Page 4 • The ReMarker • May 11, 2018 • News
A TRIUMPH IN SCHOLARSHIP Cum Laude
Take a glance at the newest Cum Laude members’ study habits, favorite places, advice and more.
THE LINEUP New members of Cum Laude, ten juniors and eight seniors, stand with last year’s inductees. Only 1/10 of the Junior Class and 1/5 of the Senior Class were inducted.
What has been your favorite class in Upper School?
What’s your favorite mid-study snack?
Mohit Singhal: My favorite class in Upper School has probably been economics, taught by Mr. [David] Fisher. I found something I was truly passionate about, and the class convinced me that majoring in economics is something I must do.
Omar Rana: I am a big fan of mac and cheese; it is nutritious and delicious. I almost have it every day.
David Vallejo: Latin has been my favorite class throughout Upper School. Translating classic texts, especially the process of parsing noun-adjective pairs and verbs, recognizing literary devices and identifying underlying Roman themes, is like a puzzle to me. Reading through my translations makes me feel like a modern-day Robert Fagles in a way.
Creston Brooks: Goldfish; I go through cartons of them. And coffee; it’s almost as good as sleep.
Where do you usually study on campus? Ruoming Fan: Anywhere where there are no middle schoolers is great. But more seriously, the second floor of Hoffman, Mr. [David] Cox’s room and the Graduate Hall ,when empty, are great places to actually get work done. Shreyas Annaswamy: I’d like to think the library because that is the ideal study area, but my friends always hang out in the Centennial lounge, so I just go there. Creston Brooks: Either in the Centennial lounge or during first period biology… just kidding, Mr. [Mark] Adame!
Ruoming Fan: Chocolate milk. It’s good for the brain and the soul.
Do you listen to music while you study?
classes in the middle of the day. Having the opportunity to zone out and harness my imagination to create physically lets me enjoy some of my passions that aren’t covered in a typical classroom environment. Creston Brooks: Ultimate frisbee. We have games almost every weekend during the fall and spring leagues, and it’s a lot of fun even if you’ve never played or are just there for the post-game Whataburger. How much of a factor was Cum Laude in motivating you to study?
Shreyas Annaswamy: Yeah—mostly classical music because it helps me focus the best.
Jimmy Rodriguez: Being inducted into Cum Laude was actually one of my main goals going into senior year. I tried to not let senioritis kick in too much throughout the year so that I could keep my grades up and get inducted in April. Cum Laude was just kind of an added motivator for me. But I’ve also always tried to push myself to get good grades and succeed in school, so Cum Laude was just kind of an added motivator for me.
David Vallejo: I only listen to music when completing busy work, which is rare. Otherwise, I just focus on my assignment outright.
Omar Rana: Not a big factor. It’s definitely a great honor, but I would have been happy regardless because I know I have worked so hard.
What’s your favorite extracurricular activity?
Any advice or good habits to share with current underclassmen?
Jack Parolisi: I’ve always found that working on projects in the wood and metal studio gives me a nice reprieve from my
Noah Carr: If you’re going to procrastinate, still manage your procrastination. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Jimmy Rodriguez: Always. I usually just put on a chill Spotify playlist to study. Same for homework. If the homework involves reading, though, I usually don’t listen to music so I don’t get distracted.
Mohit Singhal: Make a calendar (Google Calendar is amazing) and keep a to-do list. The more organized you are, the less you have to focus on things that don’t matter, and the more you can focus on the material you need to know.
New Cum Laude inductees Juniors Shreyas Annaswamy Creston Brooks Noah Carr Parker Davis Sahit Dendekuri Ruoming Fan Mujin Kwun Connor Pierce Richard Shen David Vallejo
Seniors Blake Daugherty Waseem Nabulsi Jack Parolisi Omar Rana Fausto Reyher Jimmy Rodriguez Mohit Singhal Rohan Vemu These inductees join seniors Abdullah Akbar, Davis Bailey, Ben Clayman, Kevin Feng, Andrew Li, Kannan Sharma, Niteesh Vemuri, Harris Wilson, Allan Zhang and Jesse Zhong, who were inducted in spring 2017.
• Story Michael Lukowicz, Michael Anderson Photos Kyle Smith
Alumnus Zachary Erwin, class of 1995, to be Foreign Language Department chair, replacing Marmion by Alam Alidina r. Zachary Erwin ‘95 has been hired as the new Foreign Language Department chair beginning the 2018-2019 school year. Erwin feels his experiences at 10600 Preston Rd. provided an important foundation for his future studies as a Spanish instructor. “I lived and studied in Salamanca with [Foreign Language Department Chair Nancy] Marmion and that became one of the best experiences I had at the school,” Erwin said. After his time on campus, Erwin studied at Emory University before earning a master’s and doctorate at Duke University. He currently serves as chair of the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Monmouth University, where he teaches classes discussing language and history. As her tenure comes to a close, Foreign Language Department Chair Nancy Marmion sees few changes in the goals of the Foreign Language Department, even as the methods of language teaching have changed over time. “What language provides students is a window into another culture,” Marmion said. “Until you really speak a language, you can’t fully understand a culture
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and can’t fully understand how people from that particular culture view the world.” She is looking forward to the new perspective Erwin will add to the conversation. “He shares some of the same goals that I have in terms of students having a strong base and an understanding of the culture,” Marmion said, “but I’m sure he’s going to bring his own lens to that.” When he visited campus to be interviewed for the position, Erwin was impressed by the caliber of the current program. “My idea is to continue the great work already being done,” he said. “I was excited by the level of engagement and excitement of the students at all levels.” Erwin wants to incorporate more immersion studies and international trips into the program, feeling they will engage and teach students in a way not possible on campus. “Trips abroad will have a
major impact on students’ development as language learners,” Erwin said. “It is my hope that they increase the engagement of a wide variety of students.” Erwin is most excited about joining the faculty of the school, where his exposure to Spanish began. “St. Mark’s is the place where I learned to love Spanish,” Erwin said, “and I’m excited to come home.”