The ReMarker (March 2025)

AWOMEN AMONG BOYS

At an all-boys school, in an environment designed exclusively for young men, female faculty and staff provide essential perspective, mentorship and a counterbalance to a traditionally masculine culture—helping students develop into competent, empathetic and capable men in preperation for their lives beyond 10600 Preston Rd.

BY HILTON SAMPSON, LINYANG LEE, MATTHEW HOFMANN AND DOAN NGUYEN

s hundreds of Marksmen in their grey shorts and Oxford short-sleeve shirts flood the hallways between classes, Middle School math instructor Lauren Logan corrects loud behavior in the Centennial second-floor lounge.

Just downstairs, through the sound of rolling backpacks rumbling across tiled floors, Victor F. White Master Teaching Chair Dr. GayMarie Vaughan navigates a complex discussion about domestic violence statistics in Dallas County.

Down the hall, removed from the echoes of cheerful hallway banter, Upper

School Counselor Dr. Mary Bonsu listens as a student seeks advice about his first serious relationship.

Across campus, beyond the students engaging in rambunctiously competitive Spikeball games on the quad, Chief Financial Officer Suzanne Townsend sits in Nearburg, reviewing budget expenses that will shape the school’s future.

Amongst the boys of 10600 Preston Road, women form an influential minority whose impact extends far beyond their numbers, shaping young men who will soon enter a world where gender diversity isn’t the exception—it’s the expectation.

see MORE THAN on page 16

As pictured clockwise from Top Left: Dr. GayMarie Vaughan, Isabel Cisneros, Lauren Logan, Dr. Mary Bonsu, Janet Lin, Nancy Marmion, Danielle Maxfield, Dr. Gabby Reed, Marion Glorioso-Kirby, Suzanne Townsend, Veronica Pulido and Lorre Allen. Photo Illustration by Hilton Sampson, Winston Lin, Matthew Hofmann, Joseph Sun and Peter Clark

INSIDE

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12

NEW ALCOHOL APPROACH

While drinking in younger generations is dropping, the shift from casual drinking to binge drinking is cause for concern.

CERAMICS SUPERSTARS

Sophomore students find their passion in the ceramics studio, creating a tight-knit community.

18 INCLUSION EFFORTS

With DEI in the news, St. Mark’s remains steadfast in its committment to diversity and inclusion on campus.

27

EXTERNAL COACHES

8

16

TEXAS GOING NUCLEAR

With the Texas electric grid under pressure from winter storms in the past, new, small modular reactors at Texas A&M are leading the nuclear shift. 30

WOMEN ON CAMPUS

At an all-boys school, the impact of women teachers and in leadership positions on campus is immense, yet challenges exist as well.

AI IN ADMISSIONS

As AI tools continue to improve, colleges now will use AI to streamline admissions processes, sorting through applications to narrow the pool.

While not full-time full employees, assistant coaches can still make an impact on Marksman athletes. 30

The scents of worldly cuisines, the rhythmic beats of African drums, the vibrant colors of traditional garments, all converging in a single space where differences aren’t just accepted but celebrated. This is Marksmen Multicultural Night, and I recently experienced my last one as a student.

Walking into the Great Hall, I was immediately struck by the vibrant display tables, each representing a different heritage with colorful decorations, traditional artifacts and informative presentations. Across the room, the aromas of diverse cuisines drew crowds to the food section, where students and families shared dishes that told stories of their cultural backgrounds.

Outside, the photo booth buzzed with activity as students and parents captured memories. Nearby, art stations were filled with younger students engrossed in creating cultural crafts. The field became a space of friendly

OUTSIDE REPS

Students who either play one sport or a sport not offered by the school have to balance athletic credits and pursuing their passion.

competition, with badminton matches showcasing both athletic skill and cultural connection.

The gymnasium transformed into a performance venue where talent spanned from adorable lower schoolers performing traditional dances to professionals who moved with breathtaking precision.

What struck me most was the growth of this event. I remember our freshman year when the turnout was modest, with just enough participants to fill the designated spaces and a handful of curious visitors. This year, seeing cars parked all the way to Central Market because the campus couldn’t accommodate all the visitors was nothing short of astonishing. Families from neighboring schools attended. Alumni returned, bringing their own families to experience what has become a beloved St. Mark’s tradition. The community’s embrace of this celebration reflects the school’s commitment to cultural appreciation and inclusion.

The school is home to a remarkable tapestry of cultures, traditions, and perspectives. In our classrooms and hallways, you’ll hear conversations in multiple lan-

guages, discussions about global events from personal perspectives, and exchanges about family traditions that span continents. While we celebrate these differences, Multicultural Night reminds us that we remain one community united under the St. Mark’s identity. The Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council did a great job putting on the event led by Lorre Allen. What began as a modest idea four years ago has blossomed into an event that now requires months of planning. As a senior preparing to leave St. Mark’s, this final Multicultural Night held special significance. I found myself lingering at displays, savoring each dish a little longer, and paying extra attention to the performances. I realized that what I was experiencing wasn’t just an evening of entertainment, but the culmination of years of intentional community-building. In college and beyond, I’ll carry the lessons from MMN with me. In a world that often emphasizes what separates us, St. Mark’s has taught me to look for what unites us while honoring what makes each of us unique. There may be no better lesson to take into the future.

ISSUES

NEWS IN BRIEF

MULTICULTURAL NIGHT On Feb. 26, the Inclusion, Diversity and Leadership Council (IDLC) hosted their fourth annual Marksmen Multicultural Night. The event, held in the Commons and Spencer Gym, celebrated the cultures of over 10 countries, as students and volunteers shared their heritages and cultures through food, games and performances. Groups also made displays showing their culture and heritage.

BLOOD DRIVE On Feb. 12 in Nearburg 114, the Community Service Board hosted the Blood Drive, a way for Upper School students at least 16 years old to donate blood to those with chronic illnesses or emergency conditions. Students were given three hours of community service if they decided to participate. Parents were also allowed to participate and their sons would be given another three hours if they donated blood.

SERVICE DEADLINE The final service hour deadline of the 2024-2025 school year is Monday, April 7. By this date, students should have completed the yearly requirement of 15 community service hours, logging hours by uploading a description of the service and at least two forms of proof to the MobileServe app. Students interested in the Presidential Service Award must complete 100 or 250 service hours, depending on their age, before May 1.

HEADLINES

Reviewing this month’s news from around the world

WHAT HAPPENED: Trump-Zelensky meeting at the White House ends with heated exchange WHEN: Feb. 28

RELEVANCE: With the meeting between the two political leaders ending in an explosive manner, many people question what to expect regarding Ukraine.

WHAT HAPPENED: Texas measles cases rise over 100 in an outbreak that led to a child’s death

WHEN: Feb. 25-27

RELEVANCE: The largest number of cases in nearly 30 years, the count increased in Texas by 22 cases since Feb. 25, spanning over nine counties. leading to a push for vaccinations.

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Fraser Marcus ’72, Board of Trustees President

““Everything around senior year graduation, all of the attendant parts of recognizing that culmination of the St. Mark’s career is extraordinary. Every aspect of our historic traditions create this commonality of culture, which is what really is one of the great strengths of the school.”

“Recognizing that one has to invest time and effort before reward and really focusing on doing things the right way, the right process and not over emphasizing and becoming obsessed with outcomes.”

“Carpe diem. Seize the day. Don’t take anything for granted. Being at St. Mark’s is almost a fleeting moment of your life, but it’s so fundamental in forming the foundation of what Marksmen become. Don’t squander the time available. Get involved and find your passion.

Youth exposure to gambling leads to concerns

With increasing concerns about the prevalence of underage gambling, experts warn about its inherent nature and long-term impacts.

BY

DIEGO ARMENDARIZ AND WYATT AUER

Jon Batiste OVER 120.5 seconds.

Coin flip HEADS. Dallas Goedert Anytime TD.

Jalen Hurts OVER 199.5 pass yards.

Saquon Barkley anytime touchdown.

Samaje Perine OVER 7.5 rec yards.

Xavier Worthy OVER 39.5 rec yards.

If these all hit, I’m done.

Many Marksmen have taken up the pastime of casual sports betting and poker as forms of entertainment. Though illegal in Texas, the latest trend in the sports betting industry utilizes apps that incentivize parlays, in which bets are combined for a larger total profit if all legs hit. However, in addition to the fact that these bets are unlikely to happen, they also have extremely low minimum bets limits relative to their payouts, acting as a ‘gateway drug’ to larger bets.

For a recent alum who requested anonymity, gambling is an enjoyable pastime that is conducive to bonding and casual fun, as he mostly avoids sports betting in favor of in-person gambling. Having played casino games before, he saw them differently when he was old enough to be immersed in their formal setting.

“Blackjack in the casino was different from what I expected, you have to be quick with it, otherwise the dealers are going to get annoyed, and they kind of put pressure on you, so you have to be quick,” he said. “When I was playing poker, it was definitely a little different, because I yelled across the table, but other than that, it was pretty similar.”

The adult allure of gambling, especially in casinos, is just another way that people can get started gambling. The feelings of mature sophistication reinforce a positive feedback loop of continued engagement with the activity.

“It felt like I was an adult because in casinos, no underage kids are allowed in there,” he said. “So it was finally something that made me feel exclusively like an adult, like a professional.”

His casino experience helped him to bond him with his stepfather as an adult in a more mature setting. They always possessed a close relationship, but their shared trip brought them even closer together.

“We both had a great time and it was definitely a different kind of experience,” he said.

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Within his first month in office, President Donald Trump signed more executive orders and actions than any other president in modern history, directives that reflect his “Make America Great Again” vision. Below are five especially controversial executive orders that Trump has recently signed during his presidency so far.

1. EXECUTIVE ORDER 14214

ABOUT: Prohibits federal funding to schools requiring COVID-19 vaccination for attendance, citing concerns about personal freedom, parental rights and the lowered risk of COVID-19 in young people.

2. EXECUTIVE ORDER 14201

ABOUT: Prohibits men from competing in women’s sports, directs federal agencies to enforce sex-based categories, and threatens to withdraw funding from non-compliant educational institutions.

3. EXECUTIVE ORDER 14190

ABOUT: Restricts federal funding for schools that promote gender and equity ideologies, mandates the enforcement of sex-based categories in educational settings and reinstates the 1776 Commission.

4. EXECUTIVE ORDER 14164

ABOUT: Reinstates the federal death penalty, directs the Attorney General to pursue capital punishment for all qualifying crimes and ensures that states maintain lethal injection drug supplies to carry out the process.

5. EXECUTIVE ORDER 14151

RELEVANCE: Ends federal DEI programs, directs the Office of Management and Budget to oversee the termination of DEI-related mandates and orderss a review of federal employment practices to eliminate DEI factors in performance evaluations.

Poker chips lay on a table, setting the gambling atmosphere in for the night. Courtesy Creative Commons

President Trump delivers remarks at the Pentagon. Photo Courtesy Creative Commons

New immigration policies cause unrest

With the rollback of protections for schools and churches, undocumented immigrants are facing heightened risks of detention, sparking concern across the country.

BY EMILIANO MAYO, KIRAN PARIKH AND ARJUN POI

In 2021, Enderson Figueredo told only his family and his closest friends about his plans to leave Venezuela.

Figueredo, like most Venezuelans, never wanted to leave the country. He debated leaving for five years, but upon seeing the continuous deterioration of his rights, opportunities, and quality of life and realizing that the Venezuelan crisis was never going to improve, he knew he had to leave. At the crack of dawn, he left for Columbia and applied for asylum and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the United States.

Figueredo is now 30 years old, having lived and worked in Dallas for the last three years.

But soon, many Venezuelans may not be able to live this dream.

With the Trump administration’s decision to revoke TPS for Venezuelans who legally received it in 2023, over 500,000 individuals are at risk of deportation, according to NPR.

“There is no freedom of press in Venezuela,” Figueredo said. “There are no civil liberties. There is no freedom to exercise your rights, and there are thousands of Venezuelans who have left Venezuela suffering political persecution and can not return. Their return would represent a danger for their lives and their family’s lives.”

From Jan. 20-21, President Donald Trump issued multiple immigration laws regarding the increased influx of immigrants crossing into the U.S.

Most U.S. immigrants come from Latin-American countries such as Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, El Salvador and more, moving here to escape either political turmoil or violence.

“Normally, people decide to go on this journey because they have simply run out of options to have a better life,” Mexican Consul of Dallas Francisco de la Torre said. “Because of that desperate reason to move, people don’t wait for authorization from the American government to enter the country.”

For many without documentation, a better life involves a safe and good source of education. However, with the new executive orders, this dream could become less and less possible to attain.

Whereas the previous Sensitive Locations Policy, set by the Obama administration in 2011, protected certain locations such as churches and schools, the new policy allows the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to search those safe havens.

“ICE can go into a middle school, which they have done, and pick kids up or ask parents questions in terms of that nature,” Immigration Lawyer Hussein Sadruddin said.

THE MEASURES THAT ARE BEING TAKEN WILL LEAVE OVER 300,000 VENEZUELANS WITHOUT PROTECTION AND AT RISK OF DEPORTATION.

Enderson Figueredo, Venezuelan immigrant

The Trump administration asserts that the resignation of the policy was used to chase immigrants who are criminals.

“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP (Customs and Border Protection) and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens

— including murderers and rapists — who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement delivered on Jan. 21.

After that law was passed, multiple student districts and teachers have tried to stand against this law to protect their students. Some districts such as Alice ISD have warned parents on what to do in case their children are questioned.

“The majority of educational districts in North Texas, (especially the urban areas), made clear that they would keep protecting the rights of children so they aren’t forced to leave their studies and to keep their identity secret,” de la Torre said. “This is fundamental in Texas because as you know, a great part of the students are from immigrant origin.”

De la Torre also stressed that thousands of people will be affected by these laws — especially considering that Texas has 1.65 million illegal immigrants according to The Texas Tribune. The consulate is in charge of helping the immigrants from México with gaining some sort of paperwork in case of deportation.

“(We work with) documentation, which helps one obtain the proper identification from the Mexican government, primarily the passport,” de la Torre said.

“Not always, but sometimes, on some occasions, one’s school ID won’t be enough, and they’ll have to show some other credentials that are government related.”

While facing these challenges, undocumented immigrants are also working around other obstacles. For example, most can’t use Medicare or social services despite working and paying taxes.

“That means they have to pay into it (the social system) so the government of the United States gets billions of dollars from individuals who will never be able to take advantage of that money that they’ve put into the system,” Sadruddin said.

Although Figueredo currently is not at risk of deportation, he understands that the turmoil for other immigrants and his country is far from over.

“There is always going to be someone who is against what a politician says, but a good politician does what is best for the majority,” Figueredo said, “Now in the case of the removal of TPS for Venezuelans, I believe that this is unfair for us. The measures that are being taken will leave over 300,000 Venezuelans without protection and at risk of deportation.”

Interviews from this story were translated from Spanish by a staff member.

Ramadan poses challenges to students and athletes

BY NICHOLAS HUANG

Ramadan is practiced by 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide, and during the month, practitioners can’t eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset. Ramadan is a vital part of Islam, but its strict rules can conflict with school activities and sports.

This year, Ramadan started on Feb. 28 and ends on March 29, dates decided by the cycles of the moon. A typical day during Ramadan consists of waking up early in the morning, eating, praying and going back to sleep. This early morning meal is called suhur, and it’s the only time that people can eat before sundown.

“During the day, you basically just carry on with your routine,” sophomore Zayan Rahman said. “But you can’t eat anything or drink anything. For me, I get dehydrated a lot during the day.”

And for athletes who are extremely active during the day, it’s even more difficult to exercise during Ramadan,

especially since drinking any fluids is prohibited. However, at sunset, the fasting period ends, and the fast is broken.

“When a prayer called Maghrib happens, you break your fast, and then you can eat a bunch of stuff,” Rahman said. “Usually you start off by eating a date (the fruit) to break your fast.”

During Ramadan, fasting is a way of cleansing your soul and sins, but it’s also a way to feel empathy for those who are less fortunate.

“It’s also supposed to simulate poverty,” Rahman said. “You’re supposed to see how it feels to be poor because one of the pillars of Islam is giving alms to the poor.”

Another aspect of Ramadan is the Laylat al-Qadr, also known as the Night of Power, the night when the first verses of the Quran were said to have been revealed to the prophet Muhammad.

“On the last 10 days of Ramadan, one of the days is called the Night of Power,” Rahman said. “Basically, if you

fast during that, it’s really beneficial for you. The thing is that you don’t know when it is.”

Nobody knows when the Night of Power occurs, but most believe that it happened somewhere in the last ten days of Ramadan, so praying and fasting during then is thought to be especially important.

In addition to fasting, many Muslims also read the entirety of the Quran in the 30-day period.

But reading the entirety of the Quran on top of finishing school work can prove to be a challenge, especially since most Muslims aren’t fluent in Arabic, due to how many different countries Islam is prevalent in.

“The Quran is only a few hundred pages,” Rahman said. “But it’s all in Arabic, and I had to learn Arabic by going to a school.”

During Ramadan, sacrifices must be made academically and athletically. Practitioners of Ramadan show true grit and resilience, staying true to their religion in spite of the hardships.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are working under a new set of guidlines after exceutive orders were signed in late January.

Photo Courtesy Creative Commons

Experts emphasize dangers of drinking

As drinking continues to affect mental health and personal relationships, experts warn that social influences and early exposure create a dangerous environment where casual drinking can quickly spiral into long-term addiction.

BY KEVIN HO AND ANDREW YE

Two shots.

They’re sharp bites. Sweet, then immediately starting to burn on the way down.

Two more shots go down. His heart’s racing now — everything feels lighter.

He takes even more, and now he’s at six. The floor is wobbling now. The world’s somehow spinning faster than usual. He’s slurring his words over each other. He hears people laughing all around him.

Two more shots. Reality is beginning to blur itself. His thoughts become sluggish, bouncing from one to the other without pause. The room spins even faster, and his legs, now like Jell-O, don’t seem to properly support his frame anymore.

The line between casual drinking on occasion and binge drinking disappears quickly. And in some cases, where the environments that such activities occur in are more about excess than experience, it’s not an anomaly. It’s common. It’s expected.

But analysis done by some research groups show that this culture might not be as universal as it seems. According to a study by Gallup on alcohol consumption of adults aged 18 to 34 in the U.S., the percentage of those drinking dropped from 72 percent in 2003 to 62 percent in 2023, highlighting the trend that fewer young adults are periodically drinking. Nonetheless, the dangers of binge drinking remain a significant issue.

“The most extreme consequence of alcohol abuse is

death, whether from overdose or accidents, including vehicular crashes,” said Associate Vice President for Student Success at Babson College Ryan Travia, who also spoke to juniors and seniors during a health and wellness presentation at school. “But beyond that, blackouts and memory loss are among the strongest predictors of longterm addiction.”

withdrawn. If these transformations in character occur repeatedly, he warns that the resulting fractures in friendships and relationships can take a serious toll on mental health.

“Friends might initially help someone when they’re drunk, but if it becomes a pattern, they get tired of ‘babysitting’ someone who can’t control their drinking,” Travia said. “Alcohol abuse can damage all sorts of relationships — family, friends, peers, social and professional ties — creating isolation and long-term consequences.”

For Director of the Marksman Wellness Center Dr. Gabby Reed, one of the most detrimental effects of alcohol consumption stems from its potential for altering brain chemistry — the honey trap of addiction.

“The problem is that you start to get used to having alcohol in your system, and then instead of feeling good most of the time like you would have normally, you end up feeling worse,” Reed said. “It’s because you’re used to having dopamine in your system, so then when you’re missing out on it, you begin to start craving it and wanting it and then you feel horrible.”

In Travia’s eyes, this development of alcohol addiction is primarily influenced by social circles that one is involved in, more so than peer pressure — when people cluster together with those who reinforce heavy drinking habits, excessive drinking will eventually turn into an accepted norm.

Reed echoes his viewpoint, highlighting the significance of one’s own social surroundings and the concerning notion of needing to be included in these events.

“I don’t see one individual’s curiosity leading to habitual drinking,” Reed said. “It’s not something we really see. Sure, people can be curious about something and maybe try it once or twice, but generally, with the effects of alcohol, it’s not the kind of thing where all of a sudden you’re fully addicted. It’s really more about the time that they’re spending with friends who are drinking in their circle.”

This perception contrasts with common assumptions about campus drinking culture.

“The misconception is that ‘everyone drinks,’” Travia said. “But in reality, the majority of students now choose not to. However, because the party culture gets more attention, it creates the illusion that drinking is universal.”

Beyond close friendships, Travia says a student’s relationship with alcohol can also be shaped by their environment and family history. Access is directly correlated to consumption, where if a student grows up in a household where alcohol is readily available and its use is normalized, they are far more likely to start drinking at an early age.

And, to Travia, early exposure matters, since early-onset drinking is a significant risk factor for long-term addiction.

Genetics also plays a major role — based on Travia’s research, half of an individual’s risk factor for addiction is hereditary. If a student has a biological parent or sibling with alcohol dependency, they are four times more likely to develop the same issue.

“I grew up in an alcoholic household, as both of my parents struggled with addiction,” Travia said. “As the eldest, I had to mature quickly, protecting my younger siblings from potential outbursts. Thankfully, my parents have been sober for years and have strong relationships with their children and grandchildren. But their struggles shaped me, both personally and professionally.”

Travia says that supporting students who struggle with alcohol abuse requires a collaborative effort from both schools and families. Educational institutions play a crucial role in providing resources, promoting awareness, and fostering a culture where students feel comfortable seeking help.

Ryan Travia, VP for Student Success

Although not everyone who drinks experiences these extreme consequences of the spectrum, two inevitable consequences are the drops in inhibition and impaired decision-making.

And in general, people under the influence of alcohol can’t undo their words or actions. Oftentimes, they have a decreased control over what they do, and with this gap in judgment, it has the potential to damage relationships permanently.

From Travia’s experience, alcohol can also trigger personality shifts for some people — someone generally happy and social might suddenly become belligerent or

At the same time, he stresses that parental influence is often stronger than many realize. When families engage in open and honest conversations about alcohol use, they can help shape healthier attitudes and behaviors, ultimately reducing the risk of dangerous drinking habits.

Through the Health and Wellness Program’s curriculum taught to primarily the Middle School, education on the dangers of alcohol consumption is a core topic that students are exposed to.

“It’s really dangerous,” Reed said. “We care very much about this. We just have to figure out a way to actually impact people and create change in the world. Learning about alcohol in the classroom is one thing, but we understand that it’s different when you’re actually at a party.”

Teenagers are often influenced to try their first drinks at parties.

Photo Illustration by Andrew Ye

Recent crashes raise airplane safety concerns

BY ARMAAN NEWASKAR

Spring Break is a period enjoyed by students across the country as a glimmer of fun before the looming fourth quarter. This year, however, back-to-back plane crashes have shaken the world and thrust thousands of vacations into uncertainty. Civil Air Patrol cadet and senior Andrew Xuan addresses and responds to that uncertainty with a perspective grounded in experience.

Xuan graduated from the Texas Wing Glider Flight Academy this past summer, where he logged time in the air and ground school. He also holds a Student Pilot Certificate, a pilot’s equivalent of a Learner’s Permit issued by the FAA.

“From the perspective of someone who has actually flown, I think that despite the recent crashes, air travel remains a very safe mode of transportation,” Xuan said. “During my time at the flight academy, safety was the number one emphasis. We had checklists for everything, from preflight inspections to landing, and we took part in regular safety briefings.”

Despite the gravity of the recent incidents, Xuan says that they are nothing more than unfortunate yet isolated tragedies. The air is still a safe domain, and the recent crashes shouldn’t reduce faith in the aviation industry as a whole.

“Crashes tend to receive a lot of media attention due to their usually higher casualty rate and because they’re not as common, which actually proves this point,” Xuan said. “Also, modern planes have highly advanced safety features. Because of this, I’m confident air travel remains very safe.”

However, the complex systems in place bring to question how such catastrophic disasters have occurred. This begs the question, however, with such complex systems in place, how could such catastrophic disasters have occurred?

“It’s all about communication. For example, the recent crash at the Reagan airport in DC was a miscommunication between air traffic control and the people in the air,” sophomore Paul Sumethasorn said. “The air traffic control alerted the helicopter of an airplane, but while the helicopter saw one, it wasn’t the one that he’d been warned about, so he crashed.”

Sumethasorn emphasizes that the issue was primarily one of communication and that through further attentiveness and efforts, the inevitability of human error can be reduced, an example of this being the recent Delta Air Lines save in Canada.

“The design of the plane was made pretty well,” Sumethasorn said. “So despite hard crosswinds making it tip to the side, the fact that the wings were designed to break under stress and not rip open the fuselage as well as the training of the crew stopped things from being worse.”

Ultimately, there is always a risk during any form of transportation, especially a mode as potentially hazardous as flying, and the meticulous attitude, a standard in the aviation industry, makes such hazards minimal.

Campus responds to illness

As flu season peaks, students push through illness to keep up with academics and athletics, raising concerns about the spread of infections on campus.

BY ANDREW YE AND MICHAEL CHANG

7 a.m.

No, it’s too early, 10 more minutes.

7:10 a.m.

Why does swallowing hurt so much?

7:20 a.m.

My mouth is so dry waking up. I can’t breathe from my nose.

7:30 a.m.

Fine, I’ll get up, why is my head so hot?

7:40 a.m.

Turns out I do have a fever, I guess I’ll put on a mask. I really can’t afford to miss another day, I’m already falling behind.

7:50 a.m.

I’m going to school.

The latter half of January saw a substantial uptick in flu cases, with some experts even regarding 2025 as having one of the worst flu seasons to date.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) categorized the year as a high-severity season, the first time the organization has done so since the 20172018 season.

“The last statistic published for our area was that they were seeing 37 percent positive flu A and about 250 hospitalizations,” school nurse Julie Doerge said. “We are also expected to see a second flu B wave to come in a few weeks.”

Many other year-round ailments are also making their return in addition to the flu. Doerge says this unfortunate timing of multiple viruses blooming simultaneously likely led to many students on campus getting sick.

“Some kids have allergies on top of possible flu; plus, we know that COVID is back,” Doerge said. “And then we also saw some GI issues, which can be related to a stomach virus.”

Doerge believes that one of the reasons for the unusual intensity of the wave lies in the gradual return to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Some people think it’s so bad because we were so protected for two years during COVID with our masks and handwashing,” Doerge said. “Now, we’re just seeing our bodies respond in a very harsh way because we haven’t been sick for so long.”

The cold weather has also expectedly played a role in the proliferation of illnesses.

“We are now seeing temperatures below freezing here,” Doerge said. “Up in the Northeast, temperatures are down

into the teens and negatives. (The cold temperatures) significantly impact things as well.”

To mediate the spread of viruses throughout the campus, nurses have requested students to follow certain precautions.

Doerge says that she and her team stress the policy of staying out of school for 24 hours, fever-free, before being considered safe to return.

But for students like junior Oliver Geheb, the pressure of academics and athletics piles up very quickly during the time they are out.

“Missing even two days is already a lot,” Geheb said. “Falling behind means having to make up essays, learn the material on your own, and go in early or during office hours for extra help. If I miss two to three math classes, that’s basically half the entire unit gone.”

To try to mitigate the workload he has to face when returning to school, Geheb says he tries to chip away at his homework at home since most of it is digitally based, but even then, he sometimes just can’t make much progress, struggling from both sickness and missing notes.

“I still have headaches and fatigue from being sick for so long. It makes schoolwork harder, and it also affects athletics,” Geheb said. “I’ve been short of breath playing water polo, which has made things really difficult.”

Because of the difficulties with keeping up with class content when stuck at home, many students tend to ignore their symptoms or brush them off as a common cold and persistently come back to school.

“Based on my experience, I think the only people who come to school sick are the ones who haven’t been diagnosed yet,” Geheb said. “That was my case. I didn’t go to the doctor because I was afraid they’d tell me to stay home. I couldn’t miss more class.”

During the height of this winter’s illness season, Geheb says he contracted walking pneumonia. Though he wasn’t contagious by the time he returned to school, he, like many others, still found himself coughing throughout the day.

“With things like that going around, people might not realize they’re sick with something more serious,” Geheb said. “I initially thought my case was just a cold, but it’s not, and others like me could end up spreading it.”

Luckily, the standard strategies to combat disease still hold. Washing your hands as much as you did during the COVID pandemic reduces the odds of contracting a virus, as does avoiding large events like parties.

“Make sure you’re washing your hands,” Doerge said. “Make sure you go get swabbed for something so that you know what you’ve got. Nowadays you can go to Walgreens and get a flu A, flu B and COVID test all in one swab.”

Nevertheless, students can still carry on with their normal routines, provided that they exercise extra caution.

“I’m not telling you to not have fun,” Doerge said. “But still, it only takes two or three people in a big space to spread a virus. Try to take care of yourself, get plenty of rest, keep exercising and keep eating well.”

A student studies for a math test despite battling a runny nose and headache.

Photo by Winston Lin

Absence data from the Upper School Office show spikes in sick students during peak illness season. Graph by Andrew Ye

Allure of gambling on the rise

continued from page 3

Now in college, he plays poker with his fraternity at least once a week, interspersed with casino trips.

“When I go back home for summer, I’ll probably end up in Oklahoma at one point for like a day, but that’s about it,” he said. “I really don’t see myself going to spend my paycheck at a casino trying to make a quick buck. I’m pretty safe with my money and I know the value of a dollar and I know how quickly it can be gone.”

With his more frequent gambling ventures, his education through the thorough Health and Wellness Program under Upper School Counselor Dr. Mary Bonsu has allowed him to remain vigilant against the dangers of addiction.

“The reward cycle of dopamine in the brain is wired such that the brain does things that are rewarding. The frontal lobe’s job is to signal when you’ve had enough, or when you’re satiated by the rewards,” Bonsu said. “If part of the brain isn’t functioning or fully developed, oftentimes you’ll see an overlap between prefrontal cortex development issues and addictions.”

For some individuals, particularly those with developmental challenges like ADHD or autism, this impaired regulatory function causes vulnerability to addictive behaviors, such as gambling or drug usage.

Lack of self-control becomes evident in realworld scenarios where shared resources are

GAMBLING ADDICTIONS

siphoned by addictions and relationships are severely strained or destroyed.

“A common misconception is just looking at the spread or betting on the over or under, and believing that it’s not gambling,” Bonsu said. “It’s just playing the odds. It’s a slippery slope, from playing the odds and statistics, which could be fun, to developing a problem.”

NO ONE WANTS TO ADMIT THAT THEY ARE ADDICTED. MANY FOLKS ASSUME THAT WILLPOWER LETS THEM STOP, BUT WHEN THOSE THINGS DON’T WORK, THERE IS A SENSE OF SHAME THAT DISTANCES US FROM OUR LOVED ONES.”

Mary Bonsu, Upper School Counselor

These enticing bets are all designed to draw as much money from the user as possible, and when combined with the addictive qualities of technology, they can be nearly impossible to resist.

“With technology, it’s really hard to snap out of the trance,” Bonsu said. “It’s right in your face, you can be instantly immersed, whereas in person, you can go outside, you can kind of take a break from that sensory overload.”

Both casinos and online gambling websites are designed to fully direct their participants’ attention

More attention is being brought to youth gambling. Here are some stats from studies done by the NIH and National Council on Problem Gambling.

towards the cards on the table or the numbers on the screen, churning out as many hands or games per hour as possible.

“I’ve seen kids run up credit cards into the tens of thousands on bets,” Bonsu said. “That’s harmful to their parents and their relationships. This is something that cannot be stopped or regulated by another person. They have a hard time quitting, or turning it off.”

These relationships are further strained by never ending cycles of deceit and hiding losses from loved ones which leads to shame and more lies.

“No one wants to admit that they are addicted,” Bonsu said. “Many folks assume that willpower lets them stop, but when those things don’t work, there is a sense of shame that distances us from our loved ones.”

Bonsu has cemented herself as a member of the community that is there to help and provide the necessary resources for those who struggle or are susceptible to addiction.

“I think schools should provide education and resources to students so they know what’s happening in their brains,” Bonsu said. “What can be the signs of addictions, so they can be better informed on recognizing whether they are addicted or whether a friend is, and I think the community should provide resources for people who are looking for help in getting out of an addictive activity like gambling.”

20M 15x 30% 96%

Americans show signs of gambling problems

Higher suicide rates in people with gambling disorders

Increase in risk of gambling between 2018-2021

Texas Senate passes school voucher bill to the House

BY KIRAN PARIKH

On Feb. 6, 2025, the Texas legislature passed Senate Bill Two (SB 2), establishing educational savings accounts (ESAs), a form of school vouchers. The goal of the bill is to promote school choice, especially for families who fall short economically of giving the best education for their children.

SB 2, designed by Sen. Brandon Creighton, is an ESA program that gives parents a broader selection of schools to direct their child’s school funding. Under the bill, $1 billion in funds will be given out to 100,000 students. The program is universal, but up to 80 percent of available slots will be held for students with disabilities or household income at or below 500 percent of the federal poverty level enrolled in a public school the previous year.

“It is my understanding that an educational savings account would direct money from the general education fund in the state of Texas to be used by a parent for certain uses,” Assistant Director of Admission and Financial Aid Korey Mack ‘00 said. “Those eligible uses would include private school tuition, tutoring, a therapist, speech therapy and may include afterschool programs.”

Since the educational savings funds have to come from somewhere, an increasing number of public school teachers are becoming worried that their salaries are in the reducible margins. In response to SB 2, Senate Bill 26 (SB 26) was recently advanced to the Texas Senate full chamber.

“I do think SB 2, whether directly or indirectly, will have an impact on teachers and I just want to highlight the parallel bill (SB 26) that was brought before the house,”

Of gambling addicts have other mental disorders

Mack said. “Legislators used SB 2 as the basis to argue for teachers’ salary raises and free PreK for teachers. I think it is a benefit to expand this conversation beyond just educational savings accounts.”

As far as school admissions go, Mack isn’t sure whether St. Mark’s will participate in SB 2 or not. However, Mack is certain that the school is already doing its best to support all families and students who want to attend.

“We have a very robust tuition assistance program, and it is our hope that if a student is qualified to come to St. Mark’s and wants to be at St. Mark’s, their family’s ability to pay is not a barrier that’s holding them back from attending St. Mark’s currently,” Mack said. “If this bill is to have any impact, I think it would force us to better educate our prospective families about our own tuition assistance program.”

A student nervously shuffles his poker chips (Top), his mind racing with strategy, while the dealer methodically prepares the cards for the next highstakes round (Bottom).

Photos by Winston Lin

Betters engage in an intense round of poker, with hundreds of dollars worth of chips in the pot

Note-taking strategies stir discussion

BY MICHAEL CHANG

As the end of the year draws nearer and nearer, classes begin to give more tests and major assessments. Exams, quizzes and labs all pile up on the unsuspecting student, who desperately turns to one of the most valuable resources he owns: his school notes.

Recently, several classes on campus have come close to adjusting their in-class notetaking policies—history instructor Dr. Bruce Westrate’s classes, for example, are generally structured around a shared Microsoft Teams meeting that is projected to everyone’s personal device. Westrate’s classes nearly made the switch from purely online notes to handwritten ones.

For sophomore Cade Daigle, this change would have drastically altered his note-taking strategies.

“I take notes with my laptop; I’ll usually have three tabs open, one with the Teams meeting, one with my personal notes and one with the group notes,” Daigle said. “I’ll take notes on my personal doc and refer to the group doc to make sure I’m not missing anything.”

History Department Chair David Fisher, however, points out several issues with the digital system in place.

“The problem is that generally not everyone is taking notes,” Fisher said. “If you look around the class, you’ll see a lot of kids doing other things.”

Daigle seconds Fisher’s sentiment. Although there are some obvious downsides to switching to pen and paper, handwritten notes are more beneficial in the long run.

“I’m a lot slower with writing, and it’s going be harder to keep up,” Daigle said. “But also, on the flip side, (the switch) will help me focus more.”

In fact, many tangible benefits come from taking notes by hand instead of taking notes digitally. Some of these benefits even encourage students to voluntarily make the switch.

“This is an issue that educationists have been looking at for a while,” Fisher said. “There is quite a lot of research that shows that paper and pencil note taking is more efficient and effective than online note taking.”

A study done by Pam A. Mueller and Daniel M. Oppenheimer lists several of the problems with digital note taking: more shallow information processing, the opportunity to get distracted and multitask and so on. From a learning perspective, handwritten notes are mostly superior.

“The problem with the screen is that there are too many distractions and too many things that are going on,” Fisher said. “I even think about this in terms of assigning reading to kids at home. There’s always distractions, so you’re going to have a different relationship with the information you do with paper.”

However, there are also advantages to taking notes on a device, hence the large preference for laptops and iPads in class; not only are online notes easy to organize, but they are also much easier to create.

“There clearly is an efficiency benefit to taking notes digitally,” Fisher said. “We use our computers for so many things, so it’s useful to have those notes there.”

Texas eyes nuclear future amid growing energy needs

With four leading companies in the nuclear energy industry to begin small modular reactor development at Texas A&M, the state is entering an age of nuclear innovation.

Nuclear

plants,

BY KEVIN HO, HOLDEN PURVIS AND RONIT KONGARA

In the wake of Texas’s power grid failures caused by extreme weather events and a record-breaking demand for electricity, the state faces a growing need to re-visualize its energy future.

But as Texas began its search for solutions to strengthen and diversify its energy supply, a newer and more refined version of nuclear energy has emerged as a promising option in the form of small modular reactors (SMRs).

With recent advancements in this technology, SMR development offers a glimpse into a future where nuclear energy becomes more accessible and cost-effective, delivering the same powerful benefits as traditional reactors but on a far smaller, more efficient and more manageable scale.

“The main advantage of nuclear power is cost per volume,” nuclear engineer Taylor Hinson said. “The amount of power that is needed, estimated per person, from nuclear for your entire life can fit into a Coke can, as opposed to truckloads of coal or the land use for the other options.”

Yet despite nuclear energy’s promise, backed by renewed momentum in its development, Texas still leans heavily on wind and natural gas, which generate two-thirds of all electricity that powers Texas’s power grid.

According to Jose L. Lage, a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at SMU, this dependence on these methods has led to an energy landscape lacking long-term sustainability.

“Solar and wind energy are not reliable,” Lage said. “With natural gas, you have the limitations of carbon-based fuel. Coal is bad, as the technology is old, and it pollutes a lot. At the end of the day, nuclear power is the best alternative.”

However, nuclear power does have its own challenges — ones that have stalled its expansion for decades. Although its benefits seem appealing, especially in contrast to the older and more traditional methods, its growth remains limited by the steep costs and lengthy timelines required to build and implement new nuclear power plants.

According to the U.S. Energy Infor-

mation Administration (EIA) and World Nuclear Association, the cost of new nuclear plants is over six times that of natural gas plants and takes nearly three times as long to construct — several key reasons behind Texas having fewer nuclear plants compared to its natural gas facilities.

THE WORLD RUNS ON ELECTRICITY. YOU HAVE TO HAVE ELECTRICITY, AND YOU HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT. AND THEY’RE REALIZING THAT NUCLEAR POWER IS GOING TO BE A PART OF THE FUTURE, WHETHER PEOPLE LIKE IT OR NOT.”

Taylor Hinson, Nuclear engineer

But if SMRs become commercially viable, their significantly lower construction costs — nearly half that of traditional nuclear power plants — coupled with shorter build times, are poised to offer a compelling alternative to conventional nuclear energy.

“The model is pretty much a Lego type of design,” Lage said. “It shortens the construction period, because instead of every time you want to build a power plant you have to go through a whole entire process, if I have some parts of the power plant that have already been designed, built and approved, and as long as I use exactly the same design and build in exactly the same way, the certification process is much shorter.”

On the more technical side, SMRs also introduce innovative approaches to optimizing fuel efficiency and improving nuclear waste management.

“They should be able to help us recycle spent fuel because they will use a lower enrichment or lower power, but they can also be used to use a higher enriched fuel at a lower concentration, requiring fewer assemblies,” Hinson said. “So it’s kind of a win-win.”

While Hinson acknowledges the promise of more advanced nuclear technology he also recognizes that public opinion poses a large obstacle to future

investments. However, he also emphasizes that reactors have extensive safety measures and backup systems in place, mitigating risk and ensuring that they remain one of the safest energy sources available.

“The public fears what they don’t know,” Hinson said. “And the public doesn’t really know about nuclear power. They don’t realize that there are numerous fail-safes put in place. There are backups on backups on backups. Public perception is a very large deterrent for increasing or moving forward with nuclear power production.”

But the growing interest in SMRs in the Texas energy industry signals a shift in how nuclear energy is viewed.

Specifically, four leading companies in nuclear energy generation have recently partnered with Texas A&M and ERCOT to focus on developing SMRs on the A&M-RELLIS campus, a state-sponsored project that can become active as early as 2030.

And as more companies start to invest more money in the nuclear sector in anticipation of these advancements, the growing momentum has the potential to permanently transform Texas’s energy landscape.

“People are talking about putting these reactors in West Texas as a support mechanism to generate electricity and allow the development of that region as projected,” Lage said. “Texas wants to spread out a little bit to propel the state’s development. And so the SMRs would be one thing that will have a tremendous impact if they’re done. And if everything goes well, I would be surprised if in three or five years, we don’t already have a good chunk of electricity being generated by SMRs in Texas.”

Ultimately, with the growing energy demands in Texas and the ever-increasing appeal to SMRs as a cheaper and more manageable alternative to traditional nuclear power plants, the state may soon find itself at the center of a nuclear revolution.

“The world runs on electricity,” Hinson said. “You have to have electricity, and you have to find a way to make it. And they’re realizing that nuclear power is going to be a part of the future, whether people like it or not.”

power

such as the Dukovany Plant in the Czech Republic, generate power for millions of households.

Photo Courtesy Creative Commons

ACADEMICS

NEWS IN BRIEF

DRAMA NIGHT The Lower School Drama Program held its drama night on Feb. 20. Organized by Lower School drama teacher Kineta Massey, adapted versions of Shakespeare’s plays such as The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing were performed by fourth grade students. Performances were attended by fellow students, parents and teachers.

POSTER CONTEST Campus was filled with the celebration of International Week. Year-in and year-out, the poster contest has been a staple of the week. Students from all grades and all languages turn in their best artwork and display their knowledge of the language that they have chosen to study. Each language level has three awards and honorable mention winners.

THE GALLERY

FRACTALIZATION by senior

WHAT INSPIRED THIS CREATION?

AM: “It was inspired by the painter Anders Zorn, who’d limit himself to just four distinct colors when illustrating. Due to a printer error, my reference turned out much paler and cooler than usual. I loved the eerie feeling it gave to the piece and went with it. Leaning into the vampiric theme, I added jagged edges of light pink to the cheek. The sharp (colors) and shapes add a sort of pain to the ideal beauty the piece reflects.”

EC: “It is a science fiction novella about a human-robot construct who hacks the module that makes it so he has to follow commands and he is on a mission with a bunch of scientists. It’s a really fun adventure novel, but there is a lot about self-determination and free will. It’s the first in a series of seven or eight books and they’re making a show that will be on Apple TV.”

Students excel through olympiads

Many students compete in STEM-focused academic competitions far beyond what is normally required in the classroom.

BY KAYDEN ZHONG AND CHRISTOPHER HUANG

The scratching sound of pencil on paper. The students are already halfway through the three-hour-long test. In a small room, the best mathematicians in the school are grinding away at the problems on the 2025 American Invitational Math Examination, one of the hardest math competitions in the entire nation.

Academic olympiads are competitions that test skills and knowledge in various disciplines, including mathematics, physics, biology and more. Many of these olympiads have increasingly difficult rounds that even go up to the international level. They provide a challenge that can be enticing to certain talented students.

“There’s so much stuff out there that you just never get a chance to see in school and it’s really just an interesting world to explore,” said Surya Dinesh, a senior who has participated in olympiads throughout high school.

Several students participate in these competitions, and the school administers three major national olympiads: the USA Math Olympiad (USAMO), USA Physics Olympiad (USAPhO) and USA Biolympiad (USABO).

The school offers a series of mathematics competitions that are a part of the national mathematics olympiad organized by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

Every November, the Upper School math department offers the AMC 10 for freshmen and sophomores talented in mathematics. The AMC 12, for slightly older students, is also offered for juniors and seniors. Both competitions have two versions, the A and B versions. These competitions are effectively the first round in the mathematics olympiad cycle.

see OLYMPIADS on page 12

DOAN NGUYEN Academics Editor

COMMENTARY Summer applications overtake free time

Until sophomore year, I loved the summer.

Summer was freedom. For 10 weeks, I could finally say goodbye to Blackbaud and my 7 a.m. alarm. No more late nights and early mornings. Summer was heaven on earth. But now, those summers are long gone. As I climbed my way up to junior year, I started hearing more and more of the same words. Resumés. Extracurriculars. Summer obligations.

The first time I heard the oxymoron, my heart skipped several beats. And not in a good way.

Summer obligations? There are obligations besides getting ice cream with friends? Travelling the world with my family? Staying up all night on FaceTime until I hear my dad go out on his morning run?

Unfortunately, colleges (and my parents) see my three-month-long respite as an opportunity to further my education and learn invaluable experiences. And I somewhat agree. Summer shouldn’t be wasted lounging around and staring at my phone.

But most of the time, these extracurricular activities are done for the wrong reasons. It’s normalized now: pressing the enter key on your resume to add an activity you did just for the sake of it.

Facing the insurmountable obstacle that is college applications, I’m intimidated by what I see and hear from other students. From how my mom puts it, they’re raising millions to cure cancer, and I’m struggling to get an A in my classes.

A month ago, it was 10 below freezing, and I was playing with snow in my backyard.

Also a month ago, I was already planning out my entire summer, highlighting large chunks of days on my calendar several months before they would be relevant or timely. But the calendar is annotated on each of the 12 pages. The other breaks— Thanksgiving, winter, spring—they’re all gone. Hearing variations of the same information while touring colleges has stolen all of my breaks during the school year.

As I quickly transition to my senior year, I notice that there’s so much to do. And it’s so much that I realize I have so little. So I sit at my desk and fill out these seemingly endless applications, fueled by both duty and shame.

And though my summer break last year was slightly more stressful than I was accustomed to, though it seemed like a chore—an obligation—at first, I really did learn a lot from it. I became a slightly better candidate for my dream school, yes, but also I enjoyed meeting new people and adding something new to my list of life experiences. I became a more independent person.

Even right now, complaining to the Word document in front of me, helps me realize another important thing that I was missing, too.

Cherish the summers where you can get ice cream with friends. Travel the world. Stay up late and wake up later. Even with my depressing ratio of free time to work time, with all the research and bussing tables I’ll (hopefully) be doing in a couple months, I’ll try to do the same. I still love my summers—they just come with a different type of heat now.

Aidan Moran

Librarian Elyse Chevallier recommends All Systems Red by Martha Wells, available in the Green Library.

Senior Surya Dinesh takes a preliminary test for a national olympiad. Photo by Bryan Li

Robotics participates at regionals

Despite challenges with this year’s First Tech Challenge season, the Marksmen held their own at their league tournament, sweeping the top two awards.

BY DOAN NGUYEN AND NICHOLAS HUANG

Last year, the Marksmen First Tech Challenge (FTC) team advanced to the World Championship in Houston. After reaching such heights, the team knew that they had to be able to advance to at least states this year. Surely they would advance out of their regional competition.

But this year, the state competition was cancelled, dashing their hopes. Advancing out of regionals would be much more difficult than last year. Everything relied on this one competition.

The North Texas regional championship has been the culmination of six months of work on the robot game and on outreach. Before the regional championship even happened, the FTC team had to get through their league meets and ultimately their league tournament.

“The season starts in September, and they give you about two months until your first league meet,” Michael Yang, captain of the school robotics team said. “It’s a combination of three league meets and then a league tournament.”

After competing in the league tournament, it is possible to advance to even higher levels of competition. In FTC specifically, there are two different ways to advance to the next level: either you beat all of the competition in the robot game, or you win the top awards. Yang’s team did both.

“We actually swept our league tournament, which means we won number one in both awards and robot game.” Yang said. “Both of which would have advanced us directly to regionals.”

After the league tournament, there’s another tournament called the North Texas regional championship. After that, there’s another tournament at the Texas state level, and past that is the World Championship in Houston. In fact, Yang’s team actually advanced to the World Championship last year. However, this year would be much more difficult.

“There’s a state championship that’s supposed to happen which happened last year,” Yang said. “We advanced to world’s from the state championship. But this year, due to poor management through the FIRST officials, nothing got planned for a state championship, so they had to cancel it.”

Owing to some amount of internal disorder, the FIRST officials were left with no plans for the state championship, so the only way to qualify for the world championship would be through the regional championship. Even worse, the North Texas Regional Championship was left with an extremely number of advancement slots.

“Only two teams from the entire regional tournament are allowed to go to the world championship,” Stewart Mayer, coach of the robotics team, said. “And in our region, we have many previous world winners. North Texas was probably the toughest region in the entire world.”

In fact, six distinct teams from North Texas advanced to the world championships last year, including the Marksmen. However, this year, North Texas was only allotted two slots.

And in order to even have a chance at advancing past regionals, the Marksmen had to

make a tough decision.

“The team had a choice to use the old robot, but we knew that it was not good enough to win top two at regionals,” Mayer said. “They made a really hard decision to build an entire new robot they had been designing for months and put a herculean effort into building this new robot.”

But this tournament definitely provided a great learning experience for team members, especially since so many of them were new this year.

“Running an FTC team is like running an NBA team—team members retire,” Yang said. “Sometimes you have to go through this phase because you just have people who aren’t experienced enough to win. It’s a lot about how well you do next year and the year after that.”

However, Yang has high hopes for next year. Next year’s state competition likely will not have the same scheduling errors as this year, and the many new team members on the team will have much more experience.

“I think the team will get better next year.”

Yang said. “At the start of the season, everyone was kind of like, ‘Do I even want to commit to this?’”

Despite the challenges and mishaps of this year’s FTC game, the Marksmen ultimately came out of the season with many wins under their belt and a promising-looking future.

Even though they may not have received the outcome they would have liked, the beauty of FTC is that there’s always a next year.

Marksmen excel in MATHCOUNTS competition

BY MICHAEL CHANG

Fourteen Marksmen competed in the annual Dallas MATHCOUNTS chapter competition on Feb. 8, bringing home multiple individual and team awards. MATHCOUNTS is a nationwide mathematics competition series that culminates in MATHCOUNTS Nationals in May — the top four students in each state are selected to compete in Nationals through the School, Chapter and State competitions.

All MATHCOUNTS competitions follow the same structure: two individual rounds known as the “sprint” and “target” rounds followed by the team and countdown rounds. The sprint round features 30 problems designed to be solved quickly, while the much slower-paced target round only has eight difficult questions. During the team round, four students from one school collaborate to solve ten problems, and the countdown round consists of a bracket where two students face each other to solve questions as fast as

they can.

Texas has historically been one of the most successful states in the MATHCOUNTS series. As a result, the Chapter and State competitions are quite competitive; there are typically far more than four candidates that are qualified enough for the national competition.

However, this year, the school had an extremely strong showing at their chapter competition, with multiple top individual finishes. MATHCOUNTS sponsor and Middle School math instructor Valerie Davis believes that their success stems from months of preparation and hard work.

“They did awesome,” Davis said. “Out of the 14 boys we sent, ten of them were in the top 16 out of about 100 kids total. One of our guys went home early, so technically we had 11 in the top 17.”

The school’s four-person squad that competed in the team round, consisting of eighth graders Nathan Liu, David Xiao, William Tu and seventh grader Roger Wang, also

performed well, achieving a first-place finish among seven other teams.

“Because they got first place, all four members of the team are headed to the state competition on March 8,” Davis said. “In addition, eighth grader Trevor Hsu qualified as an individual.”

The fast-paced countdown round saw multiple students from the school obtain podium finishes. In fact, the majority of the matches were between two Marksmen.

“Nathan came in first place in the countdown round,” Davis said. “David Xiao came in third place, and sixth grader Max Cao was actually in fourth place, so they had to battle each other.”

Finally, in terms of overall individual rankings, St. Mark’s dominated the standings with similar finishes.

“William came in fourth place in the top five, and Nathan came in first,” Davis said. “Overall, our team came in first place, so it was a very successful competition.”

Junior Michael Yang works on his robot the week before the regionals tournament.

Photo by Winston Lin

Lower School sees shift in teachers

Only three of nine original Lower School teachers remain since 2020, changing the school’s dynamic with a greater amount of new educators compared to teaching veterans.

BY AKASH MANICKAM AND RISHIK KAPOOR

While the school goes through a constant cycle of tenured teachers retiring and new ones arriving to fill vacancies, the recent change of instructors in the Lower School has brought a lot of new faces.

In the span of five years, only three of nine primary instructors for first through fourth grade remain in the Lower School.

The current duo of first grade teachers, Ackerman Family Master Teaching Chair of the Lower School Teri Broom and first grade teacher Elizabeth Beacom, serve as a reminder of the generational shifts that have occurred.

Broom’s time teaching first graders began 11 years ago, when the current seniors were in first grade, and Beacom arrived for her first year at the school this fall.

“This is my ninth year of teaching,” Beacom said. “ I came from Hockaday, so I faced the massive switch from an all-girls school to an all-boys.”

In contrast, Broom came from a decade-long teaching career across many schools. In her first year, she immediately noticed the unique nature of the school.

I JUST LOVE THIS AGE OF STUDENTS. THEY’RE REALLY ENGAGING AND FUN TO TEACH. AND ALL STUDENTS LOVE LEARNING, BUT I FIND THAT, AT THIS AGE, THEY GET REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ALL SUBJECTS.

Elizabeth Beacom, first grade instructor

“I taught at Lamplighter in the 90s, and I taught in Coppell for 10 years, but they were really different from St. Mark’s,” Broom said. “One of the things I noticed right away was the boys I taught in fourth grade. I came from teaching fifth grade in Coppell ISD, and the things I was teaching to my fourth grade boys here were things that I was definitely teaching to fifth graders as new information in Coppell.”

Aside from the actual material, Broom also found that the faculty’s culture was effectively creating a fun learning environment.

“I felt that everywhere that the boys went throughout their day, they were getting somebody who was passionate about that topic,” Broom said. “Whether it was art, or music, or drama, or science or whatever it was, they were encountering people who care deeply that they do well in that area.”

Despite their differences in experience, Beacom and Broom share the same passion and excitement for teaching.

“I just love this age of students,” Beacom said. “They’re really engaging and fun to teach. And all students love learning, but I find that, at this age, they get really excited about all subjects.”

Due to the boys’ young age and openness, Broom feels that Lower School is one of the most important times for the boys’ learning.

“When the boys are in first grade, they’re curious, they’re eager and they’re learners,” Broom said. “They want to know more about everything. We play a big part in teaching those really foundational skills that help them later on to be able to do all the amazing things that they do.”

Even though she is new to the school, Beacom understands the importance of preparing her first graders for a 12-yearlong journey, both academically and through character and leadership education.

“It is just so important to establish that solid foundation,” Beacom said. “It helps kids not only create that love for learning and academic progress but also acclimate into the St Mark’s community.”

Beacom has been helped by her more experienced colleagues, and she says that her friendship with Broom has been a bright spot this year.

“She has been amazing,” Beacom said. “We laugh all day long. We get to know each other, and we’re also right next door to each other. We teach the same group of kids. We walk through our days together. I just consider myself very fortunate to get the opportunity to learn from her and her wisdom and everything that she has to share with me.”

According to Broom, the passage of knowledge from different generations of teachers is one of the most vital parts of the school’s culture.

“I came in with a large group of teachers: Sherri Darver, Kay Carrio and Cindy Osborne,” Broom said. “We got a lot of mentorship from teachers like Frank Jordan and Catherine Wetzel, and now I can pass down what I learned to the new group of teachers.”

Broom says that one of the most valuable experiences as a first-grade teacher is seeing boys grow and mature through the years, especially when they become leaders on campus.

“I love watching the kids grow up,” Broom said. “When I look at my former students in the Upper School, I still see that little guy, even though they are all grown up and big. You can see it when the guys are in first grade, just how they’re wired, and you see how they use those gifts that they came to us with. It’s so rewarding to see how we had a part in that, and how we helped them build the foundation that they needed to be able to go further and faster later on down the road.”

New digital ACT to have optional science section

BY DOAN NGUYEN

In July 2025, the last ‘classic’ ACT test will be issued out to high school students. Just five months from now, a new ACT, the ‘core ACT,’ will be phased in with one, very significant change: an optional science section.

The core ACT will consist of three subsections — writing, math and reading — all of which have minor changes to them. The total time will be just over two hours, a substantial decrease from the three hours it took to complete previously. However, with the optional science section, the time is just 10 minutes short of the old one. Composite scores will not

factor in the science section, whether the student takes it or not.

“The ACT took away the one thing that sets them apart from the SAT: the fact that they have a science section,” Associate Director of College Counseling Phoebe Butler said.

For many years, the ACT and its counterpart, the SAT, have been on equal standing — a 50-50 split between students. However, since January 2024, with the advent of the Digital SAT, students have preferred taking the SAT instead, widening the chasm between the two standardized tests. The online, adaptive nature of the test was popular among high school students.

At its core, the ACT is a company, so in

order to garner more attention, the ACT revamped and are also providing a digital version. Unlike the SAT, it won’t be adaptive — the digital version will be identical to the paper version. The predicted outcome of this competition between testing companies suggests an unpromising future for the ACT. Private test prep companies speculate that these changes may drive more students towards the SAT nonetheless.

“They tried to replicate the same success as the SAT, but when you become too close to your competitor, it gets confusing,” Butler said. “A lot of people liked that ACT was its own thing, and the SAT was its own thing.”

With these considerable changes to

the ACT, many students are left lost and confused, as there is no clear path to take. Unfortunately, college counselors and universities are just as clueless.

“Both (college counselors) and students are like: What do I sign up for?” Butler said. “What do the colleges want? What if it ends up being okay? We can only guesstimate right now.”

Butler and the other college counselors recommend taking the optional science section, as some colleges may start requiring students to provide a score. But the first tests have yet to be issued and taken. For now, students and universities alike must wait patiently to decide whether this important test in the college admissions process will be viable.

First grade instructor Teri Broom reads a book to her class (Top). Lower School Art instructor Suzuko Davis helps a student cut out his drawing (Middle). Lower School computer science instructor Aimee Whitaker handles an in-class assignment.

Photos Courtesy Development Office

Olympiads drive STEM advancement

continued from page 9

Students who do well in the AMCs qualify for the American Invitational Math Examination (AIME). The school administers the AIME in early February.

This year, 20 students qualified for the AIME. Students who do exceptionally well in both the AMCs and AIME qualify for the USAMO or USAJMO national competitions.

In February, the school’s science department offered the F=ma competition, the open round of the physics olympiad taken by thousands of students across the country.

Students who did well will advance to the national round, or the USAPhO, made up of the 400 top scorers. Dinesh has earned recognition for reaching this national round several times.

The science department also offered the USABO open round for the national biology olympiad in February to any interested students.

Students who perform well in this preliminary round advance to the USABO semifinal round, an even harder competition.

There are other prominent academic olympiad competitions that are not administered by the school. The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is an online competition that students interested in coding and computer science can sign up for by themselves.

Multiple competitions are offered year-round, and strong performances allow students to advance to higher tiers of competition, the highest being the platinum division.

For many students, participation in challenging olympiads can also serve as a way to supplement their resume for college applications.

“It’s more than just sitting for the test,” Associate Director of College Counseling Josh Shandera said. “There’s more time and energy involved, and it becomes an activity in its own right to do those things competitively. It allows students to get more diversification that they’re able to do as well, and if a student places or earns some sort of award or recognition, they’re more universally (recognized).”

While these competitions are fairly popular at school, olympiads may be more obscure at other schools, where they are only taken by very interested students.

“In the wider community, olympiads are definitely a far more niche thing,” Dinesh said. “The percentage of people doing olympiads at St. Mark’s is a lot higher than almost anywhere else in the country.”

Preparing and studying for these olympiads is no easy task. In order to do exceptionally well in the multiple competition rounds, students study materials outside of their classes covering the subject, and this is an all year round process.

This competition cycle repeats every year.

“Preliminary rounds generally occur in the February timeframe, and the national olympiad rounds occur in March and April,” Dinesh said. “If you get past the national level to the international level, it goes into the summer.”

Academic olympiad competitions have been around for a while, and the school has offered the math, physics, and biology olympiads for decades.

With the high number of students participating and performing well in recent years, the presence of olympiads at St. Mark’s seems likely to continue.

Sophomores shine in ceramics

Out of all Upper School students, the sophomore class is a promising and talented group that puts their all into ceramics, producing works sometimes more impressive than their seniors.

BY DOAN NGUYEN AND RISHIK KAPOOR

It’s 10 p.m. Maybe 11.

The space around him is cluttered with pots, vases, sculptures, busts. He’s been kneading and shaping the clay for the past week. Just last night, he’d spent hours shaping it to his heart’s content — rolling, pinching, coiling. He’d gone into the ceramics workshop every free period. Long weekends. Even the snow days.

To sophomore Taiting Zhou, the art of ceramics is almost a ritual; the constancy is reassuring. Right now, he’s just begun the long process of creating a piece of art: a cup.

For the next step of many, he would have to glaze the piece with variations of the blues and reds that had taken dozens of trials to get just the right shade.

Maybe it cracks in the furnace, which heats up to about 1830 degrees Fahrenheit. Hopefully it doesn’t. It’s already Zhou’s fifth iteration of this small cup.

He lifts and turns the piece in every possible direction, inspecting it for nicks and asymmetry.

And every single time, Zhou finds something wrong with the piece he’s working on: the top not a perfect circle, the walls not thick enough, the color too glaring. He likes to say that 5 percent of the work he starts actually ever gets finished.

“I’ve thrown a bunch of stuff at these walls in pure frustration,” Zhou said, motioning to the dimly lit workshop around him. “Sometimes, it’s hard to keep being motivated.”

But Zhou isn’t alone. In the ceramics studio, there are other artists who work just as hard. Stay just as late. Get just as angry.

The people around him, specifically his fellow sophomores, keep him motivated.

Trial and error.

A saying that all of these ceramics-loving sophomores live by. They help each other succeed by engaging in a constant competition. Together, they take on trials and are constantly met with errors.

“That’s the beauty of ceramics,” Zhou said.

Sophomore Tyson Diep uses ceramics as a channel for his desire to create.

Some artists, even his classmates, face long periods of creativity block — they haven’t completed anything for months. But Diep visualizes potential works faster than he can create them.

“Implementation — actually creating pieces — takes hard work,” Diep said. “But vision takes skill.”

Diep’s creativity stems from everything; it’s not just limited to ceramics. He’ll listen to a song. Write a poem. Sketch a drawing. And with all this raw mental material to work with, Diep starts to put all of it into a sculpture.

IT IS A PLACE TO GET AWAY FROM ALL THE STRESS GOING ON AT SCHOOL. WE DO HOMEWORK IN (THE STUDIO), AND WE WATCH MOVIES; WE BASICALLY DO ANYTHING.”

Tyson Diep, sophomore

And for someone so imaginative, it’s hard to translate the mental picture in his head and project it onto a dense block of clay. But Diep doesn’t settle for less — if he wants to make it, he’ll try his best to do exactly what he’s imagining.

“Understanding and getting past that skill discrepancy is actually what gives you potential as an artist,” Diep said. Diep and the other sophomores challenge themselves with each piece they create, but it comes with a drawback. The group gets exponentially more skilled after every project, meaning they can never be satisfied with their past work.

“I always hear people say, ‘This could be so much better,’” Diep said. “We get better so fast, and it’s so slow to make things.”

And each of them always shoots above the level of the piece they completed; that’s how they all improve. They just need time to make it.

So most of the time spent on campus is spent doing ceramics. Diep, Zhou, and the rest of their class spends more time in the studio than out of it.

“It is a place to get away from all of the stress going on at school,” Diep

said. “We do homework in (the studio), and we watch movies; we basically do anything.”

Because of all of the time that the students spend in the Ceramics room, ceramics teacher Scott Ziegler has opened up the studio to them outside of school hours.

“We love making stuff, and that takes a lot of time. Thankfully, Mr. Ziegler has made it pretty clear to us that the studio is always open,” Zhou said. “Whether it is after school, the weekend, during the summer, a football game, the freeze or pretty much over any of the breaks.”

Of all the students in ceramics, the sophomores have risen above the rest in terms of time spent working on their projects.

They are all talented, but it comes down to the raw amount of time they spend compared to other students.

“We coordinate with each other what times we want to meet and work on our projects, allowing us to come more often,” Zhou said.

Sophomore Paul Sumethasorn credits his love of ceramics to the liberty he can take when working with clay. To him, there’s nothing you can’t make.

“You have the capacity to work in three dimensions while also having the flexibility to make something in any shape,” Sumethasorn said.

This flexibility is the reason Sumethasorn fell in love with ceramics, because it allows him to create with a realism that no other art can.

He uses the fine art as a medium to explore expressing his emotions and feelings through his art.

“I am planning to continue to do ceramics through AP and I want to make a portfolio that tells a story through my ceramics pieces,” Sumethasorn said. “I have been playing with the ideas of memories and regret and how they affect us as humans.”

Sumethasorn has a passion for sharing his story. He gets excited seeing his or fellow students’ work displayed in the Decherd Auditorium, showing just how close the sophomore ceramics class has become.

They help each other no matter the circumstance. This love, passion and dedication the group has for ceramics is the reason their work continues to shine.

Sophmore Tyson Diep works on his ceramics project in class.

Photo by Winston Lin

School navigates sensitive topics in novels

Though many books included in the English curriculum at the school grapple with sensitive topics, there is a system

BY KAYDEN ZHONG AND WYATT AUER

The great American classic Of Mice and Men contains offensive language, racism and violence.

Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird contains themes of rape, profanity and racial slurs. Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved infanticide and themes of sex and violence.

Many of the books exalted as classics deal with significant and controversial topics—and despite the presence of these topics, such novels remain staples of modern English education.

The required reading for each class is always chosen after careful deliberation by the English department. One important priority when deciding is to ensure each book has high literary merit, though the conditions for each class vary depending on the grade level and goals that each course wants to achieve. For example, for the AP English Language and Literature course, the required books must be representative of the types of literature the Advanced Placement exam involves. Students in the course read four core works and additional poems, short stories and letters to supplement their learning.

According to Trustee Master Teaching Chair in Humanities Lynne Schwartz, the complex perspec tives invoked by difficult subjects provide for some of the most compelling in-class discussions.

“Students don’t really have another forum to talk about these issues,” Schwartz said. “Human issues are the ones that we address in English, and if you’re talking about literature from a philosophical or human point of view, we’re (going) to see through many different eyes.”

As one of the teachers of the AP English Language and Literature course, Schwartz commonly engages her students in college-level material according to the standards of the College Board.

“The students are expected to read college-level books and all of those (books) are going to have strong language in them,” Schwartz said. “They’re going to have some graphic scenes in them. They’re going to have some difficult philosophical questions in them. That’s what college is all about: testing your beliefs, experiencing the ideas of other people and digging into the adult world so (you can) navigate your own path.”

Associate Headmaster and 10th grade English teacher John Ashton believes that appropriate expo sure to sensitive topics and treating said topics in the classroom with sensitivity and respect are equally important.

“In over three decades of teaching English, I always feel very good about the fact that the issues presented in literature are issues of the human experience that are important to work through together,” Ashton said. “The rich conversations that I experienced as a young man during my English classes in high school were so powerful, and I was fortunate to be guided by thoughtful teachers like we have at St. Mark’s.”

ISSUES ARE THE ONES THAT WE ADDRESS IN ENGLISH, AND IF YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT LITERATURE FROM A PHILOSOPHICAL OR HUMAN POINT OF VIEW, WE’RE GOING TO SEE THROUGH MANY DIFFERENT EYES.”

In English classes, students follow the Harkness method, in which students are seated around a large oval table to facilitate discussion and group learning. One of the benefits of the learning environment is that teachers are always able to see all of the students, meaning that they can gauge when a student is feeling uncomfortable with a subject being discussed in class.

“I am sensitive to the experiences of each of

At every level of the English curriculum, the core novels are a fundamental cornerstone. Texts are carefully chosen

to various parts of a novel, keeping in mind how we work towards understanding issues as a class so that we work through those issues together.”

One way Ashton helps to manage discomfort in students during in-class discussion is to think of it as a continuum.

“When discomfort shifts to being something that prevents one from understanding, then maybe we’re not ready to address the topic yet,” Ashton said. “In that moment, the growth that comes from discomfort shifts to a place of shutting one off from any sense of understanding. But if you ask, ‘what’s under the discomfort? Why can I not look away at what I’m seeing?’ Then we’re coming together in community and being guided by a teacher who’s sensitive to the needs of the students while also caring for boys as we work together towards understanding.”

Each and every student brings to the classroom a unique perspective, and as such will react differently. Outside of the classroom, in the Cecil and Ida Green Library, students also find support from the librarians when it comes to checking out mature novels that deal with more complex issues. Middle School librarian Elyse Chevallier reviews many of the middle grade and young adult novels in the library and ensures that each and every book is professionally reviewed.

“I rely on several outlets and publications, like Kirkus, the School Library Journal, the Bulletin of the Center of Children’s Books, which all give an age range or a grade range,” Chevallier said. “I’m always very aware when our youngest students are checking out or interested in books marketed for older students or

is that parents engage students in conversation about what they are reading.

“We are all really lucky to go to school here or to work here, and there are lots of people in the world that are in different situations than us,” Chevallier said. “It is nice that a lot of times our kids only have to grapple with or encounter these hard things in life through literature. You don’t have to deal with it by actually going through it; you can encounter it in a book, which is a really safe way to (engage).”

Regardless of location on campus, however, Ashton emphasizes that resources are always available to any student who may feel continued discomfort, not only with English literature but with any subjects.

“As a school, when a student raises questions about an experience on campus, whether it pertains to a class discussion or a class experience, we encourage the boy to talk with his teacher, then if needed, talk to the department chair, so they both can work together to think through a way to address the question or concern,” Ashton said. “And if it is determined that a boy has a need to do something different, we can work towards a solution.”

Above all, Ashton hopes that no student feels left behind.

“Whether it’s a classroom, a program or an experience a boy’s having on campus, let’s meet the student where he is and work through it together,” Ashton said.

John Ashton Associate Headmaster

The Cecil and Ida Green Library offers a selection of novels banned across the state that are taught in classrooms here.

Photo by Hilton Sampson

The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald

Song of Solomon

Lynne Schwartz, Trustee Master Teaching Chair in Humanities

SECTION IN BRIEF

EVENSONG On March 2, the St. Mark’s choir joined together to sing at Evensong. The event occurs each month in the Chapel as part of a tradition that has been held for many years. Choristers from all grades perform a variety of classic church music to a packed audience. Evensong is a moment of meditation and unity for all the people who attend. All future performances are indicated in the school calendar.

QUIZBOWL On Saturday, Feb. 22, the school hosted its annual high school Quiz-Bowl tournament on campus. Twenty three teams from different schools participated, with the teams being split up into varsity and junior varsity divisions. The St. Mark’s A team won second place in the Varsity division, and the St. Mark’s B team won third place. The Upper School Quiz Bowl program is looking forward to its next tournament at St. Rita’s on March 8.

FATHER-SON BREAKFAST On Friday, Feb. 7, the junior class had their final Father Son-Breakfast at the school. These morning events occur every other year for each class, starting in first grade. Each student and father were required to sign in; meanwhile, a photographer snapped pictures of each pair. Breakfast tacos, yogurt, coffee and more were provided by Sage. Head of Upper School William Atkinson ‘95 spoke and Chaplain Stephen Arbogast prayed as the event wrapped up just in time for the students to get to class at 8:15 a.m.

OVERHEARD

This cycle we listened to people around campus and took the best quotes. Here is what they said:

JAX BLALOCK SOPHOMORE

“THE DOJO IS IN BUSINESS.”

SEBASTIAN GONZALEZ JUNIOR

“DR. FENG, DID YOU TAKE THE GAOKAO?”

AMAR KAKKAR SENIOR

“POST CABO CLARITY”

ROCCO RENDA JUNIOR

“JAKE SENIOR”

Discord shapes online life

With the increasing surge of platforms like Discord, online communities can offer meaningful connections that foster a sense of belonging. However, these platforms also carry significant risks for addiction and exposure to cyberbullying, which can contribute to isolation and depression.

BY CHRISTIAN WARNER AND HOLDEN PURVIS

One click and he could walk away. His finger hovers over the mouse, yet his eyes stare into the screen, as each notification only seems to get harsher, mocking, taunting and jeering at him. He knows he should leave, but he can’t do it. The thought of logging off, cutting himself off from the only group of people he knows feels like an impossible task. Despite the constant harassment, this community is the only place where he’d ever felt a genuine connection. He persuades himself, maybe things will be better tomorrow. Yet deep down, he knows they won’t. And yet, he still can’t get himself to leave.

With approximately 200 million active monthly users, Discord is a popular communication platform where students can join public or private servers. While originally intended for gaming, it has also become a space for collaborating on homework and staying connected with friends.

Like many others, sophomore Rohan Tare started using Discord during the COVID-19 pandemic when the number of Discord users surged. As students sought ways to maintain connections with their friends through the online world, Discord provided a space that, while an imperfect substitute, mirrored the experience of hanging out with friends in the real world. For Tare, this experience felt far more authentic than other social media platforms.

“I feel like Discord, especially with close knit groups of friends, feels a lot more personal,” Tare said. “I think there’s a lot more of a personal connection. I think it’s a form of making people just feel more involved.”

Exploring Everest With Mr. Lange

BY SHIV BANDHARI

Assistant Head of Middle School Jason Lange adjusts his pack and admires the bustling life of the streets in Kathmandu, Nepal.

On the steps of a century-old temple, a tourist scrolls on his phone. Beside him, a young boy plays among a flock of pigeons, laughing as he chases them down. Above them both, prayer flags billow in the crisp air, seemingly bursting into a fiery blaze as the golden sunlight radiates onto them.

And sitting in the background, towering over Lange and domineering the landscape, lies Mount Everest.

Everest, to many, means little more than a name. But to Lange in 2010, Everest is more than that: it’s a challenge, a chance to see the world and the opportunity of a lifetime.

Fascinated by exploration at a young age, Lange has always sought out his next adventure, and his 2010 venture to Everest’s Base Camp was the culmination of years of prior experience and travel.

Even getting to the mountain in the first place proved to be a challenge, but once Lange navigated the painful paperwork, he finally began his two-week excursion from Beijing to Everest Base Camp. Lange took a 49-hour bus ride to Lhasa, Tibet, where he would spend three days getting his body used to the 10,000-foot altitude. After getting to know his guide and the 12 other tourists with whom he would spend the next two weeks, Lange piled into a small van with his group and set off on another road trip, this time exploring the 800-kilometer Friendship Highway between China and Nepal.

During his travels, Lange slowly approached Kathmandu, his excitement steadily peaking as Everest’s massive figure slowly grew in size and detail.

Stepping out of that cramped van into the thin air of Everest’s North Face, every fresh breath filled him with an energy of life and a deep appreciation for his situation, a feeling of gratitude that would only deepen as he and his tour group were welcomed into the Rongbuk Monastery, where they would spend a few nights living among the monks and taking in the scenery between sips of yak butter tea.

And after a few relaxed days in the monastery, on July 31, the group made their first five-kilometer trek toward Base Camp, staying at roughly 18,000 feet for five days while making the hike between Rongbuk and Base Camp. Although the weather was uncooperative for three days, Lange’s group eventually experienced the full beauty of Everest during their last two days, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

The feelings of awe, accomplishment and pure adrenaline inundated him— there was just something primordially stunning about the immense stature and beauty of the mountain. For Lange, this trip meant something special.

Everything, from the people he would spend two weeks enjoying the beautiful scenery of Nepal and Tibet with to the final view of the mountain’s sky-scraping size, gave him new perspectives on his life, eventually forming him into the man he is today.

For some, seeing pictures or reading stories about the world’s wonders is enough, but for people like Lange, exploring foreign locations simply for the sake of exploration is synonymous with breathing. Because, for people like Lange, life is only as good as it is lived.

Illustration by Josh Goforth

A friendly attempt at socialization online can end in discord.

Jason Lange Assistant Head of Middle School

Alumnus honored with naval award

Victor Vescovo ’84 has explored 16 of the deepest oceanic trenches in the world, climbed Mount Everest and has even journeyed to space. Now, he has earned one of the highest Naval awards.

BY ROHAN KAKKAR, DIEGO ARMENDARIZ AND GRAYSON KIRBY

Peering over the Atlantic Ocean onto the glittering waters, towering boats, symbols of the military powerhouse that is the U.S., stand in fortitude, bearing the names of cities, states, ideas and people that have greatly impacted our nation. What one might not realize at first is that the intimidating ships above the water are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the U.S. Navy.

Not only does the Navy protect our seas from external threats, it also assists with Space and Ocean Exploration. Deep below the behemoths that dominate the world’s oceans, surveillance ships and submersibles seek to explore and map out the deepest and most isolated parts of the globe. One of these ships, a T-AGOS 26 ocean surveillance ship, is slated to be named after alumnus Victor Vescovo ’84. A former intelligence officer, he served for 20 years in the Navy before retiring and entering the private sphere of exploration. Vescovo has left a lasting impact on not only the Navy, but also the world of deep-sea exploration as a whole.

“I think my experience in the Navy helped refine a lot of skills that I applied to exploration,” Vescovo said. “I spent a great deal of time on various ships, including the USS Nimitz, and I think the military is a wonderful experience to help you learn how to deal with high-pressure environments because nothing is more intense then warfare.”

Vescovo’s journeys to the bottom of the ocean, the

highest peaks on Earth and even into the depths of space have been challenging to say the least. Vescovo has constantly been thrust into uncomfortable situations that not only test his physical capabilities but also the limits of his mental fortitude and quick thinking skills.

Vescovo has spent years in leadership positions in high-pressure environments; he was a Commander in the Navy, and he has also launched the Five Deeps Expedition in 2018, a program whose goal was to reach the five deepest points in the ocean in one year. His team carried out biological samplings and depth confirmations at each stop. In December of 2018, he became the first person to reach the deepest point of the Atlantic Ocean, piloting a U.S. submarine system worth over $50 million.

“Exploration means you're pushing the boundaries of knowledge and technology, and sometimes you’re doing so in dangerous locations,” Vescovo said. “You’re not going to come back if you’re not well organized or effective as an individual, because to be an effective explorer, you first have to be an effective person.”

With his years of experience in both the public and private sector, Vescovo has broken numerous records and completed incredible challenges in his goal to explore and understand as much as he can in his lifetime. He believes that his St. Mark’s education and experience allowed him to properly traverse the difficult path he has chosen.

“St. Mark’s teaches you how to learn and learn quickly,” Vescovo said. “If you can learn how to

learn new material, critically, effectively and well, then you can pursue almost anything you set your mind to.”

Specifically, Vescovo praises the unique impact his former teachers had on him in his time at the school.

“There were so many teachers that had profound impacts on my development and development of my skills, from the extraordinary Tom Adams to Dr. Jones to Dr. Freeman to Mr. Stutzman and to Mr. Connolly,” Vescovo said. “There’s just this long list of extraordinary teachers that have all, in their own different ways, majorly impacted my ability to learn and understand certain material about English, science, mathematics and everything in between.”

While Vescovo’s experiences at the school certainly helped him in his journey, he learned how to be extremely adaptable and make changes when things were not working for him. When he was an engineering student at Stanford, he realized that this path was not for him and decided to make a change.

“There are absolutely unexpected twists and turns,” Vescovo said. “I think one just simply has to adapt on the fly, take advantage of opportunities that present themselves and always push yourself outside your comfort zone. It’s okay to fail sometimes, but that also means you’re going to have an opportunity to succeed and do things perhaps never done.”

Community celebrates Marksmen Multicultural Night

BY CHRISTOPHER GUFFEY

Year after year, Marksmen Multicultural Night, hosted by the Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council (IDLC), showcases the vast range of cultures that make up the student body. And year after year, the event continues to grow and expand.

Like the previous year’s event, this year’s Marksmen Multicultural Night continued the streak of filling out the gym and the Great Hall with students from the Upper, Middle and Lower School, as well as faculty, staff and parents. This upward trend of popularity for the event also comes with additional pressure and expectations to make each year’s event better than the last.

This year, Marksmen Multicultural Night was held on Feb. 26, and it highlighted eight different countries— Australia, Belgium, Cuba, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan, Syria and the U.S.—as well as Texas and Puerto Rico.

Entering the Great Hall, hand-made displays representing numerous different cultures lined the center of the room. For example, sophomore Emiliano Mayo one-upped his representation of Mexico from last year

by adding a second table with more food and decorations, showcasing more of Mexico. Sophomore Paul Sumethasorn and his family also showcased Thai culture with traditional attire, food and a well-decorated table.

Besides just having tables representing different cultures, there were also many other performances from students and outside performers in Spencer Gym the whole night.

“There was a third grade performance, a second grade performance, a choir performance and a band and Blues Club performance,” IDLC Vice-Chair Reagen Graeme said. “We had some outside performances as well: a Japanese percussion group performed for us, which was great because Japan was one of the nations we were showcasing. And as part of our showcase for Texas, a traditional line dance company held an interactive dance at the end.”

For Graeme, the level of effort that went into these performances was a significant driver in the overall success of the night, and it boosted the overall energy.

“The enthusiasm from the younger Marksmen surprised me the most,” Graeme said. “There were

Lower and Middle Schoolers in the choir who sang their hearts out. You could see it in their gestures, in their face and in the way they were singing. To just see them really take that to heart and show up and show out at this event really showed me that five or ten years down the line, the IDLC, and the school as a whole, are going to be in great hands.”

The IDLC had been planning this year's Marksmen Multicultural Night since April of last year, ensuring that it would be a success.

“Every little thing has been thought of,” Graeme said. “We couldn't have anticipated all support from students, parents and faculty, as well as all the passion and enthusiasm they brought.”

Without the involvement of St. Mark’s community, events like this wouldn’t have been possible.

“We can plan as much and as thoroughly as we want,” Graeme said. “Without the students and parents volunteering to set up the tables, the hundreds of people showing up and being super enthusiastic and everyone being so happy to get involved, we wouldn't be able to do something like that.”

Victor Vescovo '84 recently visited with Lower School students, sharing his world travels.

Photo Courtesy Development Office

FEMALE LEADERS

HELP SHAPE SCHOOL

Through their teaching, mentorship and guidance, the women of 10600 cultivate an environment where students learn to engage with diverse perspectives, respect different experiences and develop into well-rounded individuals, preparing young men for a future of leadership.

continued from page 1

To those with preconceived notions about an all-boys school, there may be questions about the role of women in campus life. Working within an all-boys environment in the classroom. Adjusting to the unique dynamics of male-dominated discussions. Fostering respect and awareness in conversations around gender roles. Modeling leadership in a space where male authority is often the norm.

Bonsu remembers teaching a health and wellness class about nutrition to freshmen students along with visiting boys and their teacher from a local, independent school in the classroom. The conversation took off, and Bonsu managed the classroom by matching the energy of the boys, filling the air with positivity and excitement.

WHEN A NEW TEACHER COMES TO ST. MARK’S, A MAN WALKS INTO THE CLASSROOM AND HE HAS THE BOYS’ RESPECT TO LOSE. WHEN A WOMAN WALKS INTO THE CLASSROOM, SHE HAS TO EARN THE BOYS’ RESPECT.”

Nancy Marmion,

J.J. Connolly Master Teaching Chair

At the end of the lesson, the visiting teacher made her way up to Bonsu at the front of the room.

I could never teach at an all-boys school.

Her words instantly caught Bonsu off guard. She had grown accustomed to the high levels of energy and engagement of an all-boys classroom setting, bringing every voice into the conversation, answering thought-provoking questions, all while simultaneously managing behavior. For the first time, Bonsu thought of the differences between teaching at a coed school.

Acclimating to an all-boys environment has been natural for Bonsu. Growing up in a family with all brothers, she understood the complexities of teenage boys from an early age. And after two previous professional roles, now here at the school, she feels a newfound sense of comfort.

“I feel like I’m back at home,” Bonsu said.

Like Bonsu, Middle School Humanities Department Chair Danielle Maxfield grew up with brothers, and after 17 years teaching in a coed public school, her transition here has been smooth.

Of the eight department chairs at the school, Maxfield serves as the only female currently in the position after former Fine

Arts Department Chair Marian Glorisso-Kirby transitioned into her new role as Head of Lower School. Yet in recent years, many now retired female faculty members served in those roles, like former Stephen M. Seay ‘68 Science Department Chair Stephanie Barta, former Fine Arts Department Chair Jacque Gavin, and former Director of the St. Mark’s Fund Christina Jarke.

According to Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Human Resources Lorre Allen, when looking for new faculty to join the school, they look for the best person in front of the classroom.

“It’s not based on gender,” Allen said. “We send our postings to various recruitment resources. That draws in the applicant pool, and therefore, you get the best qualified person in front of that class.”

Despite the limited number of female department chairs, many other leadership roles on campus, like class sponsors, Master Teaching Chairs and advisors, are served by women.

From 2020-22, Kathy Crow led the Board of Trustees as president. In that time, she worked to improve affordability and access to the school and she started work on the new athletic complex. Crow still serves on the board.

“At St. Mark’s, my role has never been about being a female leader at an all-boys school,” Crow said. “It’s been about being a leader, period. The work of the Board of Trustees is about stewardship, vision and ensuring that the school continues to thrive for generations to come. That responsibility isn’t defined by gender but by a commitment to excellence, ethics and service.”

As a Trustee, Crow always strives to be a reminder that when leadership is rooted in good values and decency—it transcends gender and becomes about impact, integrity, and the willingness to guide others to their best selves. She wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.

Like Crow, having directed the school’s finances for the past 22 years, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Suzanne Townsend has also been a longtime leader of the school. For her, gender has never been an issue as a leader here.

“I can’t imagine being anywhere else,” Townsend said. “It has been such a positive experience for me. (As the first female CFO), I’ve never felt like I was treated in any way other than as an equal.”

For Associate Headmaster John Ashton,

the strongest leaders are defined by people with great experience and who bring great expertise to their areas of work. And women are a huge part of that group.

“With that set of criteria, look around campus at who that is,” Ashton said. “There’s a lot of strength here… my colleagues who are women, how strong they are as experts in their field. I’ve learned so much about teaching methods from sitting in meetings with Mrs. Schwartz, Dr. Vaughan and Dr. Brozovich.”

Biology & Life Science Teacher Ryan Brewer consistently has conversations with female faculty members—listening to their personal experiences on campus helps him be open-minded. He’s learned about aspects that he’s never considered, and it’s changed his opinion on the mission of the school.

“I think the purpose of St. Mark’s is to raise men of great character and be great leaders,” Brewer said. “The male experience is different from a woman’s. To be a great leader, you have to understand everyone’s perspective.”

CAMPUS LOGISTICS

On a campus built for a far larger population of males than females, it can be a lot harder for women to find privacy on campus when it comes to restrooms, showers and lactation rooms.

Logan, who comes to the early morning workouts with Strength & Conditioning Coach Kevin Dilworth, walks laps on the track with School Nurse Julie Doerge to stagger the shower times because of the lack of women’s showers.

It doesn’t help that, while infrequently, some boys use those showers too. Before the showers in Spencer were closed for construction, Logan would often find boy’s toiletries left in the women’s locker room there.

“They just kind of took it over,” Logan said. “And I understand their mindset. They’re like, ‘Oh, there’s no girls on this campus.’ But there are.”

Nursing mothers on campus face a challenge similar to the lack of showers: needing to share the singular lactation

room in north wing of the library. The lactation room is a newer addition to campus, and, while it provides a necessary privacy for some mothers, it also brings a new set of challenges.

For Assistant Director of Community Service Isabel Cisneros, having to go to the lactation room every two to three hours wasn’t always convenient. Every time Cisneros wanted to use the lactation room, she would have to make the trek across campus to the library, spend 20 minutes or so, and then come back.

UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS

In the classroom, English teachers grapple with books dealing with sensitive subjects— sexual assault, pornography and human trafficking.

Although sometimes it’s awkward for Vaughan to start conversations on these subjects as a woman teaching a bunch of boys, she feels it invites the unique opportunity to impart to her students what it feels like to look at an issue from a different perspective. However, in the Middle School, Maxfield notes that boys don’t often know how to respond to such difficult topics.

“In an uncomfortable conversation,” Maxfield said, “boys may resort to laughter as a means to alleviate the tension.”

Beyond trying to encourage discussion of women’s rights and struggles in the modern world, through these discussions, Vaughan hopes to inspire a sense of urgency in her male students toward positive change and equality.

“I mean, at least if you look at statistically in Congress, there are more men than women,” Vaughan said. “So men have to be the

Third grade instructor Tracey McKenzie helps out a Lower School student instructor Susan Morris reads a book outloud to her students (Above). Second points out key details for a student on an assignment (Right). Photos Courtesy Development Office

ones to lead the charge — it’s super important to have these conversations with men who we hope and expect to be future leaders.”

Cisneros has learned on the job how to handle sometimes-uncomfortable reactions in her Spanish IV class.

Teaching Picasso’s painting “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” a depiction of five abstractically-drawn naked women, for example can envoke a reaction from a room full of 15-year olds. She expected a couple of muffled giggles and whispers.

But after hearing a couple of students whistle at the painting, she was shocked and bothered, not only as an instructor but also as a woman.

“There’s a certain way to react and respect both the topic and the teacher,” Cisneros said. “I told them that we need to be respectful of anything we talk about in the classroom.”

Despite the challenges female instructors encounter dealing with sensitive topics, students, tend to be more vulnerable with women on campus.

Head of Lower School Marion Glorioso-Kirby, notes that in her experience, especially with the youngest of Marksmen, students often sought her advice and that of her female counterparts regarding sensitive subjects.

“That was something that became important to me,” Glorioso-Kirby said. “I think my role is showing boys that you can be the most authentic version of yourself at any time of the day.”

Bonsu sees it in the same light.

“I have to demonstrate that I am worthy of their respect,” Bonsu said. “It’s part of the job.”

The willingness to be vulnerable develops for students, especially as they mature over their tenure at the school and enter Upper School. Bonsu knows the differences in relationship dynamics between male and female teachers remain.

“If you walk into a room and the teacher’s a man, you’re going to relate to them and interact in a certain way,” Bonsu said. “And you might also be guarded in some ways.”

Among female faculty, Bonsu believes, this guard is lessened, allowing students to be more open in communication about sensitive topics like dating.

“I think we bring that perspective, especially for the adolescent guys, in a way that’s really helpful,” Bonsu said.

EARNING RESPECT

Early in her career, Bonsu served as a child physiologist, often working with parents of infants and toddlers. When helping young parents, especially mothers, learn how to teach their young children how to comport themselves, Bonsu recommended putting bass in their voices, presenting themselves in a masculine manner to address misbehavior.

“There is a primal connection to characteristics that are associated with being male,” Bonsu said. “The deep voice, the stern look. Boys respond to that naturally. The lion’s roar is more intimidating than a puppy’s bark, right?”

Even in the classroom setting, J.J. Connolly Master Teaching Chair Nancy Marmion sees this phenomenon manifest.

“When a new teacher comes to St. Mark’s,” Marmion said, “a man walks into the classroom and he has the boys’ respect to lose. When a woman walks into the classroom, she has to earn the boys’ respect.”

When AI G. Hill, Jr. ’63 Director of College Counseling Veronica Pulido first started here as a counselor, it was hard for her to establish herself. When she first started, she couldn’t say that she’d already had 23 years of experience working with Marksmen on the college process.

At the time, Pulido thought it was a question mark for the community as to whether or not she would be able to understand boys and help them through the college process.

“It just took time in terms of establishing myself and helping the community understand that I not only know what I’m doing but also care about the students,” Pulido said.

While Bonsu acknowledges the instinctive response boys may have to traditionally masculine authority, she also believes that respect should not be contingent on gender. Boys must learn to recognize the value that female educators bring to the classroom—precisely the benefit of having such teachers at 10600.

“It’s important for boys to see what women are capable of,” Bonsu said.

Cisneros agrees. In fact, that’s part of the reason she pursued taking up the role of Assistant Director of Community Service.

“It’s important for the boys to see me in a leadership position,” Cisneros said, “to see both males and females in those positions, and be aware that they exist.”

In a similar vein, Marmion looks beyond the scope of the school. She understands the importance of young men learning to respect women, especially in a world where women experience more opportunities and professional growth than ever before.

hook without respecting her.”

This female leadership in an environment comprised solely of young boys gives students the chance to learn and develop into competent and caring men.

“I tell the boys, ‘It’s better to make mistakes now than to do it out in the real world,’” Cisneros said. “I want them to have that knowledge and understanding before they get up and graduate and go elsewhere. Because chances are, they’re going to interact with females all the time. We’re working on making those interactions a little bit more natural.”

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As one of the most tenured faculty members on campus, Marmion remembers the differences in gender expectations over the decades. Forty years ago, single-income homes were normal; men held the position of both leadership and responsibility. Even on campus, the teaching staff was predominantly male.

“When I came to St. Mark’s, other than the Lower School, there weren’t that many women on the faculty,” Marmion said. “The whole shift in our society has made it easier to be a woman in a boys school.”

Within the bubble surrounding us, it’s easy for students to forget the world outside of 10600.

History & Social Sciences Department Chair David Fisher believes seeing the world through somebody else’s eyes and having such conversations is hugely important to a humanities-based education.

“Seeing a teacher in a leadership role and seeing a woman in that role is something that most men are going to experience at some point in their lives,” Marmion said. “A lot of St. Mark’s students are going to work for a woman at some point. That’s one thing that women teachers bring to St. Mark’s, right? Boys learn how to deal with women in a leadership position.”

Beyond their time here, Bonsu knows that students will attend colleges and enter professional careers surrounded by women just as intelligent and just as capable—a world in which respect is just the first step towards collective success.

“You can’t get away with only respecting the male teachers here,” Bonsu said. “You’re going to interact with a teacher who’s a female that will not let you off the

“Being in an all-boys environment, we end up assuming, ‘The world sees the world the way I do because of all the feedback from people who are just like me,’” Fisher said. “You need women to push back so you know there’s another way of looking at things—another way of experiencing reality. You need to hear that from women.” In a constantly changing society, diverse viewpoints are essential to prepare young men for the complex world awaiting them.

“Womens’ perspectives are so critically important,” Ashton said. “(Without them), they become an absent voice. It’s critically important for any community to thrive.”

Joseph Sun, Arjun Poi and Neil Yepuri contributed to this story.

student in the classroom (Left). Second grade

Second grade instructor Laura Pigg

Upper School English instructor Lauren Brozovich teaches vocabulary to her 9th grade class (Far Left). Middle School Humanities Department Head Danielle Maxfield helps a student understand an assignment (Left).

Photos Courtesy Development Office

Dedication to inclusion and diversity remains high priority

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) may be under pressure across the nation, but on campus, the Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council (IDLC) continues its work to strengthen the school's community.

BY CHRISTIAN WARNER, SHIV BHANDARI AND LAWRENCE GARDENER

Throughout the country, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and initiatives have been reduced, reformed and removed from both federal and private institutions and corporations.

According to multiple sources, DEI programs were first developed in the 1950s with the Civil Rights Movement. These policies were integrated into corporations and federal foundations, aiming to promote differences in social identity, equal opportunities and respect for all voices.

But in recent years, some Americans have found the practice of DEI to be a political tool, instead bringing unfairness and discrimination into the workplace and raising controversy on its place in the country.

While changes are happening all over the country, the school plans to maintain its focus on community through promoting inclusion and diversity.

“Inclusion is immersive,” Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini said. “It’s fully a part of everything that we do–just like our health and wellness.”

Despite the school’s persistent focus on inclusion, student-led affinity groups don’t exist on campus.

According to Dini, the school vetted how affinity groups might look at the school, eventually deciding to provide an organization that encompasses the community’s “sense of common purpose and mission” and thus forming the Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council (IDLC) in 2021.

Sponsored by the Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Human Resources Lorre Allen, the IDLC aims to cultivate a strong culture and community on campus, continuing the previous informal work done with the Dallas Area Diversity Youth Organization (DADYO) among Dallas schools.

But the IDLC’s founding goal wasn’t just to continue working with DADYO on the occasional multi-school event; instead, the program focused on the St. Mark’s community, bringing all members on campus together by individually caring for and giving attention to each and every person.

“Inclusion is first for a reason,” senior IDLC Co-Chair Mateo Ubinas said. “It’s the biggest factor for us. We want to make sure everyone feels like they have a safe place here, that they’re welcomed in the community and that they have a home at St. Mark’s. It’s truly a special place, and there’s so much emphasis and support for the IDLC because inclusion is at the forefront of what we do–it’s the reason why we’re on campus: to make sure that everyone feels included.”

Members of the IDLC aim to create a truly inclusive environment by crossing boundaries or social lines not often crossed. By intentionally engaging with the entire community, the IDLC can stretch its influence over all three divisions of the school, in the process not only encouraging older students to engage with each other but with the younger students too.

“IDLC’s mission was to go across the divisional lines in the school, and it has met that,” Allen said. “Lower School and Middle School Marksmen need to see the older boys, and it’s not just the feeling of belonging. It’s the feeling that they matter, that someone cares enough about

them to talk with them or have a conversation. That’s the inclusion piece.”

Inclusion, according to its definition, in its truest form takes every person, idea and perspective into equal consideration, creating a dynamic environment in which ideas can flourish and people can feel seen. Lions' Tables, student-led discus -

sion about pertinent societal issues, aim to do just that by taking advantage of the diverse student population and the freedom to express controversial or conflicting viewpoints on campus. Ensuring that each member in the discussion feels free to voice their opinions not only promotes positive change but also creates that dynamic environment.

“The most important thing we can offer is a recourse for students,” Ubinas said. “If a student feels excluded or hurt, we’re here for him. And through Lions’ Tables, people can share their thoughts and opinions openly without repercussions, which is important in a space like St. Mark’s where students have so many different views. Keeping them bottled up isn’t going to do anything productive, so giving people the opportunity to express themselves is super important.”

The conscious efforts to create these opportunities reaffirms the school’s stance on work in inclusion and diversity as an ongoing commitment to strengthening the community, letting students know that they belong.

This commitment to inclusion was demonstrated to Ubinas during his first day on campus, long before he joined the IDLC.

As soon as he stepped into the energetic, sweaty atmosphere of his first summer football practice, he could feel the brotherhood.

Within the span of days, Ubinas went from an unknown outsider to another one of “the guys,” all because of the willingness of the team to take a chance on someone they had never known.

“I was just a wide-eyed new kid who was learning how to play football for the first time,” Ubinas said. “They took me in. From day one, they showed this new kid what the St. Mark’s community meant, and it turns out we had all these connections I never knew; it turned out I had actually gone to preschool with one of my teammates. Being comfortable and getting to know these guys really helped me through my career. There are really good people on campus; you just have to break down that first (social) barrier.”

For many students, this opportunity to familiarize themselves starts on the first day of classes, but confidently putting oneself into the vulnerable situation of talking to strangers can be challenging. So, to help students ease into the new routine of school, IDLC members stand in the entrance of the school, greeting everyone who walks in.

“You feel the community as soon as you first step onto the campus,” Ubinas said. “Doing the small things like welcoming new students on the first day or leading Lions Tables, events that include the whole community, gives the opportunity for people to bind to the school’s culture and what it means. The more opportunities we can give to people to feel like they’re a part of the community, the more they can buy in and become an active participator. We want everyone in the community to provide their own unique views and abilities, so the quicker and more comfortable we can make that transition, the better.”

The Admissions Office sorts through hundreds of resumes year after year.

Students perform during Marksman Multicultural Night (Top). Senior Andrew Jin stands by the Chinese table, filled with traditional items and a poster board (Bottom). Photo Courtesy Development Office

By the end of their selection, 120 new Marksmen are admitted, providing the school with new students who come from a range of socio-economic situations, religious affiliations and ethnicities, further diversifying the student population and challenging boys to exist in a world where not everyone agrees with them.

"WE’RE PART OF A MUCH LARGER CONVERSATION, EVEN WITH OUR OWN COMMUNITY—WE’RE A PART OF DALLAS, A PART OF NORTH TEXAS. WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY BEYOND JUST BEING A MARKSMAN."

David Dini, Headmaster

“The school is committed to admitting a group of boys who can learn from each other and contribute to the broader education of the community,” Director of Admissions and Financial Aid David Baker said. “To us, diversity is a synonym for perspective, and we want a variety of perspectives in the classroom because it elevates the level of conversation. If everyone comes from the same background, there’s a limited number of viewpoints and perspectives, and that’s not valuable for anybody.”

Dini believes that the balance between finding differences and similarities between students is important for a strong community.

“You would never want to emphasize only our shared values and exclude our differences,” Dini said. “You also wouldn’t

want to focus only on our differences and not our shared values. Like anything else we do, we’re thinking in the longer-term. We try to do things so that everyone on campus feels that they have a responsibility to the community and that they belong.”

One obstacle to this process, however, is the cost of tuition. Sending a student through all 12 years costs more than $400,000, often making the school inaccessible because of its unaffordability. To help combat this issue and encourage as many families as possible to apply, the school offers need-based financial aid, which they aim to increase every single year. In the 2024-25 school year alone, nearly $24 million was given to 136 students who demonstrated need, allowing them to remain enrolled and contribute to the community.

“There are big initiatives in place to grow the number of students who receive tuition assistance,” Baker said. “Our goal is simple; we don’t want the ability to pay to be a barrier to attendance. We meet 100 percent of a student’s demonstrated need. We receive lots of support to make sure that every boy at the school can not just be here but thrive here.”

Ubinas believes the work of the IDLC

Male/Female faculty ratio, with 97 fulltime teachers. The student to faculty ratio is 8:1. 50/50

helps meet the school’s goals for every student to succeed and thrive.

“The biggest thing is making St. Mark’s a home to everyone,” Ubinas said. “It’s about making sure everyone finds their place on campus–everyone has their own interests and hobbies, but it’s about finding their comfort zone. Inclusion is first for a reason.

If they can have a group of people they can trust and rely on, they can explore more of the community and more of their own interests.”

Dini highlights the importance of understanding one’s role in each of their communities.

“The sun doesn’t rise and set on our shoulders,” Dini said. “We’re part of a much larger conversation, even with our own community; we’re a part of Dallas, a part of North Texas. We have responsibility beyond just being a Marksman.”

The school holds the importance of community steadfast, emphasizing elements of inclusion and diversity as pillars to achieving this goal; the discussions, conversations and work done by not just organizations like the IDLC but also each and every student and member of the school all build upon this.

“When you leave St. Mark’s, it’s important for Marksmen to continue the conversation,” Allen said. “Continue to learn about everyone and call people in; don’t call them out. Hear what they have to say. You might not always agree with them, but at the end of the day, we’re talking about a shared humanity. We have to care about people. We have to care about each other, and we have to take the time to do that.”

Sophomore Emiliano Mayo stands by the Mexico table during Multicultural Night (Top Left). Members of the IDLC leading a discussion with Lower School students (Top Right). Volunteer paiting a visitor's hand (Middle Right). Student participates during an IDLC organized discussion (Middle Bottom). Lower schoolers attend Lions' Table event (Bottom Left).

Sophomore Deven Aurora performs with the blues club for Multicultural Night.(Right Bottom)

Photo Courtesy Development Office

since the Lee S. Smith '65 joined the school as the first colored student, diversity in the student has been increasing. This data is from this year.

Virtual spaces foster connection, cause isolation

continued from page 14

Senior Luke Vennerberg, who started using Discord in 2017, has become friends with many users worldwide. The ease of connecting with others with shared interests made it easy for him to become involved in many different communities.

“It’s easier to find people who are interested in the same thing as you online, because you’re not limited to the physical ‘I have to go somewhere and meet these people.’’’ Vennerberg said. “You can run into people from all over the world.”

Like Tare, Vennerberg believes that Discord servers feel like a more genuine community compared to other social media platforms.

“The whole server thing is somewhat unique, because it’s like a social media app designed around what are essentially massive group chats with different channels that you can talk about topics,” Vennerberg said.

On the surface and for the majority of users like Tare and Vennerberg, digital communities can create a sense of belonging. However, according to Alva Tang, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), while some individuals can reap significant benefits from virtual communities, others may still find it difficult to form meaningful connections online, which can compound feelings of loneliness.

“There’s this sort of rich get richer and poor get poorer hypothesis,” Tang said. “If you’re already extroverted and have a lot of friends, spending time online actually helps you with those friends and strengthen your connections, but if you don’t already have a lot to begin with, looking for friends or spending too much time online might actually harm you.”

Aside from contributing to potential feelings of isolation, platforms like Discord can also carry the risk of cyberbullying. As a communication-based platform, Discord is

generally perceived in a better light by parents as opposed to other social media platforms. This can lead to them overlooking the potential negative content on Discord as opposed to platforms like TikTok or Instagram, which tend to carry a more negative stigma among parents.

However, cyberbullying is still a prominent issue across all platforms, and Discord is no exception. Cyberbullying has been linked to significant mental health struggles, especially for adolescents already dealing with insecurities. Due to the anonymity behind Discord, some users may feel free to use abusive and harmful language without fear of repercussions.

“Anyone can create a Discord profile that has no contact or nothing to do with their personal information, and then they can just get away with saying or doing the most terrible stuff,” Tare said.

A 2024 study by Drs. Tyler J. Thompson and Sahil Munjal, two psychiatrists at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, reported two cases of adolescents who were admitted into psychiatric units after experiencing cyberbullying on Discord.

In the first case, a young 12-year-old girl attempted to commit suicide, and in the second case, a 16-year-old girl experienced worsening depression and suicidal thoughts. In both cases, the victims identified cyberbullying on Discord as the driving force behind their worsening depression. The study found that although Discord is a communication-based platform without algorithm-based content, it still poses similar mental health risks as other social media platforms. Despite this, the second patient reported that she would continue to use the platform because she said it was “the only way I talk to people.”

Because the virtual world has become such an integral part to people’s daily life, many individuals may find it hard to walk away from online platforms, even after experiencing cyberbullying. In fact, the number of people deemed to have a technology addiction is rising, a growing concern as people are becoming increasingly dependent on online spaces, which can have many consequences in the long run. Most prevalent among adoles-

cent males, technology addiction is defined as the habitual, compulsive need to constantly be online. Factors such as one’s impulse control and socio-economic background can contribute to this addiction, and it can cause individuals to become increasingly disconnected from the real world.

“Some of the research does suggest that if you spend too much time online, it’s related to depression and anxiety over time,” Tang said. “So if you spend too much time online today, if I measure you again for your depressive and anxiety symptoms, you’ll have more the next time.” COVID was a large driving force behind this increased dependency on the online world, and the pandemic has had a lasting negative impact on some people’s social well-being.

“During COVID, teenagers did spend more screen time online compared to before the pandemic,” Tang said. “After the pandemic, a few studies have also shown that these high amounts of screen time have stayed in some of the teenagers, and some of them also report having poorer social skills.”

Despite the sense of meaningful connection that Discord servers can offer, Tare believes that no virtual experience can replace the value of real-life interactions.

“I always believe that in person is much more important than online,” Tare said. “I don’t think just talking to people in a server is a good way to maintain a good friendship. I think that aspect of actually interacting with them in person is a lot more important.”

For those who depend exclusively on digital interactions, Tare emphasizes the importance of overcoming self-doubt and pushing beyond their comfort zone of virtual spaces. If left unchecked, excessive time online can prevent individuals from truly experiencing life beyond the screen.

“I think there are a lot of people that are always online and avoid interacting, or people who have a lot of social anxiety or are socially awkward,” Tare said. “But I think to overcome that you can’t just stay online and try to develop it. You have to get uncomfortable, and you have to talk to people in real life.”

Junior Olympics kicks off second year of play

BY WILLIAM KOZOMAN

After a successful first year and inaugural championship, the Class of 2026 is returning for their second annual Olympics, with new teams, a new manager, and a new schedule that aims to make its second year better than the first.

“We have a sports league for our class every year,” junior class president Andrew Zhang said. “Last year, we did soccer, basketball and football, and each team did two games of each sport. There were eight teams last year, and Team Koganti ultimately came out on top.”

Zhang, alongside the other then-sophomores in Student Council, spearheaded the effort to introduce the Olympics, and they have been at the helm of deciding how the league will be run, including the newest changes this year.

“Most of it is the same, so there’s still eight teams,

but Team Lin is now Team Warner,” Zhang said. “The main differences are that the teams that they chose are different, and we removed football.”

Drawing some controversy, the removal of football from the league’s schedule has placed extra importance on basketball and soccer. According to Zhang, the main reason for the change was the imbalance between certain teams that football created — a key issue that he and the other members of the student council wanted to fix. Games were largely lopsided and uncompetitive, making or breaking several teams’ seasons in big games like the blowout in last year’s final match.

“It was less competitive and less skill-based,” Zhang said. “People just didn’t want to watch, and no one really wanted to play. So we took it out.”

With the change, in its second year, the Olympics have continued to see strong attendance from all kinds of students from the athletic ones to those more academi-

cally focused. Some of these students have even become celebrities after standing out on the field or on the court.

“There are great examples, like Enzo [Henry] last year,” Zhang said. “He got the game-winning penalty save. Then he scored the game-winning penalty, and then he does the same thing this year. He’s a great example of someone who isn’t sporty, but because of the league, he found his confidence.”

As Zhang reflects on what the Olympics have done for the junior class, he sees it as one of the biggest unifying experiences drawing all parts of grade together, and something that will stick with its members as uniquely theirs.

“The whole reason we did this was class unity,” Zhang said . “We wanted something that everyone could do and everyone could be a part of, and we could say this was our class. So when you thought of our class, you’d be like, ‘Oh yeah, we have the Olympics.’ And I think it’s done just that.”

Photo by Wyatt Gair

Luke Vennerberg Senior

Student observes his Discord server as he reads text channels.

Seniors to return to Cabo

Every year, the seniors spend the second half of their Spring Break in Mexico in the city of Cabo. This class trip serves as an opportunity to relax and reconnect.

BY ERIC YI AND AKASH MANICKAM

Every year, in the middle of March, high schoolers and college students flock to Florida, the Bahamas, Mexico and other tropical destinations.

For a week, anything goes. Sunny days out on the water, packed parties on the beach and alcohol-fueled nights are common sights during spring break.

And that week, many Marksmen embark on their own week-long journey. In particular, the senior class spends the second half of spring break on a grade-wide trip to Mexico.

Last year, the Class of 2024 spent four nights in Cabo at the Hard Rock Hotel. Holden Browning ‘24 remembers his own experience as a fun way to solidify the bonds he’d built over his years at the school.

“It was a lot of fun, and I feel like our entire grade got a lot closer,” Browning said. “I would also say that the parents being there made it a lot more enjoyable. The majority of the grade was all in one place at one time for an extended period of time. It’s just a recipe for bonding.”

Browning hopes to have a similar experience this year with his new friends at the University of Virginia. Along with 40 other students, he will spend his break in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, at a resort.

“As long as I’m there with all my buddies,” Browning said, “I don’t really care where we go.”

For senior Zachary Andrews, spring break

is one of his favorite times of the year, but he thinks it’s different than all the other vacations throughout the year.

“During Christmas, for example, you might see a few people from other schools, but during spring break, it’s packed with people your age everywhere,” Andrews said. “Unlike the other holidays, it’s a time when students from all over flock to the same places. It creates a different

THE MAJORITY OF THE GRADE WAS ALL IN ONE PLACE AT ONE TIME FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. IT’S JUST A RECIPE FOR BONDING.”

Holden Browning, Class of ‘24

kind of experience and atmosphere.”

Despite the reputation of the senior spring break trip, Browning believes it is still a personal choice whether students want to go or not.

“I wouldn’t call it an expectation (to go),” Browning said. “I’d say it’s more something that people look forward to. Obviously, you don’t need to go on the trip to have a good spring break.”

Before this trip, Browning’s spring breaks had a different, more personal tone.

“Normally, I would visit my family in Colorado,” Browning said. “(The trip) was more friend-based as opposed to family-based, but I did spend a good amount of time with my mom.”

For Andrews, part of the incentive for spring

Students, faculty partake in International Week

BY EMILIANO MAYO MEJÍA

It’s Monday, Feb 24 and students walk around a flagstudded library with dozens of countries being represented. At lunch, they are greeted with the smells of food they have never seen before. Outside the great hall, different activities are set up. International Week has begun.

From Feb. 24-28, the whole school got to experience multiple cultures and countries thanks to International Week. The week is split up into five days, with each representing a different culture.

“The goal of International Week is just to show all of the cultures,” junior Jackson Ostella, a member of the International Week Committee, said. “We show the traditions of each culture through the games they play and the food they eat.”

The committee works almost five weeks before the actual event to prepare all of the activities and food that will be involved during the week. They also take care of

the countries that they want to highlight.

break is the fact that it’s one of the only non-family oriented breaks throughout the school year.

“It’s a lot easier to party during spring break versus something like Thanksgiving break,” Andrews said. “Christmas and Thanksgiving are obviously big family holidays while spring break doesn’t really have that same expectation. Also, at least in my experience, parents are a lot more relaxed, so it’s way easier to meet people and have fun during the week.”

With spring break being both one of the last times for seniors to spend quality moments with their friends outside of the classroom and the last break before the final push, it holds a special place in marking the countdown to graduation.

“I think a lot of it is about just escaping from the pressure,” Andrews said. “I know for us, it’s like one of our last, long break of the year. The fact that it’s that last time to really get away from school, everyone takes it as a time to to just let loose really prepare for the last two months.”

Due to safety concerns, students are encouraged not to leave the resort property. Because of the various safety precautions taken by the trip’s organizers, Browning and other seniors believed the trip was fairly safe.

“The resort was pretty well guarded,” Browning said. “I felt it was safe, assuming you didn’t buy from vendors on the beach trying to sell you stuff. You can’t really swim on the beach in Cabo to begin with, so there’s not really a reason to be on the beach.”

“We go to meetings, which is once a week, about five weeks prior to the actual International Week,” Ostella said. “We plan the activities that are going to happen before school, during lunch and the music before school.”

While Monday and Friday serve as all-culture days, Tuesday through Thursday represent Spanish, Chinese and Latin, respectively. There are multiple activities during the week at upper school lunch, middle school lunch and community time.

“While I was running the all cultures day last period, I noticed a lot of people were very intrigued by the gongi game, which is from Korea, and then the boleros,” Ostella said. “And people were struggling a lot with that, and then everyone was very interested in making creative buttons.”

Apart from activities, students can enjoy varying music in the mornings that is played by the committee.

SAGE also works on showcasing International Week’s

cultures through their food as each day represents a new cuisine.

During Spanish day, the committee organized a game in which many students lined up to break a piñata and collect the candy inside.

“I went to an authentic Mexican party and candy store which sold piñatas made in Mexico,” Ostella said. “Those were a huge hit among the middle schoolers and upper schoolers who loved playing with the loved watching the experience and eating the authentic Mexican candies.”

The week included a poster contest which involved grades from Lower through Upper School. Each student created a poster with criteria based on the level of language they are enrolled in. The winners of the contests, judged by the committee, have their posters hanging upstairs in Hoffman Hall, having also been awarded prizes.

Marksmen Multicultural Night was also on the same week as International Week which ended up creating a grand display of cultures on Wednesday.

Cabo San Lucas is located at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.

Graphic by Josh Goforth

REVIEWS

WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER

Guy Fieri’s most recent installation of his nation-wide chain of restaurants, Chicken Guy!, opened its Preston Hollow location on Walnut Hill Feb. 6. The opening marks the first restaurant in the region, bringing with it signature favorites.

BY HILTON SAMPSON

Just the sight of it will make your mouth water. A holy terror of hot chickeney, mac & cheesey, baconey goodness.

Each bite leaves you craving the next.

The expertly baked brioche bun provides the perfect conduit to carry every ounce of the sandwich into your open jaws. Your first instincts will kick in as soon as you pick it up, taking bite after bite until there is nothing left.

Everyone knows mac & cheese pairs well with a chicken sandwich. It’s like a match made in Heaven. The phenomenon has spread across the country through chicken restaurants as customers are scrambling to get their hands on the duo wherever they can.

Now imagine taking that mac & cheese, smacking it right onto the sandwich itself, and then, adding bacon. The only thing I see going wrong is Chicken Guys! running out of chicken.

Each bite of the sandwich is a savory delight. The chicken packs just the right amount of heat to leave a little tingle in your mouth—or that might just be your tastebuds telling you that they need more.

The silky smooth and delicious mac & cheese makes for the ideal contrast in texture with panko-breaded crunchy chicken and crispy smoked bacon.

It’s like you’re hitting the highlights all at once.

And while it seems to bring all the components of a perfect meal into one, the sandwich pairs perfectly with a side of crispy fries, even more mac & cheese and even salads if you need a detox for your tastebuds.

While the sheer thought of consuming such a colossal sandwich might send a shiver down your spine, do not be deterred. Follow your instincts. It’s worth it.

Even without a dipping sauce, the tenders bring enough flavor to make you question every other chicken tender you’ve had before.

While we may never know the answer to how the tenders are so delicious thanks to the inconspicuous description of “Guy’s special spices and seasonings” on the menu, I’m still hooked.

The layer of friend panko breading of just the right thickness fully engulfs the tender, not overpowering the chicken itself, but providing that added layer of flavor and crunch that makes chicken tenders so delicious.

I’ve never found a single restaurant with a chicken tender I’m always just dying to get back to. Sometimes it’s here, sometimes it’s there, but never the same place. But now, I think I’ve found that third cup of porridge—just the right tender for every occasion.

I never knew I’d say this, but chicken tenders and avocado pair very well together. The avocado crema is a dipping sauce unlike any I have ever dared to dip in before—a mixture of avocado, sour cream, cilantro and lime, making a velvety version of traditional guacamole. but as my sauce covered chicken tender made contact with my tastebuds, I knew I had made the right choice.

Though hard to separate from the avocado crema, the ghost sauce provides a just as tasty alternative. The combination of mayonnaise, garlic, mustard, worcestershire, and lemon creates a tangy, delicious but not overpowering elevated mustard-mayo dipping sauce that brings a refreshing taste to the savory chicken.

Each order comes with a side of two dipping sauces, but you’re on your own for sides. Yet not having completely navigated the robust list of sauces, I’m hankering to go back.

For my whole life I’ve been an avid chocolate milkshake enthusiast. Whether to eat alongside a burger—or before if it got there first—or to appease my sweet tooth late at night, the chocolate milkshake has always been my go-to. Who doesn’t like the perfectly simple smooth and chocolatey ice cream indulgence to go along with their meal?

But this isn’t about chocolate milkshakes.

I’m here to tell you, the Oreo milkshake at Chicken Guy! opened my eyes to a world beyond just your plain, old chocolate shake, challenging my tastebuds to think outside the box. And now, I may have just found a staple on my short list of favorite sweet treats. For me, this Oreo shake is well worth taking the road less travelled.

The combination of silky smooth ice cream and classic Oreo crunchy goodness makes for the perfect refreshment to pair with delicious chicken. Each and every sip or bite— yes, that certain peculiar group of individuals who chooses to eat a drink with a spoon, I am talking to you—tantalizes your tastebuds as all worries of counting calories fade away.

When the time comes to go back for another sip and the straw comes up empty, I can’t help but to crave another. It’s safe to say that the chocolate milkshake is hereby dethroned.

While the Oreo version of my once favorite chocolate dessert might just be a notch higher up the scale for those who dare to call themselves adventurous eaters, Chicken Guy! makes a milkshake well worth your purchase for anyone craving a sweet treat.

So whether you see an Oreo shake as a bridge too far for you tastebuds or a lowering of your standards, Chicken Guy! has the perfect drink for you.

Taqueria El Si Hay: Authentic flavors, made to savor

NOAH WILLIAMS Guest Writer REVIEW

On the surface, El Si Hay appears to be just another street taco joint that you’d find in downtown Dallas.

Without any overbearing branding, the modest storefront fits into the surrounding landscape.

Yet this family-owned establishment located in Oak Cliff near the Bishop Arts District makes a name for itself not only with its fresh ingredients that produce bursting flavors, but with welcoming feelings from the staff that make you feel a part of the family, seperating El Si Hay from the pack—it’s not just your average taco joint.

While parking is difficult-choosing between parking

on a side street in front of someone’s house or the only six available parking spots directly in front of the store, Taqueria El Si Hay makes it worth it.

From simple choices between chicken and beef to the more traditional choices of Al Pastor (pork) or Lengua (beef tongue), El Si Hay offers original street tacos that can appeal to anyone’s taste buds.

What almost beats the quality of the food is the pricing, with each taco costing between $2.50-3, you can easily fill your stomach, plus a drink, for less than $15.

While waiting for your tacos, outside of the Taqueria lies an authentic Elote street corn stand, which combines with the tacos to create a bold flavor that stays in your mouth before being washed away by the Mexican Coke you purchased with your tacos.

With quick service, most don’t even wait to get home to begin devouring the tacos, as many families gather in their car underneath the glow of the outdoor fluorescent lighting from the stand to begin their feast.

Personally, the go-to for me is six chicken tacos on corn tortillas with a choice between a guava and pineapple Jarritos, which typically doesn’t make it more than halfway through my meal as the spice from the optional homemade green salsa can become too much to endure.

El Si Hay has become my go-to taco spot in Dallas for good reason. Depite being slighty out of the way to get to, taking your first bite out of one of their tacos, tasting the tender meat, the soft double-layered tortillas, the salsas bursting with flavor, makes the trip worth it each and every time.

The storefront opened to the public Feb 6. in Preston Hollow Village.

Photos by Edward Sampson

EDITORIAL

Student newspaper of St. Mark’s School of Texas

10600 Preston Road Dallas, TX 75230 214-346-8000

Editor-in-Chief Hilton Sampson

Managing Editors Matthew Hofmann, Linyang Lee

Editorial Editor Oliver Peck

Enterprise Editor Lawrence Gardner

Assignments Editor Neil Yepuri

Photo Editor Winston Lin

Digital Editor Will Clifford

Digital Managing Editor Akash Manickam

Focus Editors Arjun Poi, Joseph Sun, Josh Goforth (Assistant)

SECTION EDITORS

Issues Kevin Ho, Andrew Ye

Academics Doan Nguyen, Kayden Zhong

Life

Christian Warner, Eric Yi

Sports Weston Chance, Michael Jimenez

Copy Editor Christopher Guffey

Assistant Digital Editors Tejas Allada, Rohan Kakkar

Head Writers William Kozoman, Ronit Kongara

Staff

Diego Armendariz, Wyatt Auer, Jackson Bailey, Shiv Bhandari, Michael Chang, Christopher Huang, Nicholas Huang, Rishik Kapoor, Grayson Kirby, Dylan Koganti, Emiliano Mayo, Sam Morse, Armaan Newaskar, Kiran Parikh, Holden Purvis, Marshall Sudbury, Archer Wilburn

Adviser

Jenny Dial Creech

Headmaster David Dini

Audience

The ReMarker is intended for the students, faculty, staff and alumni community of St. Mark’s School of Texas. Press run is 3,800 copies, with more than 2,600 of those mailed out to alumni, courtesy of the school’s offices of External Affairs, Development and Alumni divisions.

Opinions and Editorials

Editorials present the views of the 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 and only not necessarily those of the ReMarker, Board of Trustees, administration, faculty or staff.

Online www.smremarker.com

lnstagram: @remarkernewspaper

Reader Involvement

The ReMarker encourages reader input through guest columns and story ideas. Contact the appropriate editor for suggestions.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor are welcomed and encouraged. They must be typed, signed and not exceed 300 words. Submissions are not accepted.

Membership

The ReMarker maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, New York City, N.Y.; National Scholastic Press Association, Minneapolis, Minn.; and the Interscholastic League Press Conference, Austin.

AI in college admissions threatens fairness

In recent years, a troubling trend has emerged in higher education: universities have increasingly begun to use AI in their admissions review processes. Colleges, especially large state schools, are struggling to keep up with the influx of applications. While this technological shift helps institutions streamline the overwhelming application volumes, it fundamentally undermines the fairness and humanity of the admissions process.

see MACHINE on page 24

EDITORIAL

Education crisis calls for real solutions

A mass shortage of teachers. Falling test scores. Students being held back to make up lost ground.

It’s no wonder that educational reform has been a major political issue, even elevating the candidacy of now-governors and senators across the country.

Concerningly, many people think the answer can be found through an earth-scortching approach, rehauling or eliminating longtime programs and centerpieces of the education system. But with a myriad of solutions (and non-solutions) being thrown around in the wake of this problem, one thing has become clear: now is not the time to play with fire when it comes to education.

In 2024, then presidential-candidate Donald Trump made headlines when he controversially pledged to completely eliminate the Department of Education. Regardless of how people may view this, there are a variety of misconceptions surrounding such a change.

Contrary to what many may think, the Education Depart-

ment does not set national educational standards or establish curricula for students. Instead, it mostly serves to ensure that schools meet requirements and treat students fairly, alongside granting loans and other funds to students and schools in need across the country

While eliminating the Department of Education would have little to no bearing on the quality of the nation’s education, there would be a loss of critical funding to programs that help disadvantaged and lower income students to be on a level playing field.

At the state level, many proposed policies that could cause even larger-scale change have already begun to do so. One of the most popular ideas in recent years is the school voucher system. Under such a system, parents would be given the option to choose a school to send their children to, usually a private school, with a ‘voucher’ granted by the government. In February, the Texas Senate voted to implement this kind of program in the near future.

see STRUGGLE on page 25

COMMENTARY

ERIC YI Life Editor

Machine learning in admissions creates a dangerous new normal Embrace challenging yourself daily

It’s dark.

Cold.

Uncomfortable.

Five in the morning on a random Thursday.

For any reasonable person, the warm bed that seems to be calling their name after a less-than-optimal amount of sleep would be enough to get them back in the comforts of their sheets. But I know I have to get up.

Before any doubt can set in, I turn on the lights, splash some water on my face and get dressed. Ten minutes later, I’m already on the tollway, driving to school.

I’m not there early to study for a test or catch up on homework. Instead, some teammates and I roll out ergs to get in an extra workout before the day starts. Everything is quiet except for the gym, where the rhythmic whooshes from machines and the occasional chatter coming from the guys fill up the room. But for the most part, the rest of the campus is still asleep.

A couple of years ago, I realized just how little I was actually getting done every single day. I was wasting most of my free time on meaningless activities like watching movies, scrolling through my phone or playing video games. But when I realized how much time being glued to a screen for hours each day was taking up, I knew I needed to do something to change. I needed to do something that would take me out of my comfort zone.

Now, morning workouts have become a part of my daily routine. But even then, it’s still a challenge that I have to pull myself through. On most days, I don’t want to get up early. The sleep deprivation, the sore muscles, the mental challenge of getting out of bed itself — it would be so much easier to stay under the covers. But getting up even when my body tells me not to — that’s the whole point.

The habit of tackling something difficult daily has carried over into other areas of my life as well. It’s not just about getting faster or stronger. It’s about learning to push through discomfort and committing to something even after motivation fades. It helps to know that I can stick with difficult tasks even when they’re frustrating. It’s helped me build a mental callus that makes what used to seem daunting now register as just another obstacle to work through.

Not everyone’s challenge looks the same. Some people find it in running, lifting or getting in some extra studying. Others might take on a creative project, practice a skill or push themselves in a completely different way. It doesn’t really matter what it is — as long as it’s something that brings you out of your comfort zone. Because the more you force yourself to push through the countless obstacles that life sends your way, the more you’ll be able to endure and the more you’ll be able to accomplish.

So tomorrow morning, when the alarm rings before the sun is up, no matter how tired I am, I’ll get up, slip on my shoes and get to work. Not because it’s easy, but because it isn’t.

I’ve found comfort in being uncomfortable.

continued from page 23

As revealed by the Daily Tar Heel, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s student publication, UNC has employed Slate AI, a data analytics software, in admissions since at least 2020. This software grades each applicant with an auto-generated essay score from one to four based on writing quality. It also generates scores across four categories: performance, program, extracurricular involvement, and personal qualities.

UNC is hardly alone — according to Inside Higher Ed, 17 percent of American universities now use AI in admissions, with this figure steadily rising as application numbers surge.

These AI platforms were implemented to help fix the biggest problem schools face in the admissions process: getting backed up by thousands of applications. There were 73,192 total applicants at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the 2025 year, a nearly 10 percent increase from last year.

But using AI to score applications is inconsistent and cutting corners. The problem is clear: these AI systems evaluate writing primarily on technical metrics like grammar and structure, while failing to meaningfully engage with content. This approach neglects the purpose of college essays, which serve as windows into applicants’ character, experiences, and potential contributions to campus communities.

It’s not known how exactly the auto-generated essay score influences a student’s final admission decision, yet any sort of grouping applicants based on their writing score feels unjust.

With AI as the gatekeeper, something as powerful as a personal experience about overcoming adversity could receive a low score simply due to unconventional structure or minor grammatical issues. An algorithm can’t evaluate the emotions of a life-changing experience. Additionally, it might penalize students from diverse linguistic backgrounds or those with unique writing styles. The irony becomes particularly stark when we consider the potential for students to respond by using AI themselves. If universities employ algorithms to judge writing, nothing prevents applicants from using AI writing tools to craft essays perfectly calibrated to these scoring systems. This technological arms race benefits no one and further distances the admissions process from its intended purpose.

More troubling still is the lack of transparency. Most students remain completely unaware that their heartfelt personal statements are being evaluated by algorithms. This only came to light because a UNC alumnus reviewed his admissions file (students at any public university are able to review their admissions file due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and discovered the AI scoring system in the process.

Moreover, these systems potentially create privacy concerns, as deeply personal information shared in essays may be processed by third-party AI platforms.

While UNC’s guidelines state that reviewers should read essays in their entirety for “a more accurate sense of a student’s writing abilities,” there exists no legal obligation for institutions to thoroughly evaluate every submission. This creates a scenario where an algorithm’s initial assessment could prematurely eliminate promising candidates before human eyes ever see their applications, simply because software deemed their essay not a high enough score.

Not all universities have embraced this trend. Despite receiving over 90,000 applications last fall — a 25 percent increase from the previous year — the University of Texas at Austin has maintained its traditional review process. Similarly, the University of Michigan continues to prioritize holistic evaluation that considers each student’s unique context, including school resources and opportunities.

The solution isn’t mysterious. Instead of relying on AI, universities must invest in hiring more human readers. If financial constraints make this challenging, institutions should at minimum obtain explicit consent from applicants regarding AI evaluation and ensure each essay receives full human oversight.

As applications continue to flood admissions offices nationwide, the pressure to implement technological shortcuts will only intensify. But we must ask ourselves: what values do we prioritize in higher education? If we truly believe in equitable access and holistic review, then we cannot allow algorithms to become the arbiters of academic opportunity.

For prospective students, awareness is the first step toward change. By advocating for transparency, demanding human review of applications, and supporting legislation that regulates AI use in educational contexts, we can work toward an admissions system that honors the genuineness of humanity rather than reducing it to data points in an algorithm.

THE GRID

An oversimplified guide to what falls where in our hierarchy of events across campus.

Mr. Hillier’s New Baby

Luka Traded to Lakers

In their shoes: crafting with clay

COMMENTARY

MATTHEW HOFMANN Managing Editor

When I entered the ceramics studio for the first time on Feb. 7, I didn’t know what to expect. I had never entered the clay-covered, music-rocking studio before. What I was planning on asking was, in my mind, a 50-50. I wanted to learn how to make a pot, or something small, in roughly two weeks.

First, disclaimer: I have never taken ceramics before. Ever.

The only relationship I had to the program is my brother, who took the class in Middle School for a year. So, I wasn’t expecting a tentative yes to the proposal from ceramics instructor Scott Ziegler — the legend those in the ceramics program refer to as Mr. Z. After talking over details and hopes for the project, I left the ceramics studio in high spirits.

At the start of the next week, I reentered, greeted with (what I would come to realize is common) sarcastic humor from Ziegler and the rest of the ceramics students working during their free period.

Before I had wedged my clay, shaped my cup, or added my design, I immediately picked up on certain energy and culture within the room — a tight-knit, casually-serious community dedicated to their craft.

My actual building process was pretty straightforward. On the first day, Ziegler explained how to wedge clay — the process of removing air bubbles from fresh clay — and explained the basic idea of what a pinch cup (my project type) is.

After his explanation, I began to work on my cup. I began with the wedging process, taking roughly a tennis ball’s worth of clay from the clay bin and then working

it, almost like kneading dough. I then made a sphere, pushed my thumb into the center creating the opening for the cup, and began to slowly work the clay outward, forming the shape of the cup.

Over the next few days, I continued this process, refining the shape into a somewhat smooth surface with somewhat even curves. Next, I used stamps to add a design to the cup, used some water to smooth out the rim, and went over final tweaks before Ziegler fired the cup for the first time.

The process wasn’t overly complicated, but it required completely new skills, and as I finished my project, I had some distinct takeaways.

EVEN THOUGH I PARTICIPATED IN CERAMICS FOR JUST A FEW WEEKS MAKING MY PINCH POT, I FELT AT HOME AND INCLUDED IN THEIR INNER CIRCLE.

Matthew Hofmann, Managing Editor

First, I was reminded to expect failure when trying something new. I tried to approach this experience with an open mind and a willingness to learn something completely new, and that resulted in a product that I am happy with (despite its flaws) and an experience I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

And second, what I think is more important, was that I was reminded again about the tight-knit communities here on campus that students enjoy. Even though I participated in ceramics for just a few weeks making my pinch pot, I felt at home and included in their inner circle.

As a senior with less than 100 days left until I graduate, it is experiences like these that cement the importance of community at our school, and I look forward to finishing the final touches on my project.

Struggle for effective reform requires thoughtful navigation

continued from page 23

This solution does have promise: parents will have more choice about where to send their kids to school, meaning their education can be more suited to each child’s individual needs.

The change could also promote academic competition between nearby schools for high-achieving students, raising the bar for education.

But beneath the surface, a number of problems threaten to compromise the potential benefits of this idea.

First off, it’s not immediately clear how these vouchers would be distributed, to whom and to where. Legal controversies could arise if it means state funding for religious schools — a potential violation of the separation of church and state.

In many cases, school vouchers aren’t enough to cover the full cost of a private education. So while the vouchers often help those that could already afford private schools, many of the poorest and most underserved communities will still miss out.

At the same time, the money going towards vouchers will come directly out of the budget of public schools, meaning those left behind may actually see their education decline. As public schools suffer, they will also lose part of their inherent benefit: being a common forum where all students study together, regardless of the differences in their backgrounds.

This creates a stark dichotomy: a thriving, but small section of the population able to attend private schools, and an abandoned majority left to fight for a fraction of the resources they had access to before.

With both potential positives and negatives for vouchers, the data may answer some of the questions surrounding this policy. Texas is the biggest state so far to move towards such a system, but it isn’t the first, so there is a solid track record across 20 or so states that have already implemented some form of voucher system. So far, the data has come up short: students granted vouchers seem to have no distinguishable difference in performance compared to those at public schools.

With a number of ideas similar to school vouchers but no clear solution, fixing America’s education system seems as perplexing as it was at the start. But when it comes to tackling the fundamental problems, sometimes the more simple explanations should take precedence.

For example, it’s clear that test scores began to fall after a pandemic that saw most students out of school or learning in a limited fashion for an extended period of time. While it may be easy to chalk up the resulting decline to politically controversial issues, the simple truth is that a black swan event of that nature will inevitably have a negative impact on student outcomes.

There’s also the truth that teachers are infamously underpaid and overworked, and the increasing scrutiny on their performance has only served to further push them out of the most critical job to ensuring the quality of education. An immediate solution would be to create more incentives, such as higher wages, for teachers to remain in their current posts and to encourage new ones to enter the market.

Another possible solution would be to address the root cause of many students’ underperformance in school: their family income. Research has shown a massive correlation between child poverty, which affects nearly one in six children, and underperformance in school. Less than 30 percent end up going to college afterwards, and even less graduate. By working to improve these issues, school scores would likely jump, and the disparity between the best and worst students would narrow significantly.

And while it’s easy to look in on these issues from an outside point of view, it’s important to remember the effect that education has on the future of our country and its well-being. From the perspective of a school where money is abundant and students are far beyond proficiency, it’s easy to forget the reality that millions of students face on a daily basis. What these students learn in their youth will have a permanent effect on their lives and that of the next generation. Their issues will be everyone’s issues, so it’s time to give these issues the attention they deserve.

CALLING MOM Cartoon by Joseph Sun

Hofmann works on the final steps of his project, glazing the pot before firing it in the kiln another time.

Photo by Henry Estes

SPORTS

SECTION IN BRIEF

WINTER SPC TOURNAMENT During the week of Feb. 8 - 15, several winter sports participated in the SPC tournament. The swimming team finished its season by successfully securing a three-peat at the 2025 SPC championship. The basketball team went on to win third place after a narrow 58-60 loss to Greenhill in the semi-finals. Varsity soccer also went on to earn a third place finish after defeating Kinkaid 2-1 in the third place game. Finally, wrestling finished fifth place overall at their SPC tournament.

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLER On Feb. 15, varsity wrestlers spent their Sunday in the gym of Fort Worth Country Day, competing for the SPC championship. The Lions had an impressive cumulative performance, bringing home four SPC champions and two members of the all-SPC team. One wrestler stood out among the winners: Senior Wyatt Loehr. Loehr went undefeated (3-0) during the tournament and had two pins, securing his place as an SPC champion and achieving a perfect ending to his High School wrestling career.

2025 FENCING JUNIOR OLYMPICS Freshman Elijah Kim won gold at the 2025 Junior Olympics in the under 17 division on Feb. 17. In order to make it to the top, he had to beat out 285 other high schoolers in the nation. This event marks the beginning of the next season for his age group, and ends the season of the previous age group. Junior Christopher Guffey also placed eighth at the same event, which was his last under 17 competition in the states.

THE SCOREBOARD

St. Mark’s Houston Christian VARSITY LACROSSE, 3/1

13 4

St. Mark’s St. Andrew’s VARSITY BASEBALL, 3/1

6 4 5 0

St. Mark’s St. Andrew’s VARSITY TENNIS, 3/1

MVP SPOTLIGHT

Jake DeBoever

SPORT: Baseball

GAME: St. Mark’s vs Shelton

DATE: February 25

SCORE: Lions 21, Chargers 7

STATS: DeBoever had four hits in five at bats with a triple and a double. DeBoever also recorded two stolen bases and scored three runs.

Two brothers,

Two of the school’s biggest basketball fans, Arav and Krish Mirchandani bring a new level of enthusiasm to Lions sporting event despite being some of the youngest fans in attendance.

BY WESTON CHANCE AND SAM MORSE

Down by three points, with only 16 seconds to spare, the Lions inbound the ball.

The gym is packed. Heart rates are high.

The energy is contagious. Senior Luke Laczcowski has the ball now. Dribbling to his right, he elevates and fires from behind the arc. Swish.

The atmosphere erupts with noise.

Minutes later, the court is packed with Lions fans, all celebrating the game tying shot and subsequent overtime victory over rival Greenhill on Jan. 26, 2024.

Nobody cheers louder than a group of little fans who just witnessed an event they will never forget.

For this energetic group of Lower and Middle School superfans, varsity basketball games are always something to look forward to.

Some love the new dribbling packages and finishing moves they see every game, others find joy and excitement in the roar of the student section, and others simply enjoy the concessions.

But one thing they all have in common is a passion for the game, and nobody loves it more than Arav and Krish Mirchandani.

The Mirchandani family is no stranger to basketball, as both parents, Amit and Roshni, have played and watched the sport since childhood.

“We were obsessed with watching Michael Jordan, NBA insider, everything,” Mrs. Mirchandani said. “I remember my dad bought us tickets when the (Chicago) Bulls came to play the New Jersey Nets.”

COMMENTARY

Beginning St. Mark’s in the first grade brought loads of change in my life. A new school with a new environment in a different part of town meant I would have to meet new teachers, and make new friends.

As the new school year started, it meant I was faced with the task of signing up for my sports. Among all the sports to choose from, flag football and basketball were the easy, obvious choices. Having played both for most of my life, I felt comfortable.

It wasn’t until spring that I had realized my parents signed me up for lacrosse, a sport that I didn’t even know existed at the time. Although I was initially hesitant, I decided to take the leap of faith and commit myself to being the best player I could possibly be.

Understandably, the first couple of years I played, I wasn’t good at all. However, despite my hardships, something kept me going.

I soon began to realize that the enjoyment that lacrosse brought me was due to the friendships that I was unknowingly cultivating on and off the field.

From then on out, lacrosse has become a central part of my life. From the first practice I ever attended, I could have never imagined the magnitude of the friendships and connections I would go on to form with not just my teammates, but with my coaches and mentors.

Throughout my high school career, I’ve begun to view the lacrosse team as less of a team and more as a family. Whether it be welcoming the new class of freshmen each year and forming new friendships or strengthening the sense of brotherhood between those who I’ve spent the most time with, it’s the shared experiences that truly bring us together.

From the early morning preseason practices, Monday morning team lifts, celebrating big wins or reflecting after hard losses these experiences are a major part in what holds together our now unbreakable bond.

Along with my teammates, the game has brought me closer and allowed me to develop lasting relationships with all of my coaches who have invested their time and energy to further my skills not only as a player, but as a person as well.

As my career has progressed, I’ve had the opportunity to cultivate meaningful relationships that will last a lifetime.

While some simply view a coach as someone who is solely responsible for on field performance, I’ve quickly learned that many of the lessons they so often preach are applicable to everyday life.

As I begin to reflect on my career, I’ve come to the realization that lacrosse was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. What began as an unknown, drastically changed into a sport that has provided me with a plethora of likeminded people who share the same passion as me.

The numerous bonds I’ve formed from lacrosse have not only shaped who I am today, but will continue to influence who I will become in the future. No matter how much time goes by, the memories I share with my teammates and coaches will forever be some of the best ones I’ll ever have.

Photo Courtesy Mirchandani family

Senior Luke Laczkowski poses for a picture with his little buddy, third grader Krish Mirchandani ‘34 and his older brother, fifth grader Arav Mirchandani ‘32 after Varsity basketball’s Senior Night.

MICHAEL JIMENEZ Sports Editor

New tennis coach continues his passion

Tennis has helped Christian Nagy find his joy and push through one of the hardest times in his life. Now, motivated to share his lessons, he is joining the school to serve as an assistant coach.

BY WILLIAM KOZOMAN

Ulcerative colitis. At best, the doctors told Christian Nagy, he could live the rest of his life, but the condition would be permanent.

He was 20.

The sophomore in college had to take a step away from his life for a short while. And that meant everything. But of all the things he missed about his life just a few short months before, one stood out the most: tennis.

He had traveled the world, living in Germany, Kansas City and Minnesota. He visited all kinds of schools and met many different people, but nothing gave him life like tennis: the ups and downs of competition, the thrills of being alongside teammates and the satisfaction of achieving great things.

After making a full recovery and returning to his normal life, he never took tennis for granted again. His passion was born. Across college and his professional life, Nagy made playing tennis a staple part of his routine. The joy he derived from the game transformed his life, inspiring him to share that same joy with others.

Nagy’s tennis journey started at Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, where he first developed a spark for tennis.

“My parents got me into the game, and my dad especially,” Nagy said. “I grew up in Germany, so it was playing a ton of soccer and a ton of tennis, and I ended up sticking more with tennis. Then we moved and I went to a prep school similar to St. Mark’s. We were fortunate enough to win four state titles when I was in high school, so that was a really big jumping point in terms of taking it seriously and eventually falling in love with it.”

After high school, Nagy decided to continue with tennis and played D3 at Carleton College in Minnesota. It was here that he discovered his ulcerative colitis.

“To take a step back, it puts a lot of stuff in perspective,” Nagy said. “Tennis is a sport where you can get too zoomed in to results and questions like ‘how does my forehand feel,’ or ‘how does my serve feel?’ So to have it taken away for a brief while while I figured out stuff, it gave me a lot of perspective.”

As the years passed, Nagy’s love shifted more from playing the game to coaching. While studying for a master’s degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, he helped teach fellow university students his craft.

“I really enjoy being around the sport, but I especially liked coaching — it’s the coolest thing,” Nagy said. “It totally changes the dynamic of the sport. It totally changes what you value, and I think that makes it so much more fun than just playing by yourself.”

This year the school’s tennis program needed a new assistant in anticipation of head coach Cameron Hillier’s absence for paternal leave. Nagy viewed it as the perfect opportunity.

“I wanted to get involved and try to coach somewhere in the DFW area,” Nagy said. “Coach Hillier and I also played each other in college, so the connection was already there. I went to Carleton, he went to Colby and we played each other in South Carolina. He won his match, so he hasn’t let me forget about that yet.”

The school’s appeal increased when he reflected on his own high school experience. Having attended a similar kind of school, he had developed a deep appreciation for the student-athlete spirit and the discipline needed to excel.

“I remember my time at high school very fondly,” Nagy said. “And if I can be a part of that experience now for our team, that’s awesome. That’s exactly what I’m working to do.”

With Hillier now on leave, Nagy has had to step up very quickly into a larger role—serving as the second-incommand of the sport here in just his first month, while

also being responsible for developing individual players’ talents. Despite these challenges, he has a strong support system helping him, including Hillier, who has made it a priority to continue advising Nagy during his leave.

“Getting to rely on his expertise is going to be invaluable in doing this the right way,” Nagy said. “My job, in terms of coming in, is basically trying to keep the car on the road because the foundation work has been done so well by everyone here before I stepped in.”

With the season now underway, Nagy’s focus is not just on getting familiar with the job or on the athletes he’ll have to coach. His eyes are set on the prize — to win, and win big.

“I feel like our team is young, exciting and competitive,” Nagy said. “Before Hillier left, he made a point of saying that our stated goal is to win an SPC title this year. That’s still the expectation.”

Ethan Walker joins lacrosse coaching staff

Since childhood, Ethan Walker has traveled nationwide to pursue lacrosse. After being brought in by Coach Trey Whitty, Walker plans to continue his pursuit by spreading his knowledge to the lacrosse team.

BY SAM MORSE

As a man from Canada, coaching lacrosse at a school in Texas was quite a change of pace and a far way from home for Ethan Walker. Despite his nationwide travel and his ever-adapting lifestyle, one aspect of his life remains constant: his love for lacrosse. Going into the spring season, assistant coach Ethan Walker plans to give back to the lacrosse community with his wealth of experience and wisdom alongside head coach Trey Whitty.

Born in Peterborough, Canada, Ethan Walker took up lacrosse at a young age. At the age of 15, he was given a scholarship to play high school lacrosse at Culver Academy in Indiana, leaving his hometown to pursue his passion. While at Culver, Walker would play across the East coast, playing against Whitty when he coached in McDonogh, Md.

After high school, Walker played lacrosse for the University of Denver for five years, improving his game. Due his successful college career, Walker was drafted into both the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and the National Lacrosse League (NLL).

“That’s kind of what I do on the weekends,” Walker said. “You know, you fly out on a Friday, play a game on a Saturday, fly back here to Dallas on Sunday. Playing lacrosse and being able to coach at the same time is pretty cool.”

While playing for the Philadelphia Waterdogs of the PLL and the Albany Firewolves of the NLL as a professional, Walker traveled across the country and coached

the younger generation. While living in Kansas City, Walker’s wife, a professional soccer player for the USL Super League, signed a contract with Dallas Trinity FC in 2024. Walker moved, yet again, to Dallas, where he met with some of his former teammates.

“I had never really been to Texas before,” Walker said. “I think that the talent level in Dallas is getting pretty close to some of these other major hubs around the U.S.”

After meeting with his friends, Walker was told about the presence that Whitty, one of his rival coaches as a kid, had in Dallas lacrosse. Walker reconnected with Whitty, helping him with his program over the summer.

“I was fortunate enough to work with Trey (Whitty) all last summer because he runs a club program called ADVNC,” Walker said. “It’s a travel club that plays in tournaments all over the US. I moved here, and within a week, I was in the game of lacrosse in the Dallas area. So that was really special to see.”

Following his help with ADVNC, Whitty offered Walker the opportunity to coach varsity lacrosse for the spring season, introducing Walker to the community here. With 24 years of experience under his belt, Walker plans to impact the players the same way he did when coaching throughout his journey to Dallas.

“I’ve played under a lot of tremendous men who have arguably been some of the best coaches in the game of lacrosse,” Walker said. “It’s only fitting that I help give back and teach these kids all these little things that I’ve learned over the years.”

Tennis coach Christian Nagy and Freshman Bryan Li fist-bump during a tennis practice.

Photo by Winston Lin

Ethan Walker played in the Premier Lacrosse League before joining the school’s tennis coaching staff.

Photo Courtesy Ethan Walker

Teen steroid use increases

Since the 1950s, students using anabolic steroids has exponentially grown. The drugs are abused by young men as a shortcut for muscle growth. However, there can be side effects to artificially boosting one’s strength.

BY NEIL YEPURI AND MICHAEL JIMENEZ

Building muscle.

Getting better at sports.

Becoming stronger, faster or more driven on the athletic field of play.

These effects can be achieved through hard work, proper diet, and the correct amounts of weight and cardio training.

But, that takes time and dedication. It takes habits, built over years, spending long hours perfecting one’s craft.

There are no shortcuts — or at least, there were none.

But, in the middle of the last century, anabolic steroids were synthesized, in order to boost testosterone in men.

And, while these have a specific positive medical effect in those who cannot produce the appropriate amount of the hormone, they also have a significant effect on one’s ability to build muscle mass.

“A steroid is a subset of PED (performance enhancing drugs), which are anything that could be seen as something outside of the natural body that could potentially enhance performance,” sports medicine specialist Dr. Daniel Clearfield said. “Now, I mean, there’s steroids that we use in medicine, like cortical steroids. That’s not what we’re typically talking about.”

Instead, the more commonly used — and abused — kind of steroids are the anabolic kind. These steroids, which are illegal, drive hormone production in the body, which can have all sorts of immediate, positive effects.

“(Anabolic steroids) tend to be either testosterone or derivative of testosterone,” Clearfield said. “They can definitely help with muscle growth, help endurance, help with recovery, and help with fat reduction.”

Unfortunately, these initial boosts are often too good to be true.

Steroid use can have a laundry list of side effects across the body, especially when continued over a substantial period of time. Some of the most devastating effects are found in the cardiovascular system.

“There’s a lot of seemingly positive things that steroids can do, but there’s a lot of negative things they can do to the body as well,” Clearfield said. “They can increase the risk of heart failure, cardiomegaly (enlarged heart), and heart attacks. Additionally, they can lead to blood clots, stroke, or even kidney damage or failure.”

Beyond those more pressing and serious effects, steroids can also change the chemistry of important reproductive organs, rendering them useless or severely damaged over the course of a person’s life.

“Steroids can lead to other kind of side effects, such as gynecomastia, which is development of excess breast tissue,” Clearfield said. “They can lead to atrophy of the gonads, or testicular atrophy, and then they can also have numerous effects on the skin, including severe acne and baldness.”

Finally, some of the most life-altering effects of these medications can be on a user’s mental health.

“They can also lead to several different mental things, such as mental instability, psychosis, delirium, and mania,” Clearfield said.

Despite all those side effects, Clearfield has observed a concerning rise in steroid use, especially among younger athletes.

This trend is especially dangerous because, when the body detects extra testosterone in the body, it naturally limits its natural methods of testosterone production.

This doesn’t pose as much of a problem for teenagers, who are already naturally producing lots of testosterone. However, as these young users progress into their 30s and 40s, their natural testosterone production declines.

Thus, a gap appears between people who never used

steroids and former users, because those former users had already limited their natural testosterone production.

Younger athletes, despite this well-researched knowledge, are still engaging with these dangerous substances.

The culprit?

According to Clearfield, social media and the loosening of the taboo around PEDs might be the guilty parties.

“We’ve seen an uptick, and I think social media has had a huge impact on that, just because there’s influencers out there that are showing off and saying ‘hey, I have this unique physique that I was able to achieve’,” Clearfield said. “Also, it used to be much more villianized if you were using it.”

But, at St. Mark’s, the use of anabolic steroids is a non-starter. Their prevalence, and negative side effects are all reasons that students are required to steer clear.

“(Steroids are) never allowed here,” Strength and Conditioning Coach Kevin Dilworth said. “That’s a no negotiation conversation. I’ve had kids have questions about it, but the questions led to a point where they understood that steroids are unhealthy for you.”

Clearfield, who is competing in his first bodybuilding competition (as a natural, non-PED-taking athlete), has found an alarming increase of steroid use in his circles of other bodybuilders in the gym.

“I’m surrounded by people that are taking stuff,” Clearfield said. “I hear the discussions in the locker room, or in the gym — it’s just commonplace.”

Another reason behind this spike might be the pursuit of unrealistic or extremely hard-to-achieve goals, especially in an abnormally short period of time.

“We’re very much in a ‘I want it right now’ kind of a society, where people don’t necessarily feel like they have

Athletic Department plans new indoor fieldhouse

BY MARSHALL SUDBURY

With the new, state-of-the-art Zierk Athletic Center nearing completion, St. Mark’s plans to continue upgrading the school’s athletic facilities by redoing the Ralph B. Rodgers Natatorium and renovating the wrestling room.

The plan is to turn the area into a fieldhouse complete with indoor turf and space for teams to practice indoors during inclement weather or extreme heat.

The pool, first constructed in the 1970s and later renovated in the early 2000s, is no longer needed due to the new Levering Pool included in the new athletics complex.

“The old pool, which is approximately 40 yards by 25 yards, is going to get completely filled in and artificial turf is going to be put in there,” Assistant Athletic Director Josh Friesen said. “They’re going to take out the glass wall that’s in there currently, there will be glass in the corners but they’re going to brick the middle part so it’s a little more durable.”

The need for storage is a priority, as most sports-re -

lated gear is currently stored in a dimly lit strip under the concrete bleachers of the Norma and Lamar Hunt Family Stadium.

“On the east end, behind the football bleachers, they’re going to put more storage in there,” Friesen said. “We’re talking about blocking dummies for football and lacrosse goals for box lacrosse. They’ll have a number of things in there.”

Although the project is much smaller than the huge athletics complex project, many other things have to be done before the school can start to lay down turf and move in. Because the building was originally built almost 50 years ago, the walls and structures of the building need renovations and inspections to get up to code.

“They have to clean it out and make sure there’s no toxins in the old paint or asbestos or lead, so they have to go in and properly dispose stuff in order to get the building ready for renovations,” Friesen said “They have to put in…a lift to comply with the ADA, the American with Disabilities Act, so that a person with a disability can get to the second floor.”

to work as hard to be able to get to an end point,” Clearfield said. “So, people are looking for shortcuts.”

Dilworth echoes that sentiment, encouraging athletes to stay away from quick fixes with negative side effects like steroids and other substances like creatine, which can be harmful in the wrong dosages.

“What everybody’s looking for in today’s age is quick enhancement, right?” Dilworth said. “‘How can I get things fast? And the next thing that’s on the table now is that creatine is starting to take the place of steroids. I can buy creatine in the store, right, but not knowing the proper usage and dosage of creatine can have some of the same similar effects of steroids.”

Instead, Dilworth pushes athletes to find healthy, natural ways of improving their physical health, which has proven positive effects on muscle growth and sports performance.

“I have had conversations with people or athletes that talk about creatine, because they’re coming to me at a young age,” Dilworth said. “But, naturally, you don’t need to do anything to rush the process (of muscle growth). The first thing you need to do is just make sure that you’re going to commit yourself to the discipline, which is training, working out, eating right, doing the proper things in order to allow the muscle to get enhanced.”

The idea of delayed gratification is extremely prevalent in the values of the school, so Dilworth aims to design his weight programs around that premise.

“We want that instant gratification as opposed to delayed,” Dilworth said. “As opposed to saying, ‘Man, if I just wait a little bit, it’s gonna taste even better’. It’s more or less getting athletes to understand the principles behind it, for their benefit.”

While the bigger plan and early renovations have already started, there are still numerous small details and specifics that still need to be worked out.

However, goals are high for the athletic department after the new Zierk Athletic Center was met with high reviews, and now the department looks to do something that no similar school has done before.

“We got some really awesome stuff. Our maintenance and physical plant team needed improvements and they got it. This new facility is top of the line,” Friesen said. “But nobody, none of our peer schools have indoor artificial turf.”

In an ideal scenario, the fieldhouse is ready for use by July, but with so many details and specifics still needing to be worked out, the Athletic Department is unable to commit to a timeline. However, Friesen believes that once the space is completed it will become a valuable asset to the sports programs.

“It’ll be really, really functional for our teams and our P.E. classes…it’s going to be a useful space,” Friesen said. “It is going to be fought over for usage.”

A prescription bottles of artificial steriod pills lies open on the table.

Photo by Dilan Koganti

Hershner runs past adversity

After a prank gone wrong cost head cross country coach Ryan Hershner his scholarship at the University of Georgia, his journey through three schools in three years proved that resilience is key to success.

BY WILL CLIFFORD

Ryan Hershner would’ve sat in his University of Georgia dorm room forever—if he could.

He was just there, alone, paralyzed by uncertainty.

This wasn’t supposed to be part of his story. But it very much was.

Earlier that morning, he thought he had a meeting with his coach, but when he went to his office, he just found a note telling him to go to the conference room. When he opened the door, his heart sank into his chest. Two of his friends sat with their heads hung on one side of the table. Across from them, the head coach of the track team, the distance runners coach, the dean of accounting and the head athletic director at the university glared back at him. He took his seat and looked around, hoping someone would tell him what was going on. Finally, his head coach broke the silence.

His coach slid a piece of paper across the table—and that was it. A year earlier, he accepted his track and field scholarship in the same conference room. But after a light-hearted prank went south, the document in front of him made it clear that this would also be where his time as a Bulldog ended, stripping him of his scholarship and derailing what seemed like a promising athletic career.

He called his dad and told him what happened—but he just hung up on him. He called his mom—but she told him to fix his own mess.

“I could just feel the disappointment of my family,” Hershner said. “I wasn’t just ashamed of what I did, but I was (also) ashamed of how it affected my family.”

Coming out of high school, his athletic resume stood out, racking up 13 varsity letters during his time on the soccer, basketball, track and cross country teams. And after setting a school record in the 1600m, he established himself as a top distance runner in the nation, drawing attention from multiple major Division I programs, ultimately committing to the University of Georgia.

Going from hometown hero to just another face in Georgia’s sea of elite athletes hit Hershner hard. Coming from Mansfield, Ohio, where it didn’t take much to stand out, he arrived in Athens, Georgia thinking his status as a highly-recruited runner meant something. That illusion shattered quickly during a pickup basketball game with some football players who lived down the hall. His teammate, future NFL star A. J. Green, told him to throw the ball near the rim, and all game long, he caught alley-oop-passes.

Near the end of his freshman year, he and his friends got the confidence to have some fun on campus. They saw students going into a lecture hall for an exam and one of his friends walked in and told them to follow his lead. They blended in with the hundreds of test-takers as they each sat down in front of a test. A few minutes after it began, he started to lose faith in his friend. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted him walking up to the front. Hershner’s heart started thumping—and that’s when he knew it was happening.

“I heard some people below murmuring when he walked up to the professor with the test in hand,” Hershner said. “He stopped to think about something for a second and then yelled out, ‘I’m not taking your test anymore! I’m done with this!’ and threw the test up in the air and stormed out. Then I stood up and said ‘If he’s not taking the test, I’m not taking it either!’ and threw my test and ran out the door.”

Their other friend did the same thing and met up with them outside. As they walked down the hallway talking about how they thought it was a flop, the double doors to the auditorium burst open.

“There was this wave of kids following us,” Hershner said. “They were all screaming ‘We’re with you guys!’ and we were like, ‘No, no, we’re not part of the class! Go back in.’ So we took off running and we had this mob of people behind us running through the city.”

That night, the pranksters laughed about it, but the next morning he would find out that the school did not share his sense of humor. At the time of the incident, it was too late in the recruiting cycle for him to get a scholarship from another school, but he was determined to continue his running career.

“I didn’t want to be another kid who got a college scholarship from Mansfield, Ohio that didn’t live up to anything,” Hershner said.

With limited options, he chose to enroll in Rend Lake College, a community college in Ina, Illinois. His distance coach at Georgia told him that if he kept good grades and ran fast times that there was a chance they’d bring him back— and he was sold. The school is a hidden junior college track and field powerhouse designed for people who were fast in high school but didn’t make good grades or ran into some problems like Hershner did. But going from an elite school to a junior college was just as big of a culture shock as going

from Mansfield to Georgia.

“We went door to door, sold T-shirts and worked concessions at other events to help pay for the gas and hotel fees for our meet schedule,” Hershner said.

But the drop in funding didn’t correlate with a drop in competition. The team was incredibly talented and everyone there had a chip on their shoulder, and it showed.

1:51.09

“Practices and meets were really intense,” Hershner said. “We felt like we were trying to prove that we belonged or that we were better than a mistake we made.”

After working all off-season, he was disappointed when his first few races went poorly. He loved running, but he didn’t know if it was worth the sacrifice. Just last year he was surrounded by a world-renowned coaching staff and training with generational athletes. Now, if he didn’t sell enough candy bars, he wouldn’t be able to race. At one point he even considered finishing up his degree and returning home, but when he saw some of his teammates started getting recruited, their success motivated him to keep going.

Even after being forced out, he still missed Georgia and spent the year grinding for a second chance at his dream school. He thought he did what he needed to do—his grades were high and his times were faster than before, so he sent his stats over to his old distance coach at Georgia.

“He called a few days later and told me the head coach said I was recruitable but he still doesn’t want me on the team,” Hershner said. “Apparently he thought that if I came back, I might do it again and he wanted to spend their money on someone else. That was devastating to hear because I put all my eggs in one basket and it didn’t work out and so, once again, the doubt flowing through me was ridiculous—I felt like I was a failure.”

Even though he was beating himself up about Georgia,

his coach at Rend Lake reminded him that this was not the end—there were other schools that wanted to bring him in for a visit. In the end, he ended up settling on Kansas State because it reminded him of his small midwestern hometown, but the transition to his third school in three years was challenging.

“The constant changes made me feel a little insecure, and by a little, I mean a lot,” Hershner said. “I felt like I was constantly trying to fit in at a place that would accept me.”

He was still searching for what he had at Georgia and that created a mental roadblock keeping him from enjoying his time there.

“My friend who went from Georgia to Clemson felt similarly during his transition and he advised me that I shouldn’t try to get Georgia out of Kansas State—I need to see Kansas State for Kansas State,” Hershner said. “Once I listened to that and did that, things got a lot easier. I started connecting with more people, like my training partner, who’s now one of my best friends.”

While sitting in his dorm room for the last time, he didn’t realize it, but he was embarking on the most challenging journey of his life. Through it all, he still says he regrets the prank, but he knows all of it happened for a reason. And at the end of the road, he managed to stay out of trouble and become the first person in his family to graduate from college. He even met his wife, lower school teacher Erica Hershner, who was a hurdler on the team.

“I’m really appreciative of my time at Georgia and my time at Rend Lake and my time at Kansas State and the people I met along the way, because without them I don’t think I would’ve developed into who I am now,” Hershner said.

And now as a coach, training the next generation of runners, he carries a little piece of each place he’s been with him. It goes beyond X’s and O’s, to truly make a difference–he believes athletes need to be surrounded by people who truly care about them.

“As an athlete, I put my identity in my results and I attached who I am with how fast I ran and I was too foolish to not see how that mindset hurt me,” Hershner said. “Asking someone directly after their race if they ran a PR automatically sets up a value system based on black and white results. The way I coach here has nothing to do with outcomes, but has everything to do with the process and the character of who the athlete is.”

Hershner’s 800 meter race personal record at Kansas State during his final track season.

Hershner, the Assistant Track & Field Coach, talks with the track and field long distance team before their afternoon practice (Left & Bottom Right). Hershner poses with his fellow runners at Kansas State (Top Right).

Photos by Terrence Cao, Photo Courtesy Ryan Hershner

Club sports offer greater opportunity

Marksmen athletes participate in club sports to develop skill and creativity, showcase their talents to college coaches and engage in sports not offered by the school.

BY WESTON CHANCE AND MARSHALL SUDBURY

For many students, sports are a critical component of life on campus. School sports promote hard work and comradery and allow kids to have a break from the constant grind of schoolwork. Some athletes choose to supplement this with outside club sports, which run year around. School and club sports share many similarities, but club sports typically allow more freedom for athletes to develop creativity and explore new skills.

While most fans hardly notice what style of basketball a team plays, during school basketball teams tend to run complex offensive and defensive schemes with more defined roles for players.

In AAU, however, players are often given more opportunities to display their skills since most teams focus less on winning games and more on showcasing their players.

“It’s a lot more freedom. There’s not as much strictness with play sets and defensive strategies,” sophomore Asher Collins said. “Just simple man defense, a motion offense where there’s no rules about what type of shots you can or can’t take.”

In most school seasons, teams may only play two, maybe three games against each other. But since there are generally fewer club teams that often play in the same tournaments, players tend to see each other more often.

“You’ll see most of the same players over and over again,” Collins said. “That’s a really cool experience of getting to play the same teams multiple times.”

Although most tournaments happen over the summer, Collins has already started practicing with his team four times a week and will start playing tournaments as soon as Spring Break arrives. With the heavy amounts of travel and the work of practicing and playing, he often has to find time whenever and wherever he is to keep up with his school workload.

“You just have less time to do other stuff,” Collins said. “I’ve had to take my books and school stuff on flights in the past and stay up late at hotels studying while my teammates are doing whatever

they want.”

Since at most high school basketball games there may only be a handful of players who are seriously pursuing college ball, college coaches tend to focus less on how players do during their school season, which also tends to overlap with the collegiate-level season. Instead, college coaches can evaluate and talk to dozens of potential recruits at AAU tournaments.

“I haven’t had any college coaches talk to me about my performance during school ball,” Collins said. “But I’ve had a few reach out asking about last summer and also coming to my games this summer. It seems to me that the college coaches are more interested in summer ball.”

Club sports also serve another purpose. The athletic department offers a wide variety of sports with 16 varsity programs, but does not have the ability to provide every sport, leaving some athletes without a school program to participate in. For someone like Junior hockey player Nolan Chu, club sports provide the opportunity to explore lifelong passions despite this reality.

“I started playing when I was 6,” Chu said. “My parents put me in almost every sport, but I loved hockey from the beginning.”

Chu knew from a young age that hockey was the sport for him. In sixth grade, when he was choosing a primary sport, the decision was clear: hockey. To pursue this passion, he joined a year around club team.

“You have a league and you play against a bunch of local teams like Dallas Penguins and North Stars,” Chu said. “And then sometimes you travel on tournaments, like I’ve gone to Philadelphia, Washington, Florida and various other cities.”

While hockey has been a tremendously positive experience for Chu, he will be forced to take physical education as a senior to fulfill his athletic requirements.

“I can see why they don’t have it (hockey), but I think it’s kind of unfortunate that they don’t offer tutorials because I would have been done already with all my credits,” Chu said.

Lower Schoolers bring Lion pride to new generation

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Similarly, Dr. Mirchandani played and loved basketball since the third grade. Despite his size, he saw the sport as a

versatile game that anybody could learn and be good at. With a position for every style of player on the court, the technicality of the game made Dr. Mirchandani obsessed, keeping it a vital aspect of his life.

While searching the gift shop for items to give to his newborn son, Dr. Mirchandani spotted a palm-sized basketball, sweeping his memories of the sport across his mind. When he returned home with the newly purchased ball, he placed the gift in the hands of his infant son, Arav. Since then, the sport and his family have become inseparable, sparking an inextinguishable passion.

As Arav grew, Amit supported him as much as possible, recording every interaction his son had with the numerous minihoops around the house. When Krish was born, the basketball-immersed environment naturally led him to foster the same passion.

For Dr. Mirchandani remaining present and encouraging their pursuits came easy because he was watching his sons carry on his passion.

“I get to be a fan because they have their own games,” Dr. Mirchandani said. “I get to go watch them get better and work hard at the game themselves. So I’ve turned from a parent to a fan for them.”

Moving to Dallas in 2018, the Mirchandani family decided to watch all Lions sports games, especially the basketball team, led by Harrison Ingram. As a new student, Arav dove into the world of St. Mark’s athletics, gaining an abundance of friends with the same mutual interest.

“A lot of my friends love sports. And when I came to St Mark’s, I wanted to find

some kids that love sports so I could talk with them about it, and it was just fun. We talk about football, basketball, sometimes National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB) and St. Mark’s sports, too.”

I GET TO BE A FAN BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN GAMES. I GET TO GO WATCH THEM GET BETTER AND WORK HARD AT THE GAME THEMSELVES. SO I’VE TURNED FROM A PARENT TO A FAN FOR THEM.”

Amit Mirchandani, parent

`As Arav and his friends’ passion flourished, Krish began to create a similar community with his friends, igniting a new generation of fandom. The young fans admire the varsity athletes, developing relationships of brotherhood with them. From telling the athletes their favorite plays, to recording their stats from the games, the MiniFanMen have carried on the lion pride.

“How cool of a school is this? (Krish) feels so comfortable,” Mrs. Mirchandani said. “I remember when I was a sophomore in high school, I was afraid to talk to a senior. But he feels so comfortable in that environment. It was so impressive.”

Krish (Right) and Arav (Left) Mirchandani cheer on the Lions at a basketball home game. Photo by Winston Lin

Asher Collins rises for a dunk while playing for his club team.

Photo Courtesy Asher Collins

Swim team three-peats SPC

The Lions swim team put up a dominant performance at SPC, beating second place by 14 and third by 56 points. With multiple school records broken and many personal bests, this team was one of the fastest in the history of the school.

BY MICHAEL JIMENEZ, NEIL YEPURI AND RONIT KONGARA

Winning one could be a fluke.

Winning two is a promising sign, and a statement of intent.

But winning three? Three consecutive championships are a dynasty.

Year-over-year dominance, led by a core group, surrounded by fantastic and productive pieces. And each year, a dynasty tends to get better.

That trend is likely true for the Lions swim team.

Having won SPC for two years in a row now, the pressure was on to keep the streak going. Going into SPC, the Lions had one major obstacle standing in the way of their goal of a three-peat: St. Stephens, a team packed with nationally recruited swimmers. But, even though St. Stephens had some standouts in the pool, the Lions’ depth provided a much greater benefit.

“(St. Stephens) might get first (in an event), but we would get two, three and everything else,” senior captain George Hoverman said. “So just by points, the nine that you get for first versus the eight and seven you get for second and third, you end up with nine versus 15.”

With 32 swimmers qualifying in eight individual events and 25 of those making finals, the Lions finished with a total of 155 points, beating St. Stephens by 14 and Greenhill by 56 and continuing the streak for another year. The swimmers showed out, with many recording the fastest times of their seasons and some recording the fastest times in school history.

“A lot of people dropped a lot of time. The team, generally, this year has gotten faster. We broke five school records, and they have been accumulated for 10 to 20 years,” Hoverman said. “Our team this year was faster than any other year in St. Mark’s history.”

In order to reach that peak, though, the team had to endure a significant amount of growth and learning as a team, which all started with the core principles of head coach Trent Calder: communication, discipline and emotional control, in that order.

MOTIVATION COMES AND GOES, BUT DISCIPLINE IS THE ABILITY TO GET THE JOB DONE AT A HIGH LEVEL, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR MOTIVATION IS. ” TRENT CALDER, AQUATICS TEACHER AND COACH

“Communication is king: without it everything else doesn’t matter. This starts with expectations of the guys, from practice dates, meet dates and getting them to understand the season flow so that they can be prepared for and ready to attack each opportunity,” Calder said.

But just having strong team communication isn’t enough to build a winning mindset.

For Calder, discipline is another key part of what it

FAST AS EVER

takes to be a winner.

“Motivation comes and goes, but discipline is the ability to get the job done at a high level, no matter what your motivation is,” Calder said. “It is easy to train hard when you feel good, but it is difficult to push yourself when you have a million other things on your mind.”

And finally, the ability to control one’s feelings and emotions helps to bring it all together.

If an athlete has mental fortitude, he can withstand even the most-pressurized moments like competing on the varsity team for crucial points at SPC.

“You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond to it,” Calder said. “If something bad happens, like getting hit with a false start and being disqualified, are you going to let it affect your next three swims? Learn from it and move on. Likewise, when you are on a winning streak, do you maintain focus or just let the good times roll and then wonder why you get beat due to lack of focus?”

The swim team pulled off their third consecutive championship with record breaking performances and overall team excellence.

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By instilling those core principles in his swimmers, Calder hopes to push them to be the best they can be, to achieve greatness.

“I didn’t come to St. Mark’s to be average. I came here to be great. To be great is not something that just happens. It’s a habit and attention to detail on the little things because those are what add up to be the big things,” Calder said. “Winning is a byproduct. It is a confirmation that you did the work, put your focus where it needed to be and the results speak to that.”

And clearly, it’s paying off.

Because of Calder’s competitive attitude and the hard work that his team put in all year, they were in pole position to retain their title for the three-peat.

“Since we had the depth this year, we knew going in that if we didn’t screw up, and we all swam our best, and we all dropped our times, which we knew we would, then we would probably win,” Hoverman said. “So it wasn’t a lot of pressure there, but at the same time, it was.”

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Swims qualified Swims making it to finals Personal bests recorded School records broken

New Athletic Center closes final chapter on school diving

BY WILLIAM KOZOMAN

The second event at SPC, the Boys 1m diving, is about to start. For teams on the brink of a title, it’s a valuable opportunity to score some crucial points.

But only three teams have a man step up. And among them, the Lions are absent.

For years now, the school has not hosted a diving program, though it hasn’t always been this way. Director of Experiential Education Mark Sullivan once hosted a small, but passionate diving program at the school in past decades, but with changing student demands and pool renovations, the program dwindled. And now, with a new pool that isn’t deep enough to support diving, it seems like the final chapter has closed on this era of school diving history.

Sullivan’s experience began in the early 80s, when he first began teaching diving here. It was a program that, although small, still drew a number of Marksmen.

“I was tasked as the diving coach for the divers on the

swim team,” Sullivan said. “I coached a joint team of St. Mark’s and Hockaday. So I had about four or five guys who were divers and I had probably a similar number of Hockaday students. So we had like eight or 10 kids that dove here during that time.”

Sullivan served as the main figure behind the program for years until Middle School mathematics teacher Liz Kraft arrived, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge as a former world-class diver herself in college. Playing a special role, she expanded the diving experience for students to become year-round through a club team.

“Mrs. Kraft ran a program called Sunbelt diving, and Sunbelt diving was kind of a club, year-round version of what the school’s diving team might do,” Sullivan said. “So I had kids that were here and at Hockaday that dove year round for Mrs. Kraft at Sunbelt and then came here during the school year.”

For years, many students at both schools continued diving at the school and outside. However, when the old pool was renovated in the 90s, the diving boards were no

longer deemed safe. As a result, the school lost facilities to host the sport.

Recently, with the new Levering Pool under construction, there was a potential opportunity to make the pool able to host diving once again. However, with virtually no student demand, the school made the pool 7-feet deep: not enough to support safe diving, but ideal for other aquatic sports like water polo. Ultimately, with diving now out of the question and no more student divers, the program will remain in the school’s history.

“The new pool is basically just flat throughout, so it’s basically just 7-feet deep,” Sullivan said. “That’s too shallow for diving, but it’s preferable for swimming and water polo. So it’s safe for diving off a starting block in a swimming race, but it wouldn’t be safe for a diving competition. The school had to make a difficult decision, but it came down to the fact that we don’t have many kids coming for that experience anymore. So now, it simply isn’t an option.”

Lions rejoice in the pool after winning SPC for the third time, cementing their legacy in SPC history.

Photo Courtesy Haiying Wang

Marksmen celebrate their cultures

On Feb. 26, students gathered together to celebrate their heritage for Marksmen Multicultural Night, a night featuring multicultural performances, food, display tables and cultural arts tables all to celebrate students’ diverse cultures.

REMARKER

Photos Courtesy Lorre Allen (Top row) and Dave Carden (Middle, bottom row) |1| SAGE Dining, the school’s dining service, prepared multicultural meals to celebrate the highlighted countries

this photo is the Jamaican Jerk Chicken. |2| The full Inclusion & Diversity Leadership Council poses in front of multicultural flags before the night begins.|3| Lower School students working at the cultural arts station. |4| Lower School students carrying flags before the Lower School performance. |5| The full St. Mark’s choir performed Sacred Stepping Stones by Lisa Young to kick off the celebration.