The ReMarker | May 2014 by St. Mark's School of Texas

THE RETURN

Rhett Miller ‘89 of the Old 97’s returned to Decherd Auditorium to play for Upper School Assembly during Alumni Weekend. pg. 10

ST. MARK'S SCHOOL OF TEXAS DALLAS, TEXAS 75230 FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014 VOLUME 60, ISSUE 7

THE REMARKER

Student Store Manager Sarah Key

“Moms do a lot of things that children don’t recognize or realize. I think eventually they do realize, but moms don’t do it for the recognition or the glory of doing it. They just do it because that’s what moms do.” Page 9

T H E R E T I R E M E N T O F E U G E N E M C D E R M O T T H E A D M A S T E R A R N I E H O LT B E R G

fame endless be your

Ever since stepping on campus as headmaster, he has been in the middle of things — from Lower School arts performances to Friday night football games. And, now, after 21 years of service, Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg is ready to retire.

It was difficult. Unprecedented. And something student journalists here hadn’t had to face in 21 years: how to cover the last few weeks of Arnie Holtberg’s tenure as headmaster. The senior editors on staff thought a casual conversation with the campus icon might be in order. So, on the evening of May 1, editor-in-chief Matthew Conley, managing editor Shourya Kumar and issues editor Vik Pattabi invited Holtberg and his wife Jan for a final conversation over dinner at Ruggeri’s, an Italian restaurant at the corner of Preston and Royal. Here is what they learned: e all recognize the bow tie. The tall, imposing figure. His exquisite vocabulary. And his accomplishments more than speak for themselves. He created the senior exhibition requirement — now a key part of every senior’s year. He helped lead the construction of state-of-the-art buildings — some of the most environmentally friendly in the nation. He spearheaded the Centennial Challenge — a financial campaign that raised more than $112 million from more than 5,760 donors.

FINAL CHAPTER Stepping outside through the double doors of Centennial Hall, Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg takes in the campus which he has transformed during the course of his 21 years here. In front of Holtberg stands the Path to Manhood statue, a symbol of Holtberg’s most valued characteristics of a Marksman — confidence, spirituality, judgment and integrity.

But his impact, his legacy at the school, stretches far beyond facts, figures and data. It’s his defining character and leadership that have truly made him an icon. A true gentleman and a truer Marksman, he pulled his wife, Jan’s, chair out for her to sit down at the beginning of dinner and

pushed it back in at the end. Even sitting around a circular table, eating Caesar salad, having casual conversation, all of us could feel the impact of his presence. Whether he spends 45 minutes talking to parents and alumni at a local Starbucks or has lunch with an alumnus in Florence, Italy, his presence is always felt — every-

where. But after 21 years of impacting thousands of students’ and faculty members’ lives, he’s ready to redefine that presence. “There’s that part of it which is very enjoyable to be engaged and connected with other people,” he said. “But I think it’ll be okay to get some rest.” Continued, page 12

▶ by Shourya Kumar, managing editor, Matthew Conley, editor-in-chief, Vik Pattabi, issues editor, additonal reporting by Rish Basu, staff writer | photos by Mason Smith, head photographer, graphic by Zuyva Sevilla, creative director

INSIDE

NEWS

A farewell to the faculty that will depart at the end of the year p. 4

LIFE

Looking into the roles mothers play in a Marksman’s life p. 9

OPINION

A thank you to retiring headmaster Arnie Holtberg p. 16

SPORTS

Senior Yima Asom’s journey to become a college athlete p. 20

SENIOR ANDREW GATHERER

“

RETURN Lee Smith ’65, the school’s first African-American graduate, comes full circle to speak at the Cum Laude induction ceremony. p.6

NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014 | PAGE 2

Today

> The last two AP exams — the AP Spanish Literature and Culture and AP Comparative Government and politics — will end at 10:30 a.m.

NOAH KOECHER PHOTO

watched as he eyed me from across the cafeteria, picked up his lunch tray and walked all the way to my table. He set his tray next to mine, smiled, showing his full set of crooked teeth and slumped into a chair beside me. “How are you, Jay?” I said. He responded with a pat – slap, more like – on my back, still smiling. Then, two high schoolers in bright yellow vests sprinted to our table, heaving for breath. “Jay—” one huffed, “why aren’t you with everyone else?” A frown fell on Jay’s face, a mixture of guilt and confusion. Then, as if he had forgotten the question, he looked at me and grinned again, shoving a taco into his mouth. I looked at the two. “It’s alright, guys. I was his partner a long time ago. He can stay with me.” They looked warily at Jay, then at me, and told me they’d be over at the basketball court with the other clients if I needed them. See, Jay is one of the so-called “clients,” people with mental retardation or disease under the care of a volunteer day-care program. Twenty-one years old but standing only at five feet, Jay has Down syndrome and can barely speak two words at a time, doesn’t know how to buy a piece of gum and has bouts of aggressiveness. The two high schoolers were volunteers for a program called Wheat, which strives to care for and educate people with mental diseases ALEX such as DS KIM or autism while their guardians are out working every Saturday. It is the successor of a similar program called Sigma, which shut down two years ago. I used to work for Sigma, and it was there I first met Jay. He was my assigned client, so I was in charge of everything he did. I sang along with him in music class, played basketball (his favorite sport) with him in gym, made little handicrafts with him in art and even walked with him when he went to the restroom. I won’t lie: the first month I spent with Sigma was the most miserable of the seven. Jay, though short, still had the strength of a twenty-one-year-old. Out of the blue, he would punch me or wrestle me, run away or stretch my clothes. After the second week after I joined, I already wanted to ask if I could switch partners. But, as time went on, Jay acted up less and less. His punches turned into pats, and his wrestling matches turned into big bear hugs. He stopped running away and pulling on my shirts altogether and listened to my instructions more readily. As he grew to be more comfortable around me, I began to see things about him that I hadn’t noticed before. nable to see beyond his condition in the beginning, I tried to baby Jay. I spoke slowly and kept my distance whenever I could. But over time I gradually realized he, perhaps not in action but definitely in heart, was better than I am. He may be fussy at times, but I still have not seen any “normal” person as pure as he is. He cared for the ones he cared about and showed his affection the best he knew how (usually with hugs). Maybe because he didn’t comprehend our oh-so-important social standards, he unabashedly told one of the other volunteers he liked her and cried or ran away when he didn’t understand the lesson. The thing is, instead of being driven by his brain, he followed his heart and did the things most of us only wish we could do. For that, he’s said to be retarded. But I revere and envy him. It’s been two years since Sigma was shuttered and I chose to expand my scope and volunteer at a Korean language school at my church, where, coincidentally, Wheat started up and where Jay and I met in the cafeteria. As he wordlessly ate his taco, looking up and smiling between bites, I felt honored to be there. Not so much because he walked away from his caretakers to be with me, but because I was sitting next to someone who can barely remember the alphabet and still remembers an old friend.

Weekend

COUNTING DOWN Posted on the Upper School bulletin, the official calendar leaves only nine class days remaining for the Middle and Upper School.

newsfeed

> The annual Marksmen Ball is set for tomorrow night, when seniors will share a meal together, dance with their mothers and witness the dedication of the 20132014 Marksmen yearbook. The event will take place at the Belo Mansion in downtown Dallas.

> The senior first grade zoo trip will be held Monday. > The last day of classes for grades nine through 11 is Tuesday, ending the year for most of the Upper School. > Commencement will be held Friday, May 23 at 8 p.m. in the Ida M. and Cecil H. Commencement Theater.

A QUICK LOOK AT NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

•Lion and Sword, an admissions-related organization of juniors and seniors, will announce its new inductees May 23 in the Upper School Final Assembly. Although Lion and Sword works on many different activities, it focuses on giving campus tours to prospective parents and the Open House in November. The upcoming president is rising senior Matthew Conley and the vice-president is to be announced. Assistant Director of Admissions Kerry Schneidewind believes it is important to have students give tours, instead of faculty or staff. “That’s a huge help for us because I can give a tour, but I have never been a student at St. Mark’s and I couldn’t actually be a St. Mark’s student,” Schneidewind said, “so [families] get a great opportunity to visit with current students and see what their experiences have been.” Although most applicants for the society are accepted, Schneidewind says that many cannot join simply due to time constraints. “The hardest part is just because all of the guys are so involved, even though they want to help, they can’t because they have other obligations, whether that is sports or music,” Schneidewind said. •Several new courses will be available next school year. New English courses, available to juniors and seniors, include reading pop culture, Shakespeare’s plays and ancient texts and mythology. These courses are additions to the list of single-trimester, complementary courses meant to accompany the regular English course for a student who is not taking AP English. Advanced journalism honors and graphic design and editing honors are also new courses being offered to exemplary journalism students. “I think what this will do for our boys,” Provost and Dean of the Campus Scott Gonzalez said, “is that it will give them a little bit of a different perspective on the types of readings and writings that are available to them outside of the normal expository essay that we have been doing in literature. And so they will be able to see literatures from a different perspective, and they will also be able to see it from international, and some religious studies, which we really haven’t had much of in the past.” •Sophomore Tim O’Meara became a semifinalist of the 2014 United States of America Biology Olympiad after taking the open exam in February. One of the 586 students in the nation to move on from the first exam, he took the semifinal exam in March. Though he did not advance a finalist in this year’s contest, he is happy with his performance and hopes to do better next year. “I was super excited. It was just really exciting to know that my enjoyment and work to learn biology was showing,” O’Meara said. The Biology Olympiad contains questions in the topics of cell biology, genetics, evolution, plant anatomy and physiology, animal anatomy and physiology, ecology, ethology and biosystematics. — Newsfeed stories reported by Gopal Raman, Aidan Maurstad and Akshay Malhotra

overheard

Next Week

ARNO GOETZ PHOTO

The most genuine of friendships

THINGS TO DO IN THE WEEKS AHEAD

COMING TOGETHER Alumni old and new come together on the newly named Perot Quadrangle for lunch, speeches and even a bounce house on May 3. An annual event, the lunch is a part of Alumni Weekend and follows the panels hosted for Upper School students on the previous Friday.

MASON SMITH PHOTO

upcoming

In 50 years, no matter where you are or what you are doing, spaceflight will affect your everyday life tremendously, and I plan to be a part of that. Page 7

PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT Surrounded by dozens of his friends and classmates, freshman Victor Barton prepares to launch into a set of 22 pushups at the #22KILL fundraising event May 8, a program benefiting veterans through the Honor, Courage, Commitment (HCC) group. Channel 11 News filmed the group event in the Spencer Gym, and the founder of the HCC program was present to congratulate the students’ support of the U.S. Military and veterans.

COMMENTS MADE BY FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS AROUND CAMPUS

‘This is the best assembly we’ve ever had!’ — math instructor Corindo Martin while watching the SPC baseball game after third period.

‘If you’re possessed by a demon, I’m going to be squirting you from 30 feet away. Rambo them in the name of the Lord!’ — chemistry instructor Ken Owens discussing the uses of a squirt gun filled with holy water.

‘This is a fallacy and a miscarriage of justice.’ — sophomore Chance Cooley discussing his student store bill.

‘I’m basically a model.’ — junior Ben Wilner on himself.

“Haven’t you watched Aladdin in the last 6 months?’ — junior Carrington Kyle while matching classmates in his physics class to Disney princesses.

‘Well, you have already put it equal to zero, so you obviously know what you’re doing.’ - sophomore Arno Goetz to math instructor Corindo Martin

NEWS

4 Retiring Faculty

5 Graduation

T R A I N I N G

G U I D E

6 Lee Smith

7 Cum Laude

THE REMARKER | 3 FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

D O G

Man’s best friend

When freshman Henry Roberts chose to train a guide dog puppy as one aspect of his Eagle Project, he believed it would be 18 months of labor and another box to check off — just another chore. What he found instead was a relationship he will cherish forever, and one he will never forget.

smile crossed his face as David Adams, head of the Lone Star Guide Dog Raisers, handed freshman Henry Roberts the squirming golden mass of fur. Disbelief and delight swelled in his chest, battling for control, as the man began to speak: her name was Gwyneth. She was a yellow lab, barely ten weeks old. She would be the first puppy he ever trained, something special to him forever. And when their fleeting 18 months together were up, she would be sent to California to complete her training and become a full-fledged guide dog, bonded to someone else for life. The ride home consisted of scattered whining and sleeping. The pup was certainly energetic and playful, but Roberts could already tell she would be teachable. At least, some of the time. Even in the first few days, what began as an Eagle Project had become a passion. Gwyneth passed the initial obedience tests of “sit” and “stay” with flying colors under the Roberts’ guidance, and quickly began more complex training. A short six months later, Gwyneth’s daily lessons now include sitting in a certain location, not pulling on the leash and refusing distractions from other dogs. Normally working for up to an hour a day, Roberts and his family have dedicated more than 800 hours to the project, often through tedious but necessary exercises. But that’s not the half of it. “Waking up at two in the morning to let her out when she was really young — that was hard,” Roberts said. “She’ll have bad days at the house where she won’t listen, and it’s just a lot harder to do that. It’s taxing on the things you want to do: I want to go hang out with my friends, but if I have a dog, I can’t do that.” On top of daily work, service dog trainers from Guide Dogs for the Blind, the parent program of the Lone Star Guide Dog Raisers, visit with the Roberts every few months to evaluate Gwyneth on her progress and look for areas to improve. Working with the dogs separately to test commands and exercises in the presence of an unknown master, these meetings are a more practical assessment of a guide dog-

in-training’s skill. “The tester takes them, just the dog and her, so that the dog has to do everything with a different person,” Roberts said. “The tester tests her on loud noises, going to the bathroom where she tells her to go, sit, stay, being able to stay walking across the room, telling her to come over and making sure the dogs stay on one side of you when they’re walking — just normal guide dog stuff.” As much work as the raising process can be, however, Roberts recognizes the rewarding nature of the experience, and looks forward to the days when Gwyneth will finally be helping someone who truly needs it. “When there’s a blind person who needs the dog and when Guide Dogs for [the] Blind says she’s ready, we will fly her out to California, where they are based,” Roberts said. “Then she, the dog, will go through eight phases of training where [the dogs] learn stuff we don’t teach, like how to stop at the stoplight, to go when it’s okay to go or to find an elevator.” Gwyneth, along with every other dog in the program, will be trained and tested on a variety of different things that the raising family is not qualified to teach. After rising through all eight stages of this process, the dogs take a final test and are soon matched with their new human counterpart, typically someone with visual disabilities. “If the blind person is an active person that takes the bus to work every day,” Roberts said, “or if they are in college and walk

around everywhere, then the dog they need is a more active dog. But if it was a blind person who sat around the house all day, then that doesn’t need such an active dog. So, they make sure that the dog is ready.” Once the dog is ready and paired with its new acquaintance, it goes through a training process where the main goal is getting the human comfortable with the dog. “They go through two weeks of training together where the blind person learns to be able to trust the dog completely and just follow the dog wherever the blind person tells it to go,” Roberts said. or a new pair, the goal of the Guide Dogs for the Blind program is to provide mutual enrichment for both the owner and the dog, an admirable motive that Director of Community Service Jorge Correa agrees with wholeheartedly. “Undoubtedly the work Henry is doing with the puppy will make someone’s life a lot easier,” Correa said. “Both the physical guide the dog will bring to his daily life and the company she will provide are priceless.” As possibly the youngest volunteer in the guide dog program based out of Dallas, Roberts sees this type of community service as being meaningful but also less social than normal projects, while Correa feels Roberts’ youth in the program is a good message to

STANDING OUT Around Christmas time, with antler-wearing Gwyneth often at his feet, Roberts is no ordinary sight in public. Many people turn their heads when they see the green collar that marks a guide dog puppy, especially with a young trainer watching her every move.

send. “It is service, no doubt,” Correa said. “Someone has to train a dog to help the blind, and I’m glad Henry is showing the school community that a young boy can get the job done.” With 12 months yet to go and a long road ahead, the job is far from done. Many more hours of laborious exercises and late nights stand between Roberts and his goal. Many more challenges lie in wait. But every step of the way, they will remember their purpose. And somehow, every step of the way, they will love it.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND story by Bradford Beck and Noah Koecher, news editors | illustrations by Noah Koecher | photo courtesy Henry Roberts

New dog, new tricks: A timeline of Gwyneth’s training advancements

For their first few months together, Roberts subjected Gwyneth to basic training, such as learning to lay down and stay in one spot or walk calmly on leash.

After basic exercises, Gwyneth moved on to more complex situations like learning not to be distracted by other dogs when on the street.

Finally, the guide dog puppy will move on to final testing, where she will learn to wait at stoplights while crossing the street or navigating an elevator.

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

R E T I R I N G

F A C U L T Y

A new chapter After more than 40 years of service to the school, English Department Chair Bobbi Mailer reflects on all she has learned and taught at 10600 Preston Road as she faces her next big adventure: retirement.

alking onto the campus of 10600 Preston Road for the first time 41 years ago, English Department Chair Bobbi Mailer entered an entirely different world. A world with an incredibly homogeneous population and a stern set of rules and restrictions. Nobody ran on grass. Nobody played on campus. Nobody wore shorts. Mailer could not understand the depth of the impact the school would have on her life. It became her home. It was where she became a better teacher. Where she met her current husband. Where she watched her son go from first grade to the commencement stage. And now Mailer faces a similarly mysterious journey: retirement. Once again, she doesn’t know where it will take her, but she knows she will enjoy the ride. She’s ready to start a new chapter. Mailer first came to campus after teaching at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base in North Carolina. She jumped on an interview opportunity moments before taking a position at the Greenhill School. “When I first came, I didn’t realize how much fun boys are,” Mailer said. “I was a young teacher fresh from teaching on a Marine Corps base. I suppose that, like many young teachers, I focused on being ‘the adult.’ Now I’m old enough to ham it up a bit.” Mailer has observed that, while teachers at St. Mark’s are well-respected by their students, in other schools it takes a few years to gain “credibility.”

“Boys are fun, and teaching them is fun,” Mailer said. “I love their energy. I enjoy the younger ones and the older ones. I’ve taught everything from fifth grade through twelfth grade and find that every age has its own brilliance, lovability and even quirkiness.” What Mailer also didn’t realize as a new teacher was that her life would be changed forever by meeting her current husband-tobe on her first day. “I met the English Department Chairman, who took me to see my new classroom,” Mailer said. “When we arrived, Andrew Mailer, The ReMarker sponsor, had his staff in there clearing out huge piles of back copies. That is when I realized my classes would meet in the newspaper storage room! When I walked in, there was this handsome guy giving up his space. But we didn’t start dating until several years later.” As Mailer’s children John ’86 and Doug Rivera attended the school as her career progressed, she began to appreciate the experience of being a teacher-mother gave her. “They were my most important teachers,” Mailer said. “Watching my sons develop from first grade through twelfth grade gave me insights and a lot of understanding about boys, learning and growing up.” Mailer appreciated seeing the other side of the education experience. “I saw on the home-front amazing growth but also the inevitable setbacks and heartbreaks that students don’t necessarily show to folks at school,” Mailer said. “I love all my students, but John and Doug remain

Four other faculty members will leave campus after this year

Assistant Community Service Director Kathryn Schoeberlein Where she’s going: San Francisco, CA What she’s doing: Working in administration at an all girls school.

Page 4

NEWS

History instructor Bill Marmion Time at St. Mark’s: 29 years What he’s doing: Hoping to continue teaching AP economics part time.

English Instructor Dr. Marta Napiorkowska Where she’s going: Lawrenceville, NJ What she’s doing: Teaching English at Lawrenceville School, spending more time with family.

Spanish Instructor Sharon Hiner Time at St. Mark’s: 14 years What she’s doing: Retiring from teaching after 42 years, travel during the school year.

RADIANCE Upon leaving the school, Mailer says she will miss both the beaming faces of her students and the way the light shines into her office in the afternoon.

the special, most beloved ones who will always be closest to us. We are very proud of them.” While everybody knows “Mrs. Mailer” as the freshman English teacher, she has served in a variety of roles and positions in her 41-year tenure at the school, from coaching intramural Middle School softball to co-coaching the cheerleaders with Foreign Language Department Chair Nancy Marmion. She even taught a fifth grade science class. “I taught fifth grade science for three or four years along with [current chair of Computer Science Department] Dean Baird, a fantastic teacher,” Mailer said. “After we gave cool demonstrations, the boys conducted experiments with pendulums, simple machines and electrical circuit boards, and then they wrote lab reports. They built their own electro-magnetic fields and Lego creations. They studied astronomy and invented their own imaginary planets complete with space ships and aliens.” Mailer enjoyed the experience because she did not have experience teaching classes with collaborative activities. “Seeing fifth graders cooperating to gather data and draw conclusions without the teacher’s constant attention opened my eyes to the powerful learning youngsters gain with and from each other,” Mailer said. “Good group projects complement lectures, discussions and writing. After my stint in science, I incorporated more collaborative projects in my Humanities and English classes. One of my favorites was a whole Texas history hallway the seventh graders filled with twenty foot-long timelines before heading out on a three-day trip to Austin and San Antonio.” After teaching Middle School students for years and serving as humanities coordinator, Mailer joined the Upper School staff when she became the English Department chair, a position she has held twice. “Both times the department chair left very late in the year to take other positions,” Mailer said. “Mr. Allman left to become the head of Upper School at The Lovett School in Atlanta. The second time, Mr. Brown was promoted from English Department chair to the Victor White Master Teaching Chair.” Mailer knows that the rich experiences of retirement will fill the gap left behind

from leaving the school. “My husband, home and family will fill a lot of my time,” Mailer said. “I definitely look forward to sleeping later in the morning and lingering after dinner. I look forward to working out in the morning instead of on my way home from school. Playing with my grandson. Traveling when the rest of the world isn’t. And then just exploring. I’m definitely looking forward to enjoying activities that I don’t have time for now but have always wanted to do. So, it will be fun — an adventure.” “On her way out,” Mailer has two pieces of wisdom to pass on the learned from her husbands. “John Rivera, a captain in the Marine Corps, taught me that the first principle of leadership is to take care of the troops,” Mailer said. “My current husband, Andy Mailer, loves the outdoors, and he taught me to leave the area as good or better than I found it. I try to do both: take care people and keep my ENGLISH DEPARTMENT CHAIR BOBBI MAILER

My fondest memories will always be of the ‘Aha!’ moments when sudden insights blaze forth or we connect literature to our lives in a new way. When those lights go off around the table, they beam from the eyes and shine all over the faces, including mine.

areas of responsibility in good order.” Just as the community will miss Mailer’s influence, Mailer will miss the community. “I will miss the school. I will miss the boys,” Mailer said. “I will miss seeing my friends and colleagues every day. I will miss the magic moments: walking onto the campus in the morning while the Middle Schoolers romp on the green and the carillon rings out the Alma Mater; Fr. Dangelo’s chapels with the choir; the hot lunches Sally Stephens and her crew make for us.” But most of all, Mailer says she will miss the students. “Most of all, I will miss the positive energy of St. Mark’s,” Mailer said. “My fondest memories will always be of the ‘Aha!’ moments when sudden insights blaze forth or we connect literature to our lives in a new way. When those lights go off around the table, they beam from the eyes and shine all over the faces, including mine.”

RETIRING FACULTY story by Davis Marsh, staff writer, additional reporting by Gopal Raman and Daniel Cope, staff writers | photos by Arno Goetz, staff photographer

Development Office restructures; Womack, Jolly move up By Noah Koecher news editor s Director of Development David Dini prepares to step up to the position of Eugene McDermott Headmaster this summer, a variety of position changes and new faculty will take effect in the Development Office. “One of the primary objectives of the transition underway in the Alumni and Development Office,” Dini said, “has been to build on the strength, continuity and excellence that exist among the team we have in place.” Looking towards the goal of consistent excellence, Jim Bob Womack ’98 will leave his current position of director of Alumni Relations and take on a new role as Director of Development. Director of Individual Giving Scott Jolly will become the Senior Director of Leadership Gifts and oversee the school’s fund-

raising programs. “Mr. Jolly has served as both director of Alumni Relations and more recently director of Individual Giving,” Dini said. “When Mr. Womack was hired, he succeeded Mr. Jolly as director of Alumni Relations, a position he has held for the past seven years. They have both been integrally involved in the development of St. Mark’s nationally recognized alumni program.” To serve in the soon-to-be vacated position of director of Alumni Relations, Alex Eshelbrenner ’04 has been hired to succeed Womack and manage responsibility for the entirety of the alumni programs here. “We don’t specifically seek out alumni when we’re searching for new employees,” Dini said, “but we’ve been fortunate that a number of former Marksmen have found their way onto

the team and made a huge difference. We seek individuals who will embrace our mission, who understand what it means to serve and who will devote themselves fully to our work with the faculty and the boys.” Along with the continued involvement of Assistant Director of Development Jan Forrester, Director of Communication Katy Rubarth and Director of Advancement Services Scott Palmer ’01, Dini believes the transitions will continue the strong sense of unity and possibility in the Development Office, and expand upon its current success. “They have all worked incredibly hard and the changes underway are an affirmation of their good work and commitment to St. Mark’s,” Dini said. “The fact that promotions are largely coming from within is yet another reminder about the strength of our team.”

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

Page 5

NEWS C O M M E N C E M E N T

P R E V I E W

Brothers forever Although Commencement will officially end their high school careers, seniors will continue to strengthen the bonds and friendships they have formed over the 12 years they have spent together.

ach of the 32 boys said goodbye to his parents on that morning in 2001. Carefully navigating through the labyrinth of buildings and hallways, the first graders were not sure what their futures held for them at the seemingly strange school. As the years went by, new students joined the original group of 32 boys. By the time these students put on blue shirts at the end of the last school year, the Class of 2014 had grown to 86 men. These 86 seniors will conclude the legacy they have left at 10600 Preston Road with the Commencement ceremony, which is set to take place May 23. “I think we’re excited for graduation,” Senior Class President Harrison Perkins said. “We’re ready for it. It will definitely be weird. It will be one of those experiences we will remember for the rest of our lives.” Along with Perkins and the valedictorian, former Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander Rorke Denver will speak during the ceremony. “Everyone really likes [Denver],” Perkins said. “I remember when he spoke last year, our class really responded to him. I think it’s going to be a really nice to have

him speak and I’m really excited.” Prestigious awards, including the Headmaster’s Cup, the School Flag and the Citizenship Cup, will be given. A reception follows in the Great Hall for the seniors, their family and the faculty. Following the reception, the seniors will go to Adventure Landing, where they will be able to ride go-karts and mini-golf. “There is a reception, then there is an after-graduation party hosted by the parents this year,” Senior Class co-sponsor J.T. Sutcliffe said. This after-party is just one of the events that the seniors have planned so that they can enjoy their final moments together. “When they were asked, ‘How many of you want to go to the zoo’ when only 32 have little buddies, almost every hand went up,” Sutcliffe said. “They want to hang out together. When asked, ‘How many of you want to go to the movie’ almost every hand went up. It looks to me like this is a group that really enjoys each other’s company and realizes that time is getting close where they are going to start going their separate ways and they want to hang out as much as possible.” Along with the senior first grade zoo

COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY • Date, time • Location • Speakers • Awards to be presented

May 23 at 8 p.m. Ida M. and Cecil H. Green Commencement Theater Commencement speaker Rorke Denver, Senior Class President Harrison Perkins, Valedictorian (to be named later) Headmaster’s Cup, School Flag,Citizenship Cup

trip and watching movies, the class has planned events such as going to a Rangers game and a reunion football game to ensure they spend as much time together as possible. “They’re eager to get classes over with, but not necessarily eager to leave the school,” Sutcliffe said. “They have worked hard for so long and they are looking forward to that break. They are eager to stand on the graduation stage. They are eager to watch the first graders. There is so much they are looking forward to.” hile the seniors are excited for the last day of classes May 15, they are not ready to leave behind the place they have called home for so many years. This is mainly because the friendships and bonds they have created between each other are so strong that the seniors cannot imagine life without their Marksmen brethren beside them. “I’m not sure if it has really set in yet with everyone that we are all leaving,” Perkins said. “We’re all going to deal with it together. I think the last weekend will be tough for some people, as we finish classes. ” Sutcliffe expressed the same notion as Perkins. “I think that they are beginning to realize that they are also going to miss each other and they are going to miss this place,” Sutcliffe said. “They are very eager to graduate, but there is a tinge of the thought that ‘We’re going to miss this place.’” Perkins hopes that his speech will inspire his fellow seniors to continue

to cherish the friendships they have built and all the lessons they have learned from 10600 Preston Road, building on the camaraderie and relationships they have developed over the years. “Things I’m thinking of saying go along the lines of remember St. Mark’s, remember your friends, remember the good times you’ve had here and use the things that St. Mark’s has given you to move forward in life and college,” he said. As the seniors don their symbolic white tuxedos, the legacy they leave with the school and the bonds that have been built since first grade will not be forgotten. “The thing about the class is, once we have a goal in mind, we try to complete it to the best of our ability,” Perkins said. “I think it’s really our dedication to ourselves, the school and the grade that has helped us to do our thing. We really have made ourselves proud, our families proud and our school proud of us.”

BROTHERS FOREVER story by Anvit Reddy, staff writer | graphic by Abhi Thummala, graphics director

Class of 2014 to kick off senior week with the annual Marksmen Ball By Aidan Maurstad staff writer he annual Marksmen Ball will be held tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at the Belo Mansion and Pavilion at 2101 Ross Avenue. The event will be the Saturday after the final day of regular classes for seniors and just before the beginning of Senior Week, the last week of the year in which all the end of the year

events take place. The dedication of the Marksmen yearbook will be announced during the event. The dance will begin with a seated dinner for the seniors, their dates and their parents, followed by a mother-son dance, after which the parents will move to a separate room of the mansion. “It’s really mostly a yearbook event,”

Senior Class President Harrison Perkins said. “I’m hoping that it will be as fun if not more so than in previous years. We have a live band as opposed to a DJ, which will be interesting.” During the dinner the senior video will be shown, and speeches will be made by Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg, yearbook advisor and Gene and Alice

Oltrogge Master Teacher Ray Westbrook, the class sponsors and graduating Marksmen editor Matt Mahowald. Seniors are required to wear tuxedos. Mothers may wear either long or short dresses; however, long are preferred. “I’m hoping,” Perkins said, “that it will be a nice transition from school mode to celebrating ending our school year and graduating.”

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THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

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NEWS L E E

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Coming back home After facing discrimination as the first African-American student to graduate from St. Mark’s, Lee Smith ‘65 spoke at the Cum Laude induction ceremony — marking a full turnaround.

earing a crimson Harvard tie, Lee Smith ’65 approached the podium of the chapel after being welcomed by resounding applause. Looking out into a sea of Upper School students as the guest speaker at April 30’s Cum Laude Induction Ceremony, Smith was struck by the nostalgia he felt. He saw himself in every student seated in the audience. Those often-distracted students listened intently to the story of how one 18-year-old boy changed the course of history here at 10600 Preston Road simply by showing up. But Lee Smith’s story goes far deeper than being the first black student to attend St. Mark’s. Scarred by hostility and death threats, Smith felt less at home at 10600 Preston Road than he did at his old school, James Madison High School. “At the school I was in before, I was one of 18 guys, so I had a very warm relationship with all of my classmates, things like that, and I was a student leader and those things and interestingly enough, after I left Madison, even though I didn’t graduate with my class, they still consider me one of their classmates,” Smith said. “So, I get invited back to their class reunions at James Madison and so that continued after I graduated from St. Mark’s. They always considered me one of them even though I didn’t stay for that senior year. St. Mark’s is a little bit different. Like I said on the podium, there were some people that I became friends with who were open minded and took me for me and those people, we remain in contact, friends for life. But there was also that part of the class, like I said, that this wasn’t something that they wanted, so it was something that they tolerated.” This drove Smith away from the alumni community. “Like I said it was just cold,” Smith said. “Except for the personal friends, but as for the school it was cold. So there was no wanting to come back to the campus for

alumni anything. I had moved on. I talk a lot about looking forward. To me that was the past and there were parts of it that were good and parts of it that were hurtful but it was in the past. And I would’ve been content with it like that. And Arnie really sort of changed that.” Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg has singlehandedly closed the gap that once existed between Smith and his alma mater. “Over the years, in terms of wanting me to know what’s going on with the boys and what’s going on with recruitment, specifically of minority boys, over the years he has, quite frankly, been anxious to let me know the progress that they have done,” Smith said. “So he’s made me feel like I’m really part of the school and of course I am. I feel I am. So coming back it really felt good to come back to my school. [My year at St. Mark’s] was a great year in so many ways. It was horrible in many ways but it was a great year for me in so many ways.” Although Smith stood with his classmates at the Commencement Ceremony, he was ostracized from senior bonding traditions like the senior dinner and party. “The circumstances of my graduation were interesting,” Smith said. “There were a lot of people who came to see me graduate because this was a milestone for the school and those were the people who were supportive of that. I came there to get an education, but there’s no question that that’s what part of this whole thing was. So, I didn’t attend the senior party. Like I said it was just cold.” It is hard to imagine that Lee Smith came from being the senior who couldn’t attend his own party to being this year’s Cum Laude speaker. Holtberg welcomed Smith back into the community, laying the groundwork for Smith to become an integral part of the school. “He called me on the phone and of course introduced himself saying ‘This is Ar-

INSPIRING After attending St. Mark’s as a senior, Lee Smith came back to 10600 Road to share his experiences as the first African-American student to attend school at the annual Cum Laude ceremony.

nie’ and said that each year they had a Cum Laude induction ceremony and he wanted to invite me to be the speaker, and of course I immediately said, ‘Sure, I’d be happy to do that,’” Smith said. “When St. Mark’s hosted another event here in Austin, about a month ago, I went over to Arnie and I said, ‘Arnie, what do I have meaningful to say to the Cum Laude inductees?’ and he said, ‘Lee, why don’t you tell them your story, because that was transformational for you and that was transformational for the school.’ I looked at him and said, ‘Well, you’re absolutely right about both of those.’” mith’s relationship with Holtberg extends beyond cordial alumni relations. Smith sees Holtberg as the bridge St. Mark’s needed to go from the world Smith lived in to the present day. “I think he’s absolutely the best thing that’s happened to St. Mark’s,” Smith said. “I’m an educator, as you know. I work as a legal counsel for the University of Texas, so I’m around educators and know what it means to talk about the education of the whole person. And I went to Harvard liberal arts college, and they make it clear that most of your education is going to occur outside of the classroom, not in the classroom. And so there are people in education who really understand this about the whole person. Arnie is exceptional in that way.” Smith sees just how much the culture has evolved to integrate all people since his time as the first African-American person to attend to now.

“I think there were two things that really struck me,” Smith said. “Number one was to see the diverse faces, and that’s me looking outward. But the other thing was to see how normal it was. When I was there, my presence was something that was not normal. “But looking out at the chapel and looking out beforehand as the boys run across campus and gather, and to see not just the fact that there is this mix of people that’s part of the optics that you see visually, but the other part that you see is how people interact and how normal it is. That was the part that really caught my attention: when you get to the point where having people from diverse backgrounds isn’t anything that you think about or find remarkable, when that’s just not remarkable, that’s really where things should be. That’s the amazing part to me.” Although he purchased Harvard merchandise, Smith never bought a piece of St. Mark’s memorabilia, even after his graduation. “It’s not that I had resentment about the school, but it just wasn’t me,” Smith said. “It didn’t feel like me. People that I’ve had continuing relationships with, I still have friends from my class here in Austin that I see. Before Arnie, no. It just wouldn’t have fit in with my lifestyle.” After delivering his stirring Cum Laude speech, Lee Smith stepped through the double doors and into the small student store. Smith quietly picked up a glossy coffee mug, emblazoned with the blue-and-gold St. Mark’s logo.

COMING BACK HOME story by Abhi Thummala and Davis Marsh, graphics director and staff writer | photo by David Carden, communications coordinator

End of year calendar, exams Monday May 19

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23

Advisory, 10:30 a.m.

Last Day of Classes for 9-11

US Reading Day

Final Exams: 8-11

Final Exams: 9-11

English 10 In-Class Exam AP English 11 In-Class Exam English 9 in-class writing

Baccalaureate, 7:30 p.m.

All Middle School Level Foreign Language Exams

Algebra II Geometry Algebra II - H Geometry - H College Algebra & Trigonometry Precalculus Precalculus - H Algebra I Algebra I - H Intro to Algebra

Applied Chemistry Chemistry Biology Astronomy & Geology Conceptual Physics Physics

Science 8: Physics/ Chemistry English 10 In-Class Exam AP English 11 In-Class Exam English 9 in-class writing

Monday May 26 No School: Memorial Day

Final Assembly, 10:30 a.m. Commencement, 8 p.m.

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 Final Exams: 9-11

Final Exams: 9-11

All Upper School Foreign Language Exams

MS Final Assembly, 10 Foundations of World Societies (9th) The Modern World (10th) U.S. History & Government Photography US Wood and Metal

Make-up Final Exams: 9-11

Blue Shirt Day Last Day of School Short Classes: 9-11, 8-10:30 a.m.

Kyle to head 2015 Student Council By Cyrus Ganji senior content editor xecutive Student Council and class positions have been determined for the 2014-2015 school year, following elections from April 18 to 24. The 2013-2014 council, who organized the election and polled the votes, will officially pass its mantle of leadership to newly elected Student Council President Carrington Kyle. Kyle and his fellow executive officers, composed of vice president Corson Purnell and secretary J.T. Graass, look forward to continuing the plentiful successes of the Student Council under 2013-2014 president Charlie Golden and vice president Yima Asom. “[Serving on Student Council for four years] has made this position much more special for me, especially since seeing Charlie do so much for the school this past year,” Kyle said. “It’s inspiring to be working to help our school move forward. I’m really excited about planning Homecoming next year; also, I really hope our student body can become united over the course of the 2014-2015 school year.” The three executive Student Council leaders will look to class officers to enact the ideas they present, primarily by motivating their respective grades. Current Senior Class President Harrison Perkins attributes the Student Council’s initiative, followed by the Senior Class’s drive and work, to have caused the success of this year’s various activities. “Usually, we’ll decide something in the Student Council, then we’d immediately get the Senior Class on board – they are the largest

driving force in high school,” Perkins said. “For example, No Shave November, the Gift Drive, these things are led by the Student Council, but implemented by seniors. Seniors have to show up and strive to push these events forward.” The rising Senior Class president, junior Nathan Ondracek, looks forward to following in Perkins’ footsteps during the 2014-2015 school year. “I’ve been here for 12 years, and not only have I become emotionally connected to this school, but also to our class,” Ondracek said. “So, I want to further – in any way I possibly can – the success of our class during this last year we have at St. Mark’s. I want to make this time the best I can possibly make it.” ather than enacting reform as class president, Ondracek hopes to create a more jovial, fun-filled atmosphere for upcoming seniors. “I intend to enact less reform, and instead, make a more enjoyable time for our class during this last year we have together, bringing us as close together as we possibly can before we go our separate ways,” Ondracek said. As for next year’s Junior Class, newly voted president Jackson Cole looks forward to leading his class into their status as upperclassmen. “I’m honored to be elected as the Junior Class president,” Cole said. “Obviously, we have McDonald’s Week for the upcoming Junior Class, and I want it to be McAwesome. But, beyond that, I want to bring the class together, really preparing us to become role models as seniors.”

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

HONORED Members of Cum Laude include (front row) Christopher Carter, William Sydney, Mason Smith, Nathan Ondracke, Carrington Kyle, George Lin, Case Brabham, Darwin Yang, Vik Pattabi, Raymond Guo (back row) Vishal Gokani, Harrison Lin, Dylan Altschuler, Nick Brodsky, Halbert Bai, Sam Perkins, Dylan Clark, Matt Mahowald, Jonathan Ng, Luke Munson, Charlie Golden, Aiden Dewar, Luke Williams, Creed Lowry, Victor Zhou, Kobi Naseck, Ryan O’Meara and Charlie Marshall. CUM LAUDE INDUCTS 19 story by Akshay Malhotra, staff writer, additional reporting by Gopal Raman, Rish Basu, John Crawford and Aiden Blinn, staff writers | photo courtesy of the Development Office

kins and juniors Case Brabham, Christopher Carter, Raymond Guo, Carrington Kyle, George Lin, Nathan Ondracek, Vikram Pattabi, Mason Smith, William Sydney and Darwin Yang. Lee Smith ’65, the school’s first African American graduate, was the guest speaker and encouraged students to always look forward in life and to embrace every opportunity presented. “When you get to forks in the road, you can never look back and ask what would have happened,” Smith, who is an associate vice president in the UT system, said. “When you make a call and you make it from your heart, you don’t look back. Your future and every-

thing that’s meaningful in your life is in front of you.” The ReMarker visited with new members to get insights into qualities that helped them gain Cum Laude membership: How did you feel when you found out that you were being inducted?

Carrington Kyle: I was shocked but obviously I saw my parents coming into the chapel, and that was the greatest feeling. Only a few kids get inducted, and I felt so honored when they called my name. Creed Lowry: I was obviously very happy to be inducted. It’s a real honor to be inducted into a society like that, to be recognized for my efforts, so it’s a good feeling. William Sydney: It was just a huge honor to be named along with all those other guys who are such outstanding students. For me, Cum Laude is pretty important. But seeing everybody up there on the stage really brings home how much it means to be a member because those guys are so incredibly accomplished at what they do. Case Brabham: It was rewarding because it felt like a lot of hard work had paid off. Do you do anything else while studying or take breaks in the middle?

Kobi Naseck: It’s hard for me to study if I'm not listening to some kind of music. So depending on the time, if I have 30 minutes to get something done, I will listen to rock, but if it is late at night, I might listen to something softer. Charlie Marshall: Cheddar bunnies are really good. Apples are my main snack. I've always loved apples, but I try not to eat and study because honestly I've turned in enough projects or homework that I've turned in with

Out of this world By Akshay Malhotra staff writer t all began when the new Star Trek movie was released his sophomore year. This was not a movie that he would forget. This was not a movie that he would stop thinking about the moment it ended. This was something that would spark his interest in space, the final frontier. After spending countless hours learning about his new passion, senior Andrew Gatherer opened the Rocketry Club in November and started making rockets that would reach high in the sky. But the sky is not the limit. He is finally ready to do something out of this world. Literally out of this world. As the year comes to a close, Gatherer, with members of the Rocketry Club, has designed and soon plans to launch an aeronautic balloon into the stratosphere 33,000 meters above the ground. The project began just a few weeks ago when the members of the Rocketry Club, which is also known as the St. Mark’s Aeronautics and Space Administration (SMASA), found out that they could not go to the national competition of the Team America Rocketry Challenge. With time left in the year, Gatherer, along with many members, including sophomore Alden James, began looking for projects. “We were thinking of doing an eightfoot potassium nitrate rocket,” James said, “but that was not going to go.” They thought about building a hybrid rocket engine but could not do it because of costs. But then an idea came to them. “[Freshman] George Dau approached me a while ago about doing this kind of thing,” Gatherer said. “This is inexpensive,

Do you have any studying or working habits that you think help you perform better academically?

Matt Mahowald: One thing I've found over the past few years is that I tend to have more success when I study and think and learn just for the sake of learning rather than for a grade in a class because it becomes something much more fulfilling and much more enjoyable and with purpose rather than studying for an A. Luke Munson: I still will read the book constantly, and that helps a lot actually. Everyone thinks,“Oh yeah, don't read the book.” Read the book. And actually just read it instead of looking up the study guide or Sparknotes. Vikram Pattabi: Whenever I'm doing homework, I make sure I do everything as thoroughly as possible. Things like showing work on a math problem end up being really helpful because once you do it 20 times as homework, it becomes a lot more natural and recognizable during a test. Nathan Ondracek: [I like to study]

in my bed. All comfortable. I am going to be there a while, so I might as well. Raymond Guo: I think [the best habit] is knowing time management, like when to study what and how much to study what. I know myself and I know what I am good at and what I am not so good at, so budgeting my time. Also not procrastinating. My rule is [to start studying] three days before tests. Nick Brodsky: I study in my room, mainly because it’s very banal. It’s very calm and quiet, so it’s really just a good place to concentrate. Carrington Kyle: I just try as hard as I can. What you put in is typically what you get out. So I study as hard as I can for classes. What would you suggest to current underclassmen about performing well in academics?

Sam Perkins: I would say plan ahead. Don’t procrastinate. Do your work in advance. If you know you have a test coming up, study a few days in advance. Christopher Carter: I actually do all the homework when it’s due. It’s something not everyone does. Don’t do it to complete it. Do it to understand it. Darwin Yang: You have to learn how to focus and concentrate on your work, otherwise, there is no way you are succeeding. It is really important while you are studying or doing work that you concentrate and stay focused. Aidan Dewar: I know if I start procrastinating it’s going to keep going. I can’t procrastinate ten minutes. It’s either zero minutes or a couple of hours. Mason Smith: The most important thing I do to try to be a better student is to try hard to be genuinely interested and passionate about being in class. If you tell yourself you don’t like a class and you don’t want to try, you will never be able to succeed. I stay motivated by always keeping a positive attitude toward learning.

For senior Andrew Gatherer, the sky is definitely not the limit as plans are set for the launch of a balloon into earth’s stratosphere

relatively, and it is not dangerous.” The initial designing phase took off after the logistics were worked out. The SMASA members often take inspiration from other similar rocketry projects, but they have to make a considerable amount of changes. “We have our own set of goals for the mission,” Gatherer said. “So we have to design our probes specifically around that.” Gatherer has designed the balloon with the idea of putting a number of probes in it to obtain information about the stratosphere. This project, however, is not being done for experimental purposes. “[The balloon] will see the curvature of the earth,” Gatherer said. “It will have probes on it. It is not designed to be a probe. It’s not an experiment. We’re just doing it for fun.” hough it is not a formal experiment, the items expected to be on the balloon include a video camera, an altimeter, a thermometer, a GPS, some plant seeds, a group of crickets and a probe to test the presence of various chemicals in the atmosphere. One of Gatherer’s main challenges was to figure out how to safely get the experimental items from the stratosphere back to the ground safely. But he has found a solution. “Once it reaches a certain altitude, the balloon will burst, and the object will fall back,” SMASA sponsor Dr. Stephen Balog said. “It will be in a padded case, so that when it lands, it does not damage the camera and recording equipment and any of our test subjects.” Gatherer has solved a number of problems in order to further enhance his design and to build a better probe on the whole. “He has done nearly all of it himself,”

food on them. Mason Smith: Fruit Snacks are the snack for champions. So that’s what I eat. George Lin: For me, learning how to relax takes the pressure out of working. Having a good time with friends or listening to music gets me ready to tackle the workload with new energy. I really like studying in the library with friends. Mastering the art of chatting with friends and doing work at the same time makes studying almost enjoyable... almost. Harrison Lin: If you study all the time, you just are miserable, so I play a lot of video games, especially after dinner, after I’ve done most of my work, and that usually helps me decompress. Another thing is woodworking. During my free periods I go in there and work, and I think it makes me a better student because I’m less stressed.

ALDEN JAMES’S PHOTO

Top academic achievers honored at annual induction ceremony April 23

ore than 180 students were sitting in the chapel at 3:15 p.m. April 23. This was not a normal chapel service. It was an annual chapel ceremony. In moments, a tenth of the Junior Class and a tenth of the Senior Class would be given membership in one of the most prestigious societies of the school — the Cum Laude society, one of the highest honors for academic accomplishment the school offers. Inducted were seniors Nick Brodsky, Aidan Dewar, Harrison Lin, Creed Lowry, Matt Mahowald, Charlie Marshall, Luke Munson, Kobi Naseck and Sam Per-

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

Cum Laude inducts 19

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NEWS

FACING CHALLENGES Seniors Andrew Gatherer and Ali Ahmed and freshman George Dau and Shailen Parmar work to perfect the construction of the balloon, which will need to withstand the temperature and pressure of the stratoshpere and the force of landing. They hope to launch the balloon with a number of atmospheric testing probes and experiments before the end of this year.

Dr. Balog said. “So with him, it would be more like ‘here is my first draft of what all I want to do.’ And then we go through it. And he goes off and works on it again and comes back.” With the design phase complete, Gatherer began constructing the rocket with his fellow SMASA members and hopes to launch it next weekend at the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, TX. They have to launch it away from the major city of Dallas because of potential intrusion of airplane routes, so the team will take a road trip to the facility to launch it. As they conclude this project, SMASA members hope to continue such projects in future years. “I think we should try to make [SMASA] a more established club so the school knows more about it,” James said. “[The members] are really creative. They

have really good ideas.” The launch of the balloon will mark the launch of Gatherer into his future as he prepares for a career in rocketry. “I’m going to Rice and am going to study mechanical engineering,” Gatherer said. “I hope to work in either NASA or Space-X or some other company involved in [rocketry].” And he hopes that this passion of his can serve humanity in the future in the exploration of the final frontier. “Over the course of high school,” Gatherer said, “it sort of just fomented in my mind that the only way I wanted to live my life was in service of designing the vehicles that would carry humanity out into the stars. In 50 years, no matter where you are or what you are doing, spaceflight will affect your everyday life tremendously, and I plan to be a part of that.”

BIRTH OF A SALESMAN

Sophomore Chance Cooley talks about the family business and his recent success starring in Spanish commercials for the auto dealership. p. 11

LIFE AROUND CAMPUS THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014 | PAGE 8

Alden James e’s the guy you see in the hallways, always smiling. Whether he’s out on the track getting shots of that week’s sports events or shadowing a local politician for the Highland Park Newspaper, Alden’s always outdoing himself. With his bright disposition and a personality to match, Alden makes sure to never leave the house without a smile and his camera bag.

Of your many nicknames, which is your favorite? Oh man there are so many. Aldino, Aldiño,Golden James, and Sunshine are probably the most common, Sunshine being my favorite. People always interpret that one differently, and it gets the most laughs. I guess it’s my favorite just because other people like it the most. How do you keep such a happy outlook on life? I’ve been in some situations that I haven’t wanted to be in, so I guess I’ve just learned to appreciate what I have. I guess I smile so much because approaching any situation with a good attitude makes it better. There have been times when I haven’t really liked where I was, but just keeping on a smile helped a lot. People really respond in a positive way when they see someone else with a smile, too. Why do you enjoy photography so much? I really like being able to take little things in the world and make them into something special. The world is full of things that don’t really get appreciated as much as they should be. So my favorite photographer is Brassai, who would go out at night in Paris and take pictures of the small things. What’s your favorite movie? Your favorite TV show? My favorite TV show of all time is definitely Spongebob Squarepants. The writing on that show is just fantastic and super clever. Spongebob can be funny to all ages, not just little kids, which I can really appreciate. My favorite movie is a movie that came out in 1949 called White Heat. My dad showed me that when I was little. It’s a classic. What do you like to do in your free time? Listen to music, hang out with my friends, and watch movies with my dad. I’m really into classical and 40’s swing music right now. I also have a job with the Park Cities newspaper doing photography every once and a while. Like I got to follow around a local politician and his family for a day to take pictures, and that was really cool. I also like to row with my crew teammates. I’ve kind found my niche in crew. It’s a nice way to keep active and get to know more people.

NERD NATION With celebrities flocking in from all over the country, Dallas Comic Con is an event that Texas nerds can’t bear to miss.

sketchbook

Today

Weekend

> Dallas Comic Con will open tonight at the Dallas Convention Center. Celebrities will include Star Trek’s own William Shatner and Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee as well as appearances from the voices of Ash Ketchum of Pokemon and Goku of Dragon Ball Z.

> On their second stop in the state, the Dave Mathews Band will perform at the Gexa Energy Pavilion Saturday. > Asian Festival 2014 kicks off May 17, highlighting over 30 countries with events ranging from dragon dances to hula dancing, and will present Asian artwork at Main Street Garden.

Next Week >Hosted by Kiss FM, the annual Super Freestyle Explosion will begin it’s one and only night May 23, featuring such acts as Stevie B, Lisa Lisa and Nu Shooz. Doors open at 6:30. >Top Golf will host the Summerville Island Party May 24. From the 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with live music and catering from Paradise Burgers

A ROUNDUP OF STUDENTS’ ARTISTIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Senior Luke Williams helped lead the second annual Kids Helping Kids 5K May 3, benefiting Family Gateway, a foundation supporting a family homeless shelter. Kids Helping Kids is a non-profit organization governed by board members from nine high schools in the Dallas area. As a second-year representative for the board, Williams takes part in monthly meetings and plans numerous volunteer projects, including the 5K. “Not every child is afforded the same opportunity that we’ve had growing up and coming to St. Mark’s,” Williams said. “If we can give even some of that opportunity to kids that deserve to have it just as much as we do, it can do a lot of good in the future.” • Sophomore Ashton Hashemipour raised $660 during his Autism Awareness campaign. The campaign, which took place during April’s Autism Awareness Month, raised money for Autism Speaks, an organization that sponsors research into autism the National Ability Center, a camp that provides both seasonal and year-round activities for children of all abilities. “My brother is a year younger than me,” Hashemipour said, “and he was diagnosed with autism at a young age. Ever since then, I’ve really been interested in the disorder, from volunteering with various organizations to trying to learn more about it.” • Programming classes are being reintroduced for the 20142015 school year after a one-year hiatus. The classes, offered to all Upper School students, will be visual basic, javascript and web page design and will be taught by computer applications instructor Kurt Tholking. “We were interested in reintroducing the classes and encouraging students to learn to code,” Computer Science Department Chair Dean Baird said. “In fact, we’ve begun teaching coding online to students in the computer apps classes in grades two through eight.” • Senior Drew Balog received a gold medal on the regional and national levels in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for sculpture art. “It [my submission] was a metal sculpture of sorts called Flavin’s Ivy,” Balog said. “It’s called that because there’s an artist named Dan Flavin whose work is mostly done with fluorescent lights and my piece is of these black metal vines overtaking a fluorescent light.” Along with Balog, junior Conner Olson submitted three works in the same category, one of which won a gold medal at regionals and a silver medal at nationals. – Sketchbook stories by Aiden Blinn, James Hancock, Aiden Maurstad and John Crawford.

artist IN action

USED WITH PERMISSION CAROLINE SYDNEY

ZUYVA SEVILLA PHOTO

USED WITH PERMISSION DALLASCOMICCON.COM

with

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BOB ON FIRE Directed by junior William Sydney, Bobby Gould in Hell was performed May 9. Featuring junior Nathan Ondracek as Bobby Gould, an ordinary man seeking redemption from hell, the one-act was the final performance of senior Nabeel Muscatwalla.

MATTHEW CONLEY PHOTO

Hangin’ out

THINGS TO DO IN THE WEEKS AHEAD

At St. Mark’s, there’s no reason to underachieve; here, the entire purpose is to excel. Page 14

THINKING MAN Eighth grader Ryan Norman contemplates his painting in the Amphitheater. Art classes often use the courtyards around school for inspiration.

CORBIN WALP PHOTO

upcoming

VICTOR CALVILLO ON PROPER WORK ETHIC

SNOWFALL One of many contributing photos, this picture by Corbin Walp helped the photography program be named Top Program for the eighth consecutive year from the Association of Texas Photography Instructors. For the first time, students won first place in every category: Landscape, Still Life, Architecture and Thematic.

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON ONE OF ST. MARK’S MANY FINE ART STUDENTS

THE ARTIST Purujit Chatterjee THE ART Drawing WHAT A rendition of the Batman character Two Face, who was featured in the film The Dark Night (left), and a portrait of actor Morgan Freeman (right).

HIS WORDS “When I think about what characters or people I want to draw for my portraits, I like to portray the people who could carry the most emotion in just their faces.”

LIFE

10 Alumni Weekend

11 Pinhole Cameras

14 Vic Calvillo

15 Reviews

THE REMARKER | 9 FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

M O T H E R S

A mother’s work

...is never done. Mother’s Day has come and gone, but a mother always works tirelessly to support her children — to transform them from boys into men. We see them every day in the lunch line, the student store and at sports games, always dedicated to their sons. Dedicated to St. Mark’s.

MAMA MIZE The mother of three Marksmen (fourth grader Ian Mize, eighth grader Garrett Mize and sophomore Roby Mize), Michelle Mize has seen the growth of a boy to a man. While she puts in the hours to support her family and the school on a regular basis, she is just one of many mothers who are heavily involved in the school. It’s the mothers’ work that helps the school be what it is.

veryone needs moms. Even in the testosterone-fueled halls of St. Mark’s, every student depends on our school’s moms every day. They are the ones who get up early to drive their kids to school. They are the ones who make a house a home. They are the ones who dedicate their lives and their love to their children. With the passing of Mother’s Day, many have realized that the moms of St. Mark’s are always working behind the scenes to support the campus. The relationships that they form with the school and its families are the kinds of relationships that last a lifetime. Sophomore Eugene Song’s relationship with his mom is unique. Even though some might take it as a sign of disrespect, Eugene speaks to his mother in informal Korean. The duo just sees it as a sign of friendship. A sign of closeness. As the two drove away from their home in Rowlett six years ago, Eugene and his mother, Sue Song, were closer than ever. “We used to live in Rowlett,” Eugene Song said. “Just as an example of how much she cares about me, when I applied here and got in, we moved here. Away from the donut shop.” Although she has a full time job at the shop, Sue Song still finds the time to volunteer at the school and come to all of her son’s games. “She works, but I think her number one priority is for me to be happy,” Eugene Song said. “She volunteers here a lot because I’m here. For her, helping the school is like helping me in a way.” Sue Song volunteers at the student store and is constantly looking for ways to help the school. “There are a lot of working moms who still want to volunteer so they’re able to

structure their work time around volunteer opportunities,” student store manager Sarah Key said. Key started volunteering at the store in 1994 when her son, Ben Key ’01, entered in the sixth grade as a Marksman. “I’ve always believed in volunteerism,” Key said. “That’s really important to me. It’s crucial for a really robust, healthy environment.” Key became one of the most frequent volunteers and eventually started working at the store full-time in 1999.

SOPHOMORE EUGENE SONG

She works, but I think her number one priority is for me to be happy. She volunteers here a lot because I’m here. For her, helping the school is like helping me in a way.

“They really needed somebody to be here to manage the store,” Key said. “And I was one of the few around who knew how the store ran at that time.” As a mom, Key understands why so many mothers volunteer at the school and why they put so much effort into helping the community. “[Moms] want to be involved in the school,” Key said. “They like to see the boys. They like to be part of their child’s world. It’s fun to see all the activity because there’s so much activity on campus. They like to know that they’re contributing.” Even though her son is gone, Key is still a familiar, motherly face to hundreds of students and has been for nearly two decades. “I’ve seen lots of boys come and go,” Key said. “I like watching the boys grow up and

then see them come back. I see a bunch of them on Alumni Weekend and they recognize me. I appreciate that. Sometimes they recognize me quicker than I recognize them because they change a little but I know most of the boys.” But it’s not just the volunteering aspect that Key and other moms enjoy while helping around campus. “I probably learn every day. I’ve learned patience. We all learn patience in the store. Moms are probably good at that,” Key said with a laugh. Even though the job requires dedication and patience, it’s all worth it for the caring and compassionate mothers. orest-Cummings Taylor’s mother, Beth Taylor, has been devoted to the school ever since her son began as a young Lower Schooler “Since first grade my mom has been probably been as involved as I have at St. Mark’s,” Forest-Cummings Taylor said. “When I was younger, in Lower School, she always participated in Blue and Gold Day. She always served as one of the mom coaches and one of the people who brought water.” Whether it was coaching Blue and Gold Day or helping in the cafeteria lines, Taylor has always put in the extra hours to help the St. Mark’s community, and her son has appreciated that throughout the years. “When I got older she transitioned to the Parent’s Association [PA] and it became her passion,” Forest-Cummings Taylor said. “She served as secretary, as treasurer and as chair of the monotony breaker committee.” For Forest-Cummings Taylor, volunteering is just another way to help both her son and his school. “She spent what is going on 12 years at St. Mark’s, and she’s seen me progress through all the grades, and I think because of that she’s developed a really strong connection, and she feels like she needs to give back in some way,” Forest-Cummings Taylor

said. “And she feels that — in her words — ‘sweat equity’ is the best way to do that. As in working hard for a committee or working for a certain event, like how she used to work at Fun Day, for example. She thinks that’s how she can give back and make sure St. Mark’s is receiving all she can give.” eth Taylor works for the school and for her son on all fronts. While she has volunteered for smaller projects like Fun Day or helping with cafeteria work, Taylor has also helped with the coordination of large projects like last year’s Celebrate St. Mark’s program alongside Kristen Simenc. “[My mother] is quite involved,” Forest-Cummings Taylor said. “During the actual event, Mr. Holtberg gave a speech, of course, and during the middle of the speech he stopped everything he was saying and said, ‘You know what, we need to honor this woman here, Beth Taylor,’ in front of all those hundreds of people and said, ‘You know what, this woman is incredibly dedicated to St. Mark’s, and she’s gotten it done for us and she’s one of the reasons the Celebrate program has gone so well.” Forest-Cummings Taylor still appreciates his mother’s support of him through her work with the school. “I think I would be speaking for the entire school, the administration and of course myself when I say we appreciate everything that she’s done,” Forest-Cummings Taylor said. “She’s a great woman, and she’s made the school a better place for all that she’s done.” It’s not just Beth Taylor who has given back to the school time and again. Key knows that all moms at St. Mark’s work hard for their kids, and in turn for the school. “Moms do a lot of things that children don’t recognize or realize,” Key said. “I think eventually they do realize, but moms don’t do it for the recognition or the glory of doing it. They just do it because that’s what moms do.”

A MOTHER’S WORK story by Avery Powell, life editor and Will Clark, life editor | photo by Mason Smith, head photographer

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

Page 10

LIFE A L U M N I

W E E K E N D

ringing the oys ack home Hundreds of alumni return to campus for the annual Alumni Weekend, participating in events including chapel, a golf tournament and a special concert by Rhett Miller ‘89.

1 5

lumni Weekend, which featured a concert by Rhett Miller ‘89, celebrated the reunions of Classes ending in 4 and 9 April 24-26. The celebration began with a golf tournament on Thursday, continuing with a cookout and Alumni Panel Discussions on Friday. The panels included Mike Levy ‘64, Steve Winn ‘64, Kurt Eichenwald ‘79, Mason King ‘94, Max Swango ‘84, Alex Abdo ‘99, Mark Levy ‘94 and Fry Wernick ‘95. Einchenwald wrote the critically acclaimed book The Informant, which was converted to a movie starring Matt Damon. Eichenwald also writes for Vanity Fair and New York Times. “The success I had was not because I was some exceptional person,” Eichenwald said. “I did okay at St. Mark’s, just okay though. It was because at St. Mark’s I learned to try and fail and try again.” Friday concluded with a performance by Rhett Miller for the Upper School. Miller is the lead singer for the band “The Old ‘97’s,” which released its latest album, “Most Messed Up,” April 29. After performing two songs, Miller gave a speech about how St. Mark’s impacted his life, concluding the performance with two more songs. The weekend ended with the Alumni Luncheon, planetarium shows and class parties.

COME TOGETHER (1) Former students sing hymns together during the Alumni Chapel on Friday. (2) Robert Decherd ‘69 speaks during the Alumni Chapel. (3) Rhett Miller ‘89 performs for the Upper School, faculty and staff after Alumni Panel Discussions Friday. (4) Max Swango ‘84 gives insight about his time as the Directer of Product and Client Portfolio Management for Invesco Real Estate. (5) Mike Levy ‘64 shares his experiences while working with “Texas Monthly” to members of the Upper School during the Entrepreneurship and Building a Business Alumni panel discussion.

Better teen driving, bigger discounts.

BRINGING THE BOYS BACK HOME story by Abhi Thummala, graphics director | photos by Matthew Conley, editor-in-chief, Mason Smith, head photographer

FIRST VISIT BACK SINCE GRADUATION

School’s first Japanese exchange student returns for 50-year reunion, impressed by new campus By Abhi Thummala graphics director Mune Hanawa slowly strolled across campus, walking by the new chapel, Centennial Hall, and Hoffman Hall, awestruck by the completely changed school he once attended. Hanawa, who was the Japanese exchange program’s first student 50 years ago, visited campus for the first time in ten years for the Alumni Weekend Celebration of his class of 1964. “It’s an entirely different campus, and I was very impressed,” Hanawa said. “It’s almost like a university. You all younger Marksmen are very, very lucky. You’re gifted. But I also realize what a fine school I was enrolled in. I’m very proud of your achievement in the past.” Hanawa’s success in the program helped develop the exchange-student system, which brought Heesuk Chung from Japan and Manuel Schneider from Germany this year. “I was gifted with such fine classmates, and

I didn’t expect that these wonderful friendships would last this long,” Hanawa said. “And all the classmates were so nice, and I was wondering if I could recognize them or not, but we did. We did. I’m really overwhelmed with happiness of being a Marksman.” During his visit here, Hanawa could see the progress of the Japanese program first hand. “Now you have a very strong Japanese course,” Hanawa said. “I was really amazed, that was another surprise.” Hanawa applied his experiences from studying in America to his career as the foreign diplomatic secretary for the Japanese government. “We learned a lot of things from America,” Hanawa said. “Since I was given this debut to the international world, St. Mark’s being such an internationalized program. The governor then wanted to make Tokyo an internationally, world-famous city, and my experience here helped a great deal to change Tokyo to a world-renown city.”

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THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

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LIFE P I N H O L E

C A M E R A S

Collaborative creativity Photography and industrial arts students teamed up for an ambitious collaborative project — constructing pinhole cameras and using them in their photo assignments.

he pinhole cameras built by industrial arts students for the photography students are now on display in Nearburg Hall after both the photos and the cameras received a lot of attention at ISAS. The cameras are a rare and innovative example of a collaborative project between two arts programs.

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

The idea behind the pinhole cameras stemmed from photography instructor Scott Hunt and his junior and senior photographers. “Hunt approached me and asked if I would be interested in doing something like this,” industrial arts instructor John Frost said. “He wanted some non-traditional approaches. Pinhole cameras have been around a long time, but they were looking for something that the guys hadn’t done and looking for a challenge.” Pinhole cameras use a tiny hole in a

FORM AND FUNCTION Both a piece of art and a functional camera, senior Kellam Hall’s camera uses carefully placed cuts to create an implied circle.

completely lightless box to develop pictures. The exposure can be as short as 30 seconds or as long as ten minutes. “I knew going into this that it would be far more challenging than [the photography students] imagined,” Hunt said. “Most, if not all, of these guys have never used film. They’ve grown up with digital.” The two programs showed off their work at ISAS and received a lot of attention. One teacher from Greenhill even offered to buy senior Kellam Hall’s camera. “We got some good response at ISAS,” Frost said. “We were the only ones that had the pinhole cameras in the installation. A lot of people talked about them, and I think that the objects themselves turned out to be cool looking.” Instead of taking pictures with the expensive, complex cameras most photography students are used to, senior Max Wolens and many other photography students wanted to test their skills with these simple and rudimentary cameras. “For so long the program has just been walking out and taking pictures. All you do is click a button on your camera,” Wolens

said. “But with this project, we had to put in so much thought and time into what we were taking pictures of, why we were taking pictures and whether it was a good picture or not.” Wolens worked with Hall, who built the camera that Wolens used to take pictures. Hall, however, was uncertain about the project at first. “I wasn’t that excited about the project at first,” Hall said. “As the project evolved though, it went from a camera more to a piece of art. The last couple weeks of working on it, I was really excited about it and I was proud of my work.” The project was especially difficult because the cameras had very specific parameters and had to be built in just eight short weeks. “It was a challenge because we are used to working on projects for sometimes six months,” Frost said, “so to have to have a tight deadline and then have a specific set of tolerances that they have to work within was a challenge.” ne of the unusual aspects of this project was that not only did the cameras have to be functional, they had to be interesting pieces of art themselves. “I wanted them to be cool looking objects as well as being functional cameras,” Frost said. “It was an interesting and exciting process, but it also had its set of

PHOTOGRAPHY INSTRUCTOR SCOTT HUNT

There were a lot of challenges they faced, a lot of failures, and then eventually they started working through those problems and getting some pretty interesting images. challenges because we didn’t know what was going to happen, and we didn’t know if it was going to work.” Since a project like this had never been attempted before, there were many unknown obstacles to overcome and lessons to be learned. “There were a lot of challenges [the students] faced, a lot of failures,” Hunt said, “and then eventually they started working through those problems and getting some pretty interesting images.” The ability to coordinate and collaborate with other people is a skill that transcends 10600 Preston Road. “When you get out in the real world and start working, you have to work with other people and get past conflicts and frustrations,” Hunt said. “There were parts of the collaboration that did not turn out well, but there is a lot to be learned even from that.”

COLLABORATIVE CREATIVITY story by Will Clark, life editor | photos by Mason Smith, head photographer and used with permission of Max Wolens

Birth of a salesman By PJ Voorheis staff writer ophomore Chance Cooley might be known around campus as “that one kid who shows up in a different Camaro every few weeks,” but he and his 26-year-old brother Chase Cooley get recognized around Dallas for their father’s catchy Spanish car commercials as well. “He gets recognized somewhat frequently from the commercials,” Chance Cooley said. “I look a lot like my brother even though he’s ten years older than me, and I get mistaken for him all the time.” Chance Cooley is just starting his career in commercials, but his brother is an old pro. “He started doing the Spanish commercials around ten years ago, when he was 16, and I just started making them a few months ago,” Chance Cooley said. “He has been in over 100 different commercials in ten years, and I have been in four different ones so far.” For Chance, participating in the commercials is one of the many ways that he tries to help out with the family business. “It is kind of a family tradition that we help dad out with the company,” Chance Cooley said. According to Clay Cooley, their father, it has been a long road to get to where he is now, the owner of multiple new car dealerships.

“When I was 14, I worked in a grocery store,” Clay Cooley said. “When I was 20, I answered an ad in a newspaper for someone to come out and help sell cars. I’ve been selling cars for 31 years so far, 15 of those independent.” Although Chance doesn’t feel expected by his father to carry on the family business, he knows that someone in the family will. “I definitely don’t feel like my dad is pressuring me into carrying on the family business,” Chance Cooley said. “My brother is a lawyer, and I am not really sure what I want to do, but between either my brother, my sister and me, I am sure one of us will go back and do it.” Chance’s father stresses doing what he is passionate about instead of having to help him out. “I think he really just wants us to do whatever interests us,” Chance Cooley said. “I think that after we all get out of college, he wants us to do whatever makes us happy, but he definitely expects one of us to eventually come back and help him out.” According to Foreign Language Department Chair Nancy Marmion, her Spanish class watched and corrected the commercial in class. “We found out about the commercial in class and decided to watch it,” Marmion said. “We were able to find a few grammatical errors and correct them, but I thought it was great! Especially because he wrote it himself.”

MASON SMITH PHOTO

Clay Cooley Motor Company is one of the biggest car dealerships in the Dallas Fort Worth Area. The owner’s son, sophomore Chance Cooley, is now the star of several Spanish commercials for the family business.

WHEELING AND DEALING The son of Dallas auto dealer Clay Cooley, sophomore Chance Cooley is the star of several Spanish commercials for the dealership. The dealership’s slogan is “Shop me first, shop me last, either way come see Clay!”

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

Page 12, 13

ARNIE HOLTBERG

‘I hope that we have a focus and that what we care about ultimately is that our boys become strong, good men.’ Continued from page 1 So now, with St. Mark’s soon to be a thing of his past, one would expect Holtberg to have a clear calendar with which to start his retired life. But that is not the case. “First we’re moving to Arkansas,” Holtberg said. “We built a house in Hot Springs where we’ve had a condominium for 18 years. We’re pretty well booked between now and January 1, we’ve got to move, our daughter moves back from China to the Midwest. “Before you know it, it’s going to be September and our older son’s getting married. Then we’re going to take a cruise along the Danube and the Rhine, Budapest, Amsterdam. It’s a very educational sort of thing on a small vessel. When we come back we will be in Dallas for some things. We’re going to go to the beach, we’re going to go to New York and Princeton. Then the holidays come up. So that takes care of the next six months. We’re going to try to play it by ear.” After hearing her husband take a deep breath, Jan Holtberg informed The ReMarker of one more thing she wants him to do. “He’d like to write a book all about you guys,” she said. They both laughed, but the remark still resonated. While Holtberg may be retiring, it seems as though he is taking on a completely new set of challenges. “People have advised not to make too many decisions too fast,” Holtberg said, “but just to sort of decompress, catch up and rest with the family.” ut completely letting go of such a busy life will be nearly impossible. He has been at the center of every decision since the first time he picked up a baseball. Holtberg’s baseball career took him from Princeton University to the Fort Lauderdale Yankees, a minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees, active from 1962 to 1992. “My whole life I’ve been in the middle of things,” Holtberg said. “My first day of little league baseball they handed After countless miles on the road, myriad meetings me the catching gear. Who’s more in the middle of the and packed schedules, game than the catcher? No Arnie Holtberg and his wife one is, right? That’s sort of a Jan will move to the hills metaphor for my life; everyof Northwest Arkansas, where I go I’ve sort of been where they hope to parin the middle of things and take in two of their pasI like that.” sions: golf and fishing. That metaphor reveals

the ups and downs that come with a life full of activity and constant decision-making. But for Holtberg, being at the center of everything has never been easy. “A few years ago a younger headmaster asked me, ‘When does it get easier?’ So I looked at him and I said it doesn’t. I didn’t mean that to be a wise guy; it’s just not supposed to get easier. You’re supposed to keep doing your job faithfully and keep learning every step of the way and get satisfaction from being involved in the lives of other people and helping young people grow up well. That’s it. So if you want easy, you better find something else to do.” Nevertheless, Holtberg stresses his freedom from regret. “There’s so much to be enjoyed in this journey called life. Remember that you’re supposed to be enjoying it even when you’re working so hard,” Holtberg said. “We would not have changed an iota, not even the hard things.” ••• nd in his journey, he has certainly experienced some highs, some lows, some difficult decisions and some unforgettable experiences. But for Holtberg, it’s been the sum of these experiences that has allowed him to enjoy every moment of every day. “It’s the experience in the aggregate that is so gratifying, so fulfilling, so exciting at times, to be honest,” Holtberg said. “I can tell you, going to a second grade arts evening is fabulous and makes us feel so good about the school and about what’s happening to the boys. To go to an orchestra concert and listen to the boys play, to see kids in athletics really strive really hard, to have a successful campaign completed, to be able to celebrate with the faculty that we’ve accomplished something really, really important and enduring for the school.” The list goes on, but there is no single occasion he can put his finger on. “After 21 years, there are thousands of just wonderful moments. Literally, thousands of wonderful moments to celebrate.” Since his first day in the headmaster’s office, Holtberg has advocated the “whole boy,” a character trait he still hopes to instill in students today. Seeing students strive in the classroom is important, but that is not all Holtberg hopes students learn. Teaching vital life lessons, ones that Marksmen remember well beyond their years here, is his greatest priority. “Seeing an athletic team, like the baseball team did against ESD, three times they are down four runs and they have to win to get into Division One, and they crawl back from four back,

O N

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L E G A C Y

‘He has his thumb on the pulse of the campus’

they get four down again, they crawl back,” Holtberg said. “It’s not the win alone by any means, it’s that they didn’t give up. That’s what we teach you at St. Mark’s, that’s what we hope for and they delivered. That was a wonderful moment.” Because of the amount of trust Holtberg has in his students, some of the greatest school programs have been created, like the recently established Literary Festival. “The boys came to me and said, ‘We have this idea, we read this novel, we want to try this, what do you think?’ and we said ‘Go’,” Holtberg said, “and now it’s become a huge success and a fixture.” And to support the students here, Holtberg ensures he only hires the best educators. “I get so excited about identifying teachers, coaches and administrators who I know will make a difference in the lives of our boys,” he said. With these faculty members, Holtberg hopes his students will learn more defining lessons to help later in life. Recalling head basketball coach Greg Guiler’s performance in chapel with his wife April 30 in which they shared the essences of their faith, Holtberg lit up. “They are terrific human beings who are sharing something about love, faith and how to live life,” Holtberg said. “And I hired that guy! I hired him. I hired him when he was 25 years old. I saw a young man of great promise. He wasn’t fully formed, but no one is fully formed at 25 years old.” o as the school year comes to a close, Holtberg hopes his decisions as headmaster will leave a lasting effect on the school — from new traditions to new buildings, new students to new faculty. “I hope what I leave behind is a memory to relive your mission every single day and the students are at the core of what we built,” Holtberg said. “I hope that we have a focus and that what we care about, ultimately, is that our boys become strong, good men.” When Holtberg takes his final steps out of Centennial Hall June 30, he will be remembered physically as the man with the bowtie, the booming voice and the powerful speeches. But his legacy will live on in his relationship with the community — and with his family. ••• His wife turns to look at her husband and smiled. “You’re still a husband; you’re still a dad, but no longer a headmaster.”

—third grade instructor Frank Jordan

‘The headmaster who was here was less available and accessible than Mr. Holtberg was to both faculty and students. Mr. Holtberg has been more approachable and more accessible.’ — Ken Owens ’89, chemistry instructor ••• ‘He’s a lot more involved in the school in so many ways – both with the faculty and the students, which is great. I remember asking Mr. Holtberg this question when he came: “Will you get to know the students?” and he said, “Yes I will,” and he did.’ — Frank Jordan, third grade instructor ••• ‘Arnie Holtberg has shown me what it means to be a passionate, dedicated and capable servant leader. He constantly leads by example no matter the situation, and his example is one that I have always tried to follow to the best of my ability.’ — Harrison Perkins, Senior Class president ••• ‘A man of care, a man of integrity, a man of humility, a man who saw his own success as synonymous with the success of the school. And we, as Marksmen, benefited immensely from his example and his care for all of us.’ — Dean Itani ’11 ••• ‘He really lives up to the idea of courage and honor. He’s done so much for this school through his servant leadership and his character. I think that will be his lasting legacy — his character and his emphasis on fostering good character in others.’ — Barbara York, head of Lower School

ENDLESS BE YOUR FAME by Shourya Kumar, managing editor, Matthew Conley, editor-in-chief, Vik Pattabi, issues editor, additional reporting by Rish Basu, staff writer | photos by Mason Smith, head photographer, illustration by Zuyva Sevilla, creative director

21 years of Arnie — Over the course of his time here, Arnie Holtberg contributed his thoughts to The ReMarker more than 500 times. These photos were chosen from select issues beginning in 1992, when he was introduced. The captions are the original captions featured along each picture. HOLTBERG IN ACTION Arnold Holtberg rounds the bases as a hard-hittin’ Princeton Tiger in 1969.

1992

EDITOR IN TROUBLE Holtberg gives ReMarker editor-in-chief Chris Perri ’99 his first detention in Upper School for not following sign-out procedures when leaving campus.

1999

CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY Headmaster Arnie Holtberg (right) and Facilities Adviser Charles Nearburg eagerly watch the new Hicks Athletic Center as it is “topped off.”

2000

EASY MONEY Holtberg was featured on the cover of the December 2002 ReMarker in a story about the economic challenges facing private schools.

2002

LEADING THE WAY Student Council President Brandan Schubert ’03 and Holtberg have a friendly chat between speeches.

2003

“LOWER SCHOOLERS, YOU HAVE NEVER LOOKED BETTER” Headmaster Arnie Holtberg poses with bowtied first graders of the Class of 2014 and their teacher, Valencia Mack.

2003

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY Holtberg dances with his partner during the “Dancing with the Stars”themed Parents Association Auction in 2010.

2010

OPENING REMARKS Holtberg addresses the community during an All-School Centennial Challenge Celebration in Hicks Gymnasium. Former Student Council President Charles Branch ’10, former Senior Master Frank Jordan and Campaign Co-Chair Wallace L. Hall ’80 also spoke at the assembly.

2010

IN REMEMBRANCE “Confusion. Shock. Grief. Sadness. Fear. Anxiety. Anger. Outrage. Just so many emotions were running through my mind and heart in those first days,” Holtberg told the ReMarker in our coverage of the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 in the Sept. 2011 issue.

2011

KICKIN’ BACK As a Carter BloodCare employee prepares an alcohol swab, Headmaster Arnie Holtberg relaxes as he donates for the annual blood drive Feb. 22. Fifty units of blood were given during the event.

2013

FEARLESS LEADER Reflecting in front of the cupola of Davis Hall, Headmaster Arnie Holtberg will retire at the end of the 2013-2014 school year as the longest tenured headmaster in school history.

LIFELONG LEGACY Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg has represented the school’s motto “Courage and Honor” through his dedicated leadership over the past 21 years. The plaques behind him pay tribute to Wirt Davis Hall and Founders Hall, both of which preceded Centennial Hall, the school’s monument to commemorate 100 years of quality education.

2014

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

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LIFE V I C

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Bound for college

DEBT?

For many Marksmen, college financing isn’t an issue; for others, it is. Here’s how one student is meeting the costs of a college education.

A MAN WITH A PLAN Senior Vic Calvillo is one of thousands of future college freshmen that will have to deal with the dilemma of college financing, and potentially, debt.

t’s a problem that transcends number figures. From 2009-2012, the average cost for public and non-profit private universities increased by an average 12.9 percent – the latest update in a decade-long trend of price increases that’s placed the country in over $1 trillion dollars of student loan debt. A debt that’s been adding on an additional $3,000 per day. College debt has resulted in evictions and bankruptcy, and it’s a question far from reaching an answer. Today – of the nearly 20 million Americans attending college – 60 percent of students borrow annually to help cover costs. The prospect of college debt is a haunting, inescapable reality for college-bound Marksmen alike, including senior Vic Calvillo, who will be attending Texas A&M University next fall, benefited from the school’s financial aid package and will partially finance his collegiate education on his own. “Texas A&M comes out to be something like $15,000 to $16,000 a year,” Calvillo said. “I was a Regents Scholar, which provides $5,000 of the tuition, and that lowers the total to $10,000 to $11,000.” Calvillo’s status as a Regents Scholar, which is designed to help first-generation college students in achieving their educa-

tional goals, stays in effect for all four of his undergraduate years at Texas A&M. “On top of that, the average financial aid package provides $8,000 to $9,000, so – altogether – I’m paying about $1,000 to $2,000,” Calvillo said. “My plan is to work this summer, save money and pay some of that tuition off, and if I can’t do it on my SENIOR VIC CALVILLO

I didn’t’ restrict myself to applying to only certain schools because of financial reasons. I just applied to schools that I wanted to get into, and then I was going to deal with financial aid once I got in. own, then my brother will also help me.” Calvillo’s brother, Demetrio, is currently studying education at Sam Houston State University. The brothers’ united effort to pay off Vic’s tuition demonstrates the Calvillo family’s determination to pay off debt, prior to it becoming a problem. “The past two years, I’ve been working

BOUND FOR COLLEGE DEBT? story by Cyrus Ganji, senior content editor | photo by Mason Smith, head photographer

RETURNING TO HOMES IN JAPAN, GERMANY

After eight months at school, exchange students Chung and Schneider look to return home By Corday Cruz staff writer s the exchange students, juniors Heesuk Chung and Manuel Schneider, will soon return to Japan and Germany respectively, the two shared what they experienced over the course of the year. The two enjoyed events like Homecoming and football games that are not offered in their home countries. Chung says that while it was tough to adjust to living in a different country, it was a great experience that he will take back to Japan with him. “It was absolutely great,” Chung said. “It was much harder than I expected to live in another country because the language is different, the culture is different, but still, I had so much fun here, and that’s great.” Schneider also saw this as a great opportunity to learn more than just culture. “I think this year was one of the most fulfilling years of my life so far,” Schneider said. “You don’t only learn about the culture in America, you learn a lot about friendship, brotherhood that is really emphasized here. You learn about academics, driving, about giving your best in class, about giving your best in athletics, you’re learning a whole lot about leadership especially if you’re one of the upperclassmen for like freshman, sophomores.”

As foreign exchange students, at first both struggled with English, but as the year progressed, Chung and Schneider have become more confident with more experience with the language. And despite their initial trouble with English, both Chung and Schneider were surprised by the sense of community they encountered when they first arrived. “So many people are so altruistic here and helped me out in so many different ways,” Schneider said. “Just having their help you become extremely grateful.” A favorite of both juniors was the football games, both because they were so well attended by the student body, and that these games were an experience that is not as prevalent where they come from. Chung and Schneider both agree that parties were a good addition to their social lives in contrast to their home countries, where Chung said they don’t throw parties in Japan, and Schneider said that his school in Germany is not as involved with events such as mixers and football games. When asked what he will take home with him, Schneider said he would take home something he learned from the hard work he has put in during his time here. “There’s no goal that you cannot achieve,” Schneider said.

during the summer,” Calvillo said. “I quit my job, mainly because I didn’t enjoy working there and everything, but I enjoy working during the summer – while also having free time. I’m doing the Brendan Court tutoring, during the summer, and that’s a thousand dollars. Part of that will go towards paying some of the tuition off. In total, Texas A&M was a very strong financial option.” However, Texas A&M’s monetary convenience didn’t play a factor in Calvillo’s college choices. Instead, he applied to colleges on the basis of their quality, and then dealt with the financial aspects after acceptance. “I didn’t restrict myself to applying to only certain schools because of financial reasons,” Calvillo said. “I just applied to schools that I wanted to get into, and then I was going to deal with financial aid once I got in. I think I got lucky in that I didn’t restrict myself.” Calvillo’s situation is a rarity, in terms of his happiness with both the quality and price of his future university. For many others less fortunate than Calvillo, the college debt monster will be a much more difficult dilemma to tackle. “One of my friends, he applied to big schools — and he got into some of them — but they were private and expensive,” Calvillo said. “He’s from a similar socioeconomic background as myself, so it’ll be a huge struggle for him to pay it off.” Despite the convenience of Calvillo’s collegiate financing, he claims that the opportunities and advantages of David Baker’s Financial Aid Office are hard to trump. “Financial aid at St. Mark’s was just tremendous,” Calvillo said. “Here, it’s 25 grand a year, and they pay for over 75 percent of that every year. This year, for my senior year, they paid everything off – I didn’t pay

a cent. That’s obviously because of the great Financial Aid Office we have, directed by Mr. Baker. And, so many people give back to St. Mark’s that the school can put it to use for their students.” Despite the school’s attempts to provide the most for students on financial aid, Calvillo admits that many Marksmen are unaware of some of the financial realities he’s been forced to confront. “I think very privileged people — including people at St. Mark’s — are unaware of certain financial realities,” Calvillo said. “Your friends maybe know or assume if someone is on financial aid, and honestly, their assumption’s probably right. However, you don’t want your financial aid status to affect the friends you have, but at some point, your friends say ‘Hey, let’s do this,’ and you obviously can’t keep up with the activities they do, say on the weekend or over Spring Break, because you can’t afford to.” owever, Calvillo knows these differences are inescapable — that they are the product of different backgrounds. “I think some students are blind to financial reality, but there’s not much they can do about it,” Calvillo said. “It’s certainly not their fault, they just live in a different atmosphere. It’s just one of those things that going to be out there.” Calvillo looks forward to moving on to Texas A&M, but he knows that his departure, from a place that’s given him so much, will be bittersweet. “Having been on financial aid, and being from my background, I’ve certainly become more grateful for the wonderful opportunities I’ve received,” Calvillo said. “At St. Mark’s, the entire purpose is to excel. It’s turned me into a completely new person, work ethic-wise, and it’s just been marvelous.”

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

Page 15

LIFE MOVIES

A summer of sequels With summer coming up faster than we realized, staff writer Philip Montgomery takes a look at upcoming movie sequels to look forward to over the summer break.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Opens July 11

Transformers: Age of Extinction Opens June 27

wo years ago, when Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the first in a new series of prequels to the 1968 smash-hit movie Planet of the Apes, I was skeptical at first, but it turned out to be one of the most popular movies of the summer. For those of you who haven’t seen either, they’re pretty epic. The original story explores an alternate reality in which, upon returning to earth, a long gone human spaceship discovers that the planet is now run by intellectually superior apes that have enslaved humans. The 2011 version, a prequel starring James Franco, elaborates on the first. A monkey named Caesar is tested on with a possible cure for Alzheimer’s and becomes a super-primate, wrecking the San Francisco Police Department and escaping into the Redwood forest in the process. An exploration of post-apocalyptic human culture, this movie will have, without a doubt, the best primate war scenes of the year. I expect the sequel to be just as good as the others.

Prediction:

B+

How to Train your Dragon 2 Opens June 7

ull disclosure, I love animated movies. Anyone who says they don’t is either lying or heartless. I feel weird saying that it’s the movie that I’m most excited for this summer, but after how amazing the first one was, I’m not going to lie to you and pretend it’s not going to be awesome just to protect my manhood. The first one was fantastic. If you didn’t catch it because you thought you were too cool to enjoy the story of a weak son of a village chief that captures and befriends a dragon named Toothless, please take my word for it and rent it sometime (if you can do that anymore) then catch the sequel when it comes out in theaters July 13 . I’m Prediction: not sure if animated movies have midnight premieres, but if they do, I’ll be there. I can guarantee you in advance that this movie will be my favorite one this summer.

he first Transformers movie was great. It wasn’t going to win an Oscar, but I liked seeing giant, super-intelligent robots duke it out with big Prediction: guns and fire swords just as much as the next guy. After that, the series went pretty downhill. Each time, evil robots come to take over Earth. Each time, there’s one guy who can stop them with the help of good robots. Each time, the good guys win. There’s nothing new. Sure, there will be new robo-dinosaurs, but just take a minute to think about how that doesn’t make any sense. How would aliens from another planet even know what a dinosaur is? Let alone be able to transform into one. I was able to get past this at first with the robots being able to transform into human machines and other obvious flaws, but this time they went too far. It’s not a film I’ll be seeing when it comes out, but if you’re looking for a smash mouth film that you’ve already seen three times before (if you saw the prequels), then this is the movie for you. If not, show off your sensitive side and take a girl out to see a heartwarming film about a boy, his dragon and they’re adventures together (see: How to Train Your Dragon 2).

C-

X-Men: Days of Future Past Opens May 23

n the latest installment of the X-men series, Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, must travel back in time to warn his fellow mutants that a new threat, government made robots called sentinels, threaten to not only end the race of mutants but also humans. While I was never a huge fan of the X-men series, I expect this one to be one of the favorites of the summer. The star-laden cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry and Ian McKellen as well as many others will provide an interesting new plot to continue the very successful dynasty of X-men movies.

Prediction:

22 Jump Street Opens July 13

hate to say it, but most comedy movie sequels are terrible. For every successful one like Anchorman 2, there are a million Home Alone 4s, Rush Hour 3s, or The Hangover Part II’s. It’s just really hard to create another new and interesting storyline different enough from the first one so that there are new jokes to be made but similar enough so that they don’t become disconnected. Prediction: But, after the number of times I laughed during 21 Jump Street, where Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum go undercover in a high school, I think 22 Jump Street will succeed where so many others have failed. I don’t know if it can live up to the standards set by the first one, but I expect to see a solid film with a few good laughs.

A-

A SUMMER OF SEQUELS by Philip Montgomery, staff writer | photos used with permission Creative Commons

The Good

The Bad

David Guetta

The Parking

DON’T GET ME WRONG, normally, David Guetta is not a tal-

ented artist. Despite that, I was pleasantly surprised with his performance as one of the headliners and the Sunday night finale act. The crowd was electric, his music was passable and he quickly became the best act of the entire festival. I’ll probably never listen to his music outside of the concert, but David Guetta stole the show. There were tons of twelve year old girls screaming his name, but it didn’t take away from the quality of the performance.

USUALLY, WHEN ONE PAYS $25 for parking at a concert or

The first annual Suburbia Music Festival was held May 3 and 4 at Oak Point Park and Nature Reserve in Plano. The event, hopefully the start of something new, featured prominent artists like David Guetta and J. Cole. Staff writer PJ Voorheis gives his take on the good and bad of the music festival.

sporting event, a short walk can be expected. At Suburbia, on the other hand, after searching for parking for close to 15 minutes, and paying $25 for parking, there are two options: walk four miles to the concert itself, or cut the hike down to a one mile walk with a $5 per person shuttle. It’s not a reason to skip it, but it was a huge inconvenience during the weekend and something they will definitely have to fix for future events.

The Heat

The Food

WHILE IT WASN’T GOURMET, the food was solid. Albeit extremely overpriced, as food is at

most events, Suburbia had everything, from the good ‘ole hot dogs and hamburgers, to Torchy’s-grade “street tacos”, to a chicken ‘n waffles sandwich. The food is never a good reason to attend a music festival, but overall, it helped the quality of the event a lot. If you’re a picky eater, don’t let the food be the reason that you don’t go to the second annual Suburbia next year.

THE ONE DOWNSIDE of having a hometown music festival at the end of spring is the

heat. While it wasn’t hitting the above 100 degree weather that we become accustomed to every summer, the 90 degree heat was far from my favorite aspect of the weekend. Combine that with the parking problems, and it made for a deadly one-two punch to even get to the festival, not even mentioning having to spend the next six hours in the sweltering heat without much cover.

The People

Yelawolf

AT MOST CONCERTS, the people can be abrasive. That’s not to say they’re bad people, but

they go crazy with the loud music and mob-mentality and run into as many people as they can, screaming the entire time. At first, it’s funny, but it quickly starts to take away from the concert atmosphere. At Suburbia, however, the people were a cut above other concerts. They stayed in control and didn’t make the concert a terrible experience for others, which was a complete 180 degree turn around from every other concert I’ve been to.

YOU KNOW WHAT WAS WORSE than listening to “Yellow Wolf” for two hours? Listening to Yelawolf for three hours…But hold up – Yelawolf does deserve some credit: his fifthgrade fan base is impressively extensive. All jokes aside, his performance in concert was bad, especially considering the breadth of his popularity. I was expecting more of his mainstream, bob-your-head genre, not the rampage music he delivered. Also Wolf: you’re not better than Eminem (yet).

SUBURBIA REVIEWS by PJ Voorheis, staff writer | photo used with permission Creative Commons

OPINION

16 Editorials

18 Target Practice

17 Talking Heads

THE REMARKER | 16 FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

EDITORIALS R E T I R I N G

H E A D M A S T E R

A SEV ZU Y V

IL L A

GRAP

H IC

A simple thank you

Unlike most editorials, this one is deeply personal. It is from The ReMarker staff to one of the publications program’s most ardent supporters, Headmaster Arnie Holtberg. We hope readers do not mind the personal message herein. Without Holtberg’s support over the years, The ReMarker would not have been able to cover the sensitive, issue-driven articles that we have been able to present. A true champion of the student press, Holtberg has been a tireless advocate of our expression, curiosity and investigation.

ast year on Monday morning, March 11, you stood up in front of the Upper School in Decherd Hall and told us that you would not be returning for the 2014-15 school year. Instantly, the entire building erupted into one of the largest and longest, most bittersweet standing ovations that 10600 Preston Road has ever seen — for the man who built one of the greatest legacies ever at 10600 Preston Road. It has now been 21 years, Mr. Holtberg, since you began shaping St. Mark’s School of Texas into a tight-knit community set on a campus that provides us all with a home. And we cannot thank you enough for every bit of it. Thank you for taking a school that was already of the highest caliber and making it exponentially better, exponentially stronger. Although Davis Hall was a treasured building, The Centennial Challenge transformed the campus into something greater. And just like each of your other contributions, it will never be forgotten. Your ability to make people listen to what you say has made

opinions, which have often led to changes that have affected each of us on campus. Always wise and open to change, you have allowed for constant improvement at the school. Each and every one of these 21 years has seen the school take significant strides of success that will endure for generations to come. hough the ending of this era that has been so great feels so bittersweet, we know that all good things must come to an end, and we know that your contributions will remain even when you are no longer here. As we begin a new era with another great man as our next headmaster, we wish you and your family only the best as you turn to a new chapter in your life. Your day-to-day dedication and service to the school has truly reflected our development into men. Under your leadership, we have not only flourished, but thrived. Not only succeeded, but excelled. Your courage and honor have and will leave marks on the school in the heart of every person you have touched. And, for that, we thank you.

Cell phone policy established; phone-cheating needs to stop

s of earlier this month, the cell phone trial period—a time when administrators allowed cell phone usage in approved areas on campus on a trial basis—ended, and the administration made the policy official. The rules will remain the same. However, if a teacher catches a student on his phone, then the administration has the power to take the phone away during the school day for three days. In this light, it is even more important for students to use their phones appropriately because now there is even more to lose. However, this makes it more important than ever for us to not abuse this privilege: • Using cell phones to cheat is unacceptable, and it should not be tolerated. A Level 3 offense, this violation of school rules is just wrong. • Students all need to be more disciplined on

their phones. They must adhere to the rules and only use their phones in the approved zones. In order to prevent cheating with cell phones, we recommend that teachers implement the following ideas into their classroom rules: • During tests, if a teacher is going to allow a student to go to the bathroom, they simply should not allow him to take his phone. • And if a teacher wants to completely eliminate the growing problem of cheating with phones, have students place their phones either on their desks face down, or in the front of the room besides the teacher. It’s up to everyone to make this new policy work. Cheating is bad. It’s as simple as that. All students need to take the initiative and not cheat. On the other hand, all teachers must do whatever it takes to try to keep their students from cheating.

CAMERON CLARK PHOTO

your wise words ring throughout the walls of where we gather together — in the chapel, Hick’s Gym or the Great Hall. And, yes, even Decherd Hall on that morning last March. Thank you for trusting us, but more importantly, for supporting us in every story idea that has been presented to you. Thank you for your guidance, for helping us make the impact on the community that we strive for. Thank you for not only allowing us to write the stories that intrigue, concern and educate us, but for encouraging us to give our thoughts and feedback on different topics involving the school. Whether we have written about teen pregnancy, depression or verbal abuse, you have enabled us to stimulate campus-wide discussions that have further educated us in important topics that are not taught in the classroom. This has more than educated us. It has enlightened us. Your contributions to The ReMarker have stretched far beyond approving difficult stories. What has made these contributions unique is your willingness to always listen to our stories and

PHONE ZONES A group of sophomores use their phones (legally) in the Hoffman lounge. Phones may be used in this lounge, the Centennial lounge, the lounge in the Science Building or with permission of a teacher.

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

Page 17

OPINION

heads state politics TALKING

LONG STORY SHORT

concise opinion

the good

CAMERON CLARK PHOTO

WHEN IT’S GOOD, it’s really good. But about half the time, the ice cream machine in the cafeteria just spits vanilla milk, if anything at all. And occasionally, the syrup to milk ratios are off, and the ice cream comes out way too sweet. We don’t want to make changes to the ice cream when it’s good, we just wish it was at its best more often.

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF PRIVATESCHOOLREVIEW.COM

WITH MORE THAN 20 students "dead" at the end of last month's active shooter practice, Marksmen demonstrated an unfortunate apathy toward the emergency response drill. Campus safety is a matter we need to take seriously, especially considering that were a real situation to occur, younger students would look to upper schoolers for guidance. We urge Marksmen to act more appropriately during future emergency drills.

n a brisk February afternoon I found myself assigned the task of wandering the dirty, vibrant streets of the Lower East Side, taking photographs of random strangers and asking them what life was like in their neighborhood. By this point, I’d gotten used to using New York City as a classroom. The last half of my junior year has been spent at the CITYterm semester program, and even as I write this, my days in the North are drawing to a close. By February, approaching strangers had lost its initial terror. Driven by some fleeting curiosity, I crossed the street to approach a man leaning against a graffiti-covered wall, pensively smoking a cigarette. Speaking in a gravelly voice, he posed for a photo, declined to give his name and described to me, a perfect stranger, how he had lived his entire life almost exclusively within his little corner of Manhattan. He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, telling me that he was long into adulthood before he realized how small his world really was. He

hat’s our first concern in terms of government: jobs and healthcare… Economy first, you always hear talk about our nation’s economic problems, but you never hear Texas mentioned… Know why? Strong conservative leadership. Let’s go for some numbers: 1, Texas’s rank in terms of job growth from 20002014. In addition, Texas is the number one desirable location for businesses to move to in the U.S. In fact, just last week Toyota moved their headquarters here. Clearly we are doing something right. Why change our beloved state? We want to be Texas, not California. Greg Abbott will pick up right where Governor Perry left off and ensure that Texas stays the most appealing state to start and grow a business, which is what the American Dream is all about. In terms of healthcare, Abbott believes in reform. Obamacare and Medicaid expansion are not the way to go and that is evident by Abbott stands for its failure all across the nation. People are losing their true Texas values and policies and doctors after being promised they could won’t back down in his pursuit to preserve keep them. Why should we buy into a system proven Texas as a land of not to work when we could strive for something so liberty and freedom. much better? Doctors save lives, not bureaucracy. Abbott stands for true Texas values and won’t back down in his pursuit to preserve Texas as a land of liberty and freedom. He’ll keep government small, taxes low, and regulations reasonable... because at the end of the day Texans are what make Texas work. Elton Bottom line, we need a problem solver who’s going to continue the conserMcIntosh vative leadership that has allowed Texas to be so successful. Abbott has fought through adversity and is ready for whatever challenge may face him. Greg Abbott should be and will be Texas’s next governor.

• For Wendy Davis, Democratic nominee, state senator eople are dying. Mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers are being killed for politics, and every Texan pays a price. Wendy Davis will stop that. Greg Abbott wants to keep it going. No issue is more important than expanding Medicaid for workers, which is part of Obamacare. Texas is one of 25 states to refuse to do so, with Republican politicians deceiving voters about the harm they’re inflicting just so they can say they oppose Obama. That’s why John Gruber, a Mitt Romney advisor, called Texas’ action “awesome in its evilness.’’ Consider this number: 3,034. That’s how many Texans will die each Davis wants to help year because of the refusal to expand Medicaid, a Texans. Medicaid Stanford study says. And killing those people costs expansion works, and money. Rather than using Medicaid to see a cheaper she has committed to do it, while Abbott doctor, they’re forced to emergency rooms, which refuses. legally can’t turn them away and cost more than any other type of care. Who pays? All of us. Texans shell out $2,786 more in insurance premiums annually for that care, a state study says. Washington pays the cost for Medicaid expansion for three years. After that, Texas either pays 10 percent or cancels the expansion. That means, right now, Texans are paying federal taxes to cover other states’ Medicaid expansion and paying to cover the cost of our own uninsured and killing people. Davis wants to help Texans. Medicaid expansion works, and she has committed to do it, while Abbott refuses. People will live if she is governor, and Texans will spend less in taxes. What else could you want?

the ugly

JACOB CHERNICK

MASON SMITH PHOTO

the bad

• For Greg Abbott, Republican nominee, Texas attorney general

MASON SMITH PHOTO

ARNO GOETZ PHOTO

FROM AN EXCITING ping pong tournament to a nostalgic Super Smash Bros. showdown, the Upper School assemblies this year have been top-notch entertainment. The Student Council has done a great job of being creative and fresh throughout the year by breaking the monotony of a long week.

The primaries are over and the Texas gubernatorial race is coming up this fall. We asked junior Elton McIntosh and sophomore Sam Eichenwald who’d get their vote.

Sam Eichenwald

On the outside, looking in lived in a city of 8 million people and for years he probably only talked with ten or 20 of them daily. It wasn’t until the long train ride home that the implications of what the man had said really dawned on me. He had no way of knowing the enormous scope of his environment, no way of knowing how limited his experience had been, but he must have had a feeling. And at some point he knew that he wanted to try something new. I know that feeling. Just over a year ago I was nervously pacing back and forth through my living room, holding two acceptance letters in my almost-trembling hands. One phone call would lead me to a new school and away from all that I had known the last 10 years. The other would give me a semester in New York and then deposit me right back into the thick of it. All it took for me to make my final decision was to consider what I’d really be leaving behind. Call it what you want. That subtle

awareness that you are in a small, selective community removed from the rest of the world. Most people just call it “the bubble.” Whatever term you use, I felt like I was drowning in it. Overcome with a feeling of isolation, I convinced myself that I needed to escape—and fast. ut as junior year rolled on I became more and more appreciative of the decision I had made to leave briefly and return. As I pushed myself to take more opportunities and join new social groups, I slowly began to realize that the problems I had blamed on the community were really just problems with my personal outlook. I wanted to leave because I thought that doing so would make me happier. Only now do I realize that that part was always my own responsibility. The man I spoke to may have spent his youth in a tiny part of a huge city, but at least he will always have a place to return to, a place that he can forever call his own. Before I abandoned the verbose,

Whatever term you use, I felt like I was drowning in it. Overcome with a feeling of isolation, I convinced myself that I needed to escape — and fast. nameless man in search of a new stranger to approach, he told me one more thing. He said that at one point he did choose to move out, escaping briefly to Spanish Harlem, but that he eventually returned. When I asked him why he came back, he paused almost imperceptibly, then replied, “The people.” The experiences I’ve had in this bustling metropolis thousands of miles away have been beyond amazing. I’m going to return with memories of nighttime skylines and Turkish saunas, Broadway shows and improbable friendships. But I’m just as grateful that I have a place that feels like home to return to next year. I’m glad I have familiar faces waiting to greet me. I’m glad I have the bubble.

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

Page 18

OPINION

Problem solving made simple

ZUYVA SEVILLA

eople will naturally judge the book by its cover. All I want is for them to get to the first line. I still remember my first ReMarker work day at the end of September during freshman year. No one knew even knew that the tiny ninth grader was already on staff as I took a seat next to the fire-hazard of a newspaper supply closet as soon as I walked in, too scared to go get a bagel. I didn’t know how the work Saturdays operated. I didn’t know how graphic requests happened. I didn’t know how page assignments were coordinated. I didn’t know even three people from the entire staff. All I knew were the basics of graphic art. I was called into the office to consult on a critical centerspread graphic issue. The current art was too bland and needed to "pop” more. I went back to the lab and took a seat at the back computer, scared to show my task to others, and started to work on the art. One week later, the paper released. There I learned how exhilarating it is to see your name printed, for the first time,

in a publication that everyone around you is holding in their hands. Twenty issues later, the exhilaration still comes. It comes from seeing my name printed on the paper, from hearing classmates around comment on my work and from seeing the impact my work has done. From that first September spread, to the JFK special section, to this issue’s work, knowing the impact that my art and design can have has driven my desire to further continue this activity. Seventh graders generally don’t think about how their hobbies might change their entire professions. Looking back, I never thought playing with Illustrator’s Bézier curves, Photoshop’s clipping masks and InDesign’s master pages would steer the rest of my career. Soon I will join the rest of the rising seniors in making one of the biggest decisions in life: college. ut especially at a school like ours, where we’re all destined to be successful, to make huge changes, to lead great people, going into a creative field can

against him, whether from social support or the actual chances of him getting a big break, but that didn’t deter him and that won't deter me. Because he was determined and because he held on to the desire to make a difference, he has made a name for himself as an artist. The life of an artist might be seen as foolish to try to go for something that seems so out of reach that there’s no point in even going for it. But why? Is that not what we have learned to do here at 10600 Preston Road? e set our goals high because we know we all have the potential to reach them. For many of us, being a big-time lawyer or celebrated politician is completely within reach or expectation. But for some reason, sometimes we fail to see as much potential in being an artist. Design is everything in front of you right now. It’s simply foolish to think that the person who controls that with what he sees cannot change his world. Why would it be foolish to strive to be that person? I know that I can see and I want to show everyone else.

seem foolish, naïve and strange. I may not be able to solve problems with numbers as easily as the next guy. But visual problems are a different story. With them, just like a mathematician rearranges the sides of an equation, I rearrange the typography on a page. It’s about making solutions visible. For me, its about showing others what I see. Design is not just about making pretty visuals and providing decoration. Okay, yes, technically you could say that. But, naturally, there’s something more to it. It’s responding to problems and finding creative solutions to the question of “why?” and making a difference. It’s digesting information and making sure it gets across correctly. Rhett Miller’s success as an artist didn’t happen overnight. The odds were

Twenty issues later, the exhilaration still comes. It comes from seeing my name printed on the paper, from hearing classmates around me comment on my work and from seeing the impact my work has done.

target

Senior attendance for alumni events | Scarce

p r a c t i c e

The Cafeteria Bar | Spot on uess what I had for lunch today, when I flew into the cafeteria? Wings (Ha). And Chili Mac. And pasta. Let’s take a moment to sincerely thank the cafeteria staff for the best gastronomic invention since the Chicken n’ Waffle: the Cafeteria Bar. Oh boy, it looks like cholesterol has been reincorporated into our daily diets (if you’re sad, don’t fret – go get a salad). Men, the cafeteria has been resurrected.

CAMERON CLARK PHOTO

MASON SMITH PHOTO

o, let’s talk about April 25, the date of the Alumni Weekend student panels, which was capped off by an extraordinary Rhett Miller ’89 concert. Seniors, y’all remember? Oh wait, half of you weren’t even there, because you’d prefer to blast Jigglypuff into the stratospheric atmosphere above Corneria rather than attend the school’s Alumni Weekend – which you will be invited to next year, by the way. Also, please stop defacing school property, for it will soon be passed on to the Class of 2015 (see Senior Lounge).

End of the Year | Pretty horrible t’s that time of year again. The time when we’re not sure whether to rejoice or to cry, whether to bust out the tanning lotion, or hit up the library. So, in the end, we’re frozen into stagnancy. The good news is, no matter how hard you procrastinate, someone will be procrastinating harder. Stay on course, gents. We’ll see you on the other side.

#22KILL | Bullseye ow. How about those #22KILL push-ups... We’re still sore from those #12 push-ups we somehow managed to finish. Shout-out to the Honor Courage and Commitment program, who instigated the #22KILL movement, for making us aware and the Hersh Foundation for making the event happen.

REMARKER STUDENT NEWSPAPER

editor-in-chief managing editor issues editor senior content editor deputy managing editor creative director head photographer opinion editors business manager

Matthew Conley Shourya Kumar Vik Pattabi Cyrus Ganji Alex Kim Zuyva Sevilla Mason Smith William Caldwell Cameron Clark Roby Mize

news editors Bradford Beck Noah Koecher life editors Will Clark Avery Powell sports editors Zachary Naidu Philip Smart graphics director Abhi Thummala

campus coordinator Richard Jiang photo editor Alden James reviews specialist Jacob Chernick copy editor William Sydney staff artists Purujit Chatterjee Joon Park

staff photographers Harrison Chen, Arno Goetz, Alden James, Graham Kirstein, Cameron Lam, Adam Merchant, Tim O’Meara, Connor Olson, Nico Sanchez, Corbin Walp, Matt Woodberry staff writers Rish Basu, Aiden Blinn, Nick Buckenham, Daniel

Cope, John Crawford, Corday Cruz, Will Forbes, James Hancock, Kevin He, Nolan Jenevein, Case Lowry, Akshay Malhotra, Davis Marsh, Aidan Maurstad, Crawford McCrary, Philip Montgomery, Matthew Placide, Gopal Raman, Anvit Reddy adviser Ray Westbrook

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“

THE DRIVE Freshman golfer Sam Clayman swings down the competition in the SPC Championship Tournament. p. 24

SPORTS AROUND CAMPUS THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014 | PAGE 19

upcoming

FOURS A CREW Slicing through the water, sophomore Harrison Chen, junior Manu Schneider, freshmen Killian Green and Vikrant Reddy (from top down) paddle toward a third place finish in the Texas Rowing Championships in Austin, May 3.

tip-off

Weekend

Summer

> Five sports activities will be available to students as they participate this afternoon in the annual Blue and Gold Day activities.

>Three Metrocrest summer basketball teams practice at 8 a.m. May 17 at the Thomas O’ Hicks Gymnasium.

> Varsity crew members head to the U.S. Rowing National Youth Championship, its final competition June 13-15 in Sacramento, CA. Seniors Cameron Baxley, Nick Brodsky, Alex McKenna and junior Luke Hudspeth will compete in the varsity quad race.

> The annual SeniorFaculty softball game will be on the Arthur P. Ruff baseball field at 1:30 p.m.

> Cycling Club heads to Cedar Hill for a weekend ride at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

A ROUNDUP OF THE LASTEST IN ATHLETICCS ON AND OFF CAMPUS

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

•The varsity tennis team finished fifth at this year’s spring SPC Championship Tournament May 2 and 3 hosted by Greenhill. New rules involving the ability to alter lineups, the permitting of “stacking,” played a key role in the tournaments outcome, and the home team Hornets won first place. “They had a rule change in SPC that allowed it so you could switch up your lineup,” sophomore member Albert Thieu said. “I think we did alright. Being the number two seed in the North, I think it is kind of a little disappointment getting fifth place.” Overall the Lions had an impressive season with a strong final record of 9-3. As for the tournament, despite an opening round loss, the Lions recovered with a solid finish the rest of the way, and the performance provided optimism for the future. “I think we really ended up well with the last two wins after that first loss,” Thieu said. “So I think next year we will be pretty good.”

IN THE ZONE Eyeing his opponent, sophomore Anvit Reddy braces for the upcoming point while fellow sophomore Albert Thieu serves. The doubles partners defeated their Oakridge opponents May 3 to help the varsity tennis team capture fifth place at the SPC championship tournament.

— Tip-off stories reported by Zachary Naidu, Rish Basu, Daniel Cope and James Hancock

senior’s last stand “My athletic career at St. Mark’s was incredibly fufilling. I learned so much as a man, student and athlete, and I’m glad my experiences in cross country and track here have developed running into one of my strongest passions.“

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS Rearing back for a pass, junior goalie George Lin looks for an open teammate during the Lions’ 12-5 state championship win.

TIE GOES TO THE RUNNER Diving back to third base, junior pinchrunner Corson Purnell reaches the bag just in time during the 15-5 first round win in SPC championship tournament against St. John’s May 2. Purnell ran for catcher Teddy Edwards, who both helped the Lions to a win in the first round that was held at St. Mark’s.

ATHLETES CARRYING ON THE ST. MARK’S LEGACY AT THE NEXT LEVEL

Matthew Brown: TCU

Time at St. Mark’s:

ZACH NAIDU PHOTO

•Finishing the season strong, Middle School sports completed their spring season. Eighth grade baseball finished with a 10-3 record and the seventh grade team finished at 7-4. “A key win was against HSAA (Home School Athletic Association) because we lost 4-5 earlier in the season and came back to beat them 5-4,” eighth grade baseball coach Josh Friesen said. “Despite having injuries, we played out of position and have been very successful.” The middle school tennis team defeated Greenhill to end their season, and middle school track placed strongly in their meet at Greenhill. The blue and gold lacrosse teams have performed very well, and they both end their season with one postseason victory. The team was proud of starting off undefeated through six games. A key win for the gold team was a 12-2 dominating performance in the DFW Playoffs against Colleyville. •The junior varsity baseball team went 12-4 this season. In the opening game, the Lions beat Pantego Christion 11-0. After defeating ESD 9-8 April 12, the Lions closed the season with another win against Cistercian 9-0. The junior varsity lacrosse team had a 6-2 record this season. The team won its first home game by a one-point margin against Allen 5-4. After winning their first three games, the team suffered a narrow defeat at Jesuit, losing 8-6. Their loss was followed by another tough game two days later as the home team ESD Eagles beat them 5-1. Even though they went through a minor slump, the Lions finished their season on a three game win streak, highlighted by their narrow 7-5 win over Highland Park in the season finale April 8.

PHILIP SMART PHOTO

wkward. That’s an accurate way to describe some of my encounters with soon-to-be retired Headmaster Arnie Holtberg. Hopefully he doesn’t even remember. About four years ago, as a short, handtennis loving sixth grader, I was walking out of Hoffman. That day, I got to leave school early for an orthodontist appointment, which was always followed with a trip to Chick-Fil-A. It seemed like a good day. I walked to go and sign out, and I ran into my Spanish teacher at the time. We began a conversation and I spoke in Spanish, with some trouble of course. After the exchange of words, I continued walking. With both teachers and students in class and no one in sight, I pulled out my flip phone. Don’t blame me, I was in sixth grade. Now, at this time, phones were strictly off limits during school, and there was no such thing as a zone where a Marksman could use his cell phone. But I turned a corner, and there he stood. The Headmaster. Naturally smooth, I looked at him, with my offlimits phone plopped in my hand, and exclaimed, “Hola!” Yep, Hola. Pure genius. My mind was still wired in Spanish from the previous conversation apparently. Yet, he didn’t reprimand me. No more words were said, and after a few seconds of silence, I put my head down and kept walking as he kindly let me go. I thought I managed to bamboozle the most concrete PHILIP man I know. SMART Awkward. But hilarious. Yet just a couple weeks later, I saw him purposely make a fool of himself. He had a stick, and it had a lion’s head at the top of it. He took the lion-stick and stuck the top around into teacher’s offices while he stood outside hiding and laughing hysterically. It was an awesome sight. Our Headmaster means business, but he likes to have fun as well. One of Mr. Holtberg’s main goals during his tenure has been changing the sports culture. He has always stressed to the students to “cheer, not jeer.” And it has made a difference. We make sure that we don’t jeer, and it’s all because of him. It’s selfish, but I wish Mr. Holtberg could stay for a few more years. He’s the guy that cheers louder than any mom during junior varsity baseball games. He’s there on the sidelines clapping every time a rookie on junior varsity volleyball puts down a spike. He’s there every time a varsity football player catches a touchdown. It makes sense, having such an accomplished baseball history, that Mr. Holtberg comes out to support athletics. But he doesn’t have to. He stands out in the heat, cheering us on every time we get a hit and telling us to keep our heads up whenever we strike out. Off the field, as a student, every time I see him I think of how my future should be. He is a walking example of how a man should carry himself. When I see his bow-tie, I tuck in the tail of my shirt. When I see him pick up trash that students have left behind on campus, I throw my empty water bottle into the recycling bin. When we see him, we students try to be more like him. But as I go forward in my St. Mark’s career, I say we shouldn’t be sad that we have such a great headmaster leaving, but happy that we had this great headmaster at one point in time. Let’s be grateful, and continue going about our business at St. Mark’s how Mr. Holtberg has always taught us to, expeditiously.

It was an amazing feeling. We were the better team and this time we proved it. Page 21

Today

Future at TCU:

“I’m very excited to continue running cross country and track for the next four years at TCU. I understand it will require much more work and the competition will be very tough, but I’m eager to improve and hopefully be a strong contender in the Big 12 in the future.”

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF BRIANNA BROWN

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

A fond adios, Señor Holtberg

THINGS TO DO IN THE WEEKS AHEAD

WATER POLO HEAD COACH MIHAI OPREA

Cameron Baxley: Naval Academy

Future at Navy:

“I am extremely excited about rowing for the Naval Academy. I am looking forward to getting pushed to the next level.”

Time at St. Mark’s:

“My career at St. Mark’s has been a series of blind attempts follwed by training, challenges and a mixed bag of overcoming those challenges and failures.”

SPORTS

22 Brother Competition

21 Water Polo

Y I M A

23 Summer Sports

24 Golf

THE REMARKER | 20 FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

A S O M

Athlete

asthma against

Since the age of 10, senior Yima Asom has dealt with asthma and the toll it takes on athletics. The Dartmouth soccer recruit has learned to not only cope with his asthma, but thrive with it.

OPEN FIELD A soccer player for life, Asom has traveled across the country and won both national and international tournaments with multiple club and academy teams.

e couldn’t breathe. Ten-year-old Yima Asom was just dribbling his soccer ball in between the orange cones, trying to do it as quickly as possible, like all the other kids. But there was something different about Asom from all the other kids. The harder he pushed, the shorter his breaths became. His air intake had significantly decreased, and he needed a break. His head quivering, Yima struggled over to the bench, trying to collect himself. He had no idea what was happening, and his body even began to freeze up. After four interminable seconds, his airways opened up, and he started to regain his normal breathing patterns. It left as quickly as it had come. That night Asom went home to his parents and described what had felt like a frightening, near-death experience. Pressing a stethoscope to his chest, his mom, a pediatrician, instantly heard the high, whistling breathing patterns she was so familiar with. Asthma. While it is one of the most wellknown diseases, asthma is also one of the most common disabilities that hinder athletes, and those who do not have it may not fully understand all of its effects. Having had it for nearly half of his life, senior Yima Asom can relate to asthma and its effects on an athlete’s career more than anybody. A competitive soccer player since the age of 10, Asom has competed in international tournaments and competitions all over the country as a member of the prestigious Solar Soccer Club. Playing for an academy, the highest level of play offered for his age, Asom was not contractually allowed to play for his school. However, as an alumnus, Asom will go on to represent the school by playing soccer for Dartmouth College. But in his senior year, Asom joined the track team, which has presented a whole new challenge to his asthma that Asom admits is tough. “If I take my inhaler during track, I’m usually fine,” Asom said. “My asthma tends to be the worse when the weather is fickle. For example, the whole 90 degrees one day to 50 degrees the next day that Texas tends to do frequently isn’t my cup of tea. When I have my inhaler with me, I’m fine. When I don’t, things can get serious, and I’ll usually have to stop what I’m doing.” Things got serious during a soccer game against the Colorado Rapids’ Youth Academy. Asom had heard about altitude’s effects, but he had never really understood them. During the warm up, Asom had no choice but to stop running. “We were warming up by jogging the width of the soccer field,” Asom said. “After going back and forth about four or five times, I could barely move. In terms of strenuousness, a first grader could have done the warm up with ease. It was bad. Oh, and guess where I had left my inhaler? In my car. Luckily

for me, I’m not the only kid on my team with asthma, so I borrowed my friend’s inhaler and was able to play some of the game.” Asom’s longstanding coach Kevin Smith, the director of coaching at Solar and former professional soccer player for the Dallas Sidekicks, has helped Asom overcome his asthma ever since Smith started coaching him at the age of 10. “He’s never whined about his asthma,” Smith said. “He’s very fit, and he keeps himself in shape. I think he’s learned to handle it. I’ve had loads of kids like this, and he’s learned to handle it. He does not complain, and he fights through it.” Through his perseverance, Asom has impressed not only his coach, but also his family. “I’m just really proud of him for overcoming his difficulties,” his sister, Mimi Asom, a Hockaday junior, said. “It’s just really cool.” Yima Asom benefits from the support he gets from his family and his coach. Asom recognizes that his close relationship with his coach over many years has created a safe environment where he can thrive playing soccer. “He talks to me,” Asom said. “If I need time to calm down and get back to a proper breathing cadence, he lets me. He’s known I’ve had it [asthma] for a while, so he just works with me to make sure that I’m safe.” y playing at the Academy level, Asom has to travel frequently. Even though this means he has to miss out on certain events in town his friends get to experience, Asom still loves the sport. “I love soccer more than anything at times,” Asom said. “The allure of the game gets to me and keeps me enthralled. When anyone is really passionate about something, he or she does what it takes to do what that thing is.” Smith also acknowledges the

time constraints of travel, training and games that Asom endures on a consistent basis. “They [his players] have to sacrifice and miss out on things socially because they have to travel and be rested for games,” Smith said. “It’s such a high level in the academy. For him to go to college, he has had to give up so much to get to that point through sacrifice. If players are willing to do it, it builds good habits. It’s hard.” espite the time constraints soccer has produced, Asom credits sports in general for being one of the most important things in his life. “I love sports,” Asom said. “Always have, always will. I’ve dabbled with them since I was 4, a decision I’m glad my parents made for me. Not only have they taught me intangibles in life like what determination, hard work and commitment really are, but they’ve helped me get to college and interact with people who I otherwise wouldn’t have.” To play at Dartmouth, Smith knows Asom put in endless hours of training. After all the hard work he has seen Asom put in, he is glad to see it pay off. “It’s a lot of stress,” Smith said. “But hey, he’s made it. He’s gotten to the finish line. I think he’s going to be a good asset to Dartmouth.” Throughout his life, Asom has pushed his limits, just like he did when he had his first asthma attack at the age of 10. His dedication to soccer and perseverance has led him to his dream, to play college soccer at Dartmouth. Asom believes that younger kids with asthma can do the same. “Although you should play your health on the safe side, be reasonable,” Asom said. “Don’t let it bring you down. Doctors know how to doctor those who have asthma. So really, once you take that puff or two of awesomeness from your inhaler, get out there and go do whatever it is you are doing.”

FULL STEAM AHEAD Sprinting in the 100-meter dash, Asom rejoined track his senior year after not competing his junior year. He also runs the 400-meter relay and jumps long jump. Asom ran an 11.84 second 100-meter dash at the SPC Championships May 2 at St. Mark’s. He also placed eighth in long jump.

Track perseveres through trying season; breaks record at SPC championship meet By Anvit Reddy and Corday Cruz, staff writers, additional reporting by Crawford McCrary, staff writer

ith injuries to upperclassmen and other key participants, the track and field team faced a gargantuan challenge in the SPC Championship Tournament. Despite not being at full strength, the team showed resilience and determination as it placed fourth during SPC, which was hosted May 2-3 at the Norma and Lamar Hunt Family Stadium. Due to the lack of several upperclassmen and the SPC experience that they provide, the track and field team had to receive large contributions from sophomores and freshman to place where they did. “We placed about where I thought we would place,” captain Dylan Altschuler said. “We actually had a lot of injuries from the upperclassmen, so the underclassmen really stepped it up and that surprised me.” One of the highlights of the team’s performance came during the 4x800 meter relay. The relay team of Harrison Perkins, Daniel Cope, Nick Buckenham and JT Graass won the event and also set a new SPC and school record for the 4x800 meter relay with a combined time of eight minutes and three seconds. “The thought of losing never crossed my mind,” said Graass, who was the anchor for the record-shattering relay team. “I was only focused on crossing our baton across the finish line before anyone else’s. Harrison Perkins, Daniel Cope and Nick Buckenham all ran exceptionally and set me up perfectly to finish the race in first.” The dedication and determination that all the runners and throwers have shown since the beginning of the spring were key to the team’s strong showing at the SPC meet. “Of course, hard work played a major role in our performance,” Graass said. “But more than anything was our mindset and never doubting that we would win. Both coach [John] Turek and coach [Chris] Lee guided, corrected and motivated us all year.” With a now experienced and talented group of underclassmen, the track and field team has high hopes for the following season. “As a team I think we performed well, but not our best,” Graass said. “We had our ups and downs, but that’s part of the sport. In the end, we got fourth, but we are looking forward to an even brighter future given that we have a lot of young talent.”

ATHLETE AGAINST ASTHMA story by Philip Smart, sports editor, Zach Naidu, sports editor | photo by Matthew Conley, editor-in-chief, photo used with permission of Yima Asom

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

Page 21

SPORTS W A T E R

P O L O

Bringing banner HOME

THE

For the first time since 2009, the water polo team went undefeated and won the state title — putting years of unsatisfying tournaments behind them.

ive, four, three, two, one. Finally. After all the heartbreak. After losing in the state final to Tomball by a single goal three years ago and falling to the eventual state champion in the semifinals the past two years, it finally happened. When the clock struck zero and the horn of the Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association [TISCA] Water Polo State Championship game sounded May 3, the Lions were the ones leaping into the pool in celebration. Since winning a third state crown back in 2009, the water polo team has suffered countless gut-wrenching heartbreaks in the state tournament. In the past two years, St. Mark’s has seen leads against teams such as Strake Jesuit Preparatory and Clear Creek High School evaporate, leaving the Lions disappointed and unsatisfied with consolation third place banners. But this year, an experienced starting lineup and deep bench took down the competition and defeated Clear Creek 12-5 in the final. The team’s victory capped off a 22-0 season and reclaimed the elusive first place banner for St. Mark’s. This year’s seniors got the storybook ending they have worked six long years for.

CHAMPIONS AT LAST Holding the first place banner, (from left) junior Mason Smith and seniors Matt Mahowald and Ben Wilson pose with their team after the Lions’ 12-5 victory over Clear Creek High School in the state final.

While all four games the Lions played were important given that they were in the state tournament, each individual game had a unique significance stemming from past years. “We got to play Strake Jesuit, who we lost to in the semis my freshman year,” junior Timothy Simenc, who won the Dennis Fosdick MVP trophy, said. “Then we got to play Clear Lake, who beat us earlier, like 10 years ago; there was a huge grudge.” Following decisive 20-4 and 14-3 victories over Strake Jesuit and Clear Lake respectively, the Lions faced The Woodlands High School in what would be their toughest match of the season. “The day of the semifinal, I woke up and was nervous,” senior captain Jack Mallick said. “Part of it being we’ve lost in the semifinals the last two years to a tough team. The Woodlands was a very tough team, and we knew that they were a team where no matter what hole we had them in, whether it was three goals, four goals, five goals, they could crawl their way out of it in a timely fashion.” t. Mark’s was still the favorite heading into the match. However, that didn’t keep the Woodlands from going up 1-0 in the opening minutes of the semifinal. For a brief moment, everything felt all too similar for Mahowald and the other juniors and seniors. “It just felt like we were going to go through that same thing that we have been through,” senior captain Matt Mahowald said. “That we would be the better team and be prepared to play our biggest competition. What had happened in the past was we had lost that game and gone home crushed.” This time, Mahowald and his title-hungry team wouldn’t let those past tournament demons get the best of them. The Woodlands’ 1-0 lead was quickly erased and the Lions played with ease the rest of the way en route to a 14-6 win. St. Mark’s was in the

SHARPSHOOTER Junior Timothy Simenc winds up for a shot during the teams’ 20-4 victory over Strake Jesuit. Simenc was named to the All-State First Team and tournament MVP while head coach Mihai Oprea was named TISCA Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.

jumped in the water, really not that much was said immediately,” Mallick said. “It was just kind of laughing, crying, a bunch of ‘Oh my Gods,’ lots of hugs, a lot of laughter is what it was.” fter everything Oprea has been through with his team since 2009, jumping into the pool and celebrating with his players and coaches after the 12-5 win was surreal for him. “It was an amazing feeling. We were the better team and this time we proved it,” Oprea said. “I was truly happy for the performance and all these kids and their hard work because I believed the whole season that this is the team that deserves it. That’s why I knew they were going to be champions because a team with that kind of character can’t lose. They’re too strong.” In the end, the seniors got the championship they worked for. The years of sadness and disappointment, while painful, not only made winning sweeter, but also played a key role in the eventual championship itself. The losses helped the Lions develop the “we-can’t-lose” mentality it took to win a championship. “I think that mentality was hard for us to have for a while, but I think it’s been built into us for those past years of losing,” Mallick said. “I think it’s great that we lost because we ended up eventually winning, but we have also come away with a lot of good life lessons that you have to hate losing more than you like winning.”

championship, with head coach Mihai Oprea and his team aiming to erase bad memories of 2011. “We were not beaten by a better team [in 2011],” Oprea said of the 7-6 loss to Tomball three years ago. “It was a really bitter feeling.” While Clear Creek had won the title a year ago, this year’s squad was much younger and not nearly as powerful. The Lions were primed to win the game, but in the blink of an eye Clear Creek scored a goal to open the game. And then they scored again. The 0-2 deficit was the largest of the season. Yet Oprea wasn’t fazed. “I paused for a few seconds,” he said. “And I found it kind of funny because I was just so confident that we were the better team.” Oprea’s players shared his same contagious confidence and didn’t let the early hole and unfamiliar territory fluster them or affect their game. “We knew what we were there for,” Mahowald said. “We knew that we were the better team and all we had to do was to make sure that we stuck to our fundamentals and showed that.” After the early hiccup, the Lions scored three goals to end the opening quarter and never looked back. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, there was no discussion about who was the best water polo team in Texas. And that final buzzer was a long time coming for this team. “When the buzzer sounded and we all

BRINGING HOME THE BANNER story by Zachary Naidu, sports editor, additional reporting by Roby Mize, business manager | photo by Zachary Naidu, photo used with permission of the Development Office

Freshmen daredevils bring new rides to the skate park F

the guys, they’re actually really nice. I got their phone numbers and we often coordinate when and where we would meet.” Scootering has convinced Gunn to make a YouTube and Instagram account to showcase his skills to people who would possibly fund Gunn and Murphy to scooter at competitions. “Gordon and I are looking to get good enough to get sponsors,” Murphy said. “From there, we can go to competitions and earn money.” With this motivation in mind, Gunn hopes to compete in his first scooter competition this summer in California, the state in which scootering originated. “There’s a skate park next to the hotel I’m staying at and I plan on going there every morning to hopefully get involved in some competitions,” Gunn said. But even though the term scooter may sound simple, both Gunn and Murphy spend a lot of time decking out their two wheelers to fit their tastes. “It really depends on what you like.” Murphy said. “You can get different types of handlebars, grips, wheels and decks. I have a wide variety of parts, but personally, I prefer Lucky parts.” “Scooter parts aren’t sold everywhere either so we often make weekend trips to the Honda store in Allen where they offer full

service scooter maintenance and repair and sell parts,” Gunn’s mother, Gina Gunn, said. Although Gunn doesn’t see scootering as a career, he and his father, Doug Gunn, both see a big future for the scooter. “Back in 2000, you would probably only see one scooter in a skate park,” Gordon Gunn said. “But now, you’ll see around 20.” “Given the success of the X Games, it wouldn’t shock me if today’s Marksmen return in a generation and find that SPC has competitive action sports or that St. Mark’s has a skate park on campus,” Doug Gunn said. “Gordon even convinced me to try mountain biking last summer.” And to Gunn’s and Murphy’s benefit, their parents are fully supportive of their interest in scootering. “I think Gordon has earned the right to be supported in this given how well he has handled his responsibilities at school and how he’s always been willing to do what has been asked of him in team sports and piano,” Doug Gunn said. But ultimately, both the kids and the parents see the scooter as an opportunity to learn a few life lessons. Both Gunn and Murphy say that scootering has taught them persistence. “Sometimes it’s really frustrating not landing tricks,” Murphy said, “and you have to learn them yourself with a lot of practice.”

“I think he’s gained confidence by managing to find an interest and develop skills without any parents or coaches being involved,” Doug Gunn said.

ARNO GOETZ PHOTO

By Richard Jiang campus coordinator reshman Gordon Gunn’s plans for designing and constructing a quarter pipe skate ramp in his backyard didn’t just come out of the blue. It came from an interest. An interest that started with a simple YouTube video of a 9 year-old landing tricks at a skate park. Tricks he wanted to learn. But instead of featuring the traditional skateboard or bicycle to the skate park, the video showed the youngster on something else: a scooter. Ever since Gunn saw the video a year ago, he began to frequent skate parks all over the metroplex, including parks in Allen, Farmers Branch, Lewisville, Grand Prairie and Irving. Eventually, he convinced fellow freshman Todd Murphy to join him as well. But what makes the boys stick to this hobby isn’t the fun road trips to distant cities; it’s how the skate park gives them a passion that also helps them grow as individuals. “There is no pressure on you when you do it [scooter],” Murphy said. “Nobody cares how good of a scooterer you are; it’s all about self-satisfaction.” Gunn also notes how he has made numerous friendships with people he normally would not have approached. “The skate park crowd is usually looked upon as shady,” Gunn said, “but if you meet

THE BACKSTREET BOYS Hoping to meet potential sponsors, the skating duo of freshmen Gordon Gunn and Todd Murphy plan to compete in tournaments next year. They practice their moves in skateparks around DFW.

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

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SPORTS B R O T H E R L Y

R I V A L R Y

BAND OF BROTHERS Brothers Andrew and Christian McClain and George and Andrew Lin enjoy a fierce rivalry with each other during practice

BROTHER VS. BROTHER Older siblings junior George Lin (top right) and junior Andrew McClain (top left) assert dominance over their younger brothers freshmen Andrew (right) and Christian (left), respectively.

unior Andrew McClain had never shot a water polo ball. Undaunted, he gripped the blue and yellow surface of the floating orb as he stared down the goalie, his brother freshman Christian McClain. He heaved it as hard as he could, and the ball skipped into the back of the net. It was the start of a long rivalry between two siblings. McClain joined the water polo team and has proved his brother wrong while enjoying success as a key player on the junior varsity squad, which won regionals April 19. “Christian told me I wouldn’t be able to play water polo, so I signed up to prove him wrong,” McClain said. “It’s a new challenge and something I’ve never done before. I’m really enjoying it though. It’s unlike any other workout I’ve ever done.” The McClain brothers join junior goalie George Lin and freshman field player Andrew Lin as the second pair of brothers on the team. For the Lins, the goalie-player dynamic creates a heated rivalry between the two. “We enjoy playing water polo together a lot,” George Lin

said. “There’s nothing like blocking Andrew’s shots. We’ve definitely developed a little rivalry between us.” Both brothers can often be found staying after 6:30 p.m. when practice ends so Andrew can take penalty shots on George. “We usually like to stay after practice a little bit,” Andrew Lin said. “Some days, I feel like I can’t miss, and I’m tearing him apart. It’s a game of mind tricks, and I’m smarter than him so I can get in his head.” However, George takes a different outlook from his brother when they’re competing against each other. “I block at least 50 percent of his shots when we’re playing against each other, so I feel like I win most of the time,” the goalie said. “For me it’s all the wrist. Once I can read Andrew’s wrist, he can’t score a single goal.” “That’s just not true,” Andrew Lin replied. “If I’m shooting from seven meters without fakes then you should block more than 50 percent. For me, my mind game is the skip shot. It always gets into George’s head because he never

knows when it’s going to skip high or low. Once I get on a roll, then I can score a bunch. Once he blocks one, it’s over though.” Christian, the junior varsity starting goalie, says he felt extra pressure at first to beat his brother. “He made the first goal he ever shot on me which was pretty embarrassing, to be honest,” Christian said. “After that, though, his shots started to feel like just another shot that I had to block.” His brother, Andrew McClain, feels differently about whether the rivalry matters when he’s shooting against Christian. “I like shooting on Christian,” Andrew McClain said. ”I would rather score on Christian than anyone else. It’s great to play a sport with your brother, and the rivalry that we have really makes me better at the sport, which is the most important thing. I’ve definitely improved from where I was when I started. I’m definitely going to try to be better than Christian by the time next season is over.”

BAND OF BROTHERS story by Philip Montgomery, staff writer | photo by Mason Smith, head photographer

Looking forward, lacrosse hopes to improve next year

Baseball finishes fourth in SPC, best since 2009

By Matthew Placide staff writer nding the season earlier than usual, the varsity lacrosse team’s season finished with a 7-8 loss to Southlake in the North District playoffs April 22, but upper classmen leadership played a big role in the team’s solid chemistry during the regular season. “I would say our senior leadership was extremely important,” head coach Donald Francis said. “Any time you have a new coach, that coach can only be as good as his seniors relate to him. Because of their buyin to what I was telling them, I think that everybody was able to really rally and come together.” Ending the year with a 10-4 record, the lacrosse team had certain teams in the north Dallas area circled on their calendar, which helped grade themselves throughout the season. “ESD, Jesuit and Highland Park are kind of the main games that we look to as a bar,” Francis said. “They were all close games and we ended up losing to ESD and Jesuit, but we beat Highland Park. A lot of those kids that make up those teams live in similar areas, and they’ve played lacrosse together throughout their youth. Also, the best lacrosse in Texas is in North Dallas, so it’s really competitive within those teams.”

By John Crawford staff writer he varsity baseball team wrapped up its season over SPC weekend defeating Houston St. John’s but losing to Houston Christian and Austin St. Andrew’s, finishing with a 13-9 record. After a winning year, head coach Johnny Hunter says the team should be proud of their season. At 6-3 in conference games and 7-6 in outside games, Hunter believes their record does not completely reflect their skill level. “I was very proud of the guys,” Hunter said. “We played a tough schedule and our record didn’t necessarily reflect the level of play we had, and you can see that in our counter-game performance. We won those games we had to win to get into the top bracket.” Still, there is still room for improvement on the defensive end, Hunter says. “A lot starts with defense, and we had guys who threw strikes, but we didn’t always have the support behind them to get outs,” Hunter said. “Our offense carried us most of the season, but of course you can’t have enough offense. We have to make sure our defense makes those routine plays when we’re throwing strikes.” Third-baseman Justin Jones is hopeful that next year will be as good or better than this season.

“Next year, it will be a toss up,” Jones said. “I think we have a good shot at being competitors, because we have some pretty good freshman and sophomores coming up, so I’m confident we’ll be good.” Both Jones and Hunter agree the best moment of their season was their walk-off 13-12 victory over ESD where the Lions scored six runs in the final inning, the last of which by Jones, to claim victory. The Lions’ fourth place finish in the tournament was an improvement on last year’s fifth place finish.

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

Although the best lacrosse teams have usually been in North Dallas, in recent years other public schools have improved their lacrosse programs to potentially become contenders for the state championship held each year. “Outside of those teams though, Coppell is another team that you know is going to be strong, and they’re starting to build a really strong tradition,” Francis said. “Southlake is another team that ultimately we lost to in the playoffs, but they’re always a team that’s very capable, so you can’t take them lightly.” The varsity lacrosse team’s season-ending loss left them and Francis with bitter tastes in their mouths, so with new, young players and hard work, the lacrosse team looks to bring both the SPC and state championship back. “I think it’s just a lot of individual player development and really focusing on the kids coming into the program,” Francis said. “There’s a very big and strong group of eighth graders that are coming into the Upper School, so really just spending as much time as possible with the players in the program, making sure they really understand what I’m looking for out of our program and continuing to demand a high level of lacrosse out of them will help bring back the SPC and state championship.”

SWINGING FOR THE FENCES Finishing through his swing, junior Jack Dayton takes a shot at a fastball against St. John’s during their first game of the SPC championship tournament. The Lions finished the tournament fourth, an improvement on last year’s fifth place finish in the tournament.

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

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SPORTS

S U M M E R

S P O R T S

In the spirit of summer Sophomores Jalen Lynch, Tim Skapek and Max Sadlowski will participate in sports camps during the summer months to improve skills in their respective sports. Football prep camps await sophomore Lynch

ophomore Jalen Lynch’s prep work has already begun with his attendance April 19 at the NFL prep camp. “I was ranked fourth out of 15 defensive lineman,” Lynch said. “So there are guys that are bigger than me, but then I’m faster than them. There are guys that are faster than me, but I’m stronger than them.” In addition to competing in the NFL Prep camp, Lynch plans to attend the Larry Fedora Football Camp at the University of North Carolina, the Charlie Strong Texas Longhorn Football Camp at the University of Texas at Austin and the Ohio State

University Football Friday Night Lights Camp July 31, where he hopes he can improve certain skills for next football season. “These camps are basically going to show my weak points and what I need to work on to improve my game,” Lynch said. Lynch’s ultimate goal is to get the attention of NCAA coaches for a scholarship. “My top three schools to play football at are UNC, USC and Oregon,” Lynch said. “I’m hoping these camps will get me some attention from college coaches and give me a legitimate chance to play NCAA football.”

WORKIN’ IT These three sophomores — Max Sadlowski (left), Tim Skapek (center) and Jalen Lynch (right) — plan on using the summer months to hone their athletic skills at camps across the United States.

Sadlowski bound for lacrosse in Maryland

he Nike Blue Chip Lacrosse Camp, held at UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), is a prestigious and renowned camp, the number one recruiting camp for lacrosse players — and sophomore Max Sadlowski will be there. After a tryout in Florida, Sadlowski was one of 120 players out of 600 chosen to attend the summer camp in Baltimore, Maryland, where nearly 61 Division I coaches will evaluate the players and talk to them about potential scholarships. “I think just being able

to play with all the kids from up north will allow me to experience play against the best players and will help better my game at the same time,” Sadlowski said. “Hopefully I can then help the lacrosse team here get better by telling them what I’ve learned from the camp.” Sadlowski hopes that this exposure will get him attention from college coaches and lead to a scholarship. “I’m very interested in playing college lacrosse,” Max said. “I would love to play at an Ivy League school, and that experience would be amazing.”

Sophomore Skapek to work on kicking skills

ost days after school, sophomore Tim Skapek kicks countless footballs for countless hours, working on his game so he can perform at his full potential at the four kicking camps he will be attending this summer. “I’m going to a camp at Duke University, Stanford University, SMU and University of Texas at Austin,” Skapek said. Skapek hopes these kicking camps will improve his play on the football field this upcoming season. “It’s always nice to be

able to look at yourself on film, which is hard to do when you’re practicing on your own,” Skapek said. “When you go to these camps, you get professional critiquing on your form and your kicking, so it definitely makes a big difference. It’ll make a big difference next year.” Skapek also plans to attend the kicking camps to try to get the attention of college coaches. “It never hurts to start early,” Skapek said. “If they get to know you earlier, you have a better chance of get-

IN THE SPIRIT OF SUMMER story by Matthew Placide, staff writer | photos by Philip Smart, sports editor, photo used with permission of Max Sadlowski

Baxley will continue his rowing career at the Naval Academy this fall, a top tier Division I program. The future is promising for the talented young squad. “The 2V [1V and 2V refer to the first and second boats] was super strong this year and we will have a returning 1V senior in Luke Hudspeth,” Baxley said. Assistant coach Emmett Gilles believes the team can rise above the standards set by the 2014 squad, but they will

By Case Lowry staff writer he crew team finished third in both the varsity and junior varsity state championships, leaving some excited and others hungry for another shot. “I think the season went exceedingly well,” Baxley said. “The underclassmen really stepped it up this year. Sure, we would have liked to bring home a cup, but I think this team has more heart than I’ve ever seen.”

have to work diligently and often. “I would like to see guys commit,” Gilles said. “If you don’t row in the first boat, you still need to work just as hard and often as if you rowed in the first boat.” Baxley looks back on the year fondly. “It has been a great and memorable year,” Baxley said. “From the novices beating the first boat in a game of tugof-war, to finishing in the top three. I am really excited to see how the team does next year.”

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

Varsity and junior varsity crew teams finish third at state championships

THE FINAL STRETCH Senior Cameron Baxley (front) and junior Luke Hudspeth trudge on at the state tournament at Town Lake in Austin, finishing third place.

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THE REMARKER

ZUYVA SEVILLA AND MASON SMITH PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Water Polo Captain Jack Mallick

PAGE 24

THE BACK SPORTS PAGE THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

ONPAR Senior water polo captain JACK MALLICK helped lead the Lions water polo team to its fourth state championship. Mallick scored a goal and had multiple assists in the 12-5 win over Clear Creek High School May 3 at the University of Texas at Austin Swim Center.

GOLFER SAM CLAYMAN Swinging a golf club isn’t easy, and freshman golfer Sam Clayman can tell you that. Practicing his technique for hours on the range can only result in the skill that Clayman now has. Despite his youth, Clayman has proved himself an adept veteran of the game. The youngster has some wise words about the future of the team:

Finishing in third place, the Lions varsity golf team matched it’s finish from last year’s SPC Championship Tournament. However, young bloods like freshmen Sam Clayman, Devan Prabhakar and Nick Chaiken, who all submitted scores during the two-day tournament at the Woodforest Golf Club April 28-29, bode well for the team’s future. Clayman shot a 76 and a 79, which he attributes to his focus and, more importantly, to his swing.

THE BACKSWING As the crowd surrounding Clayman silences, he rears back to take an emphatic swing at the ball.

THE FOLLOWTHROUGH Finishing his swing, Clayman holds his club high in the air as he admires the flight of his shot.

“I think in the future we will develop more skills and become more experienced and have a lot more success going forward.” “We all played well, especially us freshmen for being our first year. I know in the years to come we will contend for SPC.”

THE DRIVER Wielding his trusty Titleist 910 D2, Clayman consistently hit fairway drives during the SPC Championship Tournament.

THE IMPACT A loud ping rings through the air as Clayman makes contact with the St. Mark’s branded golf ball.

THE GLOVES Sporting a Michael Jackson-like white glove on his left hand, Clayman protects himself from the blisters that arise after countless swings on the golf course.

ON PAR story by Philip Smart, sports editor | photo illustration by Mason Smith, head photographer, Philip Smart, sports editor and Zuyva Sevilla, creative director