“Needling the faculty, staff, and students for 96 straight”
The Pine Needle
St. Christopher’s School
Richmond, Virginia
February 2014
Volume XCIX
Number 4
Starting with a Broken Slate
By William Maddock Junior Contributor
On a day in June in a booth in Libbie Market, juniors Alex Shedd and Connor Lifson came up with an idea which has since blossomed into an independent production company and a seven-episode web series. They began writing shortly thereafter, coming up with more than 250 pages of script for the show titled “Curtain.” Almost all of the original writing has since been changed or scrapped as the series has developed. The actors and technical crew were pulled in over the course of the next few months leading up to the first day of filming in early September. During that first film shoot, Adam Vath ’15 was in charge of the slate, the little, easily recognizable board that signals the start of each film take with a clap. He wasted no time overworking the slate, which promptly fell apart, giving
the production company its name. Broken Slate Productions has come to include a handful of student actors and technicians. As one might imagine, conflicting schedules are quite the challenge. “Getting 10 or so teenagers, all with independent, jampacked schedules into one place at one time has been a struggle,” said Lifson. But in spite of the struggles, this group of students has poured thousands of hours into the filming, editing and production of “Curtain.” Filming on weekends for as many as 10 consecutive hours and weeknights after school for sometimes close to four hours has certainly not been easy for anyone involved. “It has been inspiring to see all the intense, hard work that has gone into the making,” said Lexi Godfrey ’14, who plays Katie, the central character in “Curtain.” The show seeks to
capture the high school experience through the experiences of a diverse and quirky group of students at the fictional St. Apollonia’s School. The humor, anxiety, relationships, rivalries and all of the ups and downs of teenage life are woven into the show through the interactions between characters and a series of “floating heads,” or separate interviews (think “The Office”). Characters include the secluded and mysterious Frankie (played by Nate Smith ’16), the confident and outgoing Brett (Noah Peterson ’14, Patrick Henry High School), the spiritually inclined Theresa (Abby Williams ’14), diva actress Norah (Annabel O’Hagan ’15) and Head Stage Manager Jennifer (Grace Jennings ’15). This cast comes together on screen to create a realistic and unique angle on teenage life, told through the story of a high school theater group. Continued Slate, Page 4
The Winter of Our Content By Jack Holdaway Sophomore Contributor
As the snow begins to fall, families gather around the television. Reports of school closings come in droves and are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Speculation begins to rise as to whether school will be canceled or if we will receive the anticlimatic two-hour delay. Many refresh the school website constantly to see if a notification has been posted, as others keep an eye on the school twitter page’s activity. While we all wait anxiously for the final decision, what is going on behind the scenes? The responsibility of making the call rests solely on Headmaster Charley Stillwell’s shoulders. However, it is one he does not look forward to. “I will say that, while we all dream of having the power to call a snow day when we are students, the reality is that this responsibility is no fun at all,” he said. Mr. Stillwell takes several steps to assure that
Building Blocks for the Misbehaved By Peyton McElroy Editor-in-Chief
About halfway through, your forearms begin to burn. A few minutes later, your fingers begin to give out. As your grip on the block fails, you find yourself running from one pile to the other, struggling to make it with the block in hand. Ultimately, you shove your forearms through the hollow core or cradle the block in your arms because your fingers simply don’t have the strength to grip. After about an hour, you stagger away with an aching back and arms chewed up from the unforgiving mix of sand, gravel and cement. Welcome to the institution of Rockpile. On the hours list, it appears as an “R” accompanied in the bottom key by the ominous words: “See Mr. Tune.” Houston Hardy ’14 describes it as “a mixture of pure misery and broken dreams.” The offender must move 60 cinder blocks 50 feet, construct a shape and then neatly stack the blocks in the original starting point
in the fenced in lot beside the baseball field. “We needed a punishment that was more severe than breakfast club and less severe than suspension,” said Disciplinarian Greg Tune. “I figured it was an old school way to get stuff done. I chose cinder blocks because they are heavy, easy to carry, easily stackable and cheap. They certainly are good for making you pay for bad behavior.” The 16” x 8” x 8” cinder block weighs about 28 pounds, and it takes most students about 50 minutes to move all 60 blocks back and forth. John Tyson holds the school record at 20 minutes, shattering Davis Evans’s former record at 42. The quickest way to complete the task is to simply stack them; however, many students return to their childhood days of building blocks and get creative. Shapes include smiley faces, initials, pyramids, circles, rectangles, forts and turrets. Continued Rockpile, Page 4
he makes the correct decision. He believes that school should be closed when snow or ice is detrimental to road conditions and traveling to our campus is unsafe. In addition, school is closed when campus cannot be sufficiently cleared. When the possibility of a winter storm is first broadcast on local news, Mr. Stillwell begins to follow the weather report. When the threat grows, he contacts faculty at Collegiate School and St. Catherine’s along with the division heads here at St. Christopher’s to get wind of their opinions. “Typically we make the same decision for all three schools,” Mr. Stillwell said. “Sometimes Collegiate may be slightly different. It depends on campus conditions.” After the storm has hit, the road conditions must be assessed. That also usually falls under the responsibilities of Mr. Stillwell. “The unfortunate part of being in charge is that I am often up at 4 or 4:30 a.m. driving around on the local roads to check on conditions,” he said. In addition, the school receives information from families at St. Christopher’s, St. Catherine’s and Collegiate about the conditions across the greater Richmond area. With all of that, Mr. Stillwell believes he can accurately make his verdict. However, no one is perfect; sometimes the decision may be controversial when parents feel uneasy about driving on the roads. Nonetheless, Stillwell credits the parents for their diligence. “Our parents are overwhelmingly patient and supportive. I do have parents who send supportive messages and some parents who Continued Snow, Page 4
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The Pine Needle 2] A Swiss Exchange
By William Simopoulos Sophomore Contributor
What comes from Switzerland other than knives, chocolate, watches and offshore bank accounts? Pascal Canay, a junior from Hausen, near Zurich, is taking up residence with my family for the second semester.
As you can imagine, coming to the United States after living in a small village his entire life was a bit of a culture shock for Pascal. For example, walking into super-stores, such as Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods, proved to be a brand new experience. The size shocked
him. Also, Pascal was bewildered that school could be canceled by an inch or two of snow; in Switzerland, regardless of whether a foot of snow litters the ground, school is always in session. “The [Richmond] weather is quite similar to that of my village in Switzerland,” he said. Pascal is a bit of a linguist, speaking SwissGerman (the predominant language in Switzerland), German, French, English, Spanish and Italian. So far, his favorite things about the United States are how kind and welcoming everyone has been to him and, of course, Chick-fil-A. He is an avid soccer fan-- an avid Liverpool fan. His disappointment showed when he found out that soccer is barely televised in the United States but
Pascal has found websites on which he can stream all of his favorite matches. Pascal finds that the education approach in the states is the biggest difference from home saying, “The school system here is very different. We do not have private or all boy schools in Switzerland.” On the topic of the Winter Olympics, Pascal said that he is “looking forward to Switzerland kicking the United States’ butt.” I have greatly enjoyed getting to know Pascal and seeing his perspective on the United States. It is truly humbling and insightful to hear his thoughts on our culture and our everyday life. I look forward to learning more from him in the next six months.
Alumni Brothers Fortify the Bay By Cooper Yoo Senior Contributor
Chris Davis ’72 went to an oyster festival in 2011 with seafood on his mind and left with an idea for a company. There he saw a reef structure that inspired him. “I called about it, and it turned out that there were two scientists, who are now our consultants… they basically felt that there was an opportunity for a business,” he said. That business became Ready Reef, which sells biogenic oyster reefs to bayside property owners. Chris and his older brother Ed ’68 created Ready Reef to aid the Chesapeake Bay habitat restoration efforts. Ready Reef makes and installs oyster and fish reefs to help create long-lost habitat through oyster cultivation and to prevent the erosion of bay front property. The Davis brothers see these reefs as the best solution to both bay pollution and erosion problems. “There’s a lot of stuff that grows
from very small stages,” he said, “It just needs protection from reefs to get a start.” The brothers’ interest in the Chesapeake began when they were young. Their family owned a house near the bay and spent time there every summer. During their time there, the brothers fished and crabbed, along with other activities using the Chesapeake’s once bountiful resources. The molds for the biogenic reefs are created with a mix of concrete and oysters shells. After the mold is created, oyster larvae are spread on the surface. The reefs’ additional function as an erosion barrier makes them even more valuable. Mr. Davis said, “They are designed such that they hydro dynamically absorb the energy… They redirect the waves into each other, which makes the waves settle out.” One of his first customers was another St. Christopher’s alumnus, Tom Dingledine ’72. “It’s still being proven out, in a way, but it’s a lot
better than what you see with the riprap,” Mr. Dingledine said. Mr. Davis wishes to expand the company so that more people with waterfront properties use biogenic oyster reefs. Costs vary depending on size. He knows that through the use of artificial reefs, oyster populations will increase and the water quality of the Chesapeake will likewise improve.
The Show Goes On By Henry Fauls Managing Editor
A knock at the door— in bursts a staggering
Saunders Ruffin ’14, clad in a disheveled suit, arms full of miscellaneous objects. The next 45 minutes were full of Anton Chekhov’s zealous comedy acted by Ruffin, Clark Lewis ’14 and Charlotte Cross ’15 as part of the Feb. 22 and 23 extension of Ampersand’s Winter One Acts. “The thing is, I tried out and didn’t really like any of the [One Acts]. So I turned to Mr. Wilson and said, ‘I want to do a senior
show,’ ” said Ruffin. Theatre Program Director Rusty Wilson picked out the two Russian comedies, “Summer in the Country” and “A Marriage Proposal.” The performance took place in the playhouse of the Luck Leadership Center, which seats about 50 people. “The fact that there are fewer people there, I feel like I have to do a better
job to impress everyone,” said Ruffin. For Lewis, the experience was enjoyable because he was able to act, something he hasn’t done since eighth grade. “It took a little work to get back into it, but it was very entertaining.”
February 2014
College Apps by the Numbers Compiled By Henry Fauls
Average number of applications
Average number of schools students thought they would apply to back in September Number, out of 60, who applied to UVA Percentage who applied to a state school Percentage who applied early somewhere (EA or ED)
5 6.25 28 83% 71%
Percentage who applied to at least one school from which a parent graduated
49%
Number of seniors who only applied to one school
8
Number of seniors who know where they’re going
11
Expected number of seniors who will not attend an accredited 4-year institution
1.5
All 60 seniors were polled
The Pine Needle
February 2014
By Neil Dwivedi Freshman Contributor
This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day found itself a momentous occasion, falling on the 50th anniversary of the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Four students, two at St. Christopher’s and two at St. Catherine’s, and four faculty members kicked off Jan. 16 with speeches followed by group discussion, and the program concluded with a service at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. The school’s conscious effort to make our programs more appealing to students came to life with this program. Active and involved activity has become central to the school’s push to em-
Speeches
The day kicked off with students and faculty delivering messages related to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. History teach Dr. Andy Smith and Director of College Counseling Mr. Jim Jump spoke about the circumstances of the speech and its delivery. The speeches aimed to instill in students questions about their dreams. “What kind of person do you want to become? What kind of schools do you want St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s to be?”
Celebrating MLK brace the fact it’s a boy’s school; this year’s MLK day program was much more interactive than years past. “Boys like to do,” said Upper School Head Tony Szymendera. “Boys like to be active; boys like to be hands on.” School MLK organizers aimed for the program to tie in with other speakers and programs this year. The organizers spoke to the area experts such as the Valentine Richmond History Center to brainstorm for the program. “Mr. Green has been kind of the key guy in the whole thing,” Mr. Szymendera said. “...He’s been the driving force.” asked Mr. Jump. Nick Sherod ’16 and Joe Goode ’15 spoke about diversity and its true meaning. Both said that diversity is not just the color of a person’s skin, a person’s gender or a person’s sexual orientation. “A true diverse community is having multiple ideals, talents, experiences and backgrounds in one setting, while accepting those differences in other people,” said Sherod.
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The Service The day ended with a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. As St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s students were all filing in, Junior Richard Bailey opened with a prelude on the harp. The service, led by Upper School Chaplain Melissa Hollerith, began with a prayer of thanks and continued with three student readings from several of Dr. King’s speeches. These readings led us into hymns and pieces by the school choirs and Mia Harris, a senior at St. Catherine’s, who sang “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” We closed with “Amazing Grace.” –Luke Forbes ’17
–Neil Dwivedi ’17
MLK Day Takeaways “Whenever we think and act for ourselves, we bring a different and unique perspective to the table that helps us think and learn.”
Activities After breaking into groups, students began with an icebreaker activity to get everyone to meet each other. The groups were introduced to the theme of unalienable rights and discussed what rights the government should supply. Participants said upperclassmen and teachers tended to dominate the discussion. The format of mixed grade levels likely held back underclassmen who may have been intimidated to speak up. The “Four Corners” exercise found students standing in a corner based on how far they thought America had come since the days of Dr. King. However, almost all students hovered in the middle, and participants said that this lack of extremity limited discussions. Finally, the groups were split into boys and girls, and each created a mashup reciting King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The school hopes to share it with the International Boy’s School Coalition members with the idea that our project may inspire other schools around the world to tell about their own Dr. King.
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– Joe Goode ’15
Reflecting on the day, Sophomore Nick Sherod stated, “When we start talking about racism or having an inclusive community, some people get uncomfortable, while some are open and have strong opinions on one side or the other. We need to talk about this stuff. We talk
The Video After Ms. Asha Bandal asked him in December about filming for the MLK Day program, Connor Lifson ’15 accepted with enthusiasm and decided to approach this challenge as a documentary. “I thought the MLK video would be a great opportunity to practice working in a fast paced, stressed situation... other projects I’ve worked
“Dr. King spoke of a time of urgency, one in which changes needed to occur throughout the country to ensure equality and dignity for every American.” – Dr. Andy Smith
about leading to change, but we can never do that if we never say anything.”
–Austin Cashwell ’17
on have been scripted over a long period of time,” said Lifson. With the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech being such a big event on the school’s calendar, Mr. Szymendera and his team needed a way to capture the program so we could remember this important day. Enlisting the help of eight other classmates, his
“In some ways the messages we heard from Dr. King’s speeches in the service echoed the messages we have heard all year from speakers on our campus. Whether we were listening to Hudson Taylor or Anthony Robles or George Dennehy or Bobby Petrocelli, the message had a similar tone and that is one of equality, respect, dignity and inclusion—because we are all children of God, and God would expect no less from us.”
– Rev. Melissa Hollerith
Broken Slate Productions team, the students broke up into two groups of four. They went to the classes throughout the school and tried to capture good moments from the discussions. After recording the whole day from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., Lifson collected 83 gigabytes of footage, from which he had to view, clean up, edit and put into a documentary
style piece. He then put together a 3.5-minute preview that was shown to the St. Christopher’s board and is now working on two longer documentary type pieces, one focusing on the boys and the other on the girls. The videos will use music from Preston Cochran ’12.
–Nick Sherod ’17
To watch the video go to http:// youtu.be/cYeIg2OathI
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The Pine Needle A Badge of Honor By Bo Williamson Freshman Contributor
Slate
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Shedd and Lifson’s combined knowledge of “The Office” and “Friends” has affected the writing and filming of the show, from the floating heads to the opening title sequence. But the co-writers and directors are trying to develop their own style as well. Shedd said, “We split the writing of every episode pretty evenly, and it results in a really cool style of writing.” Everyone working on “Curtain” agrees that the filming itself is the most enjoyable part of the process. “Everyone is always in a great mood,” said Lifson. “The feel on set is one of enthusiasm and excitement. Filming a comedy is fun enough, but filming a comedy with this particular group of people is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.” Each film shoot requires a different selection of actors depending on what needs to be accomplished and who is available on a given day or night. Some days only a few actors are needed, while other times the entire cast must be present for a scene. Lifson does almost all of the editing for the show, paring down hours and hours of
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will send questions if they are concerned about a decision.” Over the past few decades, the administration has become more lenient in closing school for weather. School used to rarely close for snow. “If you couldn’t drive, you walked,” said Upper School chaplain Melissa Hollerith. Rev. Hollerith recalled an instance when Mr. Boyd couldn’t pull out of his driveway because of ice, so he walked. The math teacher made the trek from his home near the University of Richmond to St. Chris only to find out that school was canceled. Rev. Hollerith believes the schools’ new found mentality towards closing school runs parallel with their desire to enroll students from all over the area. The student body has stretched
February 2014
film and sound footage into a 28-minute episode. Though one of the most time-consuming and tedious parts of the process, careful editing is what ultimately produces the final product. The first two episodes of “Curtain” have been released online and have a combined 1,200-plus views to date. “I was amazed at how professional it was,” said Matt Luther ’15. “The show was very well done.” That idea that began over lunch at Libbie Market has been brought to life through the hard work of a dedicated group of individuals. With almost nine months of planning and work behind them and many more months (and years) still ahead, the cast and crew involved with Broken Slate Productions continue to develop and mesh as a group, and with five more episodes in the works, the only place they’re headed is up. To find more information on Broken Slate Productions and to view the first two episodes of “Curtain,” visit www.brokenslateproductions.com The remaining episodes will be released over the course of the next few months
across 25 zip codes, and decisions can no longer be made an hour before school starts. They need to be made the night before. “What the school has done is to try to make the decision the night before so working families can plan accordingly,” said Hollerith. Snow days have certainly had an effect on school this winter, as the past month has been littered with days off due to weather. St. Christopher’s has been closed five times; January 21, 22 and 29 and February 13 and 14 with a few other days requiring delays. It seems every week has been effected by the elements. With more snow possible, Mr. Stillwell will be plenty busy. At this point, days off are losing some of their luster, but students certainly will continue to welcome them with open arms.
Cauliflower ear, a condition that some view as a badge of honor and others as a nasty injury, is common among wrestlers and mixed martial artists. “I’m proud of my cauliflower ear because it identifies me as a wrestler and helps to intimidate my opponents,” said Taylor Rudnick ’15. Cauliflower ear is caused by repeated trauma, which causes the skin and cartilage to separate and fill with fluid. The result resembles what looks like a clump of cauliflower. Treatment, which can be very painful, does not guarantee a healthy looking ear, but it can reduce the effects and sometimes completely reduce the swelling; however, if left untreated, the ear may become permanently deformed. The fluid must be drained, and the skin wrapped or stitched to stop
Rockpile
re-accumulation, which often happens. Cauliflower ear can be prevented by wearing headgear, which is required in matches but not in practice. Most wrestlers choose not to wear headgear because it is uncomfortable, reduces hearing and gives an opponent something to grab. Poorly fitting headgear can be just as damaging to the ears as wearing none at all. Some wrestlers see the condition as a badge of honor, identifying them as a wrestler. “If someone has cauliflower ear, he is more intimidating than someone without it,” said Matt MacLeod ’14. “It shows they are tough and have wrestled for a long time.” . However, the experience is very uncomfortable. Wrestlers might miss a few crucial days of practice and have a few embarrassing days at school walking around with a huge bandage on their heads.
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Mr. Tune often gets creative with other punishments. He has made students move piles of snow or collect hundreds of acorns. “At some level, a guy has done something and you are showing the futility of what his actions do,” said Upper School Head Tony Szymendera. “He caused a lot of people to spend a lot of time with something that doesn’t amount to much. Well now he spends some time on something that doesn’t amount to much.” Sometimes it’s about a state of mind. “You need to know you’ve done something wrong and you need to know you’ve paid for it,” said Mr. Tune. “So then you can feel like you have absolved yourself of your crime and can start afresh and anew. And there is nothing wrong with good old-fashion work for that.” The practice stems from the boarding school days. When the boarders needed to be disciplined, they were given tough, nasty jobs. Rockpile is the current manifestation concocted by Mr. Tune Originally, he had delinquents build a shape in all four corners of the lot. From the cube, they made a circle,
Swimming Shatters Records The St. Christopher’s swim team rewrote the record board after their 26-0 season. At this year’s VISAA Swimming and Diving Championships, six swimmers stepped up and took down seven school records. Senior captains Henry Fauls and Harry Smith, along with sophomores Charlie Swanson and Will Cox, broke the 200 Medley relay by almost a second, winning the event. Swanson took down one of Dallas Tarkenton’s ’13 records, the 100 breastroke, by more than a second. Cox broke the 6-year-old 50 and 100 freestyle records. Fauls broke the 8-yearold 100 butterfly record and NCAA champion Robert Barry’s ’08 100 backstroke record, winning both events. Finally, the 400 Freestyle relay of Swanson, Trey Berry ’15, captain Albert Thompson ’14 and Fauls ended the meet by breaking the 7th record.
then an “X”, then a pyramid and then back to a cube. Because the process took way too long, he now tells students to move the pile over there and move the pile back. The average offender has repeatedly failed to serve an accumulation of detentions, fondly known as Breakfast Clubs, and hours, but “usually once they serve one, they don’t want another one.”
The Pine Needle
February 2014
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Ampersand Plays One Act After Another By Will McKinnon Sophomore Contributor
Ampersand’s Winter One Acts concluded Feb. 9 after four hilarious and thought-provoking nights that had the audience on the edge of their seats. The show was hosted by senior Lexi Godfrey, who introduced each show herself as well as acting in three one acts. “Orison” by Fernando Arrabal Opening the show was “Orison”, a dark play in which Fidio (Alex Shedd ’15) and Libbie (Hayley Robb ’17) pray that all people have a second chance in the eyes of God, no matter how grave their sins. Shedd and Robb did a magnificent job of fitting into the role of harsh sinners with almost no sense of morals at all in this provocative show. “Arabian Nights” by David Ives The second show of the evening, proved that language is no barrier for love. Sort of. A tourist, Norman, played by Shedd, seeks a souvenir for his journey, and has Siri (voiced
by Godfrey) “interpret” the dialogue between Norman and the shopkeeper (Skyler Mang ’14). A true play on words, the witty humor in this play had the audience cracking up at every joke. “Hold for Three” by Sherry Kramer In this fast-paced comedy, Ed (Jess Reynolds ’16) must hold his breath for three minutes as the moon rises. Along with Scottie (Kate Oelkers ’17) and Bartey (Sarah Wells ’17), this short and sweet one act was made all the better by its “over the moon” acting. “The Universal Language” by David Ives A comedy in which a stuttering man named Don (Adam Vath ’15), intent on learning the so-called universal language, stumbles into Dawn’s (Lucy Wallace ’17) School of Unamunda. “Universal Language” demanded the audience’s complete attention to understand what would have otherwise been utter gibberish. Skillfully reading out fast paced lines, the actors had clearly mastered every aspect of their perfor-
mance. “Where Are You Going Hollis Jay?” by Benjamin Bradford This act is a coming of age story about a headstrong college boy, Hollis Jay (Nate Smith ’16), and his thoughts on growing up, college and, more particularly, girls. Ellie (Fraser Mayberry ’14) helps him through his fears on a date in a park. Smith captured the awkwardness of his role beautifully, and “Desire, Desire, Desire” viewers found themselves captivated by Christopher Durang by the performance. “Desire, Desire, Desire” ended the one acts with a bang (and a bunny). “Bittersweet Café” Full of literary references, this show by Hayden Biggs was guaranteed to make viewers This murder mystery with a surcrack up. With incredible acting by prising twist ending was written stars Shelby Gray Herzog ’14, Shedd by St. Catherine’s student Hayden and Smith, this play was a fantastic Biggs ’14. It featured a large cast of way to end the show. characters for a one act, including St. Christopher’s students Smith, Ampersand will conclude the Reynolds and Tanner Wagner ’15. year in the spring with “Our Town,” With a surprisingly in-depth plot a play by Thornton Wilder in which and a wealth of character developactors perform without a set or ment illustrated by the actors, the props, miming their actions. The acaudience was on the edge of their tors are sure to dazzle us again with seats until the end. what will surely be a difficult play for the actors. “Anything for You” by Cathy Celesia “Anything for You” starred Lexi Godfrey as the sexually frustrated Lynnette who desperately wants a break from her husband, and in seeking advice from her friend Gail (Maddie Gunter ’16), some old flames are relit. The one act made viewers feel like they were actually in an intimately lit restaurant, and most viewers probably found themselves completely engrossed in the story.
Ware Paints the Faces Behind the Scenes By Alex Shedd Junior Contributor
Middle school art teacher and track coach Marshall Ware is known for his support of the arts at St. Christopher’s and for his unique style of painting where he bases portraits off photographs of people.
His newest project is very personal to the St. Christopher’s community: portraits of our maintenance staff. “My father told me when I was young, ‘Whatever you do when you teach, make friends with the maintenance staff first and foremost; they are invaluable’,” he said. Mr. Ware is excited
to be painting these portraits of people he describes as a “particularly great group of guys.” Mr. Ware said that he was originally inspired for this project by Writer-InResidence Ron Smith who mentioned he should put work in the Luck Leadership Center gallery. But, more
importantly, he was influenced by the cancer diagnosis of the late maintenance worker Casey Jones who passed away last summer. Mr. Ware mentioned that around this time, he had first thought that it could be “really interesting to have those guys’ portraits up in the gallery.”
Mr. Ware is happy to give a meaningful tribute to the men who work behind the scenes at St. Christopher’s. He expects the portraits to be finished and hanging in the Luck Leadership Center gallery early in the 20142015 school year and hopes to have about 12 portraits finished.
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The Pine Needle
Barden Fills Bottles
Freshman Steps Up
By Ricky Stockel Freshman Contributor
By Ricky Stockel Freshman Contributor
Many students remember when Nick Sherod ’16 played on the Varsity basketball team as an eighth grader two years ago, an immense feat for such a young player. Now, Alexander Petrie ’17 is following in Sherod’s footsteps by making Varsity basketball as a freshman. Petrie has always had a strong talent and love for basketball. “We expected him to try out… he’s shown promise for a while,” said Assistant Varsity Basketball Coach Stephen Lewis. Petrie has been playing for AAU basketball teams for several years and said that playing in these leagues helped him improve to his current ability. “You see top talent not just from Richmond, but from the east coast and the country,” he said about AAU. Along with that league, Petrie also played on the St. Christopher’s eighth grade basketball team. Petrie, a 5’10” point guard, is having an impressive season. Through the regular season, he had racked up the third most playing time on the team (575:18 minutes). He has a 38.0 field goal percentage (54/142), a 72.3 free throw percentage and has scored 164 points, the fourth highest on the team. Petrie deals with the stress of playing on a Varsity team quickly on the court. Although he admits to getting “jitters before the games,” Petrie said that after the game begins and the first passes are thrown, he calms down and just focuses on playing. When it comes to playing under pressure, statistics show that Petrie is doing well, especially after playing in front of crowds close to 1,000 people. “I don’t really think about it too much… when you get on the court, you have to be confident,” he said. Besides the strains,
February 2014
physical and emotional, Petrie claims, “It’s definitely fun.” Injuries have been a setback for him since sixth grade when he hurt his knee. He has had a few injuries this year, but he has bounced back from them and is healthy and able to play. The coaches are happy to have the freshman on the team. Although at first Head Varsity Basketball Coach Hamill Jones was not sure if Petrie was ready athletically to play at the Varsity level, he has had no trouble keeping up with older players, some as old as 19. Jones and Lewis are both looking to the future with hope for the basketball team. With young talented players such as Petrie, Sherod and Ned Tazewell ’16, the coaches are expecting strong future seasons.
Few students can claim that they have ever been in charge of a fundraiser for charity, much less while in seventh grade. Henry Barden ’19, however, can make that claim. He recently raised more than $700 for the Children’s Home Society of Virginia through a fundraiser known as the Bottle Project. The idea came to Barden as he was watching television one day. He thought about the possibility of raising money for a charity. He said that he asked himself, “Are you going to watch things happen, or are you going to make things happen?” Barden chose to raise
Rooting For Russell By Jack Jiranek Junior Contributor
Which is stronger, hometown patrioOPINION tism or a crosstown school rivalry that has existed since 1963? Whether or not to support the Seahawks’s quarterback, Richmond native and former Collegiate School football star Russell Wilson, was the question that faced the St. Christopher’s community in the days leading up to this year’s somewhat anticlimactic Super Bowl. His association with Rich-
mond certainly brought the city a lot of positive media attention, so much so that it was tempting to jump on the bandwagon and claim some sort of relationship to him, no matter how tenuous. Yet, for some, it is still hard to overlook the fact that he used to play quarterback for Collegiate, our athletic arch-rivals. Media accounts and personal testimonies from people who know him make it easier to claim him as one of our own since by all accounts, Russell Wilson appears to be one of the most generous and driven athletes currently playing in the NFL. I don’t think
money for the Children’s Home Society of Virginia because his mother is on the board. She told him about the charity, and he decided that it would be a great place to help. The non-profit is dedicated to finding permanent homes for children who do not have them. Barden brought the idea to Middle School Chaplain Durk Steed. Mr. Steed loved the idea, but before he himself could approve it, the Middle School Missionary Society had to approve it. Barden was invited to a Missionary Society meeting where he presented his idea. After his presentation, Barden says there was a long pause among the Missionary Society members during which nobody said a thing. Finally, it was suggested that the idea be voted on. It was approved that anyone will contest that he is one of the main reasons that the Seahawks won their first ever Super Bowl. The fact that this talented, charitable athlete is from Richmond makes supporting him even more important. His modesty and genuine devotion to his team makes him even more likeable as a player, and the commitment that his team reciprocates shows that for Wilson, this is not just an act to be kept up while the cameras are rolling. He is the guy that he appears
unanimously. Barden made a presentation to the Middle School about his idea, and all the students seemed to like it. So, the fundraiser began Nov. 8 when each Middle School advisory received a bottle. Students brought in dimes to fill the bottle. A full bottle equaled $100. Mrs. Keena Fitch’s advisory that raised the most money and won “the Chik-Fil-A feast of greatness.” Barden, who won the fall seventh grade Great Saints Award which recognizes outstanding work and citizenship, plans to continue community service in the future. He said, “Now that you’ve done that really good thing for other people, are you going to stop here? Is this going to be the end of your legacy?... I’m going to try my very hardest to help others all my life.” to be. Since few of us are old enough to remember him while he attended Collegiate, I doubt that many will hold a grudge over how the Cougars beat us while Wilson was on their team. Overall, I believe that he is an athlete that we can be proud to call one of our own.
Playing In Chapel
One of the most daunting experiences for a high schooler Freshman Contributor continues to be exhibiting some skill, whether giving a speech or playing an instrument, in front of a large group of people. It is especially hard in front of all of your peers. However, a few Upper School students have felt that they are up to the task. Three freshmen, one sophomore and two juniors have played solo in front during chapel, either for a service or for the prelude. Thomas Kehoe ’17, Drew Vanichkachorn ’17 and James Armstrong ’17, performed the prelude on the piano. Kehoe performed “Prelude in C# Minor” by Rachmaninoff, and Armstrong played ‘Fantasy in D Minor’ by Chopin. “I enjoyed playing for the chapel... I was nervous,” said Armstrong. By Frost Wood
Vanichkachorn played a “graceful flowing piece that is supposed to imitate falling rain and flowing fountains.” Stephen McCray ‘16 displayed his talents on the violin, playing ‘Minuet’ from Quartet in D minor, by W.A. Mozart. The two juniors who performed solo were John Stillwell, on the trumpet, and Richard Bailey, on the harp. Stillwell played ‘Taps’ for the Veterans Day Service in the chapel, while Bailey has performed more than once this year. Notably, he performed ‘Prelude to Amazing Grace’ for a prelude and also played in the MLK service at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. Bailey said that playing in front of friends and classmates was “definitely nerve-wracking the first couple of times,” but has gotten “a little bit easier, though my nerves are still a factor in how I play.”
The Pine Needle
February 2014
Uhh...Chapel Etiquette
By John Fergusson Junior Contributor
Most here at St. Christopher’s fondly view chapel and annoucements as the most important part of the day. If chapel is so important, shouldn’t everyone try to conduct themselves in the most appropriate manner during this coveted time? Most faculty and students seem to think so. The real question is, however, “What is appropriate?” Faculty and students have many different opinions and pet peeves about certain behaviors during chapel. One popular topic of discussion is conduct during announcements after chapel, particularly some of the student behaviors such as the infamous “uhhhhh” and “ssssss.” French teacher Elsa Woodaman, for one, has no problem with this student conduct, saying that she actually finds it humorous. Junior Hunter Wigginton agrees with Mrs. Woodaman about the “uhh”ing, saying, “I think it’s sort of funny and it’s all right. People should think about what they’re going to say before they stand up.” Wigginton, however, does not like the student “sss”ing during announcements, calling it “annoying, stupid and rude.” Several people identified singing as a popular topic for discussion. Generally, students say that everyone should sing, regardless of
religious view. “I do think that everyone should join in when we sing a hymn,” said math teacher Emmett Carlson. “To me, singing a song together, unlike saying a prayer, does not necessarily profess religious belief but does emphasize and reinforce community, something in which I would hope we all believe.” Mrs. Woodaman shares a similar opinion, saying that people should try to sing, even if they sing softly. Sitting up during prayer received a more permissive response; most people said they don’t have any problem with it, adding that anyone is free to believe what they want. Junior Liam Boland, however, stated his opinion that chapel is about community just as much as it is about religion. “The kids who don’t bow their heads ignore the fact that chapel is about community more than anything else. For example, if you were at your friend’s house for dinner, you would bow your head out of respect,” said Boland. Upper School Chaplain Melissa Hollerith said, “If you’ve got your head down, and fall into the rhythm of the prayer, you won’t notice what
others are doing.” There were several other personal opinions about chapel conduct given out by faculty and students. Some of these opinions: Don’t chew gum; Don’t make a stupid joke for an announcement; Politely ask to meet with people in an announcement, rather than saying that you ‘need’ to meet with someone; Pay attention; Sit up straight; and so on and so forth. Rev. Hollerith said, “It falls on the seniors to lead the room. They set the tone for everything.” She said, “Watch for a buoyancy to come
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from them after spring break; they’ll start to realize their days in chapel are numbered.” While many have opinions and certain pet peeves about conduct during chapel, almost everyone seems to love it as a whole and recognize it as one of their favorite parts of the day at St. Christopher’s. Can we improve it? Probably. But almost anything can be improved. “I don’t think there is usually anything untoward that occurs during chapel.” said Mrs. Woodaman. “It’s one of my favorite parts of the day, and I hate missing it.”
A Poet’s Thoughts on Chapel By Ron Smith Faculty Contributor
I love STC’s Upper School chapel. It’s been friendly and inspiring for at least forty years, and these days it’s probably better than it ever was. Generally, students and faculty are grateful and respectful. Mrs. Hollerith delivers thoughtful, eloquent, moving sermons. Chapel speakers, especially faculty ones, take their responsibilities seriously and prepare appropriately. Can we improve chapel? Maybe. But I wouldn’t want efforts to make things better result in (as is too often the case) making them worse—
as Shakespeare says, “striving to mend, / To mar the subject that before was well.” So, what do I think? First: I think people should continue to be respectful and friendly in chapel. Second: I do wish students who make announcements and who deliver talks would take more seriously the English language and their role as deliverers of information. Students too often (1) fail to plan their remarks ahead of time, (2) speak too softly, (3) runtheirwordstogether. These are easy problems to solve, and they should be solved. Third: An educational institution must stand for freedom of thought—in all places and at all times.
Nobody has the right to tell a student what to think or what to believe. Nobody has the right to make a student pray. Must students nevertheless bow their heads during prayer? Is sitting upright during prayer disrespectful? I don’t think so. Could it be done in a disrespectful way? Probably. Most things can be done in a disrespectful way. Fourth: Talking before chapel? I think it’s natural to chat a little when you come into a crowded space — but you have to know when to shut up. I don’t recall being offended by chatter in recent years. Fifth: I think that saying “uh” at the beginning of an announcement is actually a natural thing to do. It’s instinc-
tive, a kind of “Heads up!” “Uhh”ing someone who is beginning to speak is, I think, simply rude. Hissing is, I think, also rude, even when done good-naturedly. Finally, let me say that morals are more important than manners, and that truth and conscience are matters of morality. I like Dr. Chamberlayne’s emphasis on gentlemanly behavior. You don’t always have to blurt out what you think, especially if you suspect it’s going to hurt someone’s feelings or make them angry. Be polite when you can be. But obeying the Honor Code— just to cite one example—is much, much more important than just being nice. Never lie. This also means never saying you believe something when you don’t. A place like St. Christopher’s ought to be a place
where people are not only polite and warm to one another but where they also have the courage to take a stand. I say, don’t be obnoxious, but also don’t be a wimp about your beliefs. I’ll end with a story. A couple of decades ago I was troubled by a STC sermon I thought was, well, pointedly Christian — meaning maybe insulting to the nonChristians in the room. I left the chapel walking beside a friend who was Jewish. I asked her, “Are you ever uncomfortable in chapel?” She said, “Oh, no, I love chapel.” That’s what I want every person in chapel to feel at STC every day. Is that kind of perfection attainable? Well, it’s an ideal — an ideal like the STC Honor Code. An ideal for which we have an obligation to strive.
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The Back Page
February 2014
The 2014 Winter Olympics
The sun has set on the Sochi Winter Games. Yes, the world, with a sigh of relief, has left the half-finished Olympic Village in the balmy, seaside resort town, only miles from a volatile and insecure region; however, the Olympic flame is not extinguished. It has simply moved. The spirit of goodwill and friendly competition has now settled amongst the swaying pine trees of St. Christopher’s, and The Pine Needle has the privilege of bringing you exclusive access to the 2014 STC Olympics games. You will not find coverage any place else. Here is a preview of what is to come.
STC
The administration has decided to spend way too much money preparing for these games (corruption?). Marketing and Admissions hope to prove to the world that St. Christopher’s is a modern, democratic, inclusive and culturally significant community. Preparations have been extensive. Of course, the packs of feral dogs needed to be removed, the TV monitors in the LLC turned on and the radio booth powered up in order to give to illusion of technological savvy.
The Opening Ceremonies This year Mrs. Vicki Hurt has been given the honor of lighting the Olympic torch. She will ceremonially light the Bunsen burner with the flint and steel striker, wearing the appropriate safety goggles. The flame will continue to burn throughout the games until the gas valve is closed on the final day or someone bumps into the big red button. The lighting of the burner will be followed by a parade, led by Cheer Captain Essex, in which Varsity athletes will run through the whole school banging drums and screaming. The ceremony will close with a strong rendition of “Lift Up Your Voices,” and the games will begin.
The Lunchtime Super Combined One of the most highly anticipated events is the Lunchtime Super Combined. This contest requires athletes to go from the door of Chamberlayne to a seat in the dining hall with a plate of food. The course consists of two sections: the downhill and the Giant Slalom. Fifteen steps, an elevation loss of 28.6 feet and a dogleg left will make the first downhill section challenging. Inside the LLC, the slalom begins. Athletes must navigate carelessly placed backpacks, dodge the mob of people and slip around empty chairs, all with hands full of food.
Flappy Bird Though this game has been removed from the App Store because it is “too addicting,” it remains a fan favorite on the Olympic schedule. Athletes will pilot a bird that is constantly changing colors through a series of increasingly difficult obstacles that look strikingly similar to Nintendo’s green tubes found in “Mario.” Look for the technology staff to show off their video game skills and make a push for the medals. The qualifying score is a paltry 22.
Trashball
After strong lobbying by the language department, this rugged sport, which requires true precision, found its way onto the Olympic stage. Scoring goes as follows: 5 feet back, 1 point; 10 feet back scores 2; 15 feet away is a 3; athletes can go all the way to the back of the room for an unprecedented 5 points. This is the only event for which candy is given to victors in lieu of medals. Expect Houston Hardy ’14 to show up big here.
The J-Lot 150 This is the fastest event of the games. Athletes will sprint from the Junior Lot to the doors of chapel, while weighed down by 20-pound backpacks and miscellaneous gear. The course begins with an uphill push to the Murrell Bookstore, then a gradual downhill, followed by a sharp left turn, at which point Mr. Tune’s encouragement booms loudly. The favorites, Duncan Rogers ’15 and Nathaniel Llewellyn ’15, have been preparing since the beginning of the year; Henry Fauls ’14 holds the record at a swift 11 seconds.
Escape the Senior Lot BCS Wing Eating Event cancelled due to “inclement” weather.
Senior v. Faculty Basketball This event is yet to be slated. Stay tuned.
Locker Room MMA Strength, tenacity and the ability to use anything within arms reach are essential for victory in this anything-goes event. Expect flying cleats, baseball bats, lax sticks and high intensity. Spectators beware; due to the intimate arena, collateral damage is a given.
This dangerous event forces athletes, behind the wheel of their car, to navigate through an obstacle course full of end-cap parkers, oblivious mothers picking up their underclassmen and idling school buses. The true test comes when the deadly St. Catherine’s girls show up for track practice and turn in the wrong way. This chess match ends with a totaled car or infuriating gridlock. Tyler Perkins ’14 is favored to win with his motorcycle and
speed suit designed by aerospace engineers at Lockheed Martin and stitched by UnderArmour.
The Pine Needle Staff Editor-in-Chief Peyton McElroy
Faculty Advisor
Mrs. Kathleen Thomas
Photographer Zaid Al-Moghrabi
Managing Editor
Junior Contributors
Sophomore Contributors
Freshman Contributors
Senior Contributor
John Fergusson William Maddock Alex Shedd Jack Jiranek
Jack Holdaway Will McKinnon William Simopolous
Neil Dwivedi Austin Cashwell Ricky Stockel Frost Wood Bo Williamson Luke Forbes Nick Sherod
Henry Fauls Cooper Yoo
Faculty Contributor Mr. Ron Smith
Special thanks to Mr. Cappy Gilchrist for help with photos