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

NEWS Blood Drive held Feb. 16 p. 6

ARTs SPOrts Winter Sophomore DJ SPC played in Umer Nadir p. 10 Dallas p. 21

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remarker student newspaper

St. mark's school of texas | DALLAS, TEXAS | VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 | Friday, MARch 8, 2013

BIG IDEAS | INSIDE Discover other alumni who are doing some revolutionary things • page 8

Steve Jurvetson '85

It’s not like you have school and then you have work and then retirement. It’s just learning. And work is a byproduct of Page 8 learning.

THINK Sometimes, it comes to you in a shower. Sometimes in a dream. MAYBE EVEN WHILE EATING BREAKFAST. But for steve jurvetson ’85, it comes to him in proposals from hundreds of clients. His only issue: DETERMINING which one will become the next big thing. It’s his job to

teve Jurvetson ’85 drove Tesla Motor’s first Model S electric car.

He funds rockets that go to Mars to find a spot for a space greenhouse. He watched a printer print real DNA that was then used to create life. As a venture capitalist, Jurvetson’s job is to dream big. To take an idea and make it reality. To take one man’s vision and turn it into a game-changer. The tough part: finding that game-changer. What it boils down to really, day-to-day, is trying to find technology trends,” Jurvetson, who earned the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005, said, “trying to find all the interesting companies that are out there, understand their businesses and try to make the judgment call of which really are worth investing in and Continued, page 8 which aren’t.” ▶ by Rachit Mohan, special projects editor, and Cyrus Ganji, staff writer | artwork by Robbey Orth, graphics director

student council 2013-2014 Elections Speeches Executive offices Class offices

April 11 April 16

Voting Executive offices Class offices

April 12 April 17

Requirements • Must have at least a 2.8 GPA. • Cannot be failing any classes. • Must attend election workshop. • To run for Student Council offices of president or vice president, a student must have prior experience on one of the following: > Student Council > Lion and Sword president or vice president > Community Service Board > Fine Arts Board president • Forms are due in the Upper School office by March 15.

INSIDE

NEws | 2-7

Japanese program to be phased out, replaced by Chinese By Tabish Dayani staff writer Starting in the 2013-2014 school year, the Japanese program will begin to be phased out because of decreasing student enrollment. Although students currently taking Japanese can continue through the program, the option to start taking Japanese is no longer available. Because of global trends, the Foreign Language Department will begin placing more emphasis on Chinese. “The reason we initially added Chinese was because of China’s growing importance in the world and increasing interest in the study of Chinese language,” Foreign Language Department Chair Nancy Marmion said. Because of increasing interest in Chinese, the fifth and sixth grade language courses will be modified to shift the focus from Japanese to Chinese. “The courses will still be about explorthink big | 8

arts | 9-11, 14-15

ing Asia in general,” Marmion said. “We start with a general overview of Asia and narrow the focus down. We previously narrowed the focus down to Japan, but we will now narrow it down to China, but the structure of the course will stay the same.” Although the school will not be offering any new Chinese courses, there will be new instructors teaching the Exploring Asia 5 and 6 courses. Japanese teacher Etsuko Barber, who currently teaches Exploring Asia 6, Japanese IV and Japanese V, will be teaching Exploring Asia 5, and Chinese teacher Esther Bao, who currently teaches Chinese III and IV, will also be teaching Exploring Asia 6. “My approach will be similar, but I do plan to make some changes,” Barber said. “It’s a different responsibility.” Bao, who teaches part time at Hockaday as well, will become a full time teacher at 10600 Preston Road next year. “I am so excited about teaching this new course,” Bao said. “The course’s emphasis will

a broken system? | 12, 13

commentary | 16-18

be placed on speaking and listening, but the students will aslo develop rudimentary reading and writing skills. I would love to be the one to introduce Chinese language and culture to these young boys. What I am doing today is pretty much like planting a seed. I am offering those young boys more foreign language options for them to choose from in Upper School when they grow up.” The Japanese program, which began in 1990, will be fully phased out by the end of the 2015-2016 school year, and the school has no plans to introduce another language to the list of available courses. The last language to be phased out of the school’s program was German, which ended in 2011. “I don’t think our enrollment is big enough to sustain another language,” Marmion said. “I think we have to be very careful when we talk about adding more languages because history has shown us that it’s very difficult to sustain more than three languages.”

sports | 19-23

overtime | 24

Students like senior Mitch Lee have spent their summers working on scientific research projects in labs.

NOW. news around campus

THE REMARKER | Friday, March 8, 2013 | PAGE 2

upcoming

weekend

▶ Board of

Trustees members will be visiting and observing different classes during the annual Trustee Visitation Day. A faculty-staff appreciate dinner is scheduled for the evening in the Great Hall.

< Sophomore Brody Ladd works on one of the two Habitat for Humanity houses. Both houses will be dedicated tomorrow morning.

newsfeed

▶ The Habitat for Humanity houses will be dedicated tomorrow at 11 a.m. at 1842 Homeland Ave. There will be live music and food provided by Burger House. Students have been working on the two houses since Jan. 12.

•••

An average of 166 pounds of food waste per day and 830 pounds per week was recorded during this year’s Food Waste Au-

▶ The Board of Trustees will meet tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. ▶ The fourth Evensong service of the school year will be held Sunday in the Chapel at 7 p.m.

▶ Sixth graders will head out on a campout which will take place from March 14-15.

•••

Juniors Victor Zhou and Vincent Shia have been selected as semifinalists for the 2013 U.S. Physics Team. Zhou and Shia, along with other junior and senior physics students, took the qualifying exam January 23. Along with 400 semifinalists nationwide, Shia and Zhou will take the semifinal exam sometime in March to qualify to represent the United States at the 44th International Physics Olympiad in Copenhagen, Denmark.

•••

Green Club logo

dit. The audit, which was lead by Director of Environmental Studies Dan Northcut and the Green Club, was the first one in two years. The last audit counted 192 pounds of food waste per day and 960 pounds per week.

•••

Anthropologist, ethnobotanist and explorer Dr. Wade Davis will be on campus March 19 and 20 as the Willard E. Walker, Jr. ’66

small talk

▶ Chaplain Rev. Michael Dangelo will lead a Holy Communion service in the chapel at 7:15 a.m. March 13. ▶ Math Team members who qualified will compete in the AIME math competition March 14. Twelve students qualified to take the test after a previous examination.

Visiting Scholar. He was named by the National Geographic Society (NGS) as an Explorer for the Millennium, and is an Explorer-in-Residence at the NGS.

A lack of participation has hindered the efforts to organize an alternative spring break trip to Belize. Trip sponsor Jorge Correa says that they were “testing the waters” this year and that they hope to see more participation in the coming years.

•••

Planetarium and Observatory Director and Green Master Teacher Dr. Stephen Balog has been loaned new equipment for the Planetarium. Eventually, the school

will purchase new equipment that will make the Planetarium the most advanced in Texas. The new planetarium will be digital so it can project pictures and videos for all subjects and not just stars.

•••

Hampden-Sydney College President Dr. Chris Howard visited the school Feb. 5 to speak about

Dr. Chris Howard with Head of Upper School Wortie Ferell

leadership and his experience playing football for the Air Force Academy, his military service and his time working in the business world.

•••

Latin students won two of the three first place awards in certamina (Latin for quiz bowl) at the Texas State Junior Classical League Area C Competition. Those two teams will advance to the state championship in Flower Mound April 12-13.

comments made by faculty, staff and students around campus

▶ ‘We’re going to be doing Moby Dick until we die.’ — senior Hunter Book about his AP English class. ▶ ‘I tend to give you the benefit of the doubt even if there is no doubt.’ — Victor F. White Master Teacher David Brown to his junior AP English class.

▶ ‘The world has gone crazy and left me behind, and I’m glad for it.’ — Marcus Master Teacher Dr. Bruce Westrate after watching the Oscars. ▶ ‘I’m imagining what the class dynamic

would be if we voted one student off the island each week.’ — mathematics instructor

Amy Pool to her honors precalculus class. ▶ ‘When I get on second base, I’m gonna do bicep curls with my back.’ — sophomore Carrington Kyle after watching an opposing baseball player do push-ups at second base.

opinion

next week

a quick look at news around campus

The tradition of giving Easter Baskets to children in need has been renamed the Essential Needs Drive. According to Community Service Director Laura Day, the focus of the donations will be steered more towards things such as socks and t-shirts, although there will still be candy donated.

With my mom being the only parent, there are times that I have to shoulder responsibilities I normally wouldn’t have Page 5 to.

startingout

things to do in the weeks ahead

today

the

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Senior Brendan Freeman

Research labs page 4

sopho▶ ‘Is it cold in the hockey place?’ — more Justin Jones discussing a trip to a hockey game.

will

Moor

My path to manhood

n first grade, my senior buddy’s name was Mark. He was going to Yale to play soccer and he would be graduating Cum Laude. Even though I’ve got about four inches on him now, at the time he seemed like the biggest guy in the whole wide world. He was my brother’s best friend, and he wrote my name down when his class sponsor asked for any special buddy requests. He was the man. Any time I was walking to PE class and he saw me, he gave my a high five, and he would talk to me at lunch in front of my friends and it made me feel like the coolest kid in the whole school. That was hard, seeing as I was a huge nerd when I was six years old. I’m still a huge nerd, but that’s beside the point. Now, in twelfth grade, my little buddy’s name is Jonathon. He plays basketball and soccer and when I carried him into the Great Hall on my shoulders, he seemed like the littlest guy in the world. He is the man. When I walk through the gym and he’s in PE, I see that one day, when I’m 28 and wearing a St. Mark’s alumni ballcap, I’m going to watch him light up the field at Hunt Stadium in a way I never did. During our first meeting he barely said a word, but once he opened up and started talking to me, I could tell that he can charm just about anyone he meets. The Hockaday Class of 2024 better watch out. When I see him walking to the cafeteria and jog over to give him a fist bump, I can see his face light up like mine did 12 years ago. It’s the coolest thing in the world. Last month, I was trudging to another wrestling practice after getting shellacked by a math quiz and a physics test in the same day. I am really bad at all kinds of math, and now after getting chewed up mentally all day I was trying to get ready to go through two hours of misery. Then I felt a little hand poking me about six inches around my shoulder. And when I turned around, there was Jonathan with huge grin and holding his hand up for a high five. I’m a solid writer, but I can’t even come close to finding the words to express how much it made my day. This campus has changed a lot since I was six years old. Buildings are gone, traditions have stopped and chicken-o’s in the cafeteria seem to be a thing of the past. But I’m okay, because the things that make St. Mark’s the school it is still remain on campus. For as long as I’m drawing breath, 18 year-old seniors will be showing six year-old first graders the path to manhood. They’ll be role models and teachers, and they’ll always stop to talk to their little buddies in the lunchroom. If my boys are blessed enough to go to school here, they’ll hear English teachers explain what a gerund is and see math teachers explain how to complete the square. Biology instructors will make them memorize the Krebs cycle and Spanish teachers will tell them to conjugate every irregular verb. Coaches will show them how to shoot a lacrosse ball and how to run a half nelson. And I’ll sleep easy knowing that their fellow Marksmen are teaching them how to be men.

NEWS around campus

Research labs 4

THE REMARKER | Friday, MARCH 8, 2013 | PAGE 3

I n t erdiscip l in a r y

Speech challenges 5

Faraway working parents 6

Auction 7

l e a rnin g

tracing IT

back For the first time, a truly interdisciplinary course will be available in the course catalog. Team-taught by a group of nine instructors from departments ranging from history to science, the class will look at the evolution of ethics.

COMBINED Interdisciplinary classes like this one are unique combinations of several different academic disciplines. The class will likely meet three days a week and will be pass-fail.

t starts at the beginning of time — with gluons and leptons and other foundational particles. It zooms to the first communities of people, the first campfires and the first real conversations between people. It analyzes the French and American Revolutions, religion and literature. And months after it begins, it ends inside the walls of 10600 Preston Road. For the first time, an interdisciplinary class called The Sociobiology of Ethics and Leadership will be added to the course catalog. Led by Brachman Master Teacher Dr. Martin Stegemoeller and Stephen M. Seay ’68 Science Department Chair Stephanie Barta, the class hopes to include seven other instructors and span a wide range of history. “What if we told a story from the beginning of the universe and the first micro-particles like the first gluons and leptons from the one one-trillionth of second into the universe all the way to St. Mark’s?” Stegemoeller said. The class will combine science, history and leadership in its year-long syllabus. “We wanted it to be about leadership and ethics,” Barta said. “We wanted to talk about the evolution of ethical behavior. The word evolution is extremely intentional.” Stegemoeller got the idea for a class about the evolution of leadership after reading the book The Social Conquest of Earth. That book will be required reading for the class which

will likely be open to juniors and seniors. “It’s not going be a lecture,” Barta said. “It’s going to be discussion. We’re hoping that kids who will take this course will have read this book and possibly another book during the summer. We’re not writing papers and DBQs and all that kind of stuff.” The class will likely meet three days each week and be graded on a pass-fail scale with a final project coming at the end. In order to accommodate the course in the catalog, Dean of Campus Scott Gonzalez created a new category in the course catalog — seminars. “The academic seminar is a pedagogical model that we do not have at St. Mark’s that we’re trying to introduce here,” Gonzalez said. “What the seminar does is allow a number of our instructors who are really good at what they do to engage in a philosophical and biological and ethical inquiry into the nature of man.” hen Head of Upper School Wortie Ferrell heard the idea for the class, he was interested. “Anything that is born of trying to innovate, trying to do something that’s new and different, that’s going to engage students is a great thing,” Ferrell said, “This certainly had that feel. One of the things that’s going to make any class good is when they instructors are excited about it. They were really energized about the idea of offering this kind of course. I was really excited.” With possible schedule changes coming

next year, Ferrell along with the other instructors and administrators involved, isn’t entirely sure how the finer points of the class will be set. “This could be something we do for next year and it could look very different for the year after that,” Ferrell said. “There are some constraints on any system of scheduling. You start locking people in and that can create downstream effects.” The class will likely take place during a lunch period — fourth, fifth or sixth — to provide the greatest opportunity for students to enroll in the class. “We’re only going to meet three days a week,” Barta said. “Everybody eats so there should be three days a week. Our most important mission is to have a class.” When Barta talked to teachers and administrators about possible changes to the curriculum, classes like this one were frequently mentioned. “When we polled academic leaders about what they’d like to see in the curriculum If you don’t do this right, things deteriorate and people suffer. These things matter. These aren’t abstract questions. You can’t opt out of ethics. brachman Master teacher Dr. martin stegemoeller

that we don’t have, the single most frequent answer was interdisciplinarity,” Barta said. “Someplace where history, science, math, those things came together and reinforced each other in a single class.” n order to make the class more meaningful to students, Stegemoeller plans to focus the discussions on how the evolving concept of an ethos has an effect here. “We’re going to focus on ethical issues with St. Mark’s to help it really sink home for kids,” Stegemoeller said. “Let’s talk about what a good Junior Class looks like. It’s just to bring the point home.” “These are real phenomena. If you don’t do this right, things deteriorate and people suffer. If you do them really well, people really thrive. These things matter. These aren’t abstract questions. You can’t really opt out of ethics.” At the end of the year, Assistant Headmaster David Dini will close the class by discussing the history of the school as an evolving ethos. “Mr. Dini’s going to be the last guy to go and tell the story of our ethos at St. Mark’s,” Stegemoeller said, “how it started, how it got to be so good, what structures it has that are unique in the area to govern and lead it. “And that Leadership and Ethics initiative is itself part of that structure and what it will need in the future to keep growing. It’s hard for schools this good to keep getting better.”

Tracing It back story by Ryan O’Meara, news editor | artwork by Robbey Orth, graphics director | photos by Michael Doorey, head photographer

Putting it together: a look at the curriculum From the course description This interdisciplinary seminar will study E. O. Wilson’s The Social Conquest of Earth, and will also feature two other texts: David Brooks’ The Social Animal and Brian Swimme’s Journey of the Universe. Co-taught by many teachers from different academic disciplines, the discussion-based seminar will focus on explaining ethics and leadership as evolving naturally in our world by locating and explaining the preconditions for the moment in time when ethical behavior as we have come to know it is born and human evolution transcends the narrow concern for mere blood-relatives and widens to others outside of the family. Additionally, the course will explore political, religious, narrative, and organizational leadership strategies to align individuals’ interests with the communities that foster them. Students will be required to complete summer reading assignments to prepare for this course. The seminar will meet three days per week and be graded pass/fail.

The instructors Led by Brachman Master Teacher Dr. Martin Stegemoeller and Stephen Seay ’68 Science Department Chair Stephanie Barta, seven other teachers will also contribute to the class. They are Dr. Steve Balog, David Brown, Dr. Bruce Westrate, Rev. Michael Dangelo, Nick Sberna, Mark Adame and David Dini. The book After Martin Stegemoeller read The Social Conquest of Earth by Edward Wilson, he decided to base a class about the evolution of ethics on the book. Stegemoeller plans for students to do the bulk of the reading for the class over the summer.

Stephanie Barta

Dr. Martin Stegemoeller

Scott Gonzalez

The seminar method When Barta and Stegemoeller approached Dean of Campus Scott Gonzalez about how the course would be classified next year, tutorials were considered at first, but Gonzalez came up with the seminar approach. This is a new category that appears in the course catalog. According to next year’s course catalog, “Seminars are courses of study meant to offer opportunities for learning outside of areas already covered by the core course curriculum. Academic seminar offerings are designed by a cadre of interdisciplinary faculty.”

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the remarker | Friday MARch 8, 2013

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Lab day every day ANDREW GATHERER PHOTO

Many students use their summer vacations to take a break and relax. These students did something else. they put on their lab coats and got to work.

LAB RATS Junior Andrew Gatherer (above) shows off a 3’ by 2’ touch screen he helped build at SMU during the summer. After spending the summer living in a dorm and working with graduate students at the University of Texas, senior Mitch Lee (right) examines a specimen in his microscope.

he chemicals sit in their vials. The tests tubes spin in the centrifuge. The gleaming white lab coat rests on his shoulders. But senior Mitchell Lee isn’t in Chemistry club or an AP Chemistry class. This is the real deal.

Lee is just one of many students that have entered summer research programs at

colleges and hospitals around the country. This past summer he attended the Welch Summer Scholars Program, a summer chemistry program that sends high school students to work in university laboratories around Texas. “Not only did I get the opportunity to perform exciting, relevant research,” Lee said “But I also got the chance to live like a real college student, except without all the homework and studying.” Lee worked nonstop with 11 graduate students and post doctorates for five weeks during the summer, and he loved every minute of it. He lived in a UT dorm the entire time. “I worked in [Assistant Professor] Dr. Simon Humphrey's lab at UT Austin in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department to help develop a calcium-based, metal-organic framework that might eventually be used to store hydrogen gas for hydrogen fuel cells,” Lee said.

Science instructor Ken Owens ’89 handles the applications for the Welch Program and UTD’s nano-research department. He believes the programs provide experience that is difficult to find anywhere else. “You don’t see very many students undertake these programs because they look good on a transcript.” Owens said. “They do it because they really want the experience, and they get very enthusiastic about going. And they stay enthusiastic after they return.” Students who work at such programs are often able to decide which career they want to pursue afterwards. “They’ve found out if they like research or not,” Owens said. “If they have a research-based class, they really get into it.

Especially if it’s in the life sciences from the Welch program or physics or engineering.” The Welch Program helped Lee to make the decision to pursue a lifelong calling in scientific research. “The benefits of that program are numerous and large,” Lee said, “but I really appreciated it because it affirmed my as-ofnow career plan: working as a researcher and eventually leading my own research group. I learned a lot about the dedication it takes to research something completely.” he research is not just volunteer work. Junior Andrew Gatherer earned around $400 during his work at SMU’s photonics laboratory. He worked with two Ph.D. students to complete projects such as building a six square foot touch screen and designing a faceplate for a powerful camera. “They were studying the process by which light turns into pixels,” Gatherer said. “They were exploring the processes by which you could gain more information from a picture.” Gatherer admits he didn’t always completely understand the science behind the projects. However, he was still able to do im-

portant work. Although much of the research is college graduate-level material, high school students can still play invaluable roles in the laboratory. When he was only 15 years old, junior Dylan Altschuler got a full-time position at the UT Southwestern Pharmacology Center. His parents, who both work as biologists at UT Southwestern, helped him get the job. “It’s an unofficial position,” Altschuler said, “but I worked there 50 hours a week for about eight weeks during the summer. I worked on computer algorithms that track cells and cell death.” Altschuler has worked at the lab every year since and plans on going back next year. This year, he’s hoping to work in a lab that tries to understand how a fly’s eye nerves develop. He recommends programs like the one he attended to students who don’t know what to be involved in. “It’s really important for people to try different kinds of sciences and see what they’re interested in,” Altschuler said. “It’s just about getting exposure and trying different things because you never know what your passion might be.”

lab day every day story by Jacob Chernick, staff writer, additional reporting by Teddy Edwards, staff writer | photo courtesy Michael Doorey, head photographer

More than 260 flock to Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Better teen driving, bigger discounts.

Science faculty members featured at epic Alumni Leadership Speaker Series event Science Department there. It’s just a chance for them to connect,” Womack said. “I think it was half-andhalf — half to see the museum, half to see our faculty. There’s this amazing facility that’s opened up in Dallas, really a game-changer.” Each year, the Alumni Board considers options for the ALSS. “This one’s been talked about for a couple of years, knowing that it was going to be built,” Womack said. “They identified this event as one that we needed to do. Once the museum was opened up, we wanted to be close enough to the opening that it was still exciting.” Two-hundred sixty alumni attended the event to be welcomed by a different setting, allowing them to connect with each other and the school.

MICHAEL DOOREY PHOTO

By Shourya Kumar staff writer It was a night of historic proportions as more than 260 alumni flocked to the Perot Museum of Nature and Science Feb. 23 to hear a panel of four science faculty members speak on science education and things going on in the science classroom at St. Mark’s. The event, billed as “An Evening at the Perot Museum” was a part of the Alumni Leadership Speaker Series (ALSS), sponsored by the Alumni Board division of the Alumni Relations office. These events hope to bring alumni together in interesting settings and offer educational or cultural experiences. “It was the largest alumni event we’ve ever hosted in the history of the school,” Director of Alumni Relations Jim Bob Womack said. “It’s just all Dallas people. We’ve got 4,000 Marksmen; 1,700-1,800 are here in North Texas, but the rest are spread out over the world.” The event featured a panel with Stephen M. Seay ’68 Science Department Chair Stephanie Barta, Cecil H. and Ida Green Master Teaching Chair Stephen Balog, science instructor Kenneth Owens ’89 and Director of Environmental Studies Dan Northcut ’81. “We had 14 of our 16 faculty members from the

DINO DISCOVERY One of the many skeletons inside the dinosaur exhibit, this prehistoric animal was on full display during the alumni event Feb. 23.

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the remarker | Friday MARch 8, 2013

S P E E C H

ch a l l en g es

When words don’t work more than 7.5 million people in the united states have trouble using their voices. senior CHAndler burke is one of them, but IT’S NO MATTER — HE has OVERCOME HIS PROBLEM WITHOUT even FIXING IT.

Contacts According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing association, students with speech impediments can suffer in the classroom due to difficulty in understanding and expressing language and misunderstanding social cues. So who can students with speech challenges contact to get the help they need? • Speech-language pathologists • Physicians • Dentists • Nurses • Audiologists • Psychologists • Parents • Teachers • Social workers • uidance counselors

JUMBLED Speech impediments come in a wide variety of mutations, but each speech disorder, like stuttering, cluttlering or even apraxia (shown graphically above), can have a harsh effect on social interactivity.

handler Burke has spent his life repeating himself. His sentences usually come in pairs of two. His questions in class lack articulation. His answers always bear repeating. The senior has faced the same question over and over and over again, more times than are humanly possible to count. What? Could you repeat yourself? Chandler Burke has a speech impediment. That part is obvious. What’s not obvious, though, is his journey — his confrontation of his speech problem and the 16-year battle that ensued to stop it. In the end, he lost the battle. But, he also won it. ••• His speech impediment affected him early in life, as most do. It began with a hearing problem in his infancy, leaving him unable to distinguish between the letters ‘r’ and ‘w.’ “Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem,” Burke said. “But my name is Chandler Burke. And when I was younger, I had to repeat myself all the time.” My name is Chandler Burke. Chandler Burke. Chandler. Burke. “It was very jarring for me to have to repeat myself,” he said. “It was a reminder that I couldn’t speak the way everybody else did.” From his first word to his present verbalization, his communication has been unfairly cut short. And when Burke’s communication — a fundamental cornerstone of human existence — is cut short, then social interaction is, too. So he escaped to reading. “When I read, I could be in my own little world,” he said. “Most of my childhood was ‘be quiet, do your work, read.’ Because when I was reading, I didn’t have to talk. But reading

was putting me in isolation.” So he found himself at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders, one of the most accredited and advanced speech and communication developments programs in the nation. “I hated Callier,” he said. “I was yanked from my Lego battles and my book world, where I didn’t have to interact with other people, into a desolate place where I was constantly reminded that I spoke differently.” And the most annoying, nagging problem about his speech impediment — more bothersome than the perception of inferiority, more vexing than being stuck in therapy for years — was the fact that he couldn’t even hear his problem. “When I listen to my voice normally, my mind constructs something different than what it actually sounds like,” Burke said. “At speech therapy, they would actually record my voice and play it back. I could actually hear every single time that it was significantly different than, say, the teacher’s voice. “I guess it was just disappointing to me, because I had almost been able to live in a self-created fantasy that I didn’t know I was living in. And when I went to speech therapy, I realized that I couldn’t stay in this fantasy.” This inability to recognize his

I was yanked from my Lego battles and my book world, where I didn’t have to interact with other people, into a desolate place where I was constantly reminded that I spoke differently. senior CHANDLER buRKE

very problem birthed new fears and more insecurity. “There’s a constant reminder you are not like everybody else in this one area,” he said. “And that means you are not quite as…that you have a deficiency. And maybe you’re not as nice as other people. It just kind of goes on. It’s just a shadow of a doubt that if you can’t speak well, then what does that mean in other areas?” ut like any other unchanging, not-your-fault deficiency, Burke slowly came to terms with his speech impediment, peeling back the psychological barriers that hindered communication just as much as the actual impediment did. Because after all, his communication problem was mostly psychological, anyway. “[My speech impediment] hurt communication in the sense that I assumed people would misunderstand me,” he said. “Yes, there was a barrier. But it was one that I had constructed myself.” So he fixed his speech impediment without actually fixing it, gaining the confidence to speak out in class more. “People can always understand you,” he said. “Since I realized that, there’s really no disadvantage at all in speaking your mind if you feel like you have something important to say. I feel like I definitely started speaking out more in class.” Chandler Burke has a speech impediment. But then again, he doesn’t. “I thought that my thoughts and opinions, even if they weren’t necessarily spoken as eloquently as everyone else, definitely had some value because I had thought about them,” he said. “They still had the same background. The same structure. Even if they weren’t said the same way.”

When words don’t work story by Noah Yonack, news editor | graphic by Nic Lazarra, graphics director

Securities measures increased as school looks into more advanced systems Two Dallas Police Department officers added to campus duty along with crisis management training for faculty, staff By Shourya Kumar staff writer In an attempt to increase campus security, the administration is looking to institute a new set of protocols to help keep the school safe in the event of a crisis. Faculty, staff and parents are all required to wear their IDs while on campus, and two Dallas Police Department officers will be on campus, monitoring campus entrances and activity at all times. In addition, the school is looking to increase security in

terms of campus visitors. “We’re looking into what is called a visitor management system,” Director of Finance and Administration Suzanne Townsend said. “It’s a system that a lot of schools use where the visitor has to present a driver’s license, and it’s scanned through this machine that essentially does a background check. “It will print out a badge for our visitors that have the photo ID. It will only be good for that day — it will be an adhesive-backed,

temporary badge. This is a much more thorough sign-in process.” Having consulted experts on security, the school will look to both add motion-based lighting to some areas of campus and upgrade the surveillance camera system. However, according to Townsend, being aware serves as the best initiative in the event of a possible crisis. “You just have to be vigilant,” Townsend said, “and all of us have to be eyes and ears and notice if there’s someone on campus we

don’t recognize.” Faculty and staff members have received special training on two occasions from officer Dale Hackbarth to look to look at crisis situations and how they would respond. Given these changes, Townsend acknowledges the nature of the school. “The culture of St. Mark’s is that we invite our neighbors in to use our facilities,” Townsend said. “We’ve historically been an open campus, and right now I don’t see any change in that.”

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the remarker | Friday MARch 8, 2013

F a r a w a y

Faraway fathers

W o r k in g

P a ren t s

Senior Will Altabef’s father works as the CEO of Micros in Columbus, MD.

Senior Henry Woram’s father, who works on the general council of K.B. Homes in Los Angeles, is gone for two weeks at a time.

Marksmen with parents who work in other cities for the majority of the year discuss the effects of life with just one parent at home. from this unique lifestyle, each of these marksmen has a different story.

Senior Pramukh Atluri’s mother works as a hematologist and encologist in Wichita Falls.

NATIONWIDE Ranging from California to New York, many Marsksmen’s parents work a variety of jobs in a variety of different cities. Parents of Marksmen who work in other cities say they have learned a lot of lessons from their home lives.

t’s tough balancing rigorous academics, multiple extracurricular activities and social lives at 10600 Preston Road, even with two parents to help out. Subtract a parent from that equation, and life can get a lot harder than it already is. However, many Marksmen have learned how to manage with just one parent in the house. Senior Pramukh Atluri, whose mother works as an endocrinologist and hematologist in Wichita Falls during the majority of the week, says his life is definitely a little different. “I don’t think about it too much anymore,” Atluri said, “but starting out, it was difficult because I had to pick up a lot of responsibilities. Being the oldest sibling was a challenge, but I don’t notice it anymore.” Senior Brendan Freeman, whose dad works as a senior vice president at Ralph Lauren’s corporate office in New York, agrees his day-to-day lifestyle is very different from most Marksmen.

“With my mom being the only parent, there are times that I have to shoulder responsibilities I normally wouldn’t have to,” Freeman said, “like picking up my younger brother or running to the grocery store to pick up food.” “I also do some of the daily chores or other small tasks that my mom asks me to do. The main thing is keeping some of the burden off of her shoulders and trying to help where I can.” Freeman says because he has more duties, especially with a younger sibling to take care of, he has learned to be more responsible and accountable. “I’ve become more self-reliant so as to lessen my mom’s responsibility for me and focus more on my brother,” Freeman said. “I’ve also gotten pretty good at cooking from the nights I find myself having to make my own dinner because my mom had somewhere to be. But that ties back to trying to be as little of a burden as possible on my mom.”

Senior Will Altabef, whose father works in Columbus, MA as the CEO of Micros and is gone for two to three weeks a month, also cites a drastic change in maturity, echoing the sentiment of other Marksmen who have parents working in faraway places. “He was definitely the parent I used to interact with more,” Altabef said. “It’s kind of interesting to not have him at home anymore because he was the one who would always be checking on me. It definitely forced me to grow up quickly, and it’s also taught me to be a little more self-motivated.” Junior Yima Asom, whose father works as the CEO of Panovel in Shanghai and is gone for weeks at a time, says he values his time with his father a lot more now. “I have realized that the trifling tasks that my dad sometimes does, like buying me soccer shoes or even just talking to me are really important,” Asom said. “My dad’s bi-weekly travels forced me to open my eyes a bit more and realize that the small

Senior Brendan Freeman’s father works as an executive at Ralph Lauren in New York and is gone for two to three weeks at a time.

Senior Jay Park’s father, who works for British Aerospace Engineering in Walton Beach, FL, is gone for one to two weeks at a time.

things others do make a momentous impact.” Marksmen whose parents work far away say they tend to sacrifice spending time with their friends in order to spend more time with their parents. “Before my dad started his new job, if my family went out to dinner on weekends and I went out with my friends instead, it wasn’t a big deal,” Freeman said. “But now that he’s only home every other weekend at best, I try to stay with my family and not go out as much.” Although these Marksmen wished they could spend more time with their parents that work far away, they understand that their parents also sacrifice a lot. “His decision to work in a different state is really a self-sacrifice for my sake,” Freeman said. “He didn’t want to move me during my senior year at St. Mark’s. So rather than moving us up last summer when he first took the job, he was willing to spend a whole year away from home so I would have to op-

portunity to be here.” Senior Jay Park, whose father works at British Aerospace Engineering in Walton Beach, FL, says he hopes his children will learn the same lessons he did from having a father who works in a different state. “I would feel like I would need to be there for my son as he grows into the man that he will be,” Park said. “However, I also believe that at a certain age, my son should be able to take on the same responsibilities that I have learned to take on today.”

My dad’s bi-weekly travels forced me to open my eyes a bit more and realize that the small things others do make a momentous impact.

Junior Yima Asom

faraway fathers story by Tabish Dayani, staff writer, additional reporting by Andrew Goodman, visuals director | graphic by Zuyva Sevilla, staff artist

Big turnout for annual blood drive Feb. 20 hospitals, would help people associated with the school get necessary blood faster, a very important potential benefit. “Blood is one of the number one things that people need, and since it can be rare and we have a bunch of healthy guys who are capable of giving blood, we need to help out,” Day said. “I think it’s a neat way to contribute.” Carter Blood Care, the local blood bank which has worked with the school for more than 15 years, began as the J. K & Susie L. Wadley Research Institute and Blood Bank in 1958 and has since grown to serve 56 counties in the state.

RILEY GRAHAM PHOTO

By Vik Pattabi staff writer Upper school students 16 years of age and older, along with faculty members, donated a combined 44 units of blood Feb. 20 as part of the school’s annual Blood Drive. The number, which compares closely to last year’s 50 units collected, is one of the highest in the last ten years. Fifty-five donors attended the drive, which ran all day, and 26 units of whole blood along with 18 units of red blood cells were collected in cooperation with Carter Blood Care, a local blood bank. Donors were rewarded with Dallas Stars paraphernalia as well as a chance to win a raffle for Stars luxury suites. “In addition to the feeling of having contributed, we’ve worked with Carter Blood Care to make this worth it,” Director of Community Service Laura Day said. “Students also got three community service hours in addition to the Stars stuff.” Students who donated were excused from athletics practices that day due to the amount of fatigue experienced from donating blood. However, despite the inconveniences of giving blood, Day believes it is undoubtedly valuable. “If our school gives this much blood and someone gets sick or in a car accident, and they don’t have access to blood, because sometimes there are shortages and emergencies, we have a bunch of credits stored up,” she said. These credits, which would be valid in many local

TRUE BLOOD Junior Carson Pate gives blood to Carter Blood Care, becoming one of the 10 percent of eligible blood donors to actually give blood.

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P a ren t s

Ass o ci a t i o n

Auc t i o n

A celebration of bidding

COUNTRY SERENADE Jack Ingram, who has released eight studio albums since his debut in 1992, won the “Top New Male Vocalist” award from the Academy of Country Music in 2008.

What: A private concert for up to 200 people Who: Country singer Jack Ingram Where: Up to the winner

COOKING IT UP Soon after its opening, Chef Richard Chamberlain’s (left) first restaurant, Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House, was recognized by the Zagat Guide as “One of America’s Top Restaurants”.

What: A getaway at the McNarosa CEDAR CREEK GETAWAY lake house The lake house package includes 2 houses on the lake, a private golf course, Who: A party of up to 16 people spa packages, and jet ski rentals. Where: McNarosa lake house

What: A 6 night all-expenses-paid resort vacation in Hawaii Who: The winner’s family Where: The Turtle Bay Resort

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO

CBS19 PHOTO

What: A dinner party prepared by top local chefs Who: Jim Severson, Richard Chamberlain, Kent Rathbun, Kevin Garvin and David Holden Where: At the home of the winner

ROBERT BOSTICK PHOTO

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO

t’s one of the biggest events of the year. Hundreds of parents attend. So do some major personalities, like actor Ben Stiller, last year’s entertainment at the event. But this year, the Parents Association Annual Auction will feature a casual style aimed at including as much of the community as possible. Taking place on the Commencement Green on April 13, the Auction will present the studentmade iCelebrate YouTube videos as entertainment and will be styled like a street festival. “We wanted to involve as many members, including the parents, teachers, and kids, of the community as possible,” Auction co-chair Kristin Mullen said. “That’s something we really focused on this year.” With an attendance goal of 1000, greater than last year’s attendance of 880 people, the event will include both a live and silent auction. Stacey Branch and Melinda Johnson, who co-chaired the 1997 auction, the most successful ever, were appointed honorary co-chairs of the live auction. “We really wanted to honor their contributions to this school and this community,” Mullen said. The auction’s major entertainment will be the student-made iCelebrate YouTube videos. The auction co-chairs, Mullen and Kristin Simenc, want this auction to have a lasting impact and hope that the videos will be watched and talked about even after the event ends. Auction co-chair Kristin Mullen gave The ReMarker an exclusive look at some of the big-ticket items.

ISLAND PARADISE The Turtle Bay Resort, located on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii’s third largest island, is famous for its long golf courses and ocean vistas.

Levels of sponsorship $5,000 Gold “Tree” Partner Name and or Logo on Live Bid Card Packet Premium seating at iCelebrate for 10 with personal wait staff Recognition in Auction Catalog Name and or Logo on presentation stream ing on video screens during event Included in Tweets, Facebook mentions, Email blast mentions Logo and website link listing in “Featured Underwriter” rotation on Auction Website Special iCelebrate Gift Bag $2,500 Silver “Branch” Partner Premium seating for 6 with personal wait staff Recognition in Auction Catalog Name and or Logo on presentation stream- ing on video screens during event Log & website link listing in “Featured Un- derwriter” rotation on Auction Website Special iCelebrate Gift Bag $1,000 Bronze “Leaf” Donor Premium seating for 4 with personal wait staff Recognition in Auction Catalog Name and or Logo on presentation stream ing on video screens during event Special iCelebrate Gift Bag

a celebration of bidding story by Vikram Pattabi, staff writer

Alumni Financial Aid Fund raises $10 million By Teddy Edwards staff writer The Alumni Financial Aid Challange reached its goal of $10 million in Dec. 2012. Casey McManemin ’79 and Bob Roberts ’64 gave a combined $5 million, matching donations from various alumni amounting to $10 million. Started in 2008 by McManemin, Roberts, former Director of Development Brian Hargrove ’88, Assistant Headmaster David Dini and Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg, the fund was set up to encourage alumni to donate to the school. “I was convinced that there was potential,” McManemin said, “to go to alumni and say ‘think about what a great experience you had in school, and think about all the guys that were in your classroom or in studio or on your team or wherever, some of them were financial aid recipients. “Aren’t we all lucky that we had all those guys? I think it’s an appropriate appeal to Alumni to say ‘will you support financial aid with your gifts to the school?’” McManemin and Roberts also pledged to match the first $5 million in donations in order to encourage more alumni to give to the fund. “The goal of the campaign,” Roberts said, “was to raise $5 million in addition to the $5 million Ca-

sey and I pledge for a total addition of $10 millions to financial aid endowments to allow students with limited resources to attend St. Mark’s and benefit from the education here and have St. Mark’s benefit from their presence and participation.” Although the official Alumni Financial Aid Challenge goal has been reached, both Roberts and McManemin hope that it’s only a step to the day when no deserving student will be turned away because they cannot afford tuition. “My hope is that in the future, no student is turned away from St. Mark’s because there is not enough financial aid to help them,” Roberts said. “And that all students at St. Mark’s can participate in every activity they wish without the worry of financial limitation.” In the end, McManemin and Roberts agreed that it was all about allowing bright students who deserve a spot at 10600 Preston Road to have the ability to go to school here. “For me,” McManemin said, “the worry is that one day, the headmaster, whether it’s Arnie or whoever it is, gets up in front of the trustees and says ‘Well, we had a good year this year in the admissions season… but there was one boy we couldn’t admit because we didn’t have enough money.’ That’s what drives me.”

think big

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the remarker | Friday MARch 8, 2013

c o ver

s to r y

c o n t inued

fr o m

pa g e

o ne

Jurvetson’s analysis helps determine ‘next big thing’

pecifically, Jurvetson filters through hundreds of proposals by people with nothing but an imaginary plan of some new envisioned technology. There is no real product. There is no revenue. There are no guarantees. But with the greater risk, Jurvetson reaps greater rewards. “Most of the time it’s a complete failure and a failure for the company, but by taking that amount of risk, we occasionally find the huge winners that can pay back 100 or sometimes even 1000 times the money on a single investment,” Jurvetson said, “That pays back for a lot of the losers. You can only lose 100 percent of your money, but you can make many times that.” Finishing his undergraduate education quickly, Jurvetson immediately went onto graduate school at Stanford to get his master’s degree in electrical engineering. On the side, he worked at Hewlett Packard, designing chips and personal computers. But Jurvetson knew he wanted to do more than engineering. “I loved engineering, and I still do,” Jurvetson said. “But I thought, I’d want to be an engineering manager. But that’s a twenty year career path I’d just decided at HP, so I thought of how I could become an engineering manager quicker.” One afternoon, by pure chance, Jurvetson was speaking to his father, when his dad told him about a group of very young guys who were advising the CEO of Variant on business issues. After asking around, he found out that they were management consultants, specialists who used their technical and business knowledge to advise and fund corporate development. He decided to try it out. He sent a letter to the only consulting firm he knew, the one that

was offering consulting to his father’s company: Bain & Company. “At the very end, when they were getting ready to make me an offer, they asked me which other consulting firms I’m considering or talking to, thinking they’d have to sell me versus McKinsey [& Company] and others” Jurvetson said. “And I said, ‘Well, I don’t know of any others.’ And they just laughed. I was the first person they’d ever met who hadn’t heard of the biggest firms in the industry.” Upon his request, Jurvetson only worked with high-tech clients. Using his experience at Bain, Jurvetson worked his way into business school. After graduating from Stanford for the third time, out of the blue, Jurvetson received a call from a former colleague at Bain who invited him to interview for a job in his venture capital firm. Although he had no idea what venture capitalism was initially, Jurvetson did sixty interviews and gave himself a crash course on venture capitalism that lead him to accept a position at what was then called Draper Associates. In just six months, Jurvetson got his name etched on the company’s door, which now reads Draper Fisher Jurvetson. “I really liked Draper because when he was interviewing me he had a very child-like demeanor, much like myself,” Jurvetson said. “And I thought this firm is more risk-seeking and playful and entrepreneurial than any other firm.” At his company, Jurvetson focuses on high-tech startup companies. These companies offer change, the catalyst for profit. “It would probably be smarter if I thought of what consumers would buy, but I don’t,”

Jurvetson said. “I think more about where technology is taking us almost as if technology has a life of its own. That’s sort of the investment theme I look for in general. I’m not exactly sure how I would go about finding out what consumers would want.” urvetson currently heads investments in Tesla Motors, Hotmail, SpaceX and other technology companies. With investments in such diverse fields, Jurvetson has to reeducate himself every time he enters a new market. To achieve this, he uses connections between the fields. “The key is to try not to relearn everything,” Jurvetson said. “To find some cognitive hook where I can piggyback or leapfrog from something I already know.” More than investing, as Jurvetson told the Class of 2010 in his Commencement Address, the highlight of his profession is the opportunity to stay involved with the newest technology trends. “By staking out a domain I’m not familiar with as a venture capitalist, I get an opportunity and an excuse to learn from some of the best and the brightest,” Jurvetson said. “And so as part of my job, I have the unfair and incredibly rare opportunity to learn from really smart people. If it weren’t for that, it would be really tough. ” Ultimately, though, Jurvetson says success, both now and in the future, comes from a readiness to accept knowledge at all times and in all forms. “In our world, it is essential to have the stance that you’re going to spend your whole life learning,” he said. “It’s not like you have school and then you have work and then retirement. It’s just learning. And work is a byproduct of learning.”

THE MAN Steve Jurvetson ’85, after being mentored by Steve Jobs, has gone on to become a successful venture capitalist at his own firm, Draper FIsher Jurvetson.

The Jurvetson file

Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson’s livelihood depends on following research trends. Here are some fields he’s currently investing in that are ready to take the next big leap.

• Space • Biotechnology • Transportation • Agriculture

Making a difference These alums have seen the future and are doing something about it Walter Foxworth ’06

Rocket propulsion for a space age

he hybrid rocket scientist at the Space Propulsion Group — Space X, Walter Foxworth ’06, began thinking big when he was a kid. And he hasn’t stopped. “I went to space camp as a kid,” Foxworth said. “Of course, that happened when the Space Shuttle was still flying. The space scene has changed considerably over the past ten years or so, based both on funding considerations and public interest in human spaceflight.” Foxworth is a clear example of an individual captivated by human spaceflight, and currently works to revitalize, and revolutionize, the space industry. “Space science generally and building new launch vehicles specifically are extremely difficult challenges, requiring high-performing teams and an unhindered desire to succeed,” Foxworth said. “Trust me — there are easier jobs out there.” Yet passion outweighs challenge for Foxworth and Space X, whose final ambition, and goal, is in sending a manned mission to Mars. Foxworth acknowledges the path won’t be direct. “Along the way, there are secondary and tertiary goals such as lowering launch costs and developing new spin-off technologies,” Foxworth said. “The company is growing quickly, and we must keep up with these demanding goals. The hope is to be able to produce one rocket a week.” In addressing the future generation, Foxworth emphasizes on Walter the power of creativity Foxworth ‘06 and perseverance qualities which aided him in winning the ‘06 Headmasters Cup. “The best advice I would give to a student at any level is to do basic need-finding,” Foxworth said. “No problem is too small or large to take on. It’s just a matter of executing. Ideas are cheap — the real trick is to see those ideas come to fruition. SpaceX has proven that a scrappy startup can do the work only previously performed by governments.”

Nick Orenstein ’01

5 trends dominating America’s future 1. The end of the big box retailers. Retailers have finally emerged from the doldrums of 2008, but they look surprisingly different from years past. Major department stores are shuttering stores and relying more and more on online commerce. 2. America is aging. The U.S. is getting older, and a sea of baby boomers are setting their sights on retirement, creating a domino effect in life expectancy rates’ impact on healthcare costs and social security funding. 3. Continuation of the mobile revolution. Mobile phones are now the most used personal technological devices in the world — surpassing the personal computer. 4. A weakening infrastructure. Underinvestment in infrastructure projects has weakened the backbone of the United States, in the interstate highway system. 5. The epic rise of student loan debt. Student loan dept recently topped $1 trillion, making it the largest category of consumer debt, other than mortgages. It tops credit card and auto loan debt. source: businessinsider.com

Combining design and science

ost people think of science and art as opposites. Most people would say there is no overlap. Not Nick Orenstein ’01. As an engineer, Orenstein combines creativity and aesthetics with logic and knowledge to innovate. “My dad is a doctor and my mom is an artist, so I’ve always seen a natural connection between science and creativity,” Orenstein said. “I’ve successfully found projects over the years which merge these fields. This lends itself to a stronger connection between building something and helping people, for art and design depend on us humans for form.” Orenstein, who served as as ReMarker editor in 2001, finished Harvard in 2006 and then returned to Dallas, where he worked for Lono Medical Systems, designing medical technology. “I learned a lot about medicine from my dad as a kid, but knew I didn’t want to be doctor,” he said. Nick Orenstein ‘01 “Medical device design allowed me to work in a hospital setting from a different perspective. Everything I’ve done professionally has been driven by a desire to help people on a grand scale. Design and engineering together are a natural way to build things meant for human use.” At Lono, Orenstein developed a heart monitor that attaches onto a pregnant mother’s abdomen and uses surface vibrations to monitor the fetus’s heartbeat. He then entered the world of business in order to sell the idea around Dallas. Due to the economic downturn in 2008, Orenstein failed to close any deals with his newly designed heart monitor, so in 2010, he was forced to abandon that dream and pursue a new field. “I learned invaluable lessons about business even though — or probably because — it included failure,” Orenstein said. Orenstein left to San Francisco, a city he claims helped him find a new passion — space. “The frontier on earth is closed and it’s been so long enough that there is no cultural memory, worldwide, which remembers firsthand what the experience is like,” he said. “But the desire to explore, to stake new ground, to push forward, to prosper anew, to look up at the starry night sky — these are part of human nature..” But he says his entire journey started from his willingness to push the boundaries and draw from his experiences. It all started when he began “thinking big.” “Thinking big requires internalizing big experiences,” Orenstein said. “Get out there and see the world. Interact with it, and you’ll find there are still fundamental similarities which drive at us all forward.”

Henry Hsu ’98

Linking people together

enry Hsu ’98, senior manager of business operations at LinkedIn, embodies creative thinking throughout the innovative industry. LinkedIn, a social network for professionals, has more than 200 million profiles that connect people from all over the world. “I joined LinkedIn a few years back because I saw massive opportunities for the company to leverage the information they had,” Hsu said. “Social networking had definitely been established, but LinkedIn really owned your professional profile — and that information is incredibly valuable in so many industries.” Many people use LinkedIn as a planning tool to model their careers off of successful counterparts. However, the opportunity to utilize LinkedIn is open to students as well, who can use LinkedIn to connect with professionals in certain areas that interest them. “You’re never too young or too old to start doing this,” Hsu said. “Whatever your aspirations are, whether it’s to be a business executive, a politician, or an entrepreneur, you can find people who have already blazed that trail end and plan your own steps accordingly.” LinkedIn, one of the only social networking sites that aid the process of job seeking, plans to expand services even further in the near future. “LinkedIn is making big pushes into becoming an everyday resource for people to get the content and information they need to do their jobs better,” Hsu said. “We’re also looking for opportunities to serve more audiences or more people with the assets that we have. There’s no other resource in the world that ties relationships among hundreds of millions of professionals together.”

Senior Will Chang was selected to play at the All-State Concert for the fifth time, one of the longest streaks in All-State history.

arts. Fine ARTS around campus

THE REMARKER | Friday, MARCH 8, 2013 | PAGE 9

upcoming > Mavs vs. Thunder, March 17, 6:30 p.m., AAC. The Mavs have their equestrian eyes set on the playoffs. As of now, they’re on the outside looking in, so they need this win against the talented and young Thunder. Kevin Durant, the NBA leading scorer, has been on a tear lately, but so has our very own Dirk. Hopefully the Big German leads us to the Win.

^Snoop Dogg

the

> St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, all day, everywhere. It’s time to get your green out, brush up on the history of St. Patrick, and find out the difference between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Or just eat a lot. Somehow out of all of the Holy Saints, only good ol’ Patrick and the loving Valentine got days. Go figure.

sketchbook

The 31st Annual High School Shoot-Out scholarship winners include junior Halbert Bai, who won best of show in black and white, junior Nick Brodsky, who won best of show in color and Max Wolens, who won Junior/Senior Portfolio. In addition, many other Marksmen placed in different categories such as photojournalism, portrait/people and landscape nature.

•••

The Cambodia Photos Show Reception will be a presentation of three or four photos from each of the 12 students who went on the

things to do in the Month ahead > Snoop Dogg, March 16, 12 p.m., Energy Square. Snoop Dogg/Lion(n) comes to the D-town the day before St. Patrick’s for a strangely midday concert. If you want some early afternoon rap, head on over and catch the D-O double G’s flow. > Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Tomorrow, 8 p.m., House of Blues. Speaking of flow, the Bone Thugs 20 year reunion tour is sure to supply plenty of it tomorrow at 8 p.m. The legendary group has come together for their 10th album and is sure to fill the House of Blues with old-school hip-hop. Is their best member Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, or Fleshn-Bone? You decide.

>Rangers vs. Angels, April

•••

Auditions for Our Town, the Upper School spring play, were held Feb. 12 and 13. The play, written by Thornton Wilder, will be held May 2-4 at Hockaday. The play was written 75 years ago, and Wilder received the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the work.

PHOTO BY ADAM MERCHANT

•••

trip to Cambodia and Laos in June. It will take place sometime before Spring Break and details will be released soon. •••

the

darkroom HIS WORDS

Mason Smith:

“When I saw this landscape on a cloudy day, I wanted to find a new way to capture the Dallas skyline in an interesting and dramatic way.”

5, 2:05 p.m., Ballpark in Arlington. Baseball is back. The Josh Hamilton-less Rangers had plenty of questions going into spring training, but they’re looking to show the league they can win without their former star. After an easy warm-up series in Houston, they open at home against the Angels. Maybe a big ol’ dose of Walker, Texas Ranger Chuck Norris will help. > Maroon 5, March 21, 7:30 p.m., American Airlines Center. If you’re by a Payphone, give the AAC a Wake Up Call and snatch up some tickets for Maroon 5’s trip to Dallas for their newest album, Overexposed. Seats are going for $30, so it Makes Me Wonder why you wouldn’t hit up one of spring’s hottest shows.

a roundup of people’s artistic accomplishments

The Upper School Orchestra concert, featuring soloists Sam Libby, Raffy Salcedo and Hansen Kuo, will be April 16. Joining them will be Aarav Chavada and Will Chang. In addition, the Middle School Orchestra concert will be Apr. 30 in Decherd Auditorium.

The Robotics Team will prepare for the Botball Competition tomorrow in the Embassy Suites and Convention Center in Norman, OK. The team has finished building both of its robots for the competition and spent the weeks leading up to the competition programming and calibrating the robots so they run well for the competition.

•••

The libraries have purchased the digital book service OverDrive

“

sophomore umer nadir

Will Chang page 11

for the distribution of Ebooks, audiobooks and other digital content. It will be installed around April 1, and then the digital content can be checked out for three weeks just like a normal printed book. Once checked out, the content can be sent to student’s digital devices like laptops and iPads. 20,000 titles will be available.

OverDrive

•••

The 2012 Marksmen yearbook and The Marque literary magazine have each been named a finalist for the Pacemaker Award by the National Scholastic Press Association, the highest award given by the national organization, based in Minneapolis. The editor of the Marksmen was Duncan Smart ‘12. Thee editorsin-chief of The Marque were Rishi Bandopadhay ‘12 and Patrick Ng ‘12.

People will recognize you if you practice. You can do a lot more than you think if you go out of your comfort zone and have other people recognize your talent. Page 10

just

hangin’ out

with Taubert NAdalini

Taubert Nadalini

Senior Taubert Nadalini is known for his talents in singing and acting and his participation in the plays and musicals. He sat down and shared his interests with staff writer Shourya Kumar.

PRODUCTION My most memorable production at St. Mark’s was probably Seussical the Musical during my sophomore year. HSM [High School Musical] was a great show and a successful one, but Seussical was really the first high-energy show I’d done, and it was during that production that I first experienced friendship with everyone in a cast. CAREER PLANS I’m actually going to college to study theater and arts management. Theater and performing has been something that has brought the most joy to my life from a very early age, so I plan to continue studying and working in a field that I’ll be the most passionate about — even if that means breaking the conventional career path of typical Marksmen. I acknowledge the risk that comes with pursuing a career in the arts, but in a way, such risk makes it all the more exciting an endeavor. ROLE MODEL I guess I model myself after attributes I like in friends and family, so really this list would be too long to fit on this page. BEST SHOW Watching Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti work together in Enda Walsh’s musical adaptation of John Carney’s Once was a really moving experience. CHOIR Like theater, I’ve participated in choir since toddlerhood. It’s a great, convenient outlet for my love of singing, and it’s an extracurricular that happens to consume much of my time and energy. But to anyone who’s wondering: no. Participating in six different choral ensembles concurrently isn’t one of my better decisions.

top photos chosen from photography instructor scott hunt’s program

where

Just outside the main part of downtown peering into the Trinity River Basin.

what

An image of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and the downton entangled in twisting telephone lines.

arts around campus

DJ Umer 10

THE REMARKER | Friday, MARch 8, 2013 | PAGE 10

D J

Will Chang 11

Big Brothers 14

Reviews 15

U M E R

IT STARTED AS A HOBBY. but for SOPHOMORE umer NADIR, creating beats has become a passion, a source of revenue and a way to earn recognition in the music business.

GO DJ Serving as a DJ for a house party, sopomore Umer Nadir has been performing for a year now. In total, he has made $6000, paid his father back for the equipment, and sold a beat to Taylor Gang Records.

beat playing to his

s the bass booms, Umer Nadir bobs his head to the beat. The lights are flashing, the crowd is rowdy and the music is loud. Everyone is having a good time — including Nadir. But the party isn’t his to enjoy. It’s not his dance floor — it’s his stage. Nadir, a sophomore, has been creating his own beats and DJing parties for a year now. He has made around $6000 and has had a lot of fun, but nothing has compared to an email he received three weeks ago: one from Taylor Gang Records. An agent of rapper Juicy J was contacting him to buy his beat “Go Hard.” The email looked official, but Nadir still did not believe it. It was too good to be true. But then the phone call came. “I had posted the beat online and an agent of Juicy J saw it,” Nadir said. “The agent said he liked it and that he wanted to see if Juicy J would like it. I didn’t believe it at first, The agent said he liked my beat and that he wanted to see if Juicy J would like it. I didn’t believe it at first, but he bought it for $300. sophomore umer nadir

but he bought it from me for $300. If it gets used on Juicy J’s next album, I’ll get royalties.” Most recently, Nadir has been in contact with rapper French Montana’s record label about selling another beat. “I’m not sure if I’ll sell it to them just yet,” Nadir said. “I’m going to weigh my options. I

might sell again to Taylor Gang because they were really nice to me.” But it hasn’t always been all success for Nadir. He’s come a long way in a year, but he still remembers his first gig — a graduation party for his cousin. “I had only an iPod tower and my laptop and little turntables,” Nadir said. “The tower messed up halfway through and starting skipping. Everything went wrong. It was horrible.” Nadir started DJing and making beats when his uncle, who is in the music business in Los Angeles, encouraged him to get involved with music. Nadir already knew how to play the drums, but he branched out and learned how to create beats. He originally only created them for his friend Shan Anwar, a senior at Frisco High School. “Shan wanted to start rapping, so I started making beats for him,” Nadir said. “Then, I started posting them online after that. I’m thankful because Shan made me do more with my beats. He pushed me more — I wanted to make the best beat he had ever seen.” Anwar is not surprised at the success Nadir has had. “Whenever Umer DJs, he plays his own music and popular music to keep a variety of music playing,” Anwar said. “Nothing pushes Umer more than hard work, and I think that has helped him the most.” After some practice, Nadir was ready for gigs and received all of the equipment he needed from his father on a condition — Nadir would have to pay him back the $2000 one day. “I was two grand into debt at the time, but

I ended up paying him back in six months,” Nadir said. “My dad’s always been really supportive of me. He knows I’m passionate about it, so he got it for me and it turned out well.” Soon after, Nadir got paid as a DJ for the first time. He performed at his relative’s wedding party, and the gig was a success. He received $350 but even more valuable than the money was the experience that came with it. “Everyone loved it and I’ve been branching out from those connections since then,” Nadir said. “The practice I have gotten during gigs has made me more knowledgeable as to what a crowd wants, and what a crowd wants

The set-up

to dance to at a certain time. It’s important to be good with people as a DJ.” Nadir says he has evolved a lot in his time as a DJ. He now knows what songs to play at the right time and how to mix them. Further, there is a lot more to DJing than just pressing play. “A lot of times I’ll loop the song while I find a track to mix with it,” he said. “Then I’ll hit the crossfader so both songs are playing at the same time. I’ll kill the bass to the other track so I’ll have the bass from one song to the vocals of the other. Then I’ll loop the intro

of the next song and everyone will go crazy. I’ll hit a horn before the beat drops and it will get everyone going.” But no matter how much Nadir enjoys DJing, he inevitably has to deal with conflicts with school. Although many of the gigs are on weekends, the preparation time and weekday gigs clash with school. Nadir spends an hour a day staying up to date with music and practicing in addition to spending five hours preparing for every gig. He has to make playlists with the client, practice with the music and research. School does not always make this easy. “I’ve had a couple gigs on Thursday nights where I’d get back at two in the morning and then have to go to school in the morning,” Nadir said. “During basketball season it was rough too. Having a gig after a game is rough. It’s definitely challenging sometimes.” Nadir has simple advice for an aspiring DJ or music creator. “Keep practicing in order to be good at what you do,” he said. “People will recognize your talent if you practice. You can do a lot more than you think if you go out of your comfort zone and have other people recognize your talent.” Nadir is a musician at heart and knows he will always stick with it in some form. For now, he’s going to keep doing what he’s doing. The future will come later. “I don’t think I will continue DJing in college,” Nadir said. “But I will for sure keep making beats. Hopefully, I will be recognized more by that time. All of the rappers are interlocked and connected, so once the Juicy J beat deal goes through, hopefully I’ll get recognition and other people will contact me.”

Playing to his own beat story by Aidan Dewar, arts editor | photos courtesy Umer Nadir

French Montana

A rapper originally from Morroco who has released over 20 mixtapes. His recent single reached number 36 on the charts.

Real name> Karim Kharbouch Record label> Bad Boy Records Origin> The Bronx Age> 28 Years Active> 2002-Present Interested in Umer’s beat called> “Vibes Beat”

The clients

Juicy J

A rapper who is a member of the group Three Six Mafia. In total, he has had four top 20 hits.

Real name> Jordan Houston Record label> Taylor Gang Records Origin> Memphis Age> 37 Years Active> 1991-Present Interested in Umer’s beat called> “Go Hard” Photo courtesy of Socialindc.com

Photo courtesy of studioseventeen.org

fine arts

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the remarker | Friday MARch 8, 2013

W I LL

CHANG

FINE-TUNED Performing in his fifth All-State concert, senior Will Chang has placed himself among the elite string players in school history.

T R E C CON

r. David Fray barely could keep a straight face five years ago when the then-new eighth grader Will Chang smoothly played his violin note after note. “I was thinking, ‘Wow, what a fine gift to St. Mark’s to have such a fine player,’” he said. “That doesn’t happen real often. Only once in several years do we get new student coming in that plays at a high level.” By his senior year, Chang went on to be one of the few to ever perform in All-State for five years, let alone be selected Concertmaster twice consecutively. As an eighth grader, he was both happy and nervous when he heard he made All-State. “I had never done anything like it, so it was a really big deal for me,” he said. “I was seventh [chair], then. It was a real honor to be playing alongside the seniors like Brad Travis and learn what they did as musicians and leaders.” Chang first took up violin as a fifth grader under the tutelage of Motoi Takeda, an Associate Concert Master of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. “When I was younger, I saw my older friends who played violin and I thought that was cool,” Chang said. Private lessons and daily practice is crucial to succeed-

STUDYING UNDER THE GREATS, SENIOR WILL CHANG HAS SURPASsED HIS PEERS IN THE PRACTICE OF VIOLIN, becoming a five-time all-state member and a two-time Concert Master. ing as a string player, Chang and Fray agree. As a committed swimmer as well as a student, Chang has had to juggle his time to balance violin with academics and sports. “I try to practice every day for at least an hour and half,” Chang said. “Obviously, at St. Mark’s the schedule gets pretty intensive, so you’re not able to practice for a day or two. I try to make those up on the weekend. Sometimes if a competition is coming up or during the breaks, I practice up to

four hours.” To Fray, practice isn’t the only thing that set Chang apart. “A lot of guys can practice as much as Will does and not achieve the level that he has achieved. He has loads of talent. It’s the combination of the work and the talent. He’s just very solid.” Already accepted into Yale and waiting for responses of others, Chang plans on continuing playing violin into college and beyond, though probably not as a major. “It’s hard to keep your musical involvement going in college,” Fray said. “It’s really important for your balance as a person, so you’re not always in the library studying the entire time. It’s a different kind of work. It’s hard, but it’s a relief from the academic. It’s more of a right brain activity than strictly left brain.” Chang attributes his success to his parents and their encouragement. He says their disciplining and encouragement helped him stick to practicing hour after hour and brought him to where he is now. “Sometimes it’s hard,” he said. “But if you enjoy it and are willing to put in the work with mental and physical effort, you’re already a long way in.”

CONCERT MASTER story by Alex Kim, staff writer | photos by Michael Doorey, head photographer

Students to travel to Austin for ISAS By Jacob Chernick staff writer The 2013 ISAS Arts Festival will be held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Austin April 4-6. Fine Arts members will attend the festival and display their art with students from the 92 other schools involved in the Independent School’s Association of the Southwest (ISAS). Fine Arts Department Chair Jacque Gavin believes the location will play an integral part in making this year’s gathering special. “[St. Andrew’s] has a brand new arts center, just completed, called the Dell Family Arts Center,” Gavin said. “It’s a beautiful, state-of-the-art location.” Students in the Upper School band, orchestra, art, film, woodworking, photography, musical, piano and drama programs will attend the festival. “All the performances and artwork are adjudicated,” Gavin said. “A professional looks at them and gives feedback to

Junior’s iOS apps arrive in App Store

the students.” During the performances and exhibitions at ISAS, students gather new ideas from other schools. “I know that we have seen plays that other schools have done that we got interested in doing,” Gavin said. “Other people have seen our work specifically and started doing similar projects.” Many students who have attended the festival in past years have nothing but positive things to say about it. “It’s a great time where you can find an art that you’re interested in, go to workshops and meet people that know what they’re talking about,” junior pianist Andrew Hatfield said. About 100 students and faculty will attend this year. “It’s the largest event of its kind in the nation,” Drama Program Director Rod Blaydes said. “Plus you get to talk to other artists from schools all over. You can’t help but grow as an artist.”

By Alex Kim staff writer Of the 750,000+ apps readily available in the Apps Store, four are special. No, they are not in the Top Grossing list or selected App of the Week. They’re special because they were made by a St. Mark’s student. Junior Victor Zhou, the founder of the Coding Club, has produced four iOS games since last summer. The apps he made are Splitscreen, Synchronous, and Tower War/ (LITE). In total, Zhou has made $70 in profit. Zhou’s app-programming knowledge comes primarily from studying online tutorials and little help from others. “I’d been casually messing around with programming for a while, and one day I just decided to try making an iPhone app and things just started growing from that,” he said. But his early career in app-making isn’t the only thing he is devoting effort to. Last year, Zhou started the Coding Club for upper

school students interested in programming competitively. “We usually meet on Mondays — not every week, probably every other week on average — and just talk about programming and prepare for upcoming contests or review past ones,” he said. “We participate in the USA Computing Olympiad, the American Computer Science League competitions, and the UTD programming competitions.” Dr. Robert Kenyon, Director of Academic Information Systems, Zhou’s former AP Computer Science teacher, sponsor of the Coding Club and Zhou’s adviser, has helped Zhou much along his way. “He’s ambitious. He’s very driven. He seems to manage taking five APs without breaking a sweat,” Kenyon said. “I am grateful for his energy and enthusiasm. He adds to the school, which is what we are always looking for when we enroll students. We want someone who would contribute, and he does.”

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perspective on key issues the remarker | Friday MARch 8, 2013

[ ap roun

A broken system? The AP curriculum: does it help get you into college? The backstory Many students feel pressured to take as many AP classes as possible to impress college admissions officers and increase their chances for admissions. Unfortunately for many students, the drive to enroll in AP classes frequently clashes with their desire to enroll in classes that better fit their interests. Pulido So what exactly does that

mean to be challenged? In the eyes of a college admissions it is to say what is available at that institution and has the student been able to enroll in some of those courses. However that does not mean if there are 500 APs offered, that the student needs to take all 500 of them. It is to say, if the student is going to look at the most selective colleges in the country, they do need to be challenged with whatever is being most rigorous at an institution.

Mankoff It’s not just APs, I think there’s

a rumor that’s circulated early that colleges admire consistency on a transcript. So if you had debate for four years, they would prefer that to two years of debate, a year of ceramics and a year of directing styles.

Pulido Because it’s a national evaluator

that AP courses should be taught in a certain manner, colleges are able to determine that the student has mastered the curriculum. But it’s a national evaluator. Versus a philosophy class could be taught very differently at St. Mark’s School of Texas versus another school in another part of the country. They just don’t know how it’s taught. It’s a label definitely. But I think its more figuring what is available at the high school and to see if that is the most challenging curriculum available.

Gonzalez I think one of the big factors,

or one of the issues with the AP is that it’s not evenly distributed throughout the nation by the different institutions. I think part of the problem with the AP designation is that it means a lot of different things. So for example, if you’re in an AP course, you’re not required by the St. Mark’s School of Texas to take the AP examination.

Pulido They [some schools] definite-

ly counted the number of AP courses that student had and if a student didn’t have “x” amount of AP courses, they were given a lower designation in their metrics. And it is much harder to be admitted if they didn’t have “x” number of AP courses. And that would show according to their metric, who was taking the most challenging courses.

Barta The deal is instead of going for a preconceived set of schools, it’s making the best possible match. That’s the magic of it right? Just really making good, well-researched choices about courses, colleges or careers. There’s not really just one right answer out there. There are several right answers. Pulido So, ten or 15 years ago, it was the well-rounded students; it was the sought-after individual and everyone wanted that student on their college campus. Nowadays, that’s definitely fine, but it’s harder to set yourself apart if you’re just a well-rounded individual. And so you want to be a well-niched student, person, kid, brother. Whatever you are, you want to have done a few things that have gone to the next level.

that are ordered, when I look at the writing folders, I’m seeing more reading and more writing in the AP classes than in the others.

Has the school ever thought about dropping the AP curriculum?

Gonzalez I think there’s a lot of confu-

The back story Although AP is a well-respected, national program, high schools can still be competitive in college admissions even if they don’t offer AP classes. There have been some suggestions that St. Mark’s sever it’s connection with the AP program because of the limitations it puts on the school.

sion, and there’s a lot of misinformation that’s given out to students about what does it really mean, so you’re going to find arguments on both sides... They say its really test-driven as opposed to “let’s take time to delve into the issues and really learn how to write.” I think we’re really fortunate at St. Mark’s that we do have students that do want to delve into the issues as well as learn how to take examinations or to bolster their opportunities for further education for that fine balance.

Mailer The AP test is not a driver of our AP curriculum. It’s true the boys do well on the test, but there is so much more in the AP class than just preparing for particular tests. As a boy chooses his schedule wisely, he’s going to find plenty of challenge and lots of growth in a comfortable challenge and yet comfortable, not overwhelmed

Gonzalez About five years ago, we had a proposal come in front of the committee on the ac-

How strong is the AP curriculum at St. Mark’s? The backstory The AP curriculum is supposed to be uniform in all schools, but the reality is that there is much variation between AP classes at different schools. At the department level, the teachers here must decide how to structure their other, normal-level classes with respect to the one’s to which they are giving AP distinction. Further, the departments must decide how stringently they wish to adhere to the AP curriculum, or “teach to the test,” versus covering topics they find more important themselves. Mailer It has been fully agreed upon,

all the way around the circle, that the AP English courses would be taught at a college level and then what we call electives, which aren’t truly electives because if the student isn’t in the AP class, he’s got to take three trimesters of English. But those will all be taught at a high school level or maybe at an advanced high-school level but not at a college level... When I look at the books

course of studies. course of studies.

Barta I think there’s a very fine line Barta I think there’s a very fine line

between an intellectual life of the mind between an intellectual life of the mind and just a burden of just stuffing stuff and just a burden of just stuffing stuff into people’s minds. And I think we’re all into people’s minds. And I think we’re all trying to find a balance in the curricutrying to find a balance in the curriculum. lum. I think we need to be very careful about I think we need to be very careful about broadening a person’s ability and probroadening a person’s ability and productivity and joy of doing it versus just ductivity and joy of doing it versus just burdening them down with information burdening them down with information and stuff. I don’t think it’s about grinding and stuff. I don’t think it’s about grinding it out; it’s supposed to be intellectually it out; it’s supposed to be intellectually satisfying: the journey that you’re taking. satisfying: the journey that you’re taking.

ademic program program that that we we drop drop the the AP ademic AP program. argument program. TheThe argument thatthat thatthat indiindividual made if you going vidual made waswas if you are are going above above and beyond what AP is asking and beyond what the APthe is asking us us to do, then why even bother with that to do, then why even bother with that designator. There There are are some some independent independent designator. schools who who said, said, “we “we are are not not going going schools AP designator designator and and our our to go go with with the the AP to students will be accepted into great colstudents will be accepted into great colleges throughout throughout the the United United States.” States.” leges

Ferrell Ferrell It It drives drives me me crazy crazy that that we we can’t can’t

take take passion passion into into account account when when we we set set the curriculum, but when you’re the curriculum, but when you’re dealing dealing with with the the turnover turnover that that you you see, see, you you have have to have the objective measures. to have the objective measures. How How do do

The panelists ▶ Science Department Chair Stephanie Barta (below) “I think there’s a very fine

line between an intellectual life of the mind and just a burden of just stuffing stuff into people’s minds.”

▶ Head of Upper School Wortie Ferrell:

(above) “Our responsibility as educators is to create a great educational environment but also to provide boundaries.”

▶ Senior Will Altabef (below)

As vice president of the Student Council, Altabef provided insight this issue from a student viewpoin

▶ English Department Chair Bobbi Mailer (above) “When I look at the

books that are ordered, when I look at the writing folders, I’m seeing more reading and more writing in the AP classes than in the others.”

A BROKEN SYSTEM? story by Paul Gudmundsson, managing editor, George Law, deputy managing editor, and Stephen Rambin, issues editor | additional reporting by Shourya Kuma

pages

ndtable ]

With advanced placement classes dominating the curriculum choices of students from as early as tenth grade, important questions arise: why are ap classes so important? Why do colleges care so much? What if students want to pursue other interests? The ReMarker staff members sat down with administratorsWortie Ferrell, Scott Gonzalez and Veronica Pulido, faculty membersStephanie Barta and Bobbi Mailer and student leaders Bradley Mankoff and Will Altabef to discuss the value of AP classes, why colleges value them so highly and how to pursue one’s passions in the classroom.

you differentiate this from that? Doing away with AP is something that would make us nervous from a college counseling standpoint because of the currency.

Mankoff A system as old as AP, the

chances of it being a solid, accurate representation of a student’s knowledge of the subject is so slim.

Mailer It’s probably pretty safe to say

that we will have courses of varying levels of difficulty here in the Upper School regardless of what we call them. But if we didn’t call them AP, there would be honors courses in certain fields.

Who to look to for advice? The backstory Traditionally, scheduling for Marksmen is done through students’ advisors, with students reviewing course options in the school’s course

STUMPED A student struggles to choose between the courses he thinks colleges would like to see and those he would rather take.

catalog. Parents come in to visit with their son’s advisor in March or April and finalize selections, with the student then going online to mark his course options. Barta I think some of it is based on

rumor. I find conversations with parents even at a ninth and tenth grade parents that are based on a 20 year old misconception. I think that they key to combating is one to one advising. Having an adult who really knows that student. If there are questions, I don’t hesitate to send ninth and tenth graders to the counselors to answer a today problem. I just think the more we know our stu-

dents, the more we encourage them to know themselves.

Gonzalez Because you can say, “I want to take ten APs. 10 APs is not a mathematical configuration that says this will get you into x, y or z. And I think sometimes we have this concept that “if I take these courses…I’m going to get into…” Remember, the deal is that that office is going to the best job that it can with all the information it can get from us and from your work to try to match you up with something. It’s not always going to be a guarantee.

How can you work within the six-class limit? The backstory Students often cite the school’s new six-class limit for schedules as a frustrating limitation to their academic pusuits and the main roadblock between taking both the AP classes they need to make them competitive college applicants and the classes that interest them more. Ferrell Our responsibility as educators is to create a great educational environment but also to provide boundaries. Knowing where the boundaries are is important to know in the system which you are operating. Sometimes it’s the case that people make good decisions but not always. To have some time for something other than school is an important limit that we put on the students at St. Mark’s. I don’t think we’re doing a disservice by saying six is the limit. Ferrell And again the limit is the one

ing what you can cram in there. Because it’s important to us that you also have time to do all these outer things like be in journalism, be in athletics, be in music.

How can you best pursue your passions in the classroom? The backstory Ideally, students’ academic interests and passions run hand-inhand with the best courses and curriculum the school offers. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Where should students draw the line between studying what they want and what’s challenging if there does happen to be a disconnect between the two? Barta I think sometimes the pressure to

just take APs because you can and you qualified means that you are not pursuing the passion. And I think that you need to be focused on, “What do I love? And also, is there something new that I need to try and might love?” So I’d like to protect being competitive at the highest level but also maintaining passion.

Gonzalez But I think that what the stu-

dents need to hear is that they do have those choices. Will it affect them down the line? Oh absolutely. And I think that we would be remiss if we didn’t inform that there might be some limited choices. But I think that in the big picture to follow what one really loves is important, and then coming back to that whole idea of balance, and figuring out what it is that is driving individuals is really important.

we think is important for a variety of reasons and the other is, as I heard said I think by Mrs. Mailer, that four years of college comes behind which allows the opportunity to dig more deeper into discipline stage and find an interest. And were also not saying were going to specialize, we don’t want someone to take three courses in the same discipline for that same reason of special division.

Mailer Discovering an area that one really enjoys and wants to max out in or two areas maybe. Not five. And then choosing a schedule that most affords that opportunity. It’s a blessing that we have such a rich environment so that the niche can be addressed and still build around that, a challenging, but not overwhelming program of study.

Gonzalez It kind of reminds me of, for

Ferrell One day day you you could could be be dead. dead. It It Ferrell One

those of y’all who are in athletics, you can overtrain and that’s often when a person’s body breaks down in the middle of competition. And so the same thing happens with the mind. We feel like we’d rather you take a more cautious approach and a more measured approach to your studies instead of see-

isn’t just just about about how how you you get get to to the the next next isn’t whatever...because then you get to the whatever...because then you get to the next phase phase of of life life and and you you haven’t haven’t done done next a thing thing about about where where you you are are right right now. now. a There’s something something very very valuable valuable about about There’s being the the age age that that you you are are and and getting getting being the experiences that you’re supposed to the experiences that you’re supposed to as opposed opposed to to always always looking looking ahead. ahead. as

▶ Junior Bradley Mankoff (left) “A system as old as AP, the chances of it being a solid, accurate representation of a student’s knowledge of the subject is so slim.”

t on nt.

12, 13

English Department adding to elective course offerings By Shourya Kumar staff writer

n an effort to provide students with greater choice and flexibility in their English sequence, a year ago the English Department initiated a few curricular changes. According to English Department Chair Bobbi Mailer, step one featured the elimination of the honors section in tenth grade, a change that occurred at the beginning of this year. The new English 10 affords all tenth graders the opportunity to prepare for the challenging curriculum of AP courses. “Step two is now going into effect,” Mailer said. “Step two involves us no longer requiring a teacher’s nominations to an AP class, but rather making those sections open to student choice. Instruction in the AP classes will remain at the same challenging level as always.” Mailer says the qualities needed to succeed in AP classes, as described in the Course Catalog, remain the same. “Students will have to decide whether or not they are ready to take on the challenge of AP classes,” she said. “AP courses require more reading and more writing at higher levels than do regular classes. “One of the joys of being at St. Mark’s is the richness of its offerings. Of course, having choices brings the extra responsibility of making informed decisions.” In addition, the English Department changed the structure of regular English 11 and English 12 classes. “For regular English 11 and 12,” Mailer said, “we now have a required trimester each year. The required trimester courses will accomplish the departmentally determined elements for each grade. For juniors, these include common texts, the personal essay, and a speaking unit; for seniors, common texts and the literary research paper.” Accompanying these required trimesters, students will have the opportunity to choose from a slate of complementary trimester courses that will complete the graduation requirement. “Students should prioritize their requests for the complementary courses,” Mailer said. “AP students will also be able to request one or more of them, space allowing and as long as the addition does not exceed the six-course limit. Mr. Kenyon will fill requests to the extent allowed by the vagaries of scheduling.” Mailer says that the complementary trimester courses offer choice in kinds of literature. They appeal to specific reading interests while continuing to emphasize the excellent reading, thinking, and writing instruction that the department has offered all along. “Students should keep in mind that we have no idea how many sections of each course will make or who will be teaching them,” Mailer said. “They should prioritize requests not by teacher but by their interest in the course content.”

English Electives offered

▶ Dean of Campus Scott Gonzalez

(above) “It kind of reminds me of, for those of y’all who are in athletics, you can overtrain and that’s often when a person’s body breaks down in the middle of competition. And so the same thing happens with the mind.”

▶ Director of College Counseling Veronica Pulido

(above)“You want to be a well-niched student, person, kid, brother. Whatever you are, you want to have done a few things that have gone to the next level.”

ar, staff writer | photos by Michael Doorey, head photograper, photo illustration by Michael Doorey and Zuyva Sevilla, staff artist

• Fiction from faraway places • Travel literature from faraway places • Short fiction • Science fiction • Lyric and lyrics • Contemporary fiction • The Bible as literature • Gender studies • Literature and philosophy I • Literature and philosophy II

See ‘The real senioritis,’ Commentary, p. 17

culture

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THE REMARKER | Friday March 8, 2013

B i g

What is it like growing up with a 30 year-old brother?

How does a student balance school with his newborn brother?

Is there a line between role model and friend?

What does it mean to be someone’s

Big brother

PURUJIT CHATTERJEE AND ZUYVA SEVILLA ILLUSTRATION

br o t hers

ig brother is watching you. He’s keeping you on the right path. He’s molding you in his image. He’s distant, but you can’t rid him from your life. No, he’s not the terrifying, all-seeing propaganda from 1984. For students here, a big brother is just that: an older, wiser, smarter guide for marksmen to grow up with. But what about brothers who are leaving for college by the time their little siblings are leaving for the first day of kindergarten? A whole new dynamic comes into play. They act more like parents and less like siblings. They are grown-ups watching their brothers grow up. They have to balance their own lives with loving a child who just started his own. And that’s what makes them brothers. For junior Andrew Gatherer, whose youngest brother, Kenny Gatherer, is two years old, the gulf of years provides a set of responsibilities that must be tackled everyday on top of the academic and athletic accountability expected from students here. “Having a baby sibling is a blessing and a curse,” Gatherer said. “It’s a blessing because they’re great to have around, they’re cute, they’re funny, they’re awesome, but then there’s that added responsibility, and they take up a lot of time in your life.” Gatherer, whose parents both have full-time jobs and are sometimes unavailable to take care of Kenny, often finds himself playing the role of a father. “The responsibility includes something like watching over them, which is the main part,” Gatherer said. “But it also encompasses things like feeding them when they’re hungry, making sure that they don’t get into trouble, and

playing with them.” Gatherer recognizes the importance of maintaining a bond with his youngest sibling, and he is determined to make sure that Kenny doesn’t feel like an only child when Gatherer graduates next year. “I love him, I’m excited about him growing up, and I want to see him growing up,” Gatherer said. “I’ll definitely come home to see him every so often just to see how Kenny’s doing, because I don’t want to be the kind of guy who gets left out of his life when he’s growing up alone. I want to be a factor in his life.” There are many Marksmen who have been on the other side of the care and responsibility. Junior John Webb has three significantly older brothers: William is 25, Alexander is 28 and Clark is 31. While they all have their own lives — Clark has a wife and child of his own — and have worked in cities like New York and Chicago, the bond is still there. “My brothers and I are best friends,” Webb said. “We play and interact like we’re all the same age. They also serve as wonderful mentors to me. “ Along with paving their own paths, Webb’s brothers find the time to embrace the big-brother role. “Even though they were very busy with work and sometimes in different cities during the week, they made it to all of my football games to support us this year,” Webb said. “Almost everything I have learned has come from my brothers. They are the best role models and mentors I could ask for, and I am blessed to have all three as brothers.” reshman Corbin Walp is in the same boat — he is much younger than the rest of his siblings, and he sees them frequently and has a great time when they are around. “My brothers and I have a very stereotypical big brother — little brother relationship,” Walp said. “They mess around with me, but I always get them back. It’s a lot of fun.” In particular, Walp looks up to Drew, who graduated from here in 2002 and has gone through a lot of the same trials and tribulations that Walp is going through now. “I like having older siblings because they have so much more experience and they’ve been through a lot of things, especially Drew,” Walp said. “He can give me a lot of helpful advice and help me get through

How can you relate to a brother who already has kids?

How do brothers affect the relationships with your friends?

Why is there such a special bond between brothers?

school.” While not every family is able to remain so close, there are still lessons learned from big brothers — even if they live far away. Senior Parker Matthews has fond memories of brothers and has learned a lot from them. Still, with brothers of 30 and 34, Matthews has grown up largely as an only child. “We’re all so busy and spread out that it’s really hard to spend time together,” he said. “I see them both a few times a year, but other than that it’s mostly limited to phone calls. Make the time to talk to your siblings. You will always have them.” While he sometimes wishes he had a sibling closer in age, Matthews has learned from the distance that separates him and his brothers, and he is a better person for it. “I think wanting a sibling like that has driven me to form some really meaningful friendships with a few guys who have basically become my brothers,” he said. I want to be a factor in his life. I want to be there for him, take him out, basically grow up with him. I don’t want to just leave him in the dust. Junior Andrew Gatherer

The bonds that hold all of these brothers together are the ones that have grown and matured over time. Gatherer is learning how to be a big brother while Webb, Walp and Matthews have all learned from their siblings. Their brotherhood is a special tie, and their age difference makes it better for everyone. For Webb, it’s been a crucial part of making him the man he is today. “Embrace the time you have with your brothers and do not take them for granted,” Webb said. “Learn everything you can from them because they have experienced much more than you.” Gatherer hopes that his baby brother Kenny will be able to do just that. “I want to be there for him, take him out, basically grow up with him,” he said. “I don’t want to just leave him in the dust.”

Big brother story by Dylan Clark, arts editor, and Aarohan Burma, staff writer | additional reporting by Vishal Gokani, deputy editorial director

Justin Harvey spearheads ticket company By Alex Kim staff writer Early in the morning before classes, senior Justin Harvey sits at a computer in the Publications Suite, typing and clicking away. But he’s not writing an article for the Marksmen or designing a page for The ReMarker. He’s designing tickets for his own company. Harvey has started his own ticket-selling company called Ticket Teams, which boasts an innovative and practical way for lesser-known artists to promote themselves. He says there are issues with the current system that causes artists and promoters to lose money and control over where their tickets go. And, since promoters have a low-return percentage, they lack incentive to work harder. To combat these problems, Harvey designed Ticket Teams to make things more efficient and cost-effective. “Ticket Teams is for promoters who don’t have any significant credibility or anything like that with art-

ists because they just don’t have any personal connections so they can’t be trusted with tickets,” he said. “What Ticket Teams does is it acts as a middle-man so promoters can sell the tickets themselves. The fee that the company would normally get goes to the promoter as a commission.” Harvey speaks out of experience. He ran into troubles himself when trying to set up an Aug. 17 concert with rapper Asher Roth. “Basically, we hired a bunch of promoters to help us put on a concert, but they didn’t do anything and still expected to be paid,” he said. “And while we were inexperienced so we didn’t deal with it as well as we could’ve, it’s a problem, we realized, that affects everyone in the business.” Looking forward, Harvey hopes to make Ticket Teams one of the only ticket services that has an app that allows clients to track their sales. “Basically, what we realized is that even when people are promot-

ing online, where they really want to sell tickets is in person,” he said. “That’s where they’re most effective, and you can’t do that right now with any other ticket service.” Though the future of Ticket Teams beyond Harvey’s graduation this year is unsure, the company currently is working in conjunction with national music producer Ryan Lewis. “We are going to keep developing as if he owns it, so we’re going to developing it for him,” Harvey said. “So we’re using his business to test it and work out the kinks and get it working as it should be.” Harvey hopes to tap into the talents of students, along with other professionals. “From the school community, I’m looking for students who can draw, develop software, and do the same kind of things I’m doing but on a bigger scale.” To get more information on Ticket Teams, he says, students and potential clients can visit its website at www.ticketteams.com.

reviews

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THE REMARKER | Friday March 8, 2013

[ F rui t

George on

uice

J uice

7721 Inwood Road

5560 W Lovers Ln

As the name suggests, this place only serves juice, and they’re darn good at it. It’s got a modern vibe and a cool feel. Located close to juice archrival The Gem at Inwood Road and Lovers Lane, this place has way more juice options than Jamba Juice. Their juice options

are not limited to fruit either; their vegetable additions make their juice choices healthier, even if they aren’t quite sweet enough for my juice taste. I still enjoyed my experience at the Juice Bar. At the end of the day, it was juice, and juice is good.

R eviews ]

As a first-time critic but long-time fruit juice aficionado, deputy managing editor George Law journeyed with reviews specialist Cole Gerthoffer to critique some of the finest juice establishments in the St. Mark’s area.

The Gem

The Juice Bar

The Gem has nicely balanced their fruits and vegetables to make healthy, refreshing juices. You can’t go wrong with the product at The Gem, but unfortunately, what we have here is a decent establishment ruined by terrible hours. Open weekdays from eight a.m. to two p.m., us Marks-

men aren’t getting juice from The Gem unless we go for a mid-morning juice on one of our precious off-days. Having been in business for a few years, they’ve clearly found a loyal clientele. But school-going folk like us aren’t a part of it. Still, at the end of the day, it was juice, and juice is good.

C+

not Jamba Juice After stepping into 8421 Westchester Dr

a Jamba Juice in about three years, fond memories of my freshman-year home away from home came back to me. But I wasn’t there for smoothies this

trip. Instead, I ordered up a few options off their straight juice menu and waited as they juiced all the fruit in front of me. After choking down some of the pulp that had settled at the bottom of the

cup, I was pleased. The carrot/orange combo worked well, and, ultimately, Jamba Juice made its way to the top of my recommendation list. At the end of the day, it was juice, and juice is good.

A-

Fruit Juice Reviews by George Law, deputy managing editor and Cole Gerthoffer, reviews specialist | photo by Cole Gerthoffer, reviews specialist

[ M o vie

review ]

Boring, unoriginal story makes ‘Slayer’ a 3-Bean Snoozer

elieve it or not, you could see worse movies this weekend than Jack the Giant Slayer. Out of the cesspool of shockingly overfunded, underthought spring movies, Jack aspires to steal the most money from studios and audiences by putting in the least amount of work. The director, Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men), found the perfect story for that project: there really isn’t much to get wrong. Jack (Nicholas Hoult), a farm boy, and Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), a princess, find themselves caught up in an ancient feud between giants and humans. They go up a beanstalk; they come back

down. You know the drill. The climbing back and forth occupies a surprisingly substantial portion of the film, presenting twenty minutes without much to offer except for those who get a kick out of heights. Jack and Princess Isabelle are guided on their journey by Elmont (Ewan McGregor), who probably earned his authority in recognition of his great hair, which remains perfectly and disconcertingly gelled come rain, wind, or giant. Jack takes place in a vaguely medieval English kingdom, designed with just enough tweaks to the genre standard that the movie can avoid lawsuits over its

ramparts and towers. The writers seem more comfortable around body humor than exposition, an embarrassing failure in a film this simple. A weak attempt at gender equality manifests itself in a few early conversations between the princess and her father, but it all goes down the drain at the first sight of a giant. Jack handles the giant-slaying while Isabelle finds the strength to scream for help. Hoult and his CGI-foes make for reasonably entertaining action sequences, but at the end of the day, Jack is unable to do anything more than stand on the shoulders of fantasy film giants.

C+

Movie Review by William Sydney, staff writer

[ Te l evisi o n

review ]

[ i ph o ne

g a me

review ]

Temple Run 2

Fun Run

VS.

Fincher’s New ‘House of Cards’ is Aces

ouse of Cards is unlike any other TV show in that, well, it’s not on TV. The Netflix-only series was released in its entirety last month, allowing viewers to watch an episode whenever they want and releasing them from the tyrannical words of “for a preview of next week’s episode…” For busy students familiar with binge-watching Netflix shows whenever there’s a free moment, David Fincher’s House of Cards is a blessing. The innovative and suspenseful political drama is accessible and far too addictive. Kevin Spacey stars as Frank Underwood, a maligned South Carolina congressman intent on total, and morally ambiguous, revenge. Robin Wright (you know her as Jenny from Forrest Gump) plays Frank’s wife Claire, who will vacillate many times between viewers’ sympathy and hatred. Spacey impresses with a believable southern accent, a wealth of sarcastic sighs, and many Shakespearian asides spoken directly into the camera. His character is delightfully conniving, always with a new scheme to reach the top of the political food chain. Wright is equally good, a wife seemingly drawn directly from Lady Macbeth. She is cutthroat, hardened and cold, yet somehow shines with grace and feigned dignity. The two stars anchor a great cast, with Kate Mara playing an ambitious journalist who will do anything to get ahead alongside a breakout performance by Corey Stoll as a troubled young congressman who is the target

of Frank’s influence. With great writing, each important character comes to life, unique and full of shady motivations. The carefully crafted story is among the finest this year. While it doesn’t dethrone Breaking Bad as the king of drama, nor does it have mass appeal or accessibility like Parks and Rec or Modern Family, House of Cards stands alone in the same tier as the great shows on television. Netflix was smart to pour millions into the show, as it is currently their most streamed show in every single country they operate in. No other show has the young audience pegged as well as House of Cards — an online-only show in an age where young viewers tend to watch shows only online. Season two is already on the way, after a finale that left many wondering whether or not Frank was on his way to the top. The last scene’s duality of “uh-oh” news and a show of reborn determination sets the stage for a turbulent season two. Regardless of Frank’s eventual outcome, one thing is for sure: House of Cards is on its way to the top.

A-

TElevision REVIEW by Dylan Clark, arts editor

A sequel to the best-selling original, Temple Run 2 finds our Indiana Jones-esque explorer once again running for his life, using some handy power-ups and scooping up coins.

Part Happy Tree Friends, part Tiny Wings, and even part Temple Run, Fun Run takes everything great from those three entertainment gems and adds the element of playing with friends.

Visuals With surprisingly great graphics, Temple Run 2 is one of the best-looking free apps around. Meanwhile, Fun Run looks animated on outdated version of Flash.

Originality The original Temple Run’s simple “jump, slide, repeat” concept has been duplicated into oblivion. Fun Run’s ability to let you race against (and kill) your friends feels fresh.

Lasting Appeal Like its predecessor, once you max out the upgrades, Temple Run 2 gets real old really fast. But Fun Run will live up to its title so long as you’ve got friends to play with.

Winner: iPhone Game REVIEW by Cole Gerthoffer, reviews specialist

commentary on student affairs

Assemblies 16

THE REMARKER | Friday, MARch 8, 2013 | PAGE 16

[editorials]

Spring break 17

The real senioritis 18

assembly scheduling

One hundred minutes of class time lost

10:30 assemblies running too long

TALKS given by college presidents Dr. Chris Howard (Hamden-Sydney) and Dr. Edward L. Ayers (Richmond), though relevant and captivating, have eaten up significant chunks of fourth period class time.

hen Victor White Master Teacher David Brown learned he had a fourth period class at the beginning of this year, he remembered the fourth period class time lost in years past and decided to keep track of the fourth period class time lost to Upper school events during the 10:30 a.m. period. As the third trimester begins, Brown has lost exactly 100 minutes to his fourth period AP class, forcing Brown to scramble to get his fourth period class caught up with his other AP classes. Brown says loss of class time creates more work for fourth period teachers and is unfair to students. In spite of the loss of class time, most students and teachers, including Brown, agree the administration has done a great job of inviting engaging speakers to special assemblies, which occur in the 10:30 a.m. period that precedes fourth period. These speakers have been excellent additions to the school’s Leadership and Ethics Program. But the special assemblies for these speakers have cut into too much fourth period class time, creating problems for all teachers and their students. We feel these changes would help fix the problem:

• Longer special assemblies should be held during ninth period. The ninth period is 45 minutes long, 15 minutes longer than the 10:30 slot. Ninth period assemblies allow more time for prolonged special events. • The administration should email students assembly topics and speakers’ biographical information. Few students know who visitors are until the assemblies begin. Students who know what to expect will look forward to special assemblies and make more of the opportunities offered by speakers, especially in assemblies during ninth period. • Shorter introductions could cut special assembly time. We realize the visiting speakers are very qualified and deserve to be properly introduced. But short, efficient introductions would give the speaker more time to present and keep the assemblies punctual. Also, with emails including biographical information sent out earlier, the extended introductions would not be needed. • Students should attempt to reach assemblies, chapels and special presentations on time. Too many times, students have taken their time making their way to events or socializing instead of taking their seats. If students arrive on time, the events will begin and end sooner.

Granted, special assemblies supplement classroom learning and lead to community bonding. The assemblies promote student development and, as Ferrell says, are important times for the community to come together. To his credit, Ferrell recognizes the predicament that loss of class time puts on fourth period teachers and their classes. We applaud Ferrell for recognizing the problem and offering the extra 30 minutes of class time to fourth period teachers Feb. 14. But this is a short-term fix. We feel our suggestions would provide a lasting solution to the shortchanging of fourth period classes. This school is primarily an academic institution, so students can’t lose fourth period class time. The 10:30 a.m. slot is part of the school’s daily schedule. Class times are set in stone. Special assemblies simply can’t cut into class time — except for extreme situations that provide unusual learning opportunities. We urge administrators to make these changes to keep the 45-minute fourth period intact while preserving the opportunities provided by special assemblies. Supplemental learning in special assemblies is important, but it shouldn’t repeatedly cut into valuable class time.

the

ZUYVA SEVILLA GRAPHICS

GOOD

Scoreboard jobs

We commend Assistant Athletic Director Josh Friesen for offering part time work to students via scorekeeping. The pay is excellent, and it offers a healthy source of income for many Marksmen.

concise opinion

and instead constitutes disrespect for the librarians. We as an editorial board thought we’d never have to write these words, but we need to give the librarians fundamental human respect. We hold every student to this standard, and we hope that bystanders will hush their peers so that the librarians do not solely shoulder the burden of keeping the library a quiet, productive place to study. If you need to converse in the library, move to one of the study rooms. Do this out of respect for the librarians and your peers. If you can’t study without disrespecting those around you, then you do not belong in the library, and should move to one of the many lounges around campus.

SO-SO

JV game scheduling Often, junior varsity (JV) away games, according to JV athletes, are scheduled without enough time for commuting and warm-up, leaving athletes pressed for time before important matches. This time constraint could be corrected by earlier departure times.

the

BAD

Student participation in chapel

Rev. Michael Dangelo has previously alluded to it in chapel, but there is a strong need for more members on the Chapel Committee. To keep the services fresh and fulfilling, we hope that more students will participate on this important advisory group.

TIM O’MEARA PHOTO

alk into the library during a busy period — the lunch periods — and you will be greeted by a dull murmur of voices. But at least one period every day — according to the librarians themselves — pockets of Upper schoolers will punctuate this murmur with disruptive, completely unrestrained conversation. Not only does this break the most commonly accepted rule of any library on any serious academic campus, it flagrantly flouts the esteem of the librarians, who occupy most of these periods hushing students rather than actually assisting them in academic endeavors. Worse, these students often resist any attempts at control, and instead skirmish with the librarians. Behavior like this transcends innocuous mischief

the

ANDREW GATHERER PHOTO

Disrespect for library: unacceptable

longstoryshort

MICHAEL DOOREY PHOTO

commentary

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the remarker | Friday MARch 8, 2013

The real senioritis

Henry

Woram

n biology class freshman year, as I stared at the double helix, I felt my first real pang of intellectual curiosity. I found myself at home voraciously consuming whatever material on DNA our book offered, often turning to outside sources to quench my desire to learn more about the molecule that codes all of our lives. Sitting in Steg’s honors English class sophomore year, I opened my copy of the Socratic dialogues and was again smitten with something in the classroom. Philosophy had a way of providing meaning for my life that didn’t come from behind a pulpit. Reading and discussing it, especially under the tutelage of Steg, felt liberating and exhilarating. For the second time in my schooling career, I stumbled upon a seemingly endless intellectual interest in something. Next year, in Mr. Brown’s class, I discovered the beauty of poetry and was equally smitten. So, while I waged war with what I thought were more dull subjects, casting my effort into the endless tidal flow of papers, tests, and quizzes, I reminded myself that senior year was coming.

To me, senior year represented a year where I could cast off the more tedious academic disciplines (after all, the course requirements for graduation grant more freedom to seniors) and purely pursue my considerable intellectual interests that I had been fostering over the years. I would be impervious to senior-itis, winding down my senior year studying philosophy, DNA science, and maybe even multicultural malaise with Dr. Westrate. So, smiling as I slid my course requests across Mr. Genadson’s desk, I anticipated academic freedom. Doing some quick arithmetic in his head, he slid the sheet back to me. If you want to go to a school like Dartmouth, you’ll need to take more AP classes

your senior year. Because of the recently instated policy that limits students to six classes, taking both AP courses and electives was less of a possibility. Something had to give. Gradually I began to hand over all my intellectual interests in exchange for AP bling. I thought of my older brother, who graduated long before the six-class policy was set in place. He went all out, leaving behind a sleep-deprived wake of box lunches and paperback philosophy texts. But he also finished the year satisfied, pursuing all his whims. He left nothing on the table as he graduated. Now as I enter the third trimester of my senior year, I find myself in the same predicament as junior year. Stumbling through tests and quizzes and papers, striving to keep the A grade — and my subjects lack their luster. I don’t mean to castigate my teachers. They do their best to teach the material in a

compelling way — but you can only go so far in the parameters of an AP curriculum. I don’t mean to blame Mr. Genadson. He provided me with excellent counsel, and I’m admitted into the school of my dreams because of his and Mrs. Pulido’s efforts. But somewhere between junior year and senior year, that star-crossed, hopeful DNA monger/philosopher/historian vanished and was replaced with a more apathetic third trimester senior. Senior year should be the academic apex of my career at St. Mark’s — and that should be measured by my raw passion, not by my AP course load. But the college admissions process continues in its upward sprial of selectivity, pressuring more and more students of not just my class, but my generation, to take the AP courses instead of elective courses — even if they secretly wish they didn’t have to. See “A Broken System?” Centerspread, p.12-13

heat The

The Harlem Shake | Mind-melting

What’s hot — and what’s not — around 10600 Preston Road

Spring Break | Steamy

Harlem Shaking took the Internet, YouTube, and our fragile psyches by storm early this February. Rumors are that alum Taylor Wilson ’12 may have a hand in these online assaults. Regardless of the origin of this phenomenon, all we can do is watch our grades tank as we annihilate free period after free period watching contagiously absurd dance videos.

CREATIVE COMMONS

HUFFINGTON POST

Spring break is around the corner, boys. A lot of us are leaving the nippy Dallas temperatures for sunshine and sand between our toes at tropical destinations like Cancun and CoSKA Rica. So, we all know what that means. We’ve only got a couple weeks to tone the pecs and bulk up the biceps. We all want the sunrays to majestically bounce off our chiseled bods when the shirt pops off for that first dip. C’mon boys. Dersh already got a head start on his calves.

College decisions | Frosty

Third Tri Juniors | Chilly

It’s gonna be nice and toasty on the beaches, but the prospect of receiving college admission decisions during Spring Break sure is chilly. This circumstance can go either way — it can either be the perfect addition to a sweet vacation, or it can ruin it. In past years, seniors have been able to release all their shenanigans before coming home to decisions. This year, with Spring Break a week later than normal, the members of SKA13 don’t have that luxury. But hey, perhaps the best way to deal with a rejection letter is with your friends on a beach in a foreign country.

Let’s have a moment of silence for that beleaguered tribe of zombified worker-bees — the third trimester juniors. They have quizzes, projects and standardized tests galore, while the daunting college application process looms over their heads. And, to make matters worse, just as the parched Tantalus was tortured with unreachable hydration, these men are given the option of an off-campus lunch that they will never, ever have the time for. If you see a junior, give him a pat on the back. He needs it.

Cartoon | Dylan Kirksey

Green Library Circa 2313

Works is an overstatement... Professor, I think I found something!

It still works!

Loading ...

commentary

page

the remarker | Friday MARch 8, 2013

Running through the finish line

Rachit

Mohan

he other day, I was tossing the Frisbee around with friends on Hunt Stadium, as I often do. On that particular afternoon, our Frisbee match was interrupted by the raucous sound of firstgraders, dressed in their blue-and-gold PE shirts. They stood outside of the Commons from which they emerged, shrieking, laughing, and jostling one another. Coach Epperson stepped out, a six-foot-two-inch giant among the first-grade Lilliputians. He pointed to the track, and, like a hive of buzzing bees, the first graders shifted their antics to the starting line. All it took was one whistle, and the buzzing stopped, the kids took their place on the line, and got ready to go. One more

That nonchalance is a mask. I pretend I don’t care because, God forbid, I lose while trying my best. I can’t take that dejection, so I give myself a copout. If I really applied myself, I tell myself, I’d be the best.

The High

whistle and they were off. As the first graders turned the first curve of the track, striding with as much as their little legs could give them, I noticed something strange: every one of them, from the future track star in the front to the chubby little kid in the back, was giving the simple two-lap PE assignment his full effort. Not one looked like he was willing to give up. Each one was running the race like he was about to set a world record. I was once one of those first graders, running like my life depended on it. Now, if asked to run in PE class, I would most certainly walk or maybe jog, if Coach Turek was watching. What motivated those little guys to push so hard every day, despite knowing exactly who was going to win the race? The answer is competition. Let’s face it. At St. Mark’s, we’re all about as competitive as they come. When I was a kid, that meant I didn’t want anyone cutting in front of me in line. I wanted to be the one who holds the door open for everyone. I wanted to be the lead in the second grade play. I worked as hard as I could day in and day out, hoping that one day, I’d move one step closer to being the best. As we grow up, we are taught values

such as “If you’re not first, you’re last” and “Winning is everything.” But the truth of the matter is that you can’t win everything. And we hate that. There’s nothing we hate more than losing. Once it becomes clear that we can’t be the best at everything, our competition drives us the wrong way. Rather than do our best like the Lower Schoolers do, we start pretending we don’t care. I’ve done it a thousand times. When I get a C on a test, I shrug my shoulders and pretend I don’t care. When I lose a game of pick-up basketball, I make fun of my opponent for “trying too hard.” When someone does their homework better than I did, I laugh at them for spending hours on the assignment. That nonchalance is a mask. I pretend I don’t care because, god forbid, I lose while trying my best. I can’t take that dejection, so I give myself a cop-out. If I really applied myself, I tell myself, I’d be the best. The problem with that attitude is it’s a disease. Once a couple guys adopt that nonchalance, suddenly, it’s not “cool” to put effort into anything that you aren’t the best at. Suddenly, we lose that mutual improvement catalyzed by each cog of the community. The first grader who gets last place on the track may be an upstanding scholar or a

1 faculty beards

Nothing better separates the men from the boys like a beard. While we Marksmen aren’t allowed to sport beards here ourselves, some of our teachers take full advantage of the luxury of facial hair. They have grown and cultivated tributes to masculinity that make us all jealous and keep us striving to one day sprout enough facial hair to make them proud. Here are the top five beards on campus that we wish we had.

Nick Sberna humanities department chair

Half man, half beard and half animal, the thick black widow-maker Nick Sberna sprouts daily is pensioned by the National Park Service. We recommend that you take a selfie with this face blanket before UNESCO claims it as a world heritage site and starts charging $10 a visit. Or before lumberjacks attempt to deforest him.

Justin Turner head wrestling coach

virtuoso musician. His effort motivates his peers and creates a beautiful dynamic that gets lost to quitters. Then the kid who excels at running might not be the best musician, but by trying in music class, he pushes his peers to learn to sight-read or sing. Watching those first graders, I rediscovered what makes us better – what I had once known innately. As those first graders crossed the finish lines, their small chests huffing and puffing, I notice the smile they all wear across their face. Each one ran his heart out, and so they have nothing to regret. They stand at the finish and wait for all of their classmates to complete the race and then turn back into their immature antics, following Coach Epperson back to the gym. That same level of carefree happiness is available to all of us. We suppress it by quitting when we are not ahead. The fact is, I’m jealous of those little guys. I’m done pretending I don’t care. I do. If we all did, we’d expect more, from ourselves and others. We’d be as proud of ourselves as those first graders are. We’d wear those same carefree smiles they wear.

As if he wasn’t already a towering hulk of muscular intimidation, now wrestling coach Justin Turner’s face has gone Super Saiyan. He sprouted some whiskers fit for a tree-choppin’, plaid-wearin’, chainsaw-wieldin’ lumberjack. He stares down upon his wrestlers, and they look back into the face of a man—a face nestled and caressed by testerone masculinity. Carry on, Turner. Carry on.

Jorge Correa, ASSISTANT Director,

Stephen Houpt

physics instructor

The worlds of physics and guitar-playing converge in the silver mane of physics teacher Stephen Houpt. Such a well-groomed work of art gives this master of Zen a distinguished look with just a hint of Brett Keisel. What does that make? One mean assistant soccer coach.

Dr. Stephen Balog Green Master Teacher

community service

Anyone who doesn’t think that Sr. Jorge Correa has the most interesting beard in the school is objectively wrong. Straight off the face of the Most Interesting Man in the World, that beard has been let loose since the day it started. Do you actually think that real men groom their beards or even care about how they look? Yeah… And Grizzly Adams had a beard.

In the fall and spring, Dr. Stephen Balog is simply a mild-mannered physics genius. But for three glorious months of the year, the dude looks like he’s about to throw on a pith helmet and go fight a tiger. It is a rare man who can pull off the muttonchops. We salute you, noble explorer.

remarker student newspaper

editor-in-chief managing editor, operations managing editor, content deputy managing editor issues editor editorial director special projects editor business manager visuals director head photographer

Daniel Hersh Paul Gudmundsson Will Moor George Law Stephen Rambin Henry Woram Rachit Mohan John Caldwell Andrew Goodman Michael Doorey

news editors Ryan O’Meara Noah Yonack arts editors Dylan Clark Aidan Dewar sports editors Charlie Golden Sam Khoshbin opinions specialist Dylan Kirksey deputy editorial director Vishal Gokani news coordinator

Alan Rosenthal reviews specialist Cole Gerthoffer copy editor Alexander Munoz graphics directors Nic Lazzara Robbey Orth staff artists Zuyva Sevilla Purujit Chaterjee staff photographers Halbert Bai, Otto Clark-Martinek, Michael Doorey,

Richard Eiseman, Andrew Gatherer, Andrew Graffy, Riley Graham, Justin Harvey, Parker Matthews, Corbin Walp, Tim O’Meara staff writers Aarohan Burma, Jacob Chernick, Matthew Conley, Tabish Dayani, Teddy Edwards, Will Forbes, Cyrus Ganji, Andrew Hatfield, Richard Jiang, Alex Kim, Shourya Kumar, Nabeel Muscatwalla, Vik Pattabi, Ford Robinson,

William Sydney beat reporters Bradford Beck, Kent Broom, Jack Byers, William Caldwell, Cameron Clark, Will Clark, Will Diamond, Kevin He, Noah Koecher, Akshay Malhotra, David Marsh, Roby Mize, Philip Montgomery, Zach Naidu, Matthew Placide, Avery Powell, Anvit Reddy, Philip Smart, Abhi Thummala, P.J. Voorheis adviser Ray Westbrook

student newspaper of st. mark’s school of texas • dallas, texas 75230 • 214.346.8000 • www.smtexas.org/remarker Coverage. The ReMarker covers topics, issues, events and opinions of relevance and interest to the St. Mark’s School of Texas community. Letters. Send submissions to the editor at 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, 75230 or via email at remarker@smtexas.org. Letters should be brief and signed, although the writer may request anonymity. Letters may be rejected if libelous or obscene material is contained

therein. Editorials. The newspaper’s opinion will be presented in each issue in the form of editorials, which are clearly labeled and appear on the Commentary pages. Columns. Personal opinion is expressed through by-lined columns, which appear throughout the publication. Advertising. Contact the business staff at 214.346.8145. We reserve

the right to refuse any advertisement. Inclusion of an advertisement in these pages is not an indication of an endorsement by The ReMarker, any of its staff members or St. Mark’s School of Texas. Distribution. Press run is 3,800 copies. Copies are provided free of charge to students, faculty and staff at various distribution sites on campus and at our sister school, The Hockaday School.

More than 2,600 copies are mailed out to alumni courtesy of the school’s offices of External Affairs, Development and Alumni divisions. Membership. The ReMarker maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, New York City, NY; National Scholastic Press Association, Minneapolis, MN; and Interscholastic League Press Conference, Austin.

Online Viewing. Each issue of The ReMarker, along with archival copies, can be viewed online at the school’s website, www.smtexas. org/remarker. Reader lnvolvement. The ReMarker encourages reader input through letters, guest columns and story ideas. Contact the appropriate editor for submissions. Suggestions will be given due consideration for future publication.

SPC Soccer page 21

Coach Cory Martin’s varsity soccer squad followed last year’s soccer championship with a repeat Feb. 16.

sprint. sports around campus

THE REMARKER | Friday, MARch 8, 2013 | PAGE 19

upcoming

▶ Varsity baseball

has a game at Trinity Valley. This is the second game of the All Saints Tournament, which began yesterday.

▶ Varsity lacrosse

ANDREW GOODMAN PHOTO

has a home game at 7:30 p.m. against Plano Senior High School. < Senior Brandon Stetler follows through on a pitch versus Parish Feb. 23. The Lions went on to lose the game 8-1.

tip-off

weekend

next week

▶ Baseball continues

▶ Varsity baseball plays Home School Athletic Association at home Tuesday at 4 p.m.

playing the All Saints Tournament at Trinity Valley tomorrow.

▶ Water polo plays

at the Denton Tournament Saturday.

▶ Varsity golf has a match against Parish at 4 p.m. Thursday. ▶ Varsity tennis has

▶Track and field has the Skyline Classic held at the Jesse Owens Sports Complex tomorrow. ▶ Lacrosse plays the Memphis University school home at 11 a.m. Saturday.

a counter match at Greenhill Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

▶ Varsity lacrosse will take on rival ESD at home at 7 p.m. Friday night. The team won its first three games by a combined score of 46-4.

a roundup of studentS’ athletic accomplishments

man to man defense.” The highlight of the eighth grade basketball season was when the gold team placed second at the St. Anthony’s Tournament.

The crew team rowed at their first regatta of the season in Austin last Saturday at the annual Heart of Texas Regatta. Seniors Harrison Quarls, Gio Lincon and Sam Libby and junior Cameron Baxley rowed the top varsity quad to first place in the region.

•••

The seventh-grade soccer team enjoyed great success this year thanks to a surplus of quality goal scorers. “We succeeded because we figured out that we needed to work together as a team instead of as individuals,” forward Griffin Holtby said. The season’s highlight was a win over a seventh and eighth grade mixed team from ESD.

•••

The Middle School swim team used its teamwork to propel itself to success. They used a deep team with lots of talent to claim the Metroplex Middle School Championship and break many records along the way. “We worked together and all our great members were able to score points for our team,” seventh grader and member of the record-breaking 200-yard freestyle relay team, Benjamin Hurst said.

improve and finish with a winning record. “Our season ended really well,” eighth grader Gordon Gunn said. “It started out a little rough, but as the season went on, every player progressed and our team progressed as whole.” The eighth-grade team had a great season and was able to develop and get ready for the move to high school next year and help the program attempt an SPC three-peat.

•••

The Middle School wrestling coaches, Justin Turner and Andrew Farrar, were able to develop an inexperienced team into a team that was able to be competitive at every single tournament. “We drilled and we wrestled together and each of the wrestlers pushed each other,” seventh grader Will Wood said.

•••

IN THE ZONE Seventh grader Griffin Holtby takes a shot against Greenhill during a home game Jan. 30.

The varsity golf team played against Trinity Valley yesterday, and will play Parish at 4 p.m. next Thursday as well. Senior captains Matt Genecov and Ryan Miller plan to lead the team to their first SPC title since 2011.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES IN LIONS’ ATHLETICS

Breakout Brothers Starting as a freshman, right fielder William Caldwell has made his presence felt on the baseball team. His older brother, junior center fielder John Caldwell (not pictured), continues his dominance at the plate. Through the first three games, each Caldwell has a home run.

ANDREW GOODMAN PHOTO

hotshots

MICHAEL DOOREY PHOTO

•••

The eighth-grade basketball teams were also able to improve despite the lack of height. “We didn’t have the height that we usually have,” gold team coach Dwight Phillips said. “But we had a lot of speed and a lot of skill, and we ran the ball up and down the floor and tried to play good

•••

The eighth-grade soccer team got off to a slow start, but they were able to bounce back,

ANDREW GOODMAN PHOTO

the

thesideline

Sporting Events in the week ahead

today

“

Senior Cameron Hillier

[Coach] Palmer even rivals the Lace in his enthusiasm for St. Mark’s tennis. So together, they’ve got the team fired up. Page 20

Junior Jamboree In the second game of the season, junior Mikey Murphy dropped three goals and two assists against St. Stephen’s en route to a 15-0 victory Feb. 23. The attackman followed the hat trick with six key goals in a 15-9 win over Allen March 1.

Opinion

DYLAN

Kirksey

Those who stay

hose who stay will be champions. Since I was thirteen, every afternoon of every winter day, I’d look up through sweatburned eyes, stare through that thick, hot air, and read that maxim. Whatever pain I was feeling, whatever struggle my body endured, would all be made well in the end when I, medal in hand, stood victorious. That’s what I was promised. I drilled, sprinted, strained, toiled believing that if I put in the effort and — more importantly — the time, I would be a champion. A hero. My name would be on a plaque in the commons. People would remember me. My senior season, like all of the ones before, ended without a gold medal from a single varsity tournament. Was it all a lie? For six seasons, I willingly sacrificed afternoon, weekends, food and general comfort to that looming, supposedly infallible maxim. While others had quit under the pressure, I refused to give in. I had stayed. So why the hell wasn’t I a champion? After the final whistle of my final match of my final tournament blew, that question consumed me. It was all over. Six years of pain and effort and I had nothing to show for it. If I didn’t have a state championship — the reassuring physicality of glossy ribbon and painted metal — there was nothing to justify my hard work, my struggling. What a waste. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. For about a minute. Maybe thirty seconds. As soon as I stepped off the mat, Josh Jang and Alex Choy — the only guys with whom I started with as a seventh grader and finished with as a senior — trapped me in a hug. If I really wanted to know what I had to show from my six seasons of wrestling, I just had to look around Spencer Gym. I was embarrassed to think that I had been so crushed in failing in my hunt after a bit of metal with a loop of string — a useless trinket, when, really, wrestling gave me more than anything else ever has. I just had to remember the guys who shouted at me during an impossible practice when I needed encouragement and cracked jokes with me when we sat exhausted in the locker room. I just had to remember the ultimate ecstasy of finding my limit and shattering it. Even if tears were shed in the process. Especially if tears were shed in the process. Wrestling gave me discipline I never would have had, friends I couldn’t have done without, and a determination to do things I never dreamed I would. I watched the rest of my teammates matches — the last ones I would ever see — and I savored every second. When it was all over and I walked out of the gym, I barely even glanced at the board in the Commons. The one that would never bear my name. I didn’t need any validation. My name on a two-inch plaque over wouldn’t make me a better person. It wouldn’t add anything to my experience. I didn’t give a damn if wrestling remembered me. I’d remember it.

sports around campus

THE REMARKER | Friday, MARch 8, 2013 | PAGE 20

SPC Wrap Up 21

Track & Field 22

Lacrosse 23

Overtime 24

WHILE THIS SPRING BRINGS SEVERAL FRESH FACES TO THE ATHLETIC GROUNDS, IT ALSO BRINGS THE RETURN OF A FAMILIAR ONE— SCOTT PALMER ’01 — TO THE TENNIS COURTS

Back in the swing

TWO-MAN DEMOCRACY New tennis coach Scott Palmer (in suit) gives his team a motivational speech before their match against Parish Feb. 26 alongside his former coach, Jerry Lacey (in cap, partially pictured). The Lions went on to win the match 5-3.

cott Palmer ’01 has one sad memory of his tennis career — he never won an SPC championship. MVP of the team his sophomore, junior and senior years, he tried his hardest to lead his team to glory, but came up just short. In 2002 the Lions had their historic undefeated season —one in which the team never lost a set — but Palmer missed out by one year, having just left to play tennis at Middlebury College. And now, 11 years later, he finally gets another chance. Alongside his former high school coach, Jerry Lacey, Palmer is making his impact felt at the Albert G. Hill Tennis Center. And with a strong freshman class supplementing senior leadership, Palmer and Lacey look poised to lead the Lions to the winner’s circle once again.

As a student, Palmer looked to Lacey as a mentor. “In Middle School tennis [Lacey] would always come out and watch. I always knew that that was the guy I wanted to play for some day,” Palmer said. “What I loved most about Coach Lacey was that he always emphasized the team first aspect.” “It was always about what the team did, and that has always stayed with me, not just in tennis, but it’s something I take with me through life. It’s not just about your performance, but also about how people around you are doing.“ So, after working and coaching tennis for

five years at the Middlesex School in Concord, MA, when he saw the opportunity to return his old stomping grounds by working in the Development Office, Palmer seized it. “I was hopeful that at any other school that I worked at I’d be able to get involved in the tennis program,” Palmer said. “There was a job for me here, and my wife and I were ready to relocate to Dallas, so it worked out incredibly well.” Now, the coaching duo is shaking things up on the court. Alongside his former mentor, Palmer has mixed lessons learned from Lacey with his own implementations. “Coming into a situation like this, its not

like changes are needed,” Palmer said. “He’s been coaching here for 25 plus years and he’s had some fantastic teams. But it’s always good to have a fresh set of eyes and new drills to suggest.” These new drills include an extended warmup and increased conditioning — changes senior captain Cameron Hillier notes as boosting enthusiasm in practice. “Already Coach Palmer has engaged the team with new drills and workouts that keep practices moving at a high energy level,” Hillier said. “All around fitness has become more prevalent, and the new drills ensure a good warm up followed by a productive few hours

of hitting.” The results have already paid off, as the Lions beat TCA Feb. 22 without dropping a single set. As expected, the team is energized. “Palmer even rivals the Lace in his enthusiasm for St. Mark’s tennis,” Hillier said. “So together, they’ve got the team fired up.” So far, Lacey and Palmer are working in unison. “We run all practice plans by each other,” Palmer said. “Once it comes time to set the lineups we’ll do that as a group. It’s very much a two-person democracy where we can bounce ideas off of each other right now.” Lacey looks to Palmer when the team needs to address a problem. “He’s a good leader and a very mild man,” Lacey said. “He makes his point and I like the way he addresses some guys as far as being late or what went wrong in a drill they were doing.” As the years pass, however, Palmer will take the reigns for the team. And while the players know that, in Hillier’s words, “it wouldn’t be St. Mark’s tennis without the Lace,” Lacey is confident in the team’s future. “It’s a perfect transition for me to pass the gauntlet over to Scott,” he said. “He was my captain.”

BACK IN THE SWING story by Matthew Conley, staff writer | photo by Andrew Goodman, visuals director

By Sam Khoshbin sports editor

new but recognizable face is occasionally helping the Lions in practice. A Hall of Famer and masterful hitting coach, Rudy Jaramillo will bring a lifetime of experience to the table for Head Coach Johnny Hunter’s team. “He is considered one of the best,” Hunter said. “Learning from one of the best is something we all can strive for. And I really, really appreciate his time and willingness to work with us and to share with us his knowledge, his expansive knowledge of the game.” But to Hunter, it’s not just Jaramillo’s sheer experience that makes him great. “Another thing I like about Rudy is he is such an effective communicator,” Hunt-

er said. “He has such a way of speaking to different people in a way so that they can understand and access what he is saying and apply it. It’s one of the true signs of being a good coach: being an effective communicator.” Hunter thinks men like Jaramillo, who coach specific concepts and positions to the Lions, are key to having an “effective and efficient program.” The baseball program is filling five other coaching positions ranging from the seventh grade assisstant coach to the varsity assistant coach, each with specific jobs to try and ensure success for the Lions in the upcoming season. Alongside the well-known faces of seventh grade coaches Ron Turner and Greg Guiler, Dennis Kelly, Barry Hoffpauir

and Jhase Lane are all new to St. Mark’s: Kelly as assistant varstiy coach, Hoffpauir as junior varsity head coach, and Lane as assistant junior varsity coach. But according to varsity baseball’s Head Coach Johnny Hunter, these new coaches won’t be unfamiliar to St. Mark’s baseball for long. “I feel like our coaching staff here becomes a tight-knit group,” Hunter said. “There is a great camaraderie among all our coaches. I feel that there is great communication in our program from the seventh grade level all the way up to the varsity level.” The combination of specific coaching for each detail of the game from each new and old coach has left the Lions with all their bases covered.

TEXAS.RANGERS.MLB.COM

Hall of Fame hitting coach Jaramillo, four others join baseball program

A NEW FACE The grandfather of freshman Jalen Lynch, Rudy Jaramillo spent 15 years as a hitting coach for the Texas Rangers, as well as time with the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs.

sports

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the remarker | Friday MARch 8, 2013

S P C

W R A P

U P

jungle Welcome to the

A blowout win for swimming, a close third for wrestling and a postseason victory for basketball, all capped off by a repeat soccer championship on home turf â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Winter SPC was a wild weekend. THE BREAKDOWN SOCCER Senior Kareem Itani (1) led the Lions in their championship run with four goals and an assist. The Lions only allowed one goal in three games thanks to strong play by defenders like Jack Fojtasek (2). This repeat title led to celebrations by both players (3) and fans (4). SWIMMING The Lions swept all three relay events, setting school records in two, on their way to their fifth consecutive SPC Championship. Senior Otto Clark-Martinek (5) and sophomore Nathan Ondracek (8) helped the team beat the secondplace squad, Cistercian, by 100 points. BASKETBALL After losing to Houston St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, the Lions made it to the 5th/6th place consolation game after beating 1st seeded All Saints. The Lions lost in the consolation game to ESD, the final game for seniors like Carl Dickson (6). WRESTLING About to pin his opponent, unseeded sophomore Andrew McClain (7) glances up at the scoreboard. McClain went on to win his weight class while the injury-ridden Lions took third place.

Welcome to the Jungle photostory by Andrew Goodman, visuals director | photos by Michael Doorey, head photographer and Andrew Goodman, visuals director

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the remarker | Friday march 8, 2013 T R A C K

F I E L D

A fresh set of legs A new track and field season brings a FRESH batch of underclassmen. even though can’t make a huge impact this year, by being mentored and trained, they look to make a splash in the future.

READY TO RUN Although varsity track might not be relying on freshmen to rack up points in meets and the SPC championships, their participation and development is as crucial as ever. Freshman Niegel Stevens (above) trains so that one day he, like the current upperclassmen, will be able to lead the Lions to yet another successful track season.

very freshman on the Upper School track team is told one thing: there’s always room for improvement. Last year, as leaders of the Middle School, these athletes had much more pressure to carry their teams to victory. But now, on varsity track with teammates whose talent and skill have given the program nine consecutive SPC titles, these underclassmen don’t always know where they fall in the athletic scheme of things. And as new members of the Upper School, not well adjusted to the new standards for track and field, these young men have no other option than to improve. To them, it’s the only way they can help the team succeed. To them, team leadership responsibilities hardly exist. “We have 52 guys out for track,” John Turek, head varsity track and field coach, said. “If the underclassmen do make an impact, then fine. But the onus is not on them to produce. The onus is on them to develop and be there for the team in the future.” Turek says that it’s hard for a typical freshman to have a direct impact on the team’s success. However, he also says that the freshman’s job to develop and improve for the years to come is a responsibility that’s just as important. “I put that bug in their ears starting in Middle School,” Turek said. “There’s nurturing all along the way. We’re not dependent on those guys to come through. If they do, that’s

fine, but if they don’t, that’s also okay. I would label these guys as ‘developmental,’ and that’s healthy.” Senior sprinter Harrison Hewitt heavily advocates this mentality of team unity. Hewitt says that the daily responsibilities of a team captain should be no different than anyone else’s responsibilities. “I expect us seniors to be examples for the rest of the team and demonstrate the passion for track that we will need to win SPC this year,” Hewitt said. “And my expectations for the younger guys are the same expectations I have for everyone else on the team: go 100 percent, every practice, every day.” Junior shot put and discus thrower Vic-

tor Calvillo also understands how difficult it is for an underclassmen to make a significant impact on the team but believes that they can still contribute to future of the program, even by just taking advice from the veterans. “It’s hard to make an impact on varsity as a freshman or sophomore sometimes,” Calvillo said, “so I expect the younger guys to contribute to the team to the best of their ability and listen to the advice the more veteran guys have.” But there’s no better way to teach the underclassmen in this way than by example, according to Hewitt. As a senior, he hopes to leave for college having won the tenth consecutive SPC title for his school. “This is definitely a landmark number for everyone on the team, and with that comes some extra pressure,” he said. “Personally, if we can reach that tenth championship in a row, I would love to brag to my kids and grandkids how I was a part of that team.” However, the team doesn’t push itself just to continue a streak. Turek’s mentality that if each person understands and plays his part on the team to the best of his ability, titles will come on their own. “We’ve been fortunate to win nine championships in a row,” Turek said, “but how do you maintain that heritage? You have to have

a sense of history, but you also have to have a sense of one’s self and the role you play on that team. That, to me, is more important than competing.” And even though many people expect the team to win every year, Turek says that it’s important for the players to look beyond the entitlement and instead focus on getting better everyday. “Building blocks, both mentally and physically, are why, I think, we’ve been so fortunate to win,” he said. “We’re just tougher. And that’s something you can’t put on your shirt; it’s not something you can just put on a label and just think about. You have to live it and believe it.”

“This is definitely a landmark number for everyone on the team, and with that comes some extra pressure, Personally, if we can reach that tenth championship in a row, I would love to brag to my kids and grandkids how I was a part of that team. senior Harrison Hewitt

A FRESH SET of legs story by Nabeel Muscatwalla and Ford Robinson, staff writers | photo by Andrew Goodman, visuals director

andrew goodman photo

Junior-heavy baseball team takes the field under three senior captains

FASTBALL One of eight juniors on the varsity roster, pitcher Jeffery Wu pounds the strike zone in a tough loss against Parish Episcopal Feb. 23.

By Alan Rosenthal news coordinator After a seventh place finish in SPC and the loss of seven seniors to graduation, the varsity baseball team is looking to improve with an experienced yet youthful team. The Lions, led by senior co-captains Brandon Stetler, Sam Cassell and Stephen Rambin, have eight juniors on the roster along with three sophomores and a freshman. “The captains are the three seniors, but a lot of the juniors have been stepping up as well,” Stetler said. “All of the leaders try to push the team to perform to its potential, so it’s looking like it’s going to be a good season.” Because this season is the first at the varsity level for many players, the team’s main goal is getting the fundamen-

tals down. hitting. Even in these first few be competitive,” Stetler said. “In SPC, the team that games where kids haven’t had a “EHS, Kinkaid, and apparentmakes the least amount of mis- lot of at bats in the season yet, ly the new Houston Christian takes is going to win the game everyone has been hitting well are the front-runners right almost every time,” Stetler said. and we’ve been putting runs up now. We should take the first The team started off the on the board.” seed in the North Zone this season with back-to-back lossAfter being on varsity for year, but it’s tough to say right es in a doubleheader at home four years and having never now how we stack up to those against Parish Feb. 23, but their finished better than fourth, other teams since we don’t see hitting won them their first Stetler is striving for an SPC ti- them until SPC. But I do think game Feb. 26 against Nolan tle in his last year. we can compete with any SPC Catholic 8-7. They play today “The South Zone teams team this year.” and tomorrow at the Trinity are always the toughest in SPC, Valley/All Saints Tournament. but the North Zone should still “The team looks surprisingly good after losing a relatively Black Belt Academia large number of se“We live a niors last year,” Stetler Dangerousin world” Self-Defense said. “We have a lot of Life is uncertain good bats in the line Confidence Be Prepared! up and enough pitchTolerance ing to have a strong Discipline team throughout the year. But our biggest Respect strength has to be our 214-325-0352 graciejiujitsu@ymail.com

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the remarker | Friday MARch 8, 2013

l a cr o sse

ALL ABOUT THE

TEAM With a well-rounded team UTILIZING both upper and underclassmen, lacrosse players thrive on a sense of unity.

t’s easy to focus on individual performances. A defensive effort led by two players headed to play in the Ivy League. A six goal scoring frenzy by a junior attackman. But head coach Hayward Lee knows that individuals don’t win championships. Teams do. “So much of lacrosse is about communication,” head varsity lacrosse coach Hayward Lee said. “It’s about thermal communication, but also about knowing each other – there’s one ball, and everyone has to share it.” Thus, Lee has instilled the notion of full team communication as essential in making sense of the game and optimizing productivity. “It’s always about what a collective group of guys can do, not just one or two individuals,” Lee said. “We can’t really be successful without contributions from a kaleidoscope of players that span across age groups, especially here at a school of St. Marks’ size.” As a result, Lee and his squad consistently incorporate underclassmen as essential team players that bring both talent and balance to the lineup. Senior defender and captain Bear Goldstein strongly advocates Lee’s philosophy. “Underclassmen have always been a big part of the St. Mark’s lacrosse program,” Goldstein said. “We usually have more than a few freshmen who actually play, and this year we’re going to rely a lot on sophomores to step up.” Despite the large age differences in the team, both coaches and players work to assure a healthy playing environment in which age gaps are breached. “The more close-knit you are, the better

GOLDEN BEAR Senior captain and defender Bear Goldstein advances the ball in a game against Austin St. Stephen’s. The Lions shut out the Spartans by a margin of 15 goals.

able you are to understand each other, play and share the ball in a way that makes the whole grid better than it’s parts,” Lee said. “And as for a more joyful experience.” By incorporating this close-knit bonding, along with hard work, Lions lacrosse has perennially performed at a high level. However, four consecutive SPC titles and several state championship appearances have left expectations. “Ever year we have these expectations – it’s just who we are,” Goldstein said. “We carry a tradition of winning and excellence, and I believe that we’re going to keep that going this year and have fun doing it.” ee similarly welcomes high expectations, yet SPEED KILLS Sophomore Landon Montgomery (above, left) sprints down the sideline, moving cautions his players the ball to the offensive half of the field. The players huddles together (above, right) before from becoming set on particu- breaking out to begin the Feb. 23 game against St. Stephen’s, which they went on to win 15-0. “We have nine seniors this year, and I click,” Goldstein said. lar outcomes. In advancing through one week of their “Expectations are always really high, and expect they will do a great job, not only in that’s obviously a really good thing – expec- productivity on the field and in practice, but season, lacrosse remains undefeated, beating tations are very healthy,” Lee said. “But your also with their mentoring and leadership to Greenhill 14-2, Austin St. Stephen’s 15-0 and players can’t get so wrapped up in their ex- underclassmen,” Lee said. “Also, we’ve got a Fort Worth Country Day 17-2, respectively pectations that they lose sight of the joy in large part of our defense back, so I expect that ,taking place on Feb, 22, 23 and 26. However, in regards to the future of their playing the game. Sometimes, we can be so we will be sound defensively.” However, there remain several offensive season, Goldstein is resolute. fixated on a desired outcome that we lose “We have a really sound team, a very rethe joy of the journey towards that outcome; doubts in beginning the season, which were while I want us to have high expectations, I caused by the departure of former key play- spectable team,” Goldstein said. “We’ve done all we can to this point, and hopefully all we ers. also want us to enjoy being in the moment.” “Offensively, I don’t think we have as can do. Nothing’s guaranteed, but we have a As for the Lions’ strategic strengths, a strong, senior-led defense provides the team’s much depth [as last year] but we do have very good chance to go all the way this year. I core power, along with senior leadership some very talented players, and Coach Lee al- think this is the year to actually finish it, to get ways does a very good job to make our offense to state and win it.” from all fronts.

ALL ABOUT THE TEAM story by Cyrus Ganji, staff writer | photos by Andrew Goodman, visuals director

CORBIN WALP PHOTO

Water polo’s team depth, weight training key to success

AQUA MAN Junior Matt Mahowald takes a shot during a water polo practice. The team is relying on experienced veterans like Mahowald to win a state championship.

By Richard Jiang staff writer SINCE BECOMING STATE CHAMPIONS IN 2009, the water polo team has struggled to recapture the elusive title. But with training and newfound inspiration, the team is confident they’ll have a successful season. “We’re pushing the weight room a lot more and we’re trying to put on more weight,” senior captain Warren Smith said. “We also hope to go up to the wrestling room more often and do some cross-training.” The team’s depth will also be a contributing factor to the success of the team this year. “We’re a lot more mature and we’ve all been in high pressure situations,” Smith said, “all of our players have at least some experience, which is priceless since it is something you can’t get in practice.” Smith and head coach Mihai Oprea believe in a few principles that will lead the team to success. This includes mental and physical toughness and discipline. “We want a team that will outperform another team during the final moments of the fourth quarter,” Smith said, “The more disciplined team always wins games.” The team’s chemistry is also something special and is admired by coaches all around. “We give a lot of respect to our team. Other coaches always come up and compliment us on how our team always seems like one,” Smith said, “There’s not that much of a gap between captains and players.” However, even with so much promise, Smith knows

there are some things the team can work on. “We had a problem with the team last year when we couldn’t get the team together during games,” Smith said, “ We had key players coming in late which let other teams to take the lead.” With their strongest opponent from past years Strake Jesuit weakened because of the loss of key senior players, the Lions are hopeful for a win. However, they know to not let their guard down. “There’s Clear Creek, a Houston team. The Woodlands are also pretty good,” Smith said, “There are definitely teams that will be able to step up to the challenge.” The team is definitely hungry for a win, especially since no one on the team has experienced the thrill of winning a state championship. “Coach wants to inspire us and give us a feeling of winning state,” Smith said, “Having a genuine will to win is important. None of the members on the team has ever won a state title before and I know I am hungry enough this year.”

Upcoming Varsity Games • • •

Denton Tournament Grapevine-Colleyville Tournament Flower Mound Tournament

March 9 April 6 April 13

Sorenson ’12 to be in March Madness

PHOTO COURTESY ESPN

MIAMI MADNESS Marksmen remember seeing him last year lead the Lions in Hicks Gym, but this March, they’ll see him on TV as Steve Sorenson ’12 and the Miami Hurricanes are projected to be a top seed in the big dance.

remarker student newspaper

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

THE BACK SPORTS PAGE the remarker | Friday MARCH 8, 2013

Marksmen Reid Thompson and Kellam Hall talk about an outdoor activity that has been a part of their lives since Lower School. For them, it’s not about the kill — it’s about the hunt.

e r t i m e

the

hunters

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‘An innate love of the outdoors’

I enjoy hunting because it allows me to escape the city life and enjoy the outdoors. The fun consists of much more than killing. My first kill with a bow and arrow was in seventh grade. After hours of waiting, a group of feral hogs came past my stand which was 12 feet up in a tree. While the pig I shot was nothing near trophy size, the excitement was unparalleled. There is something about drawing a bow back, less than ten yards from a wild animal in its natural habitat, and conquering the adrenaline of the moment that can’t be recreated in any other situation. Second thing would be duck hunting. There is an innate love of the outdoors and hunting that separates duck hunters from the rest. There is something about breaking the ice on a pond at 5 a.m. to put out decoys, hearing ducks circle above your call in the twinkling dawn sky as the sun rises, and reacting to the “take ‘em!” call that takes all hardcore hunters to a happier place. Most people would hate the numb toes and fingers, the feeling of laying in muddy fields, or the thought of waking up to 25 degree temperatures at four in the morning, but to a duck hunter, it’s all worth it. — Reid Thompson

46-4 combined lacrosse score through its first three games

players on varsity tennis who are freshmen

6/ 16

goal

allowed by soccer in the last two SPC tournaments combined

4 5

lbs

weight of belt put around sophomore Tim Simenc while treading water in water polo practice

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‘We knew we had the one we wanted’

1000 strokes

workload in an average varsity crew practice

17 players

on an average day in a spring P.E. pickup basketball league in Hicks’ Gym

PHOTO COURTESY KELLAM HALL

home runs in baseball’s first three games, tying its total from last year

READY TO HUNT Although considerably more difficult than hunting with a rifle, hunting with a compound bow has been one of Thompson’s favorite forms of hunting since his first time with a bow in San Saba.

I have been hunting since I was five or six, but didn’t get to handle a gun until I displayed proper gun safety which was when I was probably around age ten. The challenge is extreme, and I know that firsthand after spending hours trekking through tough terrain only to come up empty handed. There is a reason they call it hunting and not killing. Last fall I took a trip up to my ranch in southwestern Colorado after my name was drawn for an elk tag. During an off afternoon, my father and I decided to do a little fly fishing. We grabbed the rifle on the way out, just in case. After a few hours of fishing we started hiking our way DUCK HUNT Since about the first grade, Hall has been watching and learning how to hunt. Now, after being shown the ropes. most of Hall’s hunts are successful with as many as 12 birds in hand.

back up through the river pasture. In a grove of aspen trees, my dad and I spotted some elk grazing, so we immediately got down to the ground and, using hand signals to communicate, we stalked the elk about 50 yards to a small pile of wood. After a while a beautiful bull strolled out of the woods and we knew we had the one we wanted. I rested my rifle on a log and relaxed as best I could. Straight through the lungs. The other elk bolted, but the big bull stumbled and then fell. Fantastic hunt. For those who have never hunted before, I recommend that they first go to a local shooting range with an instructor and learn how to shoot and handle a firearm properly. After that, I would suggest that they find a guided dove hunt. It’s a classic Texas kind of hunting, not too difficult, and just good for beginners in my opinion. — Junior Kellam Hall

THe Hunters compiled by Charlie Golden, sports editor | photos by Michael Doorey, head photographer