apply for the job, Forbes wrote a story about his cousin, Tyler Polumbus, who is currently the starting right tackle for the Washington Redskins.

Forbes’ story detailed Polumbus’s journey as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Colorado to the Denver Broncos, the first of many stops in the NFL for Polumbus. Forbes’s story earned him a finalist designation that year, but he wasn’t able to net the job.

“The first time I applied, I really just thought it would be cool to interview athletes and go to games,” Forbes said. “I really didn’t enjoy the writing side of it as much as I do now,” Knowing he needed more experience as a sportswriter, Forbes began a small sports blog with a friend. As he developed and became a more polished as a writer with each and every article he posted, Forbes’s passion for sports writing — not just sports — finally emerged. When the contest rolled around a year later, Forbes re-wrote his story on Polumbus and won.

“I feel like it was kind of a blessing-in-disguise that I lost the first time,” Forbes said. “I’ve been able to mature as a writer, and now I will be able to make the most of it. This is what I want to do when I grow up. I think I figured that out when I started writing on my own.”

Now that he has accomplished one of his biggest goals, Forbes writes a monthly blog online for SI Kids. In addition, using a press pass, he will cover one major sporting event this year. With a prominent platform for his writing and a national audience, Forbes has even bigger aspirations for the future. “[Becoming a kid reporter] has been one of my big goals since 2010 and I’ve finally gotten it off my back,” Forbes said. “I feel like now I am a kid reporter, if I make the most of it, there’s no telling who will read it and where I can go with it.”

Despite the uncertainty that digital journalism has created for many aspiring journalists about

where they can go with their careers, Forbes has his sights set on remaining in the online sector of journalism. His two biggest inspirations, Bill Simmons and Peter King, are both renowned Internet columnists.

“I feel like the writing for newspapers is dying right now, so I want to do something like Bill Simmons or Peter King, where I’d write a column for a website once a week,” Forbes said. “Being able to make a living off of that would be my perfect scenario.”

Although Forbes admires Simmons and King for the gigs they have with ESPN and Sports Illustrated, their writing styles are what truly inspires Forbes.

“I love the way they write,” Forbes said. “They write what they feel, not what they want the readers to like. They are really authentic and genuine. That’s something I try to keep in my writing.”

And now that he is a kid reporter and following in the footsteps of Simmons and King, Forbes knows if he ever makes the cover of Sports Illustrated, it will be his writing – not the athletic prowess he once dreamed of having – that will take him there.

“This year, what I really realized was I’m a mediocre athlete,” Forbes said. “I’m not going to play sports in college, but I feel like [sports writing] is something I can really stick with my whole life.”

The road to ‘Sports Illustrated’ How it happened: Will submitted his story online to a contest on the SI kids website.

How to read Will’s stories: Visit the SI kid reporter blogs online at www.sikids.com/kidreporter/blogs.

An excerpt from his winning entry: “Perseverance. This word is key in anything you do in life whether it is a sport or in school or any other activity.

You have to keep your chin up and keep trying no matter what obstacles stand in your way. No one knows this better than Washington Redskins offensive tackle Tyler Polumbus. Since graduating from the University of Colorado, Tyler has been told he can’t make it in the NFL.”

pressing ahead story by Stephen Rambin, issues editor | photo by Michael Doorey, head photographer

With just two years of experience, fencer cracks top-10 in rankings

COURTESY PHOTO

By Cyrus Ganji staff writer Freshman Mitchell So made a life-changing decision in the summer leading up to his seventh grade year. The decision didn’t include college, or SAT prep. It didn’t include changing cities, or schools. It didn’t even involve academics.

Instead, he chose a sport: fencing. In two short years, he has earned a tenth-place spot in national rankings.

“I had originally done Tae Kwon Do, and afterward, I quit because it became too much to commit to,” So said. “Then, my sister started fencing her freshman year at Hockaday. My parents dragged me to her fencing club, but I never Mitchell So really liked it.”

So’s disinterest in the sport was a nonfactor; he displayed immediate talent. However, he did show a slow change of heart.

“Just right off the bat, I hated fencing because of my coach,” So said. “First day, I went over and all he did was make fun of me. ” So’s relationship issues with his coach did not affect his performance, and they later separated. However, the issues did have later repercussions.

“Last year at Nationals my new coach was talking with my former coach’s students, and my former coach went over to him and said, ‘you can’t take my students,’ except the dialogue was rougher. Then, he punched him — in the face. There ended up being a bruise around his eye, but there was no actual response.”

So acknowledges the elevated level of drama within club fencing, of which he has witnessed. On the contrary, he finds typical school fencing in the United States to be very mellow.

“Fencing just really isn’t much of a popular sport in America, it hasn’t really been embraced,” So said.

“Most parts of the world are more into fencing than America is. For example, there’s no professional fencing in the United States.”

Despite some lacking recognition, So has found happiness within fencing and its activities.

“Originally, I had the mentality that I had to keep fencing,” So said. “Now that I’m getting into it, I really do love the sport. I get to meet a lot of people from out of the state, and sometimes, from out of the country. And even though I may not win all the time, the feeling that I’m getting something done is really rewarding.”

Recently, So participated in the Milwaukee North American Cup Jan. 20 for the men’s saber Y14 event.

He managed to secure the gold against 122 competitors, moving his national ranking to ten.

So anticipates fencing in the Arizona Under-20 World Cup, as well as the Summer Nationals in July.

However, in considering a future in fencing, So has a simple response.

“I believe that if I keep working at it, maybe I can go to the Olympics,” So said. “I would certainly like to.”

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

pl a y i n g

against

23

giants

Playing days the 80’s and 00’s have witnessed the rise of history’s greatest basketball players — from Jordan and ewing, to james and bryant. We can give you the stats, but coaches greg guiler and dwight phillips can give you their firsthand accounts of games they played against the legends.

I

t was the final game of head varsity basketball coach Greg Guiler’s high school career.

Canal Winchester, the rural Ohio school Guiler attended, made it to the semi-finals after several years without qualifying for the state tournament. The team flew by the first round of elimination, and with a 19-1 regular-season record, earned a trip to Ohio State’s Stadium.

But there was a problem.

BIG BALLER Coach Dwight Phillips donned the iconic short-shorts of the 80’s against players like Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Karl Malone.

RAIDER NATION Phillips played under renowned Texas Tech coach Gerald Myers, who gave the Raiders two conference championships and four trips to the NCAA Men’s Division I championship playoffs.

the Hall of Fame Michael Jordan • Status 6’6,” 216 pounds, guard • College University of North Carolina • NBA career Bulls/ Wizards • Stats 30.1 PPG, 5.3 APG, 6.2 RPG

A 6-foot-4-inch freshman wearing the number 23, warmed up on the opposite side of the gym.

It was a player the entire state of Ohio had been raving about all year, a player of unmatched talent and skill at such a young age — it was future NBA superstar LeBron James.

“Everybody regarded LeBron, even as a freshman, as the best player in the state,” Guiler said. “St. Vincent St. Mary’s was ranked number one all year long, and we heard that LeBron was a stud. Everybody was calling him ‘the next Michael Jordan.’”

But going into the seventh of eight tournament rounds, Guiler says he didn’t know what to think, especially with the huge crowd and overwhelming environment of the arena.

“Everybody was there to see LeBron, this new sensation they had heard about,” he said. “There were roughly 15,000 people, so it was a great environment. But I enjoyed the atmosphere especially because no team from our high school had gone that far. Our little village practically compiled a parade as

we drove off towards the game. It was really cool.”

However, even with an intense final-minute defeat in a semi-final matchup in the Ohio State stadium, Guiler admits that his last high school basketball game was memorable primarily because of LeBron.

“I think he’s the greatest athlete to ever step on a basketball floor,” Guiler said. “The guy’s so big, physical and explosive. I think what Jordan and those guys did 20 years ago was a different kind of athlete. LeBron has actually redefined ‘athlete’ in this decade — he’s a freak.”

Four years later, LeBron donned the number 23 in his first professional basketball game, following the footsteps of his idol — six time champion Michael Jordan.

Middle School basketball coach Dwight Phillips played with Jordan and other such legends in the “golden age” of basketball.

“I played Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone — I can go down a list,” Phillips said.

“A lot of those guys are Hall of Famers

now, and you could tell that they were going to be good professional basketball players at the time.”

Phillips and Jordan were in the same high school graduating class, which was regarded as the best of its era, with stars like Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Despite such enormous talent around the NCAA, Phillips remained focused on his team, the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

“I’m doing what I’m doing, and they’re doing what they’re doing,” Phillips said. “They probably did their job a little better, but the fact is that we wanted to go out there and compete. At the end of the day, we look back, like we always do.”

Guiler agrees, believing that it’s respect for other people that makes experiences more memorable. To Guiler, such a team effort is much more valuable when it is applied both on and off the court.

“The more experiences you’ve had in life, the more you appreciate people,” Guiler said. “It’s so easy to get caught up in your own routine, but you should always carve out time for people. Because, after all, it’s the people around me that make these experiences.

“When I look into the future, I hope I’m humble enough and faithful enough to constantly invest time in people and allow them to make an impact in my life.”

Here’s a statistical look at some of the present and future basketball Hall of Famers coaches Guiler and Phillips went up against in their high school and college days

Karl Malone • Status 6’9,” 250

pounds, forward • College Louisiana Tech University • NBA career Jazz/ Lakers • Stats 25.0 PPG, 3.6 APG, 10.1 RPG

Lebron james • • • •

Status 6’8,” 240 pounds, guard

and forward High school St. Vin- cent - St. Mary NBA career Cava- liers/Heat Stats 27.6 PPG, 6.9 APG, 7.2 RPG

Playing days story by Nabeel Muscatwalla and Cyrus Ganji, staff writers | photos courtesy of Dwight Phillips

Hakeem Olajuwon • • • •

Status 7,’ 255

pounds, center College University of Houston NBA career Rockets/Raptors 21.8 PPG, 2.5 APG,

11.1 RPG

Down, but not out

Ov

LION PRIDE The Lions’ basketball team got a pep-talk in a last minute time out at the ESD game Feb. 1.

After losing the game 4969, the Lions will shift their focus to the SPC championships next weekend at the Greenhill School.

r

remarker student newspaper

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

24

the back sports page the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

e r t i m e +21

goal differential for varsity soccer through 20 games

1079 points

scored by the Lions’ basketball team through 21 games.

8/ 8

records held at the Lewisville Swim Meet by the Middle School swim team

goals

0 allowed by soccer in the season’s first four counters

52 STUDENTS

signed up for track and field, almost 1 in every 7 Upper School students

twenty goals scored by senior Kareem Itani in 14 games played

55

%

of attempted three pointers scored by sophomore Umer Nadir in JV basketball

P L A Y E R

P R O F I L E

HIGH FLIER

the

Senior guard Kendrick Spraglin talks dunks, swag and playing the game he loves.

Q When did you realize you could dunk?

A Back in eighth grade. It was right after track season, and [senior] Tré [Walton] just told me to go for it. And after four times, I made it.

Q What does it feel like to dunk?

A In a way I feel like I’m floating or levitating and once I get to the rim, I try to slam and break the rim. But instead I just bruise my wrist everytime.

Q What is the favorite dunk you’ve done?

A It is just one I recently accomplished. It’s a selftossed alley-oop which starts with a high toss. Once the ball bounces back up near the rim, I put it in with one hand.

Q Where did ‘Kenny Swagglin’ come from?

A It’s an alter ego that I created. My whole idea of swag comes from a motto I live by which is Serve With A Gift. Whatever I can do to serve others I’ll do whether it’s being a good teammate, helping teammates or even playing with kids.

Q Who do you listen to before games?

A Kendrick Lamar just so I can vibe for a little bit and 2Chainz to get pumped up for the game.

Q What does it mean to be a senior on varsity after having been in the program since 7th grade?

A It means a lot. There were times I didnt think I would make it honestly. And I’m just happy to be able to help out the program regardless of my role.

DIAGRAM OF A DUNK Spraglin has been turning heads with dunks since ‘08. In order to make sure he gets above the rim (top), he does the following things: 1) Picks a spot of attack at the rim.

2) Picks a takeoff spot 3)Breathes and accelerates towards the basket.

4) Gathers and elevates.

5) Extends and then attacks the rim.

THE HIGH FLIER story by Alan Rosenthal, news coordinator and Charlie Golden, sports editor | photos by Michael Doorey, head photographer

a

parent TIM HICKS

“

I used to kid around that there are people who think the glass is half empty, and there are people who think the glass is half full. Well, he thought the glass was full, but it was full of something that was going to catch him on fire or explode. Page 3B

addendum special section

illustration zuyva sevilla

a remarker special section | St. Mark’s School of texas | Dallas, Texas | Friday, FEB. 8, 2013 | page 1b

Inside.

The school’s Counseling Office, through Counseling Director Barbara Van Drie, offers frontline assistance for students who may be facing challenging issues.

Professional counseling and advice is always available for any student in need. 2-3B. As a diagnosed medical disorder, depression can be treated in a variety of ways. Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center, discusses depression in society and its effects on teens and offers professional insight on various treatment methods. 4B. Editor Daniel Hersh shares his his personal experience with depression and how it has permanently affected his life. 4B.

eye into the

of the storm

Depression will affect one in every five teenagers. However, this doesn’t have to be a debilitating experience.

Centerspread, 2-3B.

a

addendum special section

[ EYE OF THE

THE REMARKER | Friday, FEB. 8, 2013

With deliberate and focused work,

Depression can be draining, numbing for teens.

But, with the right help and a will to get better, the pain and confusion can be worked through.

Senior Chris Hicks know that is true.

c

Chris Hicks couldn’t stop crying.

The 11-year old didn’t “have the sniffles.” He wasn’t “a little bit broken up.” And he wasn’t “kinda blue.”

He was sobbing openly as tears rolled down his cheeks, and his grandparents moved to comfort him.

It looked like a scene from beside a grave or a hospital bed.

But it wasn’t any of those things. It was a trip to the Dallas Arboretum with his family, and an outsider wouldn’t have seen a thing in the world that would’ve brought a fifth grader to those kinds of tears.

One year earlier, Chris’s mood and demeanor — things he could only describe as “bad,” “terrible” or “awful”— had his parents worried. Knowing that professional help could give him the opportunity to talk through some issues, Chris started attending therapy sessions with a psychologist.

But after months of therapy sessions, when fifth grade started, Chris’s general outlook on life only worsened.

“We were talking about the Holocaust a lot in humanities, which is really heavy stuff for fifth grade, and I just couldn’t deal with it,” Chris said. “These are things that, in a normal state of mind, wouldn’t set someone over the edge, but they made me feel terrible.”

The heavy subject matter exacerbated an already difficult situation. The Hicks’s yellow house cat, Max, passed away the previous April. The family had gathered at the vet’s office to put their beloved family pet down.

Following the advice of his psychologist, Chris and his parents sought the medicinal treatments offered by a psychiatrist.

“The first pet dying brings mortality into pretty sharp focus,” Chris’s father, Tim, who is band director, said. “Chris realized that things are temporary. That hit home pretty hard. Some people can weather that storm better than others.” medical disease, depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes mood changes and erratic thinking. Few know, however, that almost one in every five teenagers experiences depression before adulthood, making it more prevalent in young adults than the common flu.

Over the five months following Chris’s diagnosis with clinical depression, he began regular appointments with

A

An interview with Barbara Van Drie, counseling director

Help available here through services in school’s Counseling Office

PROGRESS Chris Hicks doesn’t let his continual work with depression define who he is.

What’s the Counseling Office’s role in treating illnesses like depression?

The first step is to diagnose what’s going on, how serious it is, and whether something needs to happen within the next 24 hours or within the next week. It’s triage just like walking into the emergency room, except it’s not always an emergency. It’s figuring out what we need to invest and what are the appropriate next steps.

What kind of things could be handled here?

It might be, ‘I’m not doing well in English class, and I need help digging out,’ that may be something I

can help out with. Or if it’s, ‘I’m under a lot of stress today and can’t bear it today or this hour.’ It just depends.

We’re kind of the front line. That’s kind of what we do here.

Why do so many depression cases go untreated?

I think it’s very difficult for people to assess themselves. Part of it is you’ve gone a step into diagnosis that I think most people have a difficult time knowing, and it’s situational so people who are in the midst of it have a very hard time seeing. People can be very depressed and not really know it even if they have knowledge of depression and what those symp-

‘Most people, when they think of depression, they think of people being sad and curled up in the corner and crying, and a lot of times depression in male adolescents expresses itself as acting out behavior.’

toms are.

What changes ronment?

Males have a d pression in ter is expressed, s cause of the e because we’re with males. Mo think of depre being sad and and crying, an sion in male ad itself as acting How willing ar receive help?

Everyone h

EYE OF THE STORM story by George Law, deputy managing editor and Rachit Mohan, special proje

pages

THE STORM ]

Chris Hicks has left behind what he calls the ‘spirals of hopelessness.’ the psychiatrist. For Chris, the diagnosis was a huge first step on the road to recovery.

“There’s some relief that comes with just knowing the diagnosis,” Chris said. “But if it’s something that you generally don’t want to hear, then it’s pretty nerve-wracking.”

Tim reflected on the frightening experiences of watching his son go through the various treatments and resulting mood shifts as he began to tackle the steep learning curve that comes with this disease. But through Chris’s struggle, he also slowly realized that there was an important role for him and his wife as supportive parents.

“There was trepidation on all our parts,” Tim said.

“Until we realized that if this was asthma, we would go get him an inhaler. It was a cold slap in the face: it’s not worth all the consternation. If medication will help, then we need medication.”

Chris started taking anti-depressants and felt a slight difference in his demeanor a few weeks after his first dosage. But the pills had an additional side effect: self-doubt.

“When I first found out I would have to take pills, I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me?’” Chris said.

“Everyone in the family told me I’d be fine, and I was just like, ‘I might be fine, but I’m still going to have to take these pills.’”

Chris says the pills help him cope, but they aren’t a solution. He stresses the importance of changing his mentality and taking control of his situation.

“Even now, when I take them, it’s not about ‘do I feel better?’” Chris said. “It’s not like the pills just make everything better. They just kind of level you out. If something in your life is going badly, even if you’re taking the pills, it’s still going to be bad.” he pills correct the chemical imbalances in the body. These slight chemical alterations allow Chris to think less erratically, but Chris knows the pills aren’t a depression panacea.

“People call them happy pills, and it’s extremely uneducated because you can’t just take pills to make you happy,” Chris said. “You have to help yourself, too.”

Chris had to not only change the way he thinks but also the way he approaches day-to-day life. He and his father refer to Chris’s way of thinking as “catastrophic.”

“For a long, long time, even after he started medication, a bad situation in his mind could snowball to a very bad conclusion,” Tim said, explaining his use of the term “catastrophic thinking.” “These kind of illogical, gloom, doom, death and despair things. I used to kid around that there are people who think the glass is half empty, and there are people who think the glass is half full. Well, he thought the glass was full, but it was full of something that was going to catch him on fire or explode.”

This potentially treacherous downward spiral

T

s in an all-guys envi-

different type of exrms of how depression so that plays a role beenvironment we’re in and e in a culture that deals ost people, when they ession, think of people d curled up in the corner nd a lot of times depresdolescents expresses g out behavior. re most people to

has a different thresh-

frightened Tim, but through careful and determined steps, Chris has figured out how to save himself from what he calls “spirals of hopelessness.”

The solution for Chris comes from in a shift in his thought processes. He has to focus on the short term to avoid the spirals that come from thinking about the nebulous long term.

“He was made to stay in the moment,” Tim said.

“Working on the next 24 hours. Like they say with alcoholics: one day at a time. He was able to dig himself out of a fairly deep hole, and it got his confidence up to the point where he knew he could do it on his own.” ow, seven years after his diagnosis — seven years of trying to find the perfect doses and seven years of battling the emotions that took him by storm on that gloomy day at the Arboretum that so drastically changed the trajectory of his life, Chris admits that it still hits him at times with overwhelming force.

Chris knows overcoming depression is an ongoing effort, and he must constantly be aware of his mindset.

Now, he is emotionally and chemically stable, but that crucial stability didn’t come without a physically and emotionally arduous journey, he says.

“My grades weren’t great,” Chris said. “Teachers would pull me aside and ask me if I was sure I wanted to go [to school] here. If you think like me, and you think catastrophically, being here doesn’t really help.

There’s always something on the back of my mind that I’m dreading.”

Things got worse freshman year. He was constantly reminded of the implications of his high school work. His schoolwork now counted as part of his permanent record for college, which now loomed just four years down the road.

“Freshman year came with a lot of baggage,” Tim, a faculty mentor, said. “The baggage of starting high school and the Pecos and college. I don’t want to come across like I don’t think that’s important, but sometimes there’s too much pressure placed on young men here.”

Avoiding work altogether because he just didn’t want to even think about the pressures, Chris reached out for help towards the end of his freshman year. “[School counselor] Ms. [Barbara] Van Drie told me that I wasn’t going to have any distractions for the last 30 days of school,” Chris said. “She told me it had to happen for me to do better.”

“It was really difficult, but I’m glad I did it because I don’t enjoy putting off what I need to do anymore.

That makes me feel bad, and that’s a good thing.”

Through his 26 years of teaching, Tim has seen every kind of kid go through the high school experience.

He suggests the burden of pressure that St. Mark’s places on its students’ shoulders may be too heavy. He says that some students are better at handling that pressure than others, a fact that is often overlooked.

“This place puts such a high premium on success

N

old for how much they want the school to be involved with their personal problems. It’s a fine line, and I think that in mental illness more so, it’s a fine line between being helpful and being intrusive. I think it’s important to know where the line is and it’s not at the same place for every person.

How ready do you think we are as a student body to deal with depression?

Difficult things are happening all the time, and that’s life. But some people have the coping skills to deal with it. Bad things happen, but the support system’s in place. They em-

ploy the coping systems go in place.

But you guys don’t have a lot of life experiences to have those coping skills. We don’t have classes for that.

What’s something that concerns you as far as the way the school deals with depression?

There are a lot of people here.

Is everybody getting help? No. Are some people isolated that need help?

Yes. That’s what concerns me. A lot of the time, you guys are really good at helping each other out, but there are occasional cases that are isolated and outside of our support system.

Those cases are the ones that worry me.

ects editor | illustration by Zuyva Sevilla, staff artist | photos by Michael Doorey, head photographer

that we don’t really talk about failure here,” Tim said.

Keeping close communication with his support system and working hard to think positively, Chris has crafted a new approach. Tim has watched his son mature, endure and find successful methods to focus on the present.

“Things have gotten significantly better in the past few years,” Tim said. “In Middle School and freshman year, Chris thought he was not only alone going through this, but also the only person to have ever gone through this. Now, he realizes how wrong that was.”

Now Tim uses his knowledge and his experiences with Chris to keep an eye out in his classroom for any red flags that suggest another student is having similar problems.

“People used to just say, ‘Oh, this is their teenage years,’ but I don’t think any [teachers] do that anymore.

I often see kids that need help, and I bring that to the attention of Ms. Van Drie or the head of school. Sometimes this place squashes the kids here and expects every student to shoulder the load evenly, and that is unrealistic.”

Chris gives Van Drie a lot of credit. He recognizes her essential role in our community, affirming she is here primarily to care about the students — that she goes out of her way to understand and help students.

“It’s more than my job,” Van Drie said. “The practice of my profession is to provide care and support to students who will trust me to assist them. That’s a privilege. I understand how rigorous our school is, how difficult life can be, and I know it’s hard to reach out for help. My hope is that every student who could use some help, will reach out.” ith the guidance of Van Drie, medical treatment and hours of therapy, Chris has reached a point where he feels comfortable sharing aspect of his life. He’s not embarrassed, and he’s happy to use his knowledge to talk to someone who he thinks might be suffering.

Specifically, Chris and his father want to put an end to the stigmas that exist about the medical disease, especially any that may exist here.

“People are just afraid and embarrassed that asking for help is a sign of weakness,” Tim said. “They want to handle it themselves. Eventually they are gong to come to the realization that they can’t handle it themselves, or they don’t have to. People need to understand that they aren’t alone in this and don’t have to be.”

Looking back over his journey, Chris accepts that the road was tough and often unpleasant. But from the journey, he found a new identity. He has transformed from a self-doubting, catastrophic thinker to a confident student ready to embrace the day.

“People think that depression’s a horrible thing, and, yeah, it’s not great,” Chris said. “But it certainly doesn’t define me.”

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COUNSELING OFFICE School Counselor Barbara Van Drie (above) heads an office that includes Dr. Diedre Edwards, coordinator of academic support and Susan Alterman, administrative assistant.

2B, 3B

addendum

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the remarker | Friday FEB. 8, 2013

4B

One of ‘those’ people

Hersh

T

hat cold, ignorant Facebook message slapped me across the face.

“He just seemed too happy to be one of those people.”

One of those people.

I shivered.

Just a few years ago, I would have classified him as one of those depressed, suicidal people without giving it a second thought.

Who are those people? The depressed? The nutjobs? The drug addicts?

“That’s your response?” I typed back. “One of those people? Graham just hanged himself. And that’s your response?”

One in the morning on a summer night isn’t how you’re supposed to find out about these things. You’re not supposed to find out about a friend’s suicide on Facebook.

Allison tried to re-word her message in defense.

“He just seemed so outgoing. I didn’t expect that from him.”

This re-do didn’t help her cause.

Infuriated, I tried to explain to her the facts of depression and suicide.

“It really can happen to anyone. Even if they seem fine on the outside, you don’t know what they could be dealing with on the inside.

They are people, too. Just normal, everyday people.”

“Oh, ok,” she replied. That’s all she could say.

As much as I tried to “educate” her with my angry Facebook chats, my frustration couldn’t be satisfied. I wanted to close my computer, go to sleep and forget this ever happened. But I couldn’t.

Our chat ended as abruptly as it had begun, leaving me staring at Graham’s Facebook page.

An icy wisp of air seemed to brush over my back as I read each post.

Words of support and sorrow seemed to come from every one of his 1280 Facebook friends, who left hundreds of messages in his honor.

“RIP Graham, I love you.”

“I’ll miss you forever.”

I was finally getting over our conversation.

Each post seemed heartfelt and genuine. I began

Ask the expert | Dr. Madhukar Trivedi

Professional

opinion

Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, professor of psychiatry, researches depression and treatment at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Special Projects Editor Rachit Mohan discusses everybody’s role in the challenges of depression with him.

How do most cases of depression come to you?

In the saddest cases, people come to us after attempted suicide or other depression-caused trauma. Mostly, parents talk to us about it. The ones who are active come and tell us their kids have changed habits, they don’t listen, they don’t interact with friends any more.

How do you differentiate between ordinary mood swings and depression?

Think of it like a rubber band. We all get stretched, but we are resilient, and we return to our natural state. Unfortunately, sometimes for whatever reason, we

RENOWNED Recently featured in The New York Times for his published research, Dr. Trivedi (right) works with scientists across the nation to find cost-effective solutions for mental illnesses.

His work on overcoming depression through exercise therapy won him the Psychiatric Excellence Award in 2002.

Dr. Madhukar Trivedi

don’t revert back. This is the key to depression. When there’s a prolonged reclusive behavior, or any of the other symptoms, then we have a potential case of depression.

Is that it? Exercise and get rid of stress?

Even if we go down the list and get rid of a lot of stress, there are exceptions. There is no depression vaccine. That’s part of what makes it dangerous. It comes from anywhere to anyone.

What causes depression?

Burdensome stressers like relationships

and poor performance at school are certainly a contributing factor, but there is a definite attribute of genetic predisposition. In addition, those who have suffered a physical or emotional trauma are more inclined to demonstrate a tendency to become depressed.

What attracted you to depression psychiatry?

Depression is just such a horribly prevalent and crippling issue that causes so much suffering and pain to those affected that I knew I wanted to be a part of the solution that lessens the impact of depression.

Does the stigma against depression affect depressed teens?

Teenagers often try to mask their behavior.

They detach themselves from their sources of help, and that makes it more difficult to get through to them. This factor makes it all the more important to deal with the teenager and report or discuss his tendencies and not just ‘let him or her go’ as society tends to advocate.

Obviously, you can’t treat everyone. How do you feel in the unfortunate cases when things don’t go quite as well as you’d like?

When we fail, and it happens, the crippling sadness because of the firsthand nature of my profession reinforces the importance of what we do and really make me keep striving to improve the treatments that we have.

What moments make the job worth it for you?

When a patient recovers from a period of extreme depression and incapacitating pain to a happy, fulfilling state of life, I cannot think of a more rewarding experience for me.

How does teenage depression differ from adult depression?

Society tends to ignore and write off teenage depression as common and ordinary. If a child loses interest in something, people attribute it simply to one of the many changes that happen during teenage years. That’s what makes teenage depression so crippling for us we can’t be everywhere monitoring depression. If people ignore it, depression doesn’t get treated, and that’s what makes teenage depression unfortunate; people ignore it.

to feel better.

I was scanning each message until I came across a post from Allison.

“The worst ending to a perfect day. RIP Graham.”

I wanted to throw up. She didn’t care for him or his family. She just thought he was one of those people. Just a crazy person. Just a momentary thought in her otherwise uneventful day. She didn’t care. She thought he was a nutjob.

I wanted to drop it and go to sleep. But something kept me up. Something that I knew but didn’t want to admit.

I knew why the phrase “those people” affected me so much. What bothered me was that I knew I would have said the exact same thing about Graham. Just a few years ago, I would have classified him as one of those depressed, suicidal people without giving it a second thought.

It would have been easy.

But I couldn’t.

Because my mom is one of those people.

Rising numbers

23 9.5% percent

The rate of increase in depression among children

of the U.S.population is affected by a depressive disorder

20 04 percent

over

Daniel

the increase of people who are diagnosed with depression

each year

percent

of pre-schoolers are clinically depressed

Pre-schoolers

are the fastest growing market for

anti-depressants

121 million people in the world are living with depression

80% of depressed people refuse treatment

SOURCE upliftprogram.com