Pine Needle The
St. Christopher’s School
Richmond, Virginia
May 2015
Volume XCVIII
Number 4
Class of 2015 Colleges by Stefan ScheerCook
Art by seniors Stefan ScheerCook and Joe Goode. To check out more of their work and to read about their show and reflections, see page 2
For the full list of seniors and their college choices, see page 12 by Joe Goode
Tennis, Golf Capture State Titles By Rob Jessee and William Maddock Sophomore Contributor and Editor-in-Chief
The Varsity tennis team cruised through the VISAA Division 1 state tournament, claiming the team’s first state title with a victory over Potomac in the championship. The Saints, ranked first in the state, had little trouble dispatching Potomac, winning the match 5-1 on the strength of singles play alone.
The clinching point came from freshman Alston Hackney, who secured a hard-fought tiebreaker win to claim his sixth-seed match. Matthew Fernandez, a junior and co-captain, said, “Even though we weren’t as intimidating as other teams, we really stood out because of our hard work. Despite our appearance of not being as showy as some other teams, we got the job done.” The Saints ended the season 15-0 in dual matches. With many returning players from an already-deep team, the squad will look to repeat its success next year despite losing seniors Julian Mills, Charlie McCray and Carter Clements.
By William Maddock Editor-in-Chief
The Varsity golf team rounded out a successful spring season with a victory in the VISAA Division 1 state championship. Undefeated in the regular season, the team came up just short in the Prep League championship. Using that narrow defeat at the hands of Woodberry Forest as motivation, the Saints claimed the state title at the Manor Course in Farmville. The Saints edged out Woodberry by six strokes to avenge their Prep League defeat, getting a 1-under round from freshman Drew Brockwell, who registered the second best score of the day. Junior Boyd Peete
added an even par round to pace the Saints. Brockwell, Peete and junior Coleman Andrews, who had a 3-over round, were all named All-State after finishing among the top 10 individual scorers. The golf program looks to be on the rise with plenty of young players already making their mark at the Varsity level. This year’s seniors Logan Ende, Dalton Baril and Hunter Wigginton all made important contributions to the StC golf program over their time here.
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The Pine Needle
May 2015
Won’t You Step into the Freezer?
By Jack Holdaway Senior Contributor
While most students spend Saturday mornings catching up on sleep, Malcolm Ilnicky ’16 and Jack O’Neil ’16 are busy sharing their musical interests with the community through their own radio show, “The Freezer.” The pair of juniors operates the show through 90.1 fm WDCE, the station privately owned by the University of Richmond. “The Freezer,” as Ilnicky and O’Neil have named their show in honor of a Phish favorite “Tweezer Reprise,” runs from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays for all in the public to hear. It’s that easy tune in on your phone, while in your car or on WDCE.org to listen to their choice of tunes. The juniors play a wide variety of music, ranging from soul, rock and bluegrass to reggae, folk and electronic.Ilnicky personally strives to mix up his choices, as he never plays the same song twice or features the same artist more than once during a show. On occasion, the two will dedicate an entire show to a specific genre or theme; recent programs have been devoted to distinctive genres such as Icelandic music and a holiday show in December highlighted Christmas songs. “I like to play an assorted variety of music because there’s not enough diversification in today’s popular
radio,” said Ilnicky. “My goal is to entertain the audience by introducing them to music that I hope they’ve never heard before.” For the past six years, managing 90.1 has been an Ilnicky family tradition. Malcolm’s father Scott Ilnicky and his older brother Henry ’11 first acquired the time slot in 2009. After Henry’s graduation, Malcolm’s older sister Caroline, a member of St. Catherine’s class of 2014, and her friend Ellee Winston were handed the reins. Now it is up to the youngest Ilnicky to share his own taste and twist on music with the radio audience. In preparation for an upcoming show, Ilnicky and O’Neil scour the web in search of exciting, compelling and often peculiar songs. The juniors rely on their vast knowledge of music to help them pair familiar bands with foreign yet similar artists. Ilnicky specifically concerns himself with blending classical tunes with those of modern musical groups, all in an effort to further diversify the program. “One of my favorite aspects of the show is the
Students Stomp Faculty Seniors Claim Annual Battle of the Brains Competition By Henry Rodriguez fact that it gets me listening to different things,” said Ilnicky. “When I play a song, odds are I just found out about it in the last week. I am discovering things with the listeners.” It is hard to gauge how many viewers the juniors reel in each Saturday morning, but the show has received a handful of calls praising their musical choice. Ilnicky cites a loyal listener who always calls in when they play a Phish song. In addition to the radio audience, Ilnicky and O’Neil average roughly 30 listeners online. “I hope some reading this article will take interest and tune in one Saturday morning to see if they like what they hear,” said O’Neil. “I hope that our amount of listeners continues to rise as more and more Saints check out the show.” As the first line of the “Tweezer Reprise” goes, won’t you step into the freezer?
Freshman Contributor
Wisdom and experience couldn’t defeat the sharp wits of youth when, in a tense and crowded chapel matchup, the senior Battle of the Brains crew bested the faculty team 220 to 155. It was the first time the students had won in at least three years. The annual competition has been going on for about four or five years, said Dr. Alina Cichocki, but “one year it would happen, the other year it wouldn’t.” Before his retirement, Dr. Wayne Boese, former history chair, used to organize and participate in frequent competitions in Scott Gym. The senior team was made up of Jack Jiranek, Richard Bailey, Richard Hamrick and Joe Goode. Senior participant William Maddock was absent because he was visiting his college of choice, Harvard University. Rumors that all
five had perfect GPAs junior year continued to persist. The faculty team included Upper School Head Tony Szymendera, math teacher Emmett Carlson, science teacher Matthew Roy, and language teacher Elsa Woodaman. According to Dr. C, “Mr. Franzese would have been [in the competition]... but he was running late”. Jack Jiranek clearly led the senior team in points, demonstrating an impressive knowledge of obscure subjects such as chapel decorations. “At a certain point, we just sat back and were there for moral support while Jack Jiranek tore apart the faculty,” said Joe Goode. Mr. Carlson attempted to use his experience as a Princeton University graduate to carry his team, but simply couldn’t pull ahead. With some serious training and practice, perhaps the faculty will be able to put up a real fight next year.
Goode, ScheerCook Display Art By William Rodriguez Freshman Contributor
The last week of school, seniors Joe Goode and Stefan ScheerCook showcased their talents in a Luck Hall art show. For years the two students have been creating artwork, and this was their chance to show the school the fruits of their labors. The senior art show presented a variety of mediums. Goode’s works included watercolor paintings, graphite sketches and pen drawings, while ScheerCook’s art ranged from wire sculptures to charcoal works. While the seniors presented many mediums
of artwork, the main theme of the event was portraits. Goode and ScheerCook each crafted centerpieces for the show, both of which were forms of portraits. Goode’s work was a portrait of himself in thread, delicately sewn into a T-shirt. “To make this, I locked myself into my room just brainstorming for two weeks,” said Goode. ScheerCook’s highlight was his own spin on a portrait. He used 12 macabre photographs, such as the famous Viet Cong execution, and delicately redrew the photos using charcoal and white pastel. He painted himself in
a Saints t-shirt into each drawing, in the pose of the photograph’s subject. “I tried to put myself in the shoes of the victim,” ScheerCook said. “The message is to think about what has happened to other people, all around the world.” After graduating, Goode will attend Yale University. Though he is unsure of whether he will pursue a career in art, he knows that he will continue “whether it’s just doodling things or sitting down and doing more traditional works.” ScheerCook knows he will pursue art as a profession. “I want to see how
far I can take it, and how far I can take myself,” he said. He’s bound for Virginia Commonwealth University, recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top five fine arts colleges in the country. Though both students move on to college this year, they leave an impact at St. Christopher’s through their artwork. One of their main objectives with the show is to entice potential artists.
“Hopefully this will get the St. Christopher’s community excited about art, and maybe attract some fresh talent,” said Goode.
From left: Goode self-portrait, Goode drawing, ScheerCook modified self-portrait
May 2015
The Pine Needle Timeout with Nick Sherod
By Nick Sherod Junior Contributor
I was named Nicolas Emmanuel Sherod for a reason. Along with the biblical aspect of my name, my parents wanted to give me as close to a race-neutral name as possible so people wouldn’t prejudge me. That’s why when I jokingly tell my mom that I’m naming my son “Quanterious” or “D’Brickashaw” she rolls her eyes and says she will just call him “Gabriel.” As sad as it is that my parents had to weigh this decision with such care, it’s important that they did. Like it or not, the name “Daquan Sherod” carries a different connotation than “Nicolas Sherod.” Before you start rolling your eyes and turning the page, no, this is not one of those “Being Black is So Hard in America” or “Society is Out to Get Young Black Men” stories that you so often see when reading about these topics from an AfricanAmerican’s perspective. Because honestly my life has been mostly prejudice-free. Most of that is a credit to my parents who worked very hard so that my siblings and I wouldn’t have to grow up in
the same situations they did. My parents stressed the importance of speaking well and carrying yourself with confidence, which is part of the reason I’m at St. Christopher’s now. That’s why it bothers me so much when people say, “you sound white” or “you don’t act black.” While overt racism isn’t necessarily obvious in America anymore, racial undertones are still very prevalent. Your race shouldn’t dictate the way you speak or how you are supposed to act. On the topic of speech, one of the most hotly debated issues of the day is the use of the NWord. Understandably, due to hip hop culture and music becoming popular, more white people are listening to lyrics that include that word and are then proceeding to use it saying that the word has lost power. Also understandably, many black people still take great offense, especially when white people use the word. When talking with my parents, they said that the word still has great power, as shown in the Marcus Smart incident at Texas Tech University. For those unfamiliar, Smart, one of the top college basketball players in the country last year, was known for having a sparkling repu-
tation as a great teammate and leader for the Oklahoma State University basketball team. After diving for a loose ball and landing on a spectator, Smart got up and shoved the spectator in the chest claiming that the spectator called him the “N-Word.” I remember one occasion when I was sitting at lunch with my usual group of friends and one of our group came up to the table and said, “What’s up ‘N****s in Paris.’ The jab wasn’t thrown directly at me, my friend was just quoting the popular JayZ song title, but I still wanted to punch him in the face. Instead, I just walked away and ate lunch with other people. Unfortunately, that isn’t an isolated incident, and maybe I don’t handle those situations correctly. If someone I’m cool with uses the word, I’ll usually say something like, “Hey chill out” or “Come on man.” I usually try to avoid a confrontation because I figure picking and choosing my battles with stuff like that is easier. The advice my Dad told me was that the only way to stop white people from using the word was for blacks to stop using the word. But how can you tell a white listener that the N-Word isn’t okay when their favorite rappers use the word constantly in songs? I’ll just say this.
The N-Word is used far too often on this campus and elsewhere. Whether you end it with an “a” or “er,” it is offensive and unacceptable regardless of who is using it. I have also talked with my parents about how to act around the police. The overarching theme has been “don’t be a threat.” One time I was with my mom. and we had a flat tire on the side of the road. A police officer came up and just made sure we were all right and was actually very nice about it. “If you don’t act stupid and be respectful, they won’t bother you,” my mom said. “Don’t come across as threatening, and it won’t be a problem.” My parents have always taught me to be mindful of my surroundings. This spring with all the stress and tension about the senior assassin game going on, I explained to my Dad what it was all about. My dad questioned, “You sure you want to do that?” I didn’t originally get what he was saying, but then it hit me. I’m big, tall and black, so hiding out in the bushes of some random person’s house in Windsor Farms may not be the smartest thing in the world. I actually voiced that concern one time at lunch and my friends were all saying stuff like “that’s terrible” or “that’s awful.” Another black classmate at the table agreed
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that his parents had also voiced that same concern. It was actually funny, but true. Stuff like that just makes you think, and I didn’t feel bad for myself or my friend. It just makes you think about how others view you. While incidents such as these have happened to me and some of my peers, my life has been relatively prejudicefree compared to some of my friends from other schools. The point of this story is just to make sure you are aware of what you’re saying. While Indian or Mexican students may laugh along with the stereotype jokes, tread lightly. Just like black students with the N-Word, they may not appreciate the jokes but feel too uncomfortable to confront their friends. All this ties in with recent events such as MLK day, a spring chapel talk given by the Rev. Melissa Hollerith and happenings in the news. Again, this is not a story attacking the majority of the student population, because the St. Christopher’s community is welcoming to everyone. This is just telling you to be aware of your actions. So before you refer to the kids at the city schools as “ghetto” or spout out that racist joke, just be mindful of what you are saying and what your words mean.
Stage Set for Summer Reading Shake-up By Kinloch Nelson
Blood Drive Attracts Crowd
By Jack Franko
Freshman Contributor
In recent years because of scheduling issues, St. Christopher’s deferred to St. Catherine’s for organizing blood drives. In fact, the last time our campus hosted one was 2011, as a part of our Centennial celebration. But this year, spurred by Dr. Austin Sutten and her Responding in RVA and Beyond X-Term cohort, StC once again held a drive. Dr. Sutten knows that actually getting guys to donate is still incredibly difficult. Not only do and busy schedules and athletics get in the way, but donors who show up at the donation site sometimes can’t donate because of recent travel or medications that they are taking. To attract a larger pool of potential donors, the drive was dedicated to language teacher Elsa Woodaman who
was diagnosed with leukemia about five years ago. “There are so many people in our own community who have needed blood or will need it,” said Dr. Sutten. The blood drive collected 45 pints of blood (5 more than expected), which is capable of saving 135 lives. Of the 56 registered donors, 41 were first time participants. Headmaster Charley Stillwell said that having blood drives at St. Chris is a huge part of our mission statement, which is centered around preparing students to make a positive difference in the lives of others. “There is no more important way to make a positive difference in the life of another than helping to save that life,” Mr. Stillwell said. “Donating a pint of blood in 45 minutes or so may be the easiest way for any of us to do just that.”
Freshman Contributor
Summer reading is sometimes a controversial issue. There are always problems with boys reading what they’re assigned and often getting into trouble for not fulfilling the requirements. Faculty organizers have devised a new approach. In the past, students have signed up from a varied selection of books each sponsored by an Upper School faculty memory. The Monday, May 18 announcement informed that this summer all Upper School students will do a common read of “Radioactive: A Tale Of Love and Fallout” by Lauren Redniss. Spanish teacher Kimberly Mayer, who has worked to develop this program, said, “This is not to say that choice book has gone away and is completely replaced. This is just something different for next year.” Many other activities will go along with this new read, and Mrs. Mayer said, “It’s not just a one and done,
the second Thursday, during Xblock, have a discussion, and it’s over with. It’s about putting more in and getting more out.” The author, Lauren Redniss, will visit in September. The book is supposed to appeal to students of all interests. “There are ties to history, to science, to music, to art,” Mrs. Mayer said. A QR code on the binding of each book will lead to a site with information on tie-ins to these disciplines. Instead of students having to go out and buy a choice book, as they have in years past, books were distributed at the time of the announcement. After consulting other schools that have done common read programs, Upper
School librarian Virginia Stone and the rest of the group decided on “Radioactive.” The book was mainly chosen for its cross-curricular nature. Change always meets with some controversy, and some students have voiced disappointment at not being able to have a choice and read something that specifically interests them. Organizers believe that “Radioactive,” with its connections to other subjects, will engage many different kinds of students.
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The Pine Needle
May 2015
The College Essay Debunked
By William Maddock Editor-in-Chief
I spent the first week of last August in a college application workshop with Associate Director of Guidance Scott Mayer. My thinking was that the earlier I started on the application and the essays, the better I would feel come the application deadline Nov. 1. The truth is, I spent most of the week catching up with friends, talking about summer and filling in my basic personal information on the first page of the Common Application. I don’t remember exactly when I started actually writing (I can tell you it wasn’t during that week), but I do know that I finished the Common App essay after midnight a day before the deadline. The process of writing my essay was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life. The expecta-
tion created by years of hype is that the senior college essay not only has to be the single best piece of writing you have ever produced but also must convey to an admissions officer every nuance of your life and personality. Frankly, that is an impossible standard. Hours of thinking about the best topic led to countless scrapped opening lines and months of frustration. In the end, I wrote an essay I wasn’t overly happy with. I think I tried too hard to make it perfect, and in doing so edited my voice right out of it. I, for one, felt that the immense pressure that comes with the college essay made it much more difficult to write. However, any admissions officer at any college in the country will tell you to “just be yourself” when writing your essay. What’s so hard about that? According to one senior, “You need to reflect on your life, and it’s not easy to do that.” Another said, “It’s hard to talk about yourself and make yourself look so great because no one
really likes to talk about how great they are.” The college essay is an extremely personal piece of writing, which only adds to the difficulty. I settled on writing about my connection to the outdoors, a topic which I believed would allow me to reflect on a number of different experiences in my life. Even writing about such a general subject with which I have tons of experience, I found it difficult to express exactly what I wanted to say in an intelligent way while maintaining my own voice. The biggest problem for me was that it was tough to write naturally when the stakes were so high. I edited and edited and edited, but I never reached a point where I was fully content. The deadline is the reason I’m not still working on that essay today. Curious about other seniors’ experiences with the essay, I sent out a quick survey. The range of answers was not surprising. People spent anywhere from one hour to two weeks on their essays.
Satisfaction ratings had a similarly broad range, from 4/10 up to 10/10, but the average was a solid 7.5. Interestingly, though perhaps not surprisingly, the amount of time spent seemed to have no correlation with how satisfied people were in the end. The best advice I ever heard about the essay came in the form of a rare original idea at a college information session. The idea was that you should be able to leave your essay without your name on it in the cafeteria, and a classmate would return it to you. Basically, your essay should be so clearly yours that someone who found it would know you wrote it without seeing a name. Director of Guidance Jim Jump echoed that idea, saying, “The best essay is one only you could write.” For all you underclassmen, I would just say don’t stress about it. Do your best, spend some time on it, but most importantly write about something you care about. If you write about something you’re passionate about, it will show.
Printed with permission from King Features Syndicate, © 2012 Zits Partnership King Features Syndicate Inc, World Rights Reserved
The following is an actual Common App essay written by and published with the permission of Carter Clements I am not perfect, but I am tenacious. When I was five years old, the doctors diagnosed me with an auditory processing disorder. The St. Christopher's resource teachers were the only adults who had knowledge of my disability aside from the doctors and my parents. Even to this day, most of my course teachers are unaware that l battle this daily. I wouldn't want it any other way. There is no cure for my APD, only hours of intensive reading and studying dilutes the evidence of a struggling student. I have learned to live with it. In order to understand material, I reread everything two or three times regularly. Turning pages became a curse. I became self conscious. Flipping pages seemed like a way to escape reality. I began to skim. A lot of pages. My English scores plummeted. My
parents were told by the doctors to take me out of school. I was never expected to be a good student. The doctors thought that any grade in the C range, especially at a school like St. Christopher's, would be incredible for me. But I stuck to it. I'm still here. I will forever be thankful to my parents and tutors for keeping me on pace at a school as incredible as this one. It truly has tested my character and made me who I am today. But the stress was compounded: when I was diagnosed, no one ever told me. In fact, I went from elementary school all the way through my junior year not knowing that all the hours I spent trying to comprehend information was actually because of a disorder. Miss Hulette, my first tutor, gave me "my self describing word" when I completed my years of study with her. We worked for hours after school,
and she saw the way I struggled. She had always seen how I fought to understand more. My self describing word was "tenacious." I know it is completely normal for a high school student to work hard through all hours of the night, but I'd never understood when we read in class how people turned pages so quickly. Communal reading and listening exercises that taxed my concentration and literacy were miserable for me when all I wanted to do was fit in. After recognizing my own slower patterns, I began to adapt. I learned patience not only with my learning, but in extra curricular activities that I now enjoy. My grandfather and I took up carving when I had trouble in school. We carved anything! A Christmas tree became ornaments, a watermelon transformed into a soccer ball, and a scrap piece of wood into a miniature pig. Some of my best memories have come from spending
time doing stuff I love with the people I love at a pace that is right for me. By the end of my sophomore year, my grandfather and I graduated from small hand held carvings. We decided to build a dimensionally correct, professional soccer goal out of maple. Assembly began in July. The days were brutally hot. After about a hundred nails, bolts, and zip ties, the goal was finished. My grandfather and I took the inaugural shots. The entire experience opened my eyes to what I want to do with my life. I don't want to sit at a cubicle in an office being used as a tool. I want to graduate with a college degree and start my own business like my father. If there is one thing that I can process in a timely fashion, it's that. --Carter Clements ’15
May 2015
The Pine Needle
I’m Not Lovin’ It By Malcolm Ilnicky Junior Contributor
If you take a stroll through the junior lot, one thing will stick out in particular: the trash. I cannot say if the “J-Lot” has always been this trash-ridden as I have only been parking there for a few weeks, but from what I have heard, the amount of litter in the lot has reached new heights as of late. After everything we learned in Middle School about first-class citizenship, I was disturbed when I first encountered the litter. McDonald’s bags, Starbucks cups, TruMoo bottles, and more were scattered across the gravel lot. The fact that nobody seemed to care was even
more upsetting. I watched as my unconcerned classmates waded through the sea of trash as if it didn’t even exist. Their apathy towards the litter concerned me, so I began to ask around to see what the deal was. It seemed as though everyone knew about the problem, but it was going to take more than words to stop the “litterbugs.” At first glance, it would appear that every junior is littering. In actuality, there are far less culprits than one would think. Only a small percentage of the junior class litters. but it is a part of their daily routine. I have tried on numerous occasions to put an end to the infamous litterbugs, but they will stop at nothing to treat our lot, our campus and our world like a gi-
Swanson Swims into National Spotlight By Joe Goode Senior Contributor
Competitive swimming isn’t easy. Four a.m. practices five times a week. Pools so chlorinated swimmers’ skin dries out and faces peel. But for Charlie Swanson ’16, “it pays off.” Paying off may be an understatement. Here at St. Christopher’s Swanson holds individual records in the 100-yard freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley. Outside of school he swims for NOVA, where he has qualified for USA Winter Nationals and the Olympic Trials. Next winter he’ll head to San Antonio where he’ll compete at Winter Nationals, which he describes as not only his biggest meet but Olympians’ biggest meet of the year. That summer he’ll compete at the Olympic Trials only a few weeks before the 2016 Olympic Games. Out of all that swimming he hopes to make the Junior National Team, which is reserved for the top six young swimmers in the country in each Olympic event. Swanson is on pace, though, with a 400-yard individual medley time that places him 15th in the nation in his age group. “Coach Crook and I feel very lucky to have an athlete on our team who can give us an All-State performance in every single event,” said Coach Stuart Ferguson. “His feel for the
water and efficiency of movement are unmatched by everyone in the Prep league.” Swimming has taken up a large part of Swanson’s life for a while. He has swum year round for six years, and before that swam on a summer swim team for four years. He practices from 4:30 to 6:30 a.m. Monday to Friday with two two-hour afternoon practices sprinkled in. He gets his “rest” on weekends with a 5 a.m. practice on Saturdays. “It’s dreadful walking into practice because you know that is going to be terrible for two hours, but over the past two years my times have gotten better and I’ve seen things pay off, and when I keep on advancing it drives me to get up and get better.” Swimming has its perks though. The weeks leading up to a big meet, when coaches ease up on swimmers and “taper” down their yardage and effort, are exciting, and the camaraderie built through travelling and practicing with a team so extensively is certainly a bonus. “We all hate it,” Swanson said, “but it’s worth it because the meets are fun, especially the ones where you get to fly with your team.” Swanson is undecided about college, but he knows he’ll swim and compete nationally. What might he do when his competitive swims come to an end? “I might go to the YMCA every now and then to swim, but after 11 years or so of swimming it might be time to hang up the goggles.”
ant trashcan. Personally, I have had several encounters with the litterbugs. Not long ago, an anonymous student tossed his trash out of his car window, turned his head back to face me, looked me dead in the eyes with a smug grin on his face, and sped
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off. A few days later, another anonymous junior grabbed a crumpled-up piece of paper out of my car, waved it in my face and buried it in the dirt. When confronted, the litterbugs claim they don’t care about the environment and insult any opposition.
Picture of litter in the Junior Lot
David Ballowe: A Man of Many Talents By Malcolm Ilnicky Junior Contributor
Some of us know David Ballowe as that beatboxing guy from the Beaux Ties. Others might recognize him from his cameo in the 2012 locker room “Gangnam Style” video. Some may even remember David as Red Man from the pep rally a few years ago. This footballplaying musician, actor, impersonator and beatboxer cannot be defined by any single accomplishment. Ever since the summer before freshman year, Ballowe has made a name for himself. He quickly developed the nickname “Cake Shake” during football preseason after an unfortunate encounter with Coach Greg Tune at Shyndigz. Since then, Ballowe has developed even more nicknames and had even worse encounters with Tune. Part of what makes Ballowe stand out among his peers is his personality. His fellow classmates describe his personality as bold, loud, confident and occasionally excessive. These characteristics shine forth in almost everything Ballowe does from wearing a kilt to the Junior/Senior
dance to online posts where he shows little restraint when voicing his opinions on topics like race and gun control. Still he admits, “Facebook fights don’t really accomplish anything.”. Where Ballowe excelled most at St. Christopher’s was on stage, whether he was with the Beaux Ties, the Jazz Band, Tredegar, Ampersand or by himself. Ballowe’s vocal percussion added another dimension to the acapella style of the Beaux Ties. His exceptional euphonium playing left all of us wondering why we’d never heard of a euphonium before. His shrieking of “Turn down for what!” made everyone’s Thursday afternoon feel like a Saturday night. And with his hilarious impression of Matt Foley in the 2013 costume contest and his impressive performance of Santa with a hand trumpet during last year’s Christmas service, Ballowe proved himself as a one-of-a-kind member of the class of 2015. Although Ballowe’s personality and achievements will be remembered for years to come, he would be content with simply being remembered as “a guy that loves life.”
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ImpactMakers Impact Students Valentine ’93, Williams ’92 Talk Entrepreneurship
By Schuyler Purdy and Henry Rodriguez Sophmore and Freshman Contributors
Just before their St. Christopher’s presentation on entrepreneurship, Mr. Charles Valentine ’93 and Mr. Carrington Williams ’92 launched a new edition of their revolutionary program Lumiary. “An entrepreneur finds a need and creates a way to fill that need,”
said Williams, who explained their data collection company in great detail. Valentine and Williams founded an online application that monitors a detailed customer database. Companies can use this database to promote their business with multiple tools that can be found in the program. Valentine, a 13-year Saint, was Student Council president. He received his master’s degree at the University of Virginia. Williams went to St. Chris for 11 years. He attended Washington & Lee University and also obtained his master’s from the University of Virginia. Valentine and Williams based their ImpactMakers presentation off the idea of failure being necessary for success. They illustrated their point with four descriptors: failing fast, failing cheap, failing often
Sophomore Contributor
Austin Harris ’00 spoke about the risks he took to venture away from a job bank financier to pursue entrepreneurship. Harris was a 13-year student at St. Christopher’s School and a founder of the Beaux Ties a cappella group. He graduated from Wake Forest University and got his dream job as a financier in New York City. He always wanted to pursue entrepreneurship and took a risk by instead joining Health Warriors as an “opportunity to fulfill my own curiosity.”
As an entrepreneur, Harris takes risks everyday and he spoke about the process he goes through when making a risk. Harris said the lessons he has learned are: that there is a huge gap between dreaming and doing, so get out there and pursue
De Leon ’08 Finds Comfort in Risk By Jack Franko Freshman Contributor
and learning in the process, which are beneficial to an entrepreneur who aspires to accomplish something worthwhile. “Constant innovation requires constant experimentation and with that comes failure,” said Valentine. He explained that trial and error and failure help to “figure out what doesn’t work.”
Harris ’00 Embarks on Risk-Filled Journey By Rob Jessee
May 2015
your dreams, surround yourself with interesting people with diverse backgrounds, seek new challenges and develop the skills to help you succeed in those challenges. “It’s much riskier to ‘follow the crowd’ than to build a playbook for yourself and run those plays,” Harris said. “What do you want to accomplish?” The risks that Harris has made to join Health Warriors have lead him to where he is today. The members of Health Warrior are an energetic group that compete against Kellogg’s and General Mills. The lessons that Harris has learned about taking risks have shaped his life changing from a bank financier to an entrepreneur.
For Marco de Leon ’08, investing his life’s savings in a “wafel” company that started in a Brown University dorm room was a no brainer. “My definition of risk is not going all in,” said de Leon, who is the COO of Rip Van Wafels, a company that makes authentic Dutch snacks that are meant to be enjoyed with coffee. De Leon found his style of risktaking when he transferred here as a freshman. “Freshman year was one of the hardest experiences of my life,” said de Leon, who struggled to fit in here so much that he would often cry when he got home. It got bad enough that he considered transferring to Collegiate. But then de Leon reached a “moment of clarity” after getting support and encouragement from a host of teachers, including science teacher Billy McGuire ’85 and Spanish teacher Sue Varner. One day, he decided to go all in to his St. Christopher’s experience. “I opened myself up to rejection and failure,” said de Leon. “It was the best decision of my life... That moment ended up impacting every decision I made after that.” This all-in mentality made it easy for de Leon to make other leaps such as partnering with Rip Van Wafels CEO Rip Pruisken for the wafel start-up. “I had to go for it.” To youngsters dealing with the same issues, de Leon said, “It’s never too early to invest in yourself and you never know where it will lead.”
Luck ’08, Watson Discuss Opportunity By William Maddock Editor-in-Chief
About ten minutes into his presentation, Richard Luck ’08 (pictured below) began choking up while talking about the impact of his company, UnBoundRVA, on the lives of people like Mr. Raheim Watson (pictured at right), who presented with him. Luck’s passion for the company and its cause was evident throughout his presentation.
After graduating from the Virginia Military Institute, Luck took a job as a math instructor with Teach for America, an organization that hires college graduates to teach in public schools in impoverished areas. “I met super talented people who were still in poverty,” he said. He found remarkable people with no degree, some of whom had past addiction issues or criminal history, and he set out to make a difference for those people. With that goal in mind, he founded UnBoundRVA along with Sarah Mullens and Jeff Wraley. According to its website, UnBoundRVA’s mission is to “provide talented individuals from low-income communities a path to entrepreneurship.” “With a small business, no one can restrict your potential,” Luck said. Raheim Watson, who spoke alongside Luck, was a member of the program’s
first class of entrepreneurs. Watson shared his personal story of growing up in New York City without a father figure for much of his young life. After some rocky teenage years, Watson ended up in jail, where he first started to set some goals for himself. His two chief goals were to own a home and to start a business. Soon after his release, he met his fiancée and had a son. “I didn’t want my son to have the same experience,” he said. “What keeps me going is the motivation I have for my family and myself.” After moving to Richmond, Watson accomplished both. In January 2014 he became the first member of his family to close on a home. Later that spring, he was chosen as one of
five members of UnBoundRVA’s founding class. He has since successfully started his own business, Watson’s Windows and Exteriors. He said, “Opportunities are not always given to you. Sometimes you have to go out and search for them and create them for yourself.” Luck’s final thought was about privilege and how we, as members of the St. Christopher’s community, should feel about it and utilize it to make a positive impact on others. He talked about how his first reaction to his own privilege was guilt. However, he said, a better way to think about privilege is as a blessing. “It’s up to us to find a way to provide people with opportunity,” he said.
May 2015
The Pine Needle
Todorov Ref lects
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By Will McKinnon Junior Contributor
Sitting down for the interview, I begin to mutter a question to my peer. He interrupts me. “You’re going to have to speak up. I can’t hear you.” Caught off guard, I look to him, but there’s no animosity in his face. Be it a part of Bulgarian culture or simply a facet of his personality, Martin Todorov simply is not afraid to speak his mind. Bulgarian exchange student Martin Todorov has spent much of his time at St. Christopher’s focusing on the arts. “Sports are not my forté, but I compensate with art,” said Todorov. His work in photography with digital arts teacher Amanda Livick has brought a unique approach to the table, particularly in his approaches to light. “He’s a very technical photographer,” said Mrs. Livick. “He wants everything to be perfect.” Musically, Todorov is equally skilled. He’s worked extensively with Mr. Greg Vick in the choir, ranking fifth of 60 applicants for the district chorus. In addition, Todorov has worked extensively with Ampersand, playing the memorable part of one of the crazed Shriners in the fall production of “Bye Bye Birdie.” Todorov has had an incredible time with the Menges household, saying that Dave and Kim Menges are, “probably the best people I’ve ever met… they accepted me for who I am.” Todorov said junior Sean Menges has served as a role model for him as well during his time here. The Turners, whom Todorov stayed with later in the year, had an equally gratifying experience. “He’s been incredibly open to cultural differences and willing to learn about the U.S. and the way things are viewed here,” said Katie Turner, St. Catherine’s ‘16. Adapting to the culture of the United States and St. Christopher’s proved troublesome for Todorov. The focus that the school puts on sports came as a shock to him as an arts person, and he found it challenging to penetrate the social “bubble” of the community, remarking that people seem to focus more on idle chitchat or gossip rather than meaningful conversation. “We all could learn a thing or two from Martin and his directness and honesty,” Mrs. Livick said. “I myself have adapted some of these behaviors when talking to people. It’s been refreshing to be able to say what you actually want to say. It’s also been refreshing to have that relationship with Martin where we can talk without a facade.” Regardless of cultural differences, Todorov says that his experiences and the people he has met have no doubt changed his life for the better.
“Twelfth Night” Wows the Old-Fashioned Way By Will McKinnon Junior Contributor
Where else can you find magic tricks, crossdressing, and Shakespeare all rolled into one show but at Ampersand? “Twelfth Night” ran April 29 to May 1, keeping audiences dazzled from start to finish. As a Shakespeare play, the language and plot of “Twelfth Night” seems daunting to many. The comedy centers on a love triangle with a genderbent twist: Duke Orsino (Walker Rise) falls in love with Lady Olivia (Kitty Lambrechts), who falls in love with Duke Orsino’s servant Cesario
(Maddie Gunter), who is in actuality a woman named Viola. Despite the complexity of the plot and language, the cast managed to pull off their roles phenomenally. The Jester (Isabelle Andrews) managed to control the stage whenever she had a part, and comedic supporting roles like Malvolio (Nate Smith) and Sir Toby Belch (Annabel O’Hagan) had the audience struggling for breath between laughs. With “Twelfth Night,” Ampersand sought to eliminate the fourth wall, interacting with the audience by hiding behind their chairs and prodding at them, as Shakespeare’s actors did
some 400 years ago. The house lights remained up for the entirety of the show to remind the audience that they too were a part of the action. A band atop a central platform played music before the start of and during the play and at intermission. With “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Amadeus,” Ampersand continues to innovate both on and off of the stage, and will surely impress us next year with their next three shows. Will McKinnon worked as the Lighting Designer for “Twelfth Night.”
Talking with Tay to save people. I’ve heard horror stories about the Navy and how difficult it is. Finally, I personally don’t have an interest in the Air Force. I’m excited about the infantry because it’s not one of the other branches. I want to go into the Officer Cadet School (OCS), and if you pass it, you get to command new recruits.”
By Swayne Martin Senior Contributor
As many of you know, Sean Tay ‘15 is a native of Singapore and plans to attend the University of Southern California for college. But did you know that he won’t be able to go to college for another two years? Singapore requires all men 18 years and older, who have finished high school or the equivalent, to serve for two years in the Singapore Armed Forces. In the following questionand-answer interview, you’ll learn what Tay expects from his service and what his goals are. Describe the overall process for required national service in Singapore. “It’s a very elaborate process. First, you have to do a medical exam. The medical exam, which includes blood, urine, X-Rays, and hearing tests, will determine if you’re fitness ready. If you’re not fitness ready, you could be exempt from service. You don’t get a choice where you get posted. There are police, civic engagement (i.e. firefighters), infantry, air force and navy positions available. After you pass that medical exam, you have the choice to take a fitness test, which includes pushups, sit-ups, and a 1.5-mile run. To
get a silver medal, you have to do around 45 push-ups and 45 sit-ups in a minute each, and run the 1.5mile run in about 10 minutes. If you get a gold or silver medal from that test, you can reduce your length of service by two months. If you don’t take it, you go the regular 24-month route. I will take the fitness test in June and hopefully will pass.” Where would you most liked to be placed in the armed forces? “I was already posted to the infantry and will hopefully enlist this October. Here’s why I chose the infantry: The police force is known to be the easiest of all service branches, and I don’t really want to waste two years. As for firefighting, I can’t really imagine myself risking my life
What sort of benefits and pay does the Singapore Government offer recruits? “We get a very minimal amount of pay, around $400 or $500 per month. That’s the only compensation you get. For the underprivileged, it’s crucial for the family to get even that small amount of compensation.” Do you think your college plans might change after two years? “I’m 100% committed to go to USC. I can’t imagine a situation where I would change my plans.” Tay will leave the United States on May 27 after graduation and head directly to Singapore. During the summer, he will convert his U.S. driver’s license to a Singapore driver’s license, and plans to backpack across Southeast Asia in late June with his cousins.
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May 2015
Career Day: Words of Wisdom Business: Sean Eubank
By Sean Tay Senior Contributor
Mr. Shawn Eubank’s first wine, “Honey Blossom,” has been a huge hit with women. This wine producer and distributor shared his business journey with Upper School students as part of career day in early May. As an undergraduate at Virginia Tech, he struggled to find a focus. He initially intended to major in finance but switched to geophysics his sophomore year. Mr. Eubank decided to take a semester off to seek out possible career paths. This is when his friends and he stumbled upon a farmer’s market, and he finally came to the decision that he wanted to pursue a career in agriculture. In 2009, Mr. Eubank and his friends started Rock-
lands Farm in Montgomery County, Md. Mr. Eubank stressed the importance of setting oneself apart from others. As such, his business idea was to make his farm a serene place close to the bustling D.C. metro area. Mr. Eubank soon encountered another big challenge -- that growing vegetables and meats was not a highly scalable means of
profit moving forward. As a temporary solution, he began to sell individual meals such as salads to help defray some expenses. Eventually, he and his friends came up with the idea of investing in grapes to make wine. However, just like any beginning entrepreneur, he was faced with a funding issue and needed investors. Investing in grapes to make wine requires significant start-up costs due to expensive equipment needed such as tanks and cooling vents. Before long, Mr. Eubank and his friends established Native Selections, which distributes organically-farmed wine. Mr. Eubank hopes that his business will scale, which he explained as being able “to grow and bring down costs.”
Medicine: Andrew Bogle ’97 By Jack Holdaway Junior Contributor
Andrew Bogle ’97, a practicing orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hand and upper extremities, returned to St. Christopher’s to share lessons he learned in his 13 years of medical training and the rigors of becoming of doctor. Bogle spent more than a decade bouncing from school to school, attending the Medical College of Virginia for his formal education, University of Rochester for residency and internship, and Wake Forest for his fellowship. The alumnus received his undergraduate degree at the University of Richmond, where he played
football and was honored as a member of the AcademicAll Conference team. Bogle stressed the fact that becoming a doctor isn’t for everyone, and if one’s ambition is motivated solely by a desire to make a good living, medicine isn’t the right career choice. He attempted to instill the idea that being a doctor does come with a healthy influx of cash, but it’s difficult to make it through dragged-out rigors of medical school and residency without feeling a true calling. The presentation consisted of a bevy of unsettling pictures involving grotesque hand and shoulder injuries. One showed the hand of a factory worker whose
whole finger was ripped off by machinery - leaving only the bone behind. Another - a picture of a nail completely piercing a man’s foot - left the audience of juniors and seniors queasy and fidgety. As an orthopedic surgeon, you never know what types of injuries are going to walk through the door. Bogle enjoys a challenge and is fascinated by the process of transforming broken, displaced and sometimes severed extremities into functioning body parts. The satisfaction in helping patients is the drive each prospective doctor must have to make it through the prolonged process of receiving a medical education.
Law: Dave Galeski ’00 By Edward Millman Junior Contributor
Dave Galeski ’00 says don't be a lawyer, at least not right away. "Spend a few years after college working some other job before you go to law school," said the William and Mary Law School graduate who primarily works insurance. “Firms are reluctant to hire you if your first job would be with them.” You know those ads on the TV about how it’s your money, you want it now, and the swanky lawyer on the TV will make sure you get it because he means business? Galeski’s the lawyer trying to defend the insurance companies, the one trying to root out fraudulent claims. He’s the one who
tries to make sure the other side gets fair compensation, not an exorbitant one. Other times he will work with clients on issues related to personal injury and criminal defense. “I don’t really have an average day at work,” said Galeski about his time at Duane, Hauck, Davis & Gravatt. At least it’s slightly more consistent than his former role as a public defender. During his time in that position, Galeski mostly did criminal defense. Being a public defender gave him the on the job experience law firms look for and helped him later in his career. Galeski advises those looking to become a lawyer to really think it over. “It’s a big commitment,” he said.
Law: Ned Turnbull ’01 By Matthew Allocca Senior Contributor
Ned Turnbull ’01 claims that the best thing he did was not go to law school right out of college. Turnbull came to speak to the Junior and Senior classes about his experience as a civil lawyer. Turnbull is an advocate for trying different things before attending law school. Working other jobs allowed him to figure out what he didn’t want to do. Being a lawyer isn’t for everyone. “If you don’t
like reading and writing, you should consider doing something else,” he said. Turnbull’s warnings about the possible pitfalls of becoming a lawyer opened the eyes of aspiring lawyers. His goal was not to dissuade people, but instead tp get people to understand that law school is typically geared towards people who can handle large amounts of reading and writing. To keep abreast of current events, Turnbull advises reading the newspaper.
May 2015
The Pine Needle
A Prince in Our Midst? By Nick Sherod Junior Contributor
When Adam Ballantyne was 5, his dad, Frederick Ballantyne, was knighted. During the three-hour ceremony, Queen Elizabeth pulled out a sword. The toddler, who associated swords with decapitation, screamed and was shushed by his mother’s hand as his father received a light tap on each shoulder. This is an example of the type of unusual experiences he has had growing up. His father, a cardiologist, is Governor General in St. Vincent. The Caribbean country, which operates as a parliamentary democracy, gained its independence from England in 1979 but still receives help from the Queen. Since the queen cannot be everywhere at once, she appoints governor generals to oversee such outlying territories. Sir Ballantyne comes from a small town in St. Vincent, and his mom always pushed him at whatever he did. He finished first in the national exam for his country and went on to medical school at Syracuse University and came home to practice medicine. One of his deeds was particularly memorable to his son. “Sometimes during the Christmas months when a lot of people didn’t have a lot of money he would go and see people for free. That really touched me.” There are obvious benefits that come with being the child of the head man of a
country. While a lot of people would take advantage of those benefits, Sir Frederick remains humble. As governor general, you’re allowed to live in a special Governor’s mansion and sport a license plate that allows you to park anywhere in St. Vincent without being ticketed. Sir Ballantyne turned down both opportunities, and Ballantyne really respects his dad’s humble attitude. “He is just a really great guy,” he said. “He is a very philosophical guy and he is really wise.” Ballantyne is one of seven children with six half siblings and a sister who is a sophomore at St. Catherine’s. Before becoming Governor General, Dr. Ballantyne picked up his children from school in St. Vincent. Once his dad became Governor General, that was no longer the case, and Adam remembers when everything changed. “I remember the first day that he didn’t come to pick me up, but instead he sent a police officer to pick me up,” said Ballantyne. “I had no idea what was going on.” After finishing elementary school in St. Vincent, his parents decided that he and his
Czeching in with Tomáš By Edward Millman Junior Contributor
With dashing good looks, a European sense of style and a mean five o’clock shadow, Tomáš Cerný ’16 is the third Czech student I’ve met. However, he’s the only one who taught me Czech curse words. It was Cerný who showed me how to insult
Slovakians, why Putin is evil and how to avoid getting in a fistfight while on the Austrian border. He’s been here six weeks and has been staying with the family of freshman Alex Davis, whom he has found warm and welcoming. Cerný was almost deported a few weeks ago for a missing form he forgot to submit at customs, but so far the CIA hasn’t found
him. Despite this, Cerný has found his trip to be an interesting and enlightening experience. “I could write a novel about my time here,” he said. His favorite things about America are the concept of turning right on a red light and southern sweet tea. He does have one small gripe though. “I don’t like how everyone says,‘Hello, how are you’ and pretends they care about the answer,” said Cerný. “But other than that, I enjoy and like America.” In his spare time, Cerný writes and plays music on his guitar. He participated in the May Jazz Band concert, playing “Superbad” by James Brown. His favorite band is The Doors and he listens to mostly classic rock. In addition to loving music, Cerný is a big soccer fan whose favorite team is Borussia Dortmund.
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Mistr Masters Machines By Gunther Abbot Sophomore Contributor
mom and sister would move to America for better educational opportunities. His dad has many Virginia contacts so they settled in Chesterfield. Ballantyne returns to his home country during most holidays. Even though his dad is the Governor General of St. Vincent, Ballantyne has decided to stay in America for the rest of his life, believing that the opportunities here are better, and that he will have a chance to gain more financially. Many people with a father running a country might have a cocky attitude, but Ballantyne takes it in stride and keeps the humble attitude exemplified by his father. Ballantyne does not plan to pursue politics when he attends the University of Maryland, Baltimore County next year, but if his impersonations of President Barack Obama in chapel are any indicators, politics could be in his future. Like father, like son.
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How many computers does the average person have? One, maybe two? Junior Collin Mistr has more than 60. Why you might ask? “Some I use for parts, some are just for collection,” he said. “Some are leftovers, others I picked up off the side of the road.” Mistr doesn’t just collect computers. He basically runs his own computer salvaging business. He buys broken ones for cheap, fixes them up and resells them for higher prices. He’s made about $500 or $600 dollars, and he’s only been doing this since last summer. His passion for computers started when he was 7 and his grandfather gave him an old Packard Bell from the ’90s. He spent much of his time trying to boost the computer’s functionality by doing things like connecting it to the internet. From buying cheap computers on eBay to scouring Goodwill, Mistr’s collection began to grow. He looks for “insane deals” online where people “list a computer and don’t really know much about it.” Mistr says that people sometimes list computers that they think are broken, but in reality only have a small problem which can be fixed. In other words, some computers are listed for less than the sum of their parts. Mistr is constantly on eBay looking for these kind
of deals, looking for computers that are often broken, missing parts or have other problems. “I once got a MacBook Pro off eBay for $5 that had some weird discoloration, and I thought it was a spill or something like that.” He went on to say that someone had incorrectly tried to repair a GPU problem by “baking the computer in the oven.” The computer ended up having a perfectly working LCD panel, which by itself was worth about $100. Tricks like this he uses to turn a profit, which in some cases can be huge. He once bought a ‘broken’ Xbox off of eBay for $2 which turned out to work perfectly. “In the picture on eBay the AV cable was unplugged on the back of the console.” He then said when the Xbox arrived in the mail, he plugged the cable in and “it worked just fine.” Mistr also started a YouTube channel with how-to and informational videos on computers. “I always enjoyed other people’s YouTube channels on computers,” he said. “I just thought it would be fun to make videos of my stuff.” He has since posted more than 100 videos, garnered more than 500 subscribers and made about $200 from video monetization. Mistr plans to pursue his passion for computers further this summer by getting a job at a local computer repair shop.
SAT Takes New Format By Schuyler Purdy Sophmore Contributer
Many companies are sending e-mails and letters claiming that they can help boost scores for the new SAT which is taking a different format in the 20162017 school year. “They’re guessing,” said Mr. Jim Jump, the guidance director at St. Christopher’s. “They don’t have that information, so people should be wary of those companies.” Still, the changes are expected to be minimal. The SAT has changed its format just four times in the last 25 years. With this change, the College Board, which develops the test, is trying to connect the SAT more to lessons learned
in classrooms around the world, Mr. Jump said. Traditionally, the three major parts to the SAT include mathematics, critical reading and writing sections. Mr. Jump explains that the biggest change in the test is that the writing section will be optional. The critical reading section will also be longer and more in-depth. The PSAT this fall will be the first reflection of the new style. The SAT has also partnered with Khan Academy, a website that offers specific teaching lessons in many subjects for free, to create a series of videos that will make preparing for the SAT easy for everyone.
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May 2015
TEDxYouth@StChristophersRd On March 26, the TEDx cohort hosted the culminating event of its X-term work: TEDxYouth@StChristophersRd. Among the presenters were three St. Christopher’s Upper School students. Here’s what they had to say.
Eddie Anderson and Josh Craig: “Pursuing a Passion” Sophomores Eddie Anderson and Josh Craig gave their TEDx talk on their love of competitive mountain biking and how they founded the StC Mountain Biking team. They discussed how satisfying it is to improve through the challenges they face on the trails. -- Jack Franko ’18
“Taking the time to learn the new skillset in order to achieve that goal of getting over those roots, that rock, that log is very gratifying.”
Alex Shedd: “A Serious Discussion about Improv” Alex Shedd '15 explained the purpose of improvisational comedy and the St Christopher's/St. Catherine's Improv Club. He also described how being able to think on your feet can help anywhere in life. -- Henry Rodriguez ’18
"There's social merit [in practicing improv]... having to collaborate with your scene partners, and a lot of times giving up your dignity for the sake of humor, or building a scene... it makes friends and builds connections like nothing you've ever seen."
Riley Varner: “Climbing out of Your Comfort Zone” About a year ago, Riley Varner ’16 traveled to Colorado Springs for the national climbing championships. He was confident going into the competition but ended up falling on the first climb, psyching himself out and finishing in a disappointing 27th place. He then traveled to Boulder, Colo for a camp that featured several former national champions. There, Varner finally realized that he needed to focus on himself instead of others’ opinions, and he began to excel in climbing. -- Schuyler Purdy ’17
“You can actually use the word fear as an acronym… Face Everything And Rise.”
These three gentleman were joined by current and former St. Catherine’s students Elise Fuller, Madison Wilkinson and Julia Warren ’14. This was the second annual TEDxYouth@StChristophersRd event put on by the cohort, led by Ms. Carey Pohanka and Dr. Sarah Mansfield. To see video of the event, check out www.pineneedleonline.org
The Pine Needle Editor-in-Chief
William Maddock
Senior Contributors
Junior Contributors
Sophomore Contributors
Freshman Contributors
Photography
Sean Tay Swayne Martin Matthew Allocca Joe Goode
Jack Holdaway Nick Sherod Malcolm Ilnicky Edward Millman Will McKinnon Jack O’Neil
Schuyler Purdy Rob Jessee Gunther Abbot
Jack Franko Henry Rodriguez William Rodriguez Kinloch Nelson
Zaid Al-Moghrabi Cappy Gilchrist Edward Millman Eddie Anderson
Faculty Advisor
Mrs. Kathleen Thomas Masthead artwork by Stefan ScheerCook ’15
The Pine Needle Tommy Bishop Moving On...
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May 2015
By Malcolm Ilnicky
Mary Horne
By Jack O’Neil Junior Contributor
A 20-year saga comes to an end. Mrs. Mary Horne, our devoted St. Christopher’s Upper School librarian, has decided to call it quits after a long tenure beginning in 1995. Her passion started 40 years ago when she took a job at the Richmond Public Library, and it has not died since. For the past 40 years Mrs. Horne has worked at the College of William and Mary library, the Research Library of Virginia and pursued her bachelor of library science at the University of Kentucky. She was able to garner a lot of experience from her different jobs which became a “beautiful match for St. Christopher’s,” she said. Mrs. Horne has been devoted to the students and teachers of St. Christopher’s and it is finally time to see her off. She said, “I love my job, I just love it.” Horne is retiring to spend time with her husband, who was also a librarian, and her children. Her son is getting married in October and she thinks that it will be a good way to ease
into retirement. “I am looking forward to sleeping in a little bit in the morning, pulling weeds in my garden…and I would like to find a worthy cause to work on and volunteer some time,” she said. Mrs. Horne and her husband love to travel and in the next year or two are going to visit England and Ireland. Although she is excited to travel the world and help out around her house, she is going to miss her job and all the people she has met over the years. Mrs. Horne has been huge part of the St. Christopher’s community during the past two decades and students have appreciated her work. Jess Reynolds ’16 said, “It will definitely be different without her and I am going to miss her. She has helped me check out books and work on my research paper for three years.” Mrs. Horne will forever be remembered for her accomplishments at St. Christopher’s and expanding the school's library. On her exit, she said, “It's good to leave when you are happy, and people are happy with you.”
Ellen Sands By William Rodriguez Freshman Contributor
Mrs. Ellen Sands taught second grade at StC for 28 years. This current year is my only year in Resource.
What is the best part of your job?
“I think the best part of second grade was watching boys enter at the beginning of the year as really young boys who still needed a lot of support. By the end of the year they had developed so much independence that they were like birds ready to leave the nest. It was also fun to watch the boys on the playground as they began to widen their circle of friends and discover who they were and what kind of friendships they wanted.”
What is your fondest memory?
“It's kind of hard to say what my fondest memory is because there are quite a few. I've especially enjoyed
chapel services. The lessons that the chaplains plan for the boys often are just as important for the teachers. Graduations are often very moving for me because I see boys I remember as five year olds now ready to step into the world as accomplished young men...That's a very special moment for teachers. I know that I've stayed in teaching at StC because of the family atmosphere. You become very attached to your boys and you take a great interest in helping them become the best they can possibly be. The family atmosphere among the faculty and staff has been very important to me. These people have truly become a part of my family. All of us support each other in every way we can. I feel that's kind of unique in today's world to find a place where there is so much caring for one another and I am so grateful I've had the opportunity to be part of this.”
Junior Contributor
After five years teaching Lower School Spanish, Tommy Bishop is leaving to attend law school at Washington & Lee University. Mr. Bishop’s ties to our school date back to his sophomore year of high school. Both Mrs. Elsa Woodaman and Mrs. Sonia McDonald taught him tenth grade Spanish at J.R. Tucker High School’s immersion program. Mr. Bishop first came here as a tutor he was only 21. When the Lower School teaching position came up in 2010, Mrs. Woodaman called and suggested he submit a resumé. After getting the job here, Mr. Bishop abandoned his previous plan of going to school in southwest Virginia and headed to the University of Richmond for an education degree. “The education degree made the most sense five years ago,” said Mr. Bishop, “but now I feel like I’m not done yet. I had always thought about going to law school so that’s where I’m heading now.” Mr. Bishop took a slightly unorthodox educational path, starting high school at age 12, and graduating from VCU shortly after his 20th birthday. In college, he worked and went to school full time and generally felt confused throughout most of his three and half years there. “I had no idea what being a student was,” said Mr. Bishop, “I was an employee who happened to take some
classes at VCU when I wasn’t working.” Looking back at his time in college, Mr. Bishop feels like he rushed it and didn’t have the educational experience that he hoped for. He looks forward to law school which he views as his “educational magnum opus.” In the classroom, Mr. Bishop blends two of his favorite things: teaching and guitar. His attempt to incorporate folk songs into his teaching at inner-city public schools fell flat, so he was overjoyed when he found that St. Christopher’s students had more fun learning songs in Spanish. Writing original songs about planets, days of the week and colors of the rainbow became his “creative outlet.” Outside the classroom, music plays a huge role in Mr. Bishop’s life, too. Past musical projects include an ’80s rock cover band that played at the National and a heavy metal band that opened for Lamb of God. Mr. Bishop is equally as passionate about the outdoors. He enjoys mountain biking and archery, but his true love for the outdoors come through paddleboarding. He first encountered stand-up paddleboarding at Riverrock in 2011, and it seemed like the perfect sport for his recently broken foot. Ever since then, he has been regularly paddleboarding and participating at the paddleboard race at Riverrock every year, usually wearing his signature outfit: gold lamé shorts.
Marion Halladay By Kinloch Nelson Freshman Contributor
What brought you to St. Christopher’s? “I previously taught at St. Agnes St. Stephen’s School in Alexandria for four years. My husband and father attended St. Christopher’s and loved their experience. As a graduate of Collegiate, I knew the importance of a private school education.”
Who here at St. Christopher’s has impacted you the most?
“The great part about St. Christopher”s is that there is always someone to encourage, support and reflect upon the thoughtful lessons of my boys. So many colleagues have impacted me through the years from Woody Woodard, George McVey, my
first grade and kindergarten teammates as well as many other Lower School colleagues.”
What has been one of the biggest highlights of your time here?
“Watching the boys grow. Five of my ninth grade boys achieved the honor of being Eagle Scouts. I am so proud of their accomplishments.”
How would you describe your experience here?
“I am blessed to have had the opportunity to work at an amazing school. Every day is an adventure with the adorable, eager, enthusiastic and loveable boys. I truly love my Little Saints! I am going to miss their morning greetings, adorable smiles and twinkling eyes. The love for my boys will always be with me.”
Jim Morgan By William Maddock Editor-in-Chief
At the end of every year, the kids in Jim Morgan’s Lower School class cash in all of the Morgan Money they have earned throughout the year to do almost whatever they want. “Usually they either shave my head or do something with ice cream on my head,” he said. This is one of many fond memories he will carry with him when he moves on to New Community School as a middle school math teacher next year. Mr. Morgan taught second grade for his first six years at St. Christopher’s before moving to fourth grade the last two years. He will be remembered for his technology-driven lesson plans and his classes’ dynamic, choreographed Society Day poetry recitations. He called STC one of the most creative environments he has ever worked. An active member of the Richmond theater community, Mr. Morgan said one of the most rewarding experiences of his time has been working with the Lower School plays. “I’ve had a lot of fun taking some of the more reserved kids and making them explore what it’s like to be a character and to step outside their comfort zones and play,” he said. He himself has taken the stage at a variety of venues around the Richmond area, most notably starring in a production of “Pippin” at Dogwood Dell. Mr. Morgan has been teaching for 10 years since becoming the first member of his family to get a college degree, graduating from the University of Richmond in 2006 with a degree in Elementary Education. Fittingly, he will embark on a new adventure as he begins his second decade of teaching. But he will miss St. Christopher’s. “There’s this overwhelming sense of community and even family that I feel with my boys and my colleagues,” he said. “It’s the collective experience. This place changes you for the better.” Mr. Matt Chriss and Mr. Andrew Lawrence will also be leaving StC after this year. At press time, neither had responded to requests for an interview. We wish them all the best in the future.
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