March 2020 | The Pine Needle by St. Christopher's School

Table of Contents Around Campus

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Volume CV Issue 2 The Pine Needle is the magazine of St. Christopher’s School. It is run, written, edited and designed by students in grades nine through twelve. Cover Art by Quintin Levy ‘23

Lower School Admissions Drop Capstone Catches Eyes Seniors’ Slide Suspended

St. Christopher’s, the Origin of a Name Photoshop as an Art Form Saints Win Scholastic Awards STC Fights the Flu Saints Strive to Make an Impact A Look at the Missionary Society Recital Hall Opens Perusing the Poetry Center Inside the Marketing Department: Mrs. Sharon Dion Inside the Marketing Department: Mr. Cappy Gilchrist Inside the Marketing Department: Mr. George Knowles Inside the Marketing Department: Kathleen Thomas Baylor Bounces Back Jones Takes Flight Pava Paves Path for Prosperity Foster and Futsal Where’s Whalen? Dancers Follow Dreams Meet the Fencers Streaming to Success Rumors of War Winter One Acts Our Connections to Celebrities Robotics Recharges after Defeat Discussing Diabolical Detriments Sports Stories Op-Ed: Sleep and School The Oak Needle

Editors-in-Chief: Hugo Abbot ‘21, Spencer Villanueva ‘21 Juniors: Henry Edmunds, Luke Fergusson, Curtis Hale, Oliver Hale, Charlie Holdaway, Robert Mish, Willem Peters, Henry Poarch, Charlie Polk, Collin Taylor, Caleb Vath, Henry Weatherford Sophomores: Parker Cullinan, Joseph Long, Nick Lowsley-Williams, Nico Pava, Rohan Simon, George Thompson Freshmen: Noble Cosby, Quintin Levy Faculty Advisors: Mrs. Kathleen Thomas, Ms. Kiernan Michau

St. Christopher’s, the Origin of a Name By Noble Cosby ’23

Mr. Jon Waite with four members of the senior leadership committee: Chris Thomas ’20, Oliver Sabo ’20, Jude Reiferson ’20 and Wheat O’Hagan ’20

Seniors’ Slide Suspended By Evan Carpenter ’21

As a result of taking an active role in increasing attendance at athletic events and promoting school spirit, seniors were able to earn their privileges much earlier than previous classes. St. Christopher’s seniors earned their privileges on October 19, which is more than a month earlier than when St. Catherine’s seniors earned theirs on December 3. Mr. Tony Szymendera, head of the Upper School, said that the main reason they earned theirs so early was the “positive leadership from the opening of school through the first part of the school year, such as how they participated in orientation activities, supported one another and others at campus events and taken the lead in House activities.” Mr. Szymendera added that this year’s seniors seem to be more cohesive as a group at an earlier point in the year than other classes. Joe Brennan ’20 said that his class has tried to increase school spirit by “getting students energized” at athletic games and other events like the fall musical.

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Along with increasing attendance at athletic events, the Senior Class also changed how they earned privileges this year through the senior leadership committee, led by Upper School Math Teacher Jon Waite. The group is described by Mr. Szymendera as “a volunteer group of seniors who are willing to work with the faculty and administration to figure out ways for the seniors to make a difference in the life of the school.” The group has also helped introduce new privileges that have been earned gradually, such as a 20% discount in the café, as well as previous privileges like leaving chapel first and signing out during long lunches. Even though half of the school year has passed, the seniors are still trying to earn more privileges by being involved in the school community. Brennan mentioned that the committee is working on giving seniors more freedom during school by letting them “leave during [their] free period and during lunch every day.”

St. Christopher’s has been the name of the school for over 100 years now, but what makes the story of its namesake so important? The school was originally called Chamberlayne’s School for Boys, but after coming to an agreementwith the Diocese of Virginia, the name changed to St. Christopher’s School. According to legend, Saint Christopher was originally a servant of the Devil before he was converted to Christianity by a priest. He was told by the priest to serve God by helping travelers cross a dangerous river. Saint Christopher did this for years, until one day he carried a unusually heavy child across the river. When he reached the other side, he discovered that the child was Jesus. From that day on, he preached the word of God everywhere he went. Many at this school believe that Saint Christopher is the paramount of masculinity. “Often times, men are told to be the greatest and most powerful and well known, and that’s how you become successful,” said Upper School Chaplain Whitney Edwards, but St. Christopher’s School believes that masculinity should be characterized by the saint’s act of taking risks to help a stranger and receiving their blessing. She added, “[Many students] have been meditating on Saint Christopher and the image of this servant for much of their lives, and even if [they] don’t know it, [they] have been given an idea of what a man can be.” This idea, among many others, is key to the philosophy of St. Christopher’s and the values it teaches boys regularly. This philoshopy is showed in the words of Dr. Chamberlayne, “[I] hoped like Saint Christopher, the courage and unselfishness of the school would only continue to grow.” The other reason for the name change, according to Dr. Chamberlayne, was because the saint and the school share a similar purpose: “to guide young men through the turbulence of adolescence and to influence future generations of civic leaders.”

Statue of Saint Christopher with Jesus in front of the Luck Leadership Center

The entrance to Chamberlayne Hall

March 2020

Saints Win Scholastic Awards By Luke Fergusson ’21

Mrs. Amanda Livick working with Joe Blaszak ’21

Photoshop as an Art Form By Nick Lowsley-Williams ’22

Graphic design is as difficult as painting, as it combines digital art and user experience into one. These skills are taught in Intro to Photoshop, a class led by Upper School Teacher of Multimedia Arts Mrs. Amanda Livick. Mrs. Livick was originally trained as a photographer and has taken courses on graphic design. At first, Intro to Photoshop was simply a digital version of Art Foundation, an art class about physical media. Students learned art fundamentals while working in a digital space, but the class has evolved during the six years she has taught it to become more focused on graphic design. According to Mrs. Livick, graphic design is important because it is “difficult to visually communicate with someone really quickly.” There in lies the challenge. Mrs. Livick is passionate about her class. She admitted that she wasn’t the best at graphic design, but she learns along with the students. “When you’re not a master at a craft, I have to constantly learn with you,” she said. However, this limitation helps her pace her lessons. From her experience, she likes layout the best. It is closer to painting than other branches of graphic design, so it’s more familiar to her.

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Some students immediately show talent with the field. Mrs. Livick says one of the best students she ever had was Grant Mistr ’17, an artist who was easy to push in any direction and who eventually worked on projects for companies. He also did many things on campus for St. Christopher’s, such as making covers and layers for The Pine Needle and StC Magazine. Mrs. Livick hopes to have the class do more activities around campus. “I really like to have real projects,” she said, which includes Ampersand commissions. Generally having more of a presence on campus is one of her future goals. Her time with the class has honed her design sense, as she has noticed a lot of bad design in day-to-day life. In public, “really bad typography” seems to be the biggest issue. She specifically pointed out an amateur-looking cover for a booklet she had on her desk. In her class, she notices many flaws, with margin issues being the main problem among students. Intro to Photoshop, originally a smaller subsection of Art Foundation, now opens up a previously untapped section of the arts.

This year, Charles Hancock ’23, Drew Brown ’21, Freddy Preston ’22 and Christian Johnson ’21 walked away with five awards at the Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition for the greater Richmond area. The competition allows students to share their art with others in their community and provides an opportunity to display student talent and to introduce more kids to the world of art. The competition consists of two rounds. The first is the regional round, which is the Richmond area for our school. Anyone can submit their art, and local artists judge. In total, there are 34 categories, including photography, writing, painting, drawing, video and many others. The awards handed out in the first round are silver and gold keys. Recipients of keys have their art displayed at the Visual Arts Center in Richmond, while gold key winners move on to the national competition. Contestants who win gold keys in the national competition have their art displayed in a New York City art gallery. Mrs. Amanda Livick, Upper School teacher of multi-

media arts, said, “The importance of this competition is that it gives people who don’t otherwise have an artistic background a chance to feel like they belong in this world.” St. Christopher’s students have had a lot of success in the competition over the years. Overall, three students have gone on to win national silver or gold key awards, while others have won gold and silver keys in the regional competition. This year alone, St. Christopher’s students won three silver and two gold keys in the regional competition.ww One of these gold key winners was Charlie Polk ’21. When he was a freshman, Polk won a gold key for his picture entitled “Remembering,” which depicted yellow flowers with the image of a fallen veteran in the background. After winning, his picture was displayed at an art gallery in Virginia. When Polk saw the other photos that were submitted for the contest, he was shocked by the quality of the local competition, saying, “They’re incredible.”

Charlie Polk ’21 with his winning photograph entitled “Remembering”

March 2020

Saints Strive to Make an Impact

STC Fights the Flu

By Willem Peters ’21

By Joseph Long ’22 and Noble Cosby ’23 As Middle School English Teacher Gene Bruner says, “With all due respect to T.S. Eliot, flu season, and not April, is the cruelest month.” This year’s virus ravaged the school, with students and teachers missing multiple days of classes at a time. The affliction impacted the Technology Department earlier on, and despite attempts to quarantine them, the virus was able to spread further. All five members of the Technology Department were infected at once, threatening to cripple the school, but the team provided support from home. The department is accustomed to using hand sanitizer to limit the amount of germs passed between computers, but the habit did not prevent the relentless transmission. Numerous faculty missed some time, including Mr. Gene Bruner, Mrs. Kathleen Thomas, Upper School journalism teacher, Dr. Kimberly Hudson, director of the Center for the Study of Boys, and Ms. Kiernan Michau, Upper School English teacher. Mr. Bruner recounted his diet of stump-toed gecko, cramp-bark, couch grass and a “thimble full of fermented 190-proof coconut milk.” “After a week, I made it to my classes but simply stared at the ceiling,” something which he said people accuse him of on his best days. One question raised was whether one illness was plaguing the school or several were appearing simultaneously. After comparing the symptoms of all interviewed people, we placed them into three groups: group one, which was affected with aches, sore throat, congestion or runny nose and nausea; group two, which suffered from chills and fever as well as sinus problems; and group three, which seemed to have a more intense version of group one’s symptoms. Some common symptoms included exhaustion, head-

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aches and body ache, while some other severe symptoms included nausea, The Technology Department in quarantine vomiting and diarrhea. There were also differences in how long people were sick, with some people missing a day of school, and others missing the whole week altogether. After our analysis, at least two versions of the flu appeared on campus, and one was more prevalent than the other. While this year’s flu epidemic is beginning to dwindle, flu season can last until May, so it’s important to remember to take measures to be healthy. Middle School Nurse Megan Hollomon said the No. 1 way to reduce the risk of the flu is washing your hands, and if you are sick, stay home so you don’t spread it. With the COVID-19 virus also posing a threat, it is important to take similar measures to limit its spread.

Seeing an opportunity to extend St. Christopher’s influence internationally, Neal Dhar ’19 conceived the idea of a club to help child refugees in Yemen, organizing fundraisers to raise money which would be given to refugees. In a speech given during an October chapel, Dhar contrasted Yemen, which we know today as a battlezone between Iran and Saudi Arabia, with the biblical place where the three wise kings began their journey to visit baby Jesus. For St. Christopher’s to play a role in these war-torn places, students should understand and sympathize with the refugees and begin to take initiative. Many Americans strive to do, yet so many are not acting on the issue. Yemen supplies the United States with the cheapest price of oil, but Dhar asks, “Is the price of oil worth torturing 17 million humans?” Saints against Humanitarian Crises (SHC) strives to help children who are part of the 17 million starving Yemeni people. This club allows the St. Christopher’s

community to assist people internationally and begin to make a difference in the world, starting with Yemen. Dhar, along with Jayden Smith ’21, Nash Steed ’21, John Collier ’22 and Harrison Tompkins ’21, aims to help those in need but also to challenge the students and faculty of St. Christopher’s to be more selfless. So far the group has raised more than $200 to help the children of Yemen. Dhar aims to make this message resonate with the community of our school instead of “flourish[ing] for a few months then [dying] out.” Although some may not actively participate in this new club, the goal of the group is to make the St. Christopher’s community think about the struggles overseas and the possible good that [we can do]. Rather than allowing this goal to slowly fade away, Dhar believes that “this struggle for good is eternal,” and to “sit silently would be a sin.”

A Look at the Missionary Society By Oliver Hale ’21

“A lot of people think we don’t do anything…which is why I figure you’re interviewing me,” said Missionary Society President Jude Reiferson ’20. As Reiferson states, many people don’t know what the society does. “I forgot the Missionary Society existed,” said Henry Edmunds ’21. However, the reality is that many of the activities the Missionary Society organizes have lots of hidden work behind them. From putting on special services to organizing charity and volunteer opportunities, the Missionary Society has a lot on its plate. “A lot of stuff we do people don’t see,” said Reiferson. “For example, our biggest project [this year] was the clothing drive with Fairfield Court.” The Missionary Society comes with its benefits as well. “I really

enjoy being able to give back to the community,” said Reiferson. “It’s a really direct way of being able to do that. That’s something I really enjoy doing, just giving back.”

Illustration by Nick Lowsley-Williams ’22

March 2020

Recital Hall Opens By Parker Cullinan ’22

For the last few years, the St. Christopher’s community has witnessed construction of the new building devoted to a key area at St. Christopher’s: the arts. Following its completion, the Louis F. Ryan Recital Hall was blessed on March 4. The Arts Center, which was completed mid-February, is approximately the size of the Luck Leadership Center. In addition to the recital hall, the 30,000-square-foot space houses classrooms, practice rooms and recording studios to appeal to all categories of arts, not solely visual or performing. The Louis F. Ryan Recital Hall is named after an alumnus of St. Christopher’s, class of 1965, who served many years as a board member and has been a consistent volunteer and leader. Ryan, for whom the Ryan Dining Hall is also named, has shown impressive generosity to our school, helping turn our dream for an arts center into a reality. St. Christopher’s has aspired to build a center to house the arts programs on campus since the 1990s. Now, St. Christopher’s is home to a dedicated arts space that stands out for its quality and innovation. “We have been working in coalition with sound engineers to establish the best sounding space,” Mr. Lecky said at an opening chapel service in February in the new space. “In fact, the engineers believe that the Louis F. Ryan Recital Hall is home to the best acoustic sounding space in all of central Virginia.”

Middle and Upper School students began to have classes in the new spaces at the end of February. Mrs. Leslie Long’s band students, Mr. Brian Evan’s String Ensemble and Mr. John Winn’s Jazz Band and Rhythm Band moved into the new space at the same time. Middle School English Teacher Alex Knight and Middle School Art Teacher Marshall Ware will move to their dedicated spaces in the new building this summer. The community will have two opportunities to celebrate the new space firsthand. The first event is March 22, when students from all levels of St. Christopher’s musical ensembles will perform. Then, on April 20, the school will host alumni performances, including Grammy Awardwinning composer Mason Bates ’95 as well as Richmond Ballet dancer Ira White ’08. When the recital hall was blessed, Mr. Lecky stated that the new space belongs to current and future students, who will sing, speak, paint, create and perform. “First, know that without you, both faculty and students, this facility is but a hollow shell,” Mr. Lecky said. “...This arts center, this recital hall, needs our voices, it needs our efforts, our triumphs, and our failures to become all that it should be. I urge you all to take risks in this space, to succeed, fail, and to try again; be bold, make noise and sound; create in this space, both visually and through your words.”

Gray Broaddus ’20 makes the first announcement in the Louis F. Ryan Recital Hall.

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Mr. Ron Smith in front of the Poetry Center’s crammed bookshelves

Perusing the Poetry Center By Hugo Abbot ’21

Closing the double doors, the crisp winter wind ceased and my now-dilated eyes looked over the dark sanctuary sprawled out before me. Long shelves with books, certificates and awards from another time lined the walls. A whiff of old books instantly caught my nose, one of the room’s most distinguishing factors. Minutes go by on the clock, as the surprising warmth of this eclectic hideaway known as the Poetry Center envelopes me on a winter day. This is the situation I experienced on a December afternoon, but one many at this school have not encountered. Located in Old Luck Hall, on the pathway between the Upper School and Lower School, the Poetry Center is a place students may have seen from the outside with no idea of the intricacies within. Especially given its proximity to events such as graduation, one could question why this area isn’t a space more open to the public? This inquiry may be answered with the name of the center itself. Poetry is a complex literature form that requires careful attention to details and a quiet, out-ofthe-way place. Upper School English Teacher Mr. Smith said, “It’s a quiet refuge for Saints who want to sit surrounded by great poems ... who want to live for at least a

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short time with the music of the English language.” The absence of an indicating sign, one that all other offices in the Luck Hall have, seems fitting under this impression of being a discreet and peaceful place for scholars. The first room I entered was not the Poetry Center, but the office of former Upper School Math Teacher Jim Boyd. To the left of the bookshelf, a smaller passageway reveals the way to the center, which consists of a large table, chairs and many other bookshelves. This room has so many books, perhaps thousands, that Mr. Smith, head of the Poetry Center, said that he has lost count. Along with prose and verse books, the room also contains awards that students earned in poetry competitions.

The sign for the Poetry Center, located inside, rather than out

Along with Mr. Smith’s collection of books is an unusual collection of Edgar Poe memorabilia. A Poe bobblehead, lunchbox, coffee mug, CD recording and several black ravens can be seen alongside the horizontally and vertically stuffed bookshelves, representing his love for the writer. Created by Mr. Smith first as a bookshelf in the library to house his “growing collection” of literary works, the Poetry Center took its first physical form after being moved into an empty Luck Hall room in 1997. The center moved again later in 2016 to its current location on the bottom level of Luck Hall below Upper School History Teacher Scott Van Arsdale’s room. The move into Luck Hall was more or less a result of the passing of Upper School English Teacher George Squires Upper School English teacher. When he first came to St. Christopher’s as a young teacher, Mr. Smith had Mr. Squires as a mentor. Mr. Smith said, “Within a few years, he and I became best friends,” reading and discussing writers such as Dante, Charles Dickens, Emily Dickinson and Elizabeth Bishop. Mr. Squires suddenly died a few months before retirement, leaving his entire book collection to Mr. Smith. Of all the positions Mr. Smith has held over the years, he said that holding the George O. Squires Chair is the one of which he’s most proud, as it keeps the memory of his friend and former colleague alive. In addition, students every year have the chance to win George Squires Literary Awards for their writing in the literary magazine, Hieroglyphic, where Mr. Smith serves as advisor.

The goal of the Poetry Center, like Mr. Squires’ goal as a teacher, is “to encourage and support the love of poetry” in both students and teachers. Through poetry recitations and writing conferences organized by Mr. Smith, the center tries to accomplish its mission. Visiting poets at St. Christopher’s have come and “consulted the collection” at the center. Students who have Mr. Smith as a teacher often find their way to the space. “Before having Mr. Smith as a teacher, I had never known that this part of the campus ever existed,” Spencer Villanueva ’21 said. “After meeting in the Poetry Center with him, I see it now as a quiet place to meet with Mr. Smith and get help writing essays and understanding poetry.”

Student-won awards displayed throughout the center

The main table inside the Poetry Center with one of Mr. Ron Smith’s many ravens (Top Right)

March 2020

Inside the Marketing Department:

Mrs. Sharon Dion

Mr. Cappy Gilchrist

By Oliver Hale ’21

By Charlie Holdaway ’21

Director of Communications Sharon Dion might be described as a professional juggler, handling the public image of the school as well as her three young boys at home. After graduating from the University of Richmond with a degree in journalism, Mrs. Dion found herself at home in Richmond, where she went to work at the Martin Agency as an account supervisor, where she lead top-tier accounts such as UPS and Sprint for seven years before being hired by Capital One as a director of brand strategy. She showed impressive work with her first position with the company, starting a campaign to strengthen Capital One’s social media presence. Her campaign was a success, as the corporate Facebook page’s likes increased from 15,000 to 150,000. Mrs. Dion worked at Capital One for 12 years, taking a variety of marketing roles. “One of the hallmarks of Capital One is that they love change, and they love to shake things up,” she said. “I’d say I changed positions every two to three years.” She began working at St. Christopher’s in 2018. Her oldest son, Gray, was going to the Lower School prior to her working here and is currently a fourth grader. Her middle son, Matthew, is a kindergartener, and her youngest, Tate is a soon-to-be Saint. She enjoys working at our school which allows her to be closer to her children during the day, since they are just across the street. She immediately found footing as director of communications thanks to her previous years of experience. Her position at Capital One and at our school have shown to be similar in many ways, but she has found a new enjoyment in our school environment. The window to her office is one of her favorite perks of her job because it’s located in Memorial Hall and overlooks the terraces. “The energy on this campus is so fun,” she said. “I love

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Mr. Cappy Gilchrist Mrs. Sharon Dion

that I can look out my window and see everything. The little guys also walk this path to lunch everyday. There is always so much joy and boy-spirit going on out there.” Mrs. Dion’s communications job includes a variety of tasks and responsibilities, which makes her focus different every day. Her team’s goal is to tell the “story of the school.” They interface with every department because each one has communication needs. This can come in the form of brochures, ads and online and printed publications. More recently, there has been a strong emphasis on social media because many parents and alumni now receive information from sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Mrs. Dion runs a weekly meeting where she plans ahead the agenda of the department. Upper School Journalism Teacher Kathleen Thomas said, “She is really good at the big picture, but also good at the details. People are usually one way or the other, but she has strengths in both.”

“There used to be just one person up here.” Director of Digital Marketing and Communications Cappy Gilchrist was an early hire in the digital marketing and communications department, but his role and the department itself have changed dramatically in recent years. The department has grown from one person to four, much of the growth attributable to how people consume media today. “How our constituents receive information has definitely moved away from paper to email or social media,” Mr. Gilchrist said. The Hampden-Sydney College graduate’s job is becoming increasingly more digital in the social media age. The changes to the department have been effective. “It was definitely hard when it was just me… to get everything posted [on social media] in a timely manner and to also work on these long-term projects,” he said. This year, however, Mr. George Knowles, digital media manager, has taken over social media and daily news for the school. The position was created several years ago for the school to create a social media presence. “I think our office is pretty well-staffed now,” Mr. Gilchrist said.

Mr. Gilchrist deals with the school’s digital communications, websites, marketing and advertisements. Annual giving, admissions and the Center for the Study of Boys’ Journeys to Manhood programs are just a few of the projects Mr. Gilchrist deals with when preparing digital materials, newsletters and websites for the public. The communications department as a whole handles online newsletters, letters, emails, advertisements and events. “Right now, we are getting all of our admissions materials straight and kicking off the admission season, including open houses, school fairs and brochures,” Mr. Gilchrist said. One of the biggest misconceptions about marketing is that it is only an the marketing office’s job. “All of our faculty is part of the marketing office. We all play this role together,” he said. “We’re out in the community and it’s our job to tell the St. Chris story.” Mr. Gilchrist enjoys his job. “We’ve got a great office. A lot of people retired last year, and we’ve got more people retiring, so it’s a lot of transition, which is an exciting time I think to see how the office will evolve.”

March 2020

Mr. George Knowles

Mrs. Kathleen Thomas By Nick Lowsley-Williams ’22

By Hugo Abbot ’21

George Knowles started his journalism career in an unlikely place: the fields of coastal Denmark as an archaeology student. His favorite part of his archaeological work was telling the stories of the data collected. “I’d always loved writing, so it just seemed to make sense for me to move into journalism instead,” he said. Holding a B.A. in anthropology from the University of New Mexico and a master’s in public affairs and interactive jounalism from American University, Mr. Knowles started off working in communications in Washington, D.C. for the American Red Cross and the American Youth Policy. Most recently, he served as digital strategist and copywriter for Abigail Spanberger’s congressional campaign. Now, after seven months of working as the digital media manager, Mr. Knowles brings his passion and skills to St. Christopher’s, where he said, “There’s always a story to cover.” In addition to writing, Mr. Knowles is trained in videography and the analytical side of digital marketing. He said that to be a better-positioned digital content creator, you always have to find new ways to tell stories. “There’s sort of a natural curiosity with the students and teachers,” he said, talking about the academic environment at St. Christopher’s. He likes how everyone who works here likes their jobs and enjoys his work the most when people around him enjoy their work too. Mr. Knowles’ favorite stories to cover are ones showing the students learning in action and discovering new passions. He also highlights special events in chapel. On the side, Mr. Knowles also does some freelance work either for friends’ companies or just for fun. “I’m always up to something, whether it’s taking photos or making fun videos with friends of mine.” For example, he has filmed music videos and even filmed a trailer for a show his friends wanted to put on Netflix. His main advice for new digital storytellers is to culti-

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Mrs. Kathleen Thomas works on StC Magazine in marketing, where she advertises by not advertising, letting stories speak for themselves. She started working at St. Christopher’s in 2005 parttime teaching journalism and serving as advisor to The Pine Needle and yearbook. She began to work full time in

2011 when she started to help in marketing at St. Christopher’s as well. Prior to St. Christopher’s, the University of Virginia graduate was a reporter for a newspaper in North Carolina as well as the Richmond Times-Dispatch and worked briefly in public relations for McGuireWoods Consulting. “I am grateful for the foundation my early jobs gave me,” she said. She is also thankful for the stability of her work now, while many newpaper reporters have lost jobs due to declining readership and advertising. In marketing, Mrs. Thomas takes a journalistic approach to the work, where she tries to find stories that are real and compelling. The alumni, students, faculty and staff all have interesting stories to share, and she enjoys bringing their stories to a public forum. “We try to bring life and interest to the magazine, with real stories about real people to which others can relate and learn things.” She has worked on many articles, including one on mental health. It’s “such a prevalent issue. It’s so important,” she said. “High school is a time of struggle.” If you are inspired to join a marketing department, Mrs. Thomas said, “The power of a story transcends anything and everything.” She adds that sensationalization is a no-go; the only thing that gains traction is a good human story.

Mr. George Knowles

vate a genuine interest in what people have to say, and to have a love of learning. He also said a journalist always has to be willing to learn new skills to publish stories in new formats for newer or different audiences. “Become versatile, pick up any skills you can get your hands on… you’re going to have to know a little bit about everything.”

Mrs. Kathleen Thomas

March 2020

Mr. Baylor and his new best friend

Baylor Bounces Back By Luke Fergusson ’21

Middle and Upper School English Teacher Mr. Corydon Baylor’s brother-in-law had a heart attack, an event that prompted the entire family to get a cardiac calcium test and ultimately may have saved the StC teacher’s life. The test measures the risk of a heart attack by calculating the amount of calcium in the walls of coronary arteries. While his wife came back a zero, he received the astronomical score of 1,700. To put that in perspective, a bad score is 30 to 100, with 200 and above considered high risk. Attempting to input stents to resolve his problem, the doctor realized that they were not going to work due to excessive plaque in his arteries. His doctor said, “You shouldn’t even be walking right now because three quarters of the arteries to your heart are 95% blocked.” It was then decided that Mr. Baylor should stay at the hospital for a couple of days to prepare for triple bypass surgery. The procedure, which took place in November, took an extra vein from his leg and used it as an extra artery to alleviate the blocking to the heart. While this surgery is much more advanced these days than it was 20 years ago, it still left him with a lengthy recovery process. After surgery, Mr. Baylor was stuck in the hospital for

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another week to rest and recover. One of the rehab activities he had to do was hold a big teddy bear against his chest for four days to keep arm use at a minimum. He also had to do many physical rehab activities during that time. The most notable was that they wouldn’t let him leave the hospital until he could walk up a flight of stairs, which he said was difficult. In addition, tubes put under his ribs during the surgery to drain fluids that build up during and after surgery were painful and uncomfortable to walk around with. He was ready to return to school at the end of December. However, the school was on break, and he waited until after winter break to return. “It was weird because I had been gone for like two months, and it was like coming back from summer vacation. I didn’t know half my students’ names,” he said. So it took him a while to readjust to his job again. After the surgery, he doesn’t have many lingering symptoms other than the scar on his chest being sore. He also has much more energy now than before the surgery. He advises that anyone over the age of 50 should get this test, even if they aren’t experiencing symptoms, because it’s not expensive, and it can save your life.

Jones Takes Flight

AJ Jones flies a Cirrus SR-22.

By Joseph Long ’22

It all started on a small scale in eighth grade. For sophomore AJ Jones, a paper construction project evolved into an obsession and probable career path. After receiving some pre-built model planes from his grandparents, AJ brought some to school to show a friend, another aviation enthusiast. Jones bought more planes, and eventually, he and his friend got the idea to build an expansive miniature airport on two plastic fold-out tables in the classroom of Alex Knight, who had taught Jones English in seventh grade. The airport grew to include two runways, a terminal, numerous stands, jet bridges, an air traffic control tower, a hangar and functional lighting. At the end of eighth grade, the airport was removed from the school, but Jones did not end his aviation endeavors. Through the summer and the ninth grade year, he started building Chicago Lincoln Airport, an eight-foot by eight-foot miniature of a fictional facility, this time

made of plastic and placed on wooden boards painted with runways and markings. The airport was never fully completed because Jones scrapped it in favor of a new airport project: a scaled recreation of Richmond International Airport. He has made a good amount of progress, but construction has stalled since the school year started. He plans to continue working on it in his free time. While he was deeply involved in airports and models, he went on a discovery flight from Chesterfield County Airport. He got to go over a plane’s pre-flight checks and went on a short flight, where he even got to control the plane a little. Since then, he’s been taking flight lessons whenever he can. Jones said that flying a plane is “kind of like driving a car, but easier and harder at the same time.” He also said the hardest part of flying, which can be different for everyone, is “the communications with towers and stuff like that because my biggest fear is public speaking. … I’ve gotten a lot better with the actual communications part, but it still freaks me out every time.” Jones is confident that his future involves a career in flying, and he hopes to attend Liberty University because they have one of the best pilot training programs in the country and because he has family in the area.

AJ Jones shows off his model airport.

March 2020

Foster and Pava Paves Path For Prosperity

Futsal

By Charlie Polk ’21

When more than 260 kids tried out for his high school soccer team, St. Catherine’s Spanish Teacher and St. Christopher’s Varsity Futsal Head Coach Mr. Mauricio Pava went unnoticed by the head coach and didn’t make it. He said that this wasn’t the biggest blow, as sports in high school are “very informal.” Not to be deterred, Mr. Pava ended up playing for his city’s team. He later ran into his high school team’s head coach while wearing his club sweatsuit and was offered a spot on the team, but he turned it down due to his city commitment. Despite his previous disappointment, Coach Pava ended up being the only person to play professionally from his graduating class. This story attests to the coach’s strategies, which are also reflected in his coaching. Despite not getting a fair chance to play when he was younger, he gives every player an opportunity not only to show their abilities on the court and field, but also to connect with him so that he might understand who they are. Coach Pava has enjoyed much success throughout his years with the futsal team. Over his life, he learned many lessons and skills through his years as a player, professional and coach. He’s well respected among the community and continues to spread his knowledge both on and off the court. Born and raised in Colombia, Coach Pava breathed soccer and futsal growing up, playing since he was young. Futsal is the most played sport in the entire country. “It just became one of my strengths to be able to understand futsal and play. Even though I was not the most skilled, I had the surprise factor and the mind and the discipline.” Through the years, soccer became his priority, but he still kept up with futsal. The popularity of futsal led to Coach Pava’s extreme love for the game. He said that his passion came from the quickness, strategy and sneakiness of the sport. Once Pava moved to Richmond, he was hired as a Spanish teacher at St. Catherine’s. His interest sparked once he heard about the varsity futsal team, and he began his relationship with St. Christopher’s, sharing the head coach role with Coach Craig Foster.

Living in Denmark for nearly two years, Mr. Craig Foster grew not only as a player, but as a person. He moved there in the summer of 1993 to play with the club, Aarhus Fremad, to coach youth soccer and spend time with his girlfriend. His time there gave him a new perspective on the power of sports in unifying people from all different cultures. The move personified his love for soccer, as he willfully moved to another continent to improve his game. This passion also shows in Coach Foster’s coaching career here at St. Christopher’s. After his first year at St. Christopher’s, Coach Foster received the opportunity to become head coach of varsity futsal from former Athletic Director Paul Padalino. Foster took over the reins in the 2006-2007 season. His days in Denmark surely played a factor in helping the team rebuild, as 12 years had passed since they won their last Valentine Classic. Foster knew he needed to incorporate hard work and competitiveness back into the team, but he also noticed the players did not seem to enjoy the sport. His changes sparked a new fire within everyone, and the team continued its upward trend. After two years, the team reached the Valentine Classic championship under Foster and took home the title in 2009 and 2010. Although the team did not win either of the following two tournaments, Coach Foster made a significant change to the team culture and playing style.

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Coach Pava, pictured with Trent Levy ’17, instructs the futsal team.

As the team progressed, success grew due to their excellent coaching skills. “Having played at different levels gave me the perspective on what type of players there are and understanding that every person is different,” Mr. Pava said. “As a coach, I cannot treat everybody the same way because the reaction I’m going to get can be positive or negative, so I have to get to know my players.” Over his years of coaching, he identified his favorite moment as a semi-finals match between two St. Christopher’s futsal teams in a tournament. The younger team led at halftime, with the other team in the finals cheering them on. However, the older team pulled it out in the end and won. “The older team ended up winning, and the team that had qualified to the finals was cheering for the younger team because they thought it would be better for them. It was a very exciting game and we ended up winning with the older team, winning the league.” During the past three years, the team won 65 games with only eight losses and two ties. This current season follows the Saints’ trend of dominance. “The main factor is that the kids’ buy into and trust and believe in what they’re doing and that what they’re doing is the way to do it,” Coach Pava said. While the team has a bunch of talent, Coach Pava still knows that he needs everyone to have the same goal to succeed.

Coach Foster with Coach Pava

“Coach Pava has really helped make the program what it is, and I attribute bringing him in on the coaching staff as the largest factor in our success,” says Foster. Bringing in Coach Pava, a futsal mastermind, helped revitalize the team and brought major changes to the way the team plays. However, winning isn’t the only thing Foster focuses on. “My favorite moments are getting to know the players on a different level. There have been highlights with championships, but the biggest thing is the guys, the kids, the players.” Coach Foster treats the futsal team not just as players, but as family. This collectiveness contributed to six Valentine Classic championships in the past eight years, which includes two consecutive years of defeating Collegiate 6-0. Unfortunately, Coach Foster’s job as a Lower School PE teacher was cut to part-time due to lower enrollment. Mr. Foster was obviously upset by the news, but he loves the school and will continue to lead the team in the upcoming years. He wants everyone to “keep it classy” here at St. Christopher’s.

Coach Foster (left) and Coach Pava (right) pictured with the 2019-2020 futsal team

March 2020

Where’s Whalen? By Parker Cullinan ’22

My second period freshman English class sat down at our desks, and Mr. Chris Whalen flipped off the lights. Clips from the movie “Dumb & Dumber” appeared on the projector, followed by Mr. Whalen’s chapel talk he planned but never delivered. Little did anyone know that later that period he would announce his departure for a “trip to [an] Aspen” of his own, jokingly comparing his life to the classic comedy. In a later interview, he further explained that life can be like cliff jumping, explaining the circumstances of his departure. “You have to shove yourself into doing it, and then the rest is a spiral,” Whalen said. The issue was that he felt too comfortable here. “I used to be a decent athlete and one thing you do when playing at a high level is you get comfortable being uncomfortable. My life was good, but maybe the part of me that always wants more was screaming. STC was a place that was easy to stay forever, but at my age that was terrifying. I still had too much to do and see.” Last year, after four years of teaching at St. Christopher’s, Mr. Whalen packed his bags and headed out to explore the world. The next six months were full of travelling to eye-candy venues across the United States and beyond. Once passionate for the game of soccer, Mr. Whalen suffered a leg injury during his time at Kenyon College, which disrupted his ability to play and connect with teammates. However, his injury had a bright side in getting him to explore new hobbies he focuses on in the present day. He found new friends interested in traveling and further devoted himself to studying literature. In the last six months, Mr. Whalen has been all over. Most of his traveling has been centered in Europe. However, trips to the Utah and the Northeast are not

to be overlooked. Mr. Whalen focused time in England, France, Germany and the Netherlands, enjoying a mix of rural and urban scapes. Even though Mr. Whalen’s novel he’d been pursuing last year mostly hasn’t been touched, he still continues to write fiction. “I’m definitely looking to publish sometime in the future,” he said. “Perhaps some of my short stories are good enough to publish, but I’d rather wait, write and publish a novel.” Mr. Whalen’s travel has not been solely been a sightseeing tour, as he has also found work along the way. Recently, a website crossed his feed of a nonprofit called Wwoof, which connects travelers and workers to farms across both hemispheres. Room and board are compensated for by your work, which appealed to him. Mr. Whalen applied and landed in a Rhône Valley vineyard in France, where his introduction was quite unusual. “I spent some time getting muddy and shoveling a bunch of manure,” he said. “However, I’m in a really great spot.” Mr. Whalen will “Wwoof” on a vineyard in the Rhône Valley for five weeks. He hopes to keep travelling and seeing the world for as long as he can. The ultimate goal is to return to teaching or to be accepted into a master’s of fine arts program. However, acceptance rates are slim, ranging from less than 0.5 % to 3 %. No matter what the future holds for Mr. Whalen, he strives to never stop learning nor taking risks. “No matter what you choose to do in life, there will be problems,” he said. “Making a major life decision doesn’t solve those problems. It gives you new ones. Making a decision to change your life is a decision to choose new and different problems that you prefer.”

March 2020

Oliver Gardner in “The Nutcracker”

Ephraim Bullock as part of a Chinese dragon in “The Nutcracker” in December

Dancers Follow Their Dreams By Spencer Villanueva ’21 It’s not often that a St. Christopher’s student performs with the Richmond Ballet. This year, two dancers joined the Upper School. Ephraim Bullock ‘22 and Oliver Gardner ‘23 have danced with the Richmond Ballet’s youth program for six years. Bullock and Gardner started their dancing career in the fourth grade. They joined the Richmond Ballet’s youth outreach program, Minds in Motion. The Richmond Ballet started Minds in Motion in 1994 to inspire artistic expression through dance to kids in public schools all across the

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Richmond area. “At first, I did it as something to do outside of school. But now, I see it as something fun, rewarding and different,” Bullock said. “I got an invitation to join, and I just decided to just go for it,” said Gardner. Through the years, the two rose through the ranks of the group, and they have danced in many performances. Both of their most memorable performances were productions of “The Nutcracker.” Gardner’s disastrous Nutcracker performance took

place in Chrysler Hall in Norfolk while on tour. In one scene, the prince and Drosselmeyer pass out nuts to the kids, but in this particular performance, the prince dropped the bowl and spilled nuts all over the stage. One kid made the situation worse by throwing the nuts off stage, which produced incredibly loud noises. Bullock remembers his infamous event vividly. He remembers dancing on stage with a group of other kids during the party scene when things took a turn for the worse. One young boy began urinating on stage. This boy, believing that the show must go on, continued to dance while still urinating on the floor. The end result was both a both a literal and figurative mess. Fortunately for Bullock, he eventually moved up to the graduate XXL program. Over time, Bullock learned that ballet instructors weren’t necessarily the best teachers. “I feel like I learn the most and improve more with other students,” he said. “We would help each other be the best we could.” Another one of Bullock’s greatest teachers and mentors is Ira White. Ira White graduated from St. Christopher’s

in 2011 and has since joined the Richmond Ballet. Similar to Bullock, he began his dancing career after joining the Minds in Motion program. Following in White’s footsteps, Bullock is considering dance as a future career. “I hope to continue dancing in the future, and I could make a good career out of it,” said Bullock. Gardner said that the most challenging part of ballet is the hours that they have to put in. He has to go straight from school to practice and stay there until 8 p.m. Each practice switches between men’s, ensemble, and general ballet classes. The greatest part of ballet, according to Gardner, is meeting new people and making new friends. “The amount of friends that I made is insane,” he said. “I would have never known them without taking ballet.” They both hope that everyone will branch out and try an activity that they otherwise wouldn’t. Bullock said, “If you truly love anything in life, you should do it no matter if it doesn’t make much money or other people judge you about it.”

March 2020

Meet the Fencers: Mason Stanley

By Quintin Levy ’23

With a foil in one hand and a pencil in the other, Mason Stanley ’23 manages to attend national and international fencing tournaments while being a student at St. Christophers. Stanley has attended multiple tournaments in California, Cuba, France and England in his pursuit of becoming an Olympic fencer. The sport requires commitment. “I’m traveling all the time and sometimes you have to make sacrifices,” he said. “You go to bed late and wake up only getting five hours of sleep.” Stanley has been interested in fencing since he was in Lower School. “I’ve always liked watching movies like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘Star Wars,’ where you have those lightsabers, pirate battles, sword fights and all that,” Stanley said. Fencing started to arise as a sport in Germany during the 14th or 15th century. The first Olympic fencing games appeared in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and has remained an Olympic sport since then. The first women’s Olympic fencing games began in 1924 in Paris, France. Today, men and women still compete in individual team events.

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Max Kobal

Stanley was first formally introduced to fencing during an Extended Day program. When his mother saw the sport caught his interest, she asked him if he would like to try fencing outside of school. “Of course, right? What first grader wouldn’t want to try sword fighting?” When training, Stanley has to press both his wits and toughness against his opponent. “You have to be mentally strong, you have to be physically strong and then you have to have some motivation… If you’re not driven or mentally motivated, then you’re going to fall out, and that’s probably the most difficult thing to overcome. Which is why [motivation] is one of the main qualities that good fencers possess.” Other than becoming an Olympic fencer, Stanley hopes to become a coach when he grows older. “I want my kids to be fencers and I want to coach them so that they can kind of make their own story. It would be awesome if I became an Olympic champion, and my kids become Olympic champions. That would be a dream right there.”

To Max Kobal ’23, fencing is about solving a puzzle to beat your opponent. Kobal was first introduced to fencing through the Extended Day program. “We weren’t doing anything crazy,” he said. “They weren’t showing us any of the advanced stuff. It was mostly just playing with swords.” Through many efforts, Kobal has managed to increase his skill and attend tournaments. While fencing, he has gone to many tournaments as far away as Tennessee, Kansas and Colorado. “I never really travel outside of the country. Mason is more of that type.” To defeat his opponents, he needs to strategize how to approach and attack them. “[You] gotta be fast, gotta be explosive,” he said. “You have to be able to think on the fly in order to be able to figure out what your opponent is doing and how to counter it.” Like many sports, fencing is about outplaying as well as outsmarting your opponent and putting your physical and mental strengths to the

test. Kobal has even inspired some of his family to pick up the sport. “My mom and brother started fencing after me because I was taking so much time that they might as well hop in,” he said. In fact, Kobal might be a starting point for a large line of fencers in his family. Though Kobal has shown promise in fencing, he doesn’t see it as a future career. He is still unsure of what he ultimately wants to do. Kobal says that it is difficult to pursue a career in fencing. “To fence as a profession you have to be an Olympian if you want to make any money at all, and being a coach isn’t really my thing,” he said. Kobal chose to be a foilist because he found it to be the most enjoyable form. “It’s probably the most complicated weapon, but from my standpoint, it’s the most fun.”

March 2020

“

[St. Christopher’s] educated the whole boy in terms of my character development and the way I treat other people.

Brandon Thomas ‘16 wears his 100Thieves merch.

Streaming to Success By Henry Weatherford ’21 and Oliver Hale ’21

Brandon Thomas dines with his fellow teammates.

Few can expect to garner more than a couple likes on Twitter posts, but Brandon “Avalanche” Thomas ’16 has 140,000 followers and was No. 1 on trending to get him verified last December. The entire experience started out as a joke. He, along with the rest of his streaming group, the Mob, were originally going to get verified by staying off Twitter for 24 hours. But Thomas began to “accidentally” spam the timeline with #VerifyAvalanche, and with the momentum of him, his friends and his followers, Twitter verified him within hours, demonstrating the group was well known. Though he is famous on Twitter, he is also known for streaming. Originally pursuing an accounting degree, he dropped out of Virginia Tech to go into streaming full time. “I honestly didn’t like accounting that much, but I just passed it,” he said.

times things like skydiving. His daily activities revolve around streaming, but, like his weekly plans, they are never regulated. He could stream for a few hours or record a video with friends. Though his working days are certainly more relaxed than most, they are not without their challenges. Sometimes, Thomas doesn’t feel like streaming, which can anger or annoy his fans. There is also, he believes, a stereotype that gamers are fat and lazy and drink Mountain Dew. “Obviously, I don’t think any of that stuff’s true,” he said. Rather, gaming to him has created a community of closely connected compatriots. He credits his gaming success to St. Christopher’s and its focus on educating the whole boy. “They educated the whole boy in terms of my character development and the way I treat other people.” He believes that people who

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After completing his minor in Spanish, Thomas left Blacksburg, Virginia, and moved to Los Angeles to join 100Thieves and live in the group’s house. There, he has met and collaborated with numerous other creators, including CallMeCarson, Nadeshot and CourageJD. He believes that 100Thieves are “doing everything right as an organization to push gaming.” He said, “It’s only going to get bigger because this is a new market.” In fact, the organization recently finished its 15,000-squarefoot Los Angeles headquarters, dubbed the “100Thieves Cash App Compound,” which boasts conference and streaming rooms, offices, studios, retail space and a Totino’s Fortnite training room. Much of their success stems from their chaotic schedule, which is rarely set in stone. Thomas rarely knows what he is going to do a week in advance, but it is some-

disregard their time at St. Christopher’s are not fully realizing the experience of the school. Thomas does not plan on making streaming his lifetime profession. Much like 100Thieves’s schedule, his plans are not set in stone. Though he is happy he went to L.A. to play video games for a living, he ultimately wants to go back to college and complete his degree. That being said, he has no plans to quit gaming outright. Rather, he wishes to move into the business side of the market by completing a business major. “I haven’t been out here for a year yet,” he said. “I’ll probably be out here for a good two, and we’ll see what happens from there.”

March 2020

Rumors of War

St. Christopher’s students view statue unveiling at VMFA By Collin Taylor ’21 Students’ and teachers’ eyes widened in awe as we walked closer to the monument covered by a gray tarp. “I didn’t expect it to be that big,” said Spencer Villanueva ’21. When we secured our spot in the front of the crowd that began to grow into the thousands, we realized that we were witnessing history in the making. December 10, 2019, marked a new era for our city, and a handful of St. Christopher’s students and teachers felt the need to experience in person the unveiling of “Rumors of War.” Many attendees even came individually, such as Math Teacher Emmett Carlson, History Teacher Stuart Ferguson and Director of Diversity and Inclusion Ed Cowell. “The story behind his [Kehinde Wiley] inspiration, and his decision to use his artistic talents in response really made me want to go,” said Mr. Ferguson. “I really wanted to be a part of this historic event.” said Mr. Carlson.

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As the former capital of the Confederacy, Richmond has become a hotbed of discussion on the monuments erected to its former leaders and soldiers. Some state politicians and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts saw this as an opportunity to frame the conversation about the Confederate monuments from the perspective of people of color, who make up a plurality of Richmond’s population. It was also a chance for some to make a clear statement on their position regarding the issue of statue removal. To accomplish their goal, they commissioned renowned artist and activist Kehinde Wiley to create a statue. The prominent 29-foot bronze work — positioned strategically next to the Daughters of the Confederacy building — cost $2 million, plus an extra $700,000 VMFA to install the statue on their property as well as shipping costs for the 30-ton monument. The statue depicts a black man sitting atop a horse with

Saints students pictured in front of the statue.

his dreadlocks in a ponytail, wearing ripped jeans, a hoodie and Nike shoes. The statue was modeled after Wiley’s muse Najee Wilson; however, Wiley said, “The statue wasn’t a tribute to any one individual, instead about black men and their place in this society, and in a much broader way, a society that can say ‘Yes’ to black men and their place in this society.” “It’s a story about America 2.0,” said Wiley. It was evident from the energy of the crowd of 3,500 that Richmond was ready and long overdue for this revamping. “See, Richmond, we have a complex history. We’ve got the good, the bad and the ugly. All right? But this monument firmly establishes that our city is not living in the past but embraces the future and the good,” Mayor Levar Artist Kehinde Wiley Stoney said. If you look deeper into the facade of the statue, one can really see the detail and thought put into it. For example, the poses of the horse have great significance with regard to the message of the statue. The choice to have one foot in the air is interesting. This position means he died of his wounds in battle. It’s especially interesting because Kehinde mentioned that the man is not one person but an amalgamation of black people,” said English Teacher Kiernan Michau. Plainly stated, this statue means a lot to a lot of people. As Mayor Stoney said, “It’s taken more than 100 years, but the rest of Richmond’s residents finally have a monument of a man on a horse who looks more like them.” Mayor Levar Stoney addresses the audience.

March 2020

Winter One Acts By Caleb Vath ’21 and Evan Carpenter ’21

“Soup”

“Poof!”

Written by Virginia Nelson ‘20, “Soup” was a hilarious beginning to the One Acts. It details the issues created by coworker Chris (Killian Winn ‘22), as he brings a bowl of soup into work. Four other workers in the office, Karen (Tess Delice ‘22), Lisa (Liddy Wade ‘20), Jake (Jack Ireland ‘22) and Carter (Chloe Holloway ‘23) watch from afar, trying to keep their distance. Their hate for Chris continues to grow for their own personal and unknown reasons, blaming it on the soup. The play soon resolves, as each member admits their motive behind the disgust for Chris’s soup. This was a great way to start the night and really set the standard for the remaining plays. The fact that it was student-written help to add to the individuality of each show.

This comedy by Lynn Nottage added a supernatural factor to the performances. Lorien (McKinley Fuller ‘21), a housewife, comes to a sudden and unexpected end of her relationship with her abusive husband. However, this doesn’t happen how she would have expected, as her husband spontaneously combusts, ending up as a pile of ashes on the floor. Her friend, Florence (Evie Wherry ‘22), comes to comfort her and help her to recognize this as an opportunity to reclaim her life. This was one of the more unique plays with a hint of simplicity that caught the audience’s attention.

“End of the Line”

“The Role of Della”

This short but sweet one act by Irene Ziegler features a boy named Horace (Teddy Price ‘23), riding the bus around its whole cycle. Persisting to stay on the bus, the driver (Peter Huff ‘23) informs him they will return the way they came. Horace then has an encounter with an older lady, showing that he stays on the bus to hear it “talk.” However, the hidden purpose of riding the bus was to hear his mother’s voice over the intercom. I enjoyed the emotion put into the play by the actors.

In this One Act Elizabeth (Grace Connell ‘23) auditions to play Della in an upcoming show, but Emma (Caroline Miles ‘20) is rude and refuses to give her the role. In a twist, the show concludes when Emma throws Elizabeth’s résumé in the trash and begins her own audition when the real director (Bradley Joel ‘20) comes in. The show was comedic in nature, with Emma asking Elizabeth to act in increasingly ridiculous ways, but also used themes about the difficulties of young actors and actresses when trying out for new roles.

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“Arabian Nights” This comedy was told through two lenses: Norman (Vasco Siromahov ‘21) and his interpreter (Jayden Smith ‘21) and his journey to purchase a souvenir from a foreign shop. Though at first the intention seems to be on the said souvenir, the misinterpretation causes the shopkeeper (Virginia Nelson ‘20) and Norman to fall into a much deeper conversation regarding their brief love for one another. However, these moments of bliss are again cut short due to misinterpretation, and Norman parts ways with the shopkeeper to catch his flight back home. This show stood out from the others with its unique storytelling and hilarious acting. The actors seemed to be intentionally all over the place, which helped the punch lines land. From what it seems, this was a crowd favorite and was definitely a One Act to remember.

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“Babel’s in Arms” In this play by David Ives, two workers in Ancient Mesopotamia are given the impossible task to build an infinitely tall tower. A businesswoman (Madelyn Diradour ‘23) and the High Priestess (Liddy Wade ‘20) force Gorph (Gaines Weis ‘21) and Cannaphlit (Peter Huff ‘23), two unskilled laborers, to construct the Tower of Babel out of stones, or else they will die. Instead of starting their job, they spend their time arguing about what to do. When the businesswoman returns to see no progress on the construction site, she gets angry with the worker’s incompetence and threatens to kill them. The play had many hilarious moments and was one of the more lighthearted of the one acts.

“Always”

“Catastrophe” “Catastrophe” by Samuel Beckett was one of the shortest plays, but one of the most sophisticated because of its complex dialogue and characters. The show is centered around a man, known only as The Protagonist (Ewan Cross ‘22), who stands as a statue on stage looking at the ground, while a theater director (Luke Gresham ‘22) and his assistant (Keely Seward ‘20) put the finishing touches on his costume, which only consists of a black gown and hat. Throughout the play, the director appears impatient and has a bad temper as he keeps demanding that his assistant change trivial details about The Protagonist. Near the end, The Protagonist unexpectedly raises his head to disobey the strict standards of the director, who then declares that it has become a catastrophe. The show includes themes about hierarchy and the role of art in society, leaving the audience contemplating the hidden meaning and symbolism behind the play.

This memorable drama explores the breakdown of a young couple’s relationship. The couple, Ellen and Joe, talk to each other at two different points in their relationship, juxtaposed side by side on stage. In flashbacks, the couple is played by Gaines Weis ’21 and Madelyn Diradour ’23, while the couple at the end of their relationship is played by Jack Ireland ’22 and Caroline Miles ’20. The past couple appears happy and seem to have a newfound love for each other, but the present couple’s love has faded, and they now resent each other. The best part of “Always” was definitely the acting, as both couples did a great job expressing the various emotions that Ellen and Joe felt at different stages of their relationship.

“Mozart and the Gray Steward” This one act takes place during the final days of Mozart (Killian Winn ‘22), while he is trying to finish a commission for a requiem from the mysterious Grey Steward (Ewan Cross ‘22). At the start of the show, Mozart, who is battling an unknown illness, talks with his wife (Amelia Urban ‘21) about a stranger dressed in all gray who has come to see him. The stranger has come on behalf of his master, who wants a requiem written in honor of his wife. After agreeing to write it, Mozart falls asleep and dreams that the Gray Steward was Death. After realizing that he accepted a commission from Death, Mozart begs that he will be allowed to complete the requiem before he dies, but the Gray Steward refuses,so the requiem is left unfinished. This was a good play with an interesting premise and an unexpected twist at the end.

“Check Please” “Check Please” was the highlight of the One Acts, and it finished out the night. It is a creative comedy that takes place in a busy restaurant, following a girl (Cat Allen ‘20) and a guy (Jack Ireland ‘22) in their series of failed first dates. Pender Raymond ‘23, Grace Blake ‘23, Izzy Scozzaro ‘21, Vasco Siromahov ‘21, Luke Gresham ‘22 and Eric Czaja ‘20 all play a handful of outrageous dates, involving a range of character from a kleptomaniac to a mime. The dates continue one at a time, in a back-and-forth fashion, between the boy and the girl. Each one seems to go sideways in a humorous way; however no progress is made. In the end, the boy and the girl find each other and travel offstage for what appears to be the first good date. Each section of this play built well on the last. Allen and Ireland’s performance as the main two characters was incredible and fit perfectly in the given setting. The fluidity between dialogue made each scene feel natural, and the cycle between each date kept the audience engaged.

Our Connections to Celebrities Though our St. Christopher’s community may be small in size, that does not mean the people we know can have a large effect on the places around us. Some of these people know famous actors, others famous musicians. Whatever the person, we are all connected.

Mr. Brata’s Family Connection to Miley Cyrus By Henry Weatherford ’21 Many know Middle School Choir Director Nick Brata as a musical guy, but his love of music actually precedes him by three generations. His grandfather was in a gospel quartet with Miley Cyrus’ grandfather, and his mother was friends with Billy Ray Cyrus growing up. Ron Cyrus and Mr. Brata’s grandfather called themselves the “Crownsmen” when they played in Kentucky. Both Miley Cyrus and Mr. Brata were heavily influenced by their grandparents. Cyrus died almost 15 years ago from lung cancer, while Mr. Brata’s grandfather is almost in his 90s. Though their paths have gone different ways, Billy Ray Cyrus and Mr. Brata’s mother still remain friends today. One time, after a concert in which Cyrus was playing, she went up to talk to him, and he still remembered her because of their past. And though their families invariably took different paths in the woods, and that has

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made all the difference, they still both deeply enjoy the language of music.

Ron Cyrus and Mr. Brata’s grandfather on their album, “These Words of Jesus”

Mr. Wilson Remembers Willis before Fame By Robert Mish ’21 Many know Mr. Wilson as the Creativity Through the Arts teacher and resident theater guru here at St. Christopher’s. What may be less known about Mr. Wilson is his friendship with actor Bruce Willis, star of “Die Hard” and “Pulp Fiction.” “I met Bruce before he was the famous Bruce Willis,” said Mr. Wilson. Willis was a bartender and actor in New York City. Mr. Wilson’s ex-wife was friends with Bruce Willis when they decided to move to Los Angeles after moving back to Richmond, Mr. Wilson started his own theater company, Company of Fools, and this further developed his relationship with Bruce Willis. After a few years, Willis invited them to bring their theater company out to Sun Valley, Idaho. “And we did, and the theater company is actually still going in Sun Valley,” Mr. Wilson said.

Bruce Willis as John McClane in “Die Hard”

Mr. Millspaugh’s High School Friend Maggie Rogers By Rohan Simon ’21

Heard of Maggie Rogers? I’d be surprised if you hadn’t — she’s an incredibly talented vocalist, nominated for Best New Artist in the Grammys, and one of our own faculty members, Kate Childrey Teaching Assistant Mr. Martin Millspaugh was friends with her throughout

high school. Rogers was brilliant from the start. She transferred to St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware, and auditioned for its choir. According to fellow chorister Mr. Millspaugh, the choir teacher was ecstatic at her try out, calling her the “star of whatever room she is in.” Even so, she still had a tough time breaking out as an artist. Showing the same determination she had throughout high school, Rogers rethought the music she wanted to put out, moving from soft folk to art/folk pop. The next time Mr. Millspaugh saw Rogers was through a viral video with Pharrell Williams, breaking her out to a national platform. In that video, Rogers debuted her song “Alaska” in her music-production class at N.Y.U., with Williams critiquing the class’s songs. Williams’ called her song a “drug for

me.” Mr. Millspaugh said “her instant fame was the result of years of pursuing a dream.” Some may call her rise to fame luck, others destiny. But, to Mr. Millspaugh, determination and willpower lead Rogers to success. Firsthand, Mr. Millspaugh witnessed Rogers strive for excellence throughout high school and her career.

Mr. Martin Millspaugh with Maggie Rogers (front far left) in high school

March 2020

The Robotics team during their competition

Tom Hanks with his son, Truman, reading “The Polar Express” at St Matthew’s Parish School in Pacific Palisades, California

Mrs. Anne Grymes Taught Celebrity Children

Robotics Recharges After Defeat By Rohan Simon ‘22

By Parker Cullinan ’22 St. Christopher’s Fourth Grade Teacher Mrs. Anne Grymes spent numerous years in the Los Angeles area teaching high-profile children of celebrities and seeing their parents almost every day. Mrs. Grymes moved back to Los Angeles in 2003. For the next three years, she taught at St. Matthew’s Parish School in the Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood separating Malibu and Santa Monica. St. Matthew’s Parish School is a private Episcopalian K-8 school similar to St. Christopher’s, but co-ed. Mrs. Grymes’s class roster included twins Ruby and Tessa, daughters of drummer Mick Fleetwood; Truce and Truly, children of Dr. Dre; and Laura, daughter of Rick Allen, Def Leppard’s one-armed drummer. Teaching famous celebrities’ children is definitely not for everyone, and Mrs. Grymes openly admitted her position brought forth intimidation for sure. “It was definitely a little intimidating knowing that you’re dealing with people like Tom Hanks.” Mrs. Grymes said. “However, I came to view them as just parents.” A highlight of Mrs. Grymes’s experience at St. Matthew’s Parish School was having Tom Hanks visit her

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class to read for his son Truman and his fourth grade friends. Mrs. Grymes continues to hold a signed copy of the book and movie to this day. Following a few years teaching at St. Matthews Parish School in the Pacific Palisades, Mrs. Grymes to a job at Sierra Canyon School in the Chatsworth neighborhood. There, high-profile figures were also present. Children of Cassius Stanley, Anthony Anderson’s and LeBron James were a select bunch out of the many to attend the school. While Mrs. Grymes saw public figures like Bruce (Caitlyn) Jenner and others on campus everyday, she admitted these kids was very similar to the kids she teaches today at St. Christopher’s and didn’t expect any special treatment. “Only Cedric the Entertainer’s son would have a bodyguard come and stay with him on campus every day, and that took some getting used to,” Mrs. Grymes said. “Also, Dr. Dre’s twins would have bodyguards for field trips and such, but other than that, they were not visibly spoiled or disruptive.”

A jack of all trades? Or specialization? Which brings success? Most would pick the latter, pushing themselves to attain degrees in specialized fields and telling their kids to do likewise, repeating the cycle. But could broadening your skills and expanding your perspective hurt? Having a wider set of experiences may end up being more valuable than specializing, especially in teamwork; at least, that’s how it turned out for this year’s robotics team. This year’s season hurdled through numerous challenges to break into the playoff stage, where winners go to statewide competitions. In playoff qualification rounds, the robot, with its specialization in moving objects, brought the team a personal record of 89 points with a compatible teammate robot, an astonishing feat. Still, other teams had heavily specialized robots with overlapping abilities. St. Christopher’s team only achieved modest wins, losing once by a close margin. Finishing as the eighth seed with a 4-1 record, Team 3804 (St. Christopher’s) stood at the edge of Charlottesville’s John Paul Jones Arena basketball court, confidently watching the top four seeds pick their two teammates for the playoffs; surely the St. Christopher’s team must get picked due to their good standing, they thought.

However, as time ticked by, each seed picked their two teammates (who were sometimes seeded higher), leaving the St. Christopher’s robot in the dust. At the very last moment, when the team had all but lost hope, the fourth seed, picking their second and final teammate, called for 3804. The team breathed a sigh of relief, finally realizing why they were chosen so late — their specialization resulted in an incompatibility to work with other teams, making their robot unappealing compared to one that can “do it all.” Unfortunately, their Achilles’ heel was exposed since the fourth “alliance” for which they were selected had robots that were not compatible with their specialized design. The other team could not make up for the certain tasks the St. Chris team could not do, such as stacking blocks. Because of this setback, the St. Chris team got knocked out early, blocking the way to states. Still, they now have valuable insight into the drawbacks of specialization, which will help the team improve next year’s robot.

March 2020

we got the first case, and we’ve never heard an Ethics Bowl being presented.” That’s a long way to say that our team got creamed. Certainly a tough start, but not entirely unexpected. And yet, there were upsides. “I love that Peter is such an eloquent speaker,” Mrs. Hawkins said. “He had no idea what he was talking about, he talked in circles, but at least we didn’t look like idiots.” We entered the next round with a newfound vigor and desire to win. This time we were going against James River High School, the state champion. At least we got to make our case second and got to see what made the best great. We noted that they thanked the judges and the other team, talked through issues with their team when needed and used their first names. Springing into action, we quickly copied their style and noticed instant changes in our score. Instead of getting absolutely demolished, we actually nearly beat them. “I thought the work we put in

was reflected in our performance,” said Omohundro. As we broke for lunch, we reassessed our situation. Though things were not looking too bright, we still had two more rounds to catch up. Surprisingly, we lost against Woodberry Forest School. But now, on our last round, it was my time to shine, my time to show everyone how good I was at debating. The team we were going against had also lost all of their games. We lost handily. In fact, what had been our growing score plummeted 30 points. St. Christopher’s was now ranked fifth in the state out of five. We held our head high as we left early and thanked the judges on our way out. “I think they did amazingly considering they were so much younger and much less experienced than their opponents,” Mrs. Hawkins said. “I think that next year, now that we know how they judge, I think we’re going to be much more strategic and win.”

Griffin Moore ’22, Peter Huff ’23, Jack Omohundro ’21, AJ Jones ’22, and Owen Boyle ’22

Discussing Diabolical Detriments St. Christopher’s Rocks the Ethics Bowl

By Henry Weatherford ’21 It began with a single text from Jack Omohundro ’21 late at night. The St. Christopher’s debate team had entered into an Ethics Bowl at Collegiate, and they needed my help. Being the person I apparently am, I agreed within seconds. I arrived at school on a crisp Saturday morning and ran over to the Athletic Center to meet with the members: Jack Omohundro ’21, AJ Jones ’22, Owen Boyle ’22, Peter Huff ’23 and Upper School Librarian Marsha Hawkins, the team advisor. As we climbed into one of those small dirty buses, it hit me how out of place I looked as the only person not wearing a coat and tie. Instead, I wore my usual light blue zipper pullover and khaki pants. That’s not to mention how out of place I felt. As I scanned over the practice ethical scenarios Mrs. Hawkins handed me, I realized how little of ethics or philosophy I knew. But then I considered how out of place my team members probably felt. Though they had more practice in debate and ethics, this was their first time competing

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as well, and we were going to go against some of the best teams in the state. Mrs. Hawkins first heard about the Ethics Bowl from Headmaster Mason Lecky, who said he was interested in sending a team. She met with Director of College Counseling Jim Jump and interested students, who all decided they wanted to go. We reached Collegiate School and had a quick breakfast of bagels and parfait alongside a speech on the importance of civil discourse. Then, it was time for the lottery where the team captains picked a number out of a hat, which would determine the schedule and free rounds. Mrs. Hawkins walked over to pick our number as we crossed our fingers for number five, which determined the first free round. Then things fell apart. “I was almost crying, laughing so hard,” said Mrs. Hawkins. “We got the worst number (we had our free round last), we got the worst round against the best team,

The Debate Team strategizes in between rounds

March 2020

Swim & Dive Gets Redemption By Weston Williams ’21

Erik Roggie ’21 pins his opponent.

Wrestling Perseveres By Robert Mish ’21 The St. Christopher’s varsity wrestling team has wrapped up yet another successful season after finishing as runner-up in the state tournament and taking tenth place at National Preps in Lehigh, Pennsylvania. “As a whole, I thought it was a really successful season in terms of how a lot of the kids got a lot better,” said Coach Ross Gitomer. “A lot of individuals stood out in how they improved from the beginning of the season to the end.” Mr. Gitomer put a strong emphasis on working hard and training to become better all-around wrestlers, and this strategy worked. However, the season did not come without some serious challenges. Injuries plagued the roster this year, as many of the top wrestlers for the Saints were out, including Loudon Hurt ’20, Mason Dubois ’21 and Jameson

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Knotts ’20. Due to these injuries, other people had to step up and compete. “Guys like Morey Levy ’21 stepped up,” said Mr. Gitomer. “So did David Smith ’20, who ended up winning a state title.” Finishing second at States is always tough, especially when narrowly falling to a rival like Benedictine College Preparatory School, but with all of the bumps in the road and injuries, the team still accomplished a lot. The Saints also have a lot to look forward to next year with many top wrestlers returning, including Erik Roggie ’21, who took second place at National Preps. “I think we have a chance to be a lot better next year,” said Jake Keeling ’21. “We should be getting a couple of new guys, kids that can wrestle heavy for us, and if everything goes according to plan, we should win the state title next year.”

relay finishes in the top eight, as well as an additional 11 Coming into the 2019-20 season after a third-place finindividual finishes in the top 16. Seven swimmers were ish at the VISAA State Championship Meet last year, the Saints Swim and Dive team looked ready to make another named All-State, including Sundlun, West and Aubrey Bowles ’21 in individual events, and Tee Bowles ’22, Farrun at the state championship. ley, Wise and Washington in relay swims. West was the For the first time since 2017, both the St. Christopher’s winner of the 50-yard freestyle, and the 200-freestyle relay and St. Catherine’s Swim and Dive teams were victoritook first by over three seconds. Broaddus, Lane Jones ’22 ous in both the LIS Prep League Championship and the and Brett Akin ’20 also took fifth, sixth, and 16th place in VISAA State Championship meet. The season was filled diving, respectively. with plenty of highlights that are signs of success for the These stellar performances were crucial to the Saints’ coming years. success and their victory over second-place Woodberry The team was led by senior captains Harry Farley, Forest School by almost 100 points, despite a pre-meet Russell Richards, Miles West and Gray Broaddus, as well prediction of only a 15-point victory for the Saints. as Bucka Watson in his first year as solo head coach, and Despite a large and extremely talented graduating second-year coach, Mr. Proctor Trivette. The Saints also senior class, the Saints Swim and Dive team has a promiswelcomed two new coaches, Ms. Meredith Vay and Ms. ing future. Seven underclassmen and ten juniors qualified Kaitlin Jones, to the team. for the State Championship meet this year, and the team The Saints got off to a hot start, taking victories against will retain five of its eight A-relay swimmers for next Hampton Roads Academy, Woodberry Forest School, year. “We’re built for lasting success,” said Coach Watson. Mills Godwin High School and reigning state champion Norfolk Academy. The Saints took one small loss to Cosby “We have a good junior class coming through, and then great middle schoolers that will be valuable to us going High School but could not be held down, rebounding to forward.” defeat Collegiate School, Trinity Episcopal School and Douglas S. Freeman High School in the next few meets. The team also saw multiple school records fall, beginning with West in the 50yard freestyle. His time of 21.19 broke the previous record 21.54, set by Sean Hogan ’19 last year. West lowered this record to 21.15, and then to 21.04 by season’s end. He was also a key part of another recordbreaking swim, the 200-yard freestyle relay. West, Hunter Sundlun ’20, Emory Wise ’21 and Nick Washington ’21 swam a 1:25.01 to beat the previous record of 1:25.99 set last year. At the VISAA State Championship, the Saints had 11 individual and three The Swim and Dive team poses at the State finals.

March 2020

Historic Season for Squash By Henry Weatherford ’21

This year’s squash team dominated the competition and enjoyed one of the best seasons in the school’s history. Robert Mish ’21 credits their success to a deep roster with particularly stellar playing from five freshmen. Finishing the regular season with 10 wins and only one loss, the team also won the Mid-Atlantic Squash Tournament, defeating Woodberry Forest School 9-0. Last year’s seniors Alex Johnson, Nate Davis and Teddy Hill left big shoes to fill, but others quickly stepped in to fill those vacancies. Notable freshman players include

Manoli Loupassi and Holden Woodward, both of whom played as eighth graders, as well as new players such as Alex Street, who consistently won his matches throughout the year. Even though the team will lose senior captains Vaden Padgett and Chris Schroeder, Mish is still confident about the future. “We’re looking to get even better over the off-season and come back strong for next year,” he said. “Our main goal is to get redemption on Potomac.”

Basketball Bounces Back By Curtis Hale ’21

The 2019-2020 squash team poses with their coaches Patrick Chifunda and Beth Winstanley.

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In one of the most successful and entertaining seasons since the Sherod/Petrie era, St. Christopher’s varsity basketball finished 17-11, the most wins for the Saints since 2017 and more than double last year. Walker Wallace ’19 described the team as one of the more exciting in school history, saying it had more of an identity. Coach Stephen Lewis noted the group’s cohesion. “My biggest takeaway from this group was how together we were, the effort that the boys played with and the ability to finish opponents,” he said. “We also played with tremendous confidence, usually, which resulted in some of the most memorable moments that the basketball program has created in my 10 years as an assistant coach.” Notable wins include defeating The Steward School 56-53, which was ranked #2 in the Richmond area at the time and sweeping Collegiate School handily in two regular season games. Coach Stephen Lewis described the Steward win as one he “will never forget.” The Saints lost one senior last year, allowing for the de-

velopment of a majority of their players. Notably, Gill Williamson ’19, a Division 1 prospect, averaged 16.2 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, 2.6 blocks per game and received All-Prep honors. He’s likely to receive more honors as the VISAA state tournament concludes. In addition, Walker Wallace ’19 averaged 9.5 points per game, while Nigel Green ’19 averaged 9.4 points per game and garnered All-Prep honors. The Cornell University lacrosse pledge not only led the team in assists but also averaged 5.9 rebounds per game. Sophomore Keyshawn Pulley ’22, recovering from torn ACL at the start of last season, stepped up as an elite sharpshooter averaging 11.1 points per game and led the team with 49 threes. Other notable producers for the Saints include Andre Green ’22, Nikkos Kovanes ’22, Trent Hendrick ’22 and Riley Wood ’21. The alley-oops to start games, the clutch threes and the posterizing dunks will be missed, but the Saints are returning multiple key starters. Coach Lewis is excited about what the future holds and said fans should be too.

March 2020

Running to the Finish By Harrison Tompkins ’21

The winter season for the track team was one to remember. With multiple personal and school records broken, the season was full of excitement. The team had an outstanding performance this year, especially from athletes Jayden Smith ’21 and Ian Smith ’20. Jayden Smith had a sensational year in the hurdles, breaking the 55-meter hurdle school record three times, with his best being 7.54 seconds. This record was previously set in the ’70s, and Jayden Smith had been looking to break it since freshman year. Jayden Smith is looking forward to more competition and for more eyes to be on him this spring so he can practice dealing with pressure. Ian Smith broke multiple school records in the 500-meter, 600-meter and 1,000-meter. From this point, Ian Smith

The track team with their runner-up plaque

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is looking to compete in the Eastern States Championship in New York, seeking to not only break the school record of the 4 x 800 meter but also to place top three at the Penn Relays this spring. While the track team did not claim the trophy at the state meet this year, Head Coach Marshall Ware is satisfied with the year. Mr. Ware believes that with the number of guys that they had, it was rewarding to win the Prep League trophy. He especially credits the distance runners, specifically Sully Beck ‘20, who ran the second-to-last race of the meet. With the trophy on the line, he ran 3,200 meters to take the win.

Neal Dhar ’20 (fifth from right) stands with his teammates.

Dhar’s Distance Days By Henry Edmunds ’21

Neal Dhar ’20, fall 2019 cross country Prep League champion, values his hard work and dedication over any of his numerous victories. “I don’t think it’s about any individual times or even the team’s medals,” he said. “I think it’s just all of us taking each day at a time and working hard.” Dhar started running track in seventh grade. Before that, he did Middle School Bears, an alternative to team sports, but his dad and brother encouraged him to give track a try. He came to enjoy running and suffering through miles upon miles with his close friends. “Both the aspect of me being with my friends the whole time and also working hard and giving it my all every day definitely appealed to me,” he said. Dhar continued to run track throughout his high school years, picking up cross country, which caught his interest as a way to spend more time with his friends and continue building his endurance through the fall season. Most athletes would agree that mentality plays a huge role in athletic performance. In a sport as taxing as cross country, it’s important to keep your head and stay focused. “Especially in longer distance runs, there’s a point where you either give in to the pain or stick through it,” he said. “In some of my races I’ve given in, but in a lot of others I haven’t, and there’s been clear differences between those races.” Cross Country Coach and Upper School English Teacher John Green said that Dhar is “unbelievably dedicated, but doesn’t talk much about it.” He described Neal as “quiet and stealthy,” earning the nickname from

him and Coach Eugene Bruner of “the assassin.” Dhar spent his time focusing less on individual meets and more on the daily workouts. He was the only member of the team to attend every workout from the preseason to the postseason. The highlight of Dhar’s running career was the Fall 2019 Prep League race. Dhar placed first, beating second place by eight seconds. Despite this amazing performance, he didn’t mention it when asked about his accomplishments. Coach Green said, “We knew he was going to shine and do well at that meet, but nobody else expected it, and I don’t even know if he expected it of himself. Only a handful of guys go out and say, ‘I’m gonna win this race.’ I don’t know if that’s a concern of Neal’s.”

March 2020

Op-Ed: Sleep and School By Henry Poarch ‘21 As I slouched at my desk, my fingers gliding over the keyboard of my laptop, I struggled to keep my eyes open to see the screen glaring right in front of me. The alarm clock beside my bed struck an hour past midnight. I only had five hours to finish my work, sleep, shower and eat breakfast before I went to school. The never-ending pile of assorted reading and practice problems chained me to my desk. I knew that even five hours of sleep would be a stretch. This same scenario seems like it is on repeat every night, as once I come home from my after-school activities, I am faced with two to three hours of homework. I ask myself, “When will I have time to rest, enjoy my hobbies, connect with my family and expand my interests outside of school?” I am just one of the millions of students in America challenged with an early school start time. Around the country, 43% of schools start before 8 a.m., but the average recommended time for sleep is 8.5 to 9.5 hours. Because of this early start, 33% of students report falling asleep in school, a result of mandatory after-school activities, homework and lack of time to get things done. Schools need to start later to help students reach the recommended amount of sleep, raise alertness during the day, combat illnesses related to lack of sleep and boost grades. Upper School Head Tony Szymendera’s take on later school start time indicates there may some hope for the future. He described the topic as an “unsettled science,” because some studies demonstrate that later start times don’t benefit sleep schedules, so the school would need to

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take a careful approach. Still Mr. Szymendera is exploring options to give students more opportunities to sleep. These decisions are based on the school’s strategic planning process, a time in which administrators define and prioritize values and goals for the next seven years. During this process, Mr. Szymendera said that he realized student opinions aren’t always perfectly reflected in studies from the internet and other schools. “I would say that this is something we have definitely talked about and are concerned about in terms of student health and fitting into the mental health and wellness piece.” Through all his research, Mr. Szymendera said that the topic of sleep deprivation is active. “It is not a dead issue. It is one that is sort of alive,” he said. Mr. Szymendera has talked with Collegiate School about their decision to start later. The school informed him that they found that the parking lot was about two thirds full by 8 a.m., 30 minutes before school started. Mr. Szymendera also talked with St. Catherine’s administration about options. A main point was decreasing the time between classes from 10 minutes to five, which is challenging for students moving from campus to another. He has consideried having block days be more prevalent, where less time would be lost switching classes. Mr. Szymendera said the school has looked at other ways to mitigate student stress from lack of sleep, such as quarters instead of semesters and a later start time for certain days of the week. It gets complicated though. Athletics impacts start time as well. Having athletics go

later would help the school begin at a later time but darkness is an issue. “I would be in favor of putting lights up on the athletic fields not so much for games, which is one thing, but actually so that you could have practices run a little bit later,” Mr. Szymendera said. Meanwhile, many national studies support the concept of a later start The National Sleep Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving public health and safety through public understanding of sleep and sleep disorders, states, “A modest delay in the school start time of only 30 minutes could significantly improve adolescent alertness, mood and health.” One study, it said, added to the “growing literature that supports the potential benefits of such an adjustment to better support adolescents’ sleep needs and circadian rhythm in order to improve the learning environment and their overall quality of life.”

Going to bed at later hours and having to go to school early in the morning can impair the judgment and decision-making skills of students, possibly impacting tests and quizzes. At school, students are more prone to make bad decisions In addition, students face increased risk of sickness from not getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation also said that less sleep can lead ot student weight gain and use of stimulants. Students such as myself, are glued to computer screens and homework, so we don’t get to enjoy being outside and exercising on our own outside of school. Frankly, I believe that the information provided by many students and organizations, such as above, shows a concrete correlation between lack of sleep and overall productivity. This information needs to be looked at if and when the school changes its schedule.

The Oak Needle Gingers: The Cross We Bear By Aubrey Bowles ’21 Being a ginger is not easy. As soon as I stepped onto this campus, early in my Lower School career, I quickly realized that I was a rarity. In fact, gingers make up less than 2% of the population. And, like the orangutan, we are going extinct. Global intermingling has reduced the chances of redheads meeting and mating. For many of us, being a ginger is something that we have learned to deal with. “It is part of my identity,” said Spencer Coor ’20. “I embrace it because it is good to be different.” One of the only places where I feel safe is at my house with my sister, Carrington Bowles ’20, who is a fellow ginger. She and I can relate to the teasing that we experience based on our hair color. Contrary to popular belief, there are some benefits. We produce more Vitamin D than people with other hair colors. We cannot absorb Vitamin D, so we make our own. This helps us fight off deadly illnesses. We do not go grey, and according to the online newspaper, Irish Post, we are “funny, wild and savage.” I particularly relate to the latter. “You get lots of compliments from the elderly, and you stand out,” my sister said. In fact, some colleges give out a scholarship for being a ginger, such as ScholarshipRed, which is awarded to a creative redhead who has hopes of achieving high educational goals. If people could switch hair colors and become a ginger for a day, they would probably be surprised by the normality of it, until Nov. 20 comes around. This date marks International Kick A Ginger Day. Every day when I wake up, I contemplate how many days I have left until it finally arrives. It brings chills down my spine. When the day finally presents itself, I try to disguise myself and act like a different person, but my friends always recog-

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nize me. They beat me with bone-crushing kicks as many times as they can. My own family even joins in. My friends also crack cruel jokes. “People in Middle School made fun of me for my hair,” said Robert Hancock ’21. “Now, I’m used to it.” As for me, I get a lot of questions, such as do I have to put on sunscreen inside, as well as a lot of comments, such as I don’t have a soul. Talman Ramsey ’21 even calls me “Heat Miser.” Even though we endure a lot of pain, we look after each other. “It is a brotherhood and a family,” said Coor. “We have to stick together.”

A World of Technology By Spencer Villanueva ’21 The St. Christopher’s community prides itself on its high-tech campus and use of technology to cultivate a better boy in their 21st-century vision. New and better computers, phones, TVs and tablets arrive each year, and a person can feel left out if they don’t have the latest tech. This feeling is why St. Christopher’s pushes itself to become a technologically advanced learning environment. The Luck Leadership Center could be described as the center of student life on campus. As a student enters from the terraces, he can take a left into the 2010 cafe. The stunning cafe holds an array of high-tech flatscreen TVs displaying a fantastic slideshow of the 2014 fall festival and an amazing glimpse of the weather for the week of Oct. 17, 2016. If a student gets hungry, he can grab a bite to eat in the cafeteria. It contains a stunning collection of flat-screen TVs. The TVs entertain the hungry boys by showing incredibly incorrect menus, Flik propaganda or images of delicious and healthy food that will never be served. Going upstairs to the second floor, a student will find an expansive digital arts lab, which encourages all boys skipping SAC to use the computers to express themselves through the digital arts. Similarly, there is a Makerspace on the bottom floor across from Tune’s office. Green screens, cameras and filming equipment in the Makerspace are ready to be used for the one time they are needed per year. Starting in the 6th grade, each student brings their own laptop to school. Whenever a student’s laptop crashes, the school’s various technology experts will help fix the problem. The experts use a variety of methods from turning the device off and on to visiting ESPN.com. Instead of ignoring and not listening to the teacher by looking out the window, St. Christopher’s boys can be technologically savvy and distract themselves in the virtual world. The students give the educators in the St. Christopher’s a sense of pride because deep down each teacher knows that they are pushing their students along the path of betterment in the perfect modern learning environment.

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