May 2018 | The Pine Needle

Table of Contents 1 3 7 11 13 15 17 21 23 25 29 31 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 43 44 45 46 47 Volume CII

Issue 4

Gun Control Views Hylton Heals Henrico Metamorphoses Lessons from Hunting Life as a Twin: Aubrey and Knight Bowles Saying Goodbye to the Middle School Audiotorium Legacy of Dave Menges New Lower School Head Streetwear Senior Sports Commits Faculty Gives College Advice College Decisions Kiritsis’ Service Spans Seven Continents Golf Team Triumphs Baseball Seeks Redemption Pam McDaniel / Cathy Johns Ginger Adamson Annette McCabe Mary O’Brien Student Reactions to New J-Lot Breaking the Great Firewall David Millman Research Yiota Souras visits STC STC Holds Muslim Symposium The Oak Needle

Design Editor: Oliver Hale ’21 Freshmen: Hugo Abbot, Aubrey Bowles, Cleighton Hilbert, Robert

The Pine Needle is the magazine of St. Christopher’s School. that is run, written, edited and designed by students in grades nine through twelve.

COVER ART by CHRISTIAN SHEROD ’18

Mish, Ben Pawlik, Willem Peters, Spencer Villanueva, Henry Weatherford, Coleman Wray Sophomores: Oliver Sabo, Julian Taylor Juniors: Tabb Gardner, Hunter Gardner, Henry Barden, Chris McCormick Seniors: Andrew Clark, Thurston Moore, Aidan Messick

Gun Survey Gives Glimpse into Guys’ Views

By Andrew Clark ’18 and Thurston Moore ’18 An overwhelming majority of Upper School students and faculty support tougher background checks on gun purchases. However, opinions are much more divided on other issues.

A survey was sent out to the Upper School on March 19 , asking a few basic questions to see where people stood on gun control. Here are some of the results from the 259 responses: 219 (84.6 percent) people support tougher background checks; 153 (59.1 percent) said that schools should hire more security guards; 131 (50.4 per-

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cent) support raising the minimum age to 21 to buy a gun; and 139 (53.7 percent) of respondents support a bump stock ban Several students and faculty were then followed up with for interviews to offer more in-depth answers to the questions from our survey. Tate Lifson ’19 and Joe Brennan ’19 both said that the minimum age to buy a gun should be raised to 21. Brennan added that there need to be more regulations on buying guns, and a good place to start is to increase the minimum age. Christian Carlow ’18

also supported raising the minimum age and stated that he finds it ridiculous that people can own a gun before they are legally able to drink alcohol.

Jack Franko ’18 believes that purchasing guns should adhere to the age of majority for being able to vote and serve in the military. Upper School Math Teacher Emmett Carlson and George Freeman ’20 offered a different view, saying that the minimum age should be raised to 21 only for select types of firearms, such as semiautomatic weapons.

With regard to guns and attachments, Lifson, Freeman and Brennan all agreed that bump stocks and suppressors should be banned. Robert Mish ’21 and Carlow supported the banning of bump stocks. Mish continued, saying that fully automatic weapons manufactured post-1986 should be legalized for citizens willing to go through the extensive paperwork and background checks to buy and own one.

On the other side of this question, Baylor Fuller ’19 said that nothing should be banned because it isn’t a gun issue; it’s a mental health and

human issue. Fuller continued by saying that limiting what types of guns people can buy only hurts law-abiding gun owners, and that lawmakers should instead focus on preventing mentally ill people from being able to obtain guns at all.

Henry Rodriguez ’18 agreed with Fuller that he does not wish to see semi-automatic rifles or other firearms banned. He thinks that the problem of people acquiring guns should be addressed instead of banning “scary looking” rifles.

Opinions on how school security should change varied, with no general consensus forming around any one option. Mr. Carlson, Lifson, Freeman, Rodriguez and Brennan all agreed that teachers should not be armed because it introduces another source of fear and danger into an already stressful environment. Mr. Carlson even went so far as to say he would quit teaching altogether if teachers were armed.

Franko and Fuller, however, said that if teachers are comfortable with using a gun, they should be able to bring it to school to make the school a little bit safer. Franko believes that making schools “gun- free zones” doesn’t do anything to prevent school shootings, and instead makes schools sitting ducks.

Looking in a different direction, Lifson and Freeman said that schools should focus on more secure and effective lockdown procedures to protect students in the event of a school shooter.

When it comes to background checks, everyone interviewed agreed that they need to be more thorough and tougher.

Fuller mentioned that there should be universal red flag legislation, allowing people to report possibly dangerous behavior by those who own or are looking to buy guns.

This would allow police to investigate and, if deemed necessary, remove any guns that the person may have bought.

Carlow, Lifson and Brennan all agreed that there needs to be a greater emphasis on mental health awareness and allowing people with mental illnesses to more easily seek help, before they possibly lose their judgement and commit an atrocious crime.

Uniquely, Lifson believes that you should have to earn a gun

license like a driver’s license, in the sense that you have to take a test to prove that you know what you’re doing. He believes that this would prevent impulse purchases and drastically reduce one-off homicides and suicides committed by firearms.

Franko and Freeman believe that there should be a waiting period when purchasing a gun, with the goal of preventing impulsive gun violence.

13.1%

84.6%

Toughen background checks Don’t change background checks Weaken background checks Eliminate background checks

May 2018

2

Hylton Heals Henrico

By Andrew Clark ’18 When dispatch sends out a psychiatric call about a woman in a parking lot, you would probably expect to arrive on scene and find someone acting a bit out of it. What you’re not expecting to encounter is a naked person who believes she is a security camera, and that everyone else is a sexual predator. That’s exactly what Michael Hylton ’18 found when he was responded to a call one night.

This is one of about 600 calls that Hylton has responded to in his first year as an emergency medical technician(EMT). While certainly not a normal call, it demonstrates some of the crazy situations he has dealt with across his emergency medical service career.

Hylton has been an EMT for Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad(TVRS) since May 2017. He’s always been interested in emergency medicine, and a multitude of stories from his brother, a police officer for Chesterfield Police Department, further cemented this desire. However, he didn’t realize he wanted to be an EMT until he read an article in The Pine Needle about Alec Hale ’16, who served as an EMT for TVRS before going off to Virginia Tech. This article put everything together for Hylton and allowed him to realize that he wanted to be an EMT so that he could help people and learn more about emergency medicine.

Before Hylton could start going on calls, he had to complete six months of EMT classes, which consisted of hands-on experience, practicing scenarios and a difficult written exam. Training didn’t stop there, however, because TVRS required him to go through a few months of training specific to field work as an EMT, such as driving an ambulance and being able to correctly fulfill different roles on scene.

After almost a year of training, Hylton was EMT and

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was able to respond to calls with his partner, Gabby Bow. TVRS assigns him a shift every 8th night from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., but he often picks up an extra shift or two throughout the week. During the summer, Hylton typically works five shifts per week. Across his year of being an EMT, he has responded to over 600 calls, totalling approximately 1,400 hours of work. Most of these calls were general illness or transport calls. There is no typical call that they receive, as every call is unique.

On May 24, Hylton was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award in recognition of his dedication and incredible volunteer service contribution to the Henrico community.

Before his shift begins, Hylton inspects the ambulance and makes sure that everything is in its place. Once completed, his shift begins and won’t end for 12 hours.

The only time Hylton is able to sleep is in small intervals between calls. Sometimes he won’t get any sleep if the station is swamped, which makes Hylton miserable and exhausted all of the next day, especially if he has to go to school.

On April 27, I did a ride-along with Hylton to see what being an EMT was all about. I met him at the TVRS station on Horsepen Rd. at about 7 p.m., and I signed some consent paperwork. I began my night by putting on a blue jumpsuit with “Tuckahoe Observer” printed on the back.

Then, Hylton gave me a tour of the station.

There are two bedrooms, each with about five bunk beds and one full bathroom, two classrooms, a lounge area and a main computer room, where calls are monitored. I was surprised at how large the station is, especially because it looks so small from the outside. Attached to the station is a large garage holding four ambulances.

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At about 7:20 p.m., when Hylton was showing me the ambulance computer system, a call came in over the loudspeaker. Dispatch said that a fight had broken out and that there was one person with a possible broken nose. Hylton, Bow and I hopped into the ambulance and, with lights and sirens on, sped off to respond to the call.

On scene, a Henrico County Police car was there, and two officers were standing near the man who had a possible broken nose. Our paramedic, Sean Hegamyer, asked him a few questions about how he felt while checking to see if the man’s nose was broken. The call was cleared when the injured man stated that he didn’t want to be transported to the hospital, so he signed a refusal which released TVRS of liability, and we left the scene.

Afterwards, we went back to the station to wait for the next call. A wait that we expected to only take several minutes ended up taking three hours. During the drought of calls, Hylton and I watched a movie to pass the time.

At 10:24 p.m. a call came in requesting a transport for an elderly woman.

When we got to the retirement center, we were directed into the lady’s room. The staff was no help when asked about the woman’s condition. The woman said she felt fine, but when Hylton and Bow tried to move her onto the transfer board she let out a painful scream that terrified me. In her pain, she screamed out that she “wanted to die” over and over again. As someone who had never experienced this before, it broke my heart.

After 10 painful minutes, the old woman was put on the stretcher, rolled out of the nursing home and put in the ambulance. During the transport to St. Mary’s Hospital, Bow took her vitals, hooked her up to an EKG, the machine that monitors electrical heart activity, and called the hospital to inform them that we were transporting a patient.

Once we got to St. Mary’s, we unloaded the stretcher and wheeled the patient into the emergency room. Once she got a room, Hylton and Bow worked to get her off of the stretcher and onto the hospital bed. Similar to before, when Hylton, Bow and the nurse attempted to move the woman, she screamed out in agony and begged us to kill her. Afterwards, Hylton and I worked to clean and change the sheets on the stretcher while Bow worked on the report.

After we left St. Mary’s, Hylton said we were going to drive around the North Side for about half an hour because all of the EMS teams were out on calls. We ended

up not being needed as backup over the half hour so we turned around and returned the station at 12:09 a.m.

Hylton said he learned from being an EMT that if you aspire to be or have an interest in something, you should pursue it no matter how challenging it looks. He said that when he was thinking of becoming an EMT, the classwork and training seemed incredibly daunting.

Regardless, he pushed through and worked hard and successfully became an EMT. He encouraged everyone to pursue their interests no matter how difficult or daunting it seems, because you can only succeed if you try.

May 2018

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By Kinloch Nelson ’18 As soon as King Midas (Darren Badley ’19) stepped into the pool with his suit on, the entire audience knew that “Metamorphoses” was going to be a fun play. This play combined its source material’s themes of mutability and love with the comedy and action of forcing actors to work with a pool, whether they’re being pushed into it or floating on the surface.

“Metamorphoses” is split into six different vignettes, most of them sourced from the Roman poet Ovid’s narrative epic. The beginning of the play tells the creation story using classic terms of order and chaos. Zeus (Grayson Walsh ’18) and a scientist (Emily McDermott ’18) go back and forth telling the story, only differing at the end, when Zeus says that “some say the god perfected the world” while the scientist postulates that “others maintain that we come from the natural order of things.”

The most impressive aspect of this production was without question

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the pool. The pool’s purpose flawlessly changes from swimming pool to ocean to the River Styx. As Zeus and the scientist tell the story of the creation of humanity, King Midas strides into the pool, and the sound of the water makes the scene feel like reality.

Only a few days before the show, the pool broke. All of the water drained out and the Ampersand crew worked incredibly hard to get it fixed. “A bunch of the kids really stepped up,” said Upper School Multimedia and Technology Specialist and Ampersand Light Designer JD Jump. The actors only had a few days to rehearse in the pool, making their performance all the more impressive.

The Midas story introduces the transformation motif in its most famous form. The greedy Midas helps a drunk man (Spencer Cox ’18) find a place to stay(though he does it selfishly), and Bacchus, the god of wine and parties, rewards Midas with a wish. Despite not knowing the name

of his own daughter (Caroline Lynch ’19), Midas has been saying that he loves his family above all else, but when given the opportunity, Midas chooses to turn whatever he touches to gold.

His daughter, despite Midas’ constant reprimands, leaps into the water to hug him but is turned into gold. Midas is given a quest to find a mystical pool to revive her.

In this scene, the play reinforces its comedy by showing the viewers a juxtaposition of Midas’ suit and the drunken man’s toga and laurel crown. The audience knows they can laugh, even in sad moments like the transformation of Midas’ daughter.

After she is turned to gold, the girl floats stiffly in the water like a statue until she is carried away.

In the next story, King Ceyx (Hollis Cobb ’19), driven by arrogance and desire for glory, abandons his wife Alcyone (Laney Yoo ’19) to go on a sea adventure. When Ceyx dies and his body floats back to shore, he and

Alcyone turn into living birds.

Despite being introduced as a happier story than the previous, this story feels more serious. Yoo sold her grief exceptionally, and despite both characters ending up together, there’s a more significant feeling of loss that is not healed by the transformation.

In the Ovidian sense, a metamorphosis like this should be the union of two lovers into eternal happiness in nature, but in this play, something feels missing. The more somber notes in this vignette work well in the context of “Metamorphoses” despite not having exactly the same implications as the source.

The funniest and probably best part of the play was the episode where Phaeton (Spencer Cox ’18), abandoned by his father and bullied at school, works through his psychological problems with a therapist (Emily McDermott ’18). Both actors were outstanding in this scene. The therapist and Phaeton seem to be living in different worlds, with Phaeton

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talking about how he borrowed the magic chariot of his father, the sun god Apollo. Phaeton crashes the sun into the earth, causing mass destruction.

The therapist, on the other hand, takes down notes about Phaeton as if the story he tells is a mythical representation of his own personal trauma due to his abandonment by his father. The therapist notes Phaeton’s self aggrandizement and “infantile complexes” while Phaeton worries about the damage he has caused by crashing the sun into the earth. The therapist closes the story by comparing mythology to dreams, paying homage to the play’s mythic origins and offering some kind of psychological message, the point of which is not entirely clear.

The greatest strength of this story

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and of the play as a whole is humor.

When Phaeton told the story of finally meeting his father, he said, “Now, there’s only one thing that I want. I mean it’s obvious, right? I say, ‘Give me the keys to your car.’

Immediately he starts backpedaling.”

In classical tradition, Phaeton asking for the reins of the sun is not a funny moment. It’s a scene where a hero’s arrogance destroys the world. In this play, however, the audience was laughing uproariously.

Even in the final vignette, the heartwarming story of Baucis (Madi Haine ’18) and Philemon (Hollis Cobb ’19), a poor couple who shows hospitality to disguised gods, the most emotional scene was met with laughs. Baucis and Philemon are granted a wish, which unlike the foolish Midas, they use to ensure that

neither of them should live to see the other die.

At the end of the scene, as they both die happily in each others’ arms, they turn into a wonderful tree, preserving their love for generations.

This is the best of Ovid, the power of love immortalized by the gods and transformation. In the play, the audience found this scene funny, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It is a happy moment, even in death.

In the end of the play, Midas finds the magic pool and saves his daughter. They embrace, and the play ends on a happy note.

There’s something about this play that made it so much fun. It’s not particularly long and sometimes the stories don’t seem connected, but it was hard not to leave the theater with a smile.

May 2018

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Lessons From Hunting

By Thurston Moore ’18 While most of the time it would seem crazy to wake up around four or five in the morning and go outside in the middle of winter, some of my best memories involve this battle against sleep deprivation and freezing temperatures.

While not every moment has been as comfortable as sleeping in until noon under my warm covers at home, I would not trade my childhood hunting experiences for anything.

The lessons I’ve learned have proven invaluable in my life and from sitting in awe of nature’s beauty to preparing a meal from my own kill, the experiences I’ve had have made me into the person I am today.

One of my first lessons came when I was very young, learning to shoot a shotgun for the first time. When teaching, many people, my dad included, will say to “cheek” the gun. This means to put your cheek against the stock as it is pressed against your shoulder. Unfortunately for me, my brain had not fully developed common sense at the time, and I thought that he meant to place the butt of the gun on my cheek. Excited to shoot, I did as I thought was correct and fired off a shot. While looking back on it, I see the pure stupidity of my decision and understand fully my dad’s mixture of laughter and concern as I clutched my jaw that had just taken the full kick of the gun.

While the “cheeking” incident was one of the first lessons I learned from hunting, it was nowhere near the last.

From the pure patience and endurance learned from many long mornings and afternoons to fostering my passion and knowledge for firearms, hunting has shaped much of my

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childhood, and I was excited to share when my good friend Will Bird told me he wanted to give it a try.

Will jokingly brought up wanting to hunt last year and I told him that if he completed a hunter safety course and got his license, I’d be happy to take him.

We kept joking about it but as we joked, he worked through an online course. Near the end of the hunting season, Will finished the course, I guided him through purchasing the proper licensing, and on the last day of the season, he met my dad, my brother, my brother’s then fiance (now wife) and me at our house early in the morning to drive out to our farm.

As we were preparing in our cabin, Bird hit us with a curveball. Not only had he never been hunting, he had never shot a gun. My dad ran him through a quick gun safety briefing and I answered his questions and gave him a few tips. Just like many of my hunting stories, I could go on for hours about that day, but it culminated in one “commando raid,” as my family likes to call them.

We had been sitting on a creek watching as ducks and geese landed in a pond nearby. Since nothing was coming to us, we decided to sneak up on them and see what we could get.

We crept up as close as we could and when we were noticed, we charged full speed to the edge of the pond and rattled off some shots. My brother and I both shot at a goose and it dropped. I heard Will shoot to my left and saw a goose land limp on the water. Neither my brother nor I had shot at it so we knew that Will had gotten his first kill.

Will recalls enjoying waking up early and watching the sun rise from out in the woods. While he erred on the side of caution, saying “it’s probably better to not shoot and have no one die then to try to shoot a goose and end up killing someone,” Will was very excited to get a goose and enjoyed shooting a gun for the first time.

A couple weeks later, he called me up to go shooting an AK47 at a local range. When asked if he would continue hunting, Will said he doesn’t have somewhere to go but he’d always be willing to go again with a friend. Most people either grow up hunting or avoid it their whole life, but for those who choose to branch out from what they know, there is a world of great experiences out there to be discovered.

Thurston Moore ’18 and Will Bird ’18 bag a couple of geese.

May 2018

12

Life as a Twin: Aubrey Bowles

By Robert Mish ’21 When Aubrey Bowles ’21 swiped his brother Knight’s Lego magazine, both brothers knew there was going to be a showdown. Knight went to get it back, chased him out the room and split his head going around a sharp corner.

Knight’s wound gushed blood, created a puddle and required six stitches to patch it up.

What was the offending brother’s response you might ask? “I went into my mom’s room and hid her closet so [my parents] wouldn’t find me there,” Aubrey said. As expected, when asked whether Knight has ever forgiven him for that incident, Aubrey responded with a simple, “I don’t think so.”

While humorous, this incident isn’t really indicative of the brothers’ relationship. “We’re pretty good to each other,” Aubrey said. “We look out for each other. We care about each other.”

Aubrey is easily recognizable by his red hair, unlimited energy and positive attitude. By and large, he enjoys being a triplet. “It feels pretty good I mean ... With just Knight around the house, things would get pretty boring, but you know Maddie, she is a good sister, and we get along pretty well.”

According to Aubrey, he and his siblings don’t always get along so well. “We also fight sometimes,” he said, describing the brawls as sometimes like “hand-to-hand combat.”

One thing that anybody can see about these triplets is their competitive spirit. Aubrey explained that he and his brother Knight are always competing against each other, whether on the turf or in the classroom. According to Aubrey, “I am better than [Knight] athletically, but he is probably better than me academically.”

While the two compete against each other quite often, they sometimes work together towards a common goal.

One of these goals is to team up with one another when

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arguing with Maddie. “We usually just team up against Maddie, because she is the oldest, and she is always trying to tell us what to do, but you know Knight and I kind of team up against her, and we take her down.”

Aubrey lives a pretty normal life. He and his siblings argue sometimes (big surprise), and get along at other times. They have gotten into bad fights before, and they compete hard against one another. The fact that they are triplets doesn’t really change the fact that they are still your average siblings; and siblings will always argue, and they will always get into fights with each other over minor disagreements, especially over Legos.

By Cleighton Hilbert ’21 “God blessed me with tan skin and great hair,” said Knight Bowles ’21 about his life as a triplet and why not being a ginger has proven to be a key advantage over his siblings.

Knight and Aubrey ’21, along with Maddie (St. Catherine’s ’21) are triplets. Their unique situation makes for lots of hilarious stories and fights, although Knight claims that he and Aubrey typically get along.

Knight says that fights typically start in the exact same way every time, “Mostly Aubrey just tends to want to fight whenever he gets bored, and I’m trying to do work since WI have a harder schedule than he does. He thinks he’s better but he’s not.”

Knight claims that although they are usually wellbehaved there have been times when they simply don’t agree. He said that the biggest fight he and Aubrey ever had took place when the two were in Lower School. “I got mad, and I think I threw some little toy car at him, and it hit his head, and he had to get stitches, but we were 6 so it doesn’t really matter now.”

In general Knight says that being a triplet has its ups and downs. He said it is nice to always have someone around because life never gets lonely and studying together is helpful, but the fights come along with all of that.

Being a triplet isn’t just hard for the triplets, it is also hard for their parents. Knight said his dad’s initial reaction to having triplets was fear. “My dad was going to have to work really hard. They like it now. He says he wouldn’t change it at all.”

Mr. Russell Bowles, a criminal defense attorney, said the arrival of triplets changed his retirement. “I was planning on retiring from the practice of law at the age of 50, and my dad, who I had the pleasure of practicing with for almost 30 years, was always somewhat miffed that I was going to be able to retire well ahead of him,” Mr. Bowles said. “However, when I had the triplets, my retirement plans were decimated. I’m hoping to retire at maybe the age of 152.”

Mr. Bowles also noted that while scuffles between him and his two brothers resulted in broken bones, broken furniture and some trips to the hospital, the triplets are not as brutal.

Knight claims that he and Aubrey are competitive in some parts of life, but not as much in others. “In school definitely. We compete together to see who can get the highest GPA,” but since they play different sports, they aren’t as competitive in that regard.

Knight Bowles

May 2018

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Saying Goodbye to the Middle School Auditorium

By Julian Taylor ’20 When the idea of a new recital hall and arts building was broached, most students and faculty didn’t think about the impending repurposing of the Middle School Auditorium into three classrooms.

The auditorium, which has been on campus more than 50 years, has played a key part in school history. “Alums come in and want to look at the auditorium because it has not changed. The exact wood paneling behind the stage that they stared at so many hours as a kid is still there, untouched. It’s the same podium plus a few extra nicks and scratches. The space reminds them of the past and their childhood days as a student at St. Christopher’s,” said the Rev. Durk Steed, Middle School chaplain.

Some memorable events that took place in this auditorium include hosting Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, Tuskegee Airman Thomas McGee, Erik Weihenmayer (the first blind person to summit Mount Everest), former Sudanese child soldiers, young adult author Rick Riordan, the annual “dance of the little old men” and pie throwing in faculty faces. In addition, many faculty members have told personal stories that will never be forgotten in that space, and the auditorium has served as a place of reflection and peace during the horrifying acts that took place Sept. 11, 2001 as well as the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris.

All students who attended St. Christopher’s during Middle School hold a certain connection to this space, but no one knows it better than the Middle School chaplain, who has mixed emotions. He is excited to offer up the space for continued learning and knows that Mr. Cross,

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Mr. Carrier, Mr. Porter who will teach in the classrooms that it will be divided into are going to excel. “The Middle School faculty and students are excited to see where this next stage of our journey will take us,” he said. “ Plus, the passionate musician in me is excited about the new performance music hall. Imagine the wonderful music we will make in the new expanded space. Of course, I’ll never forget the great musical performances and dances this old wooden stage has seen. We’ve happily blown out the auditorium speakers more times than I’d like to admit.”

When Mr. Steed started his career at St.Christopher’s in 2000, he gave his first chapel talk in the auditorium not knowing what to expect. “I quickly found I’d landed in a fun place,” he said. His first talk recounted an incident during his college years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when he and his friends, fresh out of high school and lacking confidence, picked on another student. “We were teasing a suite mate from Wilmington, North Carolina when UNC basketball star Michael Jordan, also from Wilmington, dropped in for a visit,” he said. “Jordan showed us what real confidence looks like.

He was kind and friendly and treated our suite mate with utmost respect.” Steed urged students to take the high road like Michael Jordan.

The Rev. Steed intends for the auditorium to go out in a bang, planning a farewell celebration for the morning of June 1. A Middle School rock band with students Mac Miller ’22 , Killian Winn ’22 and George Thompson

‘22 will open with the energetic tune “Gone” by Montgomery Gentry with help from teachers Nick Brata, Peter Cross, Jeremy Dunn and Will Judd. During the chorus, background vocalists will sing “repurposed” in place of “gone.”

J.D. Jump digitized a VHS tape of the 2004 Middle School Idol show in which alum Crisman Traywick ’08 did a legendary impersonation of math teacher Don Golladay, going so far as to shave his head. “I’m really excited to show that video,” Mr. Steed said. “Christian really nailed the impression ­— accent, mannerisms, everything.

He even pulled his pants up to his stomach and started jiggling keys just like Mr. Golladay. Golladay’s currents students are going to love it. And it reminds us why we love Mr. Golladay so much.”

Next will be the final but different “Dance of the Dead” conducted by Mr. Carrier, who will be presented with a ceremonial padded wooden dancing stick to symbolize that students will need to take care of the new space and no longer bang on the floor with reckless abandon.

Archivist Alice Flowers identified several families

who’ve had multiple generations in the space. The McGuire Boyd family trio will lead in the Opening Sentences. Mr. Jim Boyd, long time Upper School Math teacher, his son Leo Boyd ’88 and grandson Jamie Boyd ‘22 will also light and extinguish the candles. The service will conclude with a hymn, “Seek Ye First,” and a prayer.

“I wish I had a list of all the prayers we’ve said in that auditorium,” Mr. Steed said. “We’d be encouraged by all the prayers God has answered.” Upon conclusion, the eighth grade students will go straight into a math exam, so Mr. Steed wanted to calm them with a last hymn.

The Middle School auditorium has been a multipurpose area for students and faculty to gather. Whether it’s Mr. Spears’s bad joke of the day or St. Catherine’s English Teacher John Morgan ’94 telling of the death of his friend Jamie Van Dorsten, everyone who has taken part in this auditorium has a special memory. Although the space will be repurposed into classrooms in the upcoming months, the auditorium will never be removed from the memories of those who got a chance to witness the historical events in the St. Christopher’s community that took place in that space.

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Dave Menges

By Henry Weatherford ’21 and Willem Peters ’21

2018 marks the last the Lower School will see of Mr. Menges. An entire generation is indebted to the man who redefined the Lower School.

The image of Mr. Dave Menges, head of the Lower School for 17 years, meeting children with a handshake and a kind greeting is embedded in the memories of every St. Christopher’s parent, student and faculty member.

Mr. Menges has made it his goal to create what he calls a more “forward-moving and forward-thinking school.” He calls an organization that does not move to meet the requirements of a changing society and world “stuck.” Mr. Menges has worked to cultivate a close-knit ethos around the school, a caring and compassionate community where children are taught about empathy, collaboration and affection to educate men ready for the needs of the 21st century.

“It brings me great satisfaction ... being confronted with a challenge or problem and trying to solve it — boys who are having a difficult time, teachers trying to think of new ways of teaching, best strategies or approaches to make situations better,”

Mr. Menges said.

He always finds it difficult when a boy, family or colleague is going through a challenging time.

He said one of the most taxing times for him was the days following Sept. 11, during his first week teaching at St. Christopher’s: “I found it quite difficult to even talk to the boys after the attack,” he said. “Many of them had lost loved ones and family friends ... you can’t pull a lever and make everything better.”

Thankfully, not every day presents such challenges. “There are events, things like the ebb and flow of a school day,” he said. “You know, there is a rhythm to it that kind of has a life of its own. I love it. It’s something that’s really special.”

Over the years, Mr. Menges has collected many memories. One time a boy, knowing Mr. Menges has a sweet tooth, gave him a brownie for April Fool’s Day that turned out to be a sponge.

Other memories are less silly, he said. “Having the [junior kindergar-

ten] and [kindergarten] boys over during winter is another one of my favorite memories. The religious aspect of things I also love; chapel, Holy Week and the Christmas Season.”

Mr. Menges mentioned he is also going to miss his colleagues, the students and people of St. Christopher’s.

“I just made so many great friendships over the years,” he said. “I just need to go have a conversation with [the boys], and [it makes] make me feel better. It’s been a really great, magical 17 years. It’s been hard work, but the more you put in, the more you get out.”

Mr. Menges said he has loved watching an entire generation grow and develop through his time here and is grateful for his own personal and professional development. “Over the years, I’ve been able to really learn more about who I am.”

In the short term, Mr. Menges plans to do some seasonal work for Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Maine, where he worked

May 2018

18

for before coming here and will commute back and forth between there and Richmond.

He will undergo some shoulder surgery because of a rotator cuff tear and have time to attend all his children’s games without having to worry about missing school. His daughter Erin, who received this year’s Colonial Athletics Association Institutional Female Athlete-Scholar award, just graduated from the College of William and Mary where she excelled at field hockey. His son, Sean, a rising junior at the University of Richmond, plays lacrosse; Cara, a rising freshman at William and Mary, will play field hockey there.

At Outward Bound, Mr. Menges will provide instruction on kayaking, canoeing, hiking and other outdoor activities.

“There’s something about taking a group of young people who are at this really interesting stage of their life, going out on expedition with them, teaching them skills to cope in

19 The Pine Needle

an unfamiliar setting and watching how people grow under the circumstances,” he said. “It’s good for the student and good for me as well.

There is a sense of accomplishment when it’s all said and done.”

Mr. Menges said he believes that the change in setting is good for boys.

The “learning is the same, but the situation is compressed.”

Mr. Menges’ departure is a great loss for the school, his colleagues said.

The Rev. Megan Limburg, former Lower School chaplain, worked with Mr. Menges for 13 years. When Mr. Menges was hired, Dr. Limburg was already here, but bonds were quickly established during the first few weeks of his first year. When the school was interviewing candidates for the position of principal, Mr. Menges was the last in line, and he was “clearly the best candidate … he was very positive and had high energy,” said Dr. Limburg, who enjoyed having someone who was always

thinking about the “big picture” as her boss.

She admired him for overseeing the complex and ever-moving parts of the Lower School, while still keeping a great attitude.

Dr. Limburg said her favorite memory of Mr. Menges was on her 50th birthday. When the female faculty members wore pink tutus, Mr. Menges followed suit. He wore the tutu to carpool duty and posed for pictures.

“He was always willing to have fun and be silly at the right times,” Dr. Limburg said.

On April 23, St. Christopher’s held a special chapel service to honor Mr. Menges’ 17 years of service to the school. The entire school attended, including parents, friends and former Headmaster Charley Stillwell. Current Head of School Mason Lecky opened the service by thanking Mr. Menges for everything he had done, even in the short time he had known him. The Rev. Megan Limburg talked

about her 13 years with Mr. Menges.

Fifth-Grade Teacher Kadie Parsley admires how Mr. Menges knows every boy by name and greets them every day and has found that he genuinely cares about- the teachers.

“When something was not going well, he would ask you about it,” said Mrs. Parsley.

Second-Grade Teacher Glorietta Jones described Mr. Menges as a “sensitive, kind hearted man.” Her heart sank when she heard he was leaving, she added.

Mr. Menges said he is excited about a new chapter, but also emotional and sad, calling STC his family.

Still, he added: “I think any institution like ours needs the benefit of a fresh lens. Seventeen years is a long time.”

May 2018

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Meet Benita Griffin After Dave Menges’ 17-year run as Lower School head, Benita Griffin will continue his legacy. Ms. Griffin has spent more than 26 years in education, as both a teacher and an administrator.

By Henry Weatherford ’21 As this year marks the end of an era for the Lower School, Ms. Benita Griffin plans on continuing the school’s legacy of creating a boy ready for the ever-changing needs of the 21st century.

Much like St. Christopher’s, Ms. Griffin’s life is filled with change. Born in South Carolina, Ms. Griffin moved to New York to attend Hunter College. After college, she moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, where she lived in a convent for six months.

After her marriage and relocation to Boston, she left for a suburb outside of Philadelphia. Six years later, she left her job as Lower School head in Hingham, Massachusetts and journeyed to California. Now, her long, winding path brings her to this Richmond campus. “When people ask me where I am from, I say I am from South Carolina even though I have lived outside of South Carolina longer than I have lived in South Carolina,” Ms. Griffin said. “Once a southerner, always a southerner.”

Ms. Griffin hopes she will be able to put down roots at St. Christopher’s and stay until her retirement. “There are times when I feel I wished that I had never moved so often. I am envious of people who have stayed in one place and called it home.”

After college, Ms. Griffin worked at a publishing firm, but found the job incredibly boring. Another job at marketing firm she found too “cutthroat” and “not who I wanted to be as a person.”

Ms. Griffin started taking education courses at night.

In 1991, she found herself planting her resumé on the secretary’s desk at a Catholic school. Though she had no experience in teaching, she knew she was a fast learner and a hard worker. A few months later, she was called back for an interview. After being married four months, her husband landed a job in Boston. Ms. Griffin remained in Hoboken and was allowed to live in the nun’s convent.“I

21 The Pine Needle

learned a lot about organization and their lifestyle.” Ms. Griffin said. “They were incredibly rigid and clean. ... I was just grateful to be with people who took me in and gave me a place to live.”

Throughout her subsequent career in education, Ms. Griffin was a elementary school for 16 years and has been in administration for 10 years.

Ms. Griffin proclaimed that her proudest moment in life was watching her son graduate from college. “I saw a bi-racial young man that many in the world will view negatively, but I observed a smart, focused and benevolent human being walk across the stage to receive his diploma. Because he is not perfect or afraid of failure, I know he will be just fine in the world.”

After it was announced that Ms. Griffin would replace Mr. Menges, Ms. Griffin received a multitude of emails from parents supporting her. “I was just so shocked by the number of messages from parents congratulating me.

That had never happened before.”

For her first year, Ms. Griffin plans on being an observer to get to know the teachers and better understand the curriculum. Questions she will ponder include: “Why are we doing this? What is the significance behind this?

Is this purposeful? Where is this going to take the boys in the 21st century?’” She has some ideas about potential changes but will not take action until she learns more about the people and the culture.

“Benita’s infectious positivity and enthusiasm, her dedication to faculty growth and development and her commitment to relationship-based education (all of her references emphasized her dutiful and joyful approach to greeting students in carpool each morning and to knowing every child on an individual basis) will complement our school culture and community.” Mr. Lecky said in an email.

May 2018

22

Students Shop Streetwear

By Ben Pawlik ’21 Fifth grade was quickly approaching and again I was on the hunt to purchase a pair of back to school shoes. My mother took my brothers and me to Dick’s Sporting Goods. I swung a right onto the Nike isle and my eyes landed on a bright pair of KD 6s.

Ever since this moment, I found myself spending my day constantly looking at Sole Collector, a sneaker news website and at sneaker YouTubers or “Shoetubers” talking about shoes and apparel which can be categorized as streetwear.

23 The Pine Needle

Streetwear is a casual clothing style worn by millions of teens and adults all around the world. This style of dressing has been on the rise during the past decade. It is worn by people of all generations, but the younger generations like Millennials and Generation Z are hopping on the bandwagon. People question what is so appealing about this style. “Honestly, I think that it’s just the hype of the celebrities wearing it,” said Collin Taylor ’21.

Celebrities and athletes along with regular teens and adults are caught up in the hype. A few influential

celebrities in the fashion industry include NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. and rapper Travis Scott. In fact, both have their own signature color palette for the Nike Air Force 1. If you have enough influence, brands may even approach you to create your own shoe.

Celebrities who have their own shoe include rappers Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. Prices can range anywhere from $500 to even $10,000.

Will Farrell ’21, who favors the larger brands such as Nike and Adidas, doesn’t believe prices will drop anytime soon. “I think that these are

some of the powerhouse companies and I think there is too much of a love for them to fade away,” he said.

Streetwear is not just limited to sneakers. Brands such as Supreme and Bape are thriving in the clothing industry. Part of this is thanks to their success collaborating with other brands. Supreme recently worked together with fashion giant Louis Vuitton and released a series of products. Resale value on these items is through the roof, with the Box Logo hoodie selling for around $6,000.

Some items in the streetwear industry are very high priced and often unavailable to the everyday buyer.

Without a job at the age of 15, it can be a little hard to be able to come up with the money to buy items if you missed out on release day. “I like to save my money, so I’ll get a few lower priced items … I’m not just going around spending money,” said Taylor, who often wears Jordans and Supreme and has been to stores in New York, Paris and London.

This upcoming year, I look forward to possibly getting my holy grail of shoes when they re-release in the fall. A holy grail can be anything from that one shoe from childhood to the shoe you saw in the window but couldn’t afford. My favorite shoe is the Air Jordan XI “Concord.” The 2011 pair goes for around $400, so I’m looking forward to having a chance to get it for much cheaper this year.

Collin Taylor ’21

May 2018

24

Sports Commits

By Aubrey Bowles ’21

Jens Ames

Football / Running Back / Washington & Lee University 5’11” / 220 lbs.

Ames started to fall in love with football in fifth grade, and his passion has continued. He is one of the best running backs to ever come through STC, averaging 6.4 yards per carry this year. He made one of his favorite memories at the end of this season, beating Collegiate to secure the Prep League title for the first time since 2004.

Hunter Andrews

Baseball / Outfield / Roanoke College 5’9” / 175 lbs.

Andrews has played a lot of sports, but baseball was always his favorite. His hitting and throwing abilities make him one of the top players in the state. His favorite memory was playing in a Cooperstown tournament.

“Our team had a great run and had a lot of fun.”

Nick Biddison

Baseball / Catcher & Shortstop / Virginia Tech 5’11” / 195 lbs.

When Biddison was 6, his brother started playing baseball, and that always motivated him to be a better player. He has been a threat on the field for the Saints throughout his career. “My most memorable moment is playing in the Cooperstown Championship that went into extra innings and ended at 12:30 in the morning,” he said.

25 The Pine Needle

Drew Brockwell

Golf / Virginia Tech 6’1” / 175 lbs.

Brockwell started playing golf when he was 10 years old after getting burned out from baseball and wanting to try a new sport. His favorite memory was qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur before his sophomore year. “It was awesome walking off the sixth playoff hole green after I had qualified and being congratulated by my parents, friends and coaches,” he said.

Carter Davis

Wrestling / American University 6’3” / 175 lbs.

Davis started wrestling when he was 6, and although it first started out as just a sport it quickly turned into a major part of his life. He used his strength and length to defeat his opponents en route to another individual VISAA State Championship. “I think some of my biggest strengths are how tall I am compared to everyone else, because my arms and legs are so much longer than my opponents, as well as my top work,” he said.

Will Forrest

Football / Wide Receiver / UNC at Chapel Hill 5’10” / 170 lbs.

Forrest started playing football in third grade and loved it immediately. He played a key role on this year’s team, and looks forward to getting to Chapel Hill where he was accepted as a Morehead-Cain Scholar and will be a preferred walk-on. He said he loved the sport from the getgo, but wasn’t good at it. “Both of those realizations made me want to get really, really good,” he said.

Clifford Foster

Golf / Virginia Commonwealth University 5’11” / 195 lbs.

Foster first started playing golf when he was 2 because his grandmother is a big golfer. He’s headed downtown next year, but hopes to win the VISAA championship before he leaves. “I really think we have the talent to win this year’s state title,” he said.

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26

Maddison Furman

Baseball / Left-Handed Pitcher & Center fielder Virginia Commonwealth University 5’10” / 175 lbs.

Furman has always loved baseball and realized he had true potential when he started playing in front of pro scouts. He is a dangerous left-handed pitcher who takes his academics very seriously. “There is a chance I might play baseball after college, but I am not sure if I want to continue due to my deep interest in attending graduate school,” he said.

Gray Hart

Wrestling / University of Virginia 5’7” / 138 lbs.

Hart started wrestling when he was in third grade and has been on top ever since. He has a great quickness and a strong work ethic, which he attributes to the role models in his life. “My dad and several other coaches put me in the correct situation,” he said. “Opportunity is everything.

I’ve had a great support system all along.”

Justin Jasper

Football / Wide Receiver / University of Richmond 6’3” / 195 lbs.

Jasper inherited his love for football from his dad, who also played in college. He played quarterback until his sophomore year, before switching to wide receiver. Jasper said he will have a lot of room to grow in college.

“I think I’ll definitely grow physically and fill out my frame more, but I think the most important growth will be on the mental side,” he said.

Connor Johnson

Golf / Virginia Tech 6’0” / 175 lbs.

Johnson first started playing golf when he got his first set of clubs and has been hooked on the game ever since.

He is very good at putting and ball striking and can’t wait to get to work in Blacksburg. “St. Christopher’s has set a great foundation for me in terms of being a student athlete, and I feel prepared to work hard throughout my four years at Tech.”

27 The Pine Needle

Harrison Rice

Track & Field / Pole Vault / Virginia Tech 6’3” / 170 lbs.

Rice started pole vaulting in ninth grade and has become one of the best pole vaulters in the state since. His coaches urged him to make pole vaulting a serious part of his life, and they made the right decision. He also holds the school record for both indoor and outdoor pole vault.

“My favorite memory was when I broke the school record last winter,” said Rice.

Henry Schroeder

Football / Offensive Line / James Madison University 6’4” / 265 lbs.

Football was just something Schroeder wanted to do before high school was over, but it looks like he is going to be playing for another four years.

Schroeder has lots of speed for a guy his size, but says he has room to improve. “My strengths are my speed and my ability to move people quickly,” he said.

“My biggest weakness is probably weight, because I can still get pushed around by bigger guys.”

William Tappen

Football / Defensive End / James Madison University 6’3” / 220 lbs.

Tappen hated football when he was younger but has quickly fallen in love with the sport. Most offensive linemen could not handle his quickness off the line, making him a big threat now and going forward as a preferred walk-on at JMU. Just like Ames, his favorite high school memory was beating Collegiate.

Burke Widhelm

Lacrosse / Defense / Furman University 6’4” / 190 lbs.

Widhelm has a long history of college lacrosse in his family. His grandfather played at Johns Hopkins University, his dad played at Auburn University, and his older brother Parker Widhelm ’15 plays at Furman. He cannot wait to get to work down in South Carolina.

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College Advice from the Faculty

By Hunter Gardner ’19 and Aidan Messick’ 18

This spring, The Pine Needle asked various Upper School faculty members for advice on choosing a college and having a good experience there.

“Get involved with some group, be it a club, intramural sport team, or something that creates an intimate sense of community.”

— Jay Wood, English department head “Focus on who you are and what kind of interests you like and what kind of learning styles you need.

What type of learning environment? A place with small classes and a lot of discussion with professors or bigger classes and the expectation of doing things on your own. Who am I? What are my strengths and what are my weaknesses?”

— Mr. Scott Mayer, associate director of college counseling “Make sure that you find the right fit for you. So I think that just means you have to do some research and know what you are looking for and what you want out of your college experience. Knowing what you want makes the process a lot easier and

more rewarding.”

— History Teacher Joshua Thomas

29 The Pine Needle

“I think you should choose a college from a student standpoint on what opportunities you have a lot of interest in and also realize that you are a kid and interests may change. Look at colleges that expose you to the most opportunistic stuff. Try to get involved and see different sides of different subjects and fields of study. What am I doing to prepare once at that college?”

— Math Teacher Ross Gitomer “In order to have a successful college career, you’re going to have to be an advocate for yourself, and you have to work hard on developing relationships with teachers.”

— Head of School Mason Lecky “Have a good strategy for approaching problems, not just for class but other practical life stuff.

Know how to problem solve. Know what you are good at/ not good at. Be honest about what you really like, things that you’re excited about. that to me is more important than how famous the school is. Go for what makes you happy.”

— Dr. Ann Vanichkachorn, director of health services

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College Decisions

Zach Akin — University of Oklahoma

Conor Crook — Virginia Tech

Jens Ames — Washington and Lee University

Carter Davis — American University

Jack Anderson — University of Virginia

Alex Davis — Hampden-Sydney College

Hunter Andrews — Roanoke College

Jack Edwards — University of Virginia

Trey Ashby — University of Alabama

Timothy Emrick — St. Bonaventure University

Will Atkinson — Hampden-Sydney College

Miller Farley — Virginia Tech

Colman Barsanti — Clemson University

Jack Feiler — Wake Forest University

Nick Biddison — Virginia Tech

Christopher Flippen — Virginia Commonwealth University

Will Bird — University of Virginia

Will Forrest — University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Harrison Bones — ­ University of Mississippi

Ryan Fortner — Longwood University

Drew Brockwell — Virginia Tech

Clifford Foster — Virginia Commonwealth University

Read Brown — New York University

Jack Franko — College of William and Mary

Quinn Bundy — University of South Carolina

Hunter Fuller — Hampden-Sydney College

Seth Burman — College of William and Mary

Maddison Furman — Virginia Commonwealth University

Thomas Caravati — University of Virginia

Ian Garrabrant — George Mason University

Christian Carlow ­— University of Georgia

Alston Hackney — University of Virginia

Santi Castro-Albano — Musicians Institute

Dane Halle — University of Pittsburgh

Michael Chapman — University of South Carolina

Gray Hart — University of Virginia

Andrew Clark — Virginia Tech

Logan Hingst — High Point University

Harrison Clary — College of William and Mary

Ben Hultzapple — Hampden-Sydney College

Spencer Cox — James Madison University

Michael Hylton — Randolph-Macon College

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Justin Jasper ­— University of Richmond

Henry Rodriguez ­— University of Virginia

Connor Johnson — Virginia Tech

William Rodriguez — College of William and Mary

Wayland Jones — James Madison University

Teddy Roski — Auburn University

Reid Kiritsis — Washington and Lee University

Henry Schroeder — James Madison University

Ralph Levy — University of Virginia

J.P. Shannon — Loyola Marymount University

Noah Lupica — Hampden-Sydney College

Christian Sherod — Liberty University

Everett Martin — Orange Coast College

Taylor Sommers — Louisiana State University

Hunter Meck — College of William and Mary

Landon Spruill — James Madison University

Aidan Messick — Virginia Tech

Jason Suarez — Christopher Newport University

Thurston Moore — University of Virginia

William Tappen — James Madison University

Donovan Murphy — Virginia Tech

Lyon Tyler — Christopher Newport University

Kinloch Nelson — Yale University

Mac Wade — Marshall University

Scotch Nelson — University of Mississippi

Josh Waite — James Madison University

Connor Pehl — Montana State University

Grayson Walsh — James Madison University

Jack Pendlebury — Virginia Tech

Andrew Walters — Eckerd College

Eli Rhodes — Virginia Tech

Jack Whitmore — Hampden-Sydney College

Harrison Rice — Virginia Tech

Burke Widhelm — Furman University

Christopher Rise — Southern Methodist University

R.J. Wilkinson — University of Denver

Will Roberts — James Madison University

Fuller Wise — Wake Forest University

Henry Robinson — James Madison University

May 2018

32

Kiritsis’ Service Spans All Seven Continents

By Robert Mish ’21 Reid Kiritsis ’18 has performed more than 600 hours of community service on all seven continents during his time in Upper School.

There is nothing that says “dedicated” more than completing 12 times the amount of community service hours required. “I’ve done all types of different community service projects and different kinds of communities,” he said. “I’ve done a few with animals in Thailand where I worked with elephants, and in Australia I worked with turtles to rehab them.” This is just a sample of Kiritsis’ vast experiences across the world and his generosity towards others.

In Richmond, Kiritsis has volunteered with Special Olympics, and said that he loves helping people. Kiritsis is a member of the varsity baseball team, and it shows in his passion for helping the Special Olympic softball players. “We’ve done different events and tournaments and practice every week,” he said. “It’s just really fun.”

Kiritsis community service efforts cover a wide variety of projects, and in all of the places that he has visited, a new and different challenge always awaits. In Costa Rica, Kiritsis worked at a wildlife center, and for the Peru X-term trip his sophomore year, he helped build a water filtration system for a village.

However, Kiritsis’ passion for service extends beyond just helping those in less developed countries. Over the summer, Reid traveled to Poland, where he worked at Auschwitz in Poland. His exploits in Africa taught him about the importance of education while teaching English to young Tanzanians. Kiritsis truly seems to have participated in almost every type of community service that exists.

Most interestingly, Kiritsis has served in Antarctica.

While on Christmas break, he and his parents worked with the penguins. “It was amazing,” he said. “Everything was so pristine and untouched.”

33 The Pine Needle

Upper School Chaplain Whitney Edwards also offered insight into Kiritsis’ work. “Although he travels all over the world, it’s not the traveling that calls him to do so, but rather the people that he serves,” she said. “That is what makes him special.”

Kiritsis has experienced different cultures and types of people from around the world, and his advice to others is this: “Community service is definitely worth your time, and if you look it into it, you will find that lots of different programs can be really beneficial to you, as well as the people that you help. Just try to get involved.”

May 2018

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Golf Team Triumphs

By Cleighton Hilbert ’21 The varsity golf team has served up yet another dominant regular season. Expectations were high with all six starters returning from last season’s state championship team. The team was led once again by captains Drew Brockwell ’18, Connor Johnson ’18 and Clifford Foster ’18 who are hoping to capture their third State title in the last four years.

Coach Ren O’Ferrall praised the senior trio for their constant hard work and leadership. “Their golf IQ is really high, and I think it has been really good for all of the younger guys to watch them.” he said “They do the right thing on and off the course.”

The Saints also are receiving valuable help from Ben Cooper ’19, who has made tremendous progress and has been in contact with multiple D1 coaches. These top four players have proven to be not only the best in the state and St. Christopher’s history, but one of the strongest core groups

35 The Pine Needle

in the country.

The team’s season started with big wins against Norfolk Academy, that they steamrolled by 27 strokes, and Cape Henry Collegiate School, that they beat by 11 strokes. However, even with the returning stars and two commanding wins, the Saints were disappointed to see the first state poll.

They were ranked sixth behind rivals Collegiate, Woodberry Forest School and Trinity Episcopal School.

Luckily for the Saints, Trinity was their next match. St. Christopher’s top four proved to be too powerful for Trinity, and the Saints got their most important win of the young season.

The next state poll came around and the golf team had jumped all the way to first. The Saints continued to roll and, other than one hiccup against Woodberry Forest on the Tigers’ home course, the Saints dominated the competition.

The Saints were 11-1 heading into

a senior day rematch against Woodberry. Foster, a recent Virginia Commonwealth University commit, shot a team low 30 as the Saints played perhaps their best match of the year and finished with a five-shot win over the Tigers.

St. Christopher’s captured the one seed in the Prep League tournament and did not disappoint. The Saints shot a total score of -3 and won Preps for the first time since 2011. For seniors Brockwell, Foster and Johnson it was their first time, but the season is not quite complete.

The state tournament is up next.

Coach O’Ferrall was extremely pleased with the team’s work ethic throughout the year as well as their performance at Preps. He is confident in a state Championship repeat. “This group is ready.”

The golf team is looking to finish the year in a similar fashion to last year. On top.

Baseball Seeks Redemption

By Henry Barden ’19 The postseason means a shot at redemption for the varsity baseball team, and the chips on the shoulders of captain Nick Biddison ’18 and his teammates have never been more apparent. “Now we’re playing for something,” Biddison said.

An agonizing championship loss to archrival Benedictine College Prepatory School last season set the tone for this year, as the baseball team reached an incredible 22-1 record, the second most wins in the history of the school, while going undefeated in the Prep League for the first time since the 1980s.

“There’s a long way to go. We, as captains, have to stress being locked in,” Biddison said. He feels confident

that the “no B.S.” team aura can take them to the top, and has even seen this attitude in many of the bench players.

Mighty head of the campaign Coach Tony Szymendera, who notched his 400th win this year, calls these unspoken heroes the “glue guys,” saying, “They do the little things every day. They make plays defensively, get on base, run up pitch counts, and one thing I’ll point out too is that their leadership off the field, I think, has been key to that.”

The effort that the team has mustered so far is directly reflected in their shared mindset. “We know how to flip a switch and get super serious when the time comes,” Biddison said.

“We’ve got to keep finding ways to win.”

Biddison says Mr. Szymendera’s roles as head of the Upper School and head coach go hand in hand.

“He sees his players as his faculty in that he wants us to have the biggest voice,” Biddison said. “He sees the potential in us and wants us to bring it out as much as possible.”

All in all, Biddison sees the state championship as a chance to fully convert the team’s powerful emotional bond into on-field performance, pulling no punches.

“We’re family, rather than a team, for a season.”

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Pam McDaniel

By Coleman Wray ’21 Described as being loved by all the boys and and an incredible asset, Pam McDaniel, former woodworking teacher and junior kindergarten aide, will retire after a quarter of a century at St. Christopher's.

Mrs. Claudia Sloan, formerly Mrs. Hubert, who has worked with Mrs. McDaniel for 25 years, described her as "a steady right hand and really good friend who has taught me how to be a better person."

Mrs. Sloan says that Mrs. McDaniel helped her gain a sense of the school when she started working there because McDaniel already had two boys who had gone to St. Christopher's. This experience proved to be "a really good asset" in learning the traditions here.

Mrs. McDaniel also taught woodworking for 19 years to the Lower School boys. When she was approached about woodworking, she was hesitant, saying that she had "avoided power tools all my life," but she ended up accepting the challenge.

If there's one thing that Mrs. McDaniel will be remembered for, it is her love for the boys. Mrs. McDaniel says she "hopes I brought some joy into these boys' lives just like they did to me" during her long tenure.

However, Mrs. McDaniel will not miss some parts of her job. "Standing out at the playground when it was 20 degrees and windy" was among her least favorite moments. After retiring, Mrs. McDaniel plans to enjoy her

Cathy Johns

By Ben Pawlik ’21 As you open the wooden door of the Murrel Bookstore and step inside, you see Cathy Johns sitting behind her desk ready to assist students parents and faculty members coming in to buy school apparel.

Mrs. Johns started out her time at St. Chris working one or two days a week and then took over the role of manning the cash register after a coworker’s departure nine years ago. She now holds the current position of bookstore manager.

Coworker and friend Nica Lewis has known Mrs. Johns since around 2016 and started working with her in the bookstore this past fall. Mrs. Lewis said “I’ve had a great time working with Cathy. She’s such a hoot and has a lot of personality.”

37 The Pine Needle

retirement by spending time in the beach in the fall to avoid cold, wet days in Virginia.

Since Mrs. McDaniel has been here for 25 years, she has obviously witnessed many changes to the school, including the Gottwald Science Center and the Luck Leadership Center. She says that the school as a whole is "more compassionate" now than it's ever been, while the "core values" are still present from when she started working here.

Mrs. McDaniel is grateful for her time at St. Christopher's, and says the best advice she can give to any new teacher is to laugh and "never lose your sense of humor."

During the past nine years, the bookstore has undergone many changes. These include selling textbooks online only and the use of the Saints Card this year. Mrs. Johns said, “Those were probably the two biggest changes.”

Mrs. Johns, who is the wife of Upper School Computer Science Department Chair Robert Johns, most enjoyed her daily interaction with customers. She also said that there were a few times when she had to deal with pushy salespeople; however, there were no bad parts of the job.

Mrs. Johns said her time at STC has been enjoyable but is ready to begin a new chapter in life, though is still unsure of what that may look like.

Mrs. Johns said that she will miss certain things that weren’t related to the job, but she still looked forward to, such as walking with Mrs. Beth Wood, Upper School administrative assistant.

The Transcript Master Signs Off

By Hugo Abbot ’21 Mrs. Ginger Adamson has been working at St. Christopher’s for almost 40 years, yet many do not know who she is. That’s to be expected since she only works with seniors.

Mrs. Adamson is the registrar, which means she is the person who sends all high school records, known as transcripts, to go with college applications. She’s basically the backbone of the whole college process. The average number of applications per student is about seven, which translates to about 500 applications in total.

Mrs. Adamson arrived in 1974 to work as both the athletic department secretary and guidance secretary for Mr. Bob Herzog, who was the associate headmaster, athletic director, and guidance director.

She later left for maternity leave, and when asked to come back, Mrs. Adamson happily returned to resume her previous duties working with Mr. Herzog’s office. .

Mrs. Adamson’s job can be difficult at times but is very important, said Upper School Academic Dean and Director of College Counseling Jim Jump. “It’s a huge job,” he said. “The job requires juggling a lot of things at one time and I think she’s really good at that.”

Deadline time can also be stressful when sending

out transcripts to colleges.“She’s really good at being organized and also being able to handle last-minute applications and getting it done,” said Mr. Jump. College Counselling Officer Scott Mayer added, “She’s the glue that keeps us all together. She is an important part of our team.”

Mrs. Adamson said that the school has evolved and changed through the years. She opened up a closet that contained records of all the students at St. Christopher’s and her old typewriter that was used to write up college transcripts of days gone by. She is most proud that the arts and music have taken a more important place here that’s equal to our athletic program.

Although the college process can be intimidating , Mrs. Adamson advises students to “relax, do research into schools, go visit them, and listen to [Mr Mayer and Mr. Jump] because they have great, great advice for you all.”

When asked how she feels about leaving, she has mixed feelings. On one hand she can do what she wants, when she wants, but on the other hand, she won’t have her “buddies who are here.” She loves all her colleagues, especially the people she has worked with for so many years, and is sad to leave a place she calls home.

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Sample The Power of Healing Touch

By Henry Rodriguez ’18 What do the words “energy medicine” mean to you?

Do you laugh and think of fake science and superstition that has no place in the modern era? Or do those words conjure up visions of long-forgotten learning; techniques that sound foreign and mystic yet have been timelessly applied by countless faithful healers?

Lower School Nurse Annette McCabe is the second kind of person. A devoted servant of ailing young boys here at St. Christopher’s the past 17 years, Mrs. McCabe mostly deals with cuts, bruises and other minor injuries often suffered by roughhousing boys, and she will retire at the end of this year.

She became interested in energy medicine, also known as spiritual healing or Healing Touch, while visiting relatives and learning about family history in Europe. Her great-grandmother, she learned, was a midwife and town healer in 19th-century Germany.

Her great-grandmother would wave her hands around injured areas and place them on friends’ shoulders to heal them. Until her investigation, Mrs. McCabe said, “These were just stories that were passed down, and no one would believe it.”

This discovery stuck in her mind until an event several years later. A nursing journal published an article on energy medicine. and Nurse McCabe then started exploring

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this holistic medicinal approach through formal means.

She described the process as manipulating energy fields around wound areas. Nurse McCabe uses her hands to bring oxygen to the afflicted part and move heat away, which she said accelerates healing. “I call it massaging the shadow,” she said. The practice is a part of integrative medicine, an area of study that includes massage, yoga, ayurveda and “other ways for the body to heal itself other than pills.” She also uses emotional freedom techniques, or EFT, which heals by tapping the same energy pathways present in acupuncture.

Nurse McCabe has her own certified practice outside of school, where she hosts Healing Touch sessions with individual patients. She also makes house calls and does hospice care, which “helps patients transition into the next life.” She has never been unable to comfort any of her patients so far, and currently helps people with all kind of health problems, including ones with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Those concerned about Lower Schoolers being treated with Healing Touch for recess scrapes need not worry.

In her duties at school, Mrs. McCabe strictly adheres to modern ways of treatment only. However, she has worked with with Lower School teachers like former Music Department Head Carrington Wise, who testified that the sessions helped her and her family “immeasurably” through “frozen shoulders, sprained ankles, before and after back disk repair, and even the trauma of brain surgery.”

Mrs. McCabe doesn’t believe there’s any conflict whatsoever with modern medicine. “This is complementary medicine,” she said. “That’s why it’s ‘integrative.’” She would never treat any patient who wouldn’t also see a doctor. In her view, traditional medicine combined with spiritual healing is the perfect combo.

She does believe that in the context of modern problems like the opioid crisis, “people will be looking for ways outside of more medication.” Even now, acupuncture is covered by insurance and Mrs. McCabe thinks it’s not long until “one day on health forms, it will say ‘check here for energy medicine.’”

“It’s exciting because I’m a pioneer,” Mrs. McCabe said. Still, she recognizes the role people like her greatgrandmother have played. “It’s like, nothing’s [really] new ... thousands of years they’ve been doing this stuff.”

While she is retiring from a long tenure of service, Mrs. McCabe’s commitment to both of her crafts — modern and alternative medicine — will leave lasting impressions on patients lucky enough to receive her treatment.

Mary O’Brien Retires

By Willem Peters ’21

Mrs. Mary O’Brien will retire from St. Christopher’s this year, but has some fun plans for the future. After 31 years of helping kindergarten boys and girls, Mrs. O’Brien describes her time here as wonderful.

Before St. Christopher’s, Mrs. O’Brien taught preschool at James City County School, showing that she has a knack for working with kids. During her time here, she devoted her time to Extended Day and was the overseer for fourth- and fifth-grade study halls.

During her time in Extended Day, Mrs. O’Brien has seen many changes. She joined the program the second year it was launched, one of the two teachers to look out for 24 students. The number of students has now grown to more than 400, and the workplace has had to change to accommodate the growing demand. “We have been in houses, trailers and now the old Lower School wing,” she said.

When asked what her favorite memory was from her time at St. Christopher’s, Mrs. O’Brien couldn’t say just one. Many of her memories are about how she got to see the children in Extended Day be so fun and creative.

One of the goals for Mrs. O’Brien has been to broaden

the children’s horizons by talking about the Olympics and famous artists such as daVinci, Monet and Picasso. She describes the kids as “sponges at this age” and is amazed about how much information they retain.

When Extended Day Teacher Mary Rogers described her coworker as “friendly, loyal and devoted.”

What Mrs. O’Brien will miss most from St. Christopher’s are her relationships with the children and the teachers. She will miss the hugs from the kids, their spontaneous nature and their love of learning. She will also miss brainstorming what to do for the week ahead with other Extended Day faculty members.

After retirement, Mrs. O’Brien is most excited for travelling, reading books, bowling and TV binging. Also in retirement, she said the Extended Day program is so great, she wants to come back and substitute. She also said that she wants to come back and volunteer with the Artists and Builders class.

Though she is retiring, Mrs. O’Brien will want to stay involved with St. Christopher’s, which shows real commitment, that has hopefully rubbed off on her students.

May 2018

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Students Respond to New J-Lot

By Tabb Gardner ’19 The days of loud construction in front of the middle school are now over, and the new J-Lot has been opened. After about four months of cacophonous construction, teachers can finally return to their traditional lot, and juniors can migrate to their freshly paved eden of parking. It has been a triumph for the school, but are public opinions around campus so positive?

Junior Bo O’Connor ’19 was in a state of outrage after discovering

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that he had been left out of the shiny new parking space. After so much time waiting for the J-Lot, his school let him down. O’Connor and many others were shocked to see the low number of only 49 parking spots.

Those exiled from the chock-full J-Lot must park in the Maple parking lot, a considerable distance farther from school.

O’Connor did some investigation around the newly built space in hopes of obtaining a parking spot.

He blamed the excessive landscaping around the area for the lack of parking, saying, “There are too many unnecessary plants that nobody asked for.” Furthering his frustration, it was discovered that a few students without licenses were randomly chosen to get in, while O’Connor had a license and was driving to school daily.

Other juniors had more positive things to say. Colin Reece ’19 noted that the new space looks great and has a much better location compared

to his past spot in the extended day lot. Expectedly, everyone who was randomly sorted into the new J-Lot had positive opinions on the finished product.

Nostalgic seniors however took a different approach judging the new area. Jack Feiler ’18 and Jack Anderson ’18 mutually agreed that the aura of rustic creativity and freedom that surrounded the past Junior Lot has faded away. Many saw the previous

dusty plot of land as a blank canvas where students collectively formed their own parking lot each day. The past parking space was a daily student run art project operating right under the administration’s nose.

The lack of space in the new Junior Lot is unfortunate, but overall the school agrees that it is a beneficial modification to the school.

It was the middle of pre-holiday exams when the construction finally

came to an end. I had the privilege of driving on the new road on the day of its completion, and I must say the paving is superb. It felt like driving over a creamy trail of celestially constructed stone. I believe, despite the slight lack of junior parking spaces, that the construction was a great success.

May 2018

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Breaking the Great Firewall

By Henry Weatherford ’21 Recently, I talked with my Chinese friend Ling Zhiyuan about the differences in our school schedules. The meeting had been rescheduled, since the week before he had to take a test which ranked everyone in his school.

Mrs. Hanna Zhu, Upper School Chinese teacher, decided to spice up her class by contacting freshmen in her hometown of Changsha in the Hunan Province, and pairing them with her students.

“I thought learning a language meant you needed to learn the culture.” said Mrs. Zhu, “Intercultural competency is an important part of Chinese class because one of our core values is global citizenship.” Mrs. Zhu believes that a student learns a language best by spending time with fluent speakers.

The students conversed through WeChat, a popular Chinese multimedia app, as well as FaceTime and Facebook. Time is split between Chinese and English so that each student both teaches and is taught. Mrs. Zhu chose topics for WeChat conversations, including favorite foods, psychology, hobbies and schedules. “Finding a topic for conversation was difficult for me as well as guiding stu-

43 The Pine Needle

dents from both sides with their limited language ability, also keeping communication open, touching base with the students in China and the teacher,” Mrs. Zhu said.

Currently, China is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Time.

When Daylight Savings Time ends on Nov. 4, China will be 13 hours ahead. This means that the early morning for him was late at night for me. Each conversation was around 20 minutes, and there were times when we would start our conversation at 10 p.m. Eastern Time at night here.

Students at St. Christopher’s were paired with students in China based on common interests, what subjects they liked, hobbies, as well as their schedule. Mrs. Zhu collected the information by survey.

“I have really liked WeChatting with my Chinese friend.” said Miles Mullins ’21. “By talking regularly with him, in some ways, it is like going to China without having to travel there. We talk about a lot of different topics.” Miles said that his listening and speaking improved thanks to his WeChat buddy, named Cáo Shīyǔ. “I think it would be really cool to meet him one day.”

Millman Researches Microplastics

By Hunter Gardner ’19 David Millman ’19 findings show an unhealthy trend in his recently completed independent research project on microplastics in the James River here in Richmond. For his experiment, Millman tested the water around Pony Pasture, Huguenot Flatwater, Belle Isle and the Great Shiplock Park.

Millman discovered that each area had microplastics in it, and the slowest moving and urban sections had the highest concentration. Since the plastics are microscopic, Millman used a staining technique that allowed him to see the plastics when exposed to green light in a microscopic lens. He filtered out the water, leaving only the microplastics on a small circular piece of filter paper, and stained the filter paper with Nile Red, a substance with a specific molecular composition that allows for

plastics to be detected in green light.

Looking through the microscope he found many microplastics in urban and suburban areas.

These plastics are not visible to the naked eye and can harm plant and animal life in the river if absorbed.

Since the plastics are microscopic, the problem is tricky to solve.

“It all comes down to the products produced,” Millman said. “ [Microplastics] can seep from landfills and can also be released directly from waste that goes into the river. Far better regulations are needed on these products along with harsher regulations on what is released into the river.”

Millman successfully conducted his research project and presented it to the Junior Humanities and Science Symposium at James Madison University, where he won an Outstand-

ing Research Award in STEM for his project.

When Millman was in the process of choosing a school-sponsored research topic, he was lost in the seemingly infinite possibilities. His recent submission in an ocean awareness video competition inspired him to do his research on microplastics in the James River. That earned him a distinguished honorable mention in the contest, an award which was only given to 10 out of 3,000 entries.

When asked about the impact the project had on him, he said, “It definitely affects what I want to help environmentally. If I go into politics or law I definitely want to be aware of these topics, and it really did open up how large these topics of biology and chemistry are and my eyes to so much that I don’t need to link myself to one career path.”

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Students Discuss Sex Trafficking

By Coleman Wray ’21 Middle-school age girls are sold for sex on the Internet to grown men up to 20 times a day here in the United States. The main website that advertised these girls was completely legal.

You might ask yourself, “How can such a thing be possible in the United States?” Yiota Souras asked the same thing when she was approached by a victim of child sex trafficking and her mother back in 2013.

A graduate of St. Catherine’s, Mrs. Souras has worked for NCMEC, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, for 12 years as general counsel. She handles all legal matters for the organization, along with a team of dedicated legal professionals.

Mrs. Souras came to St. Christopher’s on April 4th to talk to us in chapel and in various classes

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throughout the day after we had watched I Am Jane Doe, a film designed to enlighten the American people about the child sex trafficking going on in our nation.

Mrs. Souras talked to us about the current legal battle against Backpage. com, a website (now having been shut down by the FBI) resembling Craigslist that allowed users to post advertisements about wares they have for sale. Unfortunately, pimps often used Backpage to post ads of children they have for sale, and Backpage did nothing about it because the ads served as a primary source of revenue for them.

Backpage claims that they cannot be sued due to an obscure law known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which states that a site-hosting company may not be sued based on third-party content

that is posted on their website.

Internet giants like Google and Facebook support the CDA since it prevents them from being responsible for users’ content, which can sometimes be offensive or illegal.

However, Souras’s team is trying to prove that Backpage went one step further and helped the pimps evade detection from law enforcement by changing their ads to make them less suspicious. Mrs. Souras is fighting in court to persuade judges that Backpage was conspiring to assist pimps and therefore is eligible to be prosecuted.

Mrs. Souras and a team of lawyers have recently promoted a law that claims to hold websites responsible for third party content. President Trump signed the bill into law in April 2018.

After Ms. Sioras’ visit, the federal government shuttered Backpage.

STC Hosts Muslim Conference

By Chris McCormick ’19 When I first walked into the Playhouse in the Luck Leadership Center, the first thing that grabbed my attention was a song. Mohamed Ismacil ‘18 opened the symposium with a prayer he learned growing up in Somaliland, singing to Allah in Arabic, the language of his home.

Even though I couldn’t understand what Mohamed was saying, something in his song moved me — the beauty of watching my friend sing to God with everything he had.

Prior to attending the Virginia Muslim High School Student Symposium, I never really knew what it meant to be a practicing Muslim in America. I didn’t know any practicing Muslims well enough to talk with them about their experiences, so my relationship with Muslims in America was one based on ignorance. I simply didn’t know what their lives were like. As a result, curiosity pushed me to attend the April 13 symposium at St. Christopher’s.

The first impression that struck me upon entering the room was that I stuck out. It appeared to me that many of the people in the room were practicing Muslims, and that I, as a Christian, didn’t necessarily fit in. I was used to that feeling of otherness, but never in a religious context like the one I felt then. I realized that this was how practicing Muslims must have felt sometimes — alienated or separated because of their faith. I was worried, then, that

the cross necklace I was wearing might set me apart. I wondered how it must feel to live that way often, as opposed to just once for a short time.

My fears were put to rest, however, as I was welcomed warmly by Ismacil and the others leading the symposium.

As I quickly learned, my curiosity wasn’t regarded with disdain, but rather with an eagerness to inform. Everyone around me was happy to answer questions and share experiences. This, it occured to me, was the best way to teach people about what they don’t know: through candid and inviting discussion.

Prior to the symposium, I never thought I would be able to comprehend the struggles that practicing Muslims face, but attending the event taught me that and more.

Through listening to each speaker and to the panel discussion, I learned not only about the struggles of Muslims in America, but about their triumphs, celebrations, holidays and culture. I learned about not only what makes them unique, but also what what we have in common.

Reflecting back, what moved me so much when hearing Ismacil’s opening song was that I realized I was listening to someone worship the same God whom I worship in a language that I couldn’t comprehend. Even though we may appear different, we are in many ways the same.

May 2018

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The Oak Needle St. Christopher’s Finest News Source

Sherman Horner Wins Grammy for Harmonica Hit

Lecky Appropriates Funds for School Minecraft Server

Panini Press Does its Panini Best: On a Bad Lunch Day, Students Hold a Panini Fest

Students Enter Negotiations Over Use of All School Email

Marsha Hawkins Arrested for Dunk Tank Charity Fraud

Chapels Per Month Drops Below One

Juniors Shirk Class Duties

By Hunter Gardner ’19 The Junior Class of St. Christopher’s School has once again failed to do anything right. Quite frequently not a single soul has been present for their crossing guard duties. While the juniors thought it was a nice idea to give Lower School students the chance to play a realistic version of Frogger, the administration has frowned upon it.

Something about showing up at 7:15 a.m. during the coldest months of the winter does not seem appealing to the current Junior class.The school administration has begun giving hours and other punishments to juniors who fail to give the respect that the position of crossing guard deserves. Juniors have also failed to

47 The Pine Needle

wear the highly stylish reflective vest, and once again the administration has fired back.

Now replacing the vest is a reflective Virginia Department of Transportation jumpsuit, along with mandatory road flares, which should stick out quite well to the typical unaware parent on a rainy day.

The true underlying problem about the crossing guard situation is speeding drivers. The “speed bumps” installed this past year on St. Christopher’s Road encourage drivers to speed due to their rounded, inviting nature. These “bumps” give a gentle feeling of weightlessness that invokes cherished childhood memories of

trips to Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens instead of reminding the driver to slow down.

A simple yet effective solution proposed by the Junior Class to fix the problem is the installation of a pneumatic chute, commonly found at banks, but sized up to fit the average person incapable of crossing the street. The chute would efficiently send Lower Schoolers to and from both sides of the street, requiring no junior chaperone.

The students’ plan had not yet been denied or accepted by the administration, but there are rumors of large transparent pipes seen delivered to the maintenance department.

Millman Crashes Backpack

By Tabb Gardner ’19 Following a tragic stairwell accident, David Millman ’19 ’s signature rolling backpack had been totaled after being sideswiped by a hustling Sherman Horner. Millman’s vehicle of academic supply tumbled down the stairs and crashed into Dean of Students Billy Abbott’s office. The smoldering wreckage burned for hours until brave maintenance crews put out the fire.

“I will rebuild,” Millman said, with a tear rolling down his cheek.

Millman has finally unveiled his ambitious new wheeled rucksack this morning, as he cruised on through the Luck Leadership Center with a satisfied grin on his face.

Named “Rolling Thunder,” the powerglided titan on wheels stands at a whopping four feet tall and spans half a hallway wide. The chromed steel exterior dominates its physique and establishes that its owner is indeed cool.

The top of the line vehicle bolsters an authentic Rolls-Royce hood ornament and is flanked by two cup holders. The siding is all hand polished steel imported from Italy with varnished mahogany inlays.

A bass bumping system of speakers and subwoofers line the face of the backpack to provide world-class sound whilst being on the go. Millman even has a remote to control his

academic chariot on the way to class.

The interior is lined with exclusively extinct animal leather and has a mini chandelier to bring light to the deceivingly large space. The actual extent of space in the roving backpack will never be known, as he keeps most of it roped off from visitors.

The massive chrome wheeler glides over a sea of gold light from its LED underglow system. Millman didn’t specify the exact price, but claimed that his college fund was happily spent to finance the construction.

The Death of Chris Applicant

By Henry Rodriguez ’19 Early this week, beloved college counseling icon Chris Applicant passed away. Applicant leaves behind no family. College Counselors Scott Mayer and Jim Jump are devastated at the loss and both stated in unison, “Why do such bad things happen to such well rounded students?”

Mr. Mayer took Applicant in after he appeared on the doorsteps of Chamberlayne Hall in the late ’90s.

He lived in the cupboards next to the college counseling office printer and was raised under the strict rules of

the college process.

He excelled in all fields of academia to the extent necessary to stand out in no particular way at all. Every deferral or waitlist was a jolt of euphoric adrenaline in Chris Applicant’s system. Applicant was accepted into a range of moderately prestigious schools, and chose the small Fitch College in the Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia. He had been studying liberal arts with a focus in economics and English.

Disaster struck when, earlier this

year, an anonymous letter sent to the Office of Testing Integrity revealed evidence that Chris Applicant had cheated on his A.P. Environmental Science Exam. Fitch College was forced to expel the dishonest student.

Without the collegiate lifeblood flowing through his veins, Applicant soon dwindled into a withered, bedridden husk. He passed away in Mr. Jump’s arms on May 1st. “His A.P. scores, and his life, were cancelled,” said Mr. Mayer sadly.

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Lessons from Hunting p.11

New Lower School Head p.18

College Decisions p.31

Baseball Seeks Redemption p.36