34 minute read
UNITED IN SPIRIT
Derek Porter records one of his songs.
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS UPLIFT AND SUSTAIN THROUGH CHALLENGING DAYS
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St. Christopher’s sense of community has long been its hallmark. With spring quarantine, online learning and state-mandated social distancing, our greatest strength became our greatest challenge.
As the virus spiraled, nationwide protests and riots, sparked by the killing of George Floyd, roiled, calling for social justice and a civil rights reckoning.
The Saints community responded to both crises, going above and beyond to connect in real and meaningful ways and to address social justice issues with renewed intention.
Here’s a snapshot of what transpired March through August 2020.
PUTTING CRISES IN PERSPECTIVE
After 34 years at St. Christopher’s, Tony Szymendera has a broad take on challenges the School has confronted in recent decades, from the 9/11 attacks to the D.C. sniper to debilitating hurricanes and snowstorms. The COVID crisis has been different, and by far the most challenging, with the task of reinventing school, not knowing when it’s going to end or what plans can be brought to fruition. The Upper School head and varsity baseball coach grieved the loss of connection during the last months of the 2020 school year, missed time in his classroom, the ball field, as well as chapel, graduation and other year-end celebrations. Szymendera is grateful to be part of a community whose members respond in crisis with, “What can I do?” He said that every faculty member delivered with excellence, with student concerns at the forefront. “A lot of communities don’t have the talent, resilience, focus and drive this community does,” he said. “It’s always reassuring and makes you proud to be part of that kind of organization.” Amidst pandemic stress, Szymendera remained alert to social justice issues. To prepare Upper School faculty to help students engage in thoughtful conversations, he organized visits to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Monument Avenue/Jackson Ward areas at the conclusion of teacher orientation week in August. Also last summer, he devised a plan to substitute a ninth grade BUILD (Boys Using Innovation to Learn and Design) initiative, stalled due to social distancing requirements, with a new civil rights course to help the youngest Upper School students process current events.
Tony Szymendera
The Upper School head working in his home office last spring
Open Lines of Connection
Upper School Chaplain Whitney Edwards and School Counselor Sazshy Kane-West discuss mental health issues during quarantine via Zoom.
— Sazshy Kane-West, School counselor SPIRITUAL CONNECTIONS
Chaplains Whitney Edwards and Durk Steed orchestrated innovative chapel services using technology with various members of the community taking part to provide comfort and inspiration to shuttered students, families, faculty, staff and alumni. Students recorded themselves reading and performing musical pieces in their homes. The School chaplains preached on such themes as personal sacrifice for spiritual growth, opportunities to give back, even in crisis, and the importance of hope. The Rev. Edwards and the Rev. Steed collaborated on several chapel talks on behalf of Lower School, and they produced an Easter chapel with the St. Catherine’s team, which featured a digital gallery of resurrection-inspired art by the kindergarten classes of St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s. In Upper School, Edwards kept up the beloved practice of student chapel talks, where students reminded each other they were in the crisis together. “Viewership was high, and entire families watched together, which was wonderful,” she said.
KEEPING TABS ON MENTAL HEALTH
Meanwhile Sazshy Kane-West, Middle School and Upper School counselor, faced challenges. She relies on spontaneous connections with students, running into them throughout the day and having boys drop by her office during free periods. “It wasn’t practical to be in a Zoom room for eight hours a day, so outreach was important,” she said. She connected with students she meets with regularly by text, email, phone and Zoom and dropped in on online advisory meetings. She was also part of the Student and Health Wellness team that sent out surveys to all Middle School and Upper School students. Student advisors followed up with those who communicated they were experiencing high levels of stress. Meanwhile, the Upper School hosted a virtual health and wellness day. Matt Bellace, a psychologist who is also a national speaker and author, gave a presentation, while Math and Science Teacher Casey Torrence hosted a waffle cook-off, and Math Teacher Ross Gitomer led a workout session. Ending the day on a mindful note, Chaplain Whitney Edwards and History Teacher Joshua Thomas held a guided meditation. “It was a community kind of effort doing some healthy things online, giving guys some opportunity to be reflective and maybe take a break,” said Dean of Students John Green.
EXTENDED DAY HOSTS ALUMNI AND SPECIAL GUESTS
Extended Day, which provides care for children after normal school hours, pressed on virtually. Tuesday afternoons were a highlight when Teacher Nancy Steed, joined by her husband, Middle School Chaplain Durk Steed, hosted lively interviews to connect students with alumni and guest speakers. The rundown:
Swayne Martin ’15 discussed his career as an airline pilot and aviation filmmaker.
Basketball standout Nick Sherod ’16 advised: “Be consistent with your work ethic. If you work hard, you’ll be successful.” Garrett Taylor ‘15 spoke about his football career at Penn State and recent Buffalo Bills signing. He recommended thorough preparation as the best way to handle success and attributed it as the key to his Cotton Bowl pick-six. Brandon Thomas ’16 discussed his career as a globally recognized “100 Thieves” content creator.
Craig Martin, a Richmond-based world-traveling filmmaker, talked about his new PBS docuseries on global philanthropy, “The Good Road.” His advice: “There are two things to think about when trying to help others. First, you’ve got to love people as genuinely as you love your best friend. And, second, you have to look at them as your equal.” Finally, Will Hardy ’06 shared some career experiences in his rise from San Antonio Spurs film editor to assistant coach.
SENIORS READ WITH KINDERGARTNERS
Throughout distance learning, seniors continued to connect with their kindergarten buddies through Zoom, reading, talking and sharing jokes.
ADVISORY DRIVE-BYS
Upper School Spanish Teacher Asha Bandal and her senior advisees drove in separate cars to visit fellow advisory members. Outside gatherings followed socially distant protocols, with students’ parents and family sometimes joining in.
Garrett Taylor ‘15
One of several alumni who “Zoomed” into Extended Day
Kaleb Bey ‘20 and Baylam Bowmer ‘32
Reading buddies during the 2020 school year on campus and last spring on Zoom
LEWIS HELPS LEAD 804 COACHES FOR CHANGE
As protests gathered momentum, Stephen Lewis got a call from Armstrong High School Coach Darryl Watts. Lewis, who knew the basketball coach as a high school player and reconnected professionally in recent years, was Watts’ first tap for the newly formed group, 804 Coaches for Change, which aims to provide a voice for high school student athletes. The goal is to help youth handle police interactions and trauma confronted in person or online. The group organized a peaceful protest June 6 at Monument Avenue’s Arthur Ashe statue, where about 400 people showed up, more than 20 from StC. “I felt very humbled, positive and optimistic because of the turnout and everyone who wants to be involved,” Coach Lewis said. Lewis oversees the 804 Coaches for Change website, email and social media. The organization is in the process of forming a 501(c) and creating programs, most recently the CARE League, which stands for Conversations About Race & Equality. Lewis looks forward to having more discussions with the students. “We’re big on empathy at StC,” said the assistant director of athletics, director of sports information, Middle School activities coordinator and coach. “That’s a good word, at this point, for what’s going on. Everyone needs to have empathy for one another when you’re part of a team and a community. The more we can do to have players and coaches and the community as a whole understand where everyone is coming from, I believe everything will improve.”
EXTRACURRICULARS CARRY ON
Several Upper School clubs kept boys connected in extracurricular pursuits. Political Action Committee kept its regular schedule, meeting Wednesday nights via Zoom. Attendance was lower than in-person meetings, but still averaged about 20 people per week. “PAC helped things feel somewhat normal despite being virtual,” said club President Robert Mish ’21. He said protocols were challenging at the get-go. “It’s easier to articulate what you want to say in person, easier to share perspectives, but doing it online did have some benefits. It’s nice to have a computer where you can do some quick research and fact-check yourself.”
Stephen Lewis
804 Coaches for Change gathered at the Arthur Ashe statue on Monument Avenue early last summer.
— Stephen Lewis
Assistant athletic director
Meanwhile, journalism students created an online publication, ThePineOnline2.0, which chronicled student life during the pandemic, and the yearbook staff, who use an online program, worked through the summer. Following the School closure in March, Raps & Taps Advisor Jeb Britton had the final April deadline extended, and last bits of information were collected electronically through the summer. The senior section was expanded to honor the class most affected by COVID, with parents providing additional pictures through the years. “Everyone chipped in when we reached out to get information,” Britton said. “The boys did great work to make sure the book got completed under the circumstances of being quarantined at home.” Seniors picked up their 2019-20 book before leaving for college, and other students received theirs in early September. In addition, What’s Next thrived. Founded last year by Cleighton Hilbert ’21 to help students consider a variety of majors and careers, the club organized online gatherings with guests, including former Duke University basketball player Jay Bilas.
STC GENEROSITY PREVAILS
When the pandemic hit, StC’s development team paused fundraising appeals. As unemployment reached numbers unprecedented since the Great Depression and health concerns skyrocketed, the School focused on offering support to parents, alumni and friends. After six weeks, Director of Development Jane Garnet Brown advocated for fundraising to resume. Gifts from a pre-pandemic mailing continued through March, and voluntary calls from donors offering help provided glimmers of hope. Researching organizational responses during financial crises indicated those who buried their heads in the sand had more difficulty rebounding. “It may seem uncomfortable. It may seem like poor timing, but we had to move forward and get back to it,” Brown said. The School revived annual giving, an unrestricted fund that can help, for example, defray pandemic response costs or support families in need. It is particularly critical for 2020-21, Brown said, to maintain commitments to faculty, staff and students. The June 2 Day of Giving broke a record in number of gifts (715) as well as dollars raised ($161,982), primarily through email and phone calls. “The outpouring of support for the School was heartwarming,” Brown said. “It’s a testament to our community, a testament to our team’s hard work.”
Overall, annual giving finished out the year stronger than ever, surpassing its goal and setting a School record of more than $2 million raised.
Jay Bilas and Cleighton Hilbert ‘21
A Zoom conference call last spring for What’s Next
Student publication goes online
The Pine Needle converted from print to online when the School shuttered last spring.
Middle School Choir
Virtual rendition of “Homeward Bound”
SINGING SAINTS GO VIRTUAL
The Facebook post read, “We can’t be together on campus, but we are united in spirit,” referring to the Middle School Choir’s virtual rendition of “Homeward Bound.” Colby Wallace ‘25 performed the first solo, Ben Butterfield ‘25 joined for a duet, and Walker Morris ‘26 had the second solo. “All the responses were really positive,” said Middle School Choir Director Nick Brata, noting that the School Facebook page had more than 6,500 shares. A few weeks later, the Beaux Ties performed “Seven Bridges Road” by the Eagles. In both instances, boys videotaped themselves singing while listening to prerecorded music with headphones. A professional recording studio compiled the videos and mixed and balanced the sound.
Athletic Connections
Home workouts via Zoom kept athletes connected to their coaches during the Spring.
Thanking Front-Line Workers
Chris Beach ‘23 introduces the ninth grade Creativity Through the Arts project that recognized first responders for their efforts throughout the pandemic. He also thanks his aunt for working in respiratory tents, caring for people in hospitals and “running toward danger, not away from it.”
New graduation traditions for 2020
Joe Brennan ‘20 picks up his yearbook and graduation gift from the School.
STAYING FIT AND SUPPORTING THE ATHLETES
The athletic department worked to keep athletes connected. Coaches reached out to team members via Zoom and email, sending out home workouts and drills. Coach Keith Wright, for example, demonstrated proper mechanics for a different lift each week via video, and Head Athletic Trainer Robin Eldridge posted rehab exercises for common injuries. Meanwhile spring coaches compiled videos to honor seniors, while StC held a virtual signing day for those committed to play in college, streamed throwback games on the StC YouTube channel and held a virtual Athletic Banquet. In early June, the School put practice protocols in place and the weight room reopened for small groups by appointment. “All this was made possible by the commitment of our teachers/coaches, an amazing group of people dedicated to keeping our boys safe, active and engaged throughout,” said Director of Athletics Ren O’Ferrall.
THANKING FRONT-LINE WORKERS
Upper School Drama Teacher Rusty Wilson’s Creativity Through the Arts class, a ninth grade requirement, normally includes an end-of-semester project in lieu of an exam. Last spring, boys were divided into small groups on Zoom and charged with identifying a front-line worker to thank and share as a chapel service. They wrote thank-you letters, videotaped themselves reading the letters, and opened and closed the chapel service. “It was a total exercise in empathy with a wide range of people who were thanked,” Wilson said. “Some boys have parents who are firefighters or doctors, while others identified people from around the world they read about. It was nice to put faces and names to the service they were giving us and share them with our community.”
MAINTAINING TRADITION AND CELEBRATING SENIORS
StC celebrated the Class of 2020 with signs put in yards, a driveby parade and individual profiles posted on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Graduates were given a class composite, StC flag and School tie. The culminating moment was a short ceremony on the Terraces (see page 34) with administrators, where each boy was celebrated and photographed with his family.
AROUND CAMPUS HAPPENINGS FROM THE HALLS OF ST. CHRISTOPHER’S
Author Erik Weihenmayer Visits Lower School
In January, the Lower School hosted Dads Read, a program that encourages fathers or other male mentors to read with students. The event featured a Skype chat with Erik Weihenmayer, author of “No Barriers: A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon.” Weihenmayer discussed his book and outdoor adventures as the first and only blind person to summit Mount Everest. In conclusion, boys split into groups to compete for prizes based on questions from three books they read last fall. Youth Speaker David Flood Returns Through powerful personal stories, Youth Speaker David Flood visited StC in February with an overall message of encouragement for Middle School boys to be kind, inclusive and compassionate. He challenged students to do three things: assume that everyone has the same feelings they do, thank two adults for their support, and never let someone eat lunch alone. “The most important thing in life is how you love others and how you love yourself,” Flood said.
Battle of the Books Encourages Reading
The Lower School Battle of the Books is a reading incentive program that encourages students to read good books and have fun while competing in a question-answer game. This year, 130 students comprising 12 teams turned out, with Rocky Readers
declared the 2020 champs.
Fifth Graders Raise Money for the Hungry
Fifth grade boys sold retired St. Christopher’s basketball jerseys and used the $500 raised to buy groceries for St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church’s Food Pantry. Afterward some went shopping, while others helped visitors select supplies.
Inspiration from Maggie L. Walker
Second grade boys learned about the life and legacy of a Richmond community leader, businesswoman and teacher through a handson tour of the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site. The February visit was part of the curriculum tied to Black History Month. Peter Paul Development Center Director Addresses Race, Poverty, Public Works and Richmond’s History Mike Brown, director of volunteer services at Peter Paul Development Center, spoke to Upper and Middle School students and faculty about connections between Richmond’s history, housing policy, poverty and race. He explained how redlining, the practice of denying services and loans on the basis of geography, contributed to racial injustice and poverty, particularly in Richmond’s East End. He also explained how public works projects like the I-95 corridor displaced large numbers of African Americans who lived in neighborhoods where the highway was built. Brown encouraged students to consider volunteer opportunities at Peter Paul. He said, “There’s always something we can do about our issues, but we have to look at them from an honest place. We have to be willing to listen and maybe unlearn some things that we assumed.”
Middle School Students Design and Build Bridges
Using WhiteBox Learning, a web-based engineering, science and technology program, eighth grade students designed and built balsa wood bridges. First, boys researched designs and used physics to develop three proposals. Winning designs met project standards for stress, yield and load capacity. Once the digital prototype was approved, the boys began building. The project goal was for boys to transfer the digital aspects of design to a hands-on experience. “Where we see the students struggle the most is the build, and that’s something we actually want to see,” said Middle School Science and Health Teacher Kyle Burnette. “When they’re having a hard time, the question is, can
the guys problem-solve to get to a solution?”
Freshmen Lead Interactive Spanish Reading with Little Saints
A good way to master something is to teach it. Last spring, a class of StC freshmen visited Little Saints Day Care to read stories in Spanish. The boys practiced their language skills, writing stories and reading aloud. It reinforced classroom lessons while exposing Little Saints to another language. “My goal is for them to remember this a lot better than they would in a normal educational setting,” said Upper School Spanish Teacher Asha Bandal. “They got the chance to be the teachers in this situation.”
Faculty Artists Showcase Talent
A February art show in the Luck Leadership Center Playhouse included 25 works from St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s faculty.
Laura Partee, first grade co-teacher Acrylic on canvas, “Wetlands” Alex Knight, Middle School English teacher Acrylic on canvas, “Swimmer No. 1”
Amanda Livick, Upper School digital arts teacher
Digital photograph, “Brooklyn” Diego Sanchez, Upper School art teacher Opaque acrylics, “Composition 102”
Nastassja Swift, Lower School fine arts teacher Wool felting, “Before They Wake”
Lisa Snider, Lower School director of curriculum and instruction Ceramics, wheel-thrown lidded cannister and hand-built vase
The Blessing of the Arts Center
By Parker Cullinan ’22
For the last few years, the St. Christopher’s community has seen construction of the new building devoted to a key area: the arts. Following its completion last winter, the Louis F. Ryan Recital Hall was blessed on March 4. The Arts Center, which houses the Recital Hall, is approximately the size of the Luck Leadership Center. The 30,000-square-foot space also includes classrooms, practice spaces 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 from the class of 1965. Ryan, a current Board member, volunteer and leader, has shown impressive generosity to our School, helping turn our dream for an arts center into a reality. Ryan Dining Hall also bears his name. St. Christopher’s has aspired to build a center to house arts programs on campus since the 1990s. The Board of Governors hopes that the new building will bring the arts to similar levels of performance as athletics and academics. Now, St. Christopher’s is home to a dedicated arts space that stands out for its quality and innovation. “We worked in collaboration with sound engineers to establish high-quality acoustics for the Recital Hall,” Headmaster Mason 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 some of the best acoustics in all of Central Virginia.” Middle and Upper School students began to have classes in the new spaces in February. Leslie Long’s Middle School Band students, Brian Evans’ Lower School String Ensemble and John Winn’s Upper School Jazz Band and Rhythm Band also moved in last winter, followed by Middle School English Teacher Alex Knight and Middle School Art Teacher Marshall Ware last summer.
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.”
Opening receptions that included student and alumni performances were canceled due to COVID. Parker Cullinan ’22 wrote this story for the winter edition of the student publication, The Pine Needle.
By Kim Hudson, Ph.D. Director of The Center for the Study of Boys
As we guide our boys to be future leaders in our community, our nation and our world, a topic of critical importance is responsible sexual citizenship. Although that may sound like something we would discuss only with our oldest boys, responsible sexual citizenship is really about healthy, respectful relationships, and it’s never too early to teach and model healthy relationships. Beginning in 2018, St. Christopher’s participated in a groundbreaking global research project entitled “Responsible Sexual Citizenship in Today’s World: The Challenges Confronting Boys.” The research was sponsored by the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC), and as a member of the Research Committee, I was fortunate to partner closely with Ada Sinacore, Ph.D., the principal researcher, and her team at McGill University in Montreal. The aim of the two-year study was to learn from students what information they have related to topics such as gender and sexuality, sexual health, consent, healthy and unhealthy relationships, digital responsibility and media literacy. The study also sought to find out where boys get their information about these topics and whether it is accurate. In addition, parents and teachers were surveyed about current practices regarding sexual citizenship and digital education as well as strengths, challenges and barriers to these practices. Twenty-three boys’ schools from across the world participated in this study, which is the first of its kind.
THREE KEY FINDINGS
CONSENT | Most boys believed that as males they have a greater responsibility to obtain consent and viewed getting consent as formal and awkward. When given scenarios with and without alcohol, students were less able to determine consent when alcohol was present. A large majority of students surveyed were unable to identify the components of consent (which goes beyond “yes” or “no”). BYSTANDER EFFECT | Given scenarios that provide an opportunity to help someone in a vulnerable position, such as someone being cyberbullied, a majority of boys surveyed recognized that help was needed, but indicated they would not be willing to intervene. DIGITAL RESPONSIBILITY AND MEDIA LITERACY | Students overestimated the control they have over what they post online. They also indicated that they view pornography as a source of education about sex, and grade 12 respondents reported that they believe pornography influences their friends’ intimate relationships.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
It’s important to note that we are not starting from scratch in educating our boys about responsible sexual citizenship. Our faculty has been doing this work for many years, so our challenge and opportunity is to use the findings of this research to build upon our existing curriculum. We must not shy away from difficult conversations about consent, healthy relationships, and what it means to be a good citizen in person and on the screen. In partnership with parents, we need to equip our boys with developmentally appropriate knowledge about responsible sexual citizenship and provide the space and opportunities for them to ask questions and to learn without judgment.
WELCOME NEW BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEMBERS
Dr. Mark Jones ’79 Carolyn Paulette Laurel Wise
OrthoVirginia surgeon Mark Jones ’79 graduated from Duke University and the Medical College of Virginia. He is chief of orthopedic surgery at Johnston-Willis Hospital and associate team physician for the University of Richmond. He served on the StC Alumni Advisory (2008), the Centennial Committee, Alumni Board (1995 to 1998) and Board of Governors (1997 to 2000). His son Elliott graduated from StC in 2006 and his daughter Taylor from St. Catherine’s in 2009. The Winter 2020 edition of StC Magazine incorrectly identified the son of Board of Governor’s member Randy Daniel ‘78. He is Ian Daniel ‘12. Carolyn Paulette, former StC Ampersand director, health and drama teacher, graduated from North Carolina Wesleyan College. She serves on the StC Strategic Planning Committee for Our People Task Force, the Westhampton Citizens Association and Virginia Repertory Theatre boards. Her son Will graduated from StC in 2001, and she has three grandchildren who are
Saints. Education consultant Laurel Wise graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in American studies and from Johns Hopkins University with an M.A. in teaching. She taught middle and high school English before working in admissions at Gettysburg College, the University of Pennsylvania, University of Richmond and University of Miami, and as a major gifts officer at George School. Laurel has served as an ad hoc member of the Board of Governors Admissions and Marketing Committee and as a member of StC’s Strategic Planning Committee and Academic Task Force. She has two sons who are Saints, Will ’22 and Wes ’23.
The Arts
Three Groups Pull Off “Willy Wonka Kids”
Fourth group canceled due to COVID-19
By Mary Tryer, Lower School music teacher
The sets were beautiful, the costumes were adorable, the actors and musicians were prepared — and then — COVID-19. We were lucky to have three successful productions of Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka Kids.” We had all the parts covered from kindergarten Oompa Loompas to fifth grade Charlies and Wonkas. There was even a Toothpaste Factory Band that supplemented Mr. Lee Covington’s piano playing to create fun and magical musical accompaniments. I was so disappointed for the final group of actors and musicians who didn’t get their turn to take the stage and perform. They had learned all of their lines and parts and been waiting for four weeks to show their stuff. They saw Group III’s performance and were itching to go! What a letdown! Wah, wah. (Music from “The Price is Right” overbid is playing in my mind … daht, daht, dah, dah … )
Many special thanks go to Chairs Kerry Delacey and Stephanie Parker, who did a wonderful job organizing volunteers, painting sets and securing props. I would also like to thank Costume Chair Christine Valentine, Makeup Chairs Micah Morano and Betsy Nelson, and our talented artist John Wade Nelson. The sets are taken down, wrapped in plastic and stored. The costumes are washed, sorted and packed. I eagerly await the next generation of Oompa Loompas and Wonkas to take the stage, whenever that may be. I hope it is soon!
Outré Bedazzles on Different Stages
By Jeremy Dunn, Middle School teacher of science and drama
Outré, the collaborative theater company between the middle schools of St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s, got to live up to its name, which means unusual, surprising and outstanding, in the 2019-2020 season.
With both schools in a state of artistic flux as we build new structures for our creative endeavors, we were challenged to reimagine what our season would look like without our longtime home in good ol’ McVey Theatre. The plan was always to continue onward and provide our students with the opportunity to do our standard two productions. After a lot of work determining options, it became clear that for at least this year, our company would gain experience as a traveling troupe. The first stop on the Middle School’s grand tour for “The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland” was across the street. While relocating to the Lower School Auditorium was not an exotic locale — in fact most of our young men starred in their first roles in Lower School musicals in that very room — it was interesting to recontextualize the space for a Middle School show. Also, as you might imagine, that auditorium was busy. There’s a lot going on in there on any given day, and that’s before adding in the 80 students involved in the show. To leave the smallest footprint and disrupt our hosts the least, the students and staff designed the set to be minimalistic and modular so it could be dismantled nightly and stowed to the side of Ms. Tryer’s classroom, to then be reconstructed nightly for rehearsals and shows.
“The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland” coupled with a retelling of Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky” were perfect shows for kids to take a madcap character and truly make it their own. The cast of “Jabberwocky” especially gelled and dove into the creation of something bizarre and wonderful. For “Wonderland,” we at least had the opportunity to rehearse where we were going to perform ahead of show week. For the winter musical, the company got a true taste of what it is like to take the show on the road. Our production of “Disney’s Aladdin Jr.” was rehearsed on our home turf, but moved to the Robins Theatre at Steward School for performance week. This was a taste of the type of theater complex coming in our near future, as we gained experience with an expansive stage and fly gallery. Outré, as a company, prides itself on being student created and student run in as many aspects as possible. Asking Middle School students to learn entire new technical systems and spaces and effectively relearn all of the blocking for every scene in four days is a daunting task. But, this is exactly what they poured their all into with eagerness and enthusiasm, and then ended most nights with a dance party. Perfectly Middle School.
The Arts
Not an Empty Seat in the House for One Acts
By Rusty Wilson, Ampersand director and Upper School drama teacher
The 2020 Winter One Acts featured 10 plays, 13 directors, at least 15 stage managers, multiple designers and more than 35 roles, with many actors playing multiple parts. Playwrights included Thornton Wilder, Samuel Beckett, David Ives, Jonathan Rand, Jon Jory, Lynn Nottage and John Wooten. The evening also featured an original play, “Soup,” written and directed by our very own Virginial Nelson ’20. From political metaphor in Beckett’s “Catastrophe,” to a series of really bad dates in “Check Please,” to Mozart being offered a commission to compose the Requiem Mass without credit, to office upheaval in “Soup,” to building the Tower of Babel in “Babel’s in Arms,” to the evolution of a relationship in “Always,” to someone being turned into a pile of dust in “Poof!”, to unexpected romance in “Arabian Nights,” to an actress who gives new meaning to “stealing a role” in “The Role of Della,” these one acts entertained on every level. The variety of plays was fantastic, taking audiences on a whirlwind of storytelling and engaging audiences of all ages. In fact, the production was so successful that audiences were being turned away because of full houses nightly. The 2020 Winter One Acts were definitely a smash hit by any standard.
Student News
StC student highlights and standouts
James Segneri ’26 and Joaquin Torres ’25 made All Virginia Chorus, which was canceled due to COVID.
Eighty fundraisers for the St. ChristoCURES team collected $15,930 for the VCU Massey Cancer Center, with many taking part in a virtual 5K the first week of June. The team, sponsored by faculty members Asha Bandal and Kim Hudson, won the Massey Challenge for the 10th time in the past 11 years with students and captains Olivia Armfield ‘20 and Nicholas Armfield ‘20 both raising more than $2,000.
Cochrane Summer Economics Institute at Collegiate School met virtually, and Jack Omohundro ’21 and Braxton Page ’21 took part. JJ Powell ‘23 won the RGA Junior Championship, shooting a 2-over 144 at Jefferson Lakeside Country Club. Powell won the tourney by one stroke, birdieing the 36th and final hole on Thursday, July 23. He shot a 1-under 70 in the first round, the best round of any of the competitors. Nash Steed ’21 and Weston Williams ’21 participated in the Summer Institute for Leadership and Service, also held virtually through St Christopher’s. Drew Brown ’21 completed an online class at New York University for filmmaking and took online courses at Stagedoor Manor in directing and theater design. Kyan Patel ‘23 and his mother Kamal created a portrait called “Blue Tape” that combines the features of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Trayvon Martin and Breonna Taylor. The 33.5” x 47” piece, created on cardboard and misted with white spray paint, hangs in the StC Arts Center, and they are selling giclée prints. Kamal Patel’s statement online said, “Each part equaling the sum of one, suffocated around simple ‘Blue Tape.’”
“Blue Tape” by Kyan Patel ‘23 and his mother Kamal
Joseph Long ’22 and Kevin Omohundro ’22 participated in the Virginia Space Coast Scholars program for high school sophomores, completing the online program during the 2020 school year, and both took part in a virtual summer program, normally held at NASA Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore.
Summer Governor’s School academic programs were canceled, but these students were accepted in the following programs: Hugo Abbott ’21 and Coleman Wray ’21 (Math, Science & Technology); Scott Neely ’22 (Visual & Performing Arts for Vocal Music); and Killian Winn ’22 (Visual & Performing Arts in Drama). Miles Mullins ’21 attended a virtual Latin Language Academy, which, similar to the Governor’s School programs, is part of the Department of Education’s summer agenda. The Richmond Times-Dispatch and Sports Backers named Walker Wallace ‘20 the boys scholar-athlete of the year. He’s the fourth Saint to capture the honor, joining Pope Hackney ‘97, Clarke Gottwald ‘08 and Noah O’Neill ‘16. Walker was a threesport captain and won the Davenport Award, the School’s top athletic honor. He earned all-state honors as a receiver in football and was a three-year starter on varsity basketball, earning All-Prep honors after averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds. The All-American lacrosse goalkeeper will play at Cornell University.
JJ Powell ‘23 competes at the RGA Junior Championship. Walker Wallace ‘20
SPORTS RECAP
BASKETBALL
The varsity basketball team finished 17-7, placing third in the Prep League, bouncing back from 2019’s 8-20 finish. Gill Williamson ’20 and Walker Wallace ’20 were named All-Prep League, and Keishawn Pulley ’22 made the Prep League all-tourney team.
FUTSAL
The more veteran StC Red futsal team captured the 2020 Valentine Classic with tournament MVP Gerard Broussard ’20 and all-tourney selection Warner Collier ’20. The Saints swept the event with a total score of 23-0, including a 6-0 victory in the final over Collegiate School.
INDOOR TRACK
The indoor track team won the Prep League championship, its fourth consecutive title. Jayden Smith ’21 was named field-event MVP in the Prep League and VISAA meet. The Saints secured a second-place finish at VISAA with Ian Smith ’20 placing second in the 1000 after winning the 500 at Preps. The 4 x 800 relay team was the state champ. Sully Beck ’20 was tremendous in the 3200 at Preps, taking the lead for good in the final lap.
SQUASH
The varsity squash team finished the season 10-1 in head-to-head matchups, with only one loss to Potomac School. The team won the Mid-Atlantic Squash Tournament and placed 46th out of 115 teams in the U.S. Squash Nationals.
SWIMMING & DIVING
Swimming & Diving pulled off the double, winning the Prep League and VISAA meets. Miles West ’20 took the 50-yard freestyle, and Aubrey Bowles ’21 won the 500 free to lead the way. The 200 and 400 free relays were also victorious. West broke the School record in the 50 free at states in 21.04 and also led the 200 free relay champs to a School record-breaking victory with Hunter Sundlun ’20, Emory Wise ’21 and Nick Washington ’21 (1:25.01).
Information compiled by Stephen Lewis, sports information director
