CHRISTMAS SPECIAL “Needling the faculty, staff, and students for 96 straight”
The Pine Needle
St. Christopher’s School
Richmond, Virginia
Volume XCVIII
December 2013
Number 3
Christmas Memories The Pine Needle asked faculty and staff to share a memorable Christmas experience or gift with us. Here are some responses... One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories was getting a Krazy Kar when I was 7. I had seen it advertised on the “Wonderful World of Disney.” Everybody wanted it for Christmas that year, and I was worried that Santa wouldn’t have enough. I couldn’t believe that he picked my house to leave it. I am a car nut. Looking back, I see the Krazy Kar as my first foray. It was the beginning of my long love affair with cars.
Something Smells Fishy
By Charles Moore
– Melissa Hollerith, Upper School Chaplain
Senior Contributer
One of my favorite Christmas gifts was definitely the Mylec hockey goal that my brother and I got in Middle School. The thing was a beast and came with a “Shooter Tutor,” which took an absolute pounding as my younger brother and I learned how to shoot. My dad even brought home a piece of the plastic that hockey boards are made out of so that we could get a (relatively) frictionless surface while shooting in the driveway. There were a lot of cool gifts that I got growing up, but that gift in particular allowed my younger brother and I to spend countless hours competing against each other and learning together outside. My brother and I were able to develop a really close bond that still exists today and that still centers on the memories we made playing hockey and cheering for the Bruins together.
– Matt Roy, Upper School science teacher
My favorite Christmas gift is the two gold toothpick reindeer that my son Nathan, a graduate of STC, made me in kindergarten. They are assembled with large circles of glue, and his sister Sarah says, “They are just ugly!” My son is now 31, and I still find a place on my tree for these treasures. They were made with love many years ago by a little boy with big brown eyes. He was so proud of his treasures when he gave them to me that Christmas. They now have their own box and are clearly marked so that they will not be lost or damaged.
– Tish Taylor, switchboard operator
In my house, your 16th Christmas was the beginning of the “Get Out” gifts. You need not wonder what Santa might bring you because there was a prescribed list in store for your next few Christmases. Age 16: Vacuum Cleaner, Age 17: Pots and Pans/Dishes, Age 18: Microwave. Don’t worry; we could always look forward to our stockings. “Oh boy! A toaster. Oh wait, there’s more... a blender, a coffee maker.” While we may have lumbered down the stairs begrudgingly on Christmas morning in our teens, we certainly look back with a fondness for those gifts now. We were the envy of our friends when we finally moved out and had a fully furnished place of our own. I guess our parents truly believed, “Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays.” I guess they just wanted us to create our own. – Jim Morgan, 4th grade teacher, and Kim Harley, 5th grade teacher (brother/sister)
I stopped getting presents a long time ago. The best one I can remember was a Louisville Slugger replica of Babe Ruth’s bat...of course, when I got it, Babe had only been retired for a few years.
– Frank Keifer, Upper School math teacher
Continued Memories, Page 2
Did you ever notice the yellow fish was missing from the dining hall aquarium? If you did, you were not mistaken. Before Thanksgiving break, Science Department Chair Billy McGuire put the fish, a yellow tang, in the tank one Tuesday and that Friday the fish was doing fine. When he came back on Monday the fish was gone. There were no remains or any signs of its previous existence. Whoever snagged the tang must have known
where the key was. Many surmise that somebody who was jealous of the St. Christopher’s collection took the fish over the weekend. Drew Vanichkachorn ’17 recently reported that a spine of a fish was found in the filter. However, it is unlikely that this spine was of the yellow fish because so much time has passed since the disappearance. Mark Gottwald ’14 was angered by the loss and said, “I hope whoever took the fish reads this article and feels a little worse about himself.” Mr. McGuire soon reContinued Fish, Page 3
Goodbye Stranger By Peyton McElroy Editor-in-Chief
He left quietly without fanfare or applause. Mr. Charles Ellen ’09 served as the substitute teacher for Dr. Austin Sutten’s biology classes while she was on maternity leave. He graduated from St. Christopher’s in 2008, and from the University of Virginia four years later. Besides teaching biology, he immediately involved himself with the Political Awareness Club, Science Bowl and Battle of the Brains, the same clubs he participated in while a student. “I remember Mr. Ellen very fondly because the first year I came to teach here he was a freshman… He was just an active, active member of the science department,” said physics teacher Dr. Alina Cichocki. “It was very pleasant to have him back. In some ways it brought back a lot of memo-
ries from earlier on.” Although he spent less than three months on campus, he made an impression on a large number of students. He found that his first taste of teaching was hard but rewarding work. He had imagined teaching at St. Continued Goodbye, Page 5
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The Pine Needle
December 2013
No More B-Day Treats
By Charlie Parrish Junior Contributor
When you were a young child, what was it you wanted on your birthday? To share Krispie Kreme doughnuts with your friends . Once upon a time, Lower School students looked forward to bringing in some sort of awesome food for their birthdays to share with their classmates and to being the most beloved kid in the classroom. However, those happy days are no more. No longer can they bring in those delicious pizzas, cupcakes or cookies. Instead of bringing in food, students can now dress
down on their birthdays. The rationale is that people will see a kid dressed down and instantly know that it’s their birthday. According to Mr. Dave Menges, the Lower School Head, the kids are very happy to dress down, and he has not heard much grumbling from them about the new policy on food. Though fifth grader Foster Bundy said, “Bringing in stuff is more fun.” Mr. Menges, Lower School Nurse Annett McCabe, Director of Health Ann Vanichkachorn, Headmaster Charley Stillwell and homeroom parents were all in on the decision making process. Apparently, teachers have mixed reactions. Some have praised the initiative, others have viewed it as overly strict, and a few don’t seem to care. Parents have had similar reactions; many say they feel less pressured because they don’t have to wake up early to get treats and then bring them in later in the day. However others have called the rule unnecessary, saying the school
has overstepped its bounds. “I think it is disappointing for the boys, but I get it because sugar highs and the potential for allergies can be problematic,” said Mrs. Kathleen Thomas, Lower School parent. Mr. Menges’s train of thought is driven by his experience from this previous year. “Last year, on any given day unhealthy food would be coming in,” he said. “It felt like it was getting out of hand.” Because of this, he and the rest of the administration have decided to promote healthy eating habits and also hope to prevent potential allergy issues. Nurse McCabe is mainly concerned with children eating things they shouldn’t, and she is “thrilled we have reduced that risk factor.” In the past, she said kids have had serious allergy problems when they ate foods they weren’t supposed to eat. As a nurse, she also wants to promote healthy eating. So, like the former mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, the Lower School has banned fatty unhealthy treats, but in return, the kids can now dress down for their birthdays. Healthy eating is the last thing the average Lower School student is worried about; however, the school hopes to change that.
Memories Continued from Page 1 Though not a childhood memory, one of my fondest holiday memories of recent years was the night that my family and I camped out in our living room beside the Christmas tree. We had already decorated our lovely Douglas fir together, covering it with lights and colorful ornaments as we belted out Christmas carols playing in the background. Once we finished decorating, we decided to roll out our sleeping bags, stretch out on the floor and spend some quality time together contemplating the season and the many blessings we enjoyed that year. We drifted off to sleep, and when I awoke the next morning with our dogs snuggled in among the four of us bipeds, I recall thinking that I would have given anything to stay right in that moment indefinitely. Though it cannot be classified as a gift, that precious time with my favorite people on earth still ranks as one of my most cherished holiday experiences ever.
– Sue Varner, Upper School Spanish teacher
All I wanted for Christmas was a dollhouse. I dreamed of a dollhouse and how I would dress my dolls up and play house with them. On Christmas morning, I was overjoyed when I saw a huge package that was wrapped up and had my name on it: “For Barbie.” When it was my turn to open that gift, I tore the paper and gazed longingly at the dollhouse. Unfortunately, my joy quickly turned to shock and then an unbelievable sadness when I realized that the dollhouse was used. It was a hand-me-down from Brenda Brey, the teenaged girl who lived three doors down. There was a black marker stain on the red dining room rug in that dollhouse. Needless to say, I never, never, ever played with it! – Barbara Constable, Lower School receptionist
Tech Club Visits the 3rd Dimension By Joe Goode Junior Contributor
Any ordinary day at St. Christopher’s reveals the growing value that the school places on technology. Projectors, Prezis, dropboxes and Wikis have become part of our classroom vocabulary, and uploading, pasting, attaching and sharing have become essential skills for every St. Christopher’s student. Obviously, students are being prepared for a rapidly changing world that is dominated by technology. In October, the Technology Club traveled to the University of Mary Washington’s ThinkLab to get a first-hand experience of these emerging technologies. Mary Washington’s multiple 3-D printers and variety of designing software highlighted the trip. Students designed an object with a program called Tinkercad. After that, their designs were printed out on the 3-D printers. Junior Richard Bailey created a miniature harp, while sophomore Ryan Hansen
fashioned a St. Christopher’s logo. Students also built circuits and experimented with electricity. Bailey explained that 3-D printers are essential to making prototype parts. For example, if a car factory wants to experiment with a new type of wheel, it can easily print out a prototype quickly and inexpensively. “Its actually a really cool thing,” he said. The 3-D printing is also practical in a school environment. Ms. Carey Pohanka, the Technology Club’s faculty advisor, said, “Boys generally love to tinker and make things. The ability to build and design falls in well with our purpose as a school.” St. Christopher’s might even have a 3-D printer in the future. The newly-founded Technology Club, headed by Edward Millman ’16, hopes to hold a computer drive in which students can donate old computers, printers and other pieces of technology to support the club’s outreach goals.
The Pine Needle
December 2013
By Henry Fauls
Skeletons in the Closet
Chief of Staff
Break open a few walls in Memorial Hall (the brick strip west of the LLC), and treasure you will find. During the most recent renovation in the St. Christopher’s business office (located in the eastern end of Memorial Hall), construction crews unearthed a jackpot of old, authentic gems as a wall was knocked down to make a doorway between two buildings. Unknown to many current students, St. Christo-
pher’s used to house many boarders in the buildings next to the LLC that have been since renovated to apartments and various offices. Beginning in 1911, the program ended in 1973 because, as Robert Norfleet Jr. ’58 wrote in “The First Hundred Years,” it “had served its purpose and was, undoubtedly, not a profitable venture… It was the right thing to do.” Though students lost the ability to remain on campus 24/7, their memories endure. While knocking down a wall in Luck Hall mainte-
nance worker Rusty Wheeler found 13 tokens in an old closet of former boarders. He said, “Every time I rip out one of these closets, I find some crazy stuff.” Leading off is a onegallon milk jug sold by the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. Grade A pasteurized and homogenized, this milk found a calcium boost from its special ingredient: irradiated ergosterol. The plastic of the jug is beginning to crack with age, and a thick black blob lies dormant at the bottom. Next, a pair of rough Levi khaki slacks and a dirt-stained pair of white Archdale boxers could have matched for a perfect outfit. A golden list of 63 names gives these items a date; students from the classes of ’71 and ’72 are scribbled on these three crispy, yellowed pages. A Lion General stainless steel can made in Japan proves certainly not stainless—rust and stained patches discolor the exterior. Inside, groups of mostlyused cigarettes and a pile of ash blacken the walls.
Three old dining hall spoons and two old dining hall bowls have sulked in the dark closet for four decades. The spoons have lost their shine but remain usable. One of the bowls resembles those of today’s cafeteria, but in a mustard hue. The other bowl is of a stranger brand, forged of a bambooish material or a very early faux-plastic. Two books of still working matches fell into the pile. A dead, oversized 200W General Electric light bulb in its flimsy, dusty cardboard box somehow got left behind in a dank closet corner. A tiny, tangerine-colored square of film offers an actual glimpse into the past. Two gentlemen wearing Coca-Cola jackets and paper garrison hats stand with authority under a giant, striped, outdoor tent, perhaps from a Fall Festival of long ago. Finally, a turquoise, red and white box of Nolde’s Glazed doughnuts still lives. Distributed by Nolde Brothers, Inc., these half a century old treats found preserva-
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tion in calcium propionate. The once circles of sugar and flour continue to resemble their original shape, but have decayed severely to what looks like crusty sponges. A colony of maggots has had its fun in the dirthazed box, but left enough remnants to ensure that the early ’70s had no shortage of the delightful luxury glazed doughnuts. The whole cache smells overwhelmingly… old. Maybe the late ’60s and early ’70s just smelled like the combination of a wet dog, dead body and thick mold, but probably not. The agèd musk just comes with a little seasoning.
Carlson Proposes; ‘Yes!’ By Cooper Yoo Senior Contributor
Champagne in the bushes on the night of the Christmas dance would ordinarily have led to a few suspensions and a stern lecture in chapel; however, this was no ordinary occasion. On Dec. 7, St. Christopher’s math teacher Emmett Carlson proposed to his girlfriend, Ann Tripp, a former St. Catherine’s track coach, who now teaches preschool. Mr. Carlson began planning his proposal to Ms. Tripp at the end of the JV football season. His plan was to pop the question in a place that had special meaning to his fiancée. Because Ms. Tripp is a St. Catherine’s alum and grew up in a house next to campus, he chose the patio outside the Arcade. For his proposal, Mr. Carlson recited a revised version of a line from an episode of Ms. Tripp’s favorite TV show, “Friends,” when Chandler gets engaged to Monica. “Ann was bothered by how long and convoluted Chandler’s proposal was,” Mr. Carlson said. “She said that it would have been better if Chandler just said, ‘I thought it mattered what I said or where I said it, but then I realized the only thing that mattered was who I said it to.’”
So, he proposed using the exact words she thought Chandler should have used. Another preparation Mr. Carlson made was hiding a bottle of champagne for celebration after the big moment. He first needed permission from the St. Catherine’s campus security for obvious reasons. On his way to get clearance, he ran into St. Catherine’s math teacher -Heather Szymendera who offered to store the champagne in the faculty room. On the night of the dance, she gave him her access card
so that he could retrieve the bottle. Everything came together perfectly that night. After the proposal, acceptance and a shared glass of champagne, the newly engaged couple walked off together to Ms. Tripp’s parents’ house, where they shared the good news. Mr. Carlson and Ms. Tripp will be married in July at the St. Christopher’s chapel. For Mr. and the future Mrs. Carlson, Dec. 7 will no longer live in infamy.
Fish Continued from Page 1 placed the fish, and, so far, there have been no other issues. The fish tank is worth about $70,000 and was donated anonymously to the school. Because the tank is the largest possible size on the market, it allows for many exotic fish to live in it. During the summer there were about 45 clownfish in the tank. Unfortunately, earlier this year, either a cleaning chemical or a disease infiltrated and killed off all fish except for a few survivors. It is hard to tell the exact cause of death because fish autopsies require the fish to be in the process of dying. Right now the current inventory of fish include a blonde shoulder tang (the blue fish), a false yellow tang (will eventually change color), flame angel (orange fish), cinnamon clownfish (darker clown fish) and oscellaris clownfish (the Nemo
one). The Nemo clownfish has made his home in the pink sea anemone contributing to its symbiotic relationship; the fish feeds the sea anemone, and the sea anemone protects the fish. Mr. McGuire hopes to add a new fish about every two weeks. His next addition will probably be a foxface. Marvin VandeLinde, a representative from Atlantis Aquariums, supplies the aquarium and often checks in on the fish tank; he continues to be a great help. Mr. McGuire wants to get more help from students with the management and upkeep of the fish tank once stabilized. He just wants people “to have fun with it.” His advice for anyone who is interested in salt-water fish tanks is to “go slow, be open to learning from other people and ask questions.” Mr. McGuire also wants students to recommend new fish additions for the aquarium that are within reason. Fish must be coral-reef friendly and able to survive in a tropical setting.
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The Pine Needle
December 2013
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
A Look at Fashion
By Michael Nordahl Senior Contributor
Petrocelli: ‘You Matter!’ By Will McKinnon Sophomore Contributor
The Upper School audience was clearly captivated from the first words that come out of the speaker’s mouth in his heavy Brooklyn accent. His thunderous voice filled the chapel that day in December and captured everyone’s attention. The speaker, Mr. Bobby Petrocelli, grew up in Brooklyn (a fact he doesn’t let people forget). He may not have been the smartest (he said at one point, “I graduated college in the top 10 percent of the bottom 30 percent of my class”), but he was certainly one of the loudest, and with his voice he didn’t even need a microphone. After college, he moved to Texas with his new wife, Ava, and they shared their first house together. Petrocelli taught a health class and coached football. He told the audience that one night he awoke dazed, and as he reached out to touch what he thought was his dining table, he found what he would later learn was an F-150 pickup truck on the blue sheets of the bed he and his wife shared. The man driving it had more than twice the blood-alcohol content legal to drive. A stranger rushed over to ask him if anyone else was in the house, but Petrocelli, still stunned, rushed to his bathroom to calm himself down. But the words of the man echoed in his head, and in a flash he remembered his wife. No sooner than when he exited the bathroom did a paramedic grab him from behind and he elbowed the
paramedic in the face and rushed in vain to try and pull the truck off his wife. As he was forced into an ambulance he finally noticed his arm, which was filled with rubber and smoking. The ambulance pulled away with him screaming, “I can’t abandon my wife!” Petrocelli went on to talk about the funeral that his whole school attended (save the principal, since it was a school day) and paused before dropping a bomb: “Drinking and driving did not kill Ava.” The man who was driving the truck was never told of his own value and tried to hide his fear of rejection in alcohol, Petrocelli said. The football coach, too, felt unworthy of love and valueless after the accident. He lived with fear of losing again until he experienced the immense support and care of his football team, coworkers, friends and family. They proved to Petrocelli that he mattered. He managed to forgive the driver and said, “Forgiving him set me free.” We all matter, he says, and the evidence is in our fingerprints. We each have different fingerprints because we each have a different purpose to fulfill in our lives, but it’s up to us to go on to fulfill them. His voice echoing in the chapel, Petrocelli repeated the words that he wants the audience to take away from his speech: “You matter, you matter, you matter.” His words resonated so well that the chapel erupted in applause at the end. “It was the loudest applause I’ve ever heard in the chapel,” said senior Henry Fauls.
An overlooked part of everyday school life at St. Christopher’s is fashion. Every morning students spend a good deal of time deciding what shirt will look best tucked neatly into their pants. Despite a specific St. Christopher’s dress code, people find a number of ways to display their individuality. The dress code mandates that students wear a collared shirt—the only exception is a St. Christopher’s Tshirt, giving rise to a group of T-shirt people. Every day, they wear the same St. Chris T-shirts to school so that they don’t have to suffer the oppression of collared shirts. Another rule is that all shirts must be tucked in. Though T-shirts are designed to offer comfort to the wearer, tucking them in provides less than the ideal comfort and makes you like a 40-year-old dad. Nevertheless, nothing says school spirit like a shirt with your school’s name on it. T-shirt people are an integral part of the school’s style and help to show off STC pride wherever they go. People who choose to wear collared shirts, however, are able to display their creativity. They are able to choose their favorite colored shirts ranging from mountain meadow (a sort of teal
color), all the way to tropical rain forest (a darker version of the former). They can also choose whatever material suits them best, be it cotton, flannel or polyester. T-shirt people aren’t the only ones to have an occasional qualm with shirttails; everyone is affected. Resistance is so prevalent that un-tucked shirttails have become just as much a part of St. Chris fashion as tucked ones. People come up with creative ways to avoid the rule, leading to new trends in how people dress. People who may have many classes on the bottom floor of Chamberlayne may only tuck in one side of their shirt to avoid the stern eye of Foreign Language Chair Sue Varner. Others wear a coat and only tuck in the front to make it seem as if they are following the dress code. We cannot forget about the clothing item that receives the shirttail: pants. As the winter approaches, most people have abandoned shorts. Pants do not offer as many choices as shirts do, as the common style is usually a khaki or beige color. Occasionally somebody will sport a bold color such as Nantucket red, but this uncommon act goes unnoticed by most. Another form of variety below the belt is cargo shorts. They have large, conveniently-located pockets
that provide easy storage for many items, including keys, calculators and snacks. Despite their sleek comfort and easy accessibility, cargo shorts are frowned upon by most students as questionable and weird. All in all, fashion at St. Christopher’s is as diverse as the student body. Whether you are a part of the T-shirt crowd or a dedicated prep, fashion communicates a side of students that may not easily get across and is an important part of life at St. Chris.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
Snacks on Snacks on Snacks
By Jack Jiranek Junior Contributor
Tacos, Chick-fil-A, cookies, Cheerwine, pizza and doughnuts. Above all doughnuts. Every year the announcements portion of chapel is inundated by a series of pronouncements describing the multitude of seasonal fundraisers as students tell what brand of delicious enticement will be used to induce our charitable giving. It could be argued that this overload of fundraisers at least on some level detracts from what it means to support the Christmas family program. We, as a school, seem to have come to associate giving to a deserving cause with getting something in return, be it a dress down day or some food item that we could not normally get at school. While the goals of the fundraisers are worthy, in an ideal world, charitable giving should arise from a desire to help others who are in need, not the craving for a Chickfil-A sandwich during lunch. There is a fine line between encouraging
those to donate to a cause and blatantly using rewards to tempt people into the semblance of charitable giving. And while this trend may not be intentional, it is almost certain that each of us has at some time or another said, “Do I really need another doughnut? Wouldn’t it be easier to just give the whole two dollars to the family in need?” We as a school have always justifiably been proud of our dedication to service in the community. This proud commitment towards helping those less fortunate than ourselves has the potential to be degraded by the idea that when we give something we must always receive something in return. To paraphrase the words of the sagacious Middle School English Chair Corydon Baylor: “You shouldn’t have to be rewarded for doing what you are supposed to do. When I stop at a stop sign, the police officer doesn’t come over, hand me a cupcake and tell me that I’ve done a good job.” Although he was not talking about the holiday fundraising feeding frenzy, the same sentiment could be applicable to our apparent need to be bribed for participation charitable giving.
The Pine Needle
December 2013
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Christmas Around STC
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First graders from both St. Christopher’s and St. The Dec. 7 Christmas dance in the Kenny Center of St. Catherine’s The LLC was heavily decorated for the annual Catherine’s make gingerbread houses together in the showed a strong student turnout. Winter Wonderland event. Santa Claus even dining hall as is tradition. made an appearance.
A number of students participated in the organization $100 for 100, a charity that gives underprivileged children a shopping spree at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Students helped the children shop during the event on Dec. 7.
Many Upper School advisory groups chose to sponsor a Christmas family this year. Here members of Ms. Bandal’s advisory posing with gifts they have bought and wrapped. The bike was assembled with love and care too.
The choirs practice for Lessons and Carols at St. Stephen’s Church. A holiday staple, the service included beautiful singing by choirs from all divisions.
Goodbye Continued from Page 1 Chris in his 40s or 50s but did not expect to come back as a recent college graduate. The transition from student to teacher was fairly natural for him; he continued his good relationships with former teachers. “One of the strangest things for me was calling teachers by their first names,” Mr. Ellen said. “Most all of them wanted me to call them by their first name, especially Mr. Wood.” He enjoyed teaching his three sections of freshman biology and getting to know students.
“It was really cool having him as a teacher,” said freshman Ricky Stockel. “He was a really smart, a really nice guy, and I learned a lot from him. I just had a lot of fun when he was teaching with us.” Despite his substitute status, he strove to make the most of his students’ time without Dr. Sutten. “When you have a relationship with a student, you want to do a good job,” Mr. Ellen said. “I want St. Chris to maintain high standards. I had some incredible teachers, and I want to hold myself to an equivalent standard.” On Tuesday, Nov. 19,
Alex Essex dressed up as Santa and distributed gifts to the Upper School students during the Student Council sponsored Christmas chapel. Gifts included the game NBA 2k14, a raffle to win an iPad mini and an outfit from the Lost & Found.
Dr. Sutten returned, and Mr. Ellen moved on. He is trying to open a restaurant. The vision is a “fast, casual salad place,” similar to the franchises Saladworks and Sweetgreen. He plans to open it in the early summer and ultimately hopes to franchise and sell it. He has enjoyed his reemergence in the St. Chris community, appreciates the warm welcome and wants to stay involved, perhaps making an appearance at Science Bowl on a Wednesday evening. So goodbye Mr. Ellen, it’s been nice; hope you find your paradise.
The Pine Needle Editor-in-Chief
Chief of Staff
Peyton McElroy
Henry Fauls
Senior Contributors
Junior Contributors
Charles Moore Clark Lewis Michael Nordahl Cooper Yoo Alec Ball
Joe Goode Jack Jiranek Charlie Parrish Merrick Furman Fitz Fitzgerald
Sophomore Contributors
Freshman Contributors
Jack Holdaway Will McKinnon Coleman Cox
William Horne Ricky Stockel
Photography Clark Lewis
Faculty Advisor Mrs. Kathleen Thomas
Special thanks to Mr. Cappy Gilchrist for help with photos
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The Back Page
December 2013
Christmas Break Plans The Pine Needle’s best guess at how certain STC members will spend their two weeks away from school.
The Jump duo is heading to Jumpology for the irony and a good workout.
After watching the movie “Balto,” Mr. Mauck wants to try his hand at dogsledding. He hopes to qualify for the Iditarod.
Mrs. Stone plans to hit up Vegas, baby! You can find Mrs. Wray will resume her passion as a heavy her counting cards at the Blackjack table. metal enthusiast.
Mr. Jones is off to see the Wizard. He is lacking a green jacket... it was a gift!
Blanton and Shad will continue their holiday cooking show. Their specialty is little frosted snowman cookies.
Mr. Miller will work on his rendition of John Damgard ’17 intends to meet with his long-time friend Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is Kim Jong Un. You.’
Richard Hamrick will walk through the Lincoln Tunnel, pass through the Sea of Swirly Twirly Gumdrops, through the seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest to reach the North Pole.