The ReMarker | Nov 2013 by St. Mark's School of Texas

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JFK — 50 years later

Fifty years ago this month, a seminal event in history occurred. The ReMarker looks back on Dallas’ darkest day. See Addendum magazine inside.

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DALLAS, TEXAS 75230 FRIDAY, NOV. 1, 2013 VOLUME 60, ISSUE 2

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You cannot be in isolation. You need someone else for everything. In Spanish, we have a saying: you see caras pero no corazones – you see the faces but you don’t see the hearts.

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Correa with former Community Service Director Jeanne Laube

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PROTECTION PROBLEM | INSIDE Are your parents overinvolved? Take our quiz. • page 7

ROTECTION How much is too much? From banning tag at recess to incessant texting, just how much is needed to protect a child?

THE STORIES KEEP COMING. This month, one New York elementary school banned recess activities from football to cartwheels. Days later, another school banned the game of tag at recess.

Last week, a parent of a Western Hills High School football player filed a bullying charge against Aledo High School’s coaching staff for running up a football score 91-0. Closer to home, one 2013 Marksman graduate at a top school says that his roommate’s mom calls him every morning to wake him up and drives 10 hours every two weeks — just to check in on him.

Across the nation, stories of adults being overprotective continue to pop up — with increasing frequency — raising eyebrows and creating a growing dialogue about the ever-growing protection of the youngest generation. While these examples may be outliers, it’s hard to deny that even in this community at 10600 Preston Road, adults are monitoring kids now more than ever before.

AND WITHIN THE ISSUE OF PARENTAL (OVER)INVOLVEMENT, THERE’S MUCH TO BE EXPLORED. ▶ by Charlie Golden, senior content editor , and Dylan Clark, editor-in-chief | illustration Joon Park, staff artist and Zuyva Sevilla, graphics director

SAYING FAREWELL With retirement looming, Holtbergs embark on six-city goodbye tour By Abhi Thumalla staff writer fter 21 years and more than 80 cross-country trips for the school, Headmaster Arnie Holtberg will take one last tour across the United States beginning Oct. 19 to acknowledge his upcoming retirement as headmaster. Holtberg will visit six cities, from New York to Los Angeles, during a seven-month period ending in April. The first stop of the trip took place at The River Club in New York from 5-8:30 p.m. Oct. 19. The Development Office and the Department of Alumni Relations, headed by Director of Alumni Relations Jim Bob Womack ’98, organized the events with the entire community in mind, hoping that not only alumni but also faculty and parents will have the opportunity to celebrate Holtberg’s tenure. “The printed invitations are just going to

INSIDE

go to the regional areas,” Womack said. “It’s going to go to anyone in that region, and that includes parents, parents of alums, grandparents, grandparents of alums, former faculty members and, of course, alumni. So it’s really a community event.” Womack believes that including the entire community is an important feature of the farewell tour, which will also celebrate Jan Holtberg, Arnie’s wife, and her contributions to the school. “Arnie’s reach was not just with the students; he obviously has lots and lots of friends and supporters who are not students, that are now former faculty and former parents,” Womack said, “So we want to make sure that everyone has a chance to celebrate with Arnie and Jan.” Administrative Assistant Verna Smith, who has worked in the Headmaster’s Office for

NEWS Senior auction raises more than $40,000 to fund senior activities and events P. 4

LIFE

23 years with three different headmasters, believes that Holtberg’s unique personality plays a role in the entire community’s involvement in his retirement. “He’s gotten to know these people over 21 years; they feel like they know him and that they can approach him,” Smith said. “He’s done it routinely all these years so they look forward to these [events] coming to their town or their city, or here, if we have it here.” Womack, who graduated under Holtberg in 1998, feels that the main purpose of these events is to show gratitude for Holtberg’s various contributions to the school. “Arnie’s pretty darn amazing, and what he’s done for the school has been amazing, there’s no other way to qualify it,” Womack said. “And so for us and for our community, it’s important to take this time and thank him. We owe that to him.”

A fifth grade math teacher is enrolled in a Spanish class P. 11

COMMENTARY

Staff discusses possibilities for a new Science Building P.13

The farewell tour Where they’ll go The Holtbergs kicked off the farewell Tour Oct. 19 in New York City. Here’s a look at where they’ll travel this year to visit with alumni, parents and other members of the school community.

SPORTS

Senior John Caldwell fought a long battle with meningitis P. 17

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SENIOR AUCTION Auctioneer David Baker headed the event which raised more than $40,000 for the Senior Class. p. 4

NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOV. 1, 2013 | PAGE 2

THINGS TO DO IN THE WEEKS AHEAD

SWEET TOOTH Senior Jonathan Ng, Milan Savani ‘13 and sophomore Henry Goldberg collect candy donations during last year’s drive.

newsfeed

Weekend

Next Week

> Evensong will be held Sunday in the Chapel at 7 p.m. This will be the second Evensong service of the school year. > The SAT will be given Saturday on campus and other designated schools around Dallas.

> Dr. Hal C. Urschel ‘77 will speak to parents about alcohol and drugs’ effect on children in Nearburg 114 Tuesday at 8:15 a.m. and 7 p.m. > The Admission Open House will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday and will introduce prospective families to the campus and school curriculum.

A QUICK LOOK AT NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

• The Humanities Department is in the process of streamlining its history curriculum. Headed by Humanities Department Chair Nick Sberna, a committee formed to decide on the changes plans to change the focus on world history in fifth and sixth grade and American history in seventh and eighth grade. • The Robotics Team will advance to the state Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology (BEST) robotics contest after a second place finish in the BEST award and a fourth place finish by game score at the regional contest Oct. 19. The BEST award is judged based on overall robot design, game score, and the team’s engineering documentation. Four other Dallas teams, including Hockaday, will attend the state competition at UT Dallas Nov. 9, facing off against winning teams from New Mexico and Texas. “The competition was tough, but the team came together for some clutch performances at key moments” senior captain Dylan Altschuler said. • After a year-long interviewing process which drew more than 150 candidates, Paul DiVincenzo has been hired as the new chief technology officer. The new position was formed when the administration felt it needed a new staff member to help oversee all technology on campus. DiVincenzo formerly worked in the health care industry in New York and began working at the school Oct. 16. • Six Chinese students from the Beijing No. 4 Middle School will be studying at the school from Jan. 19 to Feb. 16 as part of the Winter Mini-Semester Exchange Program. The school will host the middle school students in order to expose its students to a foreign culture. The middle school curriculum is being expanded to represent a broader spectrum of Asian culture, including Chinese. • Former Navy SEAL Lt. Cmdr. Rorke Denver will address the Class of 2014 at Commencement May 23, 2014. Denver was chosen by the administration after strong recommendations by the Senior Class leadership. Denver, who spoke to the Upper School last year about his experiences in the SEALs and the qualities of a leader, performed in Act of Valor, a 2012 war film featuring real SEALs. Denver published his first book, Damn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior, in February. • Best-selling American author and ethicist Gus Lee will return to campus mid-November for one of his annual visits. Lee will meet individually with faculty members and have a talk available to all faculty/ staff members on handling difficult conversations that every person has to deal with. He will return in the spring to speak exclusively with the students. Lee visits the campus multiple times per year and was a visiting scholar in 2004. He is the author of multiple best-selling books including China Boy, Honor and Duty, Tiger’s Tail and No Physical Evidence. — Newsfeed stories reported by Cameron Clark, Akshay Mahotra, Philip Montgomery, Vikram Pattabi and Anvit Reddy

overheard

ANDREW GATHERER PHOTO

very Wednesday, I drive to my dad’s house in Plano. Every Wednesday, I take the first exit past George Bush Turnpike, and I take the first left on Plano Parkway. Every Wednesday, she was there. She was overweight. The bottom cuffs of her faded blue jeans were worn and tattered, inches too long for her height. She wore a once-white t-shirt and her ratty hair seemed greasy and unwashed even from a distance. She had a beautiful smile. The kind of beaming, radiant smile that you see on actresses and star athletes. And anyone who stopped at that intersection would be lying if he said he didn’t notice her piercing cerulean eyes. “Single mom. Bank foreclosed on my house. Trying to feed my child.” It was written in sturdy swooping letters with a bold sharpie. I wanted to give her something—anything—but I had forgotten my wallet. The left turn arrow flashed green, and I left. She didn’t. She was there the next Wednesday, too, and the one after. She was there for five weeks in a row. Every time I turned left on Plano Parkway to go to my air-conditioned home and eat a good meal, I read the same sign. I felt the same sorrow. Then the arrow turned green, I turned left and I felt the same guilt. I could have pulled out a dollar bill. Or a five. It was to feed this woman’s child, for God’s sake. But I didn’t. I sat in my bed, thinking about the single mom whom I haven’t helped. If she had only been begging once, I wouldn’t have thought too much of it. But she was there for five weeks in a DYLAN row. It was as if she CLARK were pleading directly to me to help her, pleading with me to get her out of whatever mess she had gotten into with creditors and her bank. Pleading with me to feed her child that night. y mom always pulls out a couple of ones for the homeless. Sometimes she gives more than that. One time in New York she gave a man with no legs a twenty. I know when she’s going to do it, too. We pass someone on the street, and she looks with pity and compassion at the homeless, the veterans, or the addicts. Once we walk by, she stops, turns, and sighs. She knows as well as I that she is about to give, as it pains her to think of the guilt she would endure should she have the opportunity to help someone but refuse. My dad, just like most people I’ve seen in this situation, always sits stoically looking forward in the car, or he turns to me and we continue to talk about sports or life. “If what my mom does is good, then what my dad does must be bad,” I thought to myself. But my dad isn’t bad—my dad is among the fairest and most decent people I have ever known. I sat there in bed and remembered a time when a very elderly man walked down a sidewalk with an empty five-gallon gas container. My dad was driving me to his house – I was probably around ten. My dad pulled over and asked him if he needed any help. “My car ran out of gas a mile back, I’m just going to the gas station,” the man said. My dad replied, “Get in, I can take you.” And he did, he drove the man to the gas station, filled the container, helped him carry the now heavy canister, and drove him back to his car. With that in mind, I resolved to come with five dollars the next time I drove to my dad’s house in Plano, felt content, and started to concentrate on the Spanish final exam I had the next day. A week later, it was the first Wednesday of summer – a scorching day – and I drove up the toll way to my dad’s. I had my five-dollar bill in the cup holder right next to me. I owed it to her. I took my exit, got in the left lane, and stopped at the red light. But she wasn’t there. I glanced at the portrait of Honest Abe. The guilt was still there. I folded the bill to put it in my wallet. Someone honked. The arrow was green. I turned left and went home. I can only hope she did the same.

Today > The Community Service Candy Drive begins, hoping to top last year’s record of 224 pounds in the first two days. “Most people see candy as something that will give them a little comfort, a sweet moment in life,” Community Service Director Jorge Correa said.

ROYALTY Senior Jack Mallick and Hockaday senior Payton Scott were crowned Homecoming king and queen Oct. 5 during this year’s Emerald City-themed dance, held at 7 for Parties in the Dallas Design District.

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER Former Navy SEAL Lt. Cmdr. Rorke Denver was announced as the 2014 Commencement speaker by Headmaster Arnie Holtberg after Senior Class leaders strongly recommended the Act of Valor star. Commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2014 are set for May 23, 2014.

PHOTO COURTESY CAASPEAKERS.COM

upcoming

It’s not something that’s easy, but when it works out, the results are honestly beautiful. Page 5

PHOTO COURTESY GUS LEE

A five-dollar bill in my pocket

SENIOR DEBATER NIKHIL JAIN

WELCOME BACK Author Gus Lee will return to campus in November to speak with faculty and students about social situations.

COMMENTS MADE BY FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS AROUND CAMPUS

‘Breaking Bad is the modern-day Macbeth.’ — Victor F. White Master Teaching Chair in English David Brown to his AP English class

‘People are surprised to find out how much I like Buffalo Wild Wings seeing as I’m a vegetarian and follow no sports.’ — senior Nikhil Jain to friends

‘I run off Junior Mints now.’ — senior Sam Perkins while eating a Junior Mint

‘Can you curve a zero?’ — senior Will Nelson during his calculus class

‘Where are the numbers? Where did the numbers go? I thought this was math.’ — senior John Garnsey aloud during an AP calculus class

‘If you wanted to extract government secrets from me, just tie me to a chair and make me watch reality television for 30 minutes.’ — The Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Master Teaching Chair Bruce Westrate to his class

NEWS

5 Debate Champs

4 Senior Auction

J E A N I E ’ S

THE REMARKER | 3 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

6 Homecoming

P L A C E

Former Director of Community Service Jeanie Laube’s legacy lives on through a new center named in her honor at Jubilee Park, with goals of giving children in need a jump-start in education.

From the ground up

crescent blue sign hovers over a normal corner in southeast Dallas. Yet that sign represents something far beyond the normal. It marks a place where dim roads of insecurity and fear are met with bright buildings of smiles and laughter. It marks a place where shacks become homes and cries for help are answered. It marks a place where dark origins do not have to mean a dark future. Jubilee Park.

It has turned a neighborhood plagued by unending hardship into a community of joy and hope. It is a place of opportunity in a world that would have gone without. And it is a place where laying the foundations for a strong education and desire to learn can mean laying the foundations for success. So in a place where safety is a foreign word and hunger is the norm, The Jeanie Borlaug Laube Early Head Start School has risen to combat destitution. Reshaping O.M. Roberts Elementary into an exemplary DISD public school simply wasn’t enough. Too many children from economically challenged families found themselves so far behind in schooling that their newfound “opportunity” — an escape from the clutches of crime and desperation in South Dallas — was still a lifetime away. Consequently, dedicated and named for former Director of Community Service Jeanie Laube, the school aims to give children

less than three years old a “jump start” in preparation for elementary school. And in an area where 59 percent of citizens have no high school diploma and 57 percent of female-run homes bear children in poverty, that jump-start could mean all the difference. “Now that we have an Early Head Start program,” Laube said, “the children in the Jubilee community and the parents in the community have an opportunity to get their children started as soon as they are born. When they are three months old, they go into this center and they are taken care of, and they’re given opportunities which otherwise they wouldn’t have.” A continuation of the Head Start program at Jubilee that began with David’s Place — a facility constructed in 2002 to prepare three-to-five-year-old children for the start of education — the new school was coined “Jeanie’s Place” at its official dedication Sept. 26 to honor Laube for her continuous devotion to the park. “Jeanie has been a longtime supporter and volunteer at Jubilee and a tireless advocate for education,” Jubilee Park Executive

A PLACE OF PROMISE One of six in the building, this classroom will harbor eight infants and toddlers as they are prepared for elementary school. The building is manned by teachers and staff from the Early Head Start program, which is leasing the building for one dollar per year.

Director Ben Leal said. “We believe the school is a fitting tribute to her lifetime of service to those in need.” Laube is greatly honored by the dedication, and hopes that Jeanie’s Place will continue the efforts of bringing toddlers “up to speed” in their education while also pushing parents of the community to become active in their children’s intellectual growth from the onset of their study. “Since the Jubilee Center was established 14 or 15 years ago,” Laube said, “it’s been benefiting those people in the neighborhood down by the park, and hopefully this will give them more of an opportunity to develop an educational atmosphere and help the families become more involved in education.” he importance of this educational atmosphere from an early age is stressed equally by Leal, who feels the key motivation for the project was the goal of giving children in southeast Dallas the best possible start in life. “Low income parents may struggle to find a job or pay the bills,” Leal said, “and consequently do not have the means or time to create a stimulating learning environment for their young children. This inequality in opportunity leads to an achievement gap that is evident as early as nine months of age and continues to inhibit students’ progress throughout elementary school and beyond.” The new school will hold 48 children — though far more families have requested entry — in six different classrooms. The rooms rest along a glass wall looking out onto the park, just one aspect of the 10,000-square foot-building which was toured by Marksmen and other attendees for the first time during the opening ceremony. “It was very thrilling to me to see the support that St. Mark’s still has for the community service program and I,” Laube said, “and it was very dear to my heart.” Director of Community Service Jorge

THE START OF A GREATER DAY Former Director of Community Service Jeanie Laube speaks at a grand opening ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new Early Head Start education center at Jubilee. The center will serve nearly 50 children in a 10,000-square-foot building.

Correa believes that the support and praise of Laube, who established the joint community service program at St. Mark’s and Hockaday and served as its leader for over 20 years, is well deserved because of her great impact on Jubilee’s growth since its founding in 1997. “If you go [to the Jubilee Center] today, you wouldn’t even recognize it,” Correa said. “It’s very different: they’ve built new buildings around, and they have a beautiful park and activities and everything. She was a part of that. She would go there every single Saturday. Sometimes we would take turns to go on and off on Saturdays, but she was always making sure that they would not be abandoned.” Moreover, Correa believes that the goal for a strong mutual compassion among the community of Dallas should be a driving factor in everyone’s life, and he feels that Laube embodies that effort in full. “You cannot be in isolation,” he said. “You need someone else for everything. In Spanish, we have a saying: you see caras pero no corazones – you see the faces but you don’t see the hearts.” And each time she drives by Jubilee, Laube is reminded of the aim for mutual compassion, yet she is still left in awe of the new building on the corner, making leaps for that goal in her name. “When I go by there and see Jeanie’s Place,” she said, “it’s kind of surreal to me that they would name the school after me. It’s exciting, and as I said, I’m very honored that this has happened.” But as surreal as the experience may be for her, its impacts are just the opposite for most. In every sense of the word, they are real.

FROM THE GROUND UP story by Noah Koecher, staff writer, additional reporting by Alex Kim, news editor | photos by Connor Olson, staff photographer

THE IMPACT Jeanie’s Place hopes to address these socioeconomic challenges Child Poverty Rate

50 45 40 35 30

1999-2000

2001-2002

2003-2004

2005-2006

Year

2007-2008

2009-2010

40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30

Violent Crimes in Dallas Number of Reported Crimes

Percentage of Children in Poverty

Percent of Population Enrolled

High School Enrollment in Dallas 60

2005

2006

2007

2008 2009 Year

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20000 18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0

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THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

NEWS

Auctioning away

Music videos, Chick-fil-a delivery services and hanging out with the football captains all were offered when the Senior Class presented the annual Senior Auction. The end result? More than $40,000 to help the class with activities throughout its final year at 10600 Preston Road. SPUR FOR A GAME The winner of this Senior Auction item will get to wave the school flag and show some St. Mark's pride alongside the Spurs.

CLOWNING IT UP Senior Vishal Gokani displays his juggling skills for the auction.

RUNNING SMOOTHLY For the first time, David Baker announces for the auction. Baker was able to help the class raise more than $40,000 by making the live auction a fast-paced and exciting event. Baker could end up being a staple in the Senior Auction for the next few years.

LACROSSE PARTY The lacrosse team will host a party for the winner and nine of his friends to have a three hour lacrosse-themed party, which includes “pizza and loads of fun.”

ore than $40,000 was raised at the annual Senior Auction, held Oct. 13 The event was chaired by Sam Perkins, John Webb and Carson Pate. The class will use the money to fund many senior events and pay for other senior expenses. “I’m really proud of our class as a whole and the way we came together,” Senior Class President Harrison Perkins said. All seniors are required to participate in the event, and many seniors performed skits to advertise their items. Others put their items in the Silent Auction. “Overall, the group did a phenomenal job. The leadership was there and the seniors came together to do this thing,” Perkins said.

Silent auction stars Raku-Fired Ceramics Pottery Wheel-thrown pottery, hand-glazed and fired up to 1850 degrees in a raku kiln, made by K12 winner Michael Perkins (presented by Michael Perkins). Classical Guitar Dylan Altschuler will play classical guitar at any occasion for an hour. Also includes two one-hour sessions of teaching (presented by Dylan Altschuler). Holtberg’s Bow Ties Acquire two authentic bow ties from Headmaster Arnie Holtberg in his final year at the school (presented by Tabish Dayani). Student Council President for a Day Replace Charlie Golden as Student Council president for a day. You’ll lead an assembly, make announcements and fulfill all the other responsibilities of the leader of the student body (presented by Charlie Golden).

ENHARMONIC STRING QUARTET Led by Jonathan Ng, four all-state musicians will come and play music, classical or even modern pop, anytime and anywhere the winner chooses.

SENIOR AUCTION story by Abhi Thummala, staff writer, and Avery Powell, staff writer | photos by Andrew Gatherer, head photographer

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THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

D E B A T E

Searching for the top spot T

While pursuing their passions for debate, seniors Charlie Marshall and Nikhil Jain have been forced to balance their busy schedules while focusing on obtaining the title of best debate team in the country.

hose trips to the big cities: Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville and more. The great feeling of winning an argument, in their case almost all of the time. The weight their names carry with being two of the best in the country. And then there’s the homework, the make up work, the research. And more research. And then even All over more research. the map There are the With trips crissmany rewards crossing through that come with the United States being one of the through their debest, but with bate work, Marshall the great rewards and Jain have had come some big the opportunity sacrifices. to visit many big Debate cities, including: has its ups and downs, and being Nashville, TN one of the best in the country at Atlanta, GA it doesn’t always Las Vegas, NV mean smooth sailing. With Chicago, IL sports, clubs, AP classes and all of San Francisco, CA the other comMinneapolis, MN mitments blueshirts have to Austin, TX handle, seniors Charlie Marshall and Nikhil Jain have had to learn how to manage their time while maintaining their ranking as one of the top debate teams in the country.

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NEWS

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C H A M P S

teams • sides against each other • affirmative side • arguments • negative side • resolution • referee • timer • clock speeches • prep time • rebuttals in response to an argument • flow • case • reasons • claims • support • refute • evidence • construct arguments • rebut • cross-examination • subpoints • claim • assertions • declarations • warrants • validity • impact • significance • claim • teams • sides against each other • affirmative side • arguments • negative side • resolution • referee • timer • clock speeches • prep time • rebuttals in response to an argument • flow • case • reasons • claims • support • refute • evidence • construct arguments • rebut • cross-examination • subpoints • claim • assertions • declarations • warrants • validity • impact • significance • claim teams • sides against each other • affirmative side • arguments • negative side • resolution • referee • timer • clock speeches • prep time • rebuttals in response to an argument • flow • case • reasons • claims • support • refute • evidence • construct arguments • rebut • cross-examination • subpoints • claim • assertions • declarations • warrants • validity • impact • significance • claim • sides against each other • affirmative side • arguments • negative side • resolution • referee • timer • clock speeches • prep time • rebuttals in response to an argument • flow • case • reasons • claims • support • refute • evidence • construct arguments • rebut • cross-examination • subpoints • claim • assertions • declarations • warrants • validity • impact • significance • claim teams • sides against each other • affirmative side • arguments • negative side • resolution • referee • timer • clock speeches • prep time • rebuttals in response to an argument • flow • case • reasons • claims • support • refute • evidence • construct arguments • rebut • cross-examination • subpoints • claim • assertions • declarations • warrants • validity • impact • significance • claim • teams • sides against each other • affirmative side • arguments • negative side • resolution • referee • timer • clock speeches • prep time • rebuttals in response to an argument • flow • case • reasons • claims • support • refute • evidence • construct arguments • rebut • cross-examination • subpoints • claim • assertions • declarations • warrants • validity • impact • significance • claim teams • sides against each other • affirmative side • arguments • negative side •

According to debate coach Timothy Mahoney, the two have lost just one debate throughout the first two tournaments, but with time constraints causing them to miss more tournaments than usual this fall, they have not had the chance to prove that they could be the best team in the country. With up to 12 tournaments per season, many of which require travelling, along with all of the research and work required to succeed in their debates, Marshall and Jain often have their hands full. “If it’s a week before a tournament [the workload] is probably a good four to five hours per night,” Marshall said. “In the weeks when we don’t go to tournaments it’s probably an hour a night. It’s mostly just reading stuff and getting caught up on current events.” Although managing time can be difficult, Jain explained how debate can help expand a student’s horizons. “It definitely has made me grow as a person,” Jain said. “I would say both intellectually and emotionally because debate has taught me about a lot of different concepts that I never would have thought about because I’m more of a math, science and STEM guy than a liberal arts person. So all of the different international relations theories and a bunch of different philosophies from different scholars, et cetera, I only got because I did debate.” So far, time management has not seemed to be a major threat, especially compared to previous years, as both debaters have kept their makeup work on track,

according to Cecil H. and Ida Green Master Teaching Chair in Science Stephen Balog, who teaches both Marshall and Jain in his AP Physics C class. “Overall, they look a little more tired,” Balog said, “but last year they looked a lot more tired than they do this year. I think they’ve got a better handle on what’s asked of them and how to allocate their time.” While debate can make the requirements of other classes seem much more intimidating with less time to spend, Marshall explained how debate can make other subjects a little less difficult. “It has been positive in classes like history where they intersect very well,” he said. “Learning things about international relations is useful in certain English classes because you have to learn a lot of philosophy. For other classes it just takes a bunch of time away from learning.” Having only competed in two tournaments, Marshall and Jain have a slight disadvantage in one of the most important systems, the standings for the National Debate Coaches Association’s (NDCA) David P. Baker Award for Season Long Excellence, which happens to be named after former debate coach and current Director of Admission and Financial Aid David Baker. “They are kind of behind in those rankings despite doing really well at two [tournaments],” Mahoney said, “so I would expect that their ranking will climb once they go to another tournament.” Marshall and Jain will debate next at the Glenbrooks Tournament this month, which

ALWAYS WORKING Marshall and Jain take a look at some research they’ve compiled for the upcoming tournaments. Their schedule has been slow this fall, but they will have plenty of opportunities to debate and strive for a spot as the clear numberone team in the winter and spring.

is a tier-one tournament, meaning they have an opportunity to earn a maximum amount of points to help them reach their goal of winning the Baker Award. Mahoney believes Marshall and Jain can claim the spot as the best team in the country. “We have an overall good debate program,” Mahoney said. “We have coaches, we have assistant coaches and [Marshall and Jain] spend seven weeks over the summer at debate programs, so they have parents who are willing to support them to spend seven weeks at debate camp and pay what it costs to be at debate camp for seven weeks.” Even though debate can be time-consuming, they both have plenty of reasons as to why it is worth the time. “It really has [helped me grow as a person],” Marshall said. “Before I was in eighth grade I couldn’t really talk to people, so my parents strongly suggested that I begin debating, and it sort of helped me grow into myself, and it’s also really fun and I’ve met a lot of cool, smart people, and I’ve gotten to talk about some really smart things.” For Jain, an important aspect of debate is learning to work with teammates in order to achieve an ultimate goal. “I did grow a lot because it was just all of these activities and working with another person,” he said. “Depending on a partner kind of helps you in forming relationships with other people, creating a working partnership. It’s not something that’s easy, but when it works out, then the results are honestly beautiful.”

SEARCHING FOR THE TOP SPOT story by Cameron Clark, staff writer and Davis Marsh, staff writer | photo by Tim O’Meara, staff photographer | graphic by Aidan Dewar, managing editor

Designated doors to be locked during the day

Better teen driving, bigger discounts.

To increase the security around campus, doors in several buildings will be locked during certain hours during the school day. Faculty and staff will still be able to open doors that they have keys for. The specific doors and their times are from Security Director Dale Hackbarth: • LOWER SCHOOL — The front door that opens out to the Lower School circle now has an automatic, timed door lock mechanism. This door will be unlocked from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 2:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., and it will remain locked from 8:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. and from 5:45 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. of the following day. • LOWER SCHOOL The door on the east side of the Lower School building (accessed by the walkway leading to the chapel) will remain unlocked during the school day. • LOWER SCHOOL All other doors to the Lower School will remain locked all of the time. • LOWER SCHOOL The lobby door that faces the Lower School circle drive will be locked after the start of school each day but will be unlocked for special occasions (such as athletic events on the front fields for restroom access). • LIBRARY The first floor doors on the west

side of each study wing (facing the library proper) will be locked all of the time. • SCIENCE BUILDING For the science building, both doors leading to the courtyard and the alley as well as the north and south doors of the lobby with the periodic table will be locked all of the time. • SCIENCE BUILDING The lobby doors on the south side of the LOCKED OUT With the new security building (facing the the chapel will only be accesfire lane) will be locked changes, sible during services and events. all of the time. • CHAPEL For the chapel, all doors will be locked except during scheduled chapel times and events. • GREAT HALL The doors to the east and west dining rooms (accessing the Grandparents’ Courtyard) will be locked all of the time.

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Page 6

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

NEWS E M E R A L D

C I T Y

H O M E C O M I N G

City Lights

ollowing a 26-7 football victory against the Casady Cyclones Oct. 4, Homecoming weekend’s celebration concluded with the Homecoming Dance the following night at the new venue, 7 For Parties, located in the Dallas Design District. With Middle School events and an exclusive parents’ reception on Friday night, the festivities involved the entire school. The dance, themed around Emerald City, the city of eternal partying at the end of the road in the Land of Oz, was DJed by local performer DJ WishFM and concluded with the crowning of Homecoming King senior Jack Mallick and Queen Hockaday senior Payton Scott.

6 7

CITY LIGHTS story by Vik Pattabi, news editor | photos by Conner Olson, staff photographer

McDonald’s Week fundraiser to begin Nov. 18 By Andrew Hatfield staff writer Junior Class members will be hosting their annual McDonald’s Week fundraiser for the Austin Street Shelter Centre Nov. 18-21. A percentage of all meals purchased from McDonald’s at Preston and Royal from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and all day on Nov. 21 will be donated to Austin Street. Co-chairs Nathan Ondracek and Mason Smith will reveal the theme at an Upper School assembly Nov. 15. After the assembly, more information will be announced through flyers around campus and the McDonald’s Week website. Events include a chemistry show by chemistry instructor Ken Owens ‘89, a car wash on Nov. 16 and various other activities relating to the theme. Dinners will be hosted by Purple Cow Monday night, Fish City Grill Tuesday night and Cantina Laredo Wednesday where a percentage of money made will be donated to Austin Street. In addition, students will be able to buy T-shirts to support Austin Street and buy tickets for the annual raffle which will be held at the end of the week. Last year, the Class of 2014 raised $18,000 for Austin Street and fed 2,000 Austin Street clients. The Class of 2014’s theme, “McCampaign,” pitted seniors Jack

PLAYING WITH FIRE Chemistry instructor Ken Owens ’89 breathes fire in front of an audience during one of last year’s morning McDonald’s Week events.

Mallick and Nabeel Muscatwalla against each other in a presidential-election-style race in which students voted by buying colored wristbands. McDonald’s Week is also an opportunity for the Junior Class to build some class and school spirit. “I think it’s always a goal to get the whole class involved,” Smith said. “To raise Junior Class morale as well as raising the whole school morale with the help of a good theme.”

NIGHT IN THE CITY 1. Juniors Travis Nadalini and Andrew McClain celebrate after the Lions’ victory against the Casady Cyclones. 2. Homecoming King and Queen nominees are introduced to the crowd during the halftime show. 3. Senior Danny McNamara is lifted above the crowd during the homecoming dance. 4. Senior Matt Mahowald points ‘em up. 5. Fellow nominees congratulate senior Jack Mallick for winning the title of Homecoming King. 6. King Jack Mallick and Queen Payton Scott have the traditional ‘royal’ dance. 7. Seniors Nabeel Muscatwalla, Michael Murphy, Riley Graham, Cole Gerthoffer and freshman Teddy Koudelka show their approval of the night.

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Page 7

PROTECTION PROBLEM C O N T I N U E D

F R O M

P A G E

Protection problem From banning tag at recess to incessant texting of their whereabouts, how far will parents go to protect their kids?

ANDREW GATHERER PHOTO

Ida and Cecil H. Green Master Teacher Dr. Stephen Balog says parents contact him much more frequently now about problems that aren’t really problems. “I get a lot more emails from parents and phone calls from parents than I used to,” Balog said, “and a lot of it is preemptive. A lot of them will be asking, ‘How can we be sure he doesn’t have problems with this or that?’ And the answer is you can’t be sure, because part of the process of growing up is dealing with those problems.” Head of Middle School Warren Foxworth ’66 notes this same increase in parental contact on matters that are perhaps more trivial. “Whether it’s something as minor as a homework issue or a sport issue on teams GREEN MASTER about playing TEACHER DR. time,” he said, STEPHEN BALOG “parents think that they can help the child by stepping in for them when, in my opinion,

unless the child is really young, it’s better to start having experience with handling these issues themselves. When the going gets tough, they need to know that they can get through it.” Another issue with more involved parenting today is mobile communication. Students often complain about having to text their parents almost hourly, while others have their locations monitored constantly by their parents on nights out via an iPhone app. Many parents, however, contend that this contact is simply a matter of protecting their children. “I’m a big fan of texting,” Denise Bunkley, mother of senior Harrison Perkins said. “We have a family rule that if I text you or your dad texts you, you are to respond pretty quickly. If you don’t respond, expect a telephone call and no excuses are acceptable. I will keep calling. This plan tends to work pretty well. It was presented as a safety issue, not that I am keeping track of them.” On the issue of coddling younger students, Foxworth cites a favorite story that fifth grade class sponsor Dean Baird tells parents. “Something [Baird] says to the Middle School parents is, ‘Don’t come and rescue your son. If he has

forgotten his homework in a class and asks you to bring it, say no,’” Foxworth said. “But [Baird] says that at the same time, when his daughters were in ballet and forgot something, he always brought it. And I could give similar stories for my kids, rescuing them when I shouldn’t.” While the discussion on the pros and cons of increased parental monitoring is endless, MIDDLE SCHOOL Foxworth sums HEAD WARREN FOXWORTH ‘66 it up well. “When I was growing up I would ride around on my bike for 30 blocks,” he said. “I’m not sure that I would still let my children do that today. There are more weird people out there. There’s more traffic.” “I don’t think it’s as much St. Mark’s or even education as much as it is our world around us. So I think there needs to be monitoring, yes, but also in moderation. It’s a balancing act that I can’t really tell parents how to handle. It’s something for each of them to figure out on their own.” ANDREW GATHERER PHOTO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

KATHY MALLICK ‘I have had different rules for each boy.’ How has it been being a St. Mark’s mom through the decade? “I’ve been a St. Mark’s mom for 16 years now. I feel like we have been a part of St. Mark’s history because of the teachers we have been lucky enough to have and who have now retired: Mrs. Wardlaw, Mrs. Rice, Ms. McMann, Dr. Ploegstra, Mr. Adams. All my boys have been blessed to experience Mr. Holtberg as Headmaster. It’s comfortable to have been at the school for so many years. I

feel like I know what to expect and that when something goes wrong - grades, referrals, detentions (not too many, mind you) - I know it’s not the end of the world or a St. Mark’s career.” Are there any rules that have had to change from Sam to Joe to Jack to Will? “Yes, I have had different rules for each boy. Every boy in my family has a very different personality and they respond very differently to consequences, good and bad ones. Sam never had a curfew because he self-monitored. Joe was a different story...Jack and I have a nice agreement about what is reasonable. When Will drives, I might be too old to care! Luckily, I put in place some family rules when the boys were young, before driver’s licenses, that have stood the test of time. They are mainly rules about communication,

KATHY MALLICK WITH SON JACK, A SENIOR.

things are the same, though. In Lower and Middle School there is a real drive to succeed in all areas, especially sports.”

respect and honesty. Apparently, those ideas are timeless.” Have you seen a change in how each grade’s moms act as the years go by? “Every class has had it’s own personality when it comes to the moms. With the three older boys, I have a lot of sibling cross-over so I have a lot of the same mom friends. Those moms are/were very involved and enthusiastic about the school, sports, parties and social events. Much of our social life circled around the school community.”

Is there anything you learned from Sam or Joe’s time at St. Mark’s that help you with Jack or Will? “When Sam started in first grade, I felt the need to be very private. I would never have spoken about grades or other issues with anyone at school because I never wanted my boys or me to appear less than perfect. Jack has helped me with that because if you know Jack, you know there are no secrets! Addressing issues openly, head-on and in a timely manner can make such a difference for a student. I have a lot of moms call me for advice because they know I’m already out there, being way less than perfect. I suppose I’ve learned to be more myself and more real.”

And for your youngest? It is different with Will’s class. I think there are more working moms and it seems there is a wider cross-section of the Metroplex represented. It is harder for those moms to plan play dates and get to the school for activities. Some

KATHY MALLICK by Avery Powell, staff writer | photo used with permission, Jack Mallick

Different generations, different experiences Mom Beverly

Age received first cell phone

Received driver’s license Age for first laptop First ‘R’ movie? Ninth grade bed times? Free time spent out of the house?

Senior Creed

Dad Bill

No curfew

Midnight

Curfew (high school)

too protective? We want this story to encourage discussion about parental involvment within the school community. We encourage you to take this quiz, see how you score and discuss it with your friends and family. Keep in mind that the scoring is scaled for seniors. Enjoy.

1. Which of the following is the furthest distance you have travelled without your parents? a. Different country b. Different state c. Different city d. Different neighborhood 2. Which of these activities is the most your parents would let you do unsupervised? a. Anything b. Walk around town c. See a movie d. Go to a friend’s house 3. What would your parents say if you told them you signed up for a rugby league? a. “Have fun!” b. “You need to think about this, but it’s up to you.” c. “We’d prefer you didn’t.” d. “Absolutely not.” 4. Which one of these is the least safe vehicle that your parents would let you drive? a. Motorcycle b. Doorless Jeep c. Convertible d. Bicycle 5. How often do you have to text your parents where you are out on the weekends? a. Not regularly b. Only when they text me c. When I switch locations d. Hourly or more frequently 6. What is your weekend curfew time? a. 12 a.m or later b. 11 p.m. c. 10 p.m. d. Earlier than 10 p.m. 7. Which is the closest to the comparison of your and your parents’ roles in making major decisions about your life? a. Parents advise, I have final word b. Equal roles c. I advise, parents have final word d. I have little or no influence 8. How would your parents react if they learned you hurt your ankle while playing sports? a. “Shake it off.” b. “Put some ice on it and lay down for the afternoon.” c. “We need to go to the doctor.” d. “We need to talk about whether you should be playing that sport.” 9. What would be your parents’ reaction if you went to a friends’ house on a Saturday night without telling them? a. “Have a good time!” b. “Be safe!” c. “You should have told us. Don’t do it again.” d. “You need to come home.” 10. You get bad grades on the first two tests of the year in one class. What do your parents do? a. Tell you to figure it out. b. Monitor your studying. c. Talk to the teacher. d. Ground you until you perform better.

The Lowrys

Are your parents

“Day I turned 16.”

“One week after turning 16.”

No curfew 16th birthday

32-ish

10 p.m. 85 percent

Freshman Case 13

11:30 p.m. “I am not yet 16” “Christmas when I was 14.” Fifth grade

9:30 on week nights

9:30 p.m.

10 p.m.

25 percent

75 percent

50 percent

INTERVIEW conducted by Andrew Hatfield, staff writer | photos used with permission, Lowry family

Scoring A—4 points

B—3 points

C—2 points

D—1 point

34-40 Points: Your parents give you the freedom to make your own mistakes. You have almost complete independence. 25-33 Points: Your parents are generally relaxed, but always like to be informed. Certain things trigger more involvment. 14-24: Your parents are a dominating presence in your life. While you have some limited decision-making power, your parents are always there. 0-13: Your parents hover over you constantly, and you have negligible freedom or independence. A discussion with your parents might be necessary. — Akshay Malholtra, staff writer

MUSICAL CHIMES Freshman Chirag Gokani shares how his passion for music affects his daily life. p. 10

LIFE AROUND CAMPUS THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOV. 1, 2013 | PAGE 8

Grand thieves and dead killers

upcoming

THINGS TO DO IN THE WEEKS AHEAD

watched my friend send the oncoming SUV exploding into the sky with his grenade launcher, shoot the tires out from two approaching cop cars and knock some punk in a leather jacket to the ground before riding off on his stolen motorcycle. “Let’s see you get out of this one,” he then said to me, a devilish smile on his face. And he handed me the controller. As I outran the hordes of Los Santos police on my stolen motorcycle, I shared in the adrenaline and unbridled joy that the 20 million other Grand Theft Auto V purchasers have been feeling all over the world for the past month. But, as with every new Grand Theft game, that wave of rabid hysteria from overjoyed gamers can only mean an accompanying wave of terrified parents and finger-pointing pundits following not far behind. By now, it’s like clockwork. A new GTA hits the shelves, those who actually play the game find it to be a wickedly satirical blast and those who’ve never picked up a controller decry the thing as a vicious attack on childhood innocence and decency. And then COLE there are GERTHOFFER kids like me, who, after 15 of these fire-starters released from Rockstar Games since 1997, realize there’s really not that much more to say at this point. Grand Theft Auto is the most popular video game on the market, hands down, and that’s not going to change any time soon. Its fans are simply exhausted of making excuses for it with the same tired arguments: how violence in videogames does not inspire violence in real life and how the game is really a commentary on violence more than anything. No, defending GTA is getting old. So it’s a good thing we’ve got a new entertainment phenomenon to defend. ast week, Dr. Manny Alvarez of Fox News declared that The Walking Dead, the most-watched series on all of cable television, is “seriously hurting American society.” “The idea of a zombie-infested world inspires fantasies of monsters possessed by an uncontrollable rage to kill,” Alvarez says, “and viewers get a thrill imagining what it would be like to participate in this new world order.” Well, yeah. Imagining a world of survival-by-bloodyviolence is the entire appeal of a show like Walking Dead, and it’s what eighteen million viewers tune into every week to see. But you said it yourself, Dr. Alvarez. They’re fantasies. We’ve always turned to entertainment to indulge our perverse, sneaking “what if?” side. From the recently concluded story of Walter White, to Scarface in the 1980s, to Richard the III in the 15-flipping-90s, we’ve always loved our violent, evil antiheroes. But that doesn’t mean we aspire to be them. It’s fun to watch them do abhorrent, bloody things, but anyone who believes those men led enviable, enjoyable lives are already beyond help. We steal cars in video games and watch others decapitate zombies on television because, as rational human beings, we’d never do anything remotely like that in real life. We have no desire to. Though it’s mighty fun to pretend. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a virtual Camaro to commandeer.

OSTRACIZED The Animals Inside Out exhibit runs at the Perot Museum through Feb. 17.

THE

sketchbook

“

FIFTH GRADE MATH INSTRUCTOR MARIETTA JOHNSON

I think the more we can bring the different cultures together...the better it’s going to be. Page 11

Today

Weekend

Next Week

> It’s the last day of International Week. A week of cultural exploration, hosted by the Foreign Language Department, officially comes to an end. > The Dallas Stars play the Colorado Avalanche tonight in the American Airlines Center, starting at 8 p.m.

>The Dallas Cowboys take on the Vikings this Sunday at the Jerry Jones Death Star in Arlington. Kickoff is at noon. > If you care to see a grown man sing about how much he wants candy and how he can beat Shaq in pickup basketball, Aaron Carter comes to the House of Blues this Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

> The Animals Inside Out exhibit continues at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science until Feb. 17. > The Chinese Lantern Festival is hosted until Jan. 5 at Fair Park . > Nasher XChange: 10 Years, 10 Artists, 10 Sites celebrates the tenth anniversary of the museum until Feb. 16.

A ROUNDUP OF PEOPLE’S ARTISTIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Sophomore Akshay Malhotra won the 2013 U.S. National Class Chess Championship Expert Division Sept. 27 – 29 at the Marriott Hotel in Houston. A National Master, Malhotra has won four of the last five state grade-level championships. Playing since he was six, Malhotra, who was influenced by his uncle, finds time everyday to practice. •Students participated in the annual Mole Day Oct. 23, celebrating the history of the chemical unit, the mole. Chemistry Instructor Kenneth Owens, Leonard N. “Doc” Nelson Alumni Master Teaching Chair Jon Valasek and Head of the Science Department Fletcher Carron hosted the event, along with Chaplain Rev. Michael Dangelo. Festivities and games were held before school. •The Middle School Quiz Bowl team now meets every Wednesday. This past September, the team entered four teams in the St. Mark’s tournament, one of which made it to the semi-finals. “Some might argue that Quiz Bowl is just memorizing facts,” Quiz Bowl Co-Head Paul Hoehn said. “I would argue that having a strong foundation in facts gives you more raw material to work with.” The team also hopes to enter in two more matches before Christmas break, and will continue to compete throughout the year. • All 2014 art applications and submissions to the National YoungArts Foundation were submitted Oct. 18 by various fine arts students in one of ten art disciplines: cinematic arts, dance, design arts, jazz, music, photography, voice, writing, theater and visual arts. YoungArts, a national program that identifies and supports the next generation of artists, began accepting 2014 applications in June and will notify students of their recognition levels (merit, honorable mention or finalist) in November. Student applicants compete for one of 700 spots as a national winner.

MOLE’IN AROUND The 2013 Mole Day was celebrated from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Oct. 23 at the Preston Royal McDonalds. Doc Nelson Master Teacher Jon Valasek reads chemistry jokes to members of his sophomore chemistry class while Chaplain Rev. Mike Dangelo and sophomores Sam Eichenwald and Arno Goetz look on.

• Student submissions for the literary magazine the Marque can be made to marquesubmissions@gmail.com. Submissions may include stories, poems or works of art. Senior Editors Jonathan Ng and Halbert Bai run meetings in English teacher Lynne Weber’s classroom at 3 p.m. Any aspiring student can submit his work for the 52nd edition of the magazine. The 2011-2012 Marque won a Columbia Scholastic Press Gold Crown award with editors Patrick Ng ‘12 and Rishi Bandhopadhay ‘12. •The Philadelphia Story play was held Oct. 24 and 26, as well as Oct. 27. Main roles of the comedy were played by Hockaday sophomore Juliette Turner, who played Tracy Lord, and junior William Sydney, who played George Kittredge. All three performances of the play were held in the Eamonn Lacey Black Box Theater. — Sketchbook stories reported by Phllip Montgomery, Avery Powell, P.J. Voorheis, Kevin He and Cyrus Ganji

artist IN action THE ARTIST Harrison Lin THE ART Woodworking HIS WORDS “I submitted these two pieces to YoungArts because I thought they represented who I was as an artist, and I was really happy with how they turned out.”

HITTING THE MARK The 2012-2013 literary magazine The Marque, which is formed of submissions from students and was led by editors Nick Lazarra ‘13 and Robby Orth ‘13, will be considered for a Columbia Scholastic Press Gold Crown Award in the spring.

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON ONE OF ST. MARK’S MANY FINE ART STUDENTS WHAT A lamp (left) made out of aromatic cedar and a coffee table (right) made out of plywood and basswood.

LIFE

10 Chirag Gokani

11 Marietta Johnson

12 Reviews

THE REMARKER | 9 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

C R E A T I V I T Y

INSIDE THE BOX Studies show the millennial generation getsless creative every year. So what is St. Mark’s doing about it?

he 23-year-old alum could almost breathe. He hadn’t broken out in a sweat, and his answers didn’t have a trace of nervousness in them. Then, the interviewer at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters said, Well, I’ve just got one final question for you: “Are you creative? What’s something creative you can think of?” So ends the typical interview at Apple, Inc. — the world’s most valuable company and, in a recent poll, the most recognizable product brand of any company in the world, surpassing long-time leader Coca Cola for the first time. The alum had survived questions like “What is your conceptual capacity for analytical processes?” and the more traditional “Where do you see yourself in five years?” But that final question has given potential hires more trouble than the toughest tech quandaries or soul searching inquiries. According to a recent study published by -Psychology Today, the current generation might no longer be able to even answer that question affirmatively — raising the question: How important is creativity in our lives?

The study, conducted from 1984 to 2008, showed that 85 percent of students, tested on all aspects of creativity with the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, scored worse on the test in ’08 than ’84. So who or what is siphoning this generation’s creativity? The answer might be economic more than anything else. Since the recession in ’08, the Washington Post reports, 95 percent of school-aged children are attending schools that have suffered budget cuts. And the most prominent subject of the cuts: fine arts programs. Film Studies instructor Jennifer Gilbert believes that public schools cutting arts programs can be detrimental to a child’s overall school experience. “I know it’s budget concerns,” Gilbert said, “and I know the arts are where they think they can get away with it, but I think that not giving kids those creative outlets really makes schools more of a chore than a joy.” As an independently funded institution, administrators at 10600 Preston Road do not have to sacrifice arts in service of any other department. Provost and Dean of Campus Scott Gonzalez, through the Committee for Academic Planning, works to make sure the school has a balanced approach to its studies. He believes art is crucial to an education and to life in general. “You can live with certain academic rigors in your life, but I don’t think you can live very long without art,” Gonzalez said. “And people who don’t have some form of art in their life, I really worry about them.” The school requires one year’s

worth of fine arts credit, with the option to take art five days a week for all four years of Upper School. Gonzalez believes that this is more beneficial than the far-smaller minimum art requirements in the public school system, which does not foster as much creative growth. “Forty-seven states have a mandate to have fine arts offering to their students. In Dallas Independent School District, it is also a requirement. However, my feeling is that it’s not enough,” Gonzalez said, “They require 45 minutes per week. And if you think about it, 45 minutes per week for a student in a school to get creative thoughts going, it doesn’t seem like near enough to me.” However, Gonzalez believes when arts are not as accessible as they should be, there are other ways to develop creativity. “I think what is essential about art is that it allows people to exercise different parts of their mind,” he said, “But I would say a lot of our athletes… are able to solve issues in their heads that they’re having to deal with as well. Ask our swimmers. They’re in the pool for hours, and when you’re in the pool, you’re able to creatively think about, ‘How is my body motion?’ And working out this stress can go to solve other issues.” o matter how it is developed, creativity is an indispensable part of a child’s education, and Gilbert believes that building creativity as a child is endlessly easier than developing it as an adult. “When you get older, you start losing that since you start worrying

INSIDE THE BOX story by Cole Gerthoffer, life editor | Illustration by Zuyva Sevilla, graphics director

about being judged for your creativity,” Gilbert said, “I think it’s important to play. I know there are certain schools of psychology that use play psychology for children. I think I would be really depressed if I couldn’t be creative for a day. It’s a part of a well-rounded life.” After leaving school, creativity may impact everything from getting into college to even, as all Apple applicants know, getting a job. Associate Director of College Counselling Casey Gendason believes that colleges are always on the lookout for creativity in their applicants. “I don’t think colleges have a necessarily creative rating,” Gendason said, You can live with “However, being a certain academic creative person and rigors in your life, having strong creative writing skills appears but I don’t think to be an advantage in you can live very the college application long without art. process. — Provost Scott Gonzalez “Because that is likely going to distinguish the student, and when the reader has to go through thirty to forty applications a day, he or she is more likely to remember a creative essay or a creative expression through an activity.” This generation cannot afford, for the sake of its future, to lose any more creativity. Gilbert believes that whether it comes through a more developed public school arts program or it comes alternatively through something like athletics, Gilbert believes that we cannot live without it. “Creative thinking,” she said, “is going to help kids succeed.”

Page 10

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

LIFE

tones GAME OF

PLAYING ONE INSTRUMENT WAS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH FOR CHIRAG GOKANI. THE FRESHMAN HAS TACKLED SIX INSTRUMENTS EN ROUTE TO BECOMING THE SCHOOL’S NEXT MUSICAL SENSATION.

t’s been three hours since he’s put up the instruments and retired the notes. The trebles have transformed into geometry problems, the chords into vocab assignments and the legatos into biology lab reports. For freshman Chirag Gokani, practice may have lasted for only 30 minutes. But for the young musician, who plays eight instruments, the music is always in his head.

“It’s so distracting. If I think of a song, I can’t sleep,” he said. “If I think of an idea, I can’t sleep. It’s too distracting, I’m always thinking about music.” Gokani began his musical career at a young age, and immediately displayed an early passion. “He was two and a half when he first took violin lessons,” Chirag’s father, Anil Gokani, said. “It was a sort of mother and son lesson.” Through his toddler years, Chirag Gokani continued to pursue music by persistently practicing. “He enjoyed that [violin], and he would come home, practice and work hard,” Anil Gokani said. Chirag Gokani found much of his inspiration in family members, including his older borther, senior Vishal Gokani. “Chirag’s brother had a lot of influence on him, since Vishal used to play violin,” Anil Gokani said. “Vishal was very passionate about music in fifth grade, when he was playing violin, and Chirag just joined along by imbibing what he did.” However, when the younger son made the transition into eighth grade, his father wanted him to participate in other extracurricular activities. “I wanted Chirag to pursue different options,” Anil Gokani said. “There are so many options that St. Mark’s offers, and if he takes band or orchestra, he locks himself

into one thing for the rest of his career here. I want him to experience all the different fine arts.” His father’s influence led him to take photography in eighth grade, an influence that failed to steer the performer away from his niche for more than a year. “We believe, as parents, that they should be exposed to many different things while they are younger, but he kept on going back to music every time we turned him around,” Gokani’s father said. Unlike many students, who need coercion to practice, Chirag Gokani spends hours practicing on his own volition. “I do it by self-will, not because someone else wants me to,” Chirag Gokani said. Because he can play several instruments, Chirag Gokani finds it monotonous to only practice a single one. “I play so many instruments because I don’t understand how people can just stick to one instrument all

INSTRUMENTS PLAYED • • • • • •

Bass Guitar Organ Drums Mandolin Violin Piano

1/2 year 1/2 year 2 years 3 years 5 years 11 years

BASS FACE Well on his way to musical mastery, freshman Chirag Gokai sits on his throne of musical instruments

their life,” Chirag Gokani said. “It’s just one instrument, one sound.” In order to familiarize himself with his instruments, Chirag Gokani spends hours experimenting with and listening to music. “I just had to slowly figure stuff out, and part of the reason is that I like to listen to what I play,” Chirag Gokani said. “So every time I sat down, I would figure out something new.” Chirag Gokani and his father often have conflicting interests, specifically in balancing the trials of high school and music. “So far, I don’t balance schoolwork very well with music,” Chirag Gokani said. “I can’t control myself, it’s too compelling. It definitely hinders my grades.” While Chirag Gokani acknowledges music’s effect on his grades, Anil Gokani views his son’s situation as a learning experience. He believes with the utmost confidence that his son will soon apply his drive for music to his studies. “A lot of learning happens when you go through hardship.” Anil Gokani said. “I want him to learn from his mistakes, and if he is happy, we are fine with it. He is learning his lessons in life just like we did as parents.”

GAME OF TONES story by Richard Jiang, staff writer and Cyrus Ganji, life editor | photo illustration by Andrew Gatherer, head photographer and Zuyva Sevilla, graphics director

Uber revolutionizing Dallas area transportation By Davis Marsh staff writer wo swipes and three taps. The smartphone age’s equivalent of a hop, a skip and a jump. The new face of automobile transportation, effortless and user-friendly, sits parked in the front pocket of student’s gray shorts. Uber is everyone’s private driver. But for now, their fate remains uncertain. The corporation has come under scrutiny in the form of Dallas City Council’s attempts at regulation. All that is certain, according to local driver Temam (who only provided his first name), is that Uber has the ability to provide a more efficient car service to Dallas. Founded in 2009, the Uber car service follows a simple business model: users sign up, download the smartphone app, and can schedule a ride from an Uber-employed private driver at any hour of the day. In many ways, Uber is a taxi service for the smartphone age. “Uber is good for the passengers and the drivers,” Temam said. “We are more productive, and because of that, we are cheaper for the customers. The technology allows us to drive more people every day.” Sophomore Chance Cooley has used

Uber before to transport his friend and himself home from a restaurant. “My friend had mentioned Uber to me and I had downloaded the app,” Cooley said. Director of Alumni Relations Jim Bob Womack ’98 also sees Uber as providing a superior experience to that of a cab. “It’s really convenient,” Womack said. “You get really prompt service right to your door. You can book an appointment and wait inside until they show up and they call you and tell you they’re outside and you’re not standing in the rain or in the heat. The drivers are in clean cars and they’re always nice and friendly, so it’s a different experience than jumping into a cab and I like that part of it.” However, not everyone is as taken with Uber as its employees and its customers. Local Dallas taxi drivers, aware of the competition that Uber poses, are currently pressing for more limitations, restricting the accessibility of the drivers. Mayor Mike Rawlings backed a proposed legislation to place certain restrictions on the company’s fundamental operations. The bill is highlighted by a 30-minute wait from request to pickup and an increase in the price of cars authorized for use by the drivers. However, at the end of the day, Uber is supported by thousands of

people around Dallas. Womack sees it as an even safer experience than a cab. “Say you guys go on college visits and say you’re going to check out a school and you’re not with your parents,” Womack said. “I’d prefer my kids taking an Uber ride. I would think Marksmen could find use in this as they’re starting to travel and especially for guys like seniors that are going to look at schools and are going to head to college next year. If you don’t have a car and need a

ride from the airport and can’t get one from a buddy, man, there it is. It’s on your phone. It’s right there.” Cooley feels that Uber is a convenient transportation option when there is nothing else available. “Uber is only necessary if you have no other means of transportation,” Cooley said. “It isn’t very likely that Marksmen will continually have this problem, but occasionally they will and it would be a good idea to [use Uber].”

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

M A R I E T T A

Page 11

LIFE J O H N S O N

Lifelong

Learning EVEN AFTER 39 YEARS OF TEACHING, FIFTH GRADE MATH INSRUCTOR MARIETTA JOHNSON KNOWS THAT IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN. PARTICIPATION POINTS Fifth grade math Instructor Marietta Johnson spends her third period as a seventh grade Spanish student. Currently enrolled in Martin Pulido’s Elementary Spanish B class, Johnson is an active participant during class discussions.

ll she wanted to do was share something with another student. In Spanish, she meant to say, “Quiero compartir algo con otro estudiante.” But unfortunately, her good intentions weren’t enough. She used the wrong verb. And in Spanish instructor Martin Pulido’s seventh grade class, “It’s all about the verbs.” “Quiero comer otro estudiante,” she said.

ALL A’S Johnson patiently waits to be called on in Pulido’s class. In some cases, Johnson’s classmates are also her former students.

And then the class burst into laughter, “comer” being the Spanish word for “eat.” It was an honest mistake, but she laughed it off because, after two years of taking Spanish with middle schoolers, fifth grade math instructor Marietta Johnson knows that everyone makes mistakes, even disastrous ones like wanting to eat another student. After 39 years of teaching at the school, for Johnson, the learning never stops. Two years ago, when Johnson began taking the course, seventh grader Will Hunt was shocked to learn that a teacher was in his fifth grade Spanish class. “When I saw that she was in my class in fifth grade, I was really confused,” Hunt said. Since Hunt was new in the fifth grade, he was surprised to learn about a teacher taking another class. “I thought maybe that teachers took classes with the students,” Hunt said. “I thought they could do that. Like maybe my humanities teacher would also take my science class. At none of my old schools had I ever seen a teacher in my class.” But as time went on and Johnson continued to attend Spanish classes, the confusion turned into appreciation. “We had to make a poster of our family, and she actually just brought in her grandson [junior Walter Johnson],” Hunt said. “She had him act out the pictures that she had on the posters. That was kind of funny.” Moreover, Hunt believes that Johnson has enhanced his classroom learning experience by asking in depth questions. But for Johnson, everything is an experience.

“It’s so rewarding,” Johnson said. “I just love it. I tell you, we have more fun in there with me not being in an authoritative position and getting to know them as friends and as fellow students.” Johnson began to take Spanish at the school in order to help ease conversation with the staff of her summer camp, Camp Balcones Springs. “I told [the staff] three years ago that I’m going to start on this, but [they’ll] have to be very patient with me,” she said. “Plus, with the our culture here in the Southwest, I think the more we can bring the different cultures together, crossing language lines, cultural lines, etc., the better it’s going to be.” For Johnson, setting an example in the classroom helps create cohesion.t“I like the SEVENTH GRADER WILL HUNT

“We had to make a poster of our family, and she actually just brought in her grandson, She [Johnson] had him act out the pictures that she had on the posters. That was kind of funny.” PAST TEACHERS AS STUDENTS

• Provost

Scott Japanese Gonzalez • Middle School Spanish Head Warren Foxworth • Japanese teacher Chinese Etsuko Barber

opportunity to give them an example of lifetime learning because that’s a spirit we want for the entire St. Mark’s community to have,” she said. Their teacher, Pulido, truly values her dedication and hard work. “She’s a serious student.” he said. “It’s a privilege to have her in class. She makes it easy because of her positive attitude.” Also, Pulido doesn’t feel as though Johnson’s presence in the classroom makes any difference in his teaching styles. “It’s not awkward,” Pulido said. “She makes it work. It’s her personality — she’s a nice, kind and caring person who really makes an effort. And she’s been doing it for two years now with the kids. So it’s not something they’re shocked with.” According to Pulido, Johnson’s energy and personality make his job easy, allowing the students to laugh and have fun while simultaneously building their Spanish. “I treat her like any other student, so it’s not an issue for me,” he said. “As a teacher, if she’s coming in here, and I’m taking the responsibility of educating her, then I want to do my best to educate her as well. I have to do my best to not fail her — just like I would for any student.” Most of all, Pulido attributes her success in the classroom to her personality, as he says that it’s her kind and caring nature that allows her to be a successful student. “Mrs. Johnson, she’s hard core,” Pulido said. “She no joke, she really wants to learn the language, and whatever she wants — I’m going to help her with it. She doesn’t just sit in, you know? The whole nine yards.”

LIFELONG LEARNING story by Shourya Kumar, deputy opinion editor and WIlliam Caldwell, staff writer | photos by Andrew Gatherer, head photographer

Seniors Brodsky and Muñoz impacting Austin homeless By Cole Gerthoffer Life Editor he name came from a blind, homeless man. “He explained that there is a minimalist trend in society,” senior Nick Brodsky, co-founder of the non-profit More Is More, said. “He told us that everyone is obsessed with simplifying, of living by ‘less is more.’ But he said, ‘Look around. For us, more is more. Every little bit means the world to us.’” Ever since that fateful day at Austin Street Shelter, Brodsky and More co-founder senior Alexander Muñoz have strived to make a difference in the lives of homeless Texans with their organization. The model is simple: take the still-fresh, but un-purchased food that restaurants would throw away and deliver it to shelters. “We go into local restaurants and offer them volunteering services in exchange for food donations,” Brodsky said. “Ideally, what we do is take food that they would have to throw away. For example, if a bakery doesn’t sell all its pastries by the end of the day, the bakery has to throw them away and waste them. And we really want to cut that waste out.” In addition to cutting down on restaurant waste, one of Brodsky and Muñoz’s most important goals is to offer the homeless residents restaurant-quality nourishment instead of the merely-adequate wholesale meals they regularly eat. “There’s nothing wrong with what they eat, but it’s not as healthy as what we can give them,” Brodsky

said, “It’s a lot of canned food, big bags of rice, stuff that’s been soaked in oil and syrup and devoid of nutrients.” Brodsky believes that fresher, more nutritious food can have an impact on the lives of homeless residents beyond physical health. “What we want to do is not only keep these homeless shelter residents healthier than they would be if they were just eating canned foods,” he said, “But we also hope that better nutrition gives them the fire and motivation to get out of the shelter.” Brodsky and Muñoz began their organization with local restaurants and shelters in the Austin area. “UT Austin is the hub of our business,” Brodsky said. “We started working with the dining halls there, taking away really good fresh food that they were throwing away, and from there we just went to the businesses around the campus that were just small local business, and they were really willing and eager to help out.” But the two believe their organization is only getting started. “I think we can be in so many more restaurants and give away an exponentially greater amount of food,” Brodsky said, “I think we can take this not only nationally, but I hope we can take it internationally too. I just want to explore this amazing potential we have.” According to Brodsky, one thing is for certain. We should expect plenty more from More Is More.

Page 12

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

REVIEWS

Happy hour T V

MONDAY

SUNDAY

S H O W S

‘Sleepy Hollow’

‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’

8 p.m. on AMC

8 p.m. on FOX

hile it’s hard to find a show with more suspense than Keeping Up with the Kardashians and more action than a Norway-Canada curling match, Walking Dead truly has it all. If you haven’t already jumped on the bandwagon of this zombie-apocalypse survival show, it’s never too late to start. With its incredible special effects, action-packed episodes and a willingness to constantly kill off its main characters, The Walking Dead is a true television gem. After coming off an excellent third season with many unexpected twists and turns, season four looks to be just as good, if not better, with the main group holding out at a fortified prison near Atlanta, constantly under threat of attack from zombies and hostile humans. With the addition of many new characters, this is definitely one of the best zombie-apocalypse things on TV. From the fight scenes to the complex character interactions, it really doesn’t get much better than The Walking Dead.

WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

‘The Walking Dead’

— Tabish Dayani, staff writer

‘Parks and Recreation’

‘New Girl’

‘Modern Family’

8 p.m. on Comedy Central

et’s hear it for the best new comedy of the season. When Andy Samberg left SNL over a year ago, plenty of eyebrows were raised at the funnyman’s departure. What could ever rival those digital shorts? Well, if Brooklyn Nine-Nine continues its trajectory towards comedy classic-ness, we might very well soon find out. Thanks to whip-smart writing, crisp direction and pitch-perfect casting (regulars include the typically hilarious Terry Crews and Joe Lo Truglio), the cop comedy might become as vital as “Lazy Sunday” and “I’m on a Boat” ever were.

n the past, Comedy Central’s South Park has garnered support mostly for the humor that lies within the show’s utter stupidity, and that formula still works even as it enters its seventeenth season. Admittedly, some episodes don’t quite hit the mark, but the ones that do are beyond fantastic and incredibly quotable. If you’re one of those who abstain from the show for its lack of wit, listen to all those guys saying “boo Wendy Testaburger” in the hallway and tell me it’s not a little funny.

8 p.m. on ABC

8 p.m. on FOX

“ t’s the new Friends!” might be the

owadays, it’s hard to find a sitcom that consistently churns out witty, well-written episodes well into its fifth season. Modern Family keeps the jokes flowing, the plot engaging and the characters as enjoyable as ever. The show tells the story of one odd, yet adorable family whose problems are small enough to be relatable while large enough to be relevant. The show’s not the most original, but Modern Family’s status as television’s best family comedy is more than enough of a reason to give it a shot.

most overused expression in all of television criticism. But clichéd as the description may be, New Girl might be the first show in a blue moon to actually have earned it. The sitcom, in its third season, anchored by Zooey Deschanel’s endearing dorkiness, and filled in by Jake Johnson’s everyman charm, Max Greenfield’s sliminess and Lamorne Morris’s standout eccentric perfection, might be the most consistently hysterical “young, funny people hanging out” show since those six friends left the airwaves ten years ago.

ake your typical burger restaurant, tack on a drive-thru, marginally reduce the quality of the food served, lower the price accordingly and voilà: you’ve got Carl’s Jr. Although it’s not exactly original compared to other fast food chains, with variety, taste and a fair amount of bacon on its side, Jr.’s is definitely worth giving a shot.

B+

f you’re on the go and desperately need fried chicken (because, you know, that happens) there aren’t many options, but Chicken Express can do the trick. Unfortunately, as much as I love the idea, fast food and chicken fingers go together like Miley Cyrus and foam fingers. You’re better off keeping it simple and getting a burger.

11880 N Central Expy

S Long John Silver’s

6130 E Mockingbird Ln

B FASTFOOD ON

10930 N Central Expy

Whataburger

— Nabeel Muscatwalla, reviews specialist

When it comes to fast food, there are the alpha males — McDonalds, Burger King, Sonic — and there are the little guys. Reviews specialist Nabeel Muscatwalla joins staff writer Philip Montgomery to explore the delicious world of the little guys around 10600 Preston Road.

Start

4814 Greenville Ave

it back, relax and enjoy your ascension into hamburger heaven. Patty melt, barbeque chicken strip sandwich, A-1 thick and hearty burger or honey-butter chicken biscuit — it doesn’t matter. Just pick something on the menu and thank me later. You can’t go wrong.

f you’ve ever scuba dived into a vat of lard, you’ve been to Long John Silver’s. Seafood is hit-or-miss even at the classiest of restaurants, so when we add the fact that it’s a fast food joint, we take away taste, freshness and probably nutrition. Telling me that you actually enjoy Long John Silver’s will literally change how I treat you. I wouldn’t give their food to my worst enemy.

ANDREW GATHERER PHOTO

n light of all the government mishap of late, NBC’s Parks and Recreation is back for a sixth season on with the same happy faces and droll humor that we’ve grown to love. The show follows the life of a passionate civil servant in Pawnee, Indiana’s local government (played by Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Amy Poehler), her anti-government, manly, meat-eating boss (Nick Offerman), her nerdy, neurotic husband (Adam Scott), her small, suave wannabe swagger king of a co-worker (Aziz Ansari) and many more. Even though this premium slice of well-crafted television will only take up 30 minutes of your hour of TV every Thursday, we think a show of this caliber is all you need for the night. Also, fall Thursday nights are a dead zone for television on all networks, so until Archer and Community come back early next year, this one’s going to have to do on its own. But hey, it might be a blessing in disguise—anything you watch after Parks and Recreation could be so unenjoyable that you might just end up using those extra 30 minutes on homework anyway.

Phil-up

Chicken Express

4341 Lemmon Ave

7:30 p.m. on NBC

— Nabeel Muscatwalla, reviews specialist

— Cole Gerthoffer, life editor

Carl’s Jr.

THURSDAY

‘South Park’

7:30 p.m. on FOX

modern adaptation of an 1800’s short story, this show’s first season has been anything but sleepy. Pun intended. Depicting a recently revived Revolutionary War soldier, Ichabod Crane, who teams up with a local policewoman to prevent the coming of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, FOX’s Sleepy Hollow has already made a huge splash in its first season. And although the premise might be a little far-fetched, it’s still more of a reality show than The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Seriously though, with the occasional joke about Crane’s adjustment to modern life and the mystique and suspense surrounding an impending apocalypse, this show finds a good balance between adventure and horror. With intriguing historical and Biblical references, this show has just the right amount of supernatural to keep you intrigued and looking forward to the next episode.

Just an hour a school night for television? We agree, it’s terrible. Use that time wisely and take a look at some entertaining ways to spend those 60 minutes.

D-

All photos from public domain, found on Creative Commons

enerally, if you’re waiting in a drive-thru line excited for yet another day of nutritional eating, you’re doing fast food wrong. Without even trying the food, the typical American has every reason to dislike Start based on its ambitious, healthy-food-only premise alone. But if it’s any consolation, I’m sure your mom or girlfriend would love the place.

OPINION

13 Science Facilities

14 Cartoon

15 Target Practice

THE REMARKER | 13 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

EDITORIALS

ZUYVA SEVILLA ILLUSTRATION

LOWER SCHOOL

ONE FOR THE FUTURE

With planning underway to renovate the school’s science facilities, the staff looks at features that could drive science education forward

he school community has grown enthusiastic about preliminary plans for a new science building. Students have been involved in talking about features for the new building, and planning is still in its early brainstorming phases. Shortly after the current science building was completed in the 1960s, Time called 10600 Preston Road the “best-equipped day school in the country.” To maintain the school’s top-notch educational opportunities, should the school move forward with the plans, we feel there are some features that are necessary in the new building. After consulting science instructors, we have compiled a list of these features. We believe these facilities would make the science building stand out among other classroom buildings on campus, giving the building its identity as a modern place of science learning. • We feel the preservation of the planetarium and observatory are essential in the new building. The planetarium offers virtually any possible presentation, and its potential is limited only by faculty training, while the observatory serves as a vital facility for astronomy students. • The installation of improved horticul-

ture and agriculture facilities could greatly enhance and supplement biology courses. Students rarely enter the current greenhouse, where few plants grow for study.A new greenhouse, complete with facilities such as a chicken coop, could provide better hands-on opportunities for biology students. • Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification would minimize the new building’s environmental impact, keeping in standard with the Environmental Science Program and the school’s push for environmental awareness. • A robotics workshop and lab could be installed for use by the robotics team and physics classes. Currently, robotics team members use the basement as a workshop, using the study space as a testing grounds for their machines. • More space for physics laboratories would greatly assist students in physics classes. Currently, there is only one lab room for all Upper School physics classes. • Lower School science classrooms could also provide helpful laboratory spaces for experimental demonstrations for Lower School students. Currently, the first, second and third graders utilize only the small passage-

ways that connect classrooms as science spaces, and fourth graders can only use the renovated classroom in the library wing as a science classroom. Science classrooms or laboratory spaces could prove very helpful to Lower School instructors. • Visual displays could decorate the building, update students about cutting-edge science research and inspire interest in science. Currently, posters cover the walls and outdated displays sit in cases. Instead, digital screens could show animations of scientific processes, such as cellular respiration or the inner workings of a particle accelerator. We believe the above features would help set the science building apart as a modern place of learning that promotes the use of systematic logic and reason. We hope that the new facility, like the current building in the 1960s, will be one of the bestequipped in the nation. We encourage administrators and school officials to consider these ideas and share these suggested features with architects. These facilities would help shape the new building’s identity, ensuring that it serves as a place for the enlightenment of future generations of Marksmen.

School needs to establish standard rule for drinking water in class

tudent athletes carry water with themselves from class to class to stay hydrated during the day. Keeping water levels up is important — for both athletes and other students because hydration ultimately helps maintain a consistent energy level. Some teachers, however, do not allow students to drink water during class. This prevents students from having ready-access to water, causing them to either disrupt class to get water from the water fountain, or simply sit in their desks, thirsty.

The administration has said Marksmen are permitted to bring water bottles onto campus and into classrooms, provided teachers have given them permission. Non-water beverages including Gatorade and soft drinks are not permitted. We encourage the administration to create a standard rule for all teachers, allowing students to drink water during class. This would eliminate any confusion between classes, but more importantly, Marksmen would always have the opportunity to have access to an essential part of

life — water. However, students should keep in mind that beverages purchased off campus are prohibited during all after school, school-sponsored events. All beverages consumed at school must have been purchased from a school machine or snack bar. While we recognize that this policy is for both students’ protection and the school’s liability, we feel that allowing students to have water in all classrooms could truly make all the difference in keeping Marksmen both energetic and focused throughout the day.

FROM THE UPPER SCHOOL OFFICE

Assistant Head of Upper School John Perryman summarizes the policy on beverage and water consumption: “Students can bring a water bottle onto campus and into a classroom provided the teacher has given them permission. They should not bring Gatorade, Pepsi, etc. into a classroom. A student will not get in trouble carrying a water bottle on campus, though a teacher can tell them not to have it out in class. “As for after school events, we are now enforcing the same rule we have used at Spirit Parties: you cannot enter a school sponsored event with a beverage from off campus. All beverages consumed during the school event must have been purchased from a school machine or snack bar. If a student tries to bring a Big Gulp into a Spirit Party or basketball game, he will be asked to pour it out.” — Dr. John Perryman

Page 14

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

OPINION

squaringoff

Editorial Board members Aidan Dewar and Charlie Golden square off on house pets

Dogs

’m about to make it rain on you, Chuck. Make it rain cats and dogs. Dogs are man’s best friends. Although they’re not quite as good as human friends because you don’t have to feed your human friends or walk them around on a leash. At least most of my human friends. Quick break for a cat joke: What do cats like to eat for breakfast? Mice Krispies. Anyway, dogs are definitely better than cats. Dogs fetch tennis balls, cats throw up hair balls. Dogs help guide blind people, cats blind people by scratching their eyes out. Dogs can sniff out bombs and drugs. Cats… love catnip. Watch out! What is that? Another cat joke! What does a cat like to eat on a hot day? A mice cream cone. Moreover, there are tons of famous dogs: Snoopy (lovable), Scooby-Doo (master detective), Air Bud (stud athlete), Clifford (lovable, big, also red), Brian from Family Guy (hilarious). Famous cats? Tom from Tom and Jerry? All he did was bother good ol’ Jerry Mouse endlessly. What a scaredy cat. Woah, is that a bird? No, a plane? Wrong, it’s another cat joke: What do you call the cat that was caught by the police? The purrpetrator. It’s a dog eat cat world, man. I’ll leave you with a question Chuck…Cats say meow, dogs go woof. What does the fox say? ….Cat got your tongue?

Canine or Feline?

ANDREW GATHERER PHOTO

et me start by conceding that dogs are absolutely better than cats in every way. Dogs are friendly. Cats are mean. Dogs are obviously better. But everyone loves an undercat story, so here goes nothing. I have one point and one point only. Cats are cool. If there’s one thing every high school sitcom ever has taught me, it’s to be cool. Ever been watching TV with a cat in the room and seen it walk out with its tail in the air, head held high, prancing around like it’s too good to even be in your general vicinity? You probably think that that feline thinks it’s better than you. And it is. That cat’s going to unscramble some yarn. What are you doing with your life? Your cat is the head cheerleader that you envy and hate, but when she talks to you, you’re going to be really nice. This coolness comes in handy when hitting the town. One of my cat buddies has taught me everything I know about women. Call him my Mr. Meowgi. Cats play hard to get, and chicks dig that. Finally, you’re straight up wrong about the supposed dearth of famous cats. Garfield. Sylvester from Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Shut up. It was big in England, okay?). And if we’re venturing into big cats: Tony the Tiger, Tigger the Tiger, Mufasa and who could forget The Aristocats. Oh and what’s the school mascot again? That’s right. The LIONS. ROAR. KATY PERRY. Charlie out.

Aidan Dewar

ALEX KIM

Cats

Charlie Golden

Finding myself through a ghostly resemblance

e stares out from the wrinkled, black and white photo perched on my father’s desk. Tall nose, bushy brows, sharp face and thick lips. One could almost get away with saying he looks somewhat un-Korean. Even stranger still is that he looks almost exactly like me, eerily so. He was a ghost that haunted my family for years. A few weeks after my paternal grandfather had died of heart failure on January 22, 1987, he sarted appearing in Grandma’s dreams every night, groaning: “I-It’s so cold...Honey, I’m so uncomfortable…I-I can’t breathe…It’s so cold.” After a month of sleepless nights and frustrating talks to pastors, Buddhist monks and even fortune tellers, Grandma couldn’t take it any longer. It was time to take action. She summoned the entire family to exhume Grandpa’s body. Probably thinking the whole ordeal worthless and supersitious, Grandpa’s brother and cousin shoveled into his mound for hours as the rest of the family watched. Then, suddenly, the ground collapsed beneath their feet, and their shovels plummeted into a dark pool of murky water, plunking on the soggy wood of Grandpa’s casket. The entire grave was flooded with groundwater. Shaken, they placed him in a new casket and reburied him in a dry spot on higher ground, hoping Grandpa would finally rest in peace and depart. He didn’t. ••• For another nine years, Grandpa kept “visiting” my aunts and grandmother in their dreams. Once, Grandpa came to Aunt Oh, Dad’s second eldest sister, and sternly told her, “Your mother will need you. Be

by her side.” Alarmed, Aunt Oh called Grandma the next morning. Turns out, Grandma caught a severe flu overnight that would last a couple weeks. It was so severe that had Aunt Oh not have called, Grandma, who tends to hide her pains or ills to not worry her children, may have not been able to recover. But strangely enough, Grandpa never once bothered Dad, his youngest child and only son. No warnings. No complaints. No advice. My grandmother claimed Grandpa wouldn’t pester him because Dad’s the all-important only son of the family. My aunts joked it was because Grandpa didn’t love him as much. Whatever the case, the haunting continued. Then, it just stopped. Grandpa suddenly went completely silent. Less than a year later, at approximately 7 p.m. on June 7, 1996, a baby wailed in the delivery room of Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. I was born. ••• Grandpa was born when Korea wasn’t Korea, when it was controlled by Imperial Japan from 1910 to 1945. It was a time of fear and cruelty. People kidnapped and used in human experiments. Young women dragged off to be used as sex slaves. Men forced unto the front lines often unarmed or into fighter planes as kamikazes. During the early years of the occupation, Korean journalists were freedom fighters, criticizing the Japanese and instilling hope and patriotism in the Korean masses, and Grandpa wanted to be one.

But the Japanese shut down Korean publishers and completely outlawed the use of the Korean language and alphabet. Helpless and dejected, Grandpa became a bomb-chemist, one of the only jobs safe from the draft. Frankly, he was never good at it. He hated science, especially chemistry, but he had no choice. Once the Japanese left, Grandpa hoped to continue his dream of becoming a journalist, but when the Korean War broke out, he and his family forfeited their lives in Pyongyang to flee Communist oppression to the South. Left with nothing, Grandpa had to take up petty businesses like selling trinkets or owning a chicken-egg farm. Whenever he got the chance, Grandpa wrote essays and mailed them to the South Korean government, hoping to make even the slightest difference with his writing. He sent so many that the president’s secretary knew his name but, otherwise, his dream was never realized. Even as I wrote this column, I wonder if my grandfather is watching me, proud that I’m, in a way, fulfilling his dream, albeit in a high school newspaper. But am I “fulfilling” his dream, or am I doing him a much more personal service? ••• Last winter when my family visited Korea, Aunt Oh cracked a joke to Dad while we were eating dinner. “Come to think of it, I was better off than you,” she declared smugly. “For what?” he asked. “Dad haunted me in my dreams every now and then,” she chuckled. “But he’s haunting you every day through Alex.”

Gnat attack | Cartoon Zuyva Sevilla ONE DAY, IN FRONT OF CENTENNIAL

SUDDENLY

GH* *COU G

*COU

AHHHHHH! THE GNATS, THEY’RE BACK FOR ME

LATER, IN ENGLISH

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Page 15

OPINION

Five simple words

AIDAN DEWAR

’m sorry for your loss. The five words are simple. But those five simple words taught me more about myself than I could have ever known. They taught me about forgiveness. It happened when I was ten years old on a Sunday night in November 2006. My grandparents were driving around their neighborhood in Fort Worth and looking at Christmas lights like they always did this time of year. They loved to see all of the colors—it made them happy. Only this time, a man watching the Cowboys game at a bar had way too much to drink. I like to think that they died peacefully. That they died with nothing but Christmas lights on their minds. But I don’t know. When I returned to school, I heard those five words repeatedly. I’m sorry for your loss. I wanted my daily life to return to normal, but those five words wouldn’t let

me. Every time I began to forget about the tragedy and get immersed in a math problem, history question or novel in English class, it happened. I’m sorry for your loss. Some people were subtler and took more care than others. They pulled me aside and said the words, I muttered thanks, and we went our different ways. Some people did not put much thought or care into the words. “Hey AD, can you pass the salt? Thanks. Oh, by the way—” I’m sorry for your loss. Over and over on that first day, and for a long time afterward, I heard those words. I grew angry. Angry at the driver. Angry at the people pretending to care. And strangely, angry at myself for being unable to forgive the driver. Only recently did I find a place in my heart to forgive. He was up for parole, and

where I ended up going to college. They could have seen my brother and sister and me grow up. But the things I regret most are not the “what if ’s.” It’s that I didn’t fully cherish the time I had with them. Sure, I loved them, but I was ten and didn’t know any better. I spent way too much time playing video games and watching TV when I was at their house. I didn’t make the most of my time with them. It really is true: you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. As the holiday season approaches, we should all think about those people we care about the most and cherish them. You don’t have to buy them an expensive gift. Just give them the gift of your time. Just let them know they’re important to you. Yes, I am sorry for my loss, but I know the next time life throws me a curve ball, I’ll have cherished the people I care about. I hope you will too.

the parole board asked our family if we wanted to say anything. I thought about it a lot—should I try to say something to keep him behind bars? Would that make me a bad person? What if I said something to get him out? Would that make me a good person? I ended up doing nothing. He has two kids, and it’s not my place to decide what’s right and wrong in the world. I haven’t forgotten, but I’ve forgiven. The seventh anniversary of their death is this month, Nov. 26. This time of year is when I think about them most. Every year it gets easier, but this time of year is always the same. I try not to let it happen, but the “what if ’s” always pop into my head: What if he hadn’t run the red light? What if they had stayed home that night instead of looking at Christmas lights? They could have seen me walk across the stage when I graduate. They could have seen

target

p r a c t i c e Hockaday Coffeehouse | Freezing (literally) structure with a roof and walls, such as a house, school, store or factory. It’s called a building. We should do activities in one of those. After all, it’s called coffeeHOUSE. But there was no house, and it was cold. These inventions might even have central air... nah, that’d be crazy. The performances were good, but most kids were busy fighting polar bears, narwhals and collecting high-calorie nuts and grains. Next time, let’s do it in the auditorium and try to stay warm.

Homecoming | What a night

SHOURYA KUMAR PHOTO

he city shone emerald as Marksmen descended upon Emerald City last month. The venue, 7 for Parties, was perfect, if a little warm. The DJ, DJ Wish, strayed from house music and instead chose to play the mainstream music we can all dance to. The Homecoming Royalty, senior Jack Mallick and Daisy Payton Scott, regally accepted their emerald encrusted thrones. It was a night for kings.

Weather | Mixed bag

ll right weather, we need to talk. Look, we get it. Texas weather is supposed to be unpredictable. But honestly dude, make up your mind. We shouldn’t have to put on three layers in the morning and be sweating in our undershirts by 3 p.m. We’re down for cold. But these wardrobe-change-inducing fluctuations are getting ridiculous. People are leaving jackets around campus left and right. What is that?

College Applications | Off-target

o apparently this applying to college thing is real…We always kind of thought it was a myth like unicorns or kangaroos. But alas, we must apply. With all the early action and early decision, and early birds catching worms, seniors are super stressed. On the bright side, if we don’t get in to college, we get to be seniors again next year.

REMARKER STUDENT NEWSPAPER

editor-in-chief creative director issues editor managing editor senior content editor business manager opinion editor graphics director head photographer special projects editor

Dylan Clark Sam Khoshbin Ryan O’Meara Aidan Dewar Charlie Golden John Caldwell Vishal Gokani Zuyva Sevilla Andrew Gatherer Alexander Munoz

news editors Alex Kim Vikram Pattabi life editors Cyrus Ganji Cole Gerthoffer sports editors Matthew Conley Teddy Edwards deputy opinion editor Shourya Kumar

campus coordinator Ford Robinson reviews specialist Nabeel Muscatwalla copy editor William Sydney staff artists Purujit Chatterjee, Joon Park staff photographers Halbert Bai, Harrison Chen, Arno Goetz, Riley

Graham, Alden James, Graham Kirstein, Cameron Lam, Adam Marchant, Tim O’Meara, Connor Olson, Nico Sanchez, Mason Smith, Corbin Walp staff writers Nick Buckenham, Jacob Chernick, Tabish Dayani, Will Forbes, Richard Jiang, Bradford Beck, William

Caldwell, Cameron Clark, Will Clark, Andrew Hatfield, Kevin He, Noah Koecher, Akshay Malhotra, Davis Marsh, Roby Mize, Philip Montgomery, Zachary Naidu, Matthew Placide, Avery Powell, Anvit Reddy, Philip Smart, Abhi Thummala, P.J. Voorheis staff assistants

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SPORTS AROUND CAMPUS

FOOTBALL COACH BART EPPERSON

“

VOLLEYBALL Junior Karim Jooma reaches for the ball as the varsity volleyball team reaches for the SPC championship. p. 19

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOV. 1, 2013 | PAGE 16

SPORTING EVENTS IN THE DAYS AHEAD

Today > Cross country will compete in the SPC time trials at Norbuck Park at 4 p.m.

>Varsity volleyball faces Greenhill at 5:30 p.m. in Hicks Gymnasium. Last meeting with Greenhill, the Lions won in four sets.

> Varsity football begins the playoffs against Episcopal High School tomorrow at 5 p.m. in the Norma and Lamar Hunt Family Stadium. > The Hockaday and St. Mark’s Fencing Open takes place at Hockaday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow.

RUN ON Harrison Perkins banks left during a meet at Norbuck Park.

tip-off

Next Week > Varsity football will have the opportunity to play in the second round of playoffs, depending on their performance this weekend. > Varsity volleyball will travel to Fort Worth Country Day for the fall SPC championship, competing next Friday and Saturday.

A ROUNDUP OF THE LATEST IN ATHLETICS ON AND OFF CAMPUS

• The wrestling team received new, better mats for the upcoming season. The new mats are cheaper and easier to maintain compared to the old ones. Additionally, the new mats are lighter and easier to move and allow for easier setup. “They’re better because when you hit the mats, they absorb the impact better,“ senior Winston Brewer said. “Also the insignia in the middle is much cooler, and makes you be proud to be in there.” • Both JV volleyball teams have continued their superb seasons with a combined record of 13-2. The JV Veterans suffered their first loss to Casady Oct. 18 in three sets. The loss marked the team’s first of the season as they had won their first seven games of the season. Their final game of the season is Nov. 5 against Tejas Men’s Volleyball Club in Hicks Gym. “We have a lot of depth,” JV head coach Josh Friesen said. “Our volleyball program, top to bottom, has more depth and talent than anyone else in the SPC.” The JV Rookies have a record of 6-1 and are currently on a three game win streak. • Four members of the class of 2013 — Paul Gudmundsson, George Law, Warren Smith and Henry Woram — are all enjoying their successes in their college sports. Gudmundsson’s Dartmouth football team has a 2-3 overall record, and while he has not played on the varsity squad, Gudmundsson gets reps on the offensive line at both guard and center on the JV team. Although Davidson College’s football team is yet to win a game this year, Law believes the football program is on the up. Woram and Dartmouth Rugby Football Club (DRFC) are enjoying an undefeated season so far, and the team is made up of mostly first time players. Warren Smith is making waves on the nationally ranked Brown water polo team. • Former Lions football player, Sam Acho ’06, currently playing for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, broke his leg five weeks ago and was ruled out for the season by team doctors. Acho has taken this break from football to take a new perspective of life and football, though he still remains involved in the organization, seeing his teammates and coaches almost daily. He also is able to go on the sidelines during games and is happy to be there. “It’s cool to still be able to be there and encourage the guys even though I’m not playing with them out on the field,” Acho said. • With 313 yards receiving and four touchdowns against Cistercian, senior John Caldwell earned the Built Ford Tough Player of the Week award. For the second year in a row, Caldwell looks to surpass the 1,000 yard receiving mark. His effort also pushed the Lions past the Hawks in a 31–14 victory. — Tip off stories reported by William Caldwell, Zachary Naidu, Matthew Placide and Anvit Reddy

young guns

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION, WARREN SMITH

elax. Just breathe. Everything will work out. Trust yourself. I tossed the ball up, took two steps forward, leaped, swung my arm back, floated, snapped my arm forward, then snapped my wrist hitting the ball as it descended back towards the court. Ace. All in a second, without a thought. All muscle memory. I turned to look at the crowd, to look for my mom and dad cheering with my friends who had come out to watch our homecoming volleyball game. It was a memory I will have forever. Then I saw my mom. Relax. Just breathe. She had seen the serve right? She had watched me ace the other team for the game-winning point right? She would remember it right? The last thought almost made me choke. Ever since she had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s two years ago, it was hard to know what she’d remember. I remember the first time my dad told me she had Alzheimer’s. I remember my dad coming home from work early, my sisters sitting around our dinner TEDDY table EDWARDS and my mom sitting on our couch with her head down. Thinking back, the diagnosis didn’t surprise me. It didn’t hit me as unjust, unbelievable or a mistake. But it scared me; it scared me to death. I didn’t know what Alzheimer’s was, only that it meant that my mom might never remember watching my senior homecoming volleyball game, and that it’s genetic. Genetic, passed down from parents to offspring, inheritable, all synonyms for a simple fact: one day I might not remember watching my son play in his Homecoming game. Relax. Just breathe. You’re overreacting. Mom’s memory is still good. She’s still here, cheering for me after every point. I shouldn’t worry so much. I will be fine. The chances I get Alzheimer’s are slim. I’ll never forget my son’s first homer, his first game on a varsity team or his homecoming game. But what if I do? What if one day I don’t even recognize my own son? What if he walks into my room and is a complete stranger? What if I become my mom? What if I start to hate my mom because she doesn’t remember me? What if my son starts to hate me? Stop. Relax. I will always love my mother. She is a part of me and my love for her is natural. It’s thoughtless. It’s like muscle memory. I just need to breathe.

Weekend

MAKING WAVES Warren Smith ‘13 is making an entrance as he begins his season on Brown University’s water polo team, consistently ranked within the top 20 teams in the nation.

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION, PARKCITIESFORDOFDALLAS.COM

Muscle memories

upcoming

I was just praying and hoping that everything would come back to the way it was for him. Not so much for his production on the field, but for him to be a healthy young man. Page 17

FORD TOUGH Senior wide receiver John Caldwell was named the Built Ford Tough Player of the Week at the Homecoming Pep Rally Oct. 4.

YOUNG VARSITY ATHLETES WITH STANDOUT PERFORMANCES

The Gazelle

Sophomore JT Graass, with a 5k time of 16:31:0, is currently ranked fourth in SPC. He leads coach John Turek’s cross country team, second only to senior Matthew Brown by a mere 8.3 seconds.

P. Dixie

One of two sophomores and the youngest player on the team, Parker Dixon has made his mark on the undefeated volleyball team starting every game and leading the team in PBD’s (Putting balls down).

SPORTS

19 Fall Sports

18 Physical Training J O H N

20 Fans

THE REMARKER | 17 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

C A L D W E L L

against all

BREAKING FREE Junior John Caldwell managed to baffle doctors by surviving an incredibly dangerous case of bacterial meningitis, only to return in fine form to play football during his senior year. After a week in the hospital during April of his junior year, he is once again a key player for the football team, already earning more than 1,000 yards at wide receiver.

Senior John Caldwell overcame an incredibly difficult challenge — a potentially deadly one. Last April, the two-sport athlete was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis — a severe infection of the membrane surrounding his spinal chord and brain. After a brush with death, Caldwell is back on top.

t was unexpected. Every parent’s nightmare. It baffled doctors. You might say it was the perfect storm. Junior John Caldwell had it all — a two sport athlete coming off of a dazzling football season where he scored 13 touchdowns with hopes for an equally successful baseball season. But on a sunny Tuesday in April, he complained about feeling absolutely terrible. And that was not John Caldwell. Something had to be wrong. So, his mother, Lynn Caldwell, looked to desperate measures — she took her son to the emergency room. She dropped him at the front door, and went to park. By the time she had entered the waiting room, her son could barely walk. And she began to panic. Had they arrived only a few hours later, her son could have died. “After they checked me in, they wanted me to get into bed,” Caldwell said, “and it was really hard. I couldn’t do it.” So they performed tests. A lot of tests. X-rays of his chest and skull — they couldn’t find anything. CT scans — they couldn’t find anything. MRIs — they couldn’t find anything. They took blood — they couldn’t find anything. When Lynn Caldwell made it to the room he was in, the doctors already had him on IVs. “I don’t know that we really grasped the seriousness of it,” Lynn Caldwell said. “It was scary.” They sent him home with instructions to call the doctor. But just two hours later, he was back at the hospital. “They asked us to leave his room so that they could do a lumbar puncture,” Lynn Caldwell said, “which is where they go in and take a sample of your spinal fluid. They asked us to leave the room because it’s a very painful procedure, and they don’t want a parent to see their child suffer through it.” SOPHOMORE WILLIAM CALDWELL

I thought my dad was going to say that he [John] was going to live for sure, but when he said, ‘I don’t know; we’re not sure yet,’ it hit me hard. I didn’t know how to react. And with the spinal tap, the doctors finally found something. “The second they got the results, they knew what it was,” John Caldwell said. “The fluid was supposed to be clear, and it was milky.” Lynn Caldwell and her husband Kevin Caldwell couldn’t help but listen to the buzz from the doctors. What they didn’t yet know was the seriousness of the situation.

“Everybody was grabbing masks, and that’s when we were like, ‘oh my gosh, something serious is going on,’” Lynn Caldwell said, “but even then we didn’t think it was happening to our child until we walked in and there was a team of several doctors in his room.” The doctors immediately began to follow protocol. Run up the IV. Take him to the ICU. Put in a PICC line. Within the next hour and a half, six to eight doctors had seen Caldwell. The case was so rare that all of the specialists had been called in. “They knew I had bacterial meningitis,” John Caldwell said, “but they didn’t know what strand it was, and they had to send the sample to a lab. That took four days.” Because Caldwell was young, healthy and in good shape, the medical staff was able to give him antibiotics for all of the different strands. “It didn’t mean anything to me,” John Caldwell said. “I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t understand the severity of it until I got on the computer.” And since Caldwell was in the ICU, everything was done in a rush. There was no time for second-guessing decisions. “When you go to a doctor to have surgery, you can research your doctors to make sure you’re getting the best orthopedic surgeon, the best cardiologist,” Lynn Caldwell said. “But when you’re in ICU, you have no control over the dotors or team you’re given.”

hen John’s younger brother William first heard the news, he wasn’t worried. But then his dad called him with an update. “I freaked out and asked, ‘Is he going to live? Is he going to live through it?’” William said. “I thought my dad was going to say that he was going to live for sure but when he said, ‘I don’t know; we’re not sure yet,’ it hit me hard. I didn’t know how to react.” William pushed forward and went to school the next day “During the first night I was extremely scared and I teared up at school, especially when Mrs. Barta came up and gave me a hug,” William Caldwell said. However, after the initial attack, things began to look better for the Caldwells. “Once we got through the first 72 hours and he had not had a seizure, it was a huge relief,” Lynn Caldwell said, “because then we knew he should be okay. He might have some other non life-threatening issues, but for the most part the critical period was behind us.” While the fatal possibilities of meningitis seemed to be behind John, nobody knew what the possible lasting effects could be. Head Coach Bart Epperson only hoped he would recover to full health. “I was just praying and hoping that everything would come back to the way it was for him,” Epperson said. “Not

REUNITED Caldwell returned home to be greeted by his younger brother and football teammate, sophomore William Caldwell (left).

so much for his production on the field, but for him to be a healthy young man and still growing and doing the things he loves to do. That was my number one concern.” As John continued to recover, the Caldwells were warned of possible future issues. “There were definite concerns that I would have brain problems,” John Caldwell said. “They are still very concerned about brain problems. There are lasting concerns about concussions, and basically anything with my brain is still a huge concern. If I were to get sick, it would be really bad for my brain. And that won’t leave, it will be like that for the rest of my life.” By the time he left the hospital, John had lost all of the hearing in his left ear, and with the loss of hearing came a loss of balance. “I couldn’t walk for a week or so,” John Caldwell said. “When I first started to walk again, it was really tough. I couldn’t walk in a straight line, and I could only walk for 20 seconds or so. I would always end up pulling to the left.” But by June, things had cleared up. John was back on the football field—by no means at the level he was at in the fall, but still making progress. “If you had asked me in the hospital if I’d ever get to play again, I wouldn’t have known,” John Caldwell said, “but when I started to work out more and more, I realized that I could.” But this season, John has proved to be a great wide receiver once again. He’s scored 16 touchdowns in the first eight games. Epperson is more than impressed. “There are some games obviously, Cistercian and the one we played against ESD, he surpassed those expectations,” Epperson said. “When you catch 14 plus balls in a game with the amount of yardage that he had, you pass your expectations.” And after all the time spent in the emergency room, all the time spent in the intensive care unit, Lynn Caldwell has only one thought in describing her son’s recovery. “Miracle. He’s truly a miracle baby.”

AGAINST ALL ODDS story by Matthew Conley, sports editor, additional reporting by Davis Marsh and Zachary Naidu, staff writers | photos by Mason Smith, staff photographer, courtesy Lynn Caldwell

Page 18

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

SPORTS

Supplementing

ST RE N GTH H

JACKED in an attempt to gain stamina Junior Jake Holder uses his elevation training mask while working out at the Mullen Family Fitness Center.

More and more student athletes are using supplements and alternative workout methods to gain an advantage over their competitors, but is supplement usage going too far?

is body is choking. His lungs are pumping harder and harder, trying to keep him going. His legs are tiring underneath him. Junior Jake Holder is simulating running at 10,000 feet above sea level. Wearing an elevation training mask, Holder runs, lifts weights and flips tires, all in order to gain an edge on opponents come wrestling season. “It [the mask] simulates different altitudes by restricting different levels of oxygen,” Holder said. “It has these caps on the front that allow you to gauge it from anywhere to 18,000 feet. You have a lot of athletes who go all the way to Colorado and the Rockies to get that altitude training, and while the mask is not as effective, you can pretty much simulate it at any altitude.” In addition to the mask, Holder uses supplements, such as C4 pre-workout, in an attempt to maximize his workouts. “I stopped using supplements recently because I was gaining too much weight,” Holder said. “I’m not really a fan of whey protein. I used what is called C4 Extreme pre-workout, and it’s basically just nitrates which gives you more energy and helps you focus. But now I’ve jumped on a product called Advocare, actually it’s a company, and they make banned-substance-free supplements so a lot of college kids use them.” Holder is just one of many upper schoolers who have taken up alternate training methods and supplements in order to become bigger and stronger. “It [supplement usage] has picked up over the last couple years,” wrestling coach Justin Turner said. “As far as high school kids go, I think that some are using supplements more, and I think there’s a lot more product out there now than there was 20 or 30 years ago. My philosophy was just to out-train everyone. I’d just spend extra time in the weight

room or run outside of practice. Nobody ever educated me about supplements.” For Turner, it’s the supplement education that’s most important. “There are a lot of bad products out there,” Turner said. “I think there’s very little education to young people to go out and discern what they should take and what they shouldn’t. Personally, I don’t feel like anybody under the age of 18 should be taking supplements. I think your body is growing and there are still a lot of things developing in your own physique that you just don’t need to add to.” Assistant trainer Matt Hjertstedt worries that students who are using supplements do not know what they are taking or the long-term effects of the supplements. “One of my biggest concerns is that supplements are not regulated by the FDA,” Hjertstedt said. “You don’t know what you’re getting in them. It may have a lot of chemicals that they don’t list, or you don’t understand what the combinations of those chemicals is going to do. That’s the number one concern: that you don’t know what you’re taking. And we also don’t know the long-term effects.” For Hjertstedt, natural is better. “From a nutritional aspect, you can get everything you need from a balanced diet,” Hjertstedt said. “I would be very cautious about supplements. I’d be very cautious about people trying to sell you supplements and just know that success doesn’t come easy. It’s not cheap. You can’t buy it.” No matter what supplements, gear or training methods one uses, everything always boils down to hard work for any athlete. “At the end of the day, there is no replacement for hard work,” Turner said. “If you get in and do things harder and better than people around you, you’re going to excel. There is no shortcut to that.”

SUPPLEMENTING STRENGTH story by Teddy Edwards, sports editor | photo by Mason Smith, staff photographer

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Page 19

SPORTS F A L L

S P O R T S

Coming to a close

Fall sports teams look to wrap up their seasons with final victories with SPC on the Horizon

Volleyball shoots for another SPC victory By Ford Robinson campus coordinator ONSISTENCY is the main focus for the undefeated Lions’ varsity volleyball team in their quest for their second straight SPC championship Nov. 8-9 in Fort Worth. Led by senior captains Teddy Edwards and Carson Pate, the team has worked hard and prepared each day in practice as it moves closer and closer to the SPC tournament. “We’re working hard every day on the little things,” Pate said. “At the beginning of the season we wanted to stress that.” As the season comes to a close, the Lions are holding an undefeated record in the conference and are hoping to extend their undefeated streak going into the SPC tournament. Hopes are high for a stellar showing at the SPC tournament, and Pate’s expectations are even higher. “We expect to have a strong showing in SPC,” Pate said. “It’s basically a failure if we don’t win the title.” Head coach Darren Teicher agrees that if the team is consistent and plays to it’s potential, another SPC championship will come. “Consistency is the biggest thing for us right now going into the tournament,” Teicher said. “We have the strongest team in SPC, and as long as every kid shows up mentally to the tournament, there is nobody who can beat us.” As counter season comes to a close, Teicher is urging his team to look back on the season, learn from their mistakes and make minor adjustments to ensure perfection. “We’ve had a good opportunity to see what works and what doesn’t,” Teicher said. “As we’re coming to a close here, we can start working on adjustments that we need to make before we get to SPC that will give us a better chance to walk through this tournament.” After a tight, come from behind win against their toughest competitor, Casady

DOUBLE DUTY Senior Mac Labhart led the team in tackles and in rushing touchdowns in the Lions’ football game against ESD. Labhart played both sides because of Senior running back Malcolm Bowman’s ACL injury.

Football fighting for first SPC title since 2008 By Matthew Placide staff writer ITH A 7-1 RECORD (6-1 in SPC North), coach Bart Epperson’s football team has clinched a spot in the playoffs, sitting second in the conference. For coach Epperson, this goal was set in the preseason this summer. “Well my expectations every summer are extremely high, just like they are with anyone involved with St. Mark’s football,” Epperson said. “It kind of just more or less boils down to the players making the plays, but the expectation every year is a championship.” Although Epperson preaches his high expectations, the team’s captains, seniors John Webb, Luke Williams, Mac Labhart, Victor Calvillo and John Caldwell, all make sure it’s heard loud and clear that to reach those goals, hard work and dedication is required. “Our captains are pretty special this year,” Epperson said. “I’m leaving whatever things that need to be discussed or where the

team needs to step it up and kind of leave it in their hands to make sure it gets stepped up with execution and excitement at practice. Really, we put it on the captains to make sure they have the great leadership.” Moreover, Malcolm Bowman, a key but missing piece to this year’s senior leadership, tore his ACL in the preseason. “When Malcolm got hurt it was a lot of wind out of our sail,” Epperson said. “He’s a great leader, he works probably harder than anyone I’ve ever seen [and] the great thing about Malcolm is [that] he is such a hard runner he’s going to get those extra yards that we were counting on before the season started.” However, despite this loss, the varsity football team has its eyes set on a SPC championship, and with a 6-1 conference record, that looks like a very feasible task. “We’re going to teach the game, we’re going to have fun doing it,” Epperson said, “but we want to win obviously more times than not and make it to the championship and win one.”

New coach leads fencing team to high rankings open at Hockaday tomorrow. “Unlike other years, when most of our practices were based around conditioning, pull-ups and stamina,” senior captain Juan Chavez said, “these ones, you need to focus on what you’re doing, where you are, and how you’re going to score.” And while every fencer on the squad has welcomed the chance for a new experience this season, Chavez believes that with the beneficial transitions from last year, the team has the potential to go much further than that in the coming weeks. “I feel as though we’ll not only continue in our rankings, but also get a lot better,” Chavez said. “We’ll also start showing that we’re just good, that even though we’re not a club and we don’t get these special trainings and sessions, we can still show up, and we can still do really well. We can still win.”

ANDREW GATHERER PHOTO

EN GARDE Senior captain Oliver Ness goes up against junior Zuyva Sevilla in a fencing team practice. The team will wrap up its season with tomorrow’s final tournament.

FLYING HIGH Junior Wesley Cha jumps up to set the volleyball for his teammate in a game against the Casady School. Although they’re the biggest competition for the team, the Lions were able to come back from a losing start to steal the win.

School, Oct. 18, the team is confident going into the most important part of its season. “In our last match against Casady,” Teicher said, “we had to come back from behind to pull it out. The minor adjustments we’re making before the tournament should work and allow us to not keep things so close in our coming games.” Going into the tournament, Pate and the team are focused on playing to their potential and not beating themselves. “We’re focusing on defense and passing,” Pate said. “If we can pass the ball and get our offense set in motion, there will be nobody who can stop us.”

Cross country: ‘This year’s team is the best since 2007’ By PJ Voorheis staff writer

N RECENT YEARS, the track team has outrun

the cross country team, although the track team requires many more diverse elements, they have historically been more successful. However, coach John Turek believes that the roles will be reversed and cross country will excel. “The cross country kids are generally a quiet bunch,” Turek said “We have a sort of ‘quiet confidence’ that we keep about us. “ Turek has very high hopes for the team. “This year’s team is the best since 2007,” he said, “and that was the last year that we won SPC. We have never placed below third place since 2004, so although I don’t go around telling them, there is an unspoken standard that I have for my team” Even though the hopes for this year are high, it is not only older kids who are contributing. “This year, we have freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors all represented in our top ten runners,” Turek said. Senior captain Matthew Brown KICKING UP DUST agrees with Coach Freshman Daniel Cope Turek about the passes a Fort Worth Counteam’s future suctry Day runner in the cross cess. country meet at Norbuck.

ADAM MERCHANT PHOTO

By Noah Koecher staff writer ITH NEW HEAD COACH Hossam Mahmoud on-board, and with second place finishes at its first two tournaments — Sept. 21 at North Richard Hills and Sept. 28-29 at Lone Star Fencing Center — the varsity fencing team has high hopes for a continued season of success. “Our main goal this season is to get as many fencers ranked as possible,” senior captain Oliver Ness said, “and we are fencing in many more tournaments this year than we have in previous years.” However, Ness emphasizes that the team’s goals will not be realized without consistent improvement throughout the remainder of the season. “As a whole, the team needs to work on cementing their skills,” Ness said. “For most of us, the foundation is there, but we have to work on becoming just a little bit faster. Other than that, the key thing we are working on is decision making, for example deciding when to attack and when to retreat.” The needed stress on technique is something the coaches have also seen and are striving to achieve through a new style of practicing in preparation for their final tournaments, the North Texas Grand Prix at ESD Oct. 26-27 and the Hockaday and St. Mark’s

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

MATTHEW CONLEY PHOTO

“I also think this year will be different than past years because there will be so many different kids from different teams in the top 20 because SPC has become much more competitive over the past four years,” Brown said. “If our top seven guys can stay close to each other and stick with the other teams, I think we can win the championship. ” The team also has a very strong core of seniors leading the pack. “Matthew Brown is our team’s centerpiece,” Turek said. “He has been a great runner since Middle School and he has been progressively better each year, but this year he really upped his mindset.” Turek said Brown has mentally reached a new level. “Matthew runs with that inner confidence that you really need,” Turek said “He really reached that new mental level that you need to be a top competitor.” Multiple colleges have also recruited Brown for both track and cross country. “I’ve been speaking with The University of Miami, TCU, Emory and William & Mary since last spring” Brown said. “Matthew is being recruited because he has a large track arsenal, from steeplechase to long distance, and colleges are really looking for that,” Turek said. Along with Brown’s mental change, he has also put in the extra work that it takes to be the best. “Matthew does the little things,” Turek said. “He puts in more mileage than anyone else on the team and he’s the quiet captain that holds the team together.”

HIGHPERFORMANCE Football captain John Webb

St. Mark’s School of Texas 10600 Preston Road Dallas, Texas, 75230

THE REMARKER

PAGE 20

THE BACK SPORTS PAGE

ZUYVA SEVILLA ILLUSTRATION

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY NOV. 1, 2013

fanpage THE

Senior captain and quarterback JOHN WEBB has powered the Lions’ offense with 2,658 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and a 64 percent completion rate. He looks to reach 3,000 passing yards and lead the team to a victory tomorrow against the Episcopal High School Knights.

oung and old, the fans at football games are what make the

events so great. They cheer, they celebrate and they roar, encouraging the Lions to win the game. Here’s a look at the different types of fans you might see at a Lions’ football game. THE FANPAGE story by Zuyva Sevilla, graphics director | photos by Zuyva Sevilla, graphics director, Matthew Conley, sports editor and Conner Olson, staff photographer

THECHEERLEADER She jumps, she flips, she cheers and shouts. With He’s the general of the her infectious joy she’s army. He can pinpoint quick to spread the THEKID exact moments when excitement throughout He may not care the spirit will grow and the stands. With her about who the team is leads the crowd in a constant practice and facing. He may not care about united chant that diligence under the what the final score is. He may leads to touchdown lights, she is truly not care about that group of after touchdown. one of the Lions’ girls behind him. To the Lower He never jeers and THEPARENT number one fans. School fan, football games The clappers, the always cheers and are all about tossing the headgear, the blue and gold his emotions are football with friends, war paint. That gear-selling cart unlike any other running around, buying next to the concession stand is made up all the candy at the exhibited on, for her. Never missing a beat, the concession stand and and off, the parent is always there for their chomping down field. THESENIOR player on the field. A button on burgers. What It’s his last year and starring their player’s face more could a kid lies proudly on the chest, it’s his last chance to cheer for ask for? and she is the first his classmates on the field. Fighting ones to rise when to grasp the last fleeting moment of school the team needs spirit, the senior is always pumped for any game. motivation. Armed with bongos, vuvuzuelas, blowhorns

THESUPERFAN

and even the occasional frying pan, you can guarantee he’ll be Playing the classic St. Mark’s the loudest of the Alma Mater and the eternal Sweet Caroline, crowd. the band player plays an essential role in setting the tone for the night. The roar of the cheers just isn’t the same if cymbals aren’t crashing, trombones aren’t blaring and drums aren’t thumping.

THEMUSICIAN

Who are the fans?

a Addendum

three how 72 hours in november 1963 days

forever changed the marksmen

who were there and still haunt

dallas

the city that bears the shame

a remarker magazine special | nov. 1, 2013

Nov. 1, 2013

Zuyva Sevilla illustration

John Fitzgerald Kennedy 35th President of the United States 1917-1963

The ReMarker

Editor’s note

Contents

Why JFK?

The ReMarker

archival photo

ifty years ago, President John F. Kennedy was shot in downtown Dallas as his motorcade traveled from Love Field Airport to the Trade Mart building where a luncheon in his honor was scheduled. Two years ago, the idea of a comprehensive ReMarker project about the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination was discussed by newspaper staff members. Marksmen of yesteryear vividly recall the day and the impact it had on them, their classmates, the school and the city. Marksmen of today look back at that dark moment in the nation’s history with marvel, asking themselves How could this have happened in our city? The assassination of the 35th President of the United States is recognized as one of the most significant — and darkest — events in the history of the school, the city and the nation. Nearly everyone alive in 1963 will remember where he was when he heard the shocking news. And they will recall how time has tempered their reactions and thoughts as anger and disbelief turned to a reluctant, if unexplainable, acceptance. Certainly, Dallasites have felt those emotions most strongly. Even five decades later, Dallas is forever marked — rightly or wrongly — as the city where JFK was killed and the city that still bears that shame. For our generation, this seminal event is only a few paragraphs in our history books. We felt it was important to research this event — to show what it was like here on that day, how it changed the lives of Marksmen and how one summer school instructor unknowingly played a large part in the lives of Marina and Lee Harvey Oswald. Since then, the project has grown to one unlike anything ever presented by ReMarker writers. This 16-page magazine is a result of more than 30 interviews and extensive research conducted by Issues Editor Ryan O’Meara, who directed this project, over the past two years. Additional research and writing was contributed by Creative Director Sam Khoshbin, Senior Content Editor Charlie Golden, Special Projects Editor Alexander Munoz, staff writers Will Clark and Bradford Beck and Managing Editor Aidan Dewar. Fifty years may seem like ancient history to a 17, 12 or 10-year old today. But the shared experiences of their predecessors on that dark and gloomy day 50 years earlier are a part of the school’s history and deserve to be recorded for future generations of Marksmen. This is what it was like on Nov. 22, 1963. — Ryan O’Meara, issues editor

Davis Hall, seen in this 1963 Marksmen yearbook photo, used to be the school’s central academic building. Many former students remember being in or around this building when they found out the President of the United States had been shot in downtown Dallas.

What it was like 4-5

Fifty years ago, Dallas was a completely different city, marked by an overwhelmingly conservative political climate opposed to everything liberal — especially President John F. Kennedy.

Ruth Paine

6-7

10600 Preston Road

8-11

Reporting the news

12-13

A city transformed

14-15

Ruth Paine, a summer school Russian teacher at St. Mark’s during the summer of 1963, lived with Marina Oswald, the wife of Lee Harvey Oswald, one of the most infamous men in history. He returned to her house on Nov. 21, 1963 to retrieve his gun.

Marksmen who were on campus and around the city remember where they were and what they were doing on that day that has been forever marked as a day when the world changed profoundly.

Newspaper reporters Hugh Aynesworth and Darwin Payne were both on duty that day. They were tasked with finding out as much as they could about what was happening and who could have committed the horrible act.

Fifty years later, Dallas has become a vastly different city than it was back then. Mayor Mike Rawlings leads the city that used to be known as the city of hate in the wake of one of its defining moments.

A Addendum

Addendum, a special magazine supplement to The ReMarker, is a student publication of St. Mark’s School of Texas, 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, TX 75230. Project Director Ryan O’Meara Illustrator Zuyva Sevilla

Nov. 1, 2013

Designers Sam Khoshbin Aidan Dewar

Writers Bradford Beck Will Clark Jacob Chernick Charlie Golden Alexander Munoz

Photographers Andrew Gatherer Arno Goetz Tim O’Meara Corbin Walp

Dallas, 1963 The unique political climate in Dallas 50 years ago shaped the City’s future. Issues Editor Ryan O’Meara explores what life was like then.

I It was unusually warm for a November morning. The city had been buzzing for weeks in anticipation of the President’s visit. Youthful, polished and liberal: John F. Kennedy was everything that Dallas was not. But 50 years ago — Nov. 22, 1963 — his fate became inextricably tied to the city’s future when Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots at him from a sniper’s nest on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository on Elm Street. continued, next page

4-5

Nov. 1, 2013

The ReMarker

Creative Commons photo

Just like the entire city, 10600 Preston Road was full of excitement for Kennedy’s impending visit. “Many of our families might have thought they were young, charming, handsome President and beautiful, glamorous wife, Jackie, but probably politically were more conservative than they were,” Robbie Briggs ’71 said. “So they were an exciting couple, but many of our families had voted for Nixon.” Just a month before, the city where people still wore suits to see movies in downtown theaters saw Adlai Stevenson, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, spat on and hit with protest signs by a group of Republican women from the Park Cities during a visit to give a speech in favor of the United Nations. According to a Nov. 15, 1963 ReMarker interview with Jack Goren, president of the Dallas chapter of the United Nations, “There was so much saliva on his cheek that it was running down the side of his cheek and he had to take out his handkerchief and wipe it off. That really did upset him.” In 1963, the idea of a United Nations that the U.S. paid for and participated in was extremely controversial, especially in a city like Dallas.

The night before Stevenson’s speech, a group of conservative citizens opposed to the U.N. met in the same venue Stevenson was to speak at the next night in order to plan how to heckle him. Former headmaster Ted Whatley, who also taught history, attended the event out of curiosity, finding it to be full of more “hate and ill will” than he had ever seen. Stevenson had come to Dallas because Stanley Marcus, father of Richard Marcus ’56, invited him to give a controversial speech in Dallas in support of the U.N. oth Marcuses ate dinner with the ambassador after the speech. The elder Marcus, embarrassed by the city’s actions, urged President Kennedy to avoid the upcoming trip. That warning came after Stevenson’s Oct. 24 speech, less than a month before Kennedy was slain in the street. “He actually contacted Lyndon Johnson's office and urged him to tell the president not to come to Dallas,” Richard Marcus said. “He was just that distressed by some of his fellow citizens, a relatively small number, but still so rude.” A few months before Stevenson’s visit, a registered communist named Lee Harvey Oswald snuck up to a home on Turtle Creek

Boulevard near Highland Park and attempted to kill a man working at a table visible from outside. That man was retired General Edwin Walker, an ultra-conservative former general who spoke clearly about his objections to the United Nations and liberalism in general in a November 1963 interview with The ReMarker. Walker supported Stevenson’s heckling, a feeling shared by many in the city. “The treatment of Mr. Stevenson only reflected the feeling of a great portion of the U.S. in their opposition to the U.N. and its failure,” Walker said. “Only a little man would accept or turn a national protest into a personal affront.” Walker didn’t stop at attacking Stevenson, however. After hearing a question from a ReMarker reporter, the general sought to discover the religious and political beliefs of the school’s administration, declaring that the reporter had been “brainwashed by the communists and liberals at your school.” On Nov. 22, The Dallas Morning News printed an ad about President Kennedy, accusing him of being a communist and highlighting personal shortcomings.

Walker summed up Dallas’s feelings about the President when he was asked to give a brief definition of communism. “The best definition for communism,” Walker said, “is Kennedy liberalism or Kennedy socialism.” llen Cullum ’64 believes Kennedy’s death shattered the happiness of the ’50s. “When I was born the war was over,” Cullum said. “I was a little kid. I didn’t know anything. You grow up in the ’50s, it’s literally like Ozzie and Harriet. It’s like nirvana. Everything’s going great. The economy’s going great. This really burst the bubble of the ’50s being kind of a nirvana lifestyle.” Even though the President was assassinated by a registered communist — a man with extreme-left political views — the reaction to the assassination immediately focused on Dallas’s ultra-conservative elements. According to Dr. Greg Nobles ’66, history professor at Georgia Tech, Dallas was in a unique position in 1963. “If Kennedy had been assassinated in — I don’t know — Cincinnati – probably people would not have reacted as much to the social context, the political context,” Nobles said. “But Dallas is Dallas.”

Kennedy visited Dallas to mend political rifts within the Democratic Party against the advice of civic leaders like Stanley Marcus.

A MAN NAMED LEE

Does he have a gun here? the agent asked stiffly. No, Ruth Paine replied. Are you sure? the agent pressed her. Ruth turned to Marina, the frightened Russian woman who lived with her in her modest Irving home, and translated the agent’s question. Marina looked back at Ruth and the agent and softly said, Yes. She led them to the garage and pointed to a blanket roll on the floor where she thought the gun was. The agent picked the blanket up. It fell limp on his arm. The gun had been removed. “That was the moment I realized it could have been Lee who fired the shots that killed the President,” Ruth said. Ruth Paine, a former summer school Russian teacher at St. Mark’s, never knew that her interest in Russian would lead to this moment. Lee Harvey Oswald had not yet become one of the most reviled figures in American history. He was just a man who visited her house on weekends to see his wife, Marina. To Ruth, he was Lee. continued, next page

Ruth Paine, mother of two children, a son Chris and a daughter, Lynn, watches her daughter open Christmas presents and plays in the park with her two children in these photos taken around 1963.

Story by Ryan O’Meara, issues editor, Charlie Golden, senior content editor, and Aidan Dewar, managing editor | photos used with permission, City of Irving Archives | graphic by Zuyva Sevilla, graphics director. 6

Nov. 1, 2013

The ReMarker

for his pregnant wife and their daughter, June. They were to follow Lee once he had an apartment and a job. Ruth, a mother herself, did not want Marina to endure that long of a bus ride and offered to drive her and June to New Orleans. Unbeknownst to Ruth, Lee was leaving for New Orleans under suspicious circumstances. The month before, Lee had snuck up to a house on Turtle Creek Boulevard in Highland Park and attempted to kill General Edwin Walker, an Ruth Paine became interestultra-conservative anti-communist ed in Russian as a young Quaker retired general. woman and member of the EastThat assassination attempt West Contact Committee, a group failed, but Marina found out and formed when the government was wanted to keep Lee out of Dallas encouraging personal interaction and away from the police. between Soviets and Americans. After Ruth dropped Marina Only one other committee off in New Orleans, she spent the member spoke Russian, so Ruth weekend there with the constantdecided to learn the language herly-bickering Oswalds. self. She became interested in the Soon after Ruth returned to language and shared her desire to Dallas, she began her job teaching learn with her friends. Russian during summer school at An invitation to a house party St. Mark’s. by a mutual friend led to Ruth Her class had one student: Bill meeting a young Russian couple, Hootkins ’66, who died of pancreMarina and Lee Harvey Oswald. atic cancer in 2005. At the party, Ruth learned that Although Ruth hoped to be Lee had been to the Soviet Union hired for the fall, the job only and back and enjoyed being the lasted through the summer of center of attention. There, he ex1963. However, when fall came, the plained how the Soviet Union was administration was reminded of not the place he thought it would Ruth again. be — not a workers’ paradise. Former Assistant Headmaster Marina wasn’t part of the group Ted Oviatt remembers the day he gathered around her husband. She was approached by the FBI well didn’t understand English very well before Kennedy’s death. at the time. Ruth found her in a He was running with the cross bedroom and started a conversacountry team when his assistant tion. told him there was someone there “We got acquainted and I to see him. asked whether I could write her and Oviatt said he would finish the visit her sometime and I got their last half-mile with the team. address,” she said. “[They] Did not The assistant said it was the have a telephone.” FBI. Over the next few months, “He [agent James Hosty] Ruth visited Marina several times wanted to know things about Ruth and began a close friendship. Paine. He wanted to know if I The first visit they went to a would support her loyalty to the park where Marina told Ruth that United States,” he said. “He said her husband wanted to return to they were doing a ‘routine investithe Soviet Union. Marina, who was gation of a Russian national [Lee then pregnant with their second Harvey Oswald].’” child, did not like that idea. Oviatt vouched for Ruth’s loyDuring another one of Ruth’s alty. But he was surprised to never visits, Lee was home and told her hear from the FBI again. that he was planning on going to After the Russian class on New Orleans to look for work. Lee campus ended, Ruth left for a trip asked Ruth for a ride to the bus around the country. When she station. He had purchased a ticket stopped in New Orleans to see Lee

The ReMarker

and Marina she was shocked to find out Lee was out of work again. Marina was eight months pregnant and still hadn’t received any medical care. Ruth decided to take action. “He was talking about going to look for work somewhere else,” she said. “So I said ‘Why doesn’t Marina stay with me through the time that the baby comes because I can translate and get her into the hospital, maybe get her some care before she goes to the hospital and then you let us know when you have an apartment for us to move into again.’” Marina and Ruth lived together starting in September 1963. After a couple weeks without communication, Lee called Ruth on Oct. 4 and asked her to pick him up at the bus station. e had arrived in Dallas. Marina flatly told him no. Ruth had just given blood that day at Parkland Hospital and could not drive out to pick Lee up. Lee hitchhiked to Ruth’s house in Irving. Soon, he began spending weekends there; his weekdays were spent at a rooming house on Beckley Street in Oak Cliff. Lee seemed to settle down in Dallas, although he was unemployed. At the suggestion of one of Ruth’s neighbors, he got a minimum wage job at the Texas Schoolbook Depository, saving what money he could to support his wife and daughters. That seemed to be the extent of Lee’s relationship with Ruth. The pattern of weekend visits to the Paine house continued. Lee visited frequently. Never unannounced. Except for one day. Nov. 21 — the day before the assassination. “And quite clearly, he came out to get the gun,” Ruth said. “I didn’t know [it] was there.” Lee came out to Ruth’s house with a wrapping paper package he made at the Schoolbook Depository using their wrapping paper. Although his visit was unannounced, he slept at Ruth’s house that night. “I did not see him that morning, she said. “He was up and gone before I got up.” Lee left early on the morning of Nov. 22. Ruth Paine never saw him again.

Nov. 1, 2013

••• Ruth left the television on that morning because she knew Marina was interested in seeing Kennedy. “I knew she would want to see the motorcade and see the President,” she said. “She was very keen on President Kennedy.” That morning, Ruth and Marina were watching television when they found out about Kennedy’s death. “We were sitting there watching TV coverage and I got out a little votive candle and lit it,” Ruth said. “Marina said ‘Is this a way of praying?’ And I said ‘Yes, it’s my own way. And we sat there watching and feeling bereft.’” Later that afternoon, six officers arrived at the house and informed Ruth that they had Lee in custody for shooting an officer. They didn’t have a warrant, but she let them in the house, expecting them to sit down and talk. Instead, they canvassed the house, eventually finding the empty blanket roll in the garage. The blanket roll where the gun used to be. After the officers searched the house, they asked Ruth and Marina to come into the police station where they both spoke separately with officers. Ruth remained glued to her television on the morning of Nov. 24 when she witnessed nightclub owner Jack Ruby assassinate Lee on live television. That killing shown in real time in homes coast to coast was a “closing a book” moment for Ruth. “I was somewhat relieved,” she said. “I really didn’t understand at that point the degree to which we lost whatever information we could get from Lee about motive. Ruth doesn’t know why Lee decided to leave her small Irving house on that rainy November morning and forever alter the course of history. But she firmly believes he acted alone. “I regret what we lost in information from him,” she said. “I felt he was quite fragile emotionally and that he might deteriorate in jail. But that didn’t happen. “Certainly I had some ‘if only’ questions in my mind. Things could have been different. They weren’t, so I had to live with them as they were.”

10600 Preston Road

‘It was an ugly day for the school. Everybody was just in a big fog, a certain confusion.’

—former headmaster Ted Whatley

If you are of a certain age, you will never forget where you were, what you were doing and what your immediate reaction was when you heard the news. Here are those moments as recalled from those at 10600 Preston Road and the vicinity. Story by Ryan O’Meara, issues editor, Alexander Munoz, special projects editor, and Jacob Chernick and Bradford Beck, staff writers | photos by Corbin Walp, staff photographer; student photos from publications archives

Harden Wiedemann ’71, a fifth-grader in 1963, can remember the exact desk he was sitting in during Gerald Hacker’s social studies class when he heard the news that Kennedy had been shot. Hacker had gone to Love Field Airport to see Air Force One land and was late coming back to class. Although the expectation was that the students would sit silently in their desks, “We were, as you would expect, cutting up,” Wiedemann said. When the door opened, everything got silent. Hacker walked into the room and delivered the news to the class. “I could tell he was solemn, I didn’t really Harden know what that meant,” Wiedemann ’71 he said. “So it took a minute but immediately all the students registered with the solemnity and the gravity of the situation and we knew it was very serious.” ••• Britt Kolar ’64, a retired physician, saw Ted Whatley, a history instructor, walking across the old mathematics quad around lunchtime. Whatley looked “dreadful” as he grabbed Kolar by the shoulders and explained to him that the President had been shot. After school was dismissed, Kolar saw Air Force One flying at a low altitude over the campus, near the Preston Road entrance. Britt Kolar ’64 At that time, Kolar

Nov. 1, 2013

was living with Tommy Lee Jones ’65, Bill Clarkson ’66 and Gerald Hacker in a boarding house on Orchid Lane. “I do remember borrowing Bill Clarkson ’66’s ’54 Cadillac to go visit a friend and driving down Orchid Lane to Hillcrest and to the Park Cities to visit a friend, and I did not see a single other car on the road, which kind of was reflective of the state of shock the whole city was in at that time,” he said. ••• Jack Chernick, father of junior Jacob Chernick, was a sophomore at Hillcrest High School in 1963. Along with several friends, he decided to go downtown to watch the motorcade. After the car Chernick was in got a flat tire, he decided to stop for a Coke before running towards downtown. Before they left for downtown, a crying man approached him and said, ‘My God almighty, our dear President has been shot. I think they shot the governor, too,’ Chernick took off for Elm Street. Once they got there, he and his friend Jimmy Johnson chased after history. Jack “Jimmy Johnson Chernick screams out ‘Look at those bums in that rail car,’ he said. “And all the sudden the agents look up, we look up and we see these guys right across the way.” Chernick followed the agents as they pursued the men and refused to stop until the agents threatened arrest. “We were finally told you need to get out of here or we’re gonna take you down and book you,” he said. “That was more scary than getting shot.”

The ReMarker

••• Greg Nobles ’66, director of the honors program and a professor at Georgia Tech, had gone out to Love Field with history instructor Gerry Hacker to watch Kennedy’s plane land. He was stuck by the informality of the situation. Nobles was behind a short chain link fence that many in the crowd reached over in order to shake hands with the President and his wife. Nobles didn’t get the chance to reach over and shake Kenendy’s hand, but the small distance from the president still left an impression. “Just the kind of physical proximity you could have to the president was pretty striking,” he said. By the time they got back to school, Kennedy had been shot. The receptionist they signed back into school with was crying. Nobles approached Hacker and Greg Nobles ’66 asked if he had heard about what happened. Hacker’s response stuck with Nobles: “If that’s true, I’m physically sick.” ••• Assistant Headmaster Ted Oviatt was excited for the school’s future. After the completion of the Math and Science Quad, the school was prepared to grow. “I know that people felt things were going well at St. Mark’s leading up to the assassination,” Oviatt said. “The faculty was the strongest it had

The ReMarker

ever been.” But no one could have predicted what happened next. Emotions ran high as news of the shooting reached faculty members around campus. “On the day of the assassination,” Oviatt said, “I was in the headmaster’s office in Davis Hall. An English teacher who did drama as well ran down the hall saying ‘Oh my God, they shot the president!’ He eventually had a fullfledged breakdown.” A feeling of outrage and sadness permeated the school. Although many students were conservative, even many of those who opposed the president’s views were deeply saddened. “I know that we had some extremely Ted Oviatt conservative kids who thought that it was good to have Kennedy out of the way,” Oviatt said. “That came out in a quiet way. So I was sad, but I wasn’t surprised because I knew a lot of people disagreed with Kennedy’s views. But everyone was sickened that the president had been assassinated.” ••• Richard Marcus ’56, former CEO of Neiman Marcus, was awaiting Kennedy’s arrival at a luncheon at the Trade Mart building downtown. The son of Neiman Marcus founder Stanley Marcus, Richard Marcus remembers the chaotic response at the reception as news of that the President would not be joining them spread around the room. “I was among the people waiting

at the Dallas Trade Center for the luncheon in his honor when we received the news that he had been shot,” Marcus said. “I was sitting at a table and we had been waiting for a while and wondering why things weren’t proceeding. At that moment the people at the host table got up and said ‘The president has been shot. The luncheon is adjourned.’” No one at the luncheon knew how to react to the violence. There was just as much silence as there was outrage. Many people simply left without saying a word. “It was just very emotional,” Marcus said. “I felt that, at least where I was in the room, the people were just shocked. There may have been some other attitudes elsewhere but I witnessed people being really and truly stunned.” ••• Robert Decherd ’69, retired CEO of Belo Corporation, the parent company of The Dallas Morning News, remembers the progression of events that took place on campus on that day. “The headmaster made the announcements,” he said. “There wasn’t a lot of talk. We heard the news, and they wanted us to be with our families so they sent us right home.” When the first word came to the school, no one on campus or anywhere else knew Kennedy was dead., but bad Robert Decherd ‘69 news travels fast. It was

Nov. 1, 2013

not long before word spread and the school needed to be addressed. “Eventually when we learned he died, the decision was made to gather everyone in the chapel and say what has happened,” Decherd said. “We prayed for the president and his family and then sent everyone home. That happened from around 12:30 to 2:00.” Everywhere people were trying to put together what had transpired. “We as students wanted to move forward and look at positive things about our city,” Decherd said. “We didn’t want to disengage, but we wanted to understand and move on.” ••• Ted Whatley, former history instructor and headmaster, watched as students and teachers around him went reacted to the news “We were sitting in the faculty lounge, just talking about politics and then bam, on comes that television, and then everybody’s just hysterical,” Whatley said. “It was an ugly day for the school. Everybody was just in a big fog, a Ted certain confusion.” Whatley After getting over the initial shock, everyone was trying to figure out who did it. “There were a lot of very thoughtful reactions through all this,” Whatley said. “No one knew who had killed him. Well was it General [Edwin] Walker? One of his people? We thought it would be somebody continued, next page

CHANGING PLACES The city of Dallas will forever bear the shame of the assassination, but some places are more memorable than others. The place where Oswald shot from (top), the spot where JFK was hit (middle) and Oswald’s rooming house (bottom) were key spots on that fateful day.

from the right wing. The conspiracy business still goes on.” Some people cheered when they heard the news of Kennedy’s death. “You’d hear things like, when it was announced at the Dealey school, the word was that when it was announced the children cheered,” Whatley said. ••• Former master teacher Tom Adams was teaching classes on medieval and modern history when Kennedy was shot. “It was a pretty normal Friday,” Adams said. “I remember during the week, there had been a tremendous hoopla about Kennedy coming to town. I think several people from St. Mark’s had gone down there to see Kennedy’s motor car. There was a lot of talk about all the Tom precautions they were Adams taking for a possible assassination attempt.” Adams was walking back to his classroom from playing a lunchtime game of basketball when he heard the news. “I got to the door of one of the old Lower School buildings and someone told me Kennedy had been shot,” Adams said. “My first reaction, I was not surprised because of all the talk they had had about the precautions. My second reaction was ‘Oh my God.’ Just wow.” Despite the electrifying chain of events that followed the shooting, life on campus continued to move on. The community quickly learned to adjust to a world without JFK. “There was definitely shock,” Ad-

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ams said, “but I didn’t feel for the most part a tremendous love for Kennedy among the student body. I didn’t think the students thought the world was coming to an end or anything.” ••• Bill Clarkson ’66, president of the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, knew the President was coming to town. Although he was aware of the visit, he was not focused on the details of Kennedy’s trip. “It was probably mid to late morning, and we all filed into Spanish class, and it was just a normal day, but he [the teacher] didn’t show up for class,” Clarkson said. “We sat there for ten or 15 minutes, and no one knew quite what to do, so we thought something must have happened to him.” Clarkson and his classmates exited the classroom and into the hallway, where they were immediately flooded with the news that the president had just been shot. “That just riveted everybody, so we, I think went over to the media center, and prime time and news program television or anything that was broadcasting, but it just totally disrupted the day, and of course everyone was in stunned shock,” Clarkson said. After hearing the many television reports, Clarkson’s initial emotional response was one of embarrassment. Bill Clarkson ’66 “It was obviously very embarrassing for us, but after we learned that, and heard some of those comments and were riveted to the news, the rest of the day, and days shortly thereafter were a complete blur to me,” Clarkson said.

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‘It was a dividing point in my life and for the country.’ —former history instructor Jim Batchelor

“I think because everyone was so traumatized by that.” ••• It was more than a habit. He was on autopilot: walk into the teacher’s lounge, pick up mail, glance at the TV, head to class. But Nov. 22, 1963 was different for former science instructor Bill Dexter. He couldn’t break the glance as he stared at the TV and heard the news: President Kennedy had been shot. Bill Dexter followed his instincts and went from classroom to classroom delivering the news. “I walked into one of the physics lab and when I said that all the boys walked out and went down to the main building that was there in the Science Department, the big room, the lecture hall,” Dexter Bill Dexter said. “We had a large TV screen and I remember watching that at the time and seeing one of the news reporters, I guess it was Walter Cronkite, and I remember at the time he was taking his glasses off and saying ‘President Kennedy is dead.’” Immediately, all of the boys that were accumulating there in the Science Lecture Hall stood up, walked out in single file, and went to the chapel. “I saw them pull the flag down to half-staff and, of course, go into the chapel to hear some comments by the priest at the time,” Dexter said. “I was very proud at the fact that at St. Mark’s the students and the student body and the faculty were all so respectful for what had happened.” ••• As former history instructor Jim Batchelor attempted to watch the news, he was inundated with Walter Cronkite’s CBS news announcement that the President had been shot.

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“It was a stunning moment which marks a turning point in my life,” Batchelor said. Batchelor immediately went and found a teacher and friend Ted Whatley who was just finishing a class over in another building. “He too, he told me later, said he’d never forget what my face was like,” Batchelor said. “And that brief moment is about all I have a clear memory of that.” To Batchelor, the entire story seemed to blend together, saying he has trouble now sorting from what he knew Jim Batchelor then and what actually happened. “The rest of it is a blur,” Batchelor said. “Everything stopped then and we had the rest of the day off. It gets muddled.” From there he looked at life with a newfound perspective, one where nothing can be taken for granted. “It struck us all for the longest time,” Batchelor said. “I shut out a lot of it. We had a bad experience. It was a dividing point in my life and for the country.” ••• Sean Mitchell ’66, now an independent writer and journalist, broke his wrist during the fall of 1963. Even with his injured arm, he went to Love Field to watch the President’s plane land. Mitchell got close to the Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, reaching out almost close enough to shake their hands. After the motorcade left, Mitchell began the journey back to campus. “It took us a while because of all the traffic,” Mitchell said. “What’s really odd is that in a way looking back on it, it seemed

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to me we didn’t have the radio on in the car going back.” Excited after just seeing Kennedy himself, the lack of radio didn’t bother Mitchell. Little did he know what he was missing would forever change his memory of seeing the President that morning. “I remember we got out of the car at the top of the U in the parking lot and went into Davis Hall and I guess there were students in this student lounge with this news that Kennedy had been shot,” Mitchell said. “We went, ‘Wait a minute. We just saw him!’” Mitchell attempted to continue throughout his day with some semblance of normalcy, even attending soccer practice with other team members like Middle Sean School Head Warren FoxMitchell ’66 worth ‘66. “It might have been a ‘this is as good as anything just to try to retain some sense of normalcy’ kind of thing,” Mitchell said. “I do remember the surrealism of being at this soccer practice with the fact that Kennedy had just been killed in Dallas.” After returning home from soccer practice, Mitchell found it even more difficult to accept the fact that the President had just been murdered. But as time progressed, the one emotion that stuck with him regarding Kennedy was awe. “It was kind of thrilling to see this guy in the flesh who was the President,” Mitchell said. “I remember thinking ‘That’s really John Kennedy. He’s right there. Yes, there’s his hair. There’s his face, just like I’ve seen him. That’s him.’ What was I, 16 years old? I just remember I could still see him there.”

Chaos consumed both Dallas and 10600 Preston Road on that unseasonably warm November day in 1963. Shock, disgust, anger and outrage were expressed by members of the community, the country and the world. But the chaos didn’t end when JFK passed away —it was only just a beginning of days of confusion. Everyone in the country wanted the answer to that simple question: Who was to blame?

The story of their lives It was just an ordinary day in the newsroom for two veteran journalists. Until a city editor blurted out, ‘He’s been hit.’ Story by Will Clark, staff writer | photos by Tim O’Meara, staff photographer

Newspaper reporter Darwin Payne used this notebook when he visited the sniper’s nest in the School Book Depository and Lee Harvey Oswald’s rooming house.

Veteran journalist Hugh Aynesworth was in Dallas reporting the news in November 1963. He has since written several books on his experience.

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ountless lives were changed on that November afternoon that forever altered the course of world events. People everywhere — from politicians to citizens and journalists — felt the impact. It was just an ordinary day in the newsroom for Darwin Payne as he sat at his desk in the old Dallas Times Herald headquarters building, pecking away at a story on the elegant and dazzling first lady Jackie Kennedy’s visit to Texas. Except it soon wouldn’t be just an ordinary day in the newsroom, in Dallas or in the world. Just five blocks away, the President’s limousine cruised down Houston Street, the youthful president and his stunning wife waving to overflowing crowds on the packed roads. In the heated political atmosphere of Dallas in that era, Kennedy was ever mindful of voters and politicians on both sides of the aisle. Behind him, a huge motorcade of law enforcement and secret service agents blanketed the streets – their only job to protect the 35th President of the United States. Just a couple of desks over from Payne, the city editor was listening to the parade on a police radio. “He’s been hit,” the editor yelled. “They’re sending homicide units to Dealey Plaza.” Instinctively knowing his story on Jackie would never be used, Payne bolted up, abandoned his writing and sped to Dealey Plaza on Elm Street. Hugh Aynesworth, a reporter for The Dallas Morning News, was already in Dealey Plaza. “I could have looked up and seen him [Lee Harvey Oswald] had I looked up there,” he said. “One minute the President’s waving and everybody’s grinning, so exuberant, then all of a sudden, a shot, then another. Then a third. And you didn’t know what to

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do. People were throwing their kids down in cover.” Payne arrived soon after. “By the time we got there, there was a scene of bedlam: police with rifles, a fire truck, all scurrying around the area,” he said. In the mayhem, Payne and Aynesworth began trying to sort out the facts. “I remember then we didn’t know who was shooting, how many shooters there were, who were they after,” Aynesworth said. “We didn’t know where to run.” One man Payne talked to, Abraham Zapruder, claimed he had pictures of the moment the President was shot. “I was watching him through my viewfinder on his camera and his head exploded like a firecracker,” Zapruder said. Aynesworth also searched for answers in the crowds of people. “I kept interviewing people then,” Aynesworth said. “In those days there were no cellphones or communications like we know today. I always stay close to a police radio.” That persistence paid off for Aynesworth. Less than an hour later, a police officer, J.D. Tippit, was shot in Oak Cliff. “In my mind, I just made a guess,” Aynesworth said. “I said, ‘Somebody shoots at the President here, and that’s only three or four miles away, somebody shoots an officer, it’s got to be connected in

Two newsmen, who only came to work on that fateful day to do their jobs of getting their stories out, found themselves as integral storytellers in one of history’s most compelling dramas.

some way.’” Payne, however, was skeptical about the relevance of what he heard on the radio. “I couldn’t imagine that a police officer shot in Oak Cliff had anything to do with the President,” Payne said, “and that it was just unusual that it would happen on the same day.” With the police hot on Oswald’s tail, Aynesworth stayed near a police radio in case there were any new developments. “There were at least eight or nine eye witnesses that either saw him shoot him or saw him run away form the scene or saw him throw away bullets. I hear on the radio, ‘Suspect in the Texas Theater,’” Aynesworth said. “Well I’m probably six or seven blocks from the theater and I hadn’t eaten breakfast, I’d drank a lot of coffee, I’d already run a lot, I’d already seen the President been shot, I’d already talked to all these people here, and now we’ve got a suspect that’s bound to be connected to one of the two murders, but I run like hell and get in there.”

he theater was nearly empty, and the police were already in the theater when Aynesworth arrived. From just 15 feet away, Aynesworth saw officer Nick McDonald and several other policemen walking down the aisle towards Oswald. “Then he pulled a gun out and tried to shoot McDonald,” Aynesworth said. “In the old comic books, you used to have fights and you’d have an arm going out here and a leg going out there, things swirling around, people shouting, that was what it was when they jumped Oswald, because there were about five or six of them.” Oswald’s path from the School Book Depository to the Texas The-

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ater has been well traced. After shooting the President, Oswald escaped from the School Book Depository building and took a bus and then a taxi to his rooming house on Beckley Street in Oak Cliff. Outside of the rooming house was a sign advertising 17 rooms for rent. Oswald had stayed in a room right off the dining room since October while his family remained with Ruth Paine in Irving. Payne retraced that route a few hours later and found himself in Oswald’s room, talking with the owner of the rooming house, Gladys Johnson. “He was a quiet kind of person,” she said. “Never would have suspected him of what he did.” Oswald was scheduled to be moved from the city jail to the county jail Sunday morning. That morning, nightclub owner Jack Ruby went downtown to the Western Union to wire $25 to a stripper to help pay her rent. Ruby sent the money at 11:13 a.m. Eight minutes later, at 11:21 a.m., Ruby shot Oswald. “If you go out on Main Street at that time, one block up there is the City Hall and the Police Department,” he said. “He parked his car on the other side. He obviously saw the crowd and walked toward it. If it was a conspiracy, he’d have been there at ten o’clock.” But beyond all of the coincidences and events of the day, Aynesworth says he’s ready to move on from his lifelong involvement with the assassination. “If I had any idea how much time I would spend the next 45 years, I’d probably stay in the office,” Aynesworth said. “The amount of time that I’ve had to spend and the personal attacks against me. I don’t really enjoy that.” 13

A changed city Dallas has struggled with how to appropriately commemorate the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination. Mayor Mike Rawlings gives his observations on how the city has changed. Story by Ryan O’Meara, issues editor Photo by Andrew Gatherer, head photographer

he man who is leading the city’s commemoration efforts wasn’t in Dallas in 1963. He’s not even a native Texan. He was a nine year-old elementary school student at Corinth Grade School in Leewood, KS on that fateful day Kennedy was killed. Mayor Mike Rawlings, along with a steering committee of community leaders, is heading the commemoration effort 50 years later as Dallas seeks to find an appropriate way to reflect on that day in 1963. As Rawlings and others look back, they agree that such a major catastrophe having taken place in Dallas shook the city such that it would be years before it fully recovered. “For a period of time, it kicked us in the gut as a city in a major way,” Rawlings said. “It helped us rethink who we are and how we were going to approach that.” In 1963, Dallas was a relatively young city, having only been founded 122 years before the assassination. For Rawlings, Dallas’s youth when compared to cities like Boston or Beijing is notable. “It’s big things that make an image for a city,” Rawlings said. “It’s an event like this. It’s J.R. [from the television show, Dallas], it’s winning a Super Bowl, it’s these big media events, which is not fair for a city, you know, the T.V. show Dallas or something, but it is, that’s the way life is, so we have to continue to think big at the same time when we do the basic things for the city.” Conspiracy theories about Kennedy’s murder still abound. Although Rawlings is personally “agnostic” about the numerous theories, he believes Kennedy’s death has become

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“a great who-dun-it story in the 20th century.” “The question,” according to Rawlings, “is ‘So what?’ I know what we need to do as a city and a country and whatever happened then is not going to impact me that much now, 50 years ago.” Robbie Briggs ’71, now a Dallas real estate broker, remembers what it was like to be from Dallas during the era when the city was most saddled with the shame Kennedy’s death. On a trip to Europe that summer, Briggs’s father asked for a nice table at a restaurant in London’s Savoy hotel. The waiter knew he was from Dallas. When he reached into his coat pocket to get money to pay for a better table, the waiter thought he was reaching for a gun. “That was the mindset that people in Dallas were these violent gun-carrying slingers that would kill the President of the United States who happened to be an individual that was loved literally worldwide,” he said. “It was a huge spot on us for years.” Briggs still feels nervous whenever a president visits Dallas. “Every time today a president comes to town, I get nervous and I spend time praying for him,” Briggs said. “Just get him out of here. Make sure that he’s well taken care of and get him out of here. It makes me nervous every time we have presidents come visit anymore.” It’s impossible to quantify how much Dallas has recovered since 1963. But many agree that Dallas changed sharply in the wake of the assassination. Congressman Bruce Alger, a conservative Republican incumbent,

was defeated in a 1964 re-election bid by Democratic former Mayor Earle Cabell. Although Oswald, a registered Communist, shot Kennedy, the city as a whole responded by shifting away from its far-right political beliefs. Greg Nobles ’66, director of the honors program and a history professor at Georgia Tech, believes that Dallas’s recovery was paralleled in part by the success of the Dallas Cowboys. By the 1970s, Dallas had changed from the city of hate to the city where “America’s Team” played. “I think that, by the early 1970’s, the success of the Cowboys had really created a different kind of image for Dallas,” he said. “So, that’s a kind of quick and dirty and fairly superficial analysis of Dallas, but I think it’s worth thinking about.” lthough transformed, Dallas can never truly escape the legacy that Kenendy’s death left. Robert Decherd ’69, retired CEO of Belo Corporation, the parent company of The Dallas Morning News, believes in the importance of commemorating a sad but historically important event. “What’s being done to commemorate the 50th anniversary is important,” Decherd said. “It’s also important that people in the city and leaders of the city are acknowledging that this is a part of who we are. We need to respect other people’s views. It’s history, and we need to build upon good will for our city. For our city, our state and our country it’s important. It took a long time for Dallas to get there, and I’m glad we have.” Former Headmaster Ted Whatley had a unique perspective on the

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events. His wife at the time was from New England, a vastly different place than Dallas in 1963. “My wife at the time had New England relatives, who were all anti-Kennedy I might add, and basically right wing Republicans, but they just considered people from Dallas being a bunch of savages,” he said. “Dallas has gotten beyond all that crap.” Even now, 50 years later, the assassination has left an indelible mark on those who were alive at the time. Mike Levy ’64, founder of Texas Monthly magazine, remembers the day vividly. “It was a long time ago,” he said. “And yet, for many of us, no different than 9/11, no different than Katrina. It seems like it happened yesterday.” The plan for an official commemoration event includes a ceremony to be held downtown Nov. 22. Before the ceremony, Rawlings is meeting with the committee for a brunch. Rawlings is focused on the safety of those gathered in order to prevent another Nov. 22 disaster in Dallas. “Safety first, and making sure we respect and honor the life of President Kennedy,” he said. Ultimately, the mayor believes that while the assassination will always be inextricably tied to Dallas, the city can also be remembered for how it recovered from such a horrific event. “What Dallas did, it wrestled with a demon in the assassination,” Rawlings said. “Hopefully it’s come out because of that and it’s grown faster and better and dealt with some of the tough issues we face. The key is not how you fall. The key is how you get up.” The ReMarker

Mayor Mike Rawlings leads the city from this downtown office at Dallas City Hall. The firstterm mayor believes the event is important to commemorate because of how the assassination has defined the city for the last 50 years.