The ReMarker | April 2020

REMARKER S T. M A R K ' S S C H O O L O F T E X A S • DA L L A S , T E X A S • V O LU M E 6 6 , N U M B E R 6 • A P R I L 9 , 2 0 2 0

C O V I D - 1 9

Hitting home On March 12 at 5:20 p.m., Marksmen across the Dallas area saw the same message across the school website: Upcoming Campus Closure. Campus activities, classes and special events all canceled for the unseeable future. With each hour that passed from that day, coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected community members more than they ever could have imagined.

See coverage, pages 12-17

STORY Sam Ahmed, Colin Campbell, Sid Vattamreddy, Christopher Wang PHOTO Charlie Rose ADDITIONAL REPORTING Sam Goldfarb, Ishan Gupta, Aaron Thorne, Paul Sullivan, Wallace White

DON'T MISS

Senior section • From first grade to the defining moments

of senior year, we reflect on the stories that have shaped the Class of 2020. Inside

One for the ages • Sights from the annual STEM festival March 5-6 where several distinguished guests attended classes and panels on campus. Page 9

More than just a fan •

Junior Aaryan Puri fell in love with Star Wars at a young age, and his passion has led to an incredible collection of memorabilia. Page 28

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@remarkernewspaper

• Podcast: In-depth conversations concerning all sorts of topics focalpoint on iTunes/Soundcloud

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

• More content:

smtexas.org/campus-life/10600

Inside ISSUES

Young alumni spotlight

The breakdown on teen driving

What are Marksmen up to in college?

• Covering the high insurance rates, parent anxiety and teenage adrenaline that comes with driving as sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Spencer Cheng ‘16 has set up an online ordering system for the Cheng-family-owned Frisco Fresh Market, located at 9215 John W. Elliot Dr. in Frisco, TX. As a result of the COVID-19 developments, Cheng and his family wanted to create a way for customers to get the fresh produce they needed while still being safe. The system opened up April 2 after two weeks of the market being closed.

DISCOVERIES Math by hand vs. tech

• Finding out how technology has changed in math classes, discoveries editor Cooper Ribman take a deep dive into the topic.

10600 • After the Oct. 20 tornado derailed plans for this year ’s McDonald’s Week, the Junior Class came together to problem solve.

• “I hope it will be remembered as the year we bounced back, as a success, how it was surprising we were able to come back and have such an awesome McDonald’s Week.” — junior Gabe Bines.

how it works

CULTURE

Behind the scenes, literally

• David Hudgins ’83 describes what it was like being an executive producer for Friday Night Lights and what goes into making a TV show.

SPORTS Sibling rivals become teammates • What’s it like playing on the same team as your older or younger brother?

The Ardilas, Arroyos and Lazckowskis know.

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PICTURE PERFECT Before the pandemic, the Frisco Fresh Market had a bustling scene.

Marksmen must protect community

• As the COVID-19 pandemic infects more and more people, we must remember our responsibility to take the necessary precautions.

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“The idea originated with my dad. My brother and I are big users of Favor and Uber Eats so that influenced us too. As the owners of the market, we came up with this online pickup system, primarily so that we avoid safety hazards. With this, we are able to make it so that vendors aren’t near each other and customers aren’t close SPENCER to each other CHENG either.” ’16

ON THE SPOT The Cheng’s created this new system in order for their customers to still get produce.

McDonald’s Week

OPINIONS

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BULLETIN

• Instagram:

On a national stage • Jonathan Tjarks ’05 talks to The ReMarker about what it’s like covering sports at the professional level.

Basketball awards • Senior Andrew Laczkowski, junior Harrison Ingram and sophomore Colin Smith were named to the 2019-2020 private school boys all-state team by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

Additionally, Ingram was selected to the first team all-Dallas team by Dallas Morning News and named as a second team AllAmerican by Max Preps, both school-firsts.

In brief Editor’s Note: Due to the cancelation of major school events, briefs will not be featured in this edition of The ReMarker.

a.m.

p.m.

DIFFERENT OPTIONS Frisco Fresh Market’s website offers an easy interface to select different items to order.

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Go to friscofreshmarket.com/shop/

Pick the items you want to order

The site will give you a pick up time based on when you ordered, either on Saturday or Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Head to the market to get your personally packaged order at the given time

With all the fear, you really have to manage your mind. You really have to remind yourself of the truth. Yes, it’s horrible for some. For many people, it’s not deadly. I hope people can feel hopeful of surviving if they get it. I just feel so grateful and thankful.

— MOTHER OF SENIOR LINCOLN DALES, JUNE DALES ON HER EXPERIENCE RECOVERING FROM COVID-19 STORY ON PAGES 12-13.

From the headmaster

Comments from Headmaster David Dini on the transition to online learning.

On Commencement

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We’re going to have graduation, and I hope it’s on the date that we have scheduled on the calendar, but obviously, none of us can predict where we’re going to be. The only thing we’re doing is planning for every contingency.

On online learning so far

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We have taken a lot of input from the surveys and also talk about what kind of structure would be sustainable if we end up having to go online for a longer period of time. So we need to continue to build on what happened in the first couple of weeks.

On asynchronous learning

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We wanted to still give students flexibility in the schedule. By layering in one contact period, it was designed to be a resource for students and teachers to ask questions, make sure things are moving forward and also just to catch up and connect.

On what’s important now

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Our main goal for the balance of the school year is to focus on meaningful engagement and progress.

Our focuses are on health and wellbeing of students and teachers, content curriculum and focus on sustaining relationships.

ISSUES THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

Marijuana

Privacy

The fight and obstacles to legalizing marijuana.

Page 4, 5

How does 10600 Preston Rd. protect its students online? Page 6

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TEEN DRIVING

Rubber meets the road

JUST A TAP For many teens, even the slightest accident can cause a sharp rise in insurance rates.

Every day, new drivers hit the road.

What should they know about insurance?

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unior Matthew Schopmeyer had been carefully navigating the highway that summer morning in his Hyundai.

At one point, he realized he needed to change lanes. He turned on his blinker, checked his blind spot and began to maneuver his vehicle into the left lane.

A large Toyota truck suddenly veered into his lane without any signal and smashed into the driver’s side door of Schopmeyer’s car.

He was okay. But once he got out of his car, all Schopmeyer could see was his wrecked 2012 Hyundai Sonata sitting in front of him.

••• After months of back-and-forth communications, Schopmeyer found himself locked in an insurance dispute.

The first thing he made sure to do was to contact his insurance company which gathered information from him about the crash.

“I did two phone interviews with the insurance people,” Schopmeyer said. “I had to send them all my information, and they had their own. What happens with insurance is they collect all the information, they interview you several times and then they take it to the company.”

Jerome Garza ’76, who started learning about insurance policy during an internship at State Farm and while working at Farmers Insurance Group, believes honesty is crucial to successful applications.

“Always tell the truth,” Garza said. “When you’re talking to an agent and they’re asking questions, they have access to all your records. It could mean that a company won’t cover you because you haven’t been truthful in your application.”

Schopmeyer’s insurance agents then made a decision based on the collected information.

“Your insurance agents will talk with each other,” Schopmeyer said. “They’ll decide what they think. And then if you disagree with that, you send it up the ladder and the people who deal with it keep getting higher and higher. I had to do that three times.”

While he was eventually found completely free of responsibility for the accident, Schopmeyer feels his age disadvantaged his side of the dispute.

“It was a long process because of my age,” Schopmeyer said. “Teenage males are obviously gonna have the highest insurance rates. While they did eventually find that it wasn’t my fault, it took them a lot longer than I think it would have if I belonged to a different demographic.”

Garza noted insurance is always more expensive for young people because they tend to have more

Post-crash

After an accident, it’s often hard to react appropriately. Here’s a four step checklist.

Source: State Farm

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RELAX. Stay calm and handle your vehicle carefully. Make sure to pull over as soon as it is safe to do so. Anxious or uncontrolled driving after the collision will only make things worse.

accidents.

“Anytime you are under the age of 21 for men, and 18 for women, you will have to pay more,” Garza said. “For some reason, females are considered better drivers than males. At least that’s the way they price things.”

While teenage rates may be higher, Garza believes an entirely different insurance plan for a single teenager is not the best option, as companies determine the pricing based on the entire family.

“When choosing your insurance, companies look at your household, in which any family member can be given the right to drive that vehicle,” Garza said. “Even if your family were to put you on a different plan, rates would go up for everyone simply because a driving-age teenager is part of the family.”

As a younger driver, Schopmeyer ANYTIME ONE GETS A TICKET, quickly learned TRY AND FIGHT TO GET it’s always smart to contact your IT THROWN OFF YOUR parents right RECORD AS OPPOSED TO after a crash JUST PAYING THE FINE. IT MAY to get advice TAKE TIME AND EFFORT, BUT on what to do.

He called them IN THE LONG RUN IT REALLY immediately after HELPS LOWER ALL YOUR FEES. the crash for help.

— JEROME GARZA ‘76 “They seemed very concerned,” Schopmeyer said. “It’s a scary thing, especially because of where my car was hit. And it happened early in the morning, too. 8:30 a.m. I’d say.”

While it may be any teenager’s instinct to worry how angry their parents will be, often if he or she isn’t at fault the insurance company doesn’t ever find out about it.

“Anytime one gets a ticket, try and fight to get it thrown off your record as opposed to just paying the fine,” Garza said. “It may take time and effort, but in the long run it really helps lower all your fees.”

Schopmeyer learned a lot about the court system regarding car accidents through his experience.

“What was surprising to me is that you should never say sorry,” Schopmeyer said. “If you say sorry, then you’re admitting blame. The first question after you get in a wreck should be, ‘Are you okay?’ I’d say the most important thing is to keep a level head and be careful about what you say in those situations.”

When asked about advice for parents choosing car insurance, Garza stressed the importance of

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BE FRIENDLY. Ask if they’re okay, but don’t apologize because it can be used to portray you as being at fault in court. If someone is injured or if one of the cars is significantly damaged, immediately call 911.

Don’t hesitate, someone’s life could be on the line.

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finding a company with a good record of paying after accidents.

“Bigger insurance companies tend to be more consistent,” Garza said. “Although sometimes one may consider them to be more expensive, they always pay if something occurs. Smaller companies may give you a good deal right then, but there are so many exemptions in their policies that could cause you to end up without their coverage.”

Junior Alexander Emery also has experience with car insurance and legalities. After getting caught speeding on his way to school, Emery was pulled over by the police and given a court date to resolve his ticket.

“When they handle speeding tickets, especially for minors, they invite a bunch of kids to the courtroom on the same day,” Emery said. “So I was in there with maybe 20 other kids who had all had speeding tickets … some of them got their tickets dismissed, others paid a fee and others, like myself, took a driving safety course to get the ticket dismissed.”

Luckily, Emery had prior Matthew Schopmeyer knowledge regarding his own Victim of a car accident insurance policies.

“I also knew a bit about my insurance beforehand because I’m responsible for having enough money to pay my deductible in case I do get into a crash,” Emery said. “So that’s something that I had to save up for before I could start driving.”

Emery’s choice to do the driving safety course benefited his documentation with his insurance company.

“It was a six-hour online course where the website counts down to make sure you do enough time,” Emery said. “After I did that, as long as I don’t get a ticket in the year since I completed that course, my ticket is dismissed, and it won’t go on my record.”

Above all else, Garza emphasizes the importance of buying full coverage in the event of an accident.

“The state of Texas has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country,” Garza said. “What does that mean? While you are doing your job and you’re getting coverage, there are more people out there driving who aren’t. So my advice is to get the full coverage. Get whatever you need in there because that way you are protected if there’s an accident.”

DOCUMENT THE SITUATION. Take pictures of all damage to your car and the other person’s car. Consider taking pictures of the driver’s license plate number and insurance card information so that you don’t forget them.

STORY Austin Williams, Toby Barrett ARTWORK Jamie Mahowald

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GATHER INFORMATION. Make sure you exchange names and phone numbers with the driver and gather the information of all present witnesses. Call their number to make sure their phone rings; you don’t want to end up without a way to contact them.

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Cannabis and the brain

by Cristian Pereira or the last 15 years, Professor and Director of Cognitive Neuroscience Research at UT Dallas’s Center for Brain Health Dr. Francesca Filbey has been studying cannabis disorder, a specific type of substance use disorder.

“We know that not everyone who uses cannabis is having problems related to cannabis,” Filbey said. “It affects only about 10%. As its use has become more permissive, I’ve become more interested in the effects.”

Filbey looks at brain structure and cognitive performance in her studies.

So what are the effects of something like cannabis on the brain? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t clear.

“It has been viewed by the DEA as a chemical with no health benefits,” Filbey said. “It has a high addictive property that research hasn’t really been able to study the effects.”

Since cannabis has been illegal in most places in the U.S. until recently, Filbey says that most studies have been forced to resort to users self-reporting information. Collecting data has been difficult.

“Having said that, we are finding that it does affect the brain,” Filbey said. “My work has shown that it actually does lead to similar changes in the network of brain regions that underly reward and motivation.”

Filbey says those neural networks are important for learning avoidance behaviors.

Cannabis use has also been linked to changes in brain structure.

“Areas of the brain important for motivation, like the orbital frontal cortex in the front of the brain, have reduced volume in cannabis users,” Filbey said. “Other researchers have found changes in cognitive performance — there have been differences in working memory, there have been impairments in decision making and there’s this group in New Zealand that found that those who started using cannabis while they were teenagers had a decreased IQ score than those who didn’t use cannabis as teenagers.”

However, Filbey says some people are more susceptible than others. Those considering using drugs like cannabis, especially younger people with developing brains, should be very cautious.

“It does have effects on the brain, and there are people who are going to be more vulnerable to those effects than others,” Fibley said. “While we know what those risk factors are, there isn’t a quick test to know your susceptibility.”

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DRUGS

Making sense of marijuana Not classified as a depressant, stimulant or hallucinogen, marijuana has a unique effect on the human body.

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ccording to the CEO of the Urschel Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), have “Taking the marijuana plant and Recovery Science Institute, Dr. attracted the most attention because of how extracting CBD is a pretty sophisticated Harold Urschel, the potency of they affect the brain. chemical process,” Urschel said. “And marijuana today is many times greater than “When you smoke the that’s why you can get some THC that of the past. actual marijuana, you’re still attached in your CBD. So “People think marijuana today is like getting a whole bunch of [businesses] sell you this oil as the marijuana of the sixties or the seventies different chemicals,” Urschel CBD, but there’s actually THC in Smoking with the hippies,” Urschel said. “That’s not said. “THC itself is the it.” weed true. Now it’s 30% pure [THC]. And then, if psychoactive — it’s essentially Even though CBD does you take the THC juice or oil and you put it a psychedelic — so it’s related have traces of THC in it, the in a vape, that’s 90% pure.” to LSD [acid] and mushrooms. two chemicals are used to treat In recent years, marijuana enthusiasts It activates certain brain chemicals, like different problems. THC is best for nausea, have extended their efforts for the dopamine, which is a pleasure system in appetite and glaucoma. CBD, on the other legalization of the drug beyond the your brain. And then there’s CBD, which is hand, is best for seizures and pain. therapeutic uses of the plant to complete a different chemical and, theoretically as far “About 70 to 80 percent of patients recreational use. But Urschel cites states as we understand CBD, it doesn’t get you with chronic pain will have insomnia that have adopted these recreational high – it activates a different brain chemical because the pain doesn’t allow them to fall policies like Colorado and Washington system.” asleep.” Zeballos said. “Or they may have in his argument against the complete anxiety or depression because of pain. And legalization of marijuana.

In Texas, the only way you can legally so, when I recommend CBD for them, it “Look at the data from Colorado and smoke marijuana is if you have intractable will not only help with the pain but also the Washington state,” Urschel said. “Crime epilepsy, a severe seizure disorder. mood, anxiety and sleep.” has gone up by like 70%. Traffic deaths According to Dr. Pablo Zeballos, who Since most forms of THC and CBD have gone up by 400%. [This is over five or works in pain management, there are only are not FDA-approved, the ingredients six years.] Look at the increased hospital 20 to 30 neurologists in the nation who can listed on a certain product may not be the admissions. Look at the increase of ICU prescribe medicinal marijuana. same ingredients actually in the product.

[Intensive Care Unit] admissions.”

“There was an act called the Texas Whether purchasing CBD oil, cream or Scientific evidence has shown that Compassionate Use Act in 2015 that pills, according to Zeballos, it is important the addictive properties of marijuana allowed for medical marijuana to be to get a product that is organic and are detrimental to the brain’s health and finally prescribed in Texas by physicians,” pesticide-free. composition, especially in those under 21.

Zeballos said.

“If you get CBD oil or capsules,” “If you took a bunch Unlike THC, CBD is legal Zeballos said, “it’s best to get it from a of Marksmen, say the tenth in Texas. reputable source that shows you that they For sports injuries, I grade, and they all started “CBD, since it’s not a have a third party, independent company would not using marijuana at the prescription, you can just buy or lab that will actually verify that what recommend CBD. Dr. Pablo Zeballos beginning of junior year, I over the counter,” Zeballos said. you see is what you get.” guarantee you that their GPAs “I don’t actually prescribe CBD, It is a Marksman’s duty to educate would go down,” Urschel I will recommend it for certain himself on both the benefits and detriments says. “It impairs your studying ability. patients. It’s not something that cures of marijuana and its different forms. Then, It impairs your memory. It impairs your everything or helps everything, but it does he must choose how he wants to respond to recall for tests, and then it impairs your help certain aspects of pain.” that information. motivation to study.”

Although CBD and THC are made “At the end of the day, Marksmen have up of the same atoms, they differ in their to decide.” Urschel said. “Do I want to Marijuana consists of 400 different chemical structure. And that minuscule make a decision to hurt my brain, as hard chemicals, but two chemicals, Cannabidiol alteration makes a big difference in their as I’m working at St. Mark’s, to achieve my (CBD) and the previously mentioned chemical properties. goals?”

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STORY Robert Pou, Henry McElhaney PHOTO ReMarker Staff

A MARKSMAN’S EXPERIENCE SMOKING POT Editor’s note The student who has provided these quotes shall remain anonymous in order to protect his identity.

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Schoolwork

I will usually hit my dab pen to get high every weekend. I try to lay off during the week so that it doesn’t affect schoolwork or anything like that.”

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Relaxation

I feel really light, almost as if I’m floating. It really mellows me out, and nothing seems very serious when I’m high. I’m really calm, and I can be perfectly content just sitting there and hanging out.”

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Amusement

Things get really funny, for whatever reason, and it’s pretty common to just laugh uncontrollably. Any lame joke or action could honestly just get me rolling on the floor.”

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Appetite

Food just tastes infinitely better, and my appetite while high is endless.

Anything that I can get my hands on: burgers, pizza, potato chips, anything, is way more delicious while high than while sober.”

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

ISSUES

MARIJUANA

Budding investments As an increasing number of states legalize cannabis, many are trying to take advantage of the growing market.

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t’s happening.

As more and more states legalize the production and sale of cannabis, eager businessmen and businesswomen are seizing new opportunities in the new market.

But why is there such a huge industry? And are there any risks to entering it?

•••

United States, Copperstate Farms.

Symington sells to 70% of the dispensaries in Arizona and even owns two dispensaries himself.

Symington is a strong proponent for the legalization of marijuana. A borderline libertarian, he believes that people, within reason, should have as much freedom as possible so long as their actions don’t In 1996, Fife Symington affect other people. was growing tomatoes, seedless “This idea that cannabis cucumbers, and colored bell peppers ought to be illegal is really in Mexico when the marijuana a societal construct that was legalization movement took off in his foisted on the American people home state of Arizona. A greenhouse a long time ago, and it doesn’t industry veteran, he was able to really stand up to any scrutiny,” immediately recognize the value of Symington said. “If you look the marijuana market. at the criticisms of cannabis “I was stunned at what I saw legalization, you can pretty much – an incredible amount of wasteful go right down the list and say all spending,” Symington said. I realized those things about alcohol.” that a lot of the first people to get into Symington says that the this industry were people that had stigmatization of marijuana probably been doing it illegally for a originated when bureaucrats in long time before or were relying on charge of enforcing Prohibition, people for advice that had been doing which was about to end, saw they it illegally. They hadn’t understood were about that a paradigm shift was to lose their happening.” jobs. To Symington saw that cost THIS IDEA THAT CANNABIS justify the of production, something continued OUGHT TO BE ILLEGAL IS he had learned a lot about existence in the vegetable industry, REALLY A SOCIETAL of their was going to become the CONSTRUCT THAT WAS salaries, he most important aspect of the says, they FOISTED ON THE AMERICAN marijuana business. created a PEOPLE A LONG TIME AGO. “Once marijuana marketing — FIFE SYMINGTON became legalized, I realized campaign very quickly that costs to convince would matter,” Symington the public of the evils of marijuana. said. “The person that can produce Like Prohibition, making a comparable quality product at the cannabis illegal doesn’t mean that lowest cost is always going to win. citizens won’t be able to purchase it.

When I saw wasteful and inefficient “Most people that want cannabis ways of producing the product at today get their hands on cannabis, exorbitant costs, it was stuff that I but they’re buying it from the couldn’t pass up. I felt like I had been black market,” Symington said. training for 20 years to do something “[Cannabis] is unique as a business like this.” from the standpoint that the market After some initial luck, already exists—all the people are Symington was able to quickly already educated on it. The net establish the largest cannabis benefit to any state that legalizes it is greenhouse operation in the United that it can regulate it and tax it.”

States.

Regulation is very important, “A company called Nature Suite, Symington says. Black market sellers the largest cherry tomato growers in don’t care who they are selling it to, the United States, announced they whereas regulated sellers can make were pulling out of a 40-acre glass sure their cannabis stays in safe greenhouse in northern Arizona,” hands.

Symington said. “Rather than having “If you go to a convenience store, to go through this process of finding they are going to card you because the land and getting it permitted they could lose their license if they and building the greenhouse and sell to a minor,” Symington said. “It’s the multiple year time horizon pretty difficult if you’re under age to that that would have taken, I was go and buy alcohol at a convenience able to go ahead and buy a tomato store because of that. The shop owner greenhouse.” has very much to lose and very The purchase of that greenhouse little to gain selling to someone they made Symington the founder and shouldn’t sell to. The drug dealer, managing director of the largest who’s already breaking the law by cannabis greenhouse operation in the

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STORY Cristian Pereira, Sid Vattamreddy PHOTO Creative Copperstate Farms

GROWING GREEN The legal marijuana market has steadily grown and is showing no signs of stopping.

selling it in the first place—he doesn’t care if you’re eight years old.”

Medical cannabis cultivator Cindy Sheffield says she entered the cannabis business after it helped heal her mother.

“I had a lot of people sending me messages saying, ‘have you thought about cannabis?’” Sheffield said. “I researched essential oils that could do the same thing that cannabis could do, and [my mom] was healed in less than two weeks and out of the hospital.”

That was four years ago. Now, Sheffield is founder and owner of A Maze of Grace, selling medicinal cannabis to dispensaries in Oklahoma.

“If they legalized [recreational use], I would support it,” Sheffield said. “I would sell to a dispensary regardless of if it was just for medicinal purposes for recreational purposes. It’s almost like a vitamin. I see it as a nutritional product.”

Sheffield also sees big economic benefits in legalizing cannabis. She believes that through sellers buying licenses and dispensaries to the high taxation that many states impose, the marijuana business would bring tremendous amounts of money not only to producers but also to the state in which it is legalized.

Overall, Sheffield has a positive outlook on the cannabis business as a whole, especially through homeopathic medicine, which is how she advertises her cannabis.

“When I go into these dispensaries and talk with the owners, they love to talk about the different patients that have been in,” Sheffield said. “[The patients] tell them about the different pharmaceuticals that they no longer have to take or how they were in a wheelchair and are now walking in with a cane. That’s exciting and encouraging to see.”

Prominent politicians and their stances on marijuana legalization FOR

the legalization of

marijuana for medicinal use only.

Donald Trump U.S. President

FOR

the legalization of

marijuana for medicinal use only.

Joe Biden

Democratic presidential candidate

FOR

the legalization of marijuana as well as its regulating and taxing.

Barack Obama Former U.S. President

AGAINST

the legalization of recreational and medicinal marijuana.

Te d C r u z

U.S. Senator from Texas SOURCE: ISIDEWITH.COM

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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ISSUES

ONLINE USAGE

Protecting your privacy

Marksmen spend hours on the Internet every day, and the privacy of their online activity and data is always at risk. How can they keep their online usage data safe?

TRACKING DATA People’s activity online is often at the risk of being seen, recorded and sold by internet-service providers and big tech companies for marketing and advertising purposes.

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s students increasingly turn to the internet for Although other schools may offer their students education and entertainment, they surrender laptops to take home and use, Marksmen must use their certain freedoms and risk their privacy online once own devices at home. they agree to the use policies that tech companies require.

“There are districts and schools that use Google And even when internet users are following all the proper products — some schools give their students laptops steps to protect their privacy, their online data is often still and Chromebooks to take home sometimes — and that’s in jeopardy. a different situation,” Tholking said. “We If a student were For example, the state of New Mexico don’t, as a school, require students at school taking home a school sued Google in February for allegedly to have a laptop for that reason. We leave laptop and doing collecting personal data, such as websites it up to the students to purchase their own other things, we can’t visited, search terms and YouTube history, and use their own because there are a lot of control it at home.

Kurt Tholking from students through school-provided scenarios and opportunities for students to Chromebooks and without parental consent. do a lot of things on a school laptop.”

Especially now with remote learning, When Marksmen are online at school, students are spending more time online than before. How their data is processed through the school’s internet. does the school protect Marksmen’s privacy, and how “When you log into a school computer at school, it should students use the internet safely? won’t matter where you are or how you’re connected,” ••• Tholking said. “You are using our school internet, which According to computer science instructor Kurt then is filtered so that data is not going anywhere. We Tholking, the school adheres to legal guidelines regarding have logs to see what students are doing, but that data is students’ online privacy. not used by anyone else except for the school.”

“We follow, as all schools are supposed to, COPA, the The faculty have the ability to track student’s online Child Online Protection Act,” Tholking said. “We have use with the devices used at school. several accounts, such as Microsoft and Google, where “For example, we have iPad carts in Lower School students are required to go online. It also applies to all and Middle School and now the laptops we have websites that we use.” available in Middle School for a class to use,” Tholking A fewer number of websites means less data to be said. “When they are online at school, the teachers and concerned about. students are monitored. That data is going through our “The school monitors and checks websites, and we school internet and is filtered and managed.” try to limit the number of websites we ask the students ••• to use,” Tholking said. “That’s why, especially now at the Middle School computer science classes emphasize start of remote learning, we’re trying to direct teachers to the concept that no one has true privacy online. only use websites, resources and materials that we have “As we go through digital citizenship here in Middle used in the past and not try to introduce new things.”

School,” Tholking said, “especially in fifth and sixth grade

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STORY Sai Thirunagari, Alam Alidina PHOTO Jerry Zhao

Vanderbilt University alumnus copes with two tornadoes during one school year: one in Dallas, one in Nashville

by Robert Pou and Toby Barrett ole Arnett ’19 is no stranger to tornadoes. In October, a cyclone swept through his hometown Dallas, and his college town Nashville was hit by a devastating twister in March.

Before the Nashville tornado, Arnett, a freshman at Vanderbilt University, was enjoying his spring break when his resident assistant, a fellow student in charge of underclassmen, asked him to take cover.

“I was actually in my dorm and about to fall asleep, and I was watching Hulu or something,” Arnett said. “And then my R.A. walked in and made me evacuate with everyone else on my building’s floor to the laundry room, and we just kind of waited it out.”

Arnett remembers how tense he felt sheltering in his dorm.

“I think it missed us by about a mile and a half,” Arnett said. “The thunder and lightning, I mean we could hear that for a while. It was a pretty bad storm.”

Arnett was impressed with the community response, specifically the “I Believe in Nashville” fundraiser for tornado relief.

“There’s a big movement called ‘I Believe in Nashville’ that emerged from it, where people volunteered and donated a lot of money,” Arnett

C

said. “The area that was affected was a poor neighborhood, and there wasn’t much they could do to combat the effects of the tornado.”

Arnett was also at Vanderbilt in October when he learned of the tornado that hit Dallas and his alma mater.

“I was actually with two other St. Mark’s alumni when we heard about it, and we were just looking at the big GroupMe and reacting,” Arnett said. “It was funny because we had fall break like three days from when the tornado hit and we had all planned on going back and going to the homecoming game.”

Upon his return to Dallas, closed roads prevented Arnett from attending a volleyball game at Hockaday.

“I tried to go to the volleyball game,” Arnett said. “But I live about 15 minutes east of St. Mark’s. All the roads I used to go westbound were closed so I physically couldn’t get over to Hockaday.”

Arnett is still stunned by the damage Dallas sustained.

“Even just being back in the Preston Hollow neighborhood, it’s surreal,” Arnett said. “It looks like a completely different place, the whole neighborhood with the trees being knocked down. The whole landscape has kind of changed.”

and a little bit in seventh and eighth grade, students need to realize that everything they do anywhere is going to be tracked.”

Companies and service-providers oftentimes have the ability to track online usage. While usage on campus is only tracked by the school, personal activity has less privacy.

“We try to educate students that when you’re outside of school, everything you do online is being watched and recorded,” Tholking said. “That goes all the way down to what websites you look at home on your personal computer — the school’s not tracking that, but Google may be.”

When students access various websites and services, they agree to certain terms-of-use policies outlined by companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Google.

“We want to make students aware, especially Upper School students, that they’re giving up certain freedoms and information when they do use platforms or different apps,” Tholking said. “They have to be aware — not necessarily having to read the entire acceptable use policy, but understanding what you may be agreeing to. When an app asks you a certain thing on your phone, don’t just blindly click ‘okay.’”

Tholking believes students should make a conscious effort to educate themselves about digital citizenship and online privacy in the current digital age.

“If students have questions, feel free to come talk to me or [computer science instructor Kendall] Murphy about what they should do or if they’re not sure about an app,” Tholking said. “We’re here to help you guys, especially at this time. Feel free to reach out to any of us if you’re unsure or have questions about your privacy online.”

DISCOVERIES THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

Battery recycling

STEM fest.

Eighth grader Baxter Perry-Miller and his battery collection project Page 8

Science Technology Engineering and Math conference photos Page 9

7

MATHEMATICS

From slides to screens

Technology has been created for used to assist people with calculations for as long as math has been done. How does older technology compare to new, high-tech calculators?

Trivedi still finds value in solving problems without a calculator.

“Although we can get annoyed by the fact that we don’t have a calculator to do these problems, often that is the purpose of the exercise,” Trivedi said. “With a calculator, you wouldn’t really learn anything, and math just becomes a subject in which you memorize formulas and plug them into a machine.”

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dreaded physics test.

Complicated problems, intricate math, the perfect mixture for a dayruining test.

Most are armed with a fancy new calculator that devours equations as fast as you type them in.

But not Suzanne and Patrick McGee Master Teacher in Mathematics Joe Millet.

He’s got a piece of wood and a plastic slider.

But Milliet and his slide rule are the best in the room.

••• Milliet experienced math before calculators were widely available to students.

“In eighth grade algebra I and in high school geometry, most computing was by hand.” Milliet said.

Reference tables were sometimes used to find specific information that could not be calculated by hand.

“If we needed a trig value (nonJoe Milliet special angle) for Suzanne and Patrick Mcgee geometry, we used a Master Teacher in Mathematics table of trig values,” Millet said. “In algebra II, the first two weeks of class were used to teach us how to use a slide rule at an exceptional level. You could still use log and trig tables if you wished, but those welltrained used their slide rules, which meant we studied logarithms in those early weeks as that is the key to how a slide rule works.”

Milliet was still in high school when calculators became more widely available for students.

“The first real ‘decent’ scientific calculators (they did more than four functions which meant they did trig, logs, etc.) came out when I was a senior in high school (1972-1973),” Milliet said.

“They were big and bulky and were mainly

embraced by rich kids who were not good with their slide rule or nerdy kids who just wanted them because they were available.”

Despite their availability, Milliet chose not to fully switch to a calculator while he was in college.

“I did use my slide rule all through college earning a double major in biology and chemistry in three years,” Milliet said. “Since I was at Tulane, a private school, many wealthy kids had a calculator and they were becoming better each day.”

However, just because someone had a more advanced machine, did not make them better at math.

“A machine (calculator or computer) is only as smart as the person using it,” Milliet said. “I remember walking out of my physics tests first, using only my slide rule, and getting the highest grade. My classmates with their fancy calculators who did not understand the physics or the math or both used to get very upset at that.”

Using alternatives to calculators comes with other advantages as well.

Slide rules don’t need batteries or chargers,” Milliet said. “I still have the one I used in high school and college. In fact, I still have the one my dad used in high school and college back in New Orleans in the 1930s. It still works perfectly.”

Junior Varun Trivedi, a member of the Math Team, has worked extensively with calculators in his time as a student, and agrees that it takes more than just a calculator to solve complicated math.

“Obviously, calculators cannot be used to solve most problems in class to completion –– you have to think a bit,” Trivedi said. “You still need to know the fundamentals to manipulate them. But, they take away the trivialities of multiplying numbers, finding intersections, etc. that I already know how to do, speeding up the actual process of solving the problem.”

Despite the many advantages they offer,

Later versions of the calculator became more and more powerful, and saw more and more use.

“The calculators really changed from the betterment of the scientific calculators of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s (which became smaller and smaller with microchip innovation) to the launch of graphing calculators in the early to mid-80s,” Milliet said. “These really revolutionized the use of calculators as not just computing devices but as serious teaching tools.”

Milliet took advantage of the educational opportunities that calculators provided when he began his teaching career.

“I got one of the first TI-81s (precursor to what students use) and fell in love with the way it could help students learn,” Milliet said. “Once again, using them as a replacement for knowing the math did not work. However, teachers and students who understood A MACHINE (CALCULATOR OR the math COMPUTER) , IS ONLY AS put them to great use in SMART AS THE PERSON ways folks USING IT had never — JOE MILLIET thought of before.”

The version of calculators most students have now, the TI-84, is significantly more advanced than the version Milliet was first introduced to.

“The current graphing calculators our guys use have more computing power than those computers that used to take up a building and they are far faster,” Milliet said.

These new advances in computer technology have made some parts of mathematics fall out of use, not limited to the physical aspects.

“There are some things that are no longer needed, and we have let go of those things even though the math behind them was beautiful,” Milliet said. “One of the lost skills is arithmetic at a high level. Yet, even simple arithmetic skills have been lost by many.”

However, this technology provided some opportunities that would have been impossible before.

“New opportunities in math instruction provided by modern calculators and computers include tackling computations in real-world applications that in the past would have taken far too long to be worthwhile,” Milliet said. “High-speed computing is everywhere including the algorithms used in investing. If you are more efficient and faster (remember my high school example), you are better in this day and age.”

STORY Cooper Ribman ARTWORK Jamie Mahowald

‘‘

OLD VS. NEW Calculators are the newer technology, but are they truly better?

70

percent of U.S. schools require graphing calculators for precalculus classes

42

percent of U.S. schools require graphing calculators for Algebra II classes

SOURCE: ERIC.ED.GOV

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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DISCOVERIES Senior qualifies for national physics exam

by Cooper Ribman enior Nicholas Tsao qualified for the United States National Physics Olympiad (USAPhO) by passing the qualifying score of 16 out of 25 on the f=ma exam.

Many upper school students took the f=ma test Jan. 28, but Tsao was the only Marksman to qualify for the next round of competition.

The USAPhO was scheduled to take place April 2, but was canceled due to the Coronavirus.

“On March 17, the organized committee decided to postpone the USAphO to April 28, but now it seems that might not work either.”

Tsao said, “They might postpone it further or hold it online or possibly even cancel it completely.”

The competition is organized by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), and is taken annually at St. Mark’s.

“Here on campus, the test is coordinated by Mr. Houpt.” Tsao said, “Any upper school student can take it, but the majority of the people I’ve seen do it have been juniors and seniors.”

Despite his success, Tsao does little test-specific preparation for the competition.

“I don’t really do too much prep for it compared to some other competitors out there.” Tsao said, “I read a textbook during the summer between sophomore and junior year, and I did practice questions, but that’s about it. The rest of my knowledge comes from school classes and just absorbing information from whatever I run into, whether it be wikipedia or Youtube or something else.”

S

THE RIGHT PLACE Perry-Milller makes sure that batteries are disposed of properly.

CONSERVATION

Eighth grader honored for environmental work

Eighth grader Baxter Perry-Miller was awarded the William T. Hornaday award for conservation by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for his work starting a battery recycling project in his neighborhood.

T

he headlines seemed to never stop: Perry-Miller’s decision to focus so much on conservation In the modern world, electricity is required to sustain stems from the enjoyment of being outdoors with his family. many activities whether computers or calculators. The “I have always found great pleasure in being outdoors,” most concentrated form of electricity available commercially Perry-Miller said. “For years, my family has been involved in a is a common household item, yet every day tons of these are quail conservation group, so I gravitate toward finding ways to thrown out into landfills, leaking toxic chemical and metal solve and work on conservation issues.” waste into the environment. One eighth grader decided to Perry-Miller has also had to deal with the common change this. challenge of balancing school work and outside activities like Eighth grader Baxter Perry-Miller recently won one of the his conservation work. most prestigious environmental conservation awards “I finish my schoolwork in BSA. The William T. Hornaday award has first then spend time When I learned that I been presented to less than 1,100 recipients who on weekends or after could pair my Eagle have dedicated themselves to learning about and my homework working Scout project with a protecting the environment. In Perry-Miller’s on the battery drive,” Hornaday conservation project, I knew case, he started a battery drive.

Perry-Miller said. instantly that’s what I Perry-Miller’s idea for the project when “When we drop off wanted to achieve he saw the rechargeable battery depository at batteries at the Dallas Baxter Perry-Miller Lowe’s, he had a flash of inspiration.

Chemical Collection “I realized that there wasn’t a place for Center, we drive over non-rechargeable batteries to be disposed of properly,” Perryafter school since it’s only open Miller said. “When I tossed used batteries in the trash, I some days each week. This forces subconsciously knew it wasn’t right for them to go to a landfill. me to have to use my time wisely.”

That’s when I knew that a battery drive would fit perfectly into a Hazardous Material Disposal and & Management category Despite the fact that his current for a Hornaday Project.” project was his own idea, PerryPerry-Miller knew instantly what he wanted to do when Miller has had support from his he saw that he could do an Eagle Scout Project and Hornaday family and many other dedicated conservation project at the same time. conservationists who share his “When I learned that I could pair my Eagle Scout project enthusiasm for the environment. with a Hornaday conservation project, I knew instantly that’s “My dad has been involved what I wanted to achieve,” Perry-Miller said. “I have worked with Park Cities Quail for as long on conservation in different areas for several years so this was a as I have been alive,” Perryvery exciting goal to me.”

Miller said. “Along with Mr. Joe Perry-Miller’s first project in addition to the battery drive Crafton and Boone Pickens, I consisted of building four wooden bins for the Trinity River really admired their dedication to Audubon Center and working on eliminating trash on the finding a solution to the decline Audubon trails in order to preserve the habitat. of native quail. In Scouts, I have Despite the hard work, Perry-Miller had a lot of fun during been inspired by Mr. Frank the experiences.

Cole who went to the Hornaday “I really enjoyed working on an award that is rarely Academy with me and has been accomplished,” Perry-Miller said. “I am so proud to have there to support me along the achieved this award and I was very pleased to work on it.” way.”

“

STORY Han Zhang, Ethan Borge PHOTO Courtesy Baxter Perry-Miller

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

DISCOVERIES

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9

STEM CONFERENCE

One for the ages

The Winn Science Center hosted its seventh STEM Conference, which brought notable scientists onto campus for a day of panels and lectures.

NEW HORIZONS Far left, Dr. Alan Katz, Chief Technology Officer of WR Hambrecht & Co and ES Xplore Inc. lectures students on management.

Left, Nadia Butler Craig, an aerospace engineering student at Georgia Tech, explains what drove her to become an astronaut.

SPARKING IDEAS From left, Dr. Jodi Cooley, an associate professor of physics at SMU, explains her recent experiments to find dark matter.

A DAY OF EXPLORATION Above, Dr. Murat Çobanoglu, who is developing cancer research drugs at UT Southwestern, explains what drove him to study medicine and biology. Left, Dr. Çobanoglu and Dr. Cooley participate in a discussion led by Meyer Zinn ‘20.

PHOTOS Ben Hao, Courtesy Dave Carden and Dr. Bonnie Flint

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10600

World record The story behind Charles Nearburg ‘68 and his world record for fastest wheel-driven car on land.

Page 11

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

DINNER NIGHT Juniors Harrison Siegel, Jacob Bell and Fritz Hesse enjoy the dinner night sponsored by the Preston and Royal Shake Shack.

A fraction of that night’s revenue went to McDonald’s Week.

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CHARITY FUNDRAISER

A week to remember

After the traditional McDonald’s Week was canceled due to the tornado, the juniors found a way to bring the ‘McStarWars’themed event to campus.

LUNCH TIME Students on campus await the free food for lunch provided by McDonald’s on Central Expressway and Royal.

Donations were accepted for Austin Street Center.

fter the Dallas tornado struck Oct. 20, the “Everything was brand new and on the fly,” Bines McDonald’s on Preston and Royal was left said. “In years past, it was like, ‘Here’s what can happen. destroyed and in dire need of serious repairs.

Here’s the template. Now you get to design it.’ This There was no way McDonald’s Week, an annual Junior year was completely different in that we had to solve Class tradition, would happen there this year. all new problems. We had to completely design a new Even though the Junior Class members had already McDonald’s Week, and we had a lot less time, too.” begun preparations for McDonald’s Week — the video To rebuild momentum, the co-chairs and class committee having started filming, the t-shirts committee sponsors reached out to everyone involved with the week. working on designs — McDonald’s Week co-chairs Gabe Milliet took the process step-by-step as he contacted the Bines, Jamie Mahowald and Jack Palmer had to put a stop sponsors in Preston Royal who had given money for a on everything they had planned.

T-shirt logo to see if they wanted Milliet to return their But in the face of adversity, the juniors still managed money. to make McDonald’s Week a success, raising over $13,000 “They all generously said, ‘No, keep the money and and accomplishing their ultimate goal. give it to Austin Street,’” Milliet said.

To support the Austin Street Center.

Despite the uncertainty and added stress the ••• Junior Class members faced, the co-chairs’ mindset and After seeing the damage caused to the Preston Royal approach stood out to Pool. area, Junior Class sponsor Amy Pool doubted how a “They were really good about always trying to make different kind of McDonald’s Week would be organized. sure the message was one that was positive, whether it “I don’t think I was concerned that it wouldn’t was getting out in front of the class in a class meeting or happen so much as everything was put on hold and there talking to students outside of the class,” Pool said. “They were all these unknowns,” Pool said. worked really hard on putting a positive public face Junior Class sponsor Joe Milliet received affirmation forward.” that McDonald’s Week would occur in some capacity, but the details were still up in the air.

Because hosting McDonald’s Week on campus was so “As the days after the tornado progressed forward unconventional, the co-chairs had to schedule and make and we got back to school, I got the assurance changes to all the typical events on short from the administration that we would have notice. The dates for the car wash, dinner a McDonald’s Week,” Milliet said. “But we all nights and morning events were subject to knew that it probably wasn’t going to be at change until the last minute, so the co-chairs Preston and Royal.” and subcommittees had to make adjustments The situation left Milliet, Pool and the coas needed. chairs with two main obstacles: figuring out “It actually worked out very well where to host McDonald’s Week and how to for us because it could get everybody Joe Milliet provide food. engaged, especially with this new time Junior Class sponsor “We were really lucky the administration frame,” Mahowald said. “We had to sort was nice enough to let us use the Quad of wade through this series of business just in the morning and use the campus as our location,” approving things by the administration every single day.”

Palmer said, “so we’re really thankful for that. Another For example, according to the co-chairs, the public thing was figuring out what food to get — how to get relations committee acted quickly to create and distribute food onto campus and how to [make sure the food was posters and flyers with the updated information around McDonald’s]. Until the last minute, we didn’t know that campus and on social media, and the co-chairs had McDonald’s [on Royal and Central Expressway] could to move All-Day Day, when food and McDonald’s provide us with the food, which was insane, and we’re Week events occur during the whole school day, from super grateful to them.”

Wednesday to Thursday because of the weather.

After learning there would be another McDonald’s One of the benefits Milliet found from holding Week this year, the Junior Class members spent the event on campus was the level of convenience in November and December waiting for more information, participation. unable to set any plans in stone.

“All I have to do is walk out of my office onto the “You’re really in an awkward place when you start Quad to handle anything, and the kids are automatically something really big, then have to completely drop it and coming to campus for school, so the kids are coming to then take it up as it was before,” Mahowald said. “That participate,” Milliet said. was one of the hardest challenges for us, and we had to take that committee by committee.”

Milliet is grateful for a number of people who all played It wasn’t until January when the co-chairs, Milliet and a part in the success of the events, mentioning that Pool settled on March 2-5 for the new McDonald’s Week McDonald’s owner Roland Parrish played a generous role and kicked everything into gear in February. in working the committee to re-organize the event.

“We hadn’t spent a penny at his restaurant, and he still authorized all five of those nights,” Milliet said. “He couldn’t have been more generous as a philanthropist helping us with our support of Austin Street.”

Milliet also finds value in the event as a leadership opportunity for the Junior Class.

“The overall purpose is to support Austin Street, but what it does for the school at a very important time for juniors is the leadership emerges in the class,” Milliet said.

“Now I know going into senior year who I can count on.”

Pool says McDonald’s Week demonstrates the strength of the community at 10600 Preston Rd. “It reaffirmed how positive and supportive the St. Mark’s community can be when things aren’t going well,” Pool said. “Everyone was looking at this as, ‘shrug their shoulders and turn a positive spin on it.’”

Bines hopes this year’s McDonald’s Week will be remembered for the community’s resilience.

“I hope it’ll be remembered as the year we bounced back — as a success — how it was surprising we were able to come back after not even having the space it’s usually at and have such an awesome McDonald’s Week,” Bines said.

SCIENCE Chemistry teacher Ken Owens ’89 performs his annual chemistry show to students in the morning March 4. Students of all ages watched as Owens conducted the experiments.

STORY Will Pechersky, Sai Thirunagari PHOTOS Jerry Zhao, Collin Katz

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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11

WORLD RECORD

A deeper meaning I

INSPIRATION After maintaining its top speed of 422 miles per hour, Nearburg’s car – Spirit Of Rett (left), named after his son (right) – deploys its parachute at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah Sept. 21, 2010.

Charles Nearburg ‘68 always wanted to break the world record for fastest wheel-driven car on land. Doing it in a car named after his late son made it worth even more.

t was only six in the morning. The sun barely peeking over the horizon, but Charles Nearburg ‘68 had already been up for hours with his crew before sunrise.

Today is the day.

Years of work and hundreds of hours in the workshop, building and refining one of the fastest cars ever designed, would all culminate in these 80 seconds.

This is for you, Rett.

••• Nearburg’s passion for racing started in his early childhood when he was captivated by the sight and sound of cars. During his time at school, he would race go-karts on weekends as well as during summers. When he went to Dartmouth for college, Nearburg worked on his first race car, a Lotus Super Seven, during his free time.

“When I went off to Dartmouth, I didn’t have time to go racing, but since one of the degrees I was getting was an engineering degree,” Nearburg said, “I did manage to find time to spend in the machine shop to make parts for my first race car. That was a lot of fun. I had a spot in this machine shop where I could go and work in the evenings and use the equipment, so I basically rebuilt that whole car, upgraded all the parts and turned that into a good race car.”

After working on cars that were faster and more powerful than the Lotus Super Seven, Nearburg finished second in the Amateur National Championships at the age of 29. After a hiatus lasting nearly a decade during which he focused on building up his new company, Nearburg started driving for a team in California.

“I started doing a professional series out on the West Coast,” Nearburg said. “That culminated with getting to drive Walter Payton’s IndyCar in 1997. I also got to drive a Ferrari prototype at Le Mans[, France,] and finish fourth at Sebring[, Florida,] in a Mazda prototype.”

However, tragedy struck. Nearburg’s son, Rett, was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma — a cancer in a person’s

bones or the soft tissue around the bones, such as cartilage horsepower at various times as they go through their or nerves — in 1993 at the age of 10. gears. In drag racing, cars are at their peak speed for three After Rett’s diagnosis, Nearburg removed himself from seconds. Spirit of Rett, however, had to be at its peak speed racing to spend time with Rett and focus on his treatment. for 80 seconds, so extra work needed to go into designing.

Rett would eventually pass away in 2005, but Nearburg “I applied what I’ve learned racing IndyCars and was determined to ensure his memory lived on. The vehicle prototype sports cars to the driving of the car,” Nearburg that broke the land speed record was named Spirit of Rett. said. “It doesn’t seem like driving in a straight line is a big “He and I did a lot of car stuff together,” Nearburg deal, but on the [runway], it’s a different type of driving. said. “Dirt bikes, motorcycles. We’d always talked about There’s a lot of concentration and preparation to do going to Bonneville [Salt Flats, where land speed tests everything exactly right.” take place,] and had never been able to do it due to all the Nearburg and his team monitored conditions treatment he was always having to deal with.” at Bonneville for a month, with a trip in August for Nearburg began working towards a land speed record, preparatory work. When they returned in September, they putting aside racing. After research, Nearburg decided had one week to pick a day for their record attempt. to find a car aerodynamic enough to sustain On the day of the attempt, they set up the speeds of more than 400 miles per hour. car before dawn and started the first run as I thought, ‘If I’m going “To develop a car from scratch for soon as there was enough light to see. to Bonneville, I really Bonneville is difficult. You only get to run “You’re just gliding,” Nearburg said. want to do something in Rett’s memory.’ memory.’ I there a few times a year due to the condition “It’s unbelievable. There’s only seven of us really wanted to go of the salt,” Nearburg said. “I was fortunate to in history that have set a wheel driven record for big records. buy a car designed by an IBM engineer, and over 400 miles an hour. That was special to Charles Nearburg ‘68 [he’d] driven the car a little over 300 miles an become a part of that elite group.” hour. It had...real potential. I thought we could The first run reached 422 miles per hour take [it] and make [it] much faster.” with an average of 417. This gave Nearburg the confidence After five years of refining, replacing and fine tuning, that they could actually break the 409-mile-per-hour record.

Nearburg and his team had an efficient vehicle. Working The second run peaked at 417 with an average of 411. The with a firm specializing in automotive computational fluid two runs averaged 414 miles per hour, giving Spirit of Rett dynamics, they concluded Spirit of Rett had the lowest drag the title of fastest single-engine car Sept. 21, 2010. coefficient they had ever seen.

“When we got the record, everybody was ecstatic,” “The FIA record is really hard to set because you have Nearburg said. “It was the culmination of five years of to do two runs within an hour and that requires a car with really hard work and the perfect day. Before the start of endurance as well as speed,” Nearburg said. “The wheels every run, I say a prayer to Rett and remember him and ask are spinning at 5000 rpm and the motor is running at its him to be with me. I really felt Rett with me on those runs.” max for those two runs. That’s not a condition racing engines are typically exposed to.”

STORY Axel Icazbalceta, Jonathan Yin In traditional racing, cars are at their maximum PHOTO Courtesy Charles Nearburg

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Hitting home C O N T I NU E D F R O M PA G E 1

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has not only disrupted daily activities, but it has directly affected community members. We went in-depth with six different stories.

Seniors Daniel Ardila & Neal Reddy Both seniors stayed home on Thursday, March 12 instead of going to school but for different reasons.

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n avid fan of the Dallas Mavericks, everything seemed normal to senior Daniel Ardila as he watched a Wednesday night matchup against the Denver Nuggets.

Then came the news.

NBA franchise Utah Jazz’s starting center Rudy Gobert had contracted Coronavirus.

“We were just watching the game, and you find out Rudy Gobert has Coronavirus,” Ardila said, “and it’s just becomes a much more realistic thing.”

According to Ardila, this

Senior Daniel Ardila and his grandparents.

marked the moment he and his family took measures to protect themselves.

Ardila and his family took into consideration the health of his grandparents, who also live in Dallas.

“We started sheltering even before they canceled school,” Ardila said, “and that was primarily out of the precaution that one of my grandparents is diabetic and the other has some heart problems.”

To do his part to help out, Ardila has been assisting with chores such as running groceries and going to the pharmacy.

“We’ve been really connected to them, but they’ve definitely been a lot more restrained,” Ardila said.”

Ardila trusts the scientific community in determining the safest course of action for all citizens.

“Our duty is just to listen to the people who come from the scientific community because they’re the people that have studied the cycle in China,” Ardila said. “The quicker we can get rid of this, then the quicker everyone can come back to normal.”

•••

Life under quarantine is different for Senior Neal Reddy. He wakes up, completes his homework, exercises and talks with friends.

The normal kid stuff.

But at the same time, he’s nervous. Nervous because of the Coronavirus. Nervous because he happens to be immunocompromised.

Nervous, because unlike most kids, Neal has Crohn’s Disease and has dealt with cancer.

Having dealt with Crohn’s disease his whole life, his immune system is weaker than the average person’s.

“To control Crohn’s Disease, I’m on a medication that suppresses the immune system,” Reddy said.

“I had cancer sophomore year and some of the chemotherapy agents inhibit the immune system.”

As a result of his conditions, Reddy takes extra precautions in making sure he remains healthy.

Although Reddy remains cooped up in his house, he is holding up well mentally. He remains worried, however, about the future of the virus.

“I’m pretty nervous, but I haven’t done anything to put myself at risk and that’s a big reassurance for me,” Reddy said.

The best way Reddy believes Marksmen can help mitigate the spread of coronavirus is to take this quarantine seriously and maintain healthy habits.

“Follow every direction the government gives you and more,” Reddy said. “You might have to sacrifice something that you want to do and that’s in your self-interest, but it’s for the community. I think that people should really take it seriously. If not for themselves, then for people like me.”

Ultimately, Reddy believes that it’s the responsibility of Marksmen to protect everyone in the community.

“The reality is if you’re perfectly healthy, there’s a very real chance you get severely ill and hospitalized.”

Senior Neal Reddy

Steve Love

President & CEO of Dallas Ft. Worth Hospital Council grapples with how to prepare Dallas hospitals for the pandemic.

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ll Steve Love can do now is pray and hope. Hope that all his work has been enough.

Hope that he did the most he could on his part to slow the spread of the virus. And hope that Dallas doesn’t turn into another WuHan or New York City or Milan.

But even with all the preparation, it might not be enough. All of the work, the extra hours could be for nothing.

Right now, he feels like this is the calm before the storm. When hospitals are relatively free. When Dallas is “managing” the disease the best it can.

But all

Dallas Skyline

Love can do is hope and wait for the Love said. “Where we’re going to surge of COVID-19 to hit the place he be with the surge remains to be seen. and seven million other people in the That’s why we’ve done contingency area call home. planning.”

••• In terms of government Steve Love is the response, Love looks for President and CEO of help in three areas. the Dallas Ft. Worth “One with personal Hospital Council, and protective equipment, secthroughout the last ond with Ventilators and month or two, his work then thirdly, workforce,” Steve Love has completely shifted Love said. “The other Dallas Ft. Worth Hospital Council to prepare for one of the thing the government can worst pandemics in history. do is to be consistent going forward “We don’t know how far that in stay at home orders in how we as volume is going to increase; we hope a nation tackle this rather than do it that the stay at home orders, or differently in each region.” closing the restaurants have helped us to possibly flatten Love is hopeful that all of the meathat curve of demand,” sures that he and his team have made are going to be helpful in containing the virus.

“The real question is did we do some things early to lessen the infection rate,” Love said. “If we knew that answer, we could better understand what type of surge we’re going to have and when is it going to occur.”

June Dales Senior Lincoln Dales’ mom, June, was diagnosed with COVID-19.

O

n March 8, June, senior Lincoln Dales’ mom, flew into Park City, Denver to go skiing with her daughter. After a couple days, June started developing a cough.

The next day or so, she started getting body aches.

On the flight back to Dallas on March 12, June started feeling the chills, and when she got home, her temperature read 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

The next morning, she took matters into her own hands and called her doctor. Almost immediately after seeing her, her doctor thought it was just the flu or a different type of virus. But the tests came back negative. Still, June was sent home with flu medicine.

That Sunday night, her doctor called her back and said if she wanted to get tested for COVID-19, she would have a test available. By then, her fever was gone, and she was exercising regularly. Everything felt like it was going back to normal, but June still got tested for the sake of the people that were in contact with her, including her son Lincoln.

The test didn’t come back until the afternoon of March 24, but by then, June had already connected the dots.

The dry cough, the chills, the fever, the inability to taste or smell anything, the body aches. June Dales knew what it was before her doctor had to tell her anything.

She was positive for COVID-19.

••• For June, the moment she realized that she couldn’t smell or taste anything was the tipping point where she realized that she might be positive for the coronavirus.

Senior Lincoln “I could stick Dales and my head in bleach June Dales. and still not smell anything,” June said. “I started reading anecdotal information about people in China that couldn’t smell or taste either, and then, I knew I had it.”

June was actually glad that she had to wait until March 24 to get her results because by then, she already felt almost back to normal.

“When I did find out on March 24 that I had it, the doctor told me that this is unpredictable and people start to feel well and then they get worse,” June said.

“So I didn’t like hearing that. I’m glad I was well on my way to recovery by then.”

As for Lincoln, he was glad that they found out that she tested positive after she had gone through the bulk of the symptoms.

“I think the I JUST HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A news would have SINKING FEELING, BUT I KEPT been a lot scarier if REMINDING MYSELF OF THE the disease hadn’t HIGH SURVIVAL RATE. I DON’T run its course already,” Lincoln HAVE ANY BIG UNDERLYING said. “But she had HEALTH ISSUES, AND I WAS been acting comFEELING BETTER EVERY DAY. pletely normal and feeling pretty — JUNE DALES much fine aside from the inability to smell or taste.”

This experience was eye opening for Lincoln because he was able to see firsthand that it is possible to survive through this virus.

“For me to see someone like my mom to have Coronavirus and have it not really affect her life after a couple days, it was By the eye opening to me,” Lincoln said. “We numbers coronavirus consider ourselves blessed that it ran cases its course the way that it did and that she’s doing fine now and that the rest of us are okay.” cases in the After successfully battling COVID-19, June realizes that part of the United States battle is mentally preparing yourself.

“With all the fear, you really have to manage your mind,” June said. “You really have to remind yourself of the cases in New York truth. Yes, it’s horrible for some. For many people, it’s not deadly. I hope people can feel hopeful of surviving if they get it. I just feel so grateful and cases in Texas thankful.”

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274K 103K 6K

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

Junior Daniel Wu and his family

P

PERSPECTIVES

Owner’s of Wang’s Chinese Cafe, a restaurant located at 6033 Luther Ln., the Wu family adapts to COVID-19 challenges.

ansy Zeng can’t help feeling scared. She’s spent the For Wu, he never really started to understand the last hour or two cleaning, scrubbing and sanitizing extent and severity of COVID-19 until he saw the update every square inch of the restaurant. She makes sure on the website that campus was going to be closed the that every one of her delivery drivers is equipped with week after spring break. From that point on, he has been the essentials: gloves, face masks and hand sanitizer. working with his parents to adapt to these changing When they get back, she starts the process all over again, times in order to still keep their family business alive. making sure not to miss a single spot.

“Whenever people call for pick up orders, In January, she started hearing about the we ask them to wait at the front door, so we virus from her friends who were still living try to limit interaction as much as possible,” in China, but it didn’t really hit home for Wu said. junior Daniel Wu and his parents until March Zeng only really has two things on her came around, until their family restaurant mind right now as a small business owner: had to adapt to the changes. following the rules and surviving.

Making sure they stuck to the rules put “First, we have to follow the rules, and in place by the, Wu’s family started only second, we still need to survive,” Zeng said.

Daniel Wu junior serving takeout and delivery. Any time a “Luckily, we have been doing deliveries since customer would show up at the front door of we started the restaurant, so, basically, we the restaurant, someone would rush to the door to drop are luckier than other restaurants who only have dineoff the food, limiting interactions as much as possible. in services. We give each driver, face masks, gloves and The Wu family has done their best so far, but with hand sanitizer to make sure they have protection.” every passing day, their concerns pile on top of each As well as managing a small business, Zeng is also other, just like millions of small business owners across concerned about how Americans will perceive Chinese the nation today. people after this clears. Zeng is worried about comments All of them are wondering the same thing. such as “Chinese Virus” affecting her business and other How long can they go on like this?

Chinese businesses.

“We are concerned that this will make the people hate Getting in contact with friends and family members that the Chinese-American,” Zeng said. “We even worry that still live in China, Zeng started realizing the seriousness it will hurt the business too because people might start of this virus. avoid avoiding Chinese restaurants or Chinese grocery “Of course, we are even more scared than traditional stores. When the President calls the virus the Chinese American people because we knew the news from our virus, there is no way to avoid any relationship.” family and friends from China two months earlier than the Americans,” Zeng said. “And we knew how serious it Since the virus decreased the number of daily was. Even though Americans feel a little awkward when customers, Zeng has tried to keep positive and control they see people wearing face masks, people wear them everything that they have the ability to. With the drop in because they help stop the virus spreading.” customers, the Wu family has to count on the supportive

Senior Ricky Rodriguez

Senior Ricky Rodriguez’s award.

R

icky Rodriguez had made it. He’d sacrificed a lot for this—all the time and energy for production, the money for equipment, the relationships he’d been forced to let falter.

Every time Rodriguez had to tell his friends he couldn’t skate—he was filming, he’d try to catch up with them next time—he knew they might stop asking at some point.

But South by Southwest (SXSW) was worth it.

Building a name for himself—and something much bigger than himself—was worth it. Recognition at this festival, the screening of his film, would help build up the film program here, prove that it wasn’t just another fine art.

He was counting down the days until March 13, the day the festival was scheduled to start. One week before, on March 6, organizers canceled the festival.

All that work—never to be shown on the big screen.

A re-worked version of Rodriguez’s skating edit “1530” was selected to be screened at SXSW as one of the Texas High School Short films competition winners. Film instructor Jennifer Gilbert works with her students to submit contest entries throughout the year. “[SXSW screenings] are one of the biggest things that can happen for a film student,” Rodriguez said. “When I learned that I got in, it was a surreal moment. It’s not something you ever expect.”

The short film follows a group of skateboarders, Rodriguez’s friends, through the summer of 2017.

Their adventures, misadventures, challenges and successes are stitched together with minimal editing. All Rodriguez added was a voiceover to provide extra depth and context.

The film is what Rodriguez and other filmmakers consider an experimental documentary.

“I wanted to do an inside-the-mind kind of thing,” he said. “I wanted to shoot from a skateboarder’s perspective, to show the audience why they do what they do.”

Nationally recognized film maker copes with canceled festival.

Rodriguez recorded every shot on a handheld film camera, a Sony VX2100 with a fisheye lens, since it gave him the portability, flexibility and style he needed to capture each moment as he wanted to.

While shooting “1530”, Rodriguez found the intersection of two passions—his lifelong love of skating and a newfound interest in film. Since then, he’s found film to be the one that has stuck.

“Lately, I haven’t been skating,” Rodriguez said.

“It’s just film. Even if I’m not using a camera or editing something, I’m always thinking of film.”

He sees film as a path that will lead him to longterm success while letting him explore his interests.

“I don’t necessarily want to be a director in Hollywood and all that, Rodriguez said. “I want to do more experimental advertising, making stuff that looks impossible look possible.”

But that future he’s prepared to pursue didn’t come without its cost. Spending more time producing content like sports highlight reels and other videos related to school activities pulled him away from old friend groups.

“It’s been a sacrifice, especially this year when I’ve been shooting videos at school,” Rodriguez said. “Friends were still asking me to go skate, and I had to make the choice to tell them no.”

At the same time, Rodriguez knows Ricky Rodriguez senior that film has helped him grow, helping him become more creative and flexible.

When you’re first starting out, you think, ‘Okay, I have to get this exact shot this exact way,’” Rodriguez said. “But once you’ve had enough experience, you know you don’t necessarily need that. You can plan everything out to a tee, if you don’t have the creativity to adapt, it’s not going to be the product that you want.”

Rodriguez sees more than personal growth from this new commitment.

“This year, when I saw that had a chance to involve myself with the community more, like with those football videos, I kind of just took it,” he said.

“I knew that there are kids that want to do film, but they don’t think it’s cool or something they’re interested in because people don’t notice it in the same way.”

SXSW’s cancellation took away the opportunity for a high-profile screening, but Rodriguez is keeping perspective.

“Since SXSW was canceled early, I thought I was the only one really affected here so far,” Rodriguez said. “And then I realized no, that’s totally not true.”

acts of community members.

“We have several customers who usually come at lunchtime, and they come every other day,” Zeng said.

“And they ordered like $10 worth of food and left $20 and told us to keep the change. That’s very nice, and it makes us feel like we are not alone in this fight.”

With the immense amount of uncertainty and stress that Wu has about his family’s restaurant, the one thing that has had his back through this whole process has been his community.

“It definitely helps that we have a very supportive community,” Wu said. “Our class president, Aayan, the other day sent a message in the group for everybody in our grade to come support our family. I don’t know if he really understood how powerful that was. The fact that a lot of people in the community were still able to care means so much to me and my family.”

Even with all the support of the community, Wu’s mind often turns to the worst of possibilities.

“I know that my parents’ restaurant is the main source of income and main source of the money to pay for everything that I own and everything that I hold dear,” Wu said. “And that includes school, food and water, so I know it probably won’t get to the serious point where they are not able to pay for those things but in the case that they aren’t that just makes me so afraid that I’m gonna lose all the things that I love.”

Junior Daniel Wu’s family restaurant.

Spring Athletes Members of the varsity crew, lacrosse and track & field teams, react to their seasons being officially canceled by the SPC April 2.

Senior Christian Duessel, CREW

‘‘

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE YEAR WE PUT ST. MARK’S CREW ON THE MAP. WE DIDN’T GRADUATE ANY SENIORS LAST YEAR AND WE HAD THE STRONGEST ROWING MACHINE RESULTS IN SCHOOL HISTORY. WE WANTED TO DEFEND OUR STATE TITLE AND ADD ANOTHER YEAR TO THE BANNER. WE HAD BIG PLANS FOR NATIONALS, TOO.”

Senior Ryan McCord, LACROSSE

‘‘

I AM DEVASTATED ABOUT THE CANCELLATION OF THE SEASON. ONE MORE TIME WITH MY BROTHERS TO TAKE THE FIELD RIPPED AWAY

BY SOMETHING NO ONE COULD CONTROL. NO RE-DOS, NO RESTARTS, MAYBE NEVER GETTING TO PLAY AGAIN. I WISH I COULD GO BACK AND DO IT ALL OVER.”

Junior Kit Colson, TRACK & FIELD

‘‘

FOR ME, THIS JUNIOR SEASON WAS LIKELY THE MOST IMPORTANT SEASON FOR RECRUITMENT. WITH ONLY TWO MEETS COMPLETED, BOTH MY TEAMMATES AND I HAD NOT REACHED THE TIMES THAT WE WOULD BE RUNNING NEAR THE END OF THE SEASON...

MOST TRACK ATHLETES, INCLUDING MYSELF, WILL BE TURNING TO THE SUMMER.”

STORIES Sam Ahmed, Colin Campbell, Sam Goldfarb, Paul Sullivan, Christopher Wang PHOTOS Courtesy Ricky Rodriguez, Lincoln Dales, Daniel Ardila, Neal Reddy, ReMarker Archives

PAGES

14,15

Welcome to class The nightmare of the coronavirus (COVID-19) soon became a reality, and quickly, administration had to start the transition to online learning.

H

eadmaster David Dini walked into that meeting Thursday morning before school thinking that it was going to be a normal schedule the following day. Stepping out of the meeting to talk to different heads of schools, he quickly concluded that we were not going to be able to come back after spring break.

Dini walked out of the meeting that morning with a completely different game plan — a game plan that would shape the school’s history in the weeks to come.

During the week leading up to spring break, Dini and his team were vigilantly watching the coronavirus evolve in the United States, staying in close touch with the health department and preparing for the worst case scenarios.

“The news continued to change rapidly, and we started to see a significant amplification of concern about the spread of coronavirus across the country,” Dini said. “By mid week, we were even at the point where we were saying we hoped we could stay in school till Friday to get us to spring break, and that was our plan.”

Deciding to take that Friday, March 13, as a faculty inservice day to prepare the teachers to the transition to online learning, Dini knew that this would probably be the last time that he could physically have all the faculty and staff present on campus for the unseeable future.

“We made the decision that it would be better for us to not have school on Friday, so that we would have the faculty together to think about, to plan, to organize, to do some training and to prepare mentally and practically for the transition to remote learning and all the challenges associated with that,” Dini said.

infection disease specialist

Dr. Suzanne Y. Wada

Sam Ahmed: Could you explain social distancing in scientific terms?

Dr. Suzanne Y. Wada: The idea of social distancing (and being six feet apart) is that theoretically if you cough or sneeze, you won’t transmit the virus through respiratory droplets to another human if you are not in close proximity (at least six feet apart). Social distancing is difficult to do, but an absolute necessity in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

SA: What do you think about the response from the government?

SW: The message from the United States government, county and state governments needs to be transparent and uniform. When the message is not uniform, it is confusing and alarming to the public.

SA: Do you think people realize how bad this is?

SW: I think that in the last week or so, people realize that this is bad and could get worse. People are listening more and keeping social distance.

And we are all watching what is happening in Italy, Spain and, of course, New York City.

SA: What is your advice for every American and every human in this world to do their part in stopping the spread of COVID-19?

SW: Every individual, regardless of age, as best they can, must adhere to social distancing and shelter-in-place mandates to decrease the transmission of the COVID-19 virus from human to human.

At the beginning of the transition to online learning, Dini and his team decided that it would be best to start off with an asynchronous approach instead of holding virtual classes.

“The general philosophy and approach about asynchronous was designed to go slow to go fast,” Dini said. “In other words, we wanted to do things to establish a foundation that we can build on. We wanted to make sure we could create a foundational baseline that established meaningful interaction and delivery of programming content and curriculum that we could build on and enhance as time went on.”

duce a lesson that way,” Tholking said.

A lot of research and perspective went into the decision to start with asynchronous learning since adminThe Remote Learning Team, led istrators were in communication by computer science instructor Kurt with other schools across Tholking with five the country who had alother members, was ready started their remote created by the school’s learning programs. administrative team “We gathered a lot of out of the need to conperspective from schools stantly improve and all over the country,” Dini assess how the school said. “One of the things was doing in terms of we heard was try not to Kurt Tholking online learning. head of Remote Learning Team do too much too quick“Towards the ly. We wanted to focus latter end of Spring on asynchronous first because we Break, Mr. Dini and Mr. Ashton and believe we can do that and create a others decided we were going into baseline.” remote learning and they wanted to Announcing provide some support for the faculty late the afternoon of as they transitioned to remote learning and posting assignments entirely Thursday March 12 that there was not online, which faculty already do on going to be school a daily basis,” Tholking said. “They the following day, reached out to me and the rest of the Dini has emphasized team and asked that we guide the that he wants to hold faculty.” on to every possible Tholking, alongside Middle chance of having School Assistant Head Jason Lange, school and moving Director of Academic Information forward without this Systems Paul Mlakar, computer online switch. science instructor Kendall Murphy, “All the schools Eugene McDermott Master Teaching will end up in the Chair John Mead and makerspace same place,” Dini director Stewart Mayer, prioritizes said. “Our goal has contact between students and teachbeen to maintain ers despite the situation. maximum flexibility, “The main goal was to keep that so there’s probably a constructive engagement that we reason why we might have with the students on campus be later to make while we’re away so it’s not just announcements than posting assignments, but also using others and part of the technology, whether Facetime or reason for that is we Zoom or even just recording a video want to preserve evand posting it on Blackbaud so that ery opportunity that teachers can see a student’s face, we possibly can.” give a little more direction or intro-

HARD AT WORK A Middle Schooler works on his math homework while Zooming with his teacher.

FOCUSED Freshman Patrick Flanagan stars working on an assignment.

STORY Sam Ahmed, Colin Campbell, Sam Goldfarb PHOTOS Charlie Rose, Courtesy Dave Carden

THE TIMELINE December 31, 2019 Reported cases of pneumonia originating from unknown causes begin to emerge from Chinese authorities.

as of April 3 January 11, 2020

January 21, 2020

February 5, 2020

February 7, 2020

February 14, 2020

February 17, 2020

China state media reported its first death in Wuhan.

First confirmed case in the United States—a man in Washington state returning from Wuhan.

Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan quarantined thousands.

Covid-19 becomes the official name of the virus after proposal by World Health Organization.

France announces the first coronavirus death in Europe from an 80-year-old Chinese tourist in Paris.

Chinese officials draft legislation in an attempt to end the practice of eating wildlife.

The norm

new mal

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

PERSPECTIVES An overview of the new website 10600 and what to look out for every day.

Connecting the community

virtual pep rally,” Hopkin said.

“Chapel talks. Class meetings.

We’re trying to bring elements of all these things together.”

Evangelist and Trahan have also played an important role in promoting 10600 and developing its early content.

“We were asked if we could With the creation of 10600, Marksmen can continue make a welcome video and send to feel the deep rooted sense of community online. it to the communications office that night,” Trahan said. “Luke midst the confusion and represent the heart and soul of and I texted each other immediuncertainty surroundour community while we were ately to make it happen.” ing school cancellation, apart.”

Already experienced with campus leadership saw an With a clear vision estabmass communication with opportunity. An opportunity to lished, she brought in the rest of reconnect. To bring the commuthe communications team to turn students, the Super Fan Men are well-suited to promoting the nity together. To rally around that vision into a reality. website. Their leadsomething new and different.

“We started ership on campus It came in the form of 10600, building what the has already extended a new online space designed to page would look far beyond sports, accomplish those goals—and so like and had many so 10600 is a natural much more. Director of Commudiscussions about extension of their nications Katy Rubarth, along style and content role. with other members of the comand where to get “We thought our munications office and school submissions,” senior year would Ta y l o r H o p k i n administration, was instrumental Rubarth said. “We student council president go pretty smoothin its creation. went through many ly,” Evangelist said.

“The idea for the webpage iterations and, “but we were forced to step up came from [Headmaster David] finally—in a matter of days—we with the tornado, we’re forced to Dini and [Associate Headmaster felt it was ready to launch.” step up now. I think it’s for the John] Ashton,” Rubarth said.

Knowing that Marksmen better that the Superfan Men are “They wondered how to capture would quickly play their part taking this on and we’re not just some of things that were going in the website, Dini wanted to sports.” on remotely during the time we make sure that the platform was were away from our campus in in place before bringing students Throughout this whole tranefforts to mitigate the spread of in. sition, Dini has emphasized the COVID-19.”

“We know full well that you point of making sure that no one When deciding to form some guys are so strong and have so feels alone and that we continue sort of platform for the commuch initiative,” Dini said. “We to cultivate a community. munity to still interact during tried to create an organic frame“It’s about taking care of this time away from campus, work where there’s an overlay each other one day at a time, one Headmaster David Dini quickly between students and teachers step at a time, one boy at a time, realized that preserving the comand administration, working in one colleague at a time,” Dini munity of 10600 Preston Rd. was tandem and partnership.” said. “That’s why we felt like the vital to the transition into online Buy-in from students of all community piece had to be the school. ages will be cornerstone of all the work that “We can further facilitatwe were doing.” have all the I HOPE THE PAGE CONTINUES ed by student Associate Headmaster John content in the leadership.

TO COMPLEMENT [THE BOYS’] Student Council Ashton has watched the 10600 world, but if website transform from an idea we don’t bring GREAT WORK AND BRING JOY, president Taylor to fruition and is motivated by forward that Hopkin, Super HAPPINESS AND MORE CONwhat he has seen so far. community Fan Men Luke NECTION WHILE WE ARE AWAY. “10600 is becoming what piece, then Evangelist and we had hoped it would be when we’re missing NONE OF US IS ALONE IN THIS Jack Trahan, we came up with it,” Ashton what is the Senior class PANDEMIC. said. “What was resonant was real essence of president Colin — KATY RUBARTH how do we bring forward the our school,” Campbell and sounds of campus, the voices of Dini said. “Of course delivery of The ReMarker editor-in-chief campus, the laughter of campus, curriculum matters a lot, but at Sam Ahmed were all brought the spontaneity of campus to the end of the day, what you’re in to help fine-tune 10600’s students, faculty and parents going to take with you are the direction. again.” lessons, the principles and the “[Administration] has been Being able to have such habits and nobody can take that super flexible and willing to caactive student leadership, Dini is away.” ter to our requests to make 10600 able to see Marksmen embrace The creation process was an engaging website,” Hopkin the core values that the school rapid and intense. The team said. “We miss our friends, we instills in boys. moved from initial conversations miss our teachers, we miss not “Oftentimes you don’t see to a completed page in less than getting to interact with them in our values in action until boys a week. The site’s initial concept the same way. ” have graduated and they’ve was the most important to perHopkin plans to work with gone on,” Dini said. “This year fectly capture. the team to keep content fresh, we’ve gotten to see the Class of “We wanted to represent the varied and interesting so stu2020 live out our mission. It’s not voices that were usually heard dents and other members of the what you accomplish but who on the quad, in the Chapel, in the community have something they you are that counts the most and classrooms, on the playing fields, want to return to. we’re seeing this in abundance and in the art studios,” Rubarth “We want to make things right now.” said. “We wanted the page to like a virtual Friday assembly, a

Listen to Kevin Dilworth’s daily message on St. Mark’s Strong.

A

Check back daily to see the new daily message from around campus.

Listen to one of the school’s student-run podcasts.

Watch archived speeches and videos in Video Replays.

‘‘

February 19, 2020

February 21, 2020

February 23, 2020

First hundreds of passenger begin to leave quarantined cruise ship.

Iran confirms two cases of coronavirus in the country.

First major European outbreak observed from Italian surge.

February 24, 2020

February 24, 2020

February 26, 2020

The White House asks Congress for $1.25 billion to prepare for coronavirus response.

Iran begins to generate worry as another hot spot of the virus.

South America reports its first coronavirus case.

Look on The Classroom for a daily update from teachers and faculty.

Look under community support to find junior Shiv Yajnik’s Youtube channel with the goal of hosting a live stream to benefit Dallas homeless shelters.

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The reason why we put this together was because we were very concerned about the homeless, who are some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

— junior Shiv Yajnik

February 28, 2020 Europe becomes a further area of concern for virus spreading.

PAGES

16,17 THE FUTURE

Moving forward, a world changed

Economics insights from Professor Michael Sposi at Southern Methodist University

ISOLATED BUT TOGETHER The virus takes its toll, but the community has found ways to weather the storm together. Online Advisories will continue on Mondays and Thursdays through the video-conferencing app Zoom

overcome and adapt to

As the virus takes its toll on the community, we those challenges. struggle to re-adjust to a temporary new life and “The leadership ask questions about our future at 10600 Preston Rd. that you all have

E

repeatedly consistently very day comes with its own unique challenges and sets of circumstances, shown all year has just been incredible,” Dini said. “We’re getting ready to graduate so as the school looks to the an unbelievable group of alums that will future of online learning, 10600 and key always be deeply connected to the school. events, members of the community have You guys are an exceptional group.” emphasized the importance of taking it Even though Headmaster David Dini day by day and not worrying too much believes it is important to think and plan about the future. for the future, he wants to make sure that In terms of the classroom setting, he and his team are not getting ahead of Associate Headmaster John Ashton sees theirselves. multiple opportunities to take advantage “There’s no reason to assume of moving forward. anything other than we’re not making any “We’re starting now to look ahead adjustments to our plans for graduation at on what’s the next level or layer of this point,” Dini said. “When it gets closer structure, so that’s sort of a next phase to then we’ll start to make some contingency put another layer in and that’s the next plans, but at this point, we constant assessment,” are planning for the worst Ashton said. “This is a and hoping for the best.” fluid, evolving journey WE HAVE AN OVERARCHING When this is all we’re on together right GOAL OF BRINGING A SENSE said and done, Head now. We are constantly of Upper School Colin being deliberate to look OF COMMUNITY AND ALL Igoe is assured that the ahead and build forward THE THINGS THAT GO INTO community is going to to leave room to expand ST. MARK’S OUTSIDE OF JUST grow through this difficult in different ways.”

For 10600, the future SCHOOLWORK AND CLASSES. and complicated time.

“The worst thing we is limitless. One piece to AND WE’RE ALWAYS TRYING could do in my eyes would the puzzle that Director TO COME UP WITH MORE. be to let this moment break of Communications Katy — JACK TRAHAN what really strengthens Rubarth emphasizes is our community which is student involvement. the relationships and the values that we Those content submissions and other all share,” Igoe said.

“The fact that our forms of student participation will be humanity and our shared values are at the essential elements of the 10600 page. core of who we are just gives me so much “Students are key to this process,” confidence that we’re going to come out Rubarth said. “I want them continuously all the stronger.” engaged. I want them active in ••• participating with humor, enthusiasm, Suzanne and Patrick McGee Master creativity and honesty about what our Teacher Joe Milliet was at school all day on students and faculty are going through March 23, but there were no students, and during unprecedented times.” only a couple other teachers popped in Student Council President Taylor here and there.

Hopkin sees potential for the website to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins had last far longer than the pandemic might. just ordered that as of midnight, all indi“We have a lot of time to make this a meaningful site,” Hopkin said. “This could viduals in the county were required to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. be a page where students who missed an Milliet was scrambling through papers activity during the regular year can tune in his office and in his classroom, trying in—or even alumni missing St. Mark’s.” to find a collection of papers and mock exams that he might need to help his stuDini acknowledges the challenges dents keep up with their math studies. that have come with the 2019-2020 school For the first week of remote learning, year, especially for the Class of 2020 but Head of Middle School Dean Clayman also realizes how the class has been able to also tried to adapt with the new chal-

‘‘

lenges on the spot like Milliet. Clayman worked with teachers to make sure that remote learning focused on familiarity, consistency and support.

“Great efforts were made to present subject matter and assignments that were similar to the work done prior to spring break,” Clayman said. “In week one of remote learning, written instructions included greater detail about the content of the lessons, the processes to access information and submit work, as well as the specific expectations for the assigned independent work.”

Instead of writing on the board, Milliet has had to write notes on his tablet and then send them over to his students through email.

Through this method, Milliet makes sure to account for things that he might say during class and put them in his notes.

“Since you’re not there in the room with the kids, things that you might just say in class, you now have to put it in the notes,” Milliet said. “In other words, my notes that I send out are longer and more elaborate, because I have to say things in the notes that I might just say, verbally in class.”

In order to stay in touch with Middle chool students, the Middle School office sends out regular email updates to students, as well as student surveys that are designed to gather input about remote learning successes and challenges.

“This feedback is critical to ongoing efforts to optimize our remote learning program,” Clayman said. “Middle School Sponsors check in with their classes every week with activities like gratitude journals, joke of the week submission contests, short videos of encouragement, reflective questions, and more.”

Going forward as we continue remote learning here, Milliet has adjustments he wants to make, but after a week, he, like Clayman, is confident in how his students are responding.

“I can tell that most of my kids are doing their very best to try to do what we’re asking, and I know I’m working hard to try to deliver what they need,” Milliet said. “And I just think that for upcoming weeks, I want to keep information flowing. I want to keep the workload reasonable like I think I’ve been doing.”

COMMUNITY MESSAGE In time of stress and anxiety, members of communities across the country are letting people know it will all be alright in the end.

STORY Sam Ahmed, Sam Goldfarb PHOTOS Courtesy 10600 website, Sam Ahmed

THE TIMELINE February 29, 2020

March 3, 2020

March 11, 2020

The United States sees first coronavirus death from Seattle patient and announces travel restrictions to and from hot spots.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bolsters widespread coronavirus testing in the country.

President Trump issues a halt for travelers arriving in the United States from continental Europe.

March 12, 2020 The school announces its closing the next day in precaution and take to online classes the week of March 23-27.

March 13, 2020 President Trump officially declares a national emergency for the country from the White House.

Sam Ahmed: With the passing of this $2 trillion stimulus bill, how does this begin to help Americans?

Michael Sposi: The main thing is in the short run, to prevent financial fallout, and then also just in terms of keeping income flowing. Keeping companies afloat, giving them a sort of bridge to stay alive for another month, meet payroll so they don’t have to fire as many employees. If companies fail, then the workers wouldn’t have a job to go back to after this is all over.

That’s kind of the key economic trade off in thinking about what kind of policies to design. And so that will speed up the recovery after, so giving money to businesses is a little bit more forward looking in the sense that when this is over you want a quick recovery.

SA: Congress has made a point to act quicker and pass a stimulus package that was bigger than what was passed in response to the 2008 financial crisis.

Do you think the government has had a better economic approach to this crisis compared to 2008?

MS: Well, they’re very different. So the source of the shock is very different in 2008 this originated in the banking system with bad assets and bad loans and so it started there, this shock is very different where it’s starting in the service sector of the economy.

One thing I think we did learn a lot and you see this more on the monetary policy side with the Federal Reserve responding much more quickly, opening up new programs or resurrecting some programs that they created back in 2008 to prevent a potential banking crisis or financial crisis. I think we’re a lot smarter on the monetary policy side.

SA: What would you want to see from congress in order to make sure the economy doesn’t go into a depression because of COVID-19?

MS: What’s happening is we’re patching symptoms. Economic fallout is a symptom of the underlying problem which is a virus.

And so these policies like reinforcing social distancing is fine, from a health perspective but at the same time, the social distancing is precisely what is crippling the economy.

I think the right policy measures should be putting government resources into getting test kits and trying to find all the positive cases and quarantine those people so we can get this out quicker than we’re currently doing it. I don’t really see any real action that’s convincing me that the government is doing a good job of dealing with the source of the problem.

SA: How will out economy adapt once we are past the peak?

MS: How quickly the economy recovers really depends a lot on how long the social distancing or other related kinds of measures are in effect.

The quicker this is over, the faster the recovery because companies will still be there, people can return to their old jobs. The longer this is prolonged, more companies are going to fail. When it’s all over, we’re going to have to restart businesses and these things just take a lot of time so that would definitely slow down the recovery.

That’s another reason why my opinion is the appropriate policy actions are to go directly after the source of the problem rather than patching the symptoms of the problem.

SA: What do you see as the economic fall out of all of this? What do you and your colleagues predict will happen for American in the next two, five or ten years?

MS: Whether this changes people’s views about certain types of policies, I think that’d be a big thing and how that plays out in the election and then ultimately into new bills that are going to be popping up in Washington. I think those are the sort of long run things that we may see change.

I don’t know if we will, but I think this is going to be on people’s minds a lot faster, after this is over.

March 20, 2020 Headmaster David Dini announces an extension of online classes an additional week, lasting until April 3.

March 21, 2020 Non-medical companies begin to help produce medical supplies for hospitals around the United States.

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

PERSPECTIVES

Many college seniors will miss graduation, a landmark event 1

by Sid Vattamreddy earing your name called before you walk across the stage in front of your whole class. Accepting the piece of paper that represents what you worked so hard for these past four years. Celebrating with your family and friends one last time before you enter the workforce.

That’s what graduation was going to be like for the members of the Class of 2016 as they neared the end of their college careers. Instead, that night in May will be nothing like what college seniors imagined.

Anvit Reddy ’16, a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, was on vacation with classmates when the news was announced and remembers the initial feeling when he first heard classes would be cancelled for the rest of the year and graduation would not take place as planned.

“My friends and I were all just completely in shock,” Reddy said. “Everyone realized what exactly that meant immediately.

All the senior spring festivities, seeing everyone off, getting to hang out with your college

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friends for the last time, we wouldn’t be able to do that anymore. It was a huge shock.”

After UPenn, the first university to cancel in-person graduation, many other colleges followed suit, including Stanford University, where Mitchell So ’16 is currently a senior.

“My first reaction was more disbelief than anything else,” So said. “I couldn’t imagine having an online graduation.”

Though So understands why the ceremony he was so looking forward to had to be cancelled, he’s still disappointed at the way he’s ending his college career.

“It doesn’t make it any less frustrating to hear, but I think the university is making the right decision,” So said. “Traditional graduation would put many at risk.”

Like So, Reddy agrees with his university’s decision but says the lack of the ceremony makes him feel an incompleteness to his four years at the school.

“Even with what they plan to do in the fall, by then everyone’s going to be in different stages,”

3Reddy said. “Some people are

going to be working, some are going to be in grad school and even if they do something in the fall, it can’t replicate anything close to what graduation would have felt like.”

After having his last couple of months in college torn away, So wishes he had cherished his time on campus more.

“It makes me wish I had spent more time with my friends,” So said. “Spent more time appreciating the campus and exploring the area. My plan was to load up my winter quarter and have a super chill senior spring, but now my ‘super chill senior spring is all online.”

Reddy compares his college graduation to Commencement at 10600 Preston Rd. and knows his college time will feel incomplete without that ceremony.

“I think about how much St. Mark’s graduation meant for me and the rest of the Class of 2016,” Reddy said. “There’s nothing we can do about it.

It is sad, and it’s going to feel like there’s a hole in such an amazing four years.”

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6 ONCE IN A LIFETIME For many college seniors, they may not have another graduating memory as Anvit Reddy ’16 had with his younger brother Anshu.

A conversation with school nurse Julie Doerge about steps we can take

CREATIVITY Many student performers took to different methods to ensure a fun, unique Coffeehouse event from host Will Mallick (top left), senior Ramsey Beard performing guitar (top right), freshman Aadi Khasgiwala performing cello (bottom left) and senior Camp Collins singing (bottom right).

Fine Arts Board seniors help lead final Coffeehouse online

by Ishan Gupta n a Wednesday morning, Fine Arts Board co-chairs Judson Dommer, Henry Exall and Will Mallick checked their phones to see a message in the senior class GroupMe. It was Student Council president Taylor Hopkin, announcing that in two days – Saturday, March 28 – there would be an online Coffeehouse.

“We had already finished our last Coffeehouse,” Dommer said. “We had done two, and we weren’t planning on having any more.”

The three seniors didn’t have to step in, but they decided they Hopkin shouldn’t have to figure out the process by himself.

So they offered to take over the reins. With one-and-a-half

O

days until the video was due, Dommer, Exall and Mallick were going to have to make the Stuckin-the-House Coffeehouse.

“It wasn’t horrible,” Exall said. “We know a lot of the consistent performers who would’ve been good for a video because we’ve worked with them. In that way, it probably would’ve been tough for Taylor to do on his own.”

It’s tough to compile video performances starting Wednesday morning up until Thursday night. The group emailed the entire Upper School, sending out GroupMe messages and, of course, contacting the people they knew best.

“A lot of people we contacted were people who consistently perform,” Exall said. “So we just

said, ‘Hey, we’re doing an online one this time around. Can you put something together?’”

Although the group had already done their last Coffeehouse before the recent online version, they had already thought about doing another special event to end the year properly. Whether it was a late night on the Quad or a Friday assembly with the entire Upper School, Dommer is glad they were able to do something during the final weeks of school.

“It’s good more and more people are getting out of their comfort zone and performing at Coffeehouse,” Dommer said. “It really is a unique opportunity that might prepare you for college, and even though it is scary, it’s a neat experience.”

Wallace White: What are you currently working on for the school?

Julie Doerge: I’m working on a COVID-19 return to school plan. The last time we had this issue with this kind of threat was when we had the avian flu.

WW: What is the best preventative measure?

JD: Because there’s currently no vaccine to prevent the corona virus, the best way to prevent the illness is to avoid exposure to this virus. So we want to avoid the respiratory droplets that can land when somebody coughs near us.

WW: Are face masks necessary for everyone?

JD: At the moment the government is trying to decide about rolling out a new face mask recommendation for us, obviously heretofore they’ve said no face mask and everybody has been out wearing face masks, much like we saw on many parts of Asia during these times.

WW: What are some things we hear very often but shouldn’t be overlooked or taken lightly?

JD: Avoid close contact with people and stay home as much as possible. Stay home when we’re sick. Cover your cough and sneezes, throw away the tissue then wash your hands immediately.

WW: Who have you been talking to about the disease recently?

JD: I’m doing my work remotely sitting here at the dining room table, Julie Doerge school nurse just like you guys. I listen to the CDC webcalls weekly on COVID-19 for practitioners. I’m on a conference call with the Dallas Health and Human Services with Dr. Wendy Chung, our chief epidemiologist here in Dallas, and all the private school nurses, on that call. And then we have a Zoom call, nurses, a meeting of all the private schools to debrief after that call. And then, obviously, various other calls we make weekly, and then any other calls that people have and constantly answering questions.

PHOTOS Courtesy Dave Carden, Anvit Reddy March 23, 2020

March 24, 2020

Prime Minister Boris Johnson orders a lockdown in Britain to further aid in the prevention of transmission

2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics delayed until 2021. This if the first time a starting date has been delayed.

March 24, 2020 Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson issues a stay-at-home order for Collin, Dallas, Denton, Kaufman and Rockwall coun-

March 26, 2020 Death count reaches 1000 people in the US alone, and officials say the peak is still yet to come.

April 1, 2020 Florida issues statewide stayat-home order after large delay in comparison to many other states.

April 2, 2020 SPC cancels all Southwest Preparatory Conference athletic competitions for the entire spring season.

April 3, 2020 Dallas County extends coronavirus stay at home order until May 20, prolonging social distancing protocols.

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Artist

Eagles

Buzz

Zuyva Sevilla ’15 walks us through some of his art.

Page 19

Orchestra instructor Sarah Choi was part of the orchestra for the Eagles.

Page 20

A look at the newest restaurants in the Metroplex.

Page 21

PRODUCER

At the top of the ladder After leaving his law practice, David Hudgins has established himself in the television industry as a screenwriter and producer, working on shows such as Friday Night Lights.

CULTURE THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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here’s a man sitting across from you.

He’s your average man. Nothing too special.

Wavy brown hair parted to the right. Glasses.

You ask him his name, what he does for a living.

He says he’s a lawyer. You take it for what it is and move forward with your day.

A few years later, you turn on the TV. The Emmys are going on.

And you see the same man. The lawyer sitting across from you a few years ago. But now, he’s sitting in Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

You rack your brain to remember what his name people. The writing was there, but it was also the skill “I’m not running any existing show at the was, but then the booming voice coming from your of showrunning — management — that I had. If you moment,” Hudgins said. “I’m creating new shows. I’ve television tells you. develop a reputation for being somebody who can got a show we sold to Amazon called The Finisher.

Nominees for Outstanding Drama Series. Friday deliver a script and manage a room and get along well I’ve got another show with the basketball player Steph Night Lights. Producer David Hudgins. with people, you can work forever in television in this Curry that we sold to Spectrum. And I wrote a movie ••• town.” last year that just got greenlit, so I’m busy.”

Leaving the comforts of 10600 Preston Rd. for Creating new, fresh ideas means discovering new Duke University, David Hudgins ‘83 had a few goals Perhaps Hudgins’ biggest break was landing a job on horizons, and Hudgins has embraced this reality by in mind, but none of them pertained to the television the critically-acclaimed show Friday Night Lights in looking to podcasts, producing his own country music industry. its first season. Coming off Everwood, Hudgins was podcast and converting another podcast into a show.

“I didn’t really have a plan other than wanting looking for another writing job, but he admits he “In the last year, podcasts have become very hot to go to a good school,” Hudgins said. “I got very wasn’t a fan of the now-Emmy-recognized drama. because it’s intellectual property,” Hudgins said. “It’s interested in politics. I majored in political science.

“I actually wasn’t that interested in Friday Night somebody creating content. As podcasts got more After I graduated, I got a job on The Hill working Lights because I grew up in Texas,” Hudgins said. “I and more popular after [The Serial Podcast] took off, for Al Gore, where I figured out the people in the knew the world. I knew high school football. I sort of studios started paying attention.” real positions of power were attorneys. So I decided felt been-there-done-that, but my agents kept pressing With all this work associated with his job, Hudgins I wanted to go to law school and that’s when I came me to go watch the pilot. I didn’t has his plate full, but he’s found a back to SMU.” want to do it, but they kept bugging silver lining, delegating some of his After pursuing law and spending a few years me. Finally, I saw it, and I was blown I LITERALLY DID FOLLOW MY jobs — including his country music in practice, Hudgins was content, but he still had away. As soon as it ended, I had to podcast — to his son, Brooks.

DREAM, AND IT WORKED OUT. something eating at him, and he discovered that work on the show.’”

“He’s very interested in writing something through a series of events.

Looking back on his decision to THAT TAKES COURAGE, BUT AT and acting,” Hudgins said. “He’s “I liked the law,” Hudgins said, “ but I didn’t love join the show, Hudgins says it’s an THE END OF THE DAY, I’M GLAD I a very creative kid. He knows a lot it. It wasn’t my passion. Around the same time, my incredible credit to have given what about music because he makes music DID IT BECAUSE I LOVE MY JOB older sister got breast cancer. She reminded me life was the show has done for his life. himself. I said, ‘I don’t really have AND I’M VERY HAPPY. short and to follow your dream and don’t wait.”

“The people I met and worked time to do this all by myself. Do you — DAVID HUDGINS ‘83 want to do it with me?’ He ended up Aiding Hudgins’ change of heart were the careers with on that show are still friends of his fellow Marksmen alumni. and still working in town,” Hudgins doing most of the work. He did such “I went out at lunch to watch a film called Bottle said. “It was fantastic. NBC was great. The whole a good job they’ve just asked him to write season two.”

Rocket made in Dallas by my friends, Owen, Andrew experience was just a great five years and I always In many ways, involving family has brought [‘83] and Luke Wilson [‘90],” Hudgins said. “When I look back fondly. I have to tell you that show has Hudgins’ journey in television full circle. Having saw Bottle Rocket, I was blown away and I was like, ‘If basically put my kids through college because I still get joined the industry after his sister’s diagnosis, Hudgins those guys can do it, I can do it too.’” residuals on it. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.” has found ways to use his platform.

Once he decided to go through While he wrapped up his work on “I remember her saying to me at the end of her with his monumental career change, Friday Night Lights, Hudgins also started illness, ‘I’m so lucky. I have this family that surrounds Hudgins became a sponge for all things brainstorming ideas and working for his me and supports me and helps me, but I’ve seen Hollywood, finding anything and own shows. Although some of them — people that don’t have that support system, and everything that could help him become a such as Past Life, a show that dealt with it makes me sad,’” Hudgins said. “We decided to successful screenwriter. reincarnation — lasted a season, others create a foundation that was about care, not cure. We “I contacted everybody I knew in the didn’t reach the high bar of “making it,” help women who have a diagnosis of breast cancer business,” Hudgins said. “I bought every instead teaching Hudgins how to deal financially. It’s all about helping them get through their David Hudgins ’83 Emmy-nominated producer book I could on screenwriting. I read with failure in the industry. illness, so they can focus on getting better. That’s the every script I could get my hands on. I just “To pitch a show properly in mission behind the Catherine H. Tuck Foundation, sat down and started writing basically self-taught. Two network television takes at least four to five months which was named in her honor.” years later, I had a feature film script that a producer in of preparation,” Hudgins said. “You don’t get a hit Now at the peak of his profession, Hudgins often Hollywood actually paid me money for. I took that as a every at-bat, so you just had to take those experiences finds himself advising aspiring writers, and most of his sign that I had potential, so I moved out to LA. It took and try and make them make you a better writer and tips come from his own rise. about a year, but I finally got my first job writing.” a stronger person. There’s a lot of ‘no’ in Hollywood.

“You can’t just say you’re a writer,” Hudgins Once his career picked up steam, Hudgins landed You have to get used to that as you go up the ladder.” said. “You have to do it. You have to sit down and a job as a writer on the show Everwood, where he Now with an established career in the television write. Eighty percent of writing is putting your butt in began his ascent in television circles. writing industry, Hudgins has secured a deal with the chair every day writing and writing and writing “I was very driven,” Hudgins said. “I worked my Sony Television where he solely comes up with ideas until you know you’ve got your best work. It’s all way up pretty quickly. A lot of it was I had a real job for shows, many of which are sold as intellectual about passion and commitment. That’s what makes before. I knew how to manage time, how to manage property to companies looking to produce them. somebody really good at this job.”

NO TIME TO WASTE As one of the premier television writers in the industry, producer David Hudgins ‘83 is all over the Hollywood scene show promoting (1, with cast members from Game of Silence, 2, promoting the show), attending Emmys (3, pictured with Friday Night Lights lead actors Kyle Chandler, middle, and Connie Britton, right) and giving speeches (4).

‘‘

Catherine H. Tuck Foundation Hudgins started • “Provides financial assistance to women in need who have been diagnosed with breast cancer” • Catherine Fund.org

STORY Siddhartha Sinha, Luke Piazza PHOTOS Courtesy David Hudgins

A trip down memory lane

Emmy-nominated producer David Hudgins ‘83 talks about his past work and its impact on his career.

Everwood “I got very lucky because my first boss was a guy named Greg Berlanti who’s know got a bajillion shows on television. He’s one of the biggest producers in town, so I learned from the best. That was my incubation into the job, and I loved it. It felt great.

Friday Night Lights “I had actually taken another job, but I switched. I’m glad I did because it was a great show with great people. We got a lot of critical success, got nominated for lots of awards. I ended up running the thing by the time we got to season five, so it was great.”

Past Life

Game of Silence

“It was a huge learning experience. Getting your own show on the air is huge because it’s incredibly difficult. There’s hundreds of pilot scripts every year, and they only pick a tiny percentage to order a series. It’s a very high bar, and I loved the experience.”

“I loved all the people I worked with on that. The stories on that one just flowed out of the room.

We were never at a loss for a story on that show. You learn a little bit every time you do a show, and that’s probably been my favorite experience out of all of them.”

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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3-D DESIGN

A different type of art Zuyva Sevilla ‘15 uses 3D printers to create new media installation art and virtual art. What exactly are these? Sevilla ‘15 answers some questions to give a better understanding

VIRTUAL CREATIONS As Sevilla has worked with various artforms, this art is created using VR technology.

Eric Yoo: When did you first get into art and how?

Zuyva Sevilla ‘15: I’ve been involved in art most of my life now. I started with graphic design and photography during The ReMarker as I worked on the creative team. Working on a team really helped me quickly develop myriad skills and I was even able to do a lot of freelance work for a while. At first I was going to study graphic design in college but after working in that field for so long, I decided to want to try something new.

One day a friend asked for help with a digital fabrication project, using computer-controlled laser cutters and 3D printers to put together a sculpture; seeing how easy it was to make real, physical creations caused me to shift my practice to more sculptural, immersive experience based works, still rooted in technology Zuyva Sevilla ’15 visual artist but much more corporal.

EY: Why and when did you start posting on Instagram?

ZS: I think my first posts started during a newspaper New York trip, and it just started as a way of sharing selective snippets of my life. Slowly, it moved to being a much more documentative archive for my other work such as drawings that I did as my first foray into art, and it’s mainly kept that role as a base for documentation of installations, processes and records of current works. Depending on the state of my proper, collected portfolio of work, Instagram happens to be where most of the evidence of my pieces lives.

EY: How did St. Mark’s affect your artistic career?

ZS: Working on The ReMarker and various other

organizations around campus gave me a great but I do come back to certain methods of art, such foundation for using art in myriad different as algorithmically generated designs, many digital applications. I was also able to supplement that with fabrication methods, projection and immersive proper inquiries into fine art that helped to start installations and as many different audio and video thinking artistically very early in my career. My display methods that I can learn. Using all the tools work is pretty inherently interdisciplinary now and at my disposal, I can then create a piece tailored to that’s a very specific way of thinking that St. Mark’s the idea. laid a foundation for.

I started getting EY: What is your favorite seriously into piece and why? photography while on ZS: My favorite piece that The ReMarker staff.

I’ve made is an eight screen Working so much with projection immersive the art and design of installation. Based on the the paper, I wanted many worlds theorem, p o s t s to make sure that I the installation generates Sevilla’s ‘15 instagram has photos of understood everything a complex web signifying many of his pieces. @galacticatlas that goes into the photo different, minute choices that side of everything you have everyday. As the the number of different art Sevilla and knowing what it installation populates, the web ‘15 creates: installation, VR and takes to make a good grows more and more complex photography photograph. as a visual representation of the interlacing that unknown EY: What is your choices have throughout time. process to create a piece of art?

EY: Where is the coolest ZS: For me, communication is about accessibility. A place you’ve been to take a photo? lot of my pieces are based on other fields of study ZS: I have been able to do a few installations in I’m interested in, mainly the study of physical places like New York City and Seattle. However universal laws and techno-ethics. Once I have a my goal, especially when making immersive concept, a theory, an idea for something that I want installations, is to try to create a space separate from to communicate, the next step is to find out how the greater location it is in so that the viewer is fully to best communicate that in a method that brings immersed in the art. viewers to engage and interact with the idea. I try Keep an eye out for these upcoming releases, concerts and drop not to confine myself with Video Games an art ‘style’

“

My work is pretty inherently interdisciplinary now and that’s a very specific way of thinking that St. Mark’s laid a foundation for..”

by the numbers

300 3

Headliners

STORY Eric Yoo PHOTOS Courtesy Zuyva Sevilla

Final Fantasy VII Remake Trials of Mana Wasteland 3

Movies

The High Note Artemis Fowl The Green Knight

Zuyva Sevilla ’15

dates.

Release Date April 10 April 24 May 19

Albums

Release Date May 8 May 29 May 29

First Rose of Spring, Willie Nelson Gaslighter, Dixie Chicks Bon Jovi 2020, Bon Jovi

Release Date April 24 May 1 May 15

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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CONCERT PERFORMER

One of these nights

Orchestra instructor Sarah Choi was selected to play cello for the Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’ tour Feb. 29 and March 1.

IN THE CITY The Eagles, the fourth best-selling musical act of all time, played Feb. 29 and March 1 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, lead singer Don Henley‘s hometown.

ON SCREEN Orchestra instructor Sarah Choi plays the cello in the orchestra during “Hotel California,” her image displayed on the jumbotron.

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TAKING THE STAGE Choi plays the cello during ‘Hotel California’ at the Eagles’ concert. ““As I rehearsed and listened to their concerts,” Choi said, “I was amazed at how many more songs they did that I didn’t realize [were] them as well.”

STORY Jamie Mahowald, Eric Yoo PHOTOS Aadi Khasgiwala, courtesy dallasnews.com

A peek into junior Fritz Hesse’s photography account, @hesse_ photographical_ pursuits, where he posts work inspired by his time in the school’s photography program.

In his own words:

he hydraulic lift raises a band of several dozen people––among the most esteemed musicians in the city––up onto stage. In front of them, the fourth best-selling band of all time plays to a sold-out stadium, the hums and rolls of the orchestra interweaving with their voices and guitars, creating an electric wall of sound.

Orchestra instructor and freelance cellist Sarah Choi sits among these ranks, her only rehearsal time a few hours with a conductor and a sound check with the Eagles themselves before the concert.

“Backstage, they kept us musicians separate from The Eagles so we didn’t see them except on stage,” Choi said. “Many artists are very protective of their backstage spaces and we were told not to seek engagement with them.”

But then the sound check ends, and the show begins.

••• Her gig was first realized when a music contracting agency contacted Choi, who, in addition to her teaching responsibilities, works as a freelance musician in Dallas, specializing in the cello. Choi praises the instrument for its “‘mellow, sonorous qualities and versatility in its function within various groups,’” Choi said.

The Eagles’ “Hotel California Tour,” named for their most recognizable song, brought to every corner of the world a band that has been topping charts since the 70s. After receiving the offer, her husband responded that she’d be happy to play with the Eagles, and her experience in other freelance work––playing with artists like Adele and Andrea Bocelli––made her well suited for the opportunity. Choi was hired to perform on three Dallas dates.

This photo was inspired by a poem of the same name, written by Wilfred Owen during the First World War. What I like about the photo is that it has two approaches to achieve the desired effect; the gas mask seen is a real, working model similar to what was used during the war, but the smoke was created with a 3D modeling software called Blender.

“I think I was in a little shock because my husband was much more excited about getting this gig than I was initially,” Choi said. “Because I signed a [nondisclosure agreement] upon accepting this gig, I was not able to discuss any details about it. So though I was quite excited to play in this gig, it was difficult to not openly talk about it for many weeks.”

Growing up with the Eagles’ music in vogue, Choi carries fond memories and connections with them, but at the time of the concert, her relation to the band was professional.

“To be honest I was not one of their die hard fans but [I] know many of their songs,” Choi said.

“As I rehearsed and listened to their concerts, I was amazed at how many more songs they did that I didn’t realize [were] them as well.”

She never spent too much time practicing before the concerts. But, every member in the orchestra has high expectations to learn their parts so well that they can adapt lastminute.

“As with many professional gigs, the rehearsal time was minimal,” Choi said. “A couple of hours with the conductor, a break, then a short soundcheck on stage with the Eagles, a break, then showtime. It’s always exhilarating to be part of a talented group as it inspires me to play at my very best.”

Choi was impressed with the original members of the band because they were able to put on a good show for almost four hours. The Eagles also recognized the orchestra at the end of the show.

“At the conclusion of our shows, the band graciously acknowledged the orchestra so we had the opportunity to stand up and accept thunderous applause,” Choi said.

“This doesn’t occur all the time in

I really like this photo because not only is it one of my best, but it wasn’t actually very good when I took it. The portion of the photo that really makes it come together in my opinion are the clouds, and those are actually from a low-resolution photo of an airport that I took with my phone and stretched to fit the scene.

these types of concerts.”

Choi sees her opportunity with the Eagles as a chance to be a part of one of the largest cultural entities in history.

“The Eagles are more well known across many decades,” Choi said, “so I really feel like I am participating in a historical series of concerts with members of the original band.”

The cello has always been her main instrument and likes its mellow, sonorous qualities and versatility in It’s always exhilaits function rating to be part of a within various talented group as it groups. By inspires me to play at my very best. sticking with Sarah Choi her cello, Choi breaks the stereotype that string instruments are for classical music and not rock-androll.

“I love being challenged to play in other genres of music,” Choi said.

“It makes me a more well-rounded musician. This is modern rock & roll but I tell my students that Bach’s music was the rock-and-roll of his day. In my otherwise prosaic life, I really enjoyed feeling “cool” and “hip” for a few hours.”

Choi describes one of her favorite memories as when the orchestra first rose up onto the stage.

“The first night, as we rose up and I heard the crowds swell in cheers and claps,” Choi said. “I had a wide-eyed grin stretched across my face! As the spotlights swept across us, I felt the tremendous energy within the capacity stadium and thought to myself, ‘I could get used to this.’”

“

This image is not a photo, but still one of my favorite pictures I have made. The entire thing was made from scratch in Blender, the 3D modeling software that I use. I created everything in the image by hand, taking basic shapes and moving vertices, extruding sides, and modifying materials until I achieved the look of a bulkhead inside a submarine.

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

PAGE

BUZZ

21

BINGE-WORTHY SHOWS

Stuck at home

The quarantine has put an indefinite brake on all of our lives, but one thing we haven't lost is television. Here are three shows worth watching when you're out of things to do.

The Good Place Checks all the boxes

Grade: A

Brooklyn 99 Classic comedy in a classic sitcom

Grade: A-

T

he Good Place stars Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, who play Eleanor Shellstrop, a selfish human, and Michael, a godlike being, respectively. After Eleanor dies, she goes to the Good Place, a utopian afterlife built by Michael specifically to satisfy its inhabitants, even though she has not necessarily been the best person. But by being surrounded by all of the amazing people, she slowly realizes she does not belong.

It checks all of the boxes required to draw in viewers and keep them pressing the play next button, no matter how late at night (or early in the morning) it is. The humor and the plot and its twists hold the viewer captive until they pass out from exhaustion after an allnighter of binging the show.

But while the humor can draw a person like me into the show, the plot really enhances the experience. The storyline and especially its many shockingly unexpected twists make me truly care about and love the four humans and their fate in the afterlife.

But The Good Place also offers something else no other show offers: a lesson in ethics and being a good person. As Eleanor starts to fear she will be caught, she confesses her secret to her soulmate and former ethics professor Chidi and turns to him for help. And while these lessons seem futile in the beginning, Eleanor slowly does learn to become a better person.

Ultimately, each episode leaves me wanting more because as I progress toward the end of the first season, I truly want to see Eleanor become a better person and Michael deal with each next and somehow bigger problem. So before you rush to rewatch a show you know is good, try out The Good Place. You will not regret it.

B

rooklyn 99 is a perfect comedy series to binge. Because of its relatively unimportant plot, the sitcom has the feel-good, not-tooserious feel emanated by other classic sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother and Modern Family.

It follows a childish detective named Jake Peralta who works at the 99th precinct for the New York Police Department. He and his band of strange coworkers solve cases with one another and work to make the streets of New York safer.

The charm Brooklyn 99 exudes is mostly a reflection of the two main actors: former Saturday Night Live cast member Andy Samberg, who plays Jake Peralta, and main supporting actor Andre Braugher, who plays a stern and emotionless police captain named Ray Holt, are a phenomenal duo. Samberg’s constant, restless energy and Braugher’s naturally calm and logical demeanor fit with one another perfectly.

The sitcom’s charisma is also a product of its producer, Michael Schur. Schur wrote for Saturday Night Live (where he won an Emmy), produced, acted in and wrote for the hugely successful comedy The Office (where he won another Emmy) and co-created the famous Parks and Recreation.

Brooklyn 99’s writing is organic. Along with Schur, Samberg is a writer, and it shows: the dialogue is quick, witty and not too complicated. Simple plots from episode-to-episode allow for creative and undiluted dialogue. So Brooklyn 99 is not a groundbreaking comedy; it follows the example of a long line of American sitcoms. The humor that exists within the show, however, is as entertaining as any number of its predecessors.

There are currently seven seasons of Brooklyn 99, and each season has 20 or so episodes. The show is certainly both a fun way to pass time and a worthwhile binge.

W

Watchmen A bizarre HBO tale for mature audiences.

Grade: B+

REVIEWS Toby Barrett, Darren Xi ARTWORK Jamie Mahowald

atchmen follows the circumstances and events surrounding a woman named Angela Abar, a vigilante named Sister Night who fights against racial supremacy terrorism in Tulsa, OK with the Tulsa Police Department. Alongside a strange, ominous masked crusader named Looking Glass, she works to solve the murder of her close friend and Tulsa Police Sheriff Judd Crawford.

Regina King is cast as Abar, and she fits the role perfectly: Sister Night is often overcome with anger, which King is able to express organically. Tim Blake Nelson plays the role of Looking Glass as it was clearly meant to be played; he is bizarre and creepy the entire time.

The storyline of Watchmen is unusual. Because it is a mystery, several different story arcs happen simultaneously and do not seem related until the last few episodes.

At some points, this lack of cohesiveness is hard to follow. It feels at some points in the first few episodes as if what is happening does not correlate at all to Abar and Looking Glass in Tulsa.

Once Watchmen hits its stride, however, the confusing plot culminates into a fast-paced thriller. The final episodes were so popular that the finale broke HBO’s record for most concurrent viewers during any season finale.

Watchmen is a substantive, interesting watch for anyone that wants a change in pace from other shows.

As anniversary approaches, we take a look at 'the greatest band of all time.' artist spotlight The Beatles

Decade 1960's Number of albums 12 Genre Rock REVIEW Cristian Pereira

M

ay 8, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Let It Be, the final album put out by the Beatles, the most influential band of all time. So this cycle, the fab four will be getting their own piece, recounting the seven-year-long phenomenon that was their existence as a band.

In 1962 Ringo Starr joined Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison to form the final iteration of the Beatles. On Feb. 11, 1963, the four men recorded their debut album, Please Please

Me, in a single session at the now famous Abbey Road Studios. While it topped every single UK chart (except one) at the time and started the phenomenon known as “Beatlemania,” the album sounds like 60’s pop—hits like “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Love Me Do” and, of course, “Twist and Shout” are still widely loved today, but the magnificence of the Beatles wouldn’t shine through for a few more albums.

Their next three albums, With The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night and Beatles For Sale had the same energy as Please Please Me, but still the same 60’s pop.

The Beatles had an identity.

With Help, their identity began to change. McCartney and Lennon began to write more meaningful lyrics and experiment with the music. While songs like “Help” and “Ticket to Ride” were still reminiscent of their last four albums, “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and “Yesterday,” for example, greatly utilized the acoustic guitar in new and interesting ways.

Rubber Soul and Revolver was a transition point for the band. “Drive My

Car” and “Eleanor Rigby” showed that the Beatles now cared more about the music they made than the crowds they pleased. And after their tour in August 1966, fed up with the craziness of their fanbase, the Beatles announced they would never tour again.

After spending months in the studio, the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in May 1967, one of the most revolutionary albums of all time.

The album took 700 hours to complete and is so dense in creativity—no two songs sound the same. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” starts the album off with an explosive guitar riff

by George Harrison, and the seamless transition to “With a Little Help From My Friends” showed that the Beatles were leaving their old ways behind.

The psychedelic “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” uses new experimental sounds, an idea used in almost every song in the album—“A Day in the Life” utilizes a full orchestra, a piano chord that took six hands to play, and a dog whistle.

The Beatles, their following album

universally known as “The White Album,” was their longest and most diverse record.

While not as revolutionary as some of their other post-1967 albums, it still contains masterpieces like “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Blackbird.”

Abbey Road is their most iconic album.

The amount of work and sound-mixing put into the album mixed with the now legendary skillset of the group makes every song on the record phenomenal.

By the time Let It Be was released, the Beatles had broken up.

The album was left unfinished by the band, and as producers put it together post-breakup, the tracks were heavily edited and changed.

Regardless, it was their final album, and contains “Let It Be,” one of the greatest songs ever written.

As Let It Be is likely being remastered currently for the long-anticipated 50-year anniversary of its release, all music listeners should take a moment to recognize the truly remarkable lifespan of the greatest band of all time.

22

Around the Quad

An Ode To Brotherhood

Students answer the question of what they have done during quarantine Page 23

Perspectives editor Wallace White describes brotherly relationships in his life.

Page 24

REMARKER STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ST. MARK’S SCHOOL OF TEXAS. 10600 PRESTON ROAD DALLAS, TEXAS 75230 214.346.8000

OPINIONS THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 9 , 2020

EDITORIALS

Marksmen must protect community

EDITORIAL BOARD editor in chief SAM AHMED

assignments editor AARON THORNE

head photographer CHARLIE ROSE

deputy managing editor CHRISTOPHER WANG

managing editors COLIN CAMPBELL SID VATTAMREDDY

opinions editor PAUL SULLIVAN

perspectives editor WALLACE WHITE

senior content editor ISHAN GUPTA

senior editor-at-large SAM GOLDFARB

SECTION EDITORS 10600, culture

LUKE PIAZZA SIDDHARTHA SINHA ERIC YOO

discoveries

COOPER RIBMAN

focus magazine ALAM ALIDINA SAI THIRUNAGARI

issues

HENRY MCELHANEY ROBERT POU

sports

WILLIAM ANIOL JACK DAVIS

C R E AT I V E creative director

CRISTIAN PEREIRA

graphics director JAMIE MAHOWALD

artists

COOPER COLE CHARLIE RUBARTH JAMES SHIAO

ADVERTISING business manager PAXTON SCOTT

assistant business manager IAN MIZE

WRITERS

TOBY BARRETT, ETHAN BORGE, TREVOR CROSNOE, AXEL ICAZBALCETA, RAJAN JOSHI, SEMAJ MUSCO, LUKE NAYFA, PETER ORSAK, WILL PECHERSKY, AUSTIN WILLIAMS, DREW WOODWARD, DARREN XI, JONATHAN YIN, HAN ZHANG

W

hen the campus closed indefinitely March 13 due to the coronavirus outbreak, community interactions came to an abrupt stop.

Marksmen and other members of the community were forced to put academics, sports and social lives at least in the way we know them on pause.

Many who were looking forward to finishing the school year strong were undoubtedly disappointed.

Seniors especially have been hit hard, as many have lost the opportunity to follow classic traditions like spring break bonding events and final moments with Lower School buddies. Many might even lose the opportunity to present their senior exes.

This is a crisis that no one on campus could have imagined months ago. However, at the same time, we must not forget why we are staying at home — to protect the lives of our fellow community members.

While we acknowledge that not having school is disappointing, we must not forget the reason why school is closed.

The 10600 community includes both older and immunocompromised people — groups who are particularly at risk. By quarantining ourselves at home, we are protecting not only the lives and wellbeing of our school community, but also the city of Dallas.

It is our duty to the community to remember to uphold these practices while in quarantine.

Social distancing — Although social distancing

ADVISER

RAY WESTBROOK

HEADMASTER DAVID W. DINI

audience

The ReMarker is intended for the students, faculty, staff and alumni community of St. Mark’s School of Texas. Press run is 4,000 copies, with more than 2,600 of those mailed out to alumni around the world, courtesy of the school’s offices of External Affairs, Development and Alumni divisions.

opinions and editorials

Editorials represent the viewpoints of the newspaper’s Editorial Board and are not necessarily those of the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty or staff. All personal opinion columns, bylined with the writer’s name and photo, represent the views of that writer only and not necessarily those of The ReMarker, Board of Trustees, administration, faculty or staff.

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www.smtexas. org/remarker.

reader involvement

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The possibility of going back to school depends upon how each of us conducts onesself.

Following these simple guidelines will go a long way to slow the spread of the virus. Don’t compromise the safety of others just because you want to socialize.

It’s important that we as Marksmen continue to follow these practices, even when faced with the possibility that we may not be able to go back this school year.

This turbulent and unusual school year has proven the resilience of our community. First the tornado, now the coronavirus — we have united and become stronger together, meeting each crisis with perseverance and positivity.

Life might be different now.

But we can still appreciate everything we have.

Marksmen always know how to make the most out of any situation that comes their way.

MUST SOCIAL DISTANCE • MAINTAIN GOOD HYGIENE

PHOTOGRAPHERS

WYATT AWTREY, BLAKE BROOM, KYLE FISHER, BEN HAO, COLLIN KATZ, EVAN LAI, RYAN MCCORD, EVAN MCGOWAN, TYLER NUSSBAUMER, WILL ROCCHIO, DANIEL SANCHEZ, LEE SCHLOSSER, OWEN SIMON, EKANSH TAMBE, JERRY ZHAO

includes minimizing contact with friends, it’s necessary for prevention. Always remember to at least six (if not more) feet away and limit close contact with others. Stay at home as much as possible.

Healthy habits — Maintaining healthy habits and hygiene is something that Marksmen should do at all times. However, this crisis makes these habits especially important. Wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds regularly. Avoid touching your face. Sneeze or cough into a tissue, or the inside of your elbow.

Students should provide teacher feedback

N

ear the end of each school year, the Science Department distributes teacher evaluation forms to students who then fill them out anonymously.

This teacher feedback system gives students the opportunity to do two things: provide constructive criticism regarding practices upon which teachers could improve — and identify already successful practices which should continue.

We are grateful towards the Science Department for providing this opportunity for anonymous teacher feedback, as it provides a chance for both teachers to improve their classes and for students to voice their concerns.

However, the Science Department is one of the only departments to implement such a system. We urge other school departments to also give students the chance to provide feedback anonymously, as we believe that this will greatly improve both the teacher and student experience.

Anonymity will allow all students to give feedback. Not all students are comfortable talking face to face with teachers — especially in a manner which could be seen as critical.

Although we acknowledge that teachers do their best to provide an environment in which students shouldn’t feel afraid to offer constructive criticism, there are still students who will remain uncomfortable.

Providing students with the ability to provide anonymous feedback will be empowering as students will be able to express their thoughts without fear.

Allowing students to provide feedback

anonymously would give an easy way for all students to address teachers directly. Many students would be able to tell a teacher things that they don’t like or appreciate in their class. On the flip side, students would also be able to praise teachers for things in class that they like, ensuring that engaging elements of the classroom experience are retained for future years.

Additionally, feedback would provide an easy way for teachers to streamline their classes. Many teachers may be accustomed to doing certain things in a particular way. However, feedback from the perspective of a student would let teachers refresh and update their habitual practices.

With the coronavirus disrupting normal school activity, perhaps the administrators could develop a form on Blackbaud for students to fill out for each teacher they have.

We completely understand that this implementation may not be possible this year, since campus leadership is already so busy adapting to the distance learning environment. If implementing such a system does prove to be impossible, we urge the administrators to allow the opportunity for students to provide feedback to all teachers next year.

Teacher feedback is highly beneficial both to students and to teachers. Although teachers have a way of talking to their students through comments, students don’t have a similar way to provide feedback.

The teacher-student relationship should be a twoway street — and the whole school will benefit from this increased communication on both sides.

FEEDBACK IS BENEFICIAL BOTH WAYS

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

PAGE

OPINIONS

23

Staff Editorial

10600 website is a highlight of school response

A

lthough the coronavirus has stopped all activity on campus, the school community still has a way to remain united during the crisis thanks to the creation of a new page on the school website: 10600. We commend the Office of Development, especially the Communications office of Katy Rubarth, David Carden and Alex Hughes for their willingness to rapidly create an online space that provides all of us much needed connectivity while we are away from campus.

Transitioning from in-class to online isn’t how many Marksmen would prefer to spend these upcoming weeks. Many undoubtedly miss their daily interactions with peers and faculty now that school activity is halted.

However, 10600 has done an excellent job of bringing the school community back together. We now have a format to allow us to see the same familiar and friendly faces we’ve always known.

Because of this, the initial disappointment after leaving campus due to the coronavirus has greatly dissipated.

Anxiety during these chaotic times has been soothed and replaced with happiness and hope.

Through Coach Dilworth’s daily inspirational messages, videos with faculty checking in with the community and Upper School leaders generating student-driven content, Marksmen now know that the 10600 community is thriving under a different way of life. We encourage all students to check 10600 at least

daily. It’s important to stay connected and remain a part of the community. The positivity that students can see every day on 10600 is the same positivity that will get us through this new challenge. It’s the same positivity that we had during the weeks after the tornado.

Yes, we miss Nearburg Hall, the new Winn Science Center and Centennial Hall, but we will get through this.

All we need is the community, and 10600 has helped us realize that.

Thanks in large part to the work of the Development and Communications teams, not even the coronavirus will break the strong bond that all Lions share.

A senior year like a Disney television series

I

grew up on Disney Channel and it was awesome.

If you’re a real one, you know all about Good Luck Charlie, Jessie, Austin & Ally, so many more.

These shows were always on Disney Channel and they never got old.

You could even say they were addictive.

They all began with some external issue, like a breakup, getting grounded, a lost pet, a lost voice or something relatable like that.

The problem was soon numbed by casual, innocent humor and backed by a cheesy laugh track.

And, eventually, at the end of the 20-minute episode, the problem was completely resolved with a loving remark, a family hug or a catchy song.

By the next episode, the problem from the previous episode was never talked about again.

Every single episode was refreshing. There wasn’t anything to worry about of fear for at the end of the show because all that worry had faded as the random infomericals

STUDENTS AND FACULTY

Around the Quad

came up on the screen.

••• I came away from the TV every day in a good mood because why wouldn’t I be?

If Bridgit Mendler, Debbie Ryan and Ross Lynch (actors in the shows) could give a hug or sing a song to overcome any obstacle thrown their way, then why couldn’t I? As I grew up, I discovered that these characters make that attitude seem much easier on screen than it really is in life.

Having been at 10600 Preston Road for the last eight years, I have had my fair share of bad days, just like the rest of us.

I’ve lost games, failed tests, struck out with the bases loaded, argued with parents, lost close friends, thrown up in the parking lot and embarrassed myself in front of large groups of people multiple times.

But, as my time here somehow comes to a close, all of those bumps in the road seem so trivial in the grand scheme of everything.

ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS

Q: How have you been spending time while distancing?

‘

I ran 2-4 miles and lifted with free weights.

I brought my wood and metal project home and finished it. I rewatched Psych.”

Aayan Khasgiwala Junior class president

‘ ‘

I’ve worked out, trained my puppy, watched Netflix, read and gardened.

David Li Senior

I played video games, facetimed with friends and ran outside to stay in shape. People were staring at me doing push-ups on my lawn.

Sean Zhao Senior

‘

I played Minecraft, worked out and read A

Briefer History of Time.

Daniel Wu Junior

‘ ‘

I’ve watched a lot of mafia movies.

I’ve also started using free weights to lift.

Sahitya Senapathy Senior

I’ve been playing a lot of mini basketball and playing with my dog. I’ve also been biking each day.

Sammy Larkin Freshman

I can barely even remember what But as I sit here, trapped in my class I failed the tests in. house, just wanting to experience I couldn’t tell you what team we the last few weeks on the campus were playing when I struck out bases that I have grown to love like home, loaded. The topic of any argument I I consider the thought of walking ever had is meaningless now. across the stage dressed in that white Even my vomit has been washed tux. away.

And I know that having one last The positive night with my 88 greatest energy that I feel now, friends is the happiest the anticipation of ending I can think of right college, the thought now. of leaving my parents, All I can think about my teachers, my best now is those little moments friends and everything that made the last eight I’ve ever known and years worth it. loved behind me as I The inside jokes, the Aaron Thorne embark on a journey free periods, the team Assignments Editor completely unknown meals, the late nights in the to me. publications suite.

It all makes every mistake I ever It’s all coming to an abrupt end made feel like nothing. before I even got the chance to say They weren’t even road blocks. goodbye.

They were more like the small I guess what I’m trying to say is speed bumps that are almost this. nonexistent and don’t do their jobs.

My career at this school kind of Yes, sometimes, my days at feels like one eight-year episode of a school were painful and the future Disney Channel TV show. seemed grim.

It all works out in the end.

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9,PAGE 2020

PAGE

24

OPINIONS

Start thinking if your idea of leadership matters

W

e won’t be allowed back on campus. Classes mean anything. To be honest, I don’t know how will be canceled. The community will be in many of us older guys understand it, either. Before distress. And my life is going to be turned senior year, I thought we were all talking about being completely inside out. the president of that one club where you get to tell No way we’re ever going to have a crisis like this people what to do, and then you stand up at the end tornado ever again. of the year during an assembly to get recognized for I was sitting in my parents’ bedroom that night in it. That’s what a real, honorable leader does. Right?

October, checking my GroupMe constantly to hear Not really. And the whole world has been proving what was happening around the city. Most people me wrong again and again this year. were hiding for shelter and checking in on each I’m not sure people really care when they hear you other, but a few brave souls — maybe too brave — organized a community service event, or you write went straight to campus when they heard it was safe. for the newspaper, or you’re the head of the student Yes, I was concerned about everybody’s wellbody. If that’s your idea of ‘leadership,’ then I don’t being. And I was hoping nobody’s house got think leadership matters. damaged. But what was the first thought that But tell them you’re the reason local homeless came to my mind when I saw those few seniors on children will be getting gifts on Christmas. Tell them campus? The statue. you’re the reason a sixth grader can’t stop smiling as I wasn’t alone. So many seniors were begging to he reads the story about him circulated throughout see the statue, hoping that it would still be standing campus. Tell them you’re the reason upper schoolers right in front of Centennial Hall. are showing up to way more Friday night Maybe we were remembering that day lights, basketball games and Quiz Bowl in first grade when our teachers brought tournaments than ever before. us to the Quad for the first time, and we Now that’s what people care about. sat down on the semi-wet grass next to That’s leadership. our Senior Buddies as then-Headmaster ••• Arnold Holtberg unveiled this new statue.

I know we can’t help but think about The symbolism of a little Marksman on our resumes or what a college admissions the shoulders of his older counterpart flew committee might think, but step back for Ishan Gupta over my head back then.

Senior content editor a second. You only have so many years of It doesn’t anymore. high school. Do what Headmaster David See, in a time of crisis, I think we start Dini told you to do at every campsite at Pecos: leave revealing who we really are. This year, I’ve gotten this place better than how you found it. a chance to understand what really matters to us.

I think most of us have already understood how Surprise: it wasn’t an SAT, and it wasn’t another important that message is, and we’re internalizing extracurricular. Instead, I saw Marksmen work it. I see that every time a senior gets tardy to his first together to keep things normal. What really matters period class because he was having breakfast with to us is each other. his little Buddy.

That means housing your friends who live far But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe people only care from campus but just want to be close by at a time of about the clubs and the organizations. Maybe we destruction. don’t actually care about making each other happy.

That means pulling together last-minute video Maybe we’re all so focused on ourselves that we clips from upper schoolers to make an impromptu, can’t give up any time caring about the community online Coffeehouse. as a whole.

That means holding grade-wide Zoom meetings If that’s true, then why did those few seniors rush because we all just want to see each other’s faces. onto campus after a full-fledged tornado to see that a ••• little ol’ statue was still standing tall, the entire senior On campus, we hear the words “character and leadership” a lot. To a younger guy, it might not

class breathlessly waiting to hear from them, hoping we were all okay?

So much more than making varsity

S

eniors play varsity. It’s both a performance-based norm or an unwritten expectation. Seniors play

varsity.

Except for me.

Seven years killing myself in Coach Mihai Oprea’s pool—and I’m still playing JV. I think people ask because I’m not very good. Don’t have a ton of pace in the water. Don’t have the hardest shot, the most precise pass, the quickest defense, the strongest legs. I never came close to a school record or making a state championship roster—let alone putting up championship points.

But I went to practice every day for seven years. I kept coming back—in the cold, in the chlorine, in the dark during swim season; under blue skies and warm sun for polo in the spring.

Summers. Weekends. Late nights before tests, presentations.

I wanted to be in the water or on deck. Once I was old enough, I started to stay late to lifeguard Middle School practices—which turned into assistant coaching alongside the same great men and leaders responsible for my own development as a player.

But I never made a travel team.

Never was invited to play on the “swing” roster—the group of guys who practice JV and varsity.

Why stay?

So many people asked me that

question—and I asked that quespass, a push-up without dropping tion of myself even more often, his core. especially my junior year. With Knowing I can text any of the the demands of academics and guys on the team who have gradumy other commitated about anything: the ments piling up, the Formula 1 season, colprospect of leaving lege, polo, classes here. enticed me.

Knowing that they’d No time commitoffer me a bed without ment of practice. No hesitation if I came to tournaments—free visit.

Saturdays. No comAnd even for myself, ing home exhaustwithin my own heart Sam Goldfarb Senior editor-at-large ed after a tough and mind, there were conditioning set. No rewards. Seeing myself commuting during the worst of get stronger, bigger, in better rush hour traffic. shape. Dropping time in race after It would have been so much race. Breaking one minute in the easier.

100 meter freestyle—far from a fast But I couldn’t leave. No way in time, but faster than I ever thought hell. Some parts of the program I could go. just mean too much to me.

None of this—the network of The stories Coach Oprea tells of brothers, the relationships with his life in a completely different coaches and mentors, the physical place and time. fitness, the destruction of the imBlasting team-favorite songs on possible—would have happened if the car radio going west on 635 I quit the team. out to Southlake, the freshmen Even though I’m slow. in the back somewhere between Even though I’m not good. terrified and excited about their Even though it wouldn’t get me first high school tournament. The into college. Even though I could jokes handed down from year after have invested my time in activyear. The mottos and wisdom that ities more directly related to my successive years of captains leave future. behind. The team’s rituals before The value for me was in the practice, before games. process, in the grind. And my The light in a sixth grader’s eyes character and world is forever when he gets it, and all of a sudchanged because of it. den can do something he couldn’t Even though I never played do before: a correct shot, a perfect varsity.

An ode to brotherhood

I

grew up with an older brother. I’m sure many of my classmates could attest to what it’s like having an older brother growing up. Sometimes it’s frustrating. Sometimes it’s tiresome.

Sometimes you want to knock his lights out, but never do.

But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

It’s a blessing really. I can say that, without my older brother Reaves, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Every time I see him when he comes home from college, it’s something I cherish, no matter how much he messes up my perfectly ordered bathroom that we have to share.

But that’s just one brother. I have a younger brother, too. William. I try to be the best brother I can be to him. Not because he wants it. Believe me, he has had enough tantrums to lead me to believe he doesn’t. He’s almost like me when I was his age: balking at the tough brotherly love Wallace White Perspectives editor of his older brother, but nevertheless appreciating it.

Being a brother is easy. Being a good brother is hard.

Every day I wake up, he’ll launch into the classic annoying little brother routine I’m sure some of you are familiar with.

Pestering you for fun, hurling insults unprovoked, generally just instigating.

These are the works of having a little brother. Sure, it can be a pain, but that’s the entry fee to be an older brother. Plus, Reaves already tolerated my antics, so it only makes sense that I give the same tolerance to William. But the discipline, mentoring, and guidance are the obvious things a good brother does It’s always the little things that make a brother a brother.

Going to each other’s games, lifting each other up after being knocked down, giving you tough love. These are all things that we expect of brothers. It’s a given.

And I’m happy to say that I got all of those things and more, from my 88 brothers at 10600 Preston Rd. It’s a big family. Not bound by blood and name, but by our creed “Courage and Honor” and our mutual love for one another. We have our moments, and we have our lapses in judgment. A family is never without flaws.

Personally, I have had a wild ride through St. Mark’s. My classmates know this, my teachers and parents, too. Stoic though I might have been on the outside during my eight years, I hurt at times on the inside. The family knows when you are hiding feelings and grievances, and my classmates were no different.

They knew.

I could talk to my brothers when I needed them. I could confide in them when I was hurting. And, most importantly, we could be honest with one another, brutally so, when we needed to hear the truth.

I don’t for one second regret any hardship I went through during my time at this school. Steel is forged not through miracles, but through forge, hammer, and most important of all, a team of people all working together.

So, I leave you with this, brothers: Never fear the future, you will meet them with the same tools of reason that you met your challenge today with. Do not balk at hardship. Instead, embrace it as an opportunity to become stronger. Love thy enemy like you love thy friend.

March forward like I know you always have and will. Fortune Favors the Bold.

SPORTS THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

SIBLINGS

Bonded by blood

Across the athletic programs, brothers compete together, creating an entirely different dynamic on the team.

T

his was the first year in Lions athletics when senior Daniel Ardila and freshman Landon Ardila would be playing on the same court, with their eyes set on bringing the Lions their first tennis SPC trophy since 2002.

From wrestling and lacrosse in Middle School to cross country and track and field in Upper School, twins Pablo Arroyo and Andrew Arroyo have been competing with each other for their entire athletic careers on campus, pushing each other to be the best they can be.

Senior Andrew Laczkowski and sophomore Tate Laczkowski, brothers, finally were able to fulfill their lifelong dream of playing together on the basketball court this season, helping bring home an SPC championship.

Brothers on athletic teams, from cross country to basketball to tennis, working together, competing together and forming a relationship unlike any other player on the team.

••• Jack Davis: What benefits do you think having a brother playing the same sports brings to the table?

Daniel Ardila: The biggest thing, for me, is having someone to play with and hit with every day. I never have to ask someone else to hit. I never have to line up a hitting partner a day in advance or something because every day, whether it be in an organized group or something, we’re pretty much hitting together. Even if everyone else is busy, I still have a hitting partner.

Andres Arroyo: It’s just easier to see how much you should be training or what you should be doing. When you go on a run you know how long they are out running for. There’s a lot more transparency and you don’t have to make an effort for that. That way there’s no excuses.

Pablo Arroyo: Yeah, and I think a big part of it is probably being twins and identical twins for that matter, because I’m sure [sophomores] Elijah [Ellis] and Enoch [Ellis], even though they were both twins, they competed in different events, so I think you might not get the same dynamic going on there. But I think that you are probably going to be cheering on your siblings, even if you aren’t twins or even in different grades, you’re probably still going to be cheering them on. So that always helps.

Andrew Laczkowski: It’s really special. You play in the backyard or out in the driveway all those years growing up and you learn how to play with and against each other. And being able to do it on the actual high school court together is really fun. In practice every day I’m looking for him and he’s looking for me. There were a lot of times this season where we had brother to brother assists, and I just know instinctively where he is.

Tate Laczkowski: It was very stressful for me because I’ve seen Andrew play at St. Mark’s since his freshman year, and I got into St. Mark’s when he was going into his junior year. And so [us

XFL alumnus

NBA journalist

Mathew Meadows ’15 unifies passions for sports and business in the front office of the Dallas Renegades. Page 26

Jonathan Tjarks ’05, national NBA writer, combines his love for basketball and journalism. Page 27

Editor’s Note: Due to the cancellation of SPC athletics through April 13, Updates will not be featured in this edition of The ReMarker.

SIDE-BYSIDE No matter their sport, the Ardilas (bottom), the Arroyos (far right), and the Laczkowskis (right), finally competed together as Lions whether on the court or on the track.

25

playing together] was something I always really wanted to happen. Ever since I was little I’ve always wanted to play on the same team as Andrew, and try and get that chance to play with my older brother, one of my role models. It was a huge thing for me, and a pretty surreal moment.

William Aniol: Have you guys always wanted to be on the same team together?

Daniel Ardila: This year, it’s not only because we have a really good team, but a lot of it was because Landon was going to be there. We could play together, and who knows, maybe we’d get a chance to play some doubles. It’s something that we’ve done since a very young age, obviously practicing a lot.

We’ve played doubles in a tournament before, so it’s something that we share a connection over.

Andres Arroyo: Quite frankly, I sometimes want to be in another race from Pablo, but wouldn’t want to miss out on a good chance for competition.

In Middle School, I definitely felt that I didn’t want to compete with my brother since we often got too aggressive and competitive against each other.

Andrew Laczkowski: I never really thought we could do it. Our dad actually played with his brother in high school. So our grandmother had that as something special, and she would tell us about how special that was, and I’m like, ‘I want that with my brother.’

I always thought about that, and then when I was a freshman on senior night I was like, ‘You know what, it’d be awesome if Tate could replace me on my senior night,’ and I thought about that for years. Then, he made the team this year, and he replaced me on senior night, and everything I had dreamed of and everything I thought about molded into one moment, and it all happened.

Tate Laczkowski: It worked out perfectly. One time in eighth grade for club basketball, Andrew’s team didn’t have enough players. I remember like I was in the stands, and they’re like, ‘Hey Tate, can you play because we only have four players?’ I played for five minutes, but it was really fun, and I used that moment to remind myself that I really wanted to play with my brother again.

Jack Davis: Are you guys really competitive between yourselves, or how does the dynamic work?

Daniel Ardila: We’re definitely really competitive when we’re playing each other, at least from my end. Sometimes Landon gives up a little but, for me, I know that every time, he wants to beat me. He definitely is going to try to beat me every single time because that’s bragging rights basically. I, as the older brother, never want to lose to him, so it’s something where if I hit a good shot or if he misses a bad shot, I’ll yell ‘let’s go” pretty loud to try to get on his nerves.

Landon Ardila: I’ve accepted that he

Favorite moments

beats me every time in practice. In a match, we’ve never played each other in a tournament, so there’s no way to tell, but I think Daniel would still beat me pretty easily.

Andres Arroyo: If it’s down to the last lap, it’s gonna hurt a lot for both of us. And, yeah, we definitely try to see who can push harder. And it’s even beyond just the last lap, and in the last 200 meters. Yes, that’s really where you go from, from guys like speeding up to like everything you have, yeah, and that’s when everything hurts, like your legs are on fire, and just go as hard as you possibly can and that it’s your brother or whoever you’re racing against.

The Ardilas, Arroyos and Laczkowskis recount their favorite moments together.

Daniel Ardila: Three or four years ago, we were at a tournament in Tucson, Arizona called the Winter National Championships. Landon was playing the guy that was ranked fourth in the nation at the time. The whole time I was really nervous, cheering him on and trying to get in the other guy’s head. Landon ended up winning that match. I felt almost like I had won that match because it was just like such a group achievement almost because my dad’s the coach, so he has a stake in it. I’m his hitting partner, so I have a stake in it. That was a really proud moment for all of us.

What were you most looking forward to in this season?

Daniel Ardila: The main reason I played school tennis in the first place was to be able to do this with him. It’s like brothers hopefully bringing St. Mark’s the first tennis SPC in 18 or 19 years, I think, and to end what at St. Mark’s is the longest title drought. I hope we still have that chance to bring home that championship, but that was definitely the thing I was looking forward to the most.

Landon Ardila: There was a tournament in Palm Springs, California called the Easter Bowl in 2017. At the beginning of the tournament, [Daniel] cheered me on a ton, but then he had to leave. In our first round, we were two points away from losing, but we came back and won and then won the whole tournament which was a huge achievement. It was just his cheering and coaching that got me through it.

Landon Ardila: I knew going into it that we had a really good chance at an SPC title, and I was really looking forward to that because that’s just bragging rights for the school and all the other clout you get at St. Mark’s for winning a title.

BROTHERLY LOVE During his final moment on the court at the Lions senior night, senior Andrew Laczkowski hugs his younger brother, sophomore Tate Laczkowski.

Andrew Laczkowski: The biggest one obviously is him replacing me on senior night. We have a picture of us hugging that I’m sure we’re gonna keep for a long time. I asked the coach before the game, ‘Hey, make sure Tate is the one subbing me out at the end.’

Andres Arroyo: Getting second place in the SPC 4 by 800m dash is one of my coolest experiences in running, especially because the team aspect of the relay made me feel like I was competing in something bigger than myself. The collective efforts of the 4x800 team paid off, with us getting second place in the race, which made the gap between us and St. John’s much smaller.

STORY Jack Davis, William Aniol, SeMaj Musco PHOTOS Courtesy Daniel Ardila, Andres Arroyo, Andrew Laczkowski

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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SPORTS

26

XFL FOOTBALL

Taking a chance

made me interested in it. The amount of experience I get in all aspects of managing and running a professional sports team this early on in my career is immense. I get to help out a lot more with sponsorships and marketing, along with the sales side of it.”

With the XFL season ending early amidst the recent COVID-19 outbreak, Meadows has been tasked with the challenge of reimbursing season ticket holders.

“Obviously, it’s kind of a bummer to have gotten canceled,” Meadows said.

“We’re really not worried about any kind of lost revenue from those two games.

Obviously it’s something that would have been helpful, but we had plenty of funding initially going into this, and we were doing great so far this season.”

Matthew Meadows ’15 first didn’t envision working for a start-up football league, but ultimately thrived in his role with the XFL.

W

hen Matthew Meadows ’15 first heard about the opportunity, he didn’t think much of it.

One of his neighbors, the former head of sponsorship for the Dallas Stars, became the team president for the Dallas Renegades, one of eight teams in the two-year-old Xtreme Football League (XFL). He offered to put Meadows in touch with the team’s director of ticket sales for an interview.

Meadows went into the interview with minimal expectations of anything coming from it, considering the failure of the original XFL just 18 years earlier.

But, after a couple meetings with the team, Meadows was hooked.

Now, as the ticket sales and experience manager for the Renegades, he is fully involved in the exciting reality of a brand new team and league, a league Meadows believes is just getting started.

••• Meadows, a three sport athlete in his time at 10600 Preston Rd., planned to play collegiate lacrosse before a series of leg injuries forced him to change paths. When he discovered sports management as a major, it immediately resonated with him.

“I’ve always loved sports. It’s something that has been a prominent aspect of my life for as long as I can remember,” Meadows said. “I was an economics major, planning on just following the typical finance and economic route that most Marksmen choose.

And then, all of a sudden, I found out about sports management. This is a major I can take with the whole business side of things that I’m already planning on doing but then actually go with something I love.”

While attending the University of Texas, Meadows had the opportunity to study the original XFL, which played its only season in 2001, an experience that made him doubt the capability of the new XFL. The original XFL, backed by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), experimented with new rules that threatened the health of the players, ultimately leading to its downfall.

“It was basically when they had just announced that they were coming back,” Meadows said, “and to be honest, I came away thinking, ‘This isn’t going to work.’”

Meadows said several changes from the original league, including $500 million in upfront funding, enough to last several seasons, and the decision by

Prior to the season’s end, Meadows planned for the Lions’ Senior Class to attend a Renegades game, sit near the 20 yard line, feature them on the jumbotron and allow them to take pictures on the field after the game.

“My class was actually the first graduating class that did a big group outing for a sports event,” Meadows said.

“It was an absolute blast. We were sitting up in the 300 sections, we watched the game, and then we left. So my hope was to GETTING READY Matthew Meadows ’15 sets up the air tunnel before do something a little more special.” the start of a Dallas Renegades game at Globe Life Park in Arlington.

After attending the school, Meadows feels he was well prepared for any task league creator Vince McMahon (owner of the WWE) thrown his way because of the lessons he learned as a to take a step back and hire well known football Marksman. names to help run the league, convinced him that the “I think St. Mark’s helped prepare me for new one was viable. anything,” Meadows said. “St. Mark’s helped develop “The more I went in and talked with them, the a lot of my leadership skills, especially since I played more it became pretty clear that this league is way sports and was a captain. Some of the connections different than the last,” Meadows said. “They’d spent to be honest with you, just the whole network of two years coming up with a really detailed financial Marksmen and alumni, guys that want to see this plan. They were bringing in all these guys that are succeed or see you succeed and are supportive of respected in the football you just because you went to St. Mark’s — it’s pretty world, while having all this I went in thinking there’s no way this is incredible.” funding up front. It just going to last.” last.” sounded Matthew Meadows ’15 like, ‘Okay, this is a You don’t realize the pretty fun experience to get to start size and speed of NBA players when for a sports management major.” you’re watching it

Because the Renegades on TV or up in the front office only consists of around stands.”

20 people, Meadows was excited Jonathan Tjarks ’05 to be able to take on a bigger role and truly have an impact on the organization.

“We were a really small team,” Meadows said. “That was one of the big things that actually

“

STORY Peter Orsak, Drew Woodward PHOTO Courtesy Matthew Meadows

Youst wins Ninja national championship

by Peter Orsak reshman Christian Youst was crowned the winner of the 2019 State Games of America National Championship for the Ninja Challenge for his age group in Lynchburg, VA Aug. 4.

“It felt awesome,” Youst said. “That was something I’ve always wanted to do.

I’ve been competing for a pretty long time, but to win a national championship was a goal I had for a couple years. When I had that mindset of ‘I want to be a national champion,’ that’s when my training really ramped up. That’s when I started taking it a lot more seriously. It was a dream come true.”

Youst has taken part in over 50 competitions across the country, including American Ninja Warrior Junior, which was broadcasted nationally.

“My most memorable event was my appearance on Ninja Junior just because that was a big learning experience for me,” Youst said. “The guy who beat me ultimately won the entire competition. It was a very close race — it was within twotenths of a second. It taught me, looking back on my run, that there’s really no room for hesitation.”

Youst plans to compete for a spot on the American Ninja Warrior show as one of the four non-adult competitors during the qualifiers in St. Louis, MO over the

F

summer.

“I got a phone call a few months ago from a producer of the American Ninja Warrior show,” Youst said. “He told me the people working on the show saw me in some of the leagues I compete in and place well in, and they wanted me to compete on the show during season 12 of American Ninja Warrior.”

Since starting ninja training at eight years old, Youst has found a passion for the sport.

“I was trying to find the thing that I wanted to do with my life,” Youst said, “and it just really interested me, like the whole aspect of you versus a course compared to a team versus team sport.”

While Youst understands balancing training and school can be difficult, in the end, he feels it is worth it.

“I don’t train every single day because if you did, you’d probably get tired of it,” Youst said. “I try to go every Wednesday, Friday and one day on the weekend. With ninja, you don’t do it too often, but it’s very intense training sessions.”

Youst hopes to continue ninja for as long as he can and hopes to win another national championship.

“My goal is to do it again,” Youst said.

“I want to prove to everybody that I’m the real deal, and I can do this — not just once.”

“

By the numbers

2-3

the Renegades’ record this season

18

years earlier, the original XFL failed

500

million dollars in funding secured by the XFL

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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SPORTS

27

NBA WRITER

Talking all things basketball

After enduring a long process, Jonathan Tjarks ’05 is now a national NBA writer for The Ringer, regularly profiling NBA stars.

J

onathan Tjarks ’05 watches courtside at the American Airlines Center before tip-off of the Dallas Mavericks–Miami Heat 2012 Christmas Day showdown –– Miami’s chance to avenge their 2011 Finals defeat suffered at the hands of the Mavericks.

He can count the hundreds of times he’s watched NBA stars on TV, but now, he’s actually there on the court with media credentials for the first time.

It just feels different in a way he could never have imagined.

He’s beside Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki. Then he’s right beside the Miami Heat’s “Big Three” of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. He glances up as LeBron makes it down the court in what seems like just three strides before throwing down a one-handed jam.

No one seems to miss a shot on either side. Swish after swish. Even by bench players. They’re way bigger, way faster, way quicker than he thought –– something he couldn’t grasp until he stepped foot on the court — and he loves every part of the experience.

But this is only a part-time gig for Tjarks.

Blogging on his own at night while working a day job, Tjarks is simply unwilling to give up on his desire to ultimately assert himself on the national scene among NBA journalists.

Fast forward eight years later, and Tjarks is now a prominent NBA national media member, earning recognition for telling the stories of the NBA biggest superstars and trying to be one step ahead of his peers in finding compelling content.

••• Tjarks began his career as a sports journalist back at 10600 Preston Rd., where he served as sports editor of The ReMarker in the 2004-2005 school year and discovered his passion for story-telling.

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Tjarks felt uncertain about where his life would lead him; what he was certain of was his undeniable love for both the game of basketball and journalism.

“I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with myself; I knew I really loved journalism,” Tjarks said. “I played a little bit too, so I thought, ‘What if I could combine what I know about basketball and what I know about journalism so it’s one thing?’ So, I decided to try to do that.”

Tjarks launched his career first as an NBA writer at Sports Blog (SB) Nation, a sports media company known for its blogs, where he eventually assumed the role of managing editor in 2012 for Mavs Moneyball, SB Nation’s Mavericks focused blogsite.

In addition to writing for SB Nation, Tjarks also contributed to Real GM, a website providing stats, news and rumors from the NBA, up until 2016.

“I was just writing on my own; it was a really slow process of blogging, making connections then moving to a bigger site,” Tjarks said. “Before I got to The Ringer in 2016, it was six years of a really slow process of moving up in the internet world, developing a following and making connections.”

Now, as a staff writer for The Ringer, a sports and pop culture media company started by basketball media icon Bill Simmons, Tjarks is a national NBA media member, tasked with the responsibility to keep up with all 30 teams on a nightly basis as opposed to just one team.

“I try to vaguely follow everything, and then when I find a story I like, I’ll try to zoom in on it,” Tjarks said. “The last thing I wrote before the world started going crazy was about a Detroit Pistons player [Christian Wood]. When something really catches my eye about a player, I’ll start focusing in on the team for a day or two, really watch a bunch of their games, try to talk to some people, look at the numbers and figure out what the story’s going to look like.”

Having grown up admiring the work of Bill Simmons, for Tjarks, the fact that he now works under the figure he has always looked up to and forever wanted to emulate still hasn’t sunk in. “[Bill Simmons] was the big guy when I was in high school,” Tjarks said. “He was writing in a different way that no one else was doing. He was showing his personality, he really developed his own voice, he was a guy everyone was reading. Just reading him, it was more personal. He wasn’t some distant figure writing about sports from 30,000 feet.

It felt like you knew the guy, and he knew his stuff.

So, it was really crazy to end up being hired by him.”

Of the numerous feature stories he has written on NBA stars, Tjarks most enjoyed compiling his story on Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic before the 2018-2019 NBA season, predicting Jokic would break out and rise to stardom in the upcoming season.

“With my kind of job, it’s all about being first on a story,” Tjarks said. “Everyone’s trying to peg the next big thing. With that story, he kind of blew up that next year, and I was able to be first on him.

I was the first guy out there talking to everyone, saying this guy’s the next big star in the NBA. It’s the

STORY William Aniol, Peter Orsak PHOTO Courtesy Jonathan Tjarks ’05

competition of who can be first, who’s going to plant the next big star. That was really cool to be first on him and really pinpoint him as one of the best players in the league.”

While Tjarks consistently finds himself competing against fellow NBA writers for content, he maintains friendly relationships with other writers around the league. Additionally, Tjarks ensures to never pursue a story that has already been done, instead, focusing on finding new, unique angles on the game’s biggest stars.

“A lot of times what will happen with younger writers is they’ll spend all their time on social media, so they end up talking about what everyone else is talking about,” Tjarks said. “You’re competing, but it’s always friendly –– it’s like any industry. It’s like two lawyers competing for the best clients; you’re all doing the same job.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the indefinite suspension of the 2019-2020 NBA season, Tjarks is not worrying tremendously, as he earns a full-time salary at The Ringer, a luxury he did not have in his past when he would only earn money for each piece published.

“I don’t think anyone has a plan right now,” Tjarks said. “For me, it worked out well because I had a kid [the week of March 1521], so I’m on parental leave You don’t realize the anyways. The original plan size and speed of was for me to come back NBA players when you’re watching it for the playoffs in April, so on TV or up in the now that there’s no games to stands.” write about, I think I’ll just Jonathan Tjarks ’05 take my time. I’m going to try to take as much time off as I can to spend time with my kid.”

Alongside Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins ’03 as the two Marksmen currently making a living working in the NBA, Tjarks feels there’s a certain bond with someone else who has also been through the school.

“It’s just an instant understanding when you see another guy from St. Mark’s, especially when you’re out in the real world,” Tjarks said. “It’s like, ‘I know this guy, I kind of know what he’s about, I know where he’s been and where he has come from.’ It’s a little taste of home.”

“

IN THE STUDIO After co-hosting The Ringer NBA Show in The Ringer’s podcast studio, Jonathan Tjarks ’05 (second from right) poses with his coworkers.

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

FAREWELL Marksmen compete in the senior 3v3 basketball league right before the school’s close amid pandemic precautions.

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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28

MOVIES

More than just a fan

BACKPAGE

Many people enjoy the Star Wars films, but very few share as much passion and interest for the franchise as junior Aaryan Puri.

COLLECTOR Among Puri’s favorite Star Wars toys are his black collection action figures.

He hasn’t taken them out of the box yet.

Cristian Pereira: What are some facts that show much time have you put into the franchise?

Aaryan Puri: Back in seventh grade, my father promised me if I got a certain requirement of grades for the first trimester, then, I would get to see this marathon.

This was Dec. 15, 2015. I still have this date memorized. There was this movie marathon showing at Cinemark. All the movies starting from episode one to episode seven started at 3am and would go to like 8 p.m., and my dad said that I could skip that whole day of school if I got the certain grades.

I worked hard, and that Thursday, the Thursday before Christmas break, I woke up at 3 a.m. with a blanket and a whole bunch of popcorn, and I went to the movies theater, and we watched all those CP: When did you start loving Star Wars?

AP: I started loving Star Wars in the second grade.

I was at Lamplighter at the time, and I watched this show called Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and that would come every Saturday on Cartoon Network.

That is when my true love of Star Wars developed. I started out, my friends were talking about it at school, I had never heard of it before, so I turned it on one week, and I really just fell in love with the show.

I looked into it more, and I started watching all the movies, the original trilogy, and the prequels. I remember the first time I watched Revenge of the Sith in like third grade, and so many emotions came out like in that scene when Palpatine is attacking all the Jedi. I remember absolutely hating Palpatine. It was just the true emotions that you get when you when you first see a movie.

BOOKWORM While Star Wars: Kenobi is Aaryan’s favorite Star Wars book, he’s amassed a collection of many other official and unofficial texts, including some comics.

TRUE JEDI Occasionally, Aaryan likes dressing up and lightsaber dueling with his father or some friends. While he’s collected many over the years, his favorites are official blue and red lightsabers.

WHO SHOT FIRST While his most prized action figures are still in the box, Aaryan has many less expensive, unboxed ones to enjoy.

MAGIC 8-BALL? Among Aaryan’s most unique toys is his Yoda’s Destiny Decider, which works as a fortuneteller.

CP: What’s your favorite Star Wars movie?

AP: I was waiting for that one. So I will say, out of all the movies I’ve ever seen, Rogue One, because the buildup and the fact that they were able to make such a good movie with zero buildup. It wasn’t part of trilogy. It was a standalone Star Wars story. They were they were able to build it up so well, and even just by killing off all the characters, over the course of the movie you became connected to them.

The cinematography is amazing. The locations they go to, the characters. We see Saw Gerrera who came back from the Clone Wars. He was a character in the Clone Wars, and it was amazing to see him on the big screen. I really appreciated that, and especially the ending scene with Darth Vader. Oh man, that is one of the best Star Wars scenes I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

Darth Vader sort of gets downplayed in the movies. It’s only in the comics and the books that you see how powerfully the force that he carries around with him is. Even in the video game The Force Unleashed you see what a powerful man Darth Vader is.

I think finally seeing that on the big screen was truly exceptional. Now many people do say Empire Strikes Back is their favorite movie, right? It is my number two—I think the reason people find it to be such a good movie is because of the buildup that it had.

INTERVIEW Cristian Pereira PHOTOS Courtesy Aaryan Puri

CP: Why did you fall in love with Star Wars?

AP: Of course, the gadgets like the lightsabers are really cool. I love lightsabers and blasters, but I think it’s really the idea of like good versus evil fighting the galaxy. In the end, the good always wins, but there are hardships like in Empire Strikes Back. It’s pretty much the low point for Luke, Leia and Han, but they always get up, and they get up and they win. I think that’s really stuck with me through my life, just the idea of perseverance.

CP: What are some of your favorite Star Wars items that you’ve collected?

AP: So I have a series of these Star Wars black figurines. They come in boxes, and they’re the Hasbro Elite, Star Wars figurines, and I’ve been collecting them over time. In addition to that, I have the Force FX lightsabers that are basically the replicas from the movies, and they were actually featured in the McDonald’s Week video.

In addition to those lightsabers, which are more on the expensive side, I have a bunch of lightsabers that I just like to collect and duel with, just have some fun throwing them around or clashing with my dad or a couple of friends.

I have a couple of Nerf Blasters from Star Wars. I have a Yoda Destiny Decider.

I have a bunch of posters, stuffed animals, and a bunch of more action figures besides the Hasbro ones. I have the Jedi outfit and I have hoodies and all that. It’s just a whole bunch of stuff.

REMARKER

S P E C I A L S E CT I O N • S T. M A R K ' S S C H O O L O F T E X A S • DA L L A S , T E X A S • V O LU M E 6 6 , N U M B E R 6 • A P R I L 9 , 2 0 2 0

A NIGHT AT

St. Mark’s Before ditching the blue shirts and gray shorts for the last time, the Class of 2020 reflects on their years at 10600 Preston Rd.

ARTWORK James Shiao

DON'T MISS

Dynamic duos • From the Superfanmen to the Arroyo twins, the Class of 2020 truly has some unique pairs throughout the grade. Page 3

From 32 weak to 89 strong • Highlighting the events that shaped the

Class of 2020 through senior year and the past, we look back on the memories. Pages 4,5

The next four •

As seniors are in the process of making their final college decisions, here is a closer look at where the Class of 2020 will end up. Page 8

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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SENIOR SECTION FORMER LIONS

A different pathway

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Many find 10600 Preston Rd. as their second home, but it’s not the best fit for everyone.

We talked with some former class of 2020 members reflecting on their time here.

Bits and pieces: my time here made into a priceless filmstrip

by Christopher Wang t’s simply too hard to boil these past nine years down into 400ish words.

2 who you It’s like trying to describe are in one word. Or looking up at the stars beaming like gems in the innocent night sky on Pecos. Or maybe the first time you saw your first crush. It’s almost indescribable.

So I’ll run through the moments that jump off of the timeline—the moments that define my time here. Because I might not always remember each door I opened and where I went during my free periods, but I’ll always have those picturesque moments to hold onto.

Here we go.

I never knew how much $20 could buy me. Not until my mom offered me $20 to wake up early to take a random test when I was in third grade. Hah, your loss, mom. And that’s how St. Mark’s found its way into my life.

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A RINGING OF BELLS Former classmate Henry Stache decided he wanted to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot.

The first day I stepped into Mrs. Darver 4B classroom in Lower School.

White collared shirt. Grey shorts. All white socks and all black shoes. Oh, and the belt. Can’t ever forget about the belt.

My mom waved an endearing goodbye to me and Mrs. Darver, and that was it. My mom had thrown me into the deep end. Not even my best puppy eyes could bring her back to save me. But of course, I discovered that it really wasn’t all that bad.

An in-depth dive into the upsides and downsides of Anthony Davis with Colin made my feet feel little Chris Wang warmer. Oh, and Obaid deputy managing editor soccer. Lower School was a movie, but I am still trying to figure out whether it was a horror, action or comedy.

Then came Middle School, which showed me it was a little bit of all three.

Dan Reese’s cackling (I miss you, Dan).

Exploring Asia class. The England choir trip. How do you use this locker? Can you help me? Yes, the combination is correct. My hands are just greasy. I’m not weak, really. (Grip strength, right Matthew?) And quick shoutout to the legend of Anshu Reddy.

I say it now, and I’ll always say it— seventh grade basketball and eighth grade volleyball will always be the most fun experiences I have playing sports in my life.

Lastly came the final four. I know the term “final four” can be upsetting right now, and I’m sorry. We still made the best tent, Paul. Siddy’s atrocious, nearly-trendsetting haircut. I discovered journalism, which brings me to Sam— not sure if I can count them all on my fingers.

Of course, some things just never change—a permanence that transcends these flashes. I watched older guys like Davis Bailey and Zach Gilstrap set the example, and now I’m the senior donning the blue shirt.

I’ll never forget the feeling of wanting to punch my alarm. Chicken masala day will always be remembered.

I will always be better than Daniel at tennis, Tex at ping pong and Nicholas at math, but I’m sure they don’t feel too bad being second to me.

And Toby kept getting taller. Never stop growing, Toby.

“My Time at St. Mark’s,” An update from a former lion brother

by Henry Stache en-six hundred Preston Road: An address that will be ingrained in my memory for years to come. When I look back at my fondest memories of St. Mark’s, something immediately sticks out to me. Something most high school students don’t feel. The brotherhood.

It’s simply unique.

From the early days of middle school, that word was thrown around a lot. But honestly, I think most of us didn’t really think about it much. As we all grew older, progressed through high school, I think that word developed into something much more meaningful. I miss it a lot.

When I changed high schools to go into an International Baccalaureate (IB) school system, it was the right international education I was looking for, and I was very pleased with the switch. But still now as a graduating senior, I can’t help but think about how my life would have looked like if I was walking around with a blue shirt, living all the great memories St. Mark’s has to offer.

When St. Mark’s was struck by an EF3 tornado, it was gut wrenching.

That gym I grew up playing in, PE with Doc, volleyball with Coach Friesen, it was gone overnight. All along however, I knew that deep

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inside, my St. Mark’s brothers were looking after one another, passionate to help get their beloved school back to normal condition.

Even though I don’t get to live the brotherhood at 10600 anymore, I get to see it from the outside, and it makes me smile every time.

Seeing my grade excel in SPC sports, hearing about their future college plans and watching them lead the school in unprecedented times, still makes me feel proud to have been a member of that class.

St. Mark’s also gave me incredible schooling opportunities that will never leave me. Specifically, the English department, though not always loved with the ‘writing conferences,’ taught me and my classmates to develop writing skills a notch above most.

I’m continually amazed by what kind of amazing art and literature is produced at 10600 Preston Rd., and it wouldn’t be without the staff at St. Mark’s who put effort into making sure we were able to produce our best work, no matter if the hurdle was too large.

Having never been to the new science building recently built, I can only dream of the kinds of resources and tools now available for my classmates.

My time at St. Mark’s was one filled with a lot of joyous emotion, ups and also some downs. Don’t kid yourself, St. Mark’s is a rigorous school. I worked hard, but I also knew that that hard work was going to make me even stronger, ready for our changing world.

I also knew that no matter how rough my day was, I had classmates surrounding me, both going through similar struggles but also willing to help me out.

As our time as seniors draws near, I hope that I can reflect one last message to everyone at St. Mark’s.

Being at St. Mark’s is one thing. But if there is anything I have learned from my time living internationally and attending various schools, it’s not about showing up to class and doing the homework to eek by.

Take the steps to develop that brotherhood. Take a moment to enjoy the difficulty but also the amazing education you are getting. What makes 10600 Preston Rd. is not the buildings, the century-long history, or the amazing cafeteria. It’s the memories and knowledge you build for a lifetime, the friendships and connections you will have with your class forever, and the development into manhood that will carry you on into our bright futures.

This, I owe to my brothers.

What do you miss most about your time with the Class of 2020?

Each four former Marksmen received the same question and reflect on their time on campus

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The support and altruism of everyone, who although never having met me before, accepted me as one of their own, taught me simple yet valuable lessons that I will carry on with me forever. The Class of 2020 had the unique ability to capture people’s attention with their positivity, thoughtfulness and their considerate and amiable nature.

Lucho Hadzhigenov Junior year exchange student

I miss the friendships. I was there for eight years and I definitely formed some really close bonds with a lot of people. And moving on was hard and I miss the time I spent with them and the time I know I missed out on by leaving. I would’ve loved to continue to grow those friendships by being with them everyday.

Callaway Clark Left eighth grade

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For one, I miss the campus. I didn’t fully realize how ridiculously nice it is until I left. I miss the insane amount of clubs and extra-curricular activities, but, of course, more than anything else, I miss you guys. It was really pretty amazing watching all of us grow together from 1st grade until 8th, when I left. It sounds a little sappy, but the St. Mark’s brotherhood is palpable.

Luke Jacobs Left eighth grade

I miss the brotherhood and camaraderie we shared, and it was a blessing to have been able to acquaintance myself and create memories with such a great group of guys.

Dan Reese Left sixth grade

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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SENIOR SECTION

TAKING CHARGE Luke Evangelist and Jack Trahan hype up the crowd during a pep rally.

Dynamic duos

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Some seniors have a deep bond that can’t be explained with words.

But they sure can try:

Jack Trahan and Luke Evangelist Ishan Gupta: How did y’all meet each other?

Jack Trahan: Luke was one of the first people I met at St. Mark’s because we were in the same Pecos group. The OG Pecos group with Mr. Adame. I remember in that group that him, Billy [Lockhart] and I were interviewing each other, and the first thing he ever asked me was if I played tennis because I looked like [former senior] Callaway [Clark].

were heading down and what we wanted to do about that. Once we got to football season and then basketball games, we became a team.

Luke Evangelist: Man, that group has so many memories. The other day, I found those pictures and Jack looked so different. I remember every 15 minutes, he would come in and demand that he would fill up people’s water bottles.

JT: I was on that hydration game. Everybody else was vomiting, man. No way I’d let that happen.

IG: What’s your one favorite moment together from this year?

LE: Winter SPC. I mean, that’s got to be everybody’s favorite moment. That’s a moment we’re going to remember forever, that we’ll tell our kids about. Kids that are in Lower School or Middle School right now are going to grow up hearing about the weekend we won three SPC Championships. Every time I see that picture of us at the forefront with the trophies, I can’t help but smile.

JT: Yeah, and off of that, one moment that especially stands out from that weekend is us hitching the table around and running around with that after each game.

IG: Were y’all a duo before this year?

IG: So is it Jack and Luke, or Luke and Jack?

JT: Definitely. We went to all the games together junior year, and we talked about being the Superfanmen for this year.

LE: It started last year when we started to become aware of the path the Superfanmen

LE: I guess it depends on the day. I don’t really care.

JT: Whenever somebody from administration addresses us, it’s Jack and Luke, so I think that’s it.

LE: I don’t know, I think it changes every day.

JT: It’s usually Jack and Luke. Maybe after a lacrosse game, it’ll be Luke and Jack. But for most games, it’s Jack and Luke.

IG: What’s the one thing you’ll miss about each other?

LE: Hearing that voice every single day because it’s so unique and it’s so distinct.

When you hear that at assembly, everybody just knows it’s Jack. I’m just going to miss our partnership and our friendship.

JT: I’d say I’m pretty invested in St. Mark’s sports, but I know Luke is even more interested. If I’m even considering going to Fort Worth to watch a basketball game, I know he will be 100 percent on board and he’ll drag

me to those things. Having someone that is just so passionate about anything, but especially St. Mark’s sports, always really uplifts me.

IG: Imagine you’re heading off to college tomorrow, and you might never see each other again. What do you say to each other?

Don’t be afraid to get emotional.

LE: It’s been an amazing ride and a pleasure.

I wouldn’t change a minute of it for anything.

We did everything we could, we brought the community forward and we made the Superfanmen something great.

JT: Yeah, and that’s what we originally set out to do. You and I, I think we did our job. I’m looking forward to seeing what you do in the next four years.

Lincoln Dales and Andrew Laczkowski Wallace White: Who’s funnier?

Andrew Laczkowski: Lincoln, but you kind of have to buy into his sense of humor.

It’s kind of dark. So you gotta know him well to get it. You see, I do things that make people laugh, but they’re never intended to be funny Lincoln Dales: I agree wholeheartedly with that statement. I am funnier.

WW: What’s one thing you’ve learned from your friend?

LD: I would say you can work hard and achieve your dreams. And I mean that

Tony D’Apice and Romil Mathur

EATING OUT Romil Mathur and Tony D’Apice never miss out on a meal together.

sincerely. This kid worked his butt off for 18 years to play basketball and now is going to play for UPenn.

AL: Despite hating something you always just come and be present and try to make the best of it. He won’t admit to it but I feel like he does try harder than he lets on. He doesn’t care, but he cares.

WW: What do you dislike the most about your friend?

AL: Well sometimes Lincoln’s decisions can go off the rails. And sometimes he can be, “unaware” of who or what’s around Sid Vattamreddy: Do y’all remember the first time y’all met each other?

Tony D’Apice: Holy cow. It was probably in Middle School. I think I saw him in PE. He was the smallest little kid, like just so small.

Romil Mathur: I think I saw you at a mixer when you were still at Greenhill, like one of the middle school mixers.

TD: Maybe, but I probably wouldn’t have remembered you from there. I probably just remember you from St. Mark’s.

SV: When did y’all start becoming really good friends?

TD: Just last year probably. We

him, and he might do or say something not fitting for that time or place.

LD: I don’t like that when you beat him at 2k he’ll throw your remote at the wall.

WW: We know who’s better at basketball, but who’s better at 2k?

AL: Ok let’s just say this. If I beat him seven times he’d beat me three times. I mean I would beat him on the volleyball court too.

LD: Ehh, I don’t know about that.

AL: Let’s say that I beat him 7 times, and he beats me 3 times out of 10.

talked about this. It was partly being on the golf team together all of high school, but mostly last year.

RM: Yeah, we had a bunch of classes together, and I would always go to his house for homework. We had the same lunch period too, so we would just chill.

SV: What do you think really defines your friendship?

TD: We’re always super competitive, and one time we played paintball, and I just crushed Romil, like kept shooting him.

RM: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We wanted to decide who was the alpha.

DRESSED UP Best friends Lincoln Dales and Andrew Laczkowski get ready for Junior Symphony Ball.

TD: Yeah, we always decide who is the alpha. One time we were playing basketball, and the loser had to be the winner’s servant.

We just get super competitive, but also, we’re the best ping pong team in the whole grade.

yourself Tony’s enabler to him not having a license?

RM: Yes definitely. You could call me his driver. But I do not get tired of driving him around.

TD: Yeah, that’s one thing you’re good at.

SV: Right now, who is the alpha?

TD: Definitely me.

RM: No way. You know I could beat you up any day.

TD: Romil, you’re worse at Uno, worse at paintball.

RM: Well, paintball you have to call it a tie. That was a technicality.

SV: Do y’all have any nicknames for each other?

TD: Monkey 1 and Monkey 2.

Also King Julian.

RM: Yeah, we’re big on Madagascar references. Tony is King Julian, because he’s so lanky.

TD: Romil is Mort, the little annoying baby. Shoutout to [senior] Jason [Yoo], too. Jason is Maurice.

SV: Romil, would you consider

INTERVIEWS Ishan Gupta, Sid Vattamreddy, Wallace White

It’s weird to think about, but I have a strange feeling we’re already Legen... wait for it... dary.

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have had the caption for my Commencement Instagram post planned out for the past two years: “On this day, we become legendary.” Like other great captions, this one comes from a song lyric, specifically the opening lines to the second verse of Kanye West’s “Good Morning” off of his 2007 album Graduation – just a coincidence, I promise.

As I have watched the classes of 2017, 2018 and 2019 embody what it means to be a senior, I thought I figured out what makes one legendary. As I marvelled at the swagger in their steps, the nonchalance in their manners, the experience in their actions, I concluded that the “it factor” was clearly in the donning of the white tuxes, the puffing of the cigars, the beaming of the diplomas. Since coming up with that perfect caption sophomore year, I have kept it in my Notes app, waiting for the day where I could say we too have

become legendary. have been legendary since our bus ride back As the day gets closer and closer, nostalgia from the Sophomore Retreat. And we have is hitting me like a freight truck. I’m realizing been legendary since we started wearing blue that Commencement, though an important shirts and class rings. part of our Marksman experience, isn’t what To my fellow ReMarker seniors, we have makes the Class of 2020 so inbeen legendary since we filled credible. To my 88 brothers who out reading report forms and will walk the stage with me, we failed style rules assignments have been legendary. in J-1. We have been legendary We have been legendary since we zoned out during desince we toted around rolling sign tutorials from Davis Bailey. backpacks and tipped Zucas.

We have been legendary since We have been legendary since we destroyed the class of 2019 Sid Vattamredddy the days of Sharks and Minin pickup basketball. In essence, managing editor nows during Humanities break. we already are legendary.

We have been legendary since I, however, will not be the cookies and lemonade that followed our changing my planned Insta caption. (It’s too last-ever Middle School Final Assembly. We perfect). But I know when that day comes, have been legendary since our 24-hour-solos it’ll be as bitter as Charlie’s morning coffee in the New Mexican Pecos wilderness. We before he mixes in his cream and two sugars

and as sweet as the honey Sean mixes into his yogurt. I’ll be happy to share one last memory with all of my classmates, but I’ll be sad to never wear an oxford shirt and gray shorts again.

So when someone asks me what my time at St. Mark’s was like, I’ll only have one word for them: Legendary. It won’t be the rigorous academics, the world-class facilities or the niche extracurriculars that I’ll look back on.

It’ll be the little things, the surreal moments in time that can never be replicated that I’ll keep with me forever. 10600 Preston Rd. has been a second home to me these past eight years.

I will never forget the hours we poured into the double-slash summer redesign, the Saturday lunches around the Harkness table or the scrambling for briefs on Bulletin, because once a Marksman, always a Marksman.

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From 32 weak to 89 strong Since its original members stepped foot on campus in August of 2008, the Class of 2020 has had a journey like none other, full of unforgettable (and occasionally regrettable) moments. Follow along to see some of the highlights and how the seniors made their way from youngsters to soon-to-be alumni.

VARSITY BLUES Blue shirt day began the final chapter of the Class of 2020’s story. Donning the famous blue shirts for the first time on May 31, 2019 after a perilous junior year, we surged ahead, ready for our newfound role as leaders. Little did we know the obstacles, challenges and triumphs that would arise during senior year.

COMPILATION Colin Campbell PHOTOS Courtesy Dave Carden, Rohit Vemuri, Will Mallick

2012: Fourth Grade Graduation

2012: Mr. Jordan hiking trip

2016: The mighty Pecos

August 2019: New locker room

August 2019: First day

August 2019: Meeting buddies

Oct. 2019: Where’s Waldo?

Oct. 2019: Hoco at Greenhill

Nov. 2019: Final Pep Rally

Ready for the challenges of Middle School, 48 fourth graders stand side-by-side in the chapel.

The new, state-of-the-art locker room opens up for athletes before the fall season begins.

Over half the class dresses for Halloween as the famous, often-disappearing character.

A portion of the class heads up to the Yellowstone Wilderness area with the legendary third grade teacher.

Student Council President Taylor Hopkin helps set the tone with an opening Convocation speech.

Candidates for Homecoming King and Queen pose at halftime of the Lions’ win over Greenhill.

In a tradition well older than us, we take on the Pecos to unify and prepare for Upper School

After a long wait, we finally meet our Lower School Buddies. Most of us lose in games of tic-tac-toe.

Doc gives legendary introductions for the football seniors at our last football pep rally ever.

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

SPECIAL SECTION Words from the wise: final remarks from seniors before we scatter across the country.

What makes the Class of 2020 so special?

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I THINK JUST OUR BROTHERHOOD. WE ALWAYS SEEM TO BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER DURING TIMES OF ADVERSITY. AND DURING THIS TIME, WHICH HAS PROBABLY BEEN THE MOST DIFFICULT THING WE’VE FACED AS A CLASS, WE STILL REMAIN CLOSE AND IN CONTACT. — ELI YANCEY

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WE DON’T SEE OURSELVES AS BETTER THAN THE UNDERCLASSMEN, BUT RATHER AS LEADERS AND MENTORS WHO CAN HELP THEM SUCCEED. — RICKY RODRIGUEZ

What advice do you have for younger Marksmen?

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MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME AT ST. MARKS. IT’S A VERY TOUGH PLACE WHICH MAKES IT EASY TO FOCUS ON THE PRESSURES AND CHALLENGES OF THE DAILY EXPERIENCE, BUT AS WE’VE SEEN THIS YEAR, IT CAN GO BY IN A FLASH. I WOULD ADVISE THEM NOT TO FREAK OUT OVER THE DAILY ASSIGNMENTS, BUT INSTEAD EMBRACE THE CLASS WIDE EVENTS. — ALEX PICCAGLI

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LEARN TO MOVE ON. DON’T GET TOO CAUGHT UP IN YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OR FAILURES. TIME MOVES TOO FAST TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN ONE PLACE. DEFINITELY REFLECT ON WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, BUT LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE. — BEN HAO

What has been your favorite memory from the year?

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MY FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE YEAR WAS DURING WINTER SPC WHEN OUR TEAMS WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP. IT WAS SO AMAZING TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF MEMBERS OF OUR CLASS WORKED SO HARD FOR. THAT DAY WAS TRULY ONE OF THE BEST HIGHLIGHTS OF MY ST. MARK’S EXPERIENCE AND MADE ME WANT TO BRING MORE HARDWARE HOME TO MY BROTHERS DURING SPRING SPC. — TITUS MCGOWAN

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ALL-SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PARTY. WALKING IN WITH MY BUDDY, WILLIAM, WAS THE MOST AMAZING EXPERIENCE. EVERYTHING FROM LOWER SCHOOL FLASHED BACK TO ME, AND I COULDN’T STOP SMILING. — AARON WEISER

2017: First ever Spirit Week

2018: McIncredibles Week

2019: Senior Step-Up Chapel

Sept. 2019: Initial roar

Oct. 2019: Time at Hockaday

Oct. 2019: Cupcake truck

Dec. 2019: Decorating campus

Dec. 2019: Holiday Celebrations

Feb. 2020: Banner Season

Embracing new opportunities to unite as a class, we dress in “Tropical Tuesday” attire.

We repay the favor to the Hockaday Purrers, meeting at Tom Thumb and going from house to house.

We gather on the first day of December to spread Holiday cheer, especially with the amazing XX sign.

Alex Piccagli defies cold weather and wins the apple bobbing challenge, just one of many highlights.

After the devastating tornado, our friends at Hockaday open their doors for our college applications.

A milestone step in the career of any Marksman, we shoulder our little buddies at the Christmas party.

We sit in the heralded senior seats for the first time after symbolically leaving the junior section.

Senior officers organize a dessert truck to hand out treats on our first day back from the tornado.

Three championships. One weekend. All in Dallas.

One of the most legendary feats ever, led by us.

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THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

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SENIOR SECTION

Over a decade later, their last words

Some of the few students who have attended the school since first grade look back over the past 12 years and give advice to younger Marksmen.

Ishan Gupta: What advice would you give to your first grade self?

Tianming Xie: From first grade all the way through eleventh grade, I rushed everything. I think taking it slower, you get to appreciate more stuff before you realize that it’s gone as a senior.

Ishan Gupta: If you could tell future senior classes anything, what would it be?

Aaron Weiser: Take more pictures. Whenever I look at my

camera roll, I smile at all those memories I have. I just think it would be amazing if I had more from freshman and sophomore year, not just with my close group of friends at homecoming or winter formal, but with everybody in all types of situations.

Christopher Wang: What advice would you give to your first grade self?

Camp Collins: I would tell

myself to try to be friends with everyone. The best part about our grade is the amazing sense of brotherhood. I love being so close to everyone, and it would’ve been great if we had gotten to that point even earlier.

Christopher Wang: What advice would you give to your first grade self?

Titus McGowan: Everything

happens for a reason. Without mistakes and failure, you would have never learned. Without pain, you would have never grown. Once you understand this, you will know that everything comes in to serve a purpose, and then, it will go.

Sam Goldfarb: Was senior year any different than you expected?

Ricky Rodriguez: Everyone before me made it out to seem like you could simply stop caring after first trimester. That is simply not the case. Although I did come into the year with that kind of attitude, I quickly corrected myself and made my year about helping the guys who are coming up after me in every way that I can, specifically in film.

Paul Sullivan: If you could tell future senior classes anything, what would it be?

Justin Kim: I would tell them don’t stress out because senior year shouldn’t be a year where you have to stress out. It’s just a time to look back.

Ishan Gupta: What’s your favorite memory?

Charlie Booras: Going to the Lower School, just being there, I’ll remember assignments and Extended Day and things that I did way back then. The nostalgia that comes from being there is probably heightened for me and every 12-year guy thinking about what’s happened a decade ago.

Christopher Wang: Do you have any regrets from your 12 years?

Matthew Raroque: I’m completely satisfied about what

I chose to do with my time, how I did it, etc, though I sometimes wish I did more in terms of impacting the school.

Outside of my St. Mark’s career? Yes, I have regrets, but everybody does. It’s life. I wish I treated some friends differently, got to know more people around my community and just learned how to apologize or take the high road. I definitely brought a lot of unneeded stress onto myself, but everything’s a learning experience.

Christopher Wang: Do you have any regrets from your 12 years?

William Gonzalez: No massive

regrets, but one small one. I wish that I had gotten involved in the extracurricular activities that I love earlier in high school. I would be nice to go back and tell my freshman and sophomore self to put himself out there and get involved earlier.

Ishan Gupta: What advice would you give to your first grade self?

Kasen Roberson: I would tell myself two things: one

socially and one academically. First, value friendships and relationships as you grow older. Especially right now, we don’t have those things readily available to us given the virus, so right now, I’m missing all of that. Second thing academically would be, have more confidence. Don’t underestimate yourself. There’s always going to be people who pick up things faster than you. They’re saying things better than you. But just trust your own abilities more, and you’ll feel much more comfortable.

Paul Sullivan: If you could tell future senior classes anything, what would it be?

Ryan McCord: I would ask them how they want to be

remembered as a class because that’s ultimately what’s important as a senior. To leave a legacy that can be remembered by the whole school for years to come is special. My best advice to do that is to be the best to each other. Be real brothers, and be more loyal to each other than anyone else.

Christopher Wang: Do you have any regrets from your 12 years?

Eddie Raj: I regret not doing the musical for at least one season.

I was so focused on basketball the whole time — a time, by the way, that I wouldn’t give up for anything — that I never looked deeper into performing, which I have actually come to enjoy.

Ishan Gupta: What advice would you give to your first grade self?

Russell Willner: To my first-

Sam Goldfarb: Do you have any regrets from your 12 years?

Theo Katsulos: This year

grade self: do your homework.

That’s something that I did not always do, which I wish I did.

I became more sociable and outgoing, and I honestly wish I had made those changes earlier.

Sam Goldfarb: Was senior year any different than you expected?

Ramsey Beard: Well, here’s the

deal. I’m not good at going full stop. I talk about it, but I’m terrible at doing it. My instinct just doesn’t go away. And it seems like my instinct is to still turn in papers, no matter what people say about senioritis.

Paul Sullivan: If you could tell future senior classes anything, what would it be?

Thomas Loose: I would tell

them to keep their head up, and then, that they’re the leaders of the school and whatever happens, people are looking up to you to see how to manage their lives.

Sam Goldfarb: If you could tell future senior classes anything, what would it be?

Will Mallick: Get to know people outside of your

grade – however you want to go about doing that. For me, it was doing the play, it was doing improv and just making friends that don’t run in the same circles as me usually.

There are people a bit younger than you who are actually just like you. Make those rounds and you’ll have something to come back to after you graduate.

INTERVIEWS Ishan Gupta, Christopher Wang, Sam Goldfarb, Paul Sullivan

Don’t read this column if you’ve never watched Toy Story

M

y favorite movie is one I never want to watch again. At least not for a while.

I’m a firm believer that Halloween peaked as a holiday in the three year stretch from the time I was four to six. Dressing up was still so exciting, but more importantly, there were so many potential personas for me to undertake. I loved Ninja Turtles — particularly Donatello and his bo-staff. Peter Pan and Captain Jack Sparrow were similarly intriguing.

But for those three years — the glory days of my time as a participant in Halloween — I dutifully came back to the character that time and time again took the cake: Buzz Lightyear, galactic hero. Arch nemesis of the tyrant Emperor Zurg. Valiant co-leader of Andy’s room and, more importantly, of me.

Those first two Toy Story movies captivated me. The thought of toys coming to

life when their owners weren’t around was On the tail end of that glorious run of enchanting (if not a little creepy). Blundering three Halloweens as Buzz Lightyear was my Rex was hilarious. Hamm’s blunt and sarentrance into a foreign land called St. Mark’s. castic nature was seemingly brilliant. I loved The fabled School of Texas.

Toy Story. And still do. But if it ever comes Progressing through the school has been on, count me out. sad for me. At the culmination Those characters – Buzz, of every year, as true at the end Woody, Hamm, Rex, Slinky of first grade as it was at the Dog, Jessie, Mr. & Mrs. Potato end of eleventh, my sentimental Head and the creepy little brain focused more on what I aliens that couldn’t stop exwas leaving behind than what claiming “you saved our lives, exciting opportunities were we are eternally grateful” — ahead.

Colin Campbell were my first best friends. BeAnd that’s where my undymanaging editor yond the worn Buzz Lightyear ing love for Toy Story comes in.

Costume (a worthy investment, Not only were the characters in all things considered), I spent my piggy bank it my friends, but they were me. earnings on little figurines called VinylmaI’m Andy. Growing up and leaving behind tions. My goal was to collect all 13 from the all the things that made me me in the first original set, but I never quite got there. place. It makes me feel guilty, that by grow-

ing up and extending out into the world, I’m hurting people. I’m Woody. So attached to my surroundings – my school, my family, my friends – that I don’t know what my purpose is without them.

And lastly, I’m Buzz. Not for any particular, overly-sentimental reason. Just because I am, and I have three years worth of Halloween pictures as proof.

I can not watch Toy Story. It makes me cry just thinking about it. It makes me think about all the good times that were and all the people involved. And until I outgrow that tendency to glob onto the past rather than the future, those tears are going to continue falling.

Thank you, St. Mark’s. In a sentiment that would make those little green aliens proud, you made my life, and I am eternally grateful.

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

PAGE

SENIOR SECTION

Final ReMarks

7

Sam Ahmed

Colin Campbell Sid Vattamreddy Christopher Wang

Aaron Thorne

Paxton Scott

Ishan Gupta

Wallace White

Charlie Booras

Sam Goldfarb

Seniors of The ReMarker staff reflect on their time in the Publications Suite as their time on staff comes to a close.

Sam Ahmed Position: Editor-in-Chief From the staff: What’s there to say about Jimm – I mean Sam that hasn’t been said before? Primed to be editor since your Mini Marque days, you’ve been our gutsy leader through a tumultuous year. Aside from an impressive music taste, you have the unique honor of not only pitching yourself but also being the subject of an expertly-written and widely-read secondary. Sam, it’s truly been a JOY these past couple of years. SJG forever.

Response: Thank you fellas for all the hard work and late nights this year to make this year’s ReMarker one that the school will never forget. Thanks for putting up with my wack music choices and Snap Kitchen runs. Jimmy out!

Colin Campbell Position: Managing Editor From the staff: POTUS, there’s nothing you can’t do. Super Smash Bros aficionado, three-sport athlete who loves when it’s HOT and never afraid to go against the grain. Sure, maybe you drink mayo straight out of the packet. And maybe you’ve been recording your interviews with your camera app for all these years. But those three songs you’ve bought on iTunes speak volumes about the fun-loving, hard-working, enthusiastic guy you are. When you walk into the Suite, you put a smile on everybody’s face. So never forget about us, invite us to your wedding and remember: you’re a superstar Leg – a real high IQ player.

Response: Appreciate all you guys and your support for my weird habits — mayo and all. Our times together were as memorable as they were difficult. It’s been an absolute honor being associated with you guys and your amazing work, especially you, TCros. - Leg Sid Vattamreddy Position: Managing Editor From the staff: Tennis captain, resident balloon expert and bulletin specialist Sid Vattamreddy. These last four years would not have been the same without the late night trips to Popeye’s, Chicken E and Snap Kitchen (that rare occasion). I’m glad those Indesign tricks Davis taught us in third period finally paid off. It’s been an honor and privilege to work alongside you. Get some Uber Eats for me please, and make sure to get some extra ranch.

Response: I can’t believe I’m really writing my last ever published words in The ReMarker. To everyone from all three of the incredible staffs I have been a part of, thank you for everything. Long live DOHI, ranch packets, the iTunes store and all the other inside jokes we’ve shared these past few years. I’ll never forget them, and I’ll forever miss these moments.

Christopher Wang Position: Deputy Managing Editor From the staff: CWANG, what a ride it has been. From that incredible, outstanding, award-winning yearbook project, to the turkey rollups Alice brought to witnessing your constant tennis practices in the Suite, the program wouldn’t be the same without you. I’m glad your senior ex went well and that February was the best month of your life. See you on the courts one day. Have fun at

Paul Sullivan

Charlie Rose

summer camp!

Response: My brothers, what a ride it’s been. From third periods with Davis to the late nights grinding, there’s no part of the journey I won’t miss. I’m sorry future Focus editors, but the mag peaked with me and Nathan. And hopefully I have a little more luck the next four. Nothing but love.

Response: I can’t stress enough what this staff has given to me and what I’ve learned over these four years. Wouldn’t change anything about my time on the paper for the world. I can rest easy knowing Flarbus is watching the skies above. Thanks Sammy G and all. Y’all are the realest.

Aaron Thorne Position: Assignments Editor From the staff: From fifth grade fiascos to seventh grade screwups, we sure have come a long way AT. No point in BEATing around the bush, you are probably the greatest assignments editor of all time, don’t AT me. As a future D3 baseball superstar, enjoy a couple grapeflavored Propels. My treat.

Response: Thank y’all for giving me a place to go and hang out every free period. Even when I’m 900 miles away, I’ll always be looking over my shoulder in fear of a certain staff member. And, don’t worry, Sid, your puns won’t be missed. Hope you find that best burger soon!

Paul Sullivan Position: Opinions Editor From the staff: Big Paul. Where do we even start? How do you shoot a layup? What’s a TikTok? Why are you always eating? How are your shoulders that big? Where do all of those root beers come from? Can you help me on Opinions? Where is word on the street? Where is the cartoon? How do you not get caught? Too many questions to answer — you’re the greatest mystery ever, Paul.

Response: Although I started journalism as a sophomore, a year later than the rest of you, I’m so glad you all welcomed me into the program. I’m happy that I had the opportunity to be a part of a group of such funny, wacky and hard-working guys.

Paxton Scott Position: Business Manager From the staff: First and foremost, as the Business Manager, we appreciate how flawlessly the advertisements were prepared every cycle. But also, thank you for contributing to the Ice Bowl as the Beast Mode Quadzilla Paxton Scott that we know you are. I think we definitely gave you a good look at what you can expect on the football field next year. We expect big business tings from young Mize in the future.

Response: Thanks, guys. ReMarker advertisements are in great hands with Ian. It felt good to get that dub in the Ice Bowl. Pleasure doing business with all of you for the last few years.

Sam Goldfarb Position: Senior Editor-at-large From the staff: I am in the firm belief that without Sam Goldfarb some of our most acclaimed stories would have never come to fruition. A master with written words, for sure, and just as bold with the pen as with his actions and choices. You’re a model citizen. You embody the very definition of civic virtue. Never afraid, always grounded and never caught lacking principle. Fortune favors the bold.

Good luck out there, Sammy G, wherever your odyssey leads you.

Response: Been a heck of a ride these four years. Looking forward to bigger and better things for all of us!

Ishan Gupta Position: Senior Content Editor From the staff: Not subway. Not Jimmy John’s. Not Jersey Mike’s.

No. None of these mediocre sandwich chains will cut it. Ishan, I’ll always appreciate your profound, mouthwatering love for Quiznos and lettuce. That legendary Quiznos sweatshirt should be hung up in the rafters of Spencer, along with your world record for fastest first grade mile time.

Response: Even though y’all make fun of me every time I say we should go to “Quiznos,” you know you love it just as much as me. I’ll never forget the late nights when we’d get kicked out of the Suite, the water fountain texts I got in Anaheim and my deep — very deep — bond with a certain staff member. We should play Crazy 8’s sometime soon!

Wallace White Position: Perspectives Editor From the staff: Never afraid to take a hot stance. Resolute, yet open minded; the right to my left; the only other member of staff who would openly engage in political battle, yet sign a mutually agreeable peace treaty when it came to a close. From Le Trocadero to Le Suite du Publications, I’ve never found a better political sparring partner or story teammate. You’re a real one, Wall — stay bold.

Charlie Rose Position: Head Photographer From the staff: Jimmy H, T-face, Chi Chi. It’s a crazy world with a lot of smells, but your photographs are simply stunning. We appreciate your patience and willingness to shoot any picture, from a fake Thanksgiving dinner to a portrait of Big Wheat. Your unwavering charm will be just as missed as your impeccable google spreadsheets.

Response: Thank you to all of y’all. This final year on the staff made me realize how much work the newspaper really was. Peace out homies. Jimmy H is outta here.

Charlie Booras and James Shiao Position: Graphic Artists From the staff: Excellent water polo players and talented artists.

There’s nothing that you two can’t do. James, you’ll be remembered for your excellent cartoon ideas and Charlie, for your superb graphic making ability. It’s been great working with you two. None of the glory, all the hard work, your artistry anchored this paper too many times to count. Love both of you guys—the best teammates in the suite and in the pool.

Response: Our chemistry in the water and in the pubs suite has made for some of the best laughs of my high school career. I love y’all so much, and our graphics wouldn’t be nearly as good without your amazing stories and design to go around them.

Everything I do is all for him, even if he isn’t here today

H

e was born in a small village in what is now known as Bangladesh, India at the time, on Dec. 1, 1930. And to put it bluntly, he grew up with nothing. His parents were poor, but he didn’t let that stop him. As soon as he could, he started teaching himself to read under the only streetlamp in his small village.

Day by day and year by year, he never once used his situation as an excuse.

Instead, he became one of the smartest people in the country and was recruited to the Pakistani government, as a member of the Civil Service of Pakistan, at the age of 22. From there, he worked his way up the ranks.

Traveling across the world from Los Angeles to Sudan for work, he brought his wife and three kids with him. Every three years or so his kids would have to move thousands of miles away to their new “home”. Slowly but surely, he found himself working for the United Nations (UN) in New York City, starting in 1970.

He even ran against Boutros Boutros-Gali and Kofi Annan for the post of secretary general of the UN. By that time, his kids were in high school, and he and his family could finally

settle down for once. He retired as a senior administrative officer for the UN. And shortly after he retired, he passed away due to heart complications on March 6, 2000.

••• His name was Anis Uddin Ahmed, and he is my paternal grandfather. But he isn’t just my paternal grandfather, he has been my hero, my inspiration and my role model ever since I heard about him.

I can still remember the first time I heard about his life. It was in New York City in the same apartment where my dad lived when he went to high school and in the same apartment that my 91-year-old paternal grandmother still lives in. As a little kid in New York City, all I wanted to do was go outside and play on the playground that was eight floors below, but we had just flown in from Dallas.

It was a long flight, and everyone in my family wanted to take a nap except for me. My seven or eight-year-old self didn’t know what to do, so naturally, I started looking at every old picture and random trinket that filled the Lower East Side apartment.

I stopped when I came to a picture

frame that didn’t have a single piece that day really did change me. From that of dust on it at all. It read “Anis Uddin point on, I did everything for him. Whether Ahmed.” I thought to myself, “Hey, that’s it was getting into St. Mark’s or winning my last name.” So, I quickly ran over to my an SPC title or getting named ReMarker grandmother, I call her Daddi Amma, and editor-in-chief or placing in the top 20 in the I asked her about Anis. She went on to tell world for the Chinese Bridge competition or me story after story that afternoon. getting into Georgetown’s School of Foreign ••• Service, it all was for him.

After we got home from that trip to And, I remembered to thank him after all New York city, I never was the same. All I of those moments because they wouldn’t could think about was what he had to go have happened if he hadn’t put my family through. About how he is in the position they are in today. the reason that my dad’s side Thoughts of him push myself of the family immigrated to every day to find out what I am America. About how he is capable of, and for that, I can’t the reason that I am in the thank him enough. privileged position I am in This probably isn’t the cliché today. About how grateful I senior column that I thought I was felt that he risked everything going to write at the end of my Sam Ahmed in his life for the betterment journalism career, but it’s hard to Editor-in-chief of his family and for the imagine that I’m going to have to betterment of his grandson, who say goodbye to my home for the last was born about a year and a half after his eight years in a couple months. And when I death. finally get to put on that white tuxedo and I never got to meet him, and I doubt he walk across the stage when I hear “Samuel knows that I’m writing this column now but Allen Ahmed,” I hope he’s proud of the man if he does, I just want to say thank you and I that his grandson has become. hope I have made you proud.

And I hope he knows how much he Now, when I say that day changed me, means to me because he’s my hero.

PAGE PAGE

THE REMARKER • APRIL 9, 2020

THE NEXT

8

SPECIAL SECTION

FOUR

NH (7) Canada (2)

MN (2)

NY (9)

MI (1)

MA (11) PA (8)

RI (1) CT (7)

IL (6)

IN (4)

NJ (1)

CO (2)

CA (9)

VA (3)

MO (1)

TN (9)

MD (1) DC (7)

NC (1)

AL (3) TX (34) LA (3) FL (1)

Luke Adams Sam Ahmed Obaid Akbar Anthony Andrews Mason Antes Daniel Ardila Andres Arroyo Pablo Arroyo Faraz Asim Wyatt Awtrey Ramsey Beard Charlie Booras Colin Campbell Nicholas Cerny Camp Collins Lincoln Dales Tony D’Apice Garrett Davis Judson Dommer Christian Duessel Luke Evangelist Henry Exall Kyle Fisher Odran Fitzgerald Sam Goldfarb Reid Goldsmith

Junior hockey* Georgetown UTD SMU Howard University USC UC Berkeley Johns Hopkins MIT Duke Yale MIT Yale Rice Rice Alabama SMU UT Yale Dartmouth Yale Stanford USC SMU SMU Georgetown Vanderbilt Cornell Alabama Penn State Depaul MIT Texas A&M Dartmouth Vanderbilt UT Tulane SMU Carleton UCSD Georgetown GW UT (Liberal Arts Honors) Purdue Richmond

William Gonzalez

St. Edward’s LOYNO Ishan Gupta UT (Plan II) Benjamin Hao Rice Miles Hartley MIT William Holtby Lehigh Taylor Hopkin Indiana Theo Katsulos University of Tampa Justin Kim Purdue UT Texas A&M Nick Kowalske Drexel Andrew Laczkowski UPenn Eric Lai Texas A&M Carter Langbert Boston University NYU David Li U of Toronto Billy Lockhart Dartmouth Alex Loftus NYU Thomas Loose Belmont Will Mallick Southwestern Brett Marsh UT Romil Mathur SMU John David McClain Texas A&M Ryan McCord Vanderbilt Colgate Jack McCutchan Colgate Titus McGowan SMU Pittsburgh Purdue Jackson Morris UT Arjun Nair WashU Tyler Nussbaumer Alabama Toby Nwafor Harvard USC Devan Patel UT (BHP, Plan II) Rice Vanderbilt Alex Piccagli UT Eddie Raj Harvard Yale NYU Kathan Ramnath Northeastern Mason Rareshide University of Richmond

Matthew Raroque

UChicago Vanderbilt Dartmouth Neal Reddy Princeton UPenn (LSM) Kasen Roberson LOYNO Hampton University Will Rocchio Michigan Ricky Rodriguez UT Arlington Charlie Rose UT Lee Schlosser USC Paxton Scott Dartmouth Sahitya Senapathy UPenn (M&T) James Shiao UChicago Jackson Singhal Northwestern Paul Sullivan Northwestern Aaron Thorne Carleton Jack Trahan Dartmouth Nicholas Tsao MIT Carr Urschel Dartmouth Rahul Vashi Vanderbilt Sid Vattamreddy UC Berkeley UT Rohit Vemuri UT U of Toronto Christopher Wang Columbia UPenn Brown Aaron Weiser Yale Williams Colton Wheatley UT Wallace White American Sewanee Colin Williamson University of Denver University of Colorado Russell Wilner NYU Tianming Xie Harvard Eli Yancey Belmont Jason Yoo UT Austin Zang Cornell Pomona Georgetown Sean Zhao UChicago Meyer Zinn UT Yale

List subject to change. Waitlist decisions not included.

*Luke Adams is playing hockey for the next two years and will attend a university after.

Key to abbreviations: UT: University of Texas at Austin CU Boulder: University of Colorado Boulder UChicago: University of Chicago LOYNO: Loyola University New Orleans GW: George Washington University Sewanee: University of the South SMU: Southern Methodist University WashU: Washington University in St. Louis UPenn: University of Pennsylvania NYU: New York University UCSD: University of San Diego USC: University of Southern California MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology BHP: Business Honors Program M&T: Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology LSM: Life Sciences & Management Program