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

NEWS Alumni innovating at Facebook p. 5

ARTs Summer plans include car restoration p. 14

SPOrts SMLAX wins state for the first time p. 21

remarker student newspaper

St. mark's school of texas | DALLAS, TEXAS | VOLUME 59, ISSUE 7 | Friday, May 17, 2013

KEVIN LIM'S STORY | INSIDE A history of the Khmer Rouge revolution according to Master Teacher Dr. Bruce Westrate • page 8

Assistant head of upper school DR. john perryman

We want everyone who may not have as much time as Telos requires or who may be a freshman to be involved in shaping and cultivating this sort of community and Page 12 service.

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Cambodia Surviving

New security guard Kevin Lim was one of the lucky ones: he escaped the horrors of the Khmer Rouge revolution. But not before he witnessed atrocities beyond imagination.

efore he was 20, security guard Kevin Lim had al-

ready seen his home country turn into a communist war zone. He had seen his best friend shot to death before his eyes.

He had seen his family relocate to a country completely alien to

them. And that’s not even the worst part. Lim grew up in Pailin, a small province of Cambodia bordering Thailand. His mother was a schoolteacher and his father was of Chinese descent born in Cambodia. When Lim was 12, his life changed forever. The Khmer Rouge, a communist revolution led by Pol Pot, took ‘Son, I want you to study hard whenever you have a chance. Education stays in your head. There is no way they can steal it from you. The money you make, it can be in your hand today, but the next day it could be in somebody else’s. Education is the investment for you.’ — Kevin Lim’s mother His response: “Mom, I promise.”

over Cambodia on April 17, 1975, and made all the people from the cities work in rice fields as a form of reeducation. The new government attempted to kill any person who had any education to eliminate any sense of freedom. “We planted rice plants and carried rocks to build dams for the rice fields,” Lim said. “They offered us little to eat. For a day, a small bowl of watery rice with a few rocks of salt. Life was hard. My brother was little.

He was about eight years old and my sister was ten years old. We were forced to separate the family.”

Continued, page 8

FAMILY MATTERS Before having to cope with the terrifying force of a Communist revolution, Lim (far right) is seen here with his family. This picture was taken at his aunt and uncle’s wedding . His aunt and uncle stand in the back. The front row, from left to right, consists of his little brother Ly Hour Lim, his father Lim Hoursear, his mother Sok Samear, his grandmother Ngouy Ng, his sister Lim Ly Heang, and Lim. The family was torn apart by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge.

▶ by Philip Montgomery, staff writer | additional reporting by Ryan O’Meara, issues editor | artwork by Zuyva Sevilla, graphics director

Former Dallas SWAT member Dale Hackbarth hired as head of security By Alex Kim news editor Dallas police SENIOR Corporal Dale Hackbarth has been appointed the new director of security for the school and will begin his new post July 8. As director, Hackbarth will lead the school’s security staff in dealing with responding to a wide variety of possible issues on campus. Nationwide incidents like the Sandy Hook tragedy have raised the need to assess the school’s security. “As director of security, I will be coordinating and training the security staff to deal with traffic is-

INSIDE

sues to emergency preparedness,” he said. “St. Mark’s has always been proactive when it comes to security issues. I will continue to implement training on threat awareness from securing doors to dealing with an armed intruder.” Hackbarth first came to know the school 20 years ago while doing personal security for a family. He would walk his clients’ son to his classes, physical education, art and chapel. “I have some fond memories of throwing Nerf footballs to the class during lunch and hanging the kid’s artwork on the Lower School walls,” he said. “It didn’t take long

for me to realize that St. Mark’s is an exceptional school and that the faculty really cares about the school.” After six years, the family decided personal security was not necessary and relieved Hackbarth. In 1994, he started coordinating Dallas police officers in school athletic events and special occasions. “I’ve always had support and felt appreciation from the faculty and staff,” he said. “It was a very easy decision for me when I was asked to join St. Mark’s full time.” In his career, Hackbarth has served with the Dallas Police Department (DPD) for 28 years,

NEws | 2-7 Surviving cambodia | 8 arts | 9-11, 14

during which he faced numerous challenges that he believes have prepared him for his new career. Hackbarth will officially leave the DPD on Independence Day. “It has been an exciting and rewarding job,” he said. “Now, I’m looking for a new challenge. I’m not retiring but making a career change. I bring 28 years of experience that will help me make St. Mark’s a secure and safe school. I’m looking forward to working with the school’s faculty and staff to help the parents feel confident that St. Mark’s is doing everything possible to make the school a safe and healthy environment.”

Departing teachers | 12-13

reviews | 15

commentary | 16-18

Commencement

Rawlings to speak White tuxedos will dot the commencement green May 24 at 8 p.m. as Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings delivers the commencement speech and Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg says farewell to his penultimate crop of Marksmen. For an inside look at the selections of the Headmaster’s Cup, School Flag, valedictorian and J.B.H. Henderson Citizenship Award, see page 3. sports | 19-24

Junior victor zhou

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Leadership and ethics page 6

“I think the most important part of academic success is the hours you spend outside of the classroom, whether in clubs, on the field, or with friends, it’s important to be a well-rounded student.” Page 4

The new Leadership and Ethics Council plans to revolutionize student interactions between Upper, Lower and Middle schoolers.

NOW. news around campus

THE REMARKER | Friday, May 17, 2013 | PAGE 2

upcoming

startingout

things to do in the weeks ahead

today

weekend

▶ Blue and Gold Day starts today at 1 p.m. Students will be playing various sports — basketball, kickball, handball and volleyball — on the penultimate day of school. ▶ The annual fac-

ulty-senior softball game will be played at 3:15 p.m. on Ruff Field. < Seniors from the class of 2012 hear their names called at last year’s Commencement ceremony The class of 2013’s Commencement will be May 24 at 8 p.m.

the

newsfeed

Ball is tomorrow at 7 p.m. Seniors and their dates will go to Belo Mansion along with their parents to dance the night away. See page 5 for a look into the Marksmen Ball.

▶ The last homework assignments of the year will be assigned this weekend as students begin preparing for final exams.

cers are president Harrison Perkins, representative Kellam Hall, vice president Dean Addy and secretary Kellam Hall. Junior Class officers are president William Sydney, representative Jack Gordon, vice president Walter Johnson and secretary Corson Purnell. Sophomore Class officers are president J.T. Graass, representative Brent Weisberg, vice president William Caldwell and secretary Eugene Song. Freshman Class officers will be president Corday Cruz, representative Andrew Lin, vice president Shailen Parmar and secretary Vikrant Reddy.

•••

Dallas Zoo logo

•••

Freshman Jake Galant won the 2013 Chinese Bridge Efficiency competition April 6 at the University of Texas at Dallas. Galant read a speech he wrote in Chinese, answered culture-related questions and even told a joke. Student Council class officers have been elected for the 2013-14 school year in grades nine through 11. Next year’s Senior Class offi-

small talk

▶ The Marksmen

The National Spanish Honor Society inducted 28 new members May 1 in a ceremony held after school. Students who are in at least tenth grade, enrolled in advanced Spanish A-H or higher and have showed a respect and enthusiasm for Spanish meet the requirements for the society. The new members of the society include juniors Nick Brodsky, Connor Gregory, Charlie Marshall, Ryan O’Meara, Max Wolens and Vincent Xia.

day of classes for grades nine through 11. Students will then take final exams over the next two weeks before and after Final Assembly May 24.

▶ Baccalaureate will be held Tuesday. Seniors and immediate family members will gather for the ceremony. The main speakers are senior Will Altabef and Victor White Master Teaching Chair David Brown.

Sophomore inductees are Matthew Conley, Forest Cummings-Taylor, Kunal Dixit, Cyrus Ganji, Burke Garza, Raymond Guo, Nick Jelsma, Will Jelsma, Rishi Kshatriya, Carrington Kyle, Shourya Kumar, Stuart Montgomery, Nathan Ondracek, Aakash Pattabi, Vikram Pattabi, Corson Purnell, Eric Rawot, Mason Smith, William Su, William Sydney, Ben Wilner and Michael Windlinger.

•••

This year 9,250 lbs. of donated clothing were collected during the Lower School’s annual Goodwill Drive, which took place the week before spring break. The weight of donations is a substantial increase from last year’s total of 6,270 lbs. The students celebrated the large total with an out-of-uniform day and popsicles during recess on May 10.

Lower schoolers who worked on the Goodwill Drive

comments made by faculty, staff and students around campus

▶ ‘Seriously, Mrs. Marmion, call Kenny

▶ ‘Remember when I talked about those

— Senior Will Moor during a fire drill

— Doc Nelson Master Teacher Jon Valasek to his sophomore chemistry class

Loggins because we’re in the danger zone.’

▶ ‘Don’t worry, coach, I’ll play like the

little princess I am.’

— Sophomore Carrington Kyle before a baseball game against ESD

Dylan

Clark

▶ Monday is the last

a quick look at news around campus

The annual senior and first grade buddy zoo trip will occur Monday, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Senior Will Altabef’s mother serves on the Dallas Zoo board and will make special arrangement for the seniors and their buddies. Any senior is able to go, regardless of whether they have a first grade buddy or not.

•••

next week

leprechauns behind the board? Yeah, they’re the ones who tell me what to do.’

▶ ‘This coffee mug could have won the

election against Hubert Humphrey in 1968.’

— History instructor Bill Marmion to his AP U.S. history class

opinion

Lessons learned on Mother’s Day

other’s Day was last Sunday, and I truly hope that is not new news to you. If it is and you forgot Mother’s Day, go buy some chocolate and write a card for your mom thanking her for not guilting you about missing the most important day of the year. You’ll still be missing out though, because Mother’s Day isn’t about buying chocolate, cards and a nice dinner for your mom. (That doesn’t mean you don’t have to do all three. You should, really!) It’s about family, appreciation — and time well spent. The day I learned that was May 11, 2003 — the day Rafael Palmeiro hit his 500th homerun. My parents have been divorced since I was two. I’m lucky in that they have a great relationship and are great parents. It’s how things have always been, and quite frankly, it’s nice to have multiple households to celebrate holidays in. Still, I realize I have missed out on traditional family outings, and perhaps that is why I view this one so dearly. On that hot Sunday morning when I was seven, I was playing catch with my dad. Before he walked me down the street to my mom’s house, he asked me what I was planning for Mother’s Day. “Um… I’ll draw her a card!” He reminded me that Rafael Palmeiro— one of the Texas Rangers’s great players at the time— had 499 career homeruns. The Rangers were playing a bad Indians team at 2 that afternoon. We could see history. I had to go. As it was Mother’s Day, I had to go with my mom. But, my dad and I were the ones who loved baseball. I had to go with my dad. Turns out I went with both that Mother’s Day. It was history. We all got into a car to drive to Arlington, and I can honestly say in my 17 years of life I have no other memory of us all in the same car. But it was Mother’s Day. We sat like families sit at baseball games. Dad, son, mom. Three in a row. Because it was Mother’s Day. When Palmeiro didn’t hit his 500th homer in his first at bat, it was okay. When he didn’t hit it on his second, I found it silly that my mom kept on saying, “He’s going to get it today. I can feel it.” But, it was Mother’s Day— maybe there was something to it. When Palmeiro came up to bat in the seventh inning, the stadium was filled with electricity. Everyone got to his feet. We were all waiting. Then, without a word as to why, my mom ran up the aisle and towards the souvenir shop. That’s when it happened. Palmeiro took a pitch and promptly sent it soaring 350 feet over the right field fence. Everyone went wild. Music was blaring. I jumped for joy into my dad’s arms as the token Rangers fireworks shot a mile into the sky above us. Then my mom came back with a small box. I opened it carefully to see a nondescript baseball. The excitement was lost on me. She had missed the big moment for this? Then I saw the blue ink. There it was. Rafael Palmeiro’s signature graced the rough, taut leather in my hands. The man seemed like a god to me at the time, and here I was holding his signature after witnessing the high point in his career. On a day about my mom, she had put me first. She missed his record-breaking home run for me. On Mother’s Day. She chose to give father and son that special bonding time that afternoon. Yes, she had known. And, without saying a word, she gave that sevenyear-old boy a wonderful gift. ••• any of us can probably run faster than our moms. Maybe we can do more math, know more physics or can recite Shakespearean sonnets to them. But with Mother’s Day in our rearview mirror, we shouldn’t forget one overused, stale and true cliché. It’s something I learned when my mom put me first on her day. I remember it every time I look at that autographed baseball that I keep by my bed. Moms really do know best.

NEWS around campus

Cum Laude 4

THE REMARKER | Friday, May 17, 2013 | PAGE 3

alumni at Facebook 5

leadership and ethics 6

Jon Valasek 7

c o m m e n c e m e n t

GOODBYE raduation

In their own words School Flag Recipient

Hank Williams ’11 now an engineerng major at Georgia Tech

enjoy putting myself

With Commencement looming a week from today, four members of the senior class will be departing with not only years of memories, but ALSO senior awards such as the Headmaster’s Cup, School Flag, Citizenship Cup and Valedictorian recognition. Here is an inside look at the selection process for the awards.

ne of the school’s oldest and most iconic traditions, the annual Commencement ceremony is a constant reminder of both the present and the future with white tuxedo-clad seniors ascending the stages, shaking hands with the headmaster and receiving their diplomas. The ceremony, which will be held at 8 p.m on May 24, will feature Dallas Mayor and former Pizza Hut CEO Mike Rawlings as the honored speaker. “He [Rawlings] knows Dallas, so he has a great sense of the community that we’re all from,” Senior Class president Dylan Kirksey said. “He’s also very aware of St. Mark’s and what it stands for. He has an incredible history of giving back to the community.” Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg agrees, adding that Rawlings, who has reduced chronic homelessness in the city by 57 percent since his election to office, is in a unique position to impart wisdom to the Senior Class. “Dallas is one of the most vibrant, successful cities in America, and you know, let’s have the leader of our great city speak to us,” Holtberg said. As the name suggests, the Commencement ceremony is meant to mark the beginning of a new journey in life for the graduating boys-turnedmen. The importance of this symbolism is one of the reasons why Holtberg values the tradition of the ceremony. “It’s something that’s a reflection of who we are,” he said. “It’s something that ties previous generations of Marksmen to the most recent generation and I think for that purpose, it’s

HEADMASTER’S CUP

very important to sustain traditions. Healthy, positive traditions, of course.” Since the ceremony’s inception more than 50 years ago, winners of the Headmaster’s Cup, School Flag and J.B.H. Henderson Citizenship Award have been announced every year. In addition, the valedictorian addresses his brothers in the graduating class. According to Head of Upper School Wortie Ferrell, choosing the individual to honor with one of the awards is a long, comprehensive process involving the whole faculty. “This whole community has helped lead to this seminal moment for the boys,” he said. “Everybody, whether you had this person in your second grade class or taught him math in sixth grade or have been his advisor as a senior, every one of those have played a part in making the fabric of the whole place.” The Headmaster’s Cup, awarded to a student who “seeks to foster in his fellow students: the quest for excellence, intellectual curiosity and commitment, service to the school and community and concern for others,” is awarded by the headmaster after a lengthy process of faculty nominations. Advisors or teachers may recommend boys to be chosen and defend their recommendations in meetings attended by the entire faculty. he recipient of the honor is decided upon after careful deliberation by Holtberg. Last year, the cup was given to Joseph Bush ’12. In addition, both the School Flag, last awarded to Roderick Demmings ’12 and the Citizenship Cup, last

awarded to Richard Freling ’12, are announced after extensive faculty discussion and involvement. “Nominations are made and are submitted to the prize committee, which meets and talks about the slate of candidates,” Ferrell said. “They will then make a presentation of a slate of candidates to the full faculty, and teachers have the opportunity to speak on behalf of people. The entire faculty will have a chance to cast a vote on who they think should win the award.” However, candidates for valedictorian and salutatorian, the top academics of the class, are narrowed down based on scholastic achievement. “It’s not just only based on GPA,” Holtberg said. “We do analyze the boys’ courses of study, the number of APs and honors and so forth. At St. Mark’s, there’s always a sort of traffic jam at the top with GPA. We need to parse the information we have in order to come to the best decision for both valedictorian and salutatorian.” With the knowledge that the success of each individual is the success of the community as a whole, Holtberg understands the importance of an inclusive selection process for the class prizes since so many Marksmen are well-qualified. Despite only a selected few being chosen as the Class of 2013’s honorees, the entire group of 92 seniors will walk on stage, adorned in their white tuxedos, as boys. After a firm handshake by Holtberg and some words of wisdom, they will assume their position as the men of the Class of 2013.

VALEDICTORIAN

in a good place, and this is why it is necessary to create good spaces and places around you. By challenging yourself in the classroom, in the gym, and in your free time, you grow to become passionate about what you have practiced. Communities have been set up, in some cases, but it’s connecting to others through sharing a passion for hardwork and sustainability that drives me to wake and work, drives me to learn and love each day.

School Flag Recipient

Roderick Demmings ’12

now a music major at The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University

y peers provided a rich atmosphere for fraternity and care. Considering these factors, how can I resist helping and improving the school? St. Mark’s is a 21st century paradise. And that attitude shaped all of my actions and decisions; that’s the attitude of a St. Mark’s School Flag Recipient. Congratulations and good luck to the next recipient!

Headmaster’s Cup Recipient

Dean Itani ’11

now an economics major at Harvard College

was lucky I found

several things within the St. Mark’s community that I became very passionate about and am lucky that I was able to participate in all of them. To me, that’s what I think about when I think about this award: how lucky I was to go to a high school where I was encouraged to do anything I wanted to do, and that the school allowed me to become very involved in all these things at the same time. whenever I’m home and see the cup, it makes me reflect on my time at St. Mark’s. It reminds me of memories of The ReMarker, English class, Hunt Stadium and all of my St. Mark’s friends.

SCHOOL FLAG

CITIZENSHIP CUP

2012 Prajan Divakar

2012 Roderick Demmings Jr.

2012 Richard J. Freling

2011 Moez K. Aziz

2011 John-Henry Williams

2011 Patrick P. McGee

2010 Sloan B. Rudberg

2010 Alexander G. Chuka

2010 C. Stewart McDonald

2010 Noah Q. Bricker

2009 Bradley R. Travis

2009 Nathaniel E. Long

2009 Whitman L. Shaw

2008 Jacob S. Vandermeer

2009 Alexander S. Brown Tyler K. Mow-Unland 2008 James K. McAuley Jr.

2012 Joseph S. Bush 2011

M. Dean Itani

Graduation goodbye story by Vikram Pattabi, news editor | art by Purujit Chatterjee, staff artist

2008 Arthur T. Brousseau

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the remarker | Friday, May 17, 2013

c u m

l a u d e

18 inducted into prestigious Cum Laude Society With the mission of “Areté, Kiké, Timé” (Excellence, justice, honor), cum laude serves as an honor to the highest academically achieving students here. headmaster arnie holtberg welcomed 18 juniors and seniors as they were inducted into the society.

INDUCTED The new senior members are Bear Goldstein, Kevin Bass, Henry Woram, Kareem Itani, Noah Yonack, Rachit Mohan, Zach Burdette, Max Naseck and Milan Savani. The juniors are Jonathan Ng, Dylan Clark, Charlie Golden, Victor Zhou Luke Williams, Ryan O’Meara, Vishal Gokani, Halbert Bai and Dylan Altschuler.

ighteen juniors and seniors were inducted into the Cum Laude Society April 24 in an assembly held after school in the chapel.

Headmaster Arnie Holtberg spoke to the students about the importance of striving

and achieving. In his address, Holtberg cited his experiences in college as he made the transition from high school. “I hope that we do not simply play to our strengths,” Holtberg said. “Because if we do, we will never take those important risks that will take us to new places and even greater accomplishments than we could have ever imagined.” Eighteen juniors and seniors were inducted into the Cum Laude Society April 24 in an assembly held after school in chapel. Headmaster Arnie Holtberg spoke to the students about the importance of striving and achieving. In his address, Holtberg cited his experiences in college as he made the transition from high school. “I hope that we do not simply play to our strengths,” Holtberg said. “Because if we do, we will never take those important risks that will take us to new places and even greater accomplishments than we could have ever imagined.” The Cum Laude Society aims to promote its mission of “Areté, Kiké, Timé” (Excellence, Justice, Honor). Each year, the school can induct up to ten percent of the current junior class and up to 20 percent of the graduating senior class. The current society members are seniors Chandler Burke, Aarav Chavda, Will Chang, Andrew Graffy, Paul Gudmundsson, Mitch Lee, Sam Libby, James Rowan, Warren Smith and Steven Tsai. The existing members along with select-

ed faculty members voted to induct juniors Dylan Clark, Ryan O’Meara, Charlie Golden, Vishal Gokani, Luke Williams, Halbert Bai, Jonathan Ng, Dylan Altschuler and Victor Zhou. They also inducted seniors Kevin Bass, Zach Burdette, Bear Goldstein, Kareem Itani, Rachit Mohan, Max Naseck, Milan Savani, Henry Woram and Noah Yonack. “It’s an incredible honor,” Zhou said. “I’m glad the school has supported a fun and exclusive way to promote the achievements of the brightest Marksmen.” The inductees agree that the prestigious society affirms their hard work. “I feel both humbled and honored to be inducted into the Cum Laude Society,” Ng said. The inductees had to work very hard to make the society, and despite setbacks and difficulties, they rose to the challenge to separate themselves from the already talented Marksmen crowd. Zhou claims that the real success, though, doesn’t happen in the classroom. “I think the most important part of academic success is the hours you spend outside

of the classroom,” Zhou said. “Whether in clubs, on the field, or with friends, it’s important to be a well-rounded student.” The inductees come from a variety of backgrounds and preferences, but they all unite under the fact that they love a challenging learning experience. “I don’t have a favorite class, but I like the math and sciences because I plan to go into either medicine or engineering,” Mohan said. Similarly, Yonack loves the challenge of some mentally challenging problems. “I don’t know why I prefer physics and chemistry to ancient and modern history,” he said, “but I think it has to do with a curiosity I’ve developed for how the world works.” ith some of the best studying habits on campus, the inductees learn to fo-

I think the most important part of academic success is the hours spent outside the classroom. It’s important to be a well-rounded student. junior victor zhou

cus on one assignment at a time, while also preparing for tests long in advance. “I study best at home where it’s quiet and where I can collect my thoughts,” Ng said. Mohan also studies in silence to avoid the distractions of friends and other activities. “I either have to be alone in silence or with other focused people in a group session,” Mohan said. “I’m easily distracted when people start talking about the upcoming weekend.”

Faculty sponsor David Brown to sees many of the inductees go through his AP English language class. “It’s very gratifying, of course, to see students I have taught and some of whom I still teach get tapped,” Brown said. “But I would also have to say that it’s sad to me that there are so many deserving students who are not tapped.” Although Brown is thrilled for the students who did make the cut to the society, he feels that many are still qualified and untapped. “It’s unfortunate that a school of St. Mark’s quality has to exclude so many richly deserving students,” Brown said. “I’m convinced that many that we exclude, at any number of other schools, would be in Cum Laude.” The inductees all agree that the school has pushed them to a whole new level of academic ability. “Having highly qualified teachers enthusiastic about putting in extra work to help students understand something or providing enrichment for students that might be ahead of the class is definitely not something to be taken for granted,” Zhou said. The inductees also agree that they could not have reached this point in their academic careers without the support of a brilliant history of learning through the faculty here. “St. Mark’s has pushed me to the limits of my academic abilities and has stimulated my growth more than any other school,” Yonack said. “I have benefited so much because it appreciates academic endeavors and encourages us to view learning as the most valuable use of time.”

CUM LAUDE story by Alexander Munoz, special projects editor | additional reporting by Cameron Clark, staff writer | photo by Mason Smith, staff photographer

Final exam schedule As Marksmen approach the end of the academic year, they look to perform on the yearly tests. Tuesday, May 21 | Math 8:30-10:30 Introduction to Algebra Algebra I and Honors 1:00-3:30 p.m. Photography Woodworking Wednesday, May 22 | Science 8:30-10:30 Biology Information Engineering Chemistry and Applied Chemistry 1:00-3:30 Physics and Conceptual Physics Environmental Science Thursday, May 23 | Foreign language

8:30-10:30 Chinese II, III, IV and IV-Honors Advanced Spanish B Upper School Introductory Spanish Intermediate Spanish A and B Japanese

1:00-3:30 Chinese IB Latin Advanced Spanish A and A-Honors

Friday, May 24 | History 7:45-10:45 U.S. History Modern World Foundations of World Societies 1:00-3:30 p.m. Science 8 Tuesday, May 28 | Math 8:30-10:30 a.m. Algebra II and II-Honors Geometry and Honors Precalculus and Honors Wednesday, May 29 Make-up day Thursday, May 30 Middle School final assembly

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the remarker | Friday, May 17, 2013

PHOTOS COURTESTY OF JAMES WANG ’99

A l u m n i

F a c e b o o k

COVER PHOTO James Wang ’99 (left) and Ben Mathews ’99 (right) stand next to Dr. Stephen Balog, their former AP physics teacher and long-time friend. The alumni keep in touch with Balog and other teachers regularly.

Timelines

‘It’s this thing called Facebook,’ James Wang told his science mentor Dr. Stephen Balog. Little did the two of them know that this alum would soon be doing revolutionary work in social media.

hen James Wang ’99 told Dr. Stephen Balog that he’s working for a new company, Balog didn’t think much of it. “He said, ‘Well, it’s this thing called Facebook,’” Balog recounts, “and this was before it really exploded, still very much a college thing. He was telling me it was a way kids connect and keep track of each other. Never could I think of why that would be important.” And little did Balog expect just how “important” Wang and fellow alum Ben Mathews’ ’99 contributions would be to the world. In 2006, Wang quit his job working as an engineer for Microsoft and followed his Harvard colleagues to the then up and coming Facebook, becoming its 30th engineer and 80th employee overall. “I had a few good friends from Harvard who went to work at Microsoft with me after we all graduated,” he said. “A couple of years later, a recruiter at Facebook reached out to those friends, and when I heard they were all going to accept jobs at Facebook, I was very intrigued and learned more about the company. I really enjoyed working at Microsoft, but I felt like I could take some

risks and do something a little less conventional.” For the first one and a half years as an engineer, Wang assisted in developing the Facebook platform, news feed, privacy controls and share. “In the early days, we worked extremely long hours, seven days a week, but we also had a lot of fun,” he said. “Shortly after the launch of platform in May 2007, I became an engineering manager, and in January 2008 I started focusing on user growth.” One month later, Wang brought another alum, Mathews, to Facebook. At that point, still, Facebook only had 500 employees and just over 100 engineers. “It’s no coincidence that Ben works for Facebook – I helped recruit him to join,” Wang said. “Ben and I are very close friends. We stayed in close contact all through college even though we were on opposite coasts, and when he joined Facebook, we were actually roommates [in San Francisco] for two years.” For the first part of his career, Mathews worked on the company’s general infrastructure team, which worked to optimize the web servers

and use less CPU. As the company grew and more specialized teams were established, Mathews worked on front-end performance, trying to make Facebook’s pages load faster and maintaining the infrastructure that served static resources such as JavaScript. “Facebook has been an incredibly fast-growing company,” he said. “The experience of being part of such a fast growth has been really amazing and instructive.” He was telling it was a way kids connect and keep track of each other. Never could I think of why that would be important. Cecil H. and Ida Green Master teacher dr. Stephen Balog

During that time, Wang’s responsibilities also grew, taking on more leadership roles. From 2008 to 2011, Wang took charge of Facebook’s registration, friend-finding, virality products, translations framework and internationalization strategy. By 2010, he was promoted to director of engineering. In June 2011, however, Wang decided to take some time off. “When my sabbatical ended in February 2012, I decided to return as an individual contributor,” he

said, “so I worked as an engineer on Facebook’s iOS team, developing a new application for the iPhone and iPad. I tremendously enjoyed working at Facebook, but I eventually felt that there was more for me to learn and do beyond Facebook, so I left the company in November.” fter taking a few months off, Wang now is an engineer in residence for a venture capital firm called The Social+Capital Partnership. Former Facebook employees face the challenge of finding a meaningful career after leaving, since they’ll constantly compare the impact they make with what they made at Facebook, Wang says. “For me, I’m taking it slowly, focusing on finding a mission and a team that really fits me,” he said. “I think I’ll know it when I see it, and when that happens I’ll be ready to dive back in. [Working at The Social+Capital Partnership] is a way for me to meet a lot of startups, to share some of my advice and experience with them, and to possibly find a startup that I’d like to join on a full-time basis.” Mathews stayed with Facebook working on the security infrastructure team, which detects security issues automatically, maintain a number of common security libraries and make it easier for engineers to write safe codes. He also wrote the framework of safe and reliable

account deletion. “Facebook has given me exposure to an incredible range of challenges and technologies, and I think that will valuable to me through the rest of my life and career,” he said. As much as these two alumni have made a difference in the largest social networking company, and thereby the world, the company has made a significant impact in their lives. Facebook later became more successful than he could have imagined, which really was just icing on the cake, Wang said. “I said many times that even if nothing came of it,” Wang said, “it was worth it just to have the experience of working at a startup with a group of close friends and amazingly smart and talented colleagues. I still remember how thrilling it was when I was on a trip in Australia in early 2008 and overheard some high school students at a nearby table talking about their photos on Facebook. I thought, ‘Wow, I’m actually having an impact on people all over the world.’”

Top Social Media Sites by active users • • •

Facebook Google+ Twitter

693,000,000 343,000,000 288,000,000

timelines story by Alex Kim, news editor, and Kevin He, staff writer

Marksmen Ball set for tomorrow at Belo Mansion By Roby Mize staff writer The Marksmen Ball will be held tomorrow evening at the Belo Mansion and Pavilion in downtown Dallas. The ball is from 6:30 p.m. to midnight and the main events of the evening will be the unveiling of the 2013 Marksmen yearbook, the announcement of the yearbook dedicatee and the mother-son dance. “The mother-son dance makes the ball very special,” Charla Smart, mother of Duncan Smart ’12 and freshman Philip Smart, said. “It’s a great tradition, and it has a special place in my heart. The dance shows our sons growing up and entering a new stage in their lives.” As the culminating school sponsored dance, the Ball is an important event in many people’s eyes. Not only mothers think this ball is special. Students do as well. “The ball will be infinitely more special because the faculty are invited by the Senior Class, parents go, guys dance with their moms, the yearbook is dedicated, and it’s just one of the last major events for the se-

niors,” senior Cameron Hillier said. The band for the dance is Professor D, a popular party band that has performed at events like the NBA finals. “Professor D is a well-known local band with good versatility and a great reputation,” Senior Class president Dylan Kirksey said, “and we heard great things about them from the people who saw them play at the Dubante Ball.” The yearbook dedication, a 54-year tradition, here, is one of the evening’s highlights. Last year’s yearbook was dedicated to Victor F. White Master Teacher David Brown.

Dedication

Besides David Brown, last year’s honoree, here are recent faculty members who have received the Marksmen dedication: 2011 Dr. Martin Stegemoeller 2010 Valencia Yarbrough 2009 Larry Cavitt 2008 Frank Jordan 2007 Warren Foxworth

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the remarker | Friday, MAy 17, 2013

L e a d e r s h i p

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e t h i cs

C o u n c i l

the right path Juniors Perkins, Gokani to head new leadership and ethics council in hopes of promoting improved inter-divisional relationships

ou live. You work. You die. It’s a societal thing. But how does one make a difference? More importantly, how does one make a positive difference? For the past three years, Assistant Head of Upper School John Perryman has intently been working on the best answer— an answer applicable to faculty and students alike, an answer capable of revolutionizing 10600 Preston Road. He believes the new Leadership and Ethics Council will be that answer. The council, starting next year, will be less selective than the Telos program and will be more focused on connecting upper schoolers to younger students. “A lot of what we’re trying to do is cultivate interaction across division,” Perryman said, “and we’re realizing that the best role models for the younger guys are the older guys. This program will be a good way to model community for the younger kids and show that we’re all in this together.” The newly-formed council will be open to application from any Upper Schooler who wants to make a difference. The council will be a separate supplement to Telos, a selective group of upper schoolers who meet with lower and middle schoolers to talk to them about issues related to leadership and daily life. “We want everyone who may not have as much time as Telos requires or who may be a freshman to be involved in shaping and cultivating this sort of community and service,” Perryman said. Leadership Council co-chair Sam Perkins is already considering goals and ideas for the upcoming year. “One guy might be responsible for getting sports captains to go and work as water boys for the Middle School teams and another guy might be responsible for organizing speeches at Lower School Chapel,” Perkins said. “Peoples’ jobs are going to be pretty specific, so the group won’t really need to meet as much.” The council plans on having three separate committees for each age group and a fourth subcommittee whose job will be to maintain a school website web page focused on leadership

LEADING THE WAY Spending time with lower schoolers on the playground, juniors Sam Perkins and Vishal Gokani will co-chair the brand new Leadership and Ethics Council during the 2013-2014 school year.

and ethics. Committees will meet one to two times a month to discuss responsibilities. “Members of the L.E. Council will work with the younger guys in chapel, advisories, homerooms, and class meetings,” council co-chair Vishal Gokani said. “The main goal is for upper schoolers to talk to middle schoolers they pass in the hallways or lower schoolers they see at lunch.” The council’s faculty leadership will include Perryman as director, Malcolm K. and Minda Brachman Master Teacher Dr. Martin Stegemoeller as assistant director and Middle School math instructor Amy Reck as Middle School director. “I will sort of be the ‘Here’s what we mean by leadership’ guy,” Stegemoeller said. “I plan on being a resource to the group for the conceptual vocabulary for ethics and leadership. I’ll try to explain why it’s in the students’ interests to become a better leader at this school.” uccessful students in the Leadership and Ethics Council may be invited into the Telos program. The council will not be affiliated with Telos, but the goals of the two programs are relatively similar. “Middle and lower schoolers will be recipients of the committee’s work, not committee participants,” Perkins said. “Most of them won’t even know it exists, but hopefully they’ll be in-

fluenced by it every day— That’s the goal.” Stegemoeller also recommends those interested in leadership training to attend the 2013 Summer Leadership Institute June 5 and 6. Students who participate will congregate on campus for two days to discuss the philosophy of leadership and hear North Texas leaders discuss their practices. The organization will hold after school meetings and will be mainly student-led. “The more direct ownership we hand over to students, the better,” Perryman said. “The more practice they get organizing, scheduling, fashioning the leadership program they want, the stronger the program’s going to be.” The new council’s main goal is to do everything possible to unite the school as a community and bring members of every grade closer together. “I think this program will be equally beneficial for everyone involved,” Perkins said. “I think it’s good for the upper schoolers to be able to go down and see how they once were and to help the younger guys. They get this feeling of being able to help them and teach them and put the skills they’ve learned to the test.” See “Interested students encouraged to take initiative,” Commentary, p. 16

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PATH story by Jacob Chernick, staff writer | photo by Mason Smith, staff photographer

Juniors Baxley and Pigott to head Chapel Commitee By Dylan Clark editor-in-chief Next year’s Chapel CommitTee will be co-chaired by juniors Cameron Baxley and Jack Piggott. They are succeeding senior Cameron Hillier, the current chapel verger and will also split the verger duties at Evensongs during the year. The committee aims to expand its activities at the school by having upper schoolers

interact with lower schoolers. “We aim to get more upper school involvement in Middle School chapel and continue to boslter the Lower School Chapel Commitee as we continue next year,” Baxley said. Junior Vishal Gokani will be in charge of the Lower School Commitee and will work closely with Piggot and Baxley in order to better integrate across the three divisions of

the school. “We have started this year the Lower School Chapel Comittee, and as part of the Upper School Commitee we will be working with the Lower School Commitee,” Rev. Mike Dangelo, school chaplain, said. Additionally, the leaders of the commitee are going to be invested with more reponsibility. “It’s going to be more of a student-led

commitee next year, whereas in the past it has been more faculty driven.” Dangelo is confident the pair, working with Gokani and other members, will provide effective leadership next year. “Both of them have participated in Evensong and been important members of the chapel commitee. They were committed to the Chapel Commitee last year, both before and after I got here.”

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the remarker | Friday, may 17, 2013

J on

V a l ase k

Mission accomplished After a twenty-year career in the air force, “Doc” nelson master teacher Jon Valasek earned a masters degree in chemistry and began teaching. He credits his military service with giving his students more real-world experience.

ATTENTION Putting on his old Air Force uniform, “Doc” Nelson Master Teacher Jon Valasek salutes his sophomore chemistry class. (Pictured left) Valasek entered the Air Force as a young communications officer and stayed in the service until becoming a major after 20 years of service.

efore there was texting, iPhones or the Internet, there were card catalogs, pay phones and written letters. During this time, a young Air Force officer was asked to help enable two computers to communicate over thousands of miles. Nelson Master Teacher Jon Valasek was helping to lay the groundwork for what would later become the Internet. Valasek always thought that he wanted be a teacher like his cousin and grandfather. He majored in education and chemistry with the plan to become a teacher upon graduation, but he wanted more world experience first. “If I am going to teach,” he said, “I want to at least see the world before I settle down and teach. I want to give my students some experiences.” So when Valasek graduated Marletta College, he joined the Air Force. Because of his love of technology and his background in the sciences, Valasek was assigned to the communications division of the Air Force. “The Air Force was 10-15 years ahead of everybody,” he said. “The military’s on the cutting edge. They didn’t need scientists, so anyone with a science background was shoved into communications.” After joining the Air Force, Valasek was put into extensive communication training. During that training, he developed relation-

ships with other officers based on the need to work together. “There was a psychology major that was in our group, and he didn’t know very much about electronics,” he said. “But we would help him with his homework so that he would pass, and he ended up working with us later on.” In 1968, Valasek was put in charge of a satellite facility in Alaska and communications for the base. “We had satellite communications way back then in ’68,” he said. “If anybody needed to send a message to somebody else halfway around the world, they would send it through our communications network.” Valasek had important responsibilities during the Cold War. “The Air Force had contingency plans if major command posts had been knocked out of commission, then alternate command centers would have taken over,” he said. “We had to have all the communications that you’d have at a normal command and control cen-

Valasek’s Career •

Valasek was stationed at Air Force bases in places like Alaska and Texas. • He also had a four year stint working on communications in the Pentagon.

ter from air to ground to satellite to landline to whatever.” Valasek also enjoyed watching the progression of technology during his time in the Air Force. “I started out with computers that ran in milliseconds. Now we’re up in the giga range. I was involved with computers most of the time all the way through—from maintenance to operations to network control, whatever.” or four years, Valasek also worked in the Pentagon. Because he was in the communications division, he was surrounded by classified information and needed top-secret security clearance. For an officer working on the technical side of the Air Force, Valasek progressed through the ranks quickly. “I was more of what you would call a technical person,” Valasek said. “There were more promotion opportunities for people who were manager types. I was in a technical field and I went as far as I could go in my field. If I would have been in a manager position or other leadership position, I could have gone further.” Valasek had the opportunity to be stationed at a base in Hawaii but chose not to take the assignment because it meant being away from his family for vast segments of the year. “If I got the job, I would have been gone 300 days out of the year,” Valasek said, “so I

didn’t want that job. It was an inspection team of all of Southeast Asia that went into bases and inspected them.” While working in the Air Force, Valasek also earned his masters degree in anticipation of beginning a career teaching chemistry. “The Air Force allowed me to get my masters degree while I was working, which was not easy because I had to take some of my classes during the day,” Valasek said. After 20 years in the Air Force, Valasek, who had reached the rank of major, knew it was time to retire. “From the 17th year on, I knew I was going to retire at 20 years,” he said. “I knew that I was going to retire and was going to teach. They offered me a job to go to San Antonio to work with movies. The Air Force had at that point in time a movie production team. If I had been single and didn’t have a family, I probably would have gone for it.” Valasek credits the camaraderie in the Air Force and his relationship with God for his success during his career. “For my entire career, I depended on the Lord and he directed me to have great assignments,” he said. “I had great assignments the entire time. I believe it was God’s provision for me to have a family and a career for 20 years. The teamwork, camaraderie, the esprit de corps among the people in the Air Force is immense. That’s why I feel that the defense of our country is very strong.”

Mission accomplished story by Ryan O’Meara, issues editor and PJ Voorheis, staff writer | photos by Mason Smith, staff photographer and courtesy Jon Valasek

Roosevelt family donates new organ

TIM O’MEARA PHOTO

After its construction, the instrument will be used to enhance chapel services

THE ORGAN Come fall 2014, organist Glenn Stroh will have a new organ to play. The instrument will be created specially for the chapel.

By Jake Byers staff writer A new chapel organ will be installed during the summer of 2014 after a $2 million donation from Trustee and former Board of Trustees President Tony Roosevelt and his wife Joanne. Construction of the instrument will begin this year and will take over a year to be finished. This organ will be built specifically for the current chapel unlike the current organ, and it will allow the chapel to host more concerts and events. The organ is being designed and built in Quebec, Canada by the Letorneau Organ Company. Choir director Tinsley Silcox believes the new organ will be better suited for both the choir and the organ music as it will better serve the needs of each. "The new organ will allow us to expand our choral repertoire immensely as well as the pieces Mr. Stroh will be able to play on the organ,” Silcox said. The organ will be designed to fulfill the current needs of the school, including more complementary sound for the choir’s En-

glish style of singing and more authentic Evensongs. "The current organ was never designed for our chapel but rather for the previous one,” Silcox said. “This new organ will be able to produce a fuller sound that will fill up the entirety of our chapel.” After the organ is finished, the chapel will be completely emptied to make room for the organ. It will be disassembled and the individual parts will be brought into the chapel and laid out. It will then be reassembled inside the chapel and installed. “After being rebuilt, the organ will be voiced for two to three months before it will be ready,” Silcox said. “This process is to ensure that the sound and tone of the organ are just right before we can play it.” The school has hired David Heller, a pipe organ expert from Trinity University, to serve as a consultant during the process. He helped evaluate the requirements for the space in the chapel. The organ is currently being designed and will include many intricate parts that are not in the current organ. The console will be made of red oak, which is a combination of the different colors in the chapel.

surviving Cambodia

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the Remarker | Friday, may 17, 2013

S u r v i v i n g

C a m b o d i a

Fleeing from the past

When the khmer rouge took Cambodia over in a communist revolution, security guard kevin lim had to flee from the war zone as his country exploded around him. He escaped, but some of his friends and family members didn’t.

INTO THE DISTANCE Security guard Kevin Lim escaped from the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia when he was a young child. He came to the United States and has lived here since, attending college at San Jose State University and getting a job with the Dallas Police Department.

he Khmer Rouge called for a special force of children workers so that they could educate them on communism, and Lim and his siblings were forced to work away from home. “I had never spoken with my mom or dad or sister or brother,” Lim said. “Two and a half years later in 1978, sometime in May. I received a letter from the village that said you need to come home and see your family.” Lim walked for two days to reach his family. He eventually met up with his parents and his siblings. “The next morning, [the communist soldiers] called a meeting for all villagers at the community kitchen,” Lim said. “They told everyone they found a criminal and everybody was scared and they point at my mom and said she is a criminal. She was a schoolteacher and she did not report to the government so she will be punished today. And I started to cry.” Lim stared, helpless, as the soldiers dragged his mom into the middle of a rice field and buried her waist deep in the ground. “They used a bamboo stick, a big bamboo stick and hit her on the head,” Lim said. “I ran to try to hold her hand and they kicked me around like a ball.” However, Lim fought through the soldiers, armed with AK-47s, and grabbed his mom’s hand. “I said, ‘Mom I love you’ and Mom was bleeding so hard and she said, ‘Let me talk to my son,’” Lim said. “She told me, ‘Son, I want you to study hard whenever you have a chance. Education stays in your head. There is no way they can steal it from you. The money you make, it can be in your hand today, but the next day it could be in somebody else’s. Education is the investment for you.’ I said, ‘Mom I promise.’”

Those were the last words Lim would ever hear his mother say as he was dragged from her dying body and beaten with the rest of the family. “Nobody dared to help,” Lim said. “They had AK-47s, and they were pointing them at everybody.” Lim’s mom was not alone. According to Time magazine, the Khmer Rouge killed 2 million people, or almost a quarter of the population, while in power. Percentage-wise it was the bloodiest regime in history. “[After that,] I couldn’t eat and I couldn’t sleep,” Lim said. “Not enough food anyway.” Lim’s dad bribed two guards to try and escape to the Thai border. All he had to pay them with was a couple ounces of gold, which he had kept. The guards then took Lim’s remaining family and some villagers to try to escape. “We could not stay longer in that village,” Lim said. “So we went to the jungle, we slept in the jungle. We ate jungle fruit like bananas. We slept on rocks. When it rained, we would sleep under a big tree. We all got wet.” However, while trying to escape to Thailand, Lim’s group encountered a patrol of Khmer Rouge soldiers. Both defected soldiers who Lim’s dad had bribed were killed. “The soldiers were coming towards us to kill the whole village because we were betrayers,” Lim said. “Everybody said [to me], ‘Grab this rifle,’ but I did not know how to use the rifle. One of the old men, he was about 70,

Lim’s Languages • • • •

English Cambodian Vietnamese Thai

• • •

Laotian Mandarin Teochew (a Chinese dialect)

showed me how to use it. He showed me how to cock the gun, put ammunition in and then shoot. He said do it now because they are getting closer. So I was crying and shooting at the same time with my eyes closed. We finally escaped.” owever, Lim’s best friend, who was holding a .45 magnum, was shot and died after Lim dragged him to safety and tried to heal the wound. “If we didn’t fight, we would have gotten killed,” Lim said. “We didn’t have a choice. Lim’s group walked for a week alone in the jungle. Lim was assigned to carry the AK47, which went down to his knee when he put the strap over his shoulder. They finally reached the Thai border where they were arrested. The soldiers interrogated and beat the Cambodian refugees until they were put in a refugee camp. “They asked us what country do we want to go to start a new life,” Lim said. “I told my dad let’s go to Australia and my dad said no, we are going to the U.S.” Lim and his family went to the U.S. hoping to find one of Lim’s father’s old friends who could help them start a new life. “We went to the U.S. and my father tried to locate his friend in Washington, D.C., but he had moved from the address we had so we ended up in Texas,” Lim said. For the first three months in the U.S., Lim’s family received clothes and money from the International Rescue Committee. After that, they were on their own. Lim’s father worked at a factory making $3.50 an hour, struggling to pay a $350 monthly rent. “I had to work at daytime and go to school at night at El Centro College downtown,” Lim said. “I had to walk because I didn’t know how to ride a bus. But I learned fast how to remember the bus number and

use money. But we didn’t complain, we were very happy. We owe the United States for bringing us from hell.” Lim reconnected with a friend who had also escaped to the U.S. from Cambodia and learned that he could get a refugee scholarship from San Jose State University. “I went there to study and left my family behind,” Lim said. “I studied very hard every single day and tried to speak English every single day.” Lim returned to Texas after finishing his degree at San Jose State and became a crime prevention officer for 22 years with the Dallas Police Department. Speaking seven languages, Lim was responsible for encouraging victims, especially immigrants, to report crimes. He then took the job here in retirement. They used a bamboo stick, a big bamboo stick and hit her on the head. I ran to try to hold her hand and they kicked me around like a ball. security guard Kevin Lim

“[Lim] is very experienced,” Julious Conner, director of security and Lim’s supervisor, said. “That experience helps a lot here. Communicating with people and directing traffic, stuff like that.” Lim is now married and has a two-yearold daughter. One day, he hopes to return to the country he loves so much. “Since I left Cambodia I have never been back,” he said.” It’s safe to go back now. I want to go back one day, hopefully in a couple of years.”

surviving cambodia story by Phillip Montgomery, staff writer, additional reporting by Ryan O’Meara, issues editor | photo illustration by Andrew Gatherer, head photographer and Riley Graham, staff photographer

MAP COURTESY PHUKHAO ADVERTISING HATYAI-PHUKET

From Marcus Master Teacher Dr. Bruce Westrate

MAPPED Southeast Asia has been a hotbed for conflicts for years, peaking with the United States’ involvement there in the 1960s and early 1970s

Cambodia: A country’s tumultuous past

hey’re [the Khmer Rouge] communist guerrillas in Cambodia, which was a monarchy ruled by Prince Norodom Sihanouk. The communist Khmer Rouge were active in the jungles of Cambodia but they really had no power in the cities until Cambodia was destabilized by the Vietnam war taking place next door. > The one thing that was particularly vicious about the Khmer Rouge was the way they looked at the Cambodians who were in the cities. They tended to look upon them as foreigners. > This is why a lot of this promiscuous execution took place. They

delighted in taking the sophisticated people from the cities out into the countryside and working them to death or killing people simply because they happened to speak a foreign language or happened to wear eyeglasses — they must be an intellectual or something. > During the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese were using [Cambodia] as a place to stage attacks with impunity because they couldn’t be followed across the border. > Prince Norodom Sihanouk knew they were there but couldn’t do much about it. He didn’t want to risk his own throne.

> What eventually happened was he was overthrown by his own military and a military government took over led by a general named by Lon Nol. He maintained control in Cambodia’s cities during the time when America was phasing out of Vietnam. > The other regime was collapsing. It became kind of a vacuum. The same thing that happened in Cambodia happened in Vietnam. > Once the Americans went away, their support system went a way and it disintegrated and people just tried to get out. There was a vacuum created there into which the Khmer Rouge stepped.

Freshman Brannon Rouse will be attending Football University, an invitation-only camp, for the second straight year.

arts. Fine ARTS around campus

THE REMARKER | Friday, MAy 17, 2013 | PAGE 9

upcoming > Barry Manilow, Tonight, 8 p.m., Verizon Wireless Theater. It’s about. darn. time. The legendary singer of some of pop music’s eternal classics (we will never, ever tire of “Copacabana”) finally comes to Dallas for a night that your mom will surely never forget. > Rangers vs. Tigers, Tonight, 7:05 p.m., Ballpark in Arlington. If you can bear to miss the Manilow show, go out to Arlington to watch our boys take on the cats from the other D-town. > JAMBALAYA Festival, May 25, 5 p.m., Palladium Ballroom. For anyone expecting a day of delicious cajun rice, we’re sorry to disappoint. No actual jambalaya will be found at the Palladium’s JAMBALAYA Festival. Instead, enjoy a day of music

the

sketchbook

Japan, Keigo Kashima, will also be going back to Osaka as Spangler returns to Dallas.

The St. Mark’s/Hockaday production of Our Town ran from May 2-4 at Hockaday’s Clemens

TIM O’MEARA PHOTO

•••

Our Town cast

auditorium. This is the final production for seniors Shivum Agrawal, Will Altabef, Ryan Eichenwald, Michael Gohlke, Taubert Nadalini and Charles Thompson.

•••

Sophomore Blake Spangler will be returning from Japan next year after his year abroad at St. Andrew’s School in Osaka. Our foreign exchange student from

the

darkroom

HIS WORDS GRAHAM KIRSTEIN “I had noticed that my parents were kind of stressed lately and that inspired me to capture that emotion.”

The Armed Forces Club will participate in the Carry the Load relay on Memorial Day. This 1,700 mile relay has been divided into 350 5-mile segments and finishes in Dallas. The event is to bring meaning to Memorial Day by honoring the sacrifices made by members of the military, law enforcement officers, firefighters and their families while serving our country and communities.

•••

The Free the Children Club made around $850 in their last bake sale. They have also made around $300 in their change jar. These totals bring the club to a total of about $7,000 for the entire year.

> Guns N’ Roses, May 29, 10 p.m., House of Blues. Since none of the original band members remain, except, of course, the walking (nay, awkardly swaggering) pile of refuse that is Axl Rose, you’re paying for Guns N’ Roses in name only. You’ll essentially be seeing the empty, rotting husk of the band, but if it’s “Sweet Child O’ Mine” you want, then “Sweet Child O’ Mine” you shall receive. > Aziz Ansari, May 31, 8 p.m., Verizon Wireless Theater. Whether he’s riffing on Cold Stone or 50 Cent’s favorite fruits, Aziz Ansari is always the funniest guy in the room. After Blue Shirt Day, go ahead and take the drive out to Grand Prairie to see Ansari. Maybe his alter-ego Raaaaaaaandy will even make a wantonly profane appearance.

a roundup of people’s artistic accomplishments

Senior Robbey Orth has a painting on display in the Kennedy Center starting May 20. The painting, called COOTIES!, will be part of an exhibition run by the National Young Arts Foundation.

•••

this year’s leader placed on the Lower School Leadership Wall. The students elected Gandhi March 15 after researching, presenting and voting with their fellow lower schoolers. Gandhi beat out Rosa Parks, Benjamin Franklin and Neil Armstrong to take the fifth overall leader on the Leadership Wall in the Lower School foyer.

•••

The Marque Magazine of Arts and Letters came out this Tuesday. The Marque is meant to serve as a collection of the literary and artistic works produced by Upper School students and faculty members. Copies can be obtained from sponsor Lynne Weber.

•••

RO BB EY OR TH ARTWOR K

^Aziz Ansari

things to do in the Month ahead

from Tyler, the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, and former Outkaster Big Boi. It might not be spicy, but it will most definitely be so fresh, so clean. > Taylor Swift, May 25, 6:30 p.m., Dallas Cowboys Stadium. You’ve been listening to Red since October, and you’ve been watching the “Goat Sings Taylor Swift” YouTube videos since at least February. Now you have the chance to see the actual, non-goat Swift tear the opening ceiling off Jerry Jones’ Arlington Death Star. > FC Dallas vs. San Jose, May 25, 7:30 p.m., FC Dallas Stadium. If neither Big Boi nor T-Swizzle are gonna do it for ya on the 25th, head on up to Frisco to watch some hardcore soccer...ing. That’s a word, right?

Mahatma Gandhi has been selected to be

“

Curtis Burch '72

Brannon Rouse page 14

The St. Mark’s/ Hockaday One-Act Play, starring senior Taubert Nadalini, sophomore William Sydney and Hockaday junior Madison Kaminski was last Friday, May 10. It was a collection of three short scenes and was called All in The Timing.

I believed there was an audience for smart, character-based movies that were neither exploitative nor purely arty, Page 11

just

hangin’ out

with Toussaint pegues

Toussaint Pegues

Seventh grader Toussaint Pegues is known for his spot-on animal impressions and impeccable balancing skills. He sat down and shared his interests, pet peeves and some personal trivia with arts editor Cyrus Ganji.

ON MISTAKING HIS NAME FOR ‘TUSCON’ It is the most annoying thing ever when someone asks me, when I say my name, “Like in Arizona?” My name pretty much means “all saints” in French. ON HIS ANIMAL IMPRESSIONS The best reaction is when someone asks, “Did you hear that? Wait, that was you?!” It is the most humorous of humor when it takes people a long time to notice the sounds from me. ON HIS SIGNATURE ‘LOCKS’ (I’ve had them) about two or three years. A lot of people I meet — really young children — say, “I thought you were a girl from behind. ON MOVIES My favorite movie is Doctor Who: The End of Time. It’s the best because that’s when Doctor #10 regenerates. It is quite unfortunate. ON WHERE HE SEES HIMSELF IN 20 YEARS Still here. Teaching perhaps a musical class. ON PLAYING PIANO I’m the best musician ever. Beethoven ain’t got nothing on me... There isn’t really anyone I try to imitate. I mostly play songs from video games I play like Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. ON HOW HE BALANCES HIS BINDER ON HIS HEAD I’ve never told anyone before, but I’m a jedi. And I’m just that awesome.

top photos chosen from photography instructor scott hunt’s program

WHat Environmental portrait of Kirstein’s father.

HIS WORDS GRAHAM KIRSTIEN “I was trying to focus on something unique, as opposed to a cliché shot looking up at a building.”

WHat An architectural shot of the Shearith Israel temple.

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THE REMARKER | Friday, may 17, 2013 | PAGE 10

English teachers 11

summer plans 14

reviews 15

Pe r s h i n g

Always smiling All it takes is one free period each week to make a difference. Some Marksmen give up 45 minutes a week to be a teacher and, more importantly, a mentor to Pershing students.

THE SCOPE Marksmen expand their boundaries by aiding communities not normally within reach. By serving as mentors to Pershing Elementary children, students widen others’ scope of perception.

viewed from a St. Mark’s student’s perspective or the Pershing kids’ perspective, is part of the Community Service program’s outreach,” Marmion said. “What it does for the children is, it gives them some one-on-one time for academic help and mentoring, which they rarely receive. It also gives the students at St. Mark’s an opportunity to complete their Community Service requirements during the school day, which I think is important.” Alongside the benefit of completing Community Service hours, Marksmen are also able to practice their communication skills, due to many of the younger Pershing students being more comfortable speaking Spanish rather than English. “My favorite part of Pershing in hindsight will be the knowledge I have gained in how to teach and mentor people who are way younger than me, and some who don’t speak Enmost out of the class. One day Cristofer seemed kind of tired, glish,” Mankoff said. “So my communication skills are tested.” and he wasn’t doing his work. So, Bradley took him over and Both Mankoff and Smith acknowledge the kids’ advancetold him, ‘Cristofer, you’ve got to wake up,’ and ment in their academics, as well as in he made him do ten jumping jacks. Then he other fields of their education. However, tried to make Cris do pushup. Cristofer couldn’t there does remain room for improvement. do pushups. But he paid more attention after “I’d say little by little we are helping that.” them – and it’s really hard to have a proRegarding the material taught during found impact because we don’t see them Pershing sessions, Mankoff and Smith have enough – but we try to better kids and do been doing different variations of the same acthe right things, not just in making them tivities since the beginning of the year, so as to smarter but also in directing their manhelp the kids with speaking and writing numners,” Smith said. “We’ve noticed that a lot bers in English. of them don’t understand the notion of “The kids know Spanish numbers from one cheating. Unfortunately, the teacher can’t to 20, but don’t know how to say them in Enreally monitor that. At Pershing, we teach glish or write them,” Mankoff said. “Or, at least the kids to become individual thinkers.” they couldn’t at the beginning of the year. So Mankoff is trying to become more inwhat we do is we help the kids who are behind THE LEARNER Alexis volved in programs at school, such as the the learning curve, or who find themselves not Ayala is one of the members Pershing Community Service Program, of the kindergarten class at motivated to do the same activities that they are Pershing that Mankoff and in order to transmit the positive effect capable of.” eleven years at 10600 Preston Road has Smith teach. Pershing Community Service Program Dihad on him. rector and Foreign Language Department Chair “I’ve become so involved in the Nancy Marmion believes that both Pershing students and stu- Pershing program because St. Mark’s has given me so much,” dents here benefit from the program in several manners. Mankoff said, “So, it would be very selfish of me not to use the “The purpose, which depends on whether it is being free time I have to give back to other people.”

s sixth period progresses, junior Bradley Mankoff keeps his eye on the Great Hall clock. It’s a Thursday. On any other day of the week, Mankoff would finish his lunch and work into his seventh period free-period. Instead, he signs himself out at the Upper School Office. His reason for absence: tutoring, at the John J. Pershing Elementary School. Despite the sacrifice of his beloved free-period, Mankoff remains enthusiastic to teach, and his students are eager to learn. “Mi parte favorita es que yo puedo entender todo y ser muy inteligente,” Alexis Ayala, Mankoff ’s 6-year old student, said. My favorite part is that I can understand everything and become very smart.

Mankoff and sophomore Mason Smith have pledged their Thursday seventh period free-periods to tutor and mentor kindergarteners at Pershing, located along Meaders Lane. “When Mason and I walk in every Thursday,” Mankoff said, “the kids always stop whatever they’re doing and raise their hands and scream ‘Me, me, me, me, me,’ meaning I want to go with Bradley and Mason because they are more fun than the regular teacher. So I‘m pretty sure they look forward to our meetings every week.” Smith, who took a liking to teaching younger students during his freshman year volunteering at the Jubilee Park and Community Center, has found work at Pershing more than worth his effort and time. “I’d say my first impression of Pershing was a positive one,” Smith said. “It’s a lot different teaching kids…and for some of the kids, we’re teaching very basic things. I didn’t really know what Pershing was as a freshman, so I decided not to do it, but once I found that I really liked tutoring kids at Jubilee I continued with Pershing.” The bond Mankoff and Smith have developed with the youngsters at Pershing is not solely a tutor-to-student relationship, but more of a mentor-to-mentored bond. While Mankoff and Smith continuously place smiles on the Pershing students’ faces every Thursday, the kids reciprocate the action. “We have this one kid, Cristofer,” Smith said. “We’ve been working with him all year, and he’s probably improved the

Always Smiling story by Ford Robinson, campus coordinator, and Cyrus Ganji, arts editor | photos by Mason Smith, staff photographer

Class time (Far right) Mankoff engages his students in various classroom activities, closely monitoring each’s progress. His students are currently learning how to verbally count in English while also participating in class discussions and activities. The class has become accustomed to Mankoff and Smith’s weekly visits, and greet them enthusiastically. (Right) Junior Bradley Mankoff and sophomore Mason Smith pose alongside their Pershing kindergartners. The class consists of 23 six-year olds, to which Mankoff and Smith serve as mentors.

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w h a t

Wisdom ords of

t h e y

l i k e

t o

r e a d

English instructors invest much of their time making Marksmen better writers by analyzing literature and holding one-on-one writing conferences with their students. But, frequently, we fail to make a distinction between the instructor and the individual. Here are some favorite reads of the school’s English literati.

David Brown — Victor F. White Master Teacher, ap english language and composition, sophomore English

Scott Gonzalez — Provost, dean of campus, freshman English

have a lot of authors I like: Toni Morrison, William Trevor, Annie Proulx, John Updike and F. Scott Fitzgerald just to name a few. One of my favorites, however, is Alain de Botton. He’s a contemporary writer whose works have, more than any other, influenced my philosophy of teaching. He’s a fine writer who tackles philosophy and religion. His work, especially Religion for Atheists, has confirmed or revised my beliefs these past couple of years.

’ve taught Of Mice and Men so much that I’ve really grown fond of John Steinbeck. I’m politically aligned with his idea of rooting for the underdog, as my father helped educate migrant workers and taught me that it is our duty to support our fellow men. One of Steinbeck’s main themes also relates to lending a hand to those around you, so because of my philosophical and theological beliefs his work really resonates with me.

Bobbi Mailer — English Department chair, freshman English

Dr. Marta Napiorkowska — sophomore English, short fiction, gender studies, literature and society

really like A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I teach it to my tenth graders, and I think it’s a brilliant book. The more I read it, the more I see in it. This year, I also picked Star Wars and Philosophy for the summer reading seminars. I’m really interested in both Star Wars and philosophy. It’s a fun combination and I hope that the people who signed up for it also find it fun and interesting.

ome of my favorite works are The Odyssey, Omeros, Paradise Lost and The Canterbury Tales. Really, I like long works, because they are the most fun to study and I am blown away by the skill it takes to succeed with ambitious works. The reading of any good work of literature influences teaching because the themes are universal and the author’s craft is exceptional. I learn something new from each one, and, in one way or another, each finds its way into the classroom.

Some of their favorites

The Odyssey by Homer

The Privileges by Jonathan Dee

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Religion for Atheists by Alain de Botton

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Dr. Martin Stegemoeller — Malcolm and Melinda Brachman Master Teacher, literature and philosophy, sophomore English, AP English language and composition book that I really like and that kids might like is The Privileges by Jonathan Dee. I teach it to my seniors and it’s a really fun book and an easy read. Blood Meridian and All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy are also huge favorites of mine. Also, Give and Take by Adam Grant is a new book that I know kids will love. It deals with the benefits that come from being generous and charitable and how to cultivate generosity as a key virtue.

WORDS OF WISDOM Interviews by Aarohan Burma, copy editor, and Abhinav Thummala, staff writer | photos by Andrew Gatherer, head photographer

‘Words and Pictures’ Alum Curtis Burch ‘72 produces first film By Cole Gerthoffer arts editor When it comes to movie shoots, Vancouver, home to everything from three X-Men films to the upcoming Godzilla reboot, is certainly the place to be. Just ask Curtis Burch ’72, who, with his production company, Latitude Pictures, is currently producing his first film, Words & Pictures, in the British Colombian town. “A lot of movies shoot up here, but mostly big-budget tent-pole movies,” Burch said of Vancouver, “Since we have the kind of script that they rarely see up here, we were able to attract the very best in terms of crew, by which I mean camera department, art department, makeup and hair, etc.” Words & Pictures tells the tale of two teachers, played by Oscar-winner Juliette Binoche (The English Patient, Chocolat) and Golden Globe-winner Clive Owen (Closer, Sin City), at a private school “not unlike St. Mark’s,” as Burch describes. “They both, for completely different reasons, are precluded from doing the work they love and must come to terms with what they think defines a successful life, their work or who they are as people,” Burch said of the film’s story, “And it is only through their love for each other that the potential for redemption exists.”

Burch claims that the film’s smart story is what made Words & Pictures right for Latitude’s first picture. “I created Latitude because I believed there was an audience for smart, character-based movies that were neither exploitative nor purely arty,” said Burch, “Words and Pictures is exactly that kind of story.” Burch is not Words & Pictures sole producer, however. “This movie is not only Latitude’s first movie,” said Burch, “but it’s the first movie of a partnership between Latitude and Dallas-based Lascaux films, run by Dr. Richard Toussaint and local film critic Gary Cogill, who have been great heroes to us in terms of getting the movie up and running.” Ultimately, Burch says that filming Words & Pictures has been “one of the most professional and happy working experiences any of us have experienced before,” with thanks in large part to the incredible dedication of the award-winning cast. “It has been an absolutely shocking experience,” said Burch, “Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche have given so much to this movie and have worked so hard to make it as good as it can possibly be. They are both absolutely wonderful and decent human beings.n’t say it if it weren’t true.”

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perspective on key issues

[ depart

THE REMARKER | Friday, may 17, 2013

FLASH FORWARD Surprising the school community, longtime instructor, Science Department Chair and Student Council sponsor Stephanie Barta announced that this year will be her last on campus. Combined with the three other long-tenured teachers, more than 130 years of experience will depart after Commencement, leaving a hole to be filled when school starts again.

Stephanie Barta: 34 years | ‘A GRAND LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE SCHOOL.’

hen 24-year-old Stephanie Barta received a phone call in the summer of 1974 from a headmaster in Dallas,

Texas, asking her to teach, she hung up. She thought it was a prank. After all, it’s not every day a top Texas day school calls a graduate student at Montana University. But former Headmaster Ed Whatley did not give up — he had heard from the head of the Biology Department at Montana that Barta would be a great fit. So he called her back and convinced her to come for an interview. The rest, as they say, is history.

ONWARD Faculty moving on Julia Dade

Upper School Administrative Assistant Years here 11 To where? To make use of her new master’s degree in human resources training and development.

What is the thing you’ll miss most? “I absolutely love

working with such bright young minds. It’s energizing and a great blessing to my heart.” Favorite memory? “The first one is watching my ‘first’ outdoor graduation ceremony on the Commencement Green, and seeing all the seniors walk by in their white tuxedos. I still smile just thinking about it.”

Dr. Robert Kenyon

Director of Academic Information Services Years here 15 To where? All Saints School, Fort Worth What is the thing you’ll miss most? “It isn’t profound, but the food is really really good here — be grateful.”

Thing you’re most proud of? “I am most proud of

having suggested the change of one word in Lion Tracks: from ‘girl’ to ‘date.’ Students may now bring ‘a date’ rather than ‘a girl’ to functions. One word can make a monumental difference.”

Laura Day

Director of Community Service Years here Two To where? Hockaday School

How relationship with Marksmen will change? “I will still be very close with St. Mark’s because it is still a joint program. I will see the St. Mark’s students multiple times a week at various collective projects.” Favorite project? “I think the Austin Street dinners are always amazing. Being able to share meals that have been raised by McDonald’s Week and have the band play is amazing.”

— compiled by Sam Khoshbin, creative director

“They bought me a ticket to come and interview, and I came and fell in love with the place,” Barta said. “I wasn’t trained to teach, I just figured out how to do it. At the end of the first year, I thought I would go back to school and do research. But what kept me here were the boys. I realized that if you influence bright minds to do good things, they would go out into the world and make a difference.” In her 39 total years here — she took five years off for her kids, Barta has done it all. She’s headed the Science Department since 1989 and has served as Director of Summer Programs and as Student Council sponsor. While her departure will leave big shoes to fill in many facets of school life, Barta knows it’s the right time to leave. “I’ve gotten to a point in my life where things are going well in school but where there are changes,” Barta said. “My husband retired a couple years ago, so I’d like to have quality time to spend with him while we’re both still healthy. I have two young grandchildren that I’d like to be around more. Summer camp has rolled into a time that is easy to hand over and I think the Science Department is in a strong place right now, too. I’m at the end of a grand love affair with the school.” Barta understands students’ worries about changes in the Student Council, the Science Department and summer camps but is confident that the transitions will go smoothly. “Mr. Holtberg has been taking applications for Science Stephanie Barta Department Head and will decide whether we’ll have an interim or a long-term person,” she said. “We’ll know before school ends. For Student Council, Dr. Westrate will want another person to work with, so we will find a new co-adviser. Finally, the Summer Camps Program is waiting for a new license, so that program will be decided down the road.” For Barta, there are so many memories that it’s hard to pick one that will stick with her. But all of her favorite memories involve people. “I feel like this person who’s been filling a box with little memories for almost 39 years when I’ve been involved with the school,” Barta said. “Every single class I have memories with. I love to see students come back. I teach students now whose fathers I thought. It’s cool to see family continuity but I also love meeting new kids and new people.” When Barta thinks of her sons—fraternal twins who graduated in 1999—she becomes emotional. “They were here 12 years and every one of those memories is really cool, from the time they were first graders riding on a senior’s shoulders to the time they were seniors.” It’s impossible to put the legacy of Barta — who is affectionately called Mother Barta by students — into words. Hundreds of students through the years have sat on the iconic green couch in her office and talked out personal and school problems with Mother Barta. And she hopes that it’s these moments that define her legacy. “I think I’ve encouraged students to find their inner voice and stick up for themselves. I’ve always tried to walk in the shoes in my students as well as being the adult who was kicking their butts or giving them a hug — whatever they needed at the time. I will never forget my students.” STEPHANIE BARTA by Aidan Dewar, managing editor | photos by Andrew Gatherer, head photographer

Cindy Ferguson: 23 years From library beginnings to rooms full of eighth graders

By Charlie Golden senior content editor

or Cindy Ferguson, the decision to retire was simple. “My husband retired this year, and I refuse to continue getting up at 6 every morning when he gets to sleep in,” she joked. “That’s being facetious, but really, I have two children that are married and that live close by,” she said. “I have three little grandchildren who still think it’s really cool to come hang out with Mimi. I just think this is the right time.” The right time, the conclusion of this year, marks the end of a 23-year chapter of Ferguson’s life that took place at 10600 Preston Road. Many know the chapter’s end: respected humanities teacher connects with hundreds of eighth graders. However, not many people know that Ferguson’s time here started through a different venue—the library. “I originally intended to be a librarian and had gotten a masters in library science,” she said, “and I really enjoyed that a lot, but I found out that I really liked teaching. The kids would come over for library help. And then I taught sixth graders. And then I found my place where I really should have been the whole time.” Cindy Ferguson For Ferguson, the most rewarding experience has been watching students become inspired. “Once in a while, I get a moment where all of a sudden, a boy has latched onto something really cool, and he’s kind of excited about it,” she said. “When you’ve connected with a student, that makes you feel like you’ve really done something good.” And while her final days may feel somewhat odd, she finds comfort in knowing that she will keep herself plenty busy in retirement. “I plan to just go back and do all that stuff that I haven’t had time or energy to do,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to learn to speak Spanish. I’ve done ceramics in the past and I’d also like to learn how to do mosaic tile work. I think it would be really cool to be a master gardener because I love working in the yard. “I’ll probably have to take some classes. I can’t quit.”

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With the departure of four key faculty members, students will lose 137 years of school experience. In their final days on campus, the four look back on their time at 10600 Preston Road.

John Stutsman: 40 years math, five sports, 30 pecos trips and technology leader

Alice Oltrogge: 40 years four decades of shaping lower schoolers into men

By Aidan Dewar managing editor

By Dylan Clark editor-in-chief

n 40 years here, John Stutsman has done it all. He’s taught every math class at the school. He’s coached swimming, sailing, volleyball, baseball and water polo, winning two State Polo Championships. He’s been on 30 Pecos Wilderness trips and seen two sons graduate from the school. And he’s enjoyed every minute. “Teaching at St. Mark’s is like being in Never Never Land,” Stutsman said. “No one ever ages. The seniors all wear blue shirts, underclassmen wear white. “So you don’t feel like you’re aging until these old guys come back. An old guy will walk up to you and say, ‘Hey, Mr. Stutsman.’ And I’ll say, ‘Oh, please don’t tell me I taught you. How old are you?’ So now that I’m leaving, I’m worried that everything around me will start aging.” Stutsman came to the school as a 28-yearJohn Stutsman old when the school was in search of a math teacher with computer knowledge — and he has continued to play a huge role in the campus technology program during his whole career. But he didn’t originally think he would stay for so long. “At the start I was looking for a college job,” he said. “But I realized that the students and facilities that we have here are better than most colleges’.” Stutsman knows it is time to retire — his wife retired last year, and he wants to travel with her and their children and grandkids. But he hopes the school stays the same when he’s gone. “I’d want the school to always get the same high-caliber students,” he said. “That’s the joy of teaching here. It’s always been the joy.”

hen former Fine Arts Chair Tony Vintcent was first trying to get Ackerman Family Master Teaching Chair in Lower School Alice Oltrogge to work here in 1965, he was met with hesitance from the prospective arts instructor. “I kept saying ‘No’ because I was trying to get flights to see the art treasures of the world,” she said. “But I said, ‘Ok, I’ll come out and take a look.’” Her willingness to come led to an experience that changed her mind. “I walked into a second grade classroom and they were studying shells. There was a little blind boy,” she said. “He was feeling the shells and then typing about them. That was the turning point of me saying ok, because I thought, ‘This school has got to be pretty special if they can make an exception of some sort.’ That was what turned the scale.” The day she decided to come here led to more than just a happy career at 10600 Preston Road. It led to her husband, Gene Oltrogge, who was a math instructor and wrestling coach when she started, and it led to getting to watch their children grow as Marksmen. Now, Oltrogge is making men out of her last crop of Lower School students. As they finish their final projects, she can’t help looking back on her days here. At the same time, she’s ready for what’s next. “I haven’t wrapped my mind around it,” she said. “There’s no precipitating event that told me it was time, but the reason is that Gene and I would like to do some of the things people do in retirement. We’re going to see where we Alice Oltrogge get led. We know we’re going to travel, and I’m going to get into some of my hobbies, like birdwatching.” Asked what she’ll miss the most, Oltrogge knew immediately. “That word excellence is so overused. I’ve never taught anywhere else, but that thirst for knowledge is not always there. But it is there in every child it seems at St. Mark’s. The neatest thing for me is when you see that light go on.”

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My Mrs. Barta moment

’ve heard Marksmen say a lot of different things when they find out a beloved teacher is retiring. There’s the classic no way, the elongated whaaat and even the occasional curse. But standing in Ray’s office on April 24 with Dylan Clark and Ryan O’Meara, reading the email Mr. Holtberg sent to faculty informing them of Mrs. Barta’s retirement, I heard something completely foreign to that context. Absolute silence. After about 15 seconds, the hackneyed responses came, but it took time for us to absorb the figurative blow. Because for everyone in that room, even though the blow didn’t really exist, when compared to reading those short, uncomfortable two sentences, a punch to the stomach would have felt better. ••• Stephanie Barta has done an absurd amount of amazing things for this school. She’s done so much that, sitting here trying to adequately pay her homage, her chairing of the Science Department and running Day Camp for over two decades seem like footnotes. I stumbled through it in charlie assembly a couple weeks ago, and Golden I’ll say it better here: Mrs. Barta is our mother. She is so helpful, so caring and so compassionate that, beyond my mother and my grandmother, I literally cannot think of a more significant motherly influence in my life. Her amazing teaching is only the beginning. It’s her dedication and her care for her students that make Mrs. Barta — well — Mrs. Barta. There’s not even a word for it. We have so many phenomenal teachers here who pour their hearts and souls into making this place the absolute best it can be, but I feel completely comfortable in saying that there has never been, nor will there ever be, a teacher at this school more wholeheartedly behind the interests of the students or more committed to their daily happiness. Everyone can appreciate her wit and her dedication, but it’s the unique moments that so many of us have individually shared with her that make her so special. For me, that moment came halfway through freshman year, at about 10:15 am. ••• The day was probably in mid-February when I truly realized how much there was to love and respect about Mrs. Barta. We were in biology, discussing something about cows, and I had been raising my hand for almost 20 minutes, waiting to ask whatever question I had. Eventually, I lost focus. I turned to Carson Pate behind me and started joking around while she was explaining a concept to another student, and, desperate to have a laugh while waiting to finally be called on, I let it slip out. I started mooing. Lasered in on making Carson laugh, I failed to notice what would become an infamous question for weeks to come. “Golden, are you mooing in my class?” I couldn’t respond with anything but a sheepish yes. “Get out of my classroom, please.” I couldn’t believe it. I had an A+ in biology. Mrs. Barta knew I was Freshman Class president. Kids had been misbehaving way worse than I had without ever getting kicked out. Hell, I hadn’t ever even been kicked out of class before. Why was she doing this to me? I had no other recourse but to shamefully hide in the bathroom, afraid someone might see me, counting down ten of the longest minutes of my life, waiting for class to end. Getting kicked out really bothered me for the rest of that day, but it didn’t take me long to realize that she was enforcing a message I realize is so central to the school’s mission: no matter how well you’re doing, you can always do better. And while I’m not claiming always to model perfect classroom behavior (sorry, Dr. Balog), that instance still remains the only time I’ve been kicked out of class. That’s my Mrs. Barta moment. ••• Standing in Ray’s office, I knew the reason that reading that email hurt so much. It was knowing that future Marksmen would never have a Mrs. Barta moment. I felt like this was yet another step in the school losing its identity with the departure of so many key figures. Just since I’ve been here, we’ve lost Tom Adams, Larry Cavitt, Jeanie Laube, Henry Ploegstra, Jerry Lacey, and now Mrs. Barta, with Mr. Holtberg soon to follow. Every one of those teachers has rightly been described as synonymous with St. Mark’s. With the retirement of the four teachers featured in this centerspread, that’s over 130 years of St. Mark’s experience gone in one year. So how could this be anything other than the school becoming less St. Mark’s? It took a few days, but I found my answer. ••• Before reading that email, my conception of the school had been as an institution ultimately defined by a list of central figures and key players. After thinking about it, I realized that I was wrong. It’s not any of that. If anything, it’s more like a novel, a revolving door of amazing people and life-shaping discussions. As the current legends and legacies leave, they are inevitably replaced by new amazing instructors. It’s going to hurt not having Mrs. Barta on Student Council next year. And whoever fills in her role will never be called her replacement, because Mrs. Barta is irreplaceable. No standing ovation in assembly, no number of hugs from students will fill the void she will leave. But I find solace in the fact that this institution will remain great in spite of the departure of so many amazing people. And I take comfort in knowing that the impact they have made will live on in the lives of those they taught. When we return to school in August and she’s not here, I won’t worry. I know the school will move on. And more importantly, I know I’ll never forget my Mrs. Barta moment.

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p l a n s

The boys of summer T

his summer, Marksmen athletes will sweat it out on the football field, run hundreds of miles through the neighborhoods of Preston Hollow or simply pump iron at the gym. Another will work hard at the auto shop, while others will fight jet lag and altitude to reach the elusive top of Macchu Picchu. Whether they’re working hard in the classroom, refurbishing a car, or indulging in other passions,

Marksmen across the board are all finding ways to broaden their horizons. Here’s a look at how nine have structured their time:

Top: (from left to right) Ryan Eichenwald and Zach Alden Right: Brannon Rouse Center: Hilario Vargas Top Right: (from left to right) Mason Smith, Matthew Conley, Martin Pulido, Adam Merchant Far Right: Jonathan Ng

Alden, eichenwald

brannon rouse

Hilario Vargas

travelers

jonathan ng

Refurbishing vintage car

Football camp

Auto repairs with dad

Exploring Peru

Writing workshop

ursuing a passion for cars, seniors Zach Alden and Ryan Eichenwald will spend lots of time this summer bringing a 1951 Chevy Deluxe convertible back on the road. According to Eichenwald, the car is fully functional. With a working battery, airconditioning and lights, the duo is ready to go. “It’s not exactly street legal,” Alden said, “and as far as just appearance goes, it’s not optimal. There’s always room for improvement. We bought it with the intention of fixing it up and reselling it to make some money. It’s only slightly scuffed up.” The two look to replace the mirrors, seats, chrome and soft-top. With hard work, they acknowledge they can bring the car to glory days. “It started two years ago,” Alden said. “We were thinking of doing something interesting — some sort of lasting high school project.”

ooking to make an impact on the varsity football team, freshman Brannon Rouse will be attending Football University, an invitation-only camp, for the second straight year. “You have to be invited to the camp, and if you do well you can get invited to their TOP GUN camp,” Rouse said. “You go in and learn from the coaches and then execute what you learned on the field.” The camp, held at Dublin Jerome High School in Dublin, Ohio this year July 18-20, selects the top football athletes in the nation. “All coaches were either pro coaches or athletes,” Rouse said. “TOP GUN has about 700 high school players and 700 middle school players.” Last year, Rouse was named the best linebacker in his age group at the camp, and he looks for similar success this year.

ophomore Hilario Vargas will spend much of this summer helping out his dad in the family’s car repair shop. Beyond the regular busy work of fetching tools and picking parts, Vargas keeps a positive attitude by keeping himself available to help. “What I find most challenging is usually when they ask me to do something I’ve only done once or twice,” Vargas said. “If it’s using the welding machine or the cutting wheel to cut something up, I freak out.” Vargas takes pride in that he has the opportunity to pursue something that most people don’t know much about — auto reapairs. “I look forward to being able to have this experience of helping around the body shop,” Vargas said, “It’s just something I really enjoy.”

ver the summer, sophomores Mason Smith, Mathew Conley, Adam Merchant and eighth grader Rish Basu will travel to Peru to immerse themselves in a different culture. “I am going to go to Peru because I cherish all opportunities to experience new cultures and get out of the Dallas bubble,” Smith said. “I love visiting foreign places and the unknown experiences and memories they can give you.” They will leave for Peru for two full weeks on June 9 and return to Dallas on June 23. “More importantly, I want to improve my spanish speaking,” Smith said, “learn more about the language, and also have another opportunity to go on a cool trip for my photography.” The Marksmen will live in Cusco, Peru with a Spanish speaking family for the majority of the trip, exploring the city while embarking on a hike to the top of the world famous tourist site Macchu Picchu.

o improve his writing, junior Jonathan Ng will be attending a writer’s conference at Yale University for two weeks. “I’ll be workshopping some of my pieces,” Ng said, “and discussing other people’s work and writing a lot.” The conference allows young writers to get input from well-known writers from magazines like the New Yorker and Time. ”Not only do I want to improve my writing ability but I want commentary on my work,” Ng said. “I definitely want to pursue writing as some sort of a passion.” The workshop is well known and participants receive one on one individual sessions with very prestigious authors.

Boys of summer story by Shourya Kumar, deputy editorial director and Philip Montgomery, staff writer | photos by Andrew Gatherer, head photographer and Mason Smith, photographer

Hunt’s students claim seventh straight title

Photography program named best in state by ATPI

RILEY GRAHAM PHOTO MAX WOLENS PHOTO

raphers in the state. “There’s also a program called the Texas Image Maker Team, or the top ten high school photographers in the state, which is determined over the course of the school year,” Hunt said. “This year, four of the ten were Marksmen, and they were Max Wolens, Halbert Bai, Riley Graham and Blake Robins.” The 14 photographers who entered work into the state competition were Arno Goetz, Graham Kirstein, Alden James, Mason Smith, Riley Graham, Max Wolens, Halbert Bai, Blake Robins, Nick Brodsky, Reid Stein, Richard Eiseman, Charles Thompson, Michael Gilliland and Otto Clark-Martinek.

HALBERT BAI PHOTO

more than two pictures from any one person, and once they’re submitted, they’re judged with a point system.” Marksmen submitted portfolios in four of the seven categories – portrait/people, landscape, still-life and a thematic surrealism. “At the end of the point total we had tied with Allen High School, and so the judges took our 40 images and their 40 images and made a decision of which school had better pictures,” Hunt said. “They chose us, so that meant that this is our seventh consecutive year as the top program in the state.” Of the 14 photographers that submitted work, four were recognized amongst the top ten photog-

BLAKE ROBINS PHOTO

By Cyrus Ganji arts editor Excellence is rarely traditional. It first entered the Photo Lab in 2006, when Photography Instructor Scott Hunt’s program was named the Association of Texas Photography’s “Top Program.” The title stuck. On May 4, the Photography Program received its seventh consecutive state award, winning from conjoined work by 14 photographers. “There are seven potential photo categories to choose from,” Hunt said. “Schools submit four portfolios – they’ll pick four different categories, with ten pictures in each. The portfolio may not have

Some winning entries

reviews

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the remarker | Friday, may 17, 2013

[ a p p

Welcome to the

FRIEND

ZONE

When Facebook took the world by storm almost ten years ago, social networking changed from activity to necessity. Here’s a look at some of the apps you probably didn’t know have released since.

Path Just when we thought the “share

what you feel” concept for social networking apps had been beaten to death, Path finds its way into the spotlight, even while offering literally nothing out of the ordinary.

r e v i e w s ]

Seesaw With Seesaw, making decisions with your friends’ help is awful, then cool, then awful again. Users deciding between two things post a question, often with accompanying photos, which others can then vote on. But the problem with the app is that most people don’t care enough to help a friend choose between equally-atrocious handbags. And if someone actually needs to make a decision about something relevant, let’s be honest, they don’t need the world’s help.

With an admittedly easy-to-use interface, Path takes everything once original about Facebook and simply vomits it onto a cooler-looking app. And although that’s fantastic for

social networking hipsters, the rest of us value functionality over obscurity. Path can’t succeed unless people start using it, so until then, Facebook will have to do.

the app effectively convinced 100 million people that they’re now photographers. Vine, although known as “Instagram for video” doesn’t do that at all. It gives users seven seconds of recording time, which can be used all at once, or in separate clips of the same video. Either way, the simplicity makes the finished product a lot of fun. This one’s a social networking game-changer.

Vine Instagram revolutionized photo sharing, but by allowing people to put filters on their photos,

Twitter Music Although Twitter may be too mainstream for some people, its taste in music allows for the most personalized artist-discovery app we’ve seen so far. By breaking its music into different categories, the app covers a wide variety of songs on a daily basis. And since Twitter Music also lets me see what my friends are listening to, it covers just about every level of artist-popularity within a range of genres. With a simple tap on Demi Lovato’s face, I can hear a 90-second preview of her hit single “Heart Attack,” as well as tweet my #NowPlaying to the world. Or, you know, I could keep that information to myself.

Find My Friends Find My Friends, simply put, is the people version of Find My iPhone. Made by Apple itself, this location-based app allows the late-comer at a football game to find his friends in the stands, the 14-year-old

to know how close his father is to picking him up from school, and the toddler at the grocery store to locate his mommy, assuming he owns an iPhone and knows how to operate it.

app reviews by Nabeel Muscatwalla, reviews specialist

[ g r e a t

g a t s b y

r e v i e w s ]

‘Gatsby’ soundtrack thrills, movie chills Luhrmann’s good-looking ‘Gatsby’ runs out of gas

he last time a beloved novel was adapted into an extravagant, 3D blockbuster, it involved a boat, a tiger and four Academy Awards. Yes, last fall’s Life of Pi, if absolutely nothing else, proved that it is, in fact, possible to craft a lavish, artis-

tic, CGI-heavy film out of a literary hours have already ensured that classic and still retain the book’s you’re too anesthetized to even give heart and spirit. a rip about Fitzgerald’s no-lonUnfortunately, if the Life of Pi ger-endearing characters or what film was a worthy, deserving comhappens to them. panion to the book, Baz Luhrmann’s The cast certainly tries its new Great Gatsby film can’t hold a darndest. Leonardo DiCaprio, in single, gold-plated candle to F. particular, does a fantastic job of Scott Fitzgerald’s original opus. capturing Gatsby’s charm and “endWith its stunning sets and less capacity for hope.” All the accostumes set to the bombastic tors, for that matter, bring excellent, tunes of Jay-Z, Beyoncé and accurate flair to their characters, Jack White, the film is certainly be it the frightening machismo Joel a rollercoaster. But a two-and-aEdgerton brings to Tom Buchanhalf-hour rollercoaster ride bean or the appropriately grating comes exhausting (and nauseatditzyness Isla Fisher gives Myrtle ing) as quickly as you’d expect. Wilson. Try as they might, though, Luhrmann, whose storytellthe actors are nothing more than ing has always taken backseat to puppets on Luhrmann’s overblown his showcasing, spends so much stage, and their characters still feel time focusing on his precious as hollow as everything else. style that the film’s heart feels If you really, really want to ripped out, Indiana Joneslike The Great Gatsby, then it’s style, in favor of more shots of probably possible to look past the digitally-enhanced hot rods or over-stylization, the lack of any real bizarre dubstep-infused party substance and the sheer exhaustmontages. ing-ness of it all. Otherwise, the film Only one, lonely scene is is just a bright-yellow, souped-up filmed without some obnoxious Rolls Royce with a stalled engine. stylistic flourish or montage. Apparently, the green light And by the time Gatsby’s one doesn’t always mean “go.” understated scene rolls around, the film’s first two fatiguing — Cole Gerthoffer, arts editor

C+

[ r e s t a u r a n t

Bite Sized The best frozen yogurt in DFW

Reviews compiled by Nabeel Muscatwalla, Matthew Conley and Cyrus Ganji

Boasting its unlimited sample cups and contemporary interior design, Red Mango is probably the most pretentious yogurt place we’ve ever seen. Its celebration of honey-mandarin combos with egg-based top-

pings is an explosion of culturally-influenced flavor that only beekeepers and Oompah Loompas could possibly enjoy. I don’t know if they even sell vanilla.

Walking into Pinkberry legitimately feels like a dream. The pink and green-pebbled floor, the Cali-style entrance – great aesthetic decisions, gents. The

JAY-Z-CURATED SOUNDTRACK IS THE PERFECT PARTY-STARTER

hen director Baz Luhrmann released the first preview for his rendition of The Great Gatsby, many confused music critics viewed the pop and hip-hop-laden soundtrack as a complete desecration of the classic vintage novel. However, when Luhrmann and executive producer Jay-Z revealed the rest of the soundtrack and their intentions, the pieces began to fall into place. The two wanted to bring the energy and vibe of jazz in the twenties to modern day viewers, and they felt the only way to do that was to replace such jazz with today’s pop and hip-hop. To quote Luhrmann, “In our age, the energy of jazz is caught in the energy of hip-hop.” Musically, the album as a whole is decent. Standouts include Lana Del Rey’s smooth and cinematic “Young and Beautiful” as well as

Sia’s gorgeous ballad “Kill and Run.” Florence and The Machine’s emotional track “Over the Love” features amazing vocals and is dotted with minute references to the film itself, only solidifying its standout role. Will.i.am, Fergie and Nero bring a dance and electronic sound to the album, which although occasionally seems a bit too contemporary, fits

well with the general theme of excessive partying throughout the movie. Unfortunately, there are a few letdowns. Beyoncé and André 3000’s stale and bland cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” is just downright awful, and Gotye’s “Hearts a Mess” truly is “a mess,” because he tries to fuse an upbeat jazz beat with Gotye’s dark and emotional vocals. From a purely musical perspective, the album is sporadically genius: a few guaranteed hits scattered among a dozen or so relatively mediocre tracks. However, from the point of a movie soundtrack, the album is spot-on. Jay Z and Luhrmann have done a great job bringing back the excitement of jazz through modern music, while at the same time keeping it relatively appropriate for such a film.

B+

— Nick Buckenham, staff writer

r e v i e w s ]

Good try Yogurtville. You exhibited great effort, masterful copying abilities and a particular skill in mass-producing thousands of mediocre froyo flavors. But we can see right

A-

mouthwatering, trance-inducing frozen yogurt, just too good to describe. And we’re not even being sarcastic. We reviews guys can’t even describe it.

B-

through you. Look – maybe we would spare a visit whenever Pinkberry’s too far away, but, sadly, contrary to your motto, you aren’t the coolest place in the ‘ville.

TCBY may not be “serve yourself” yogurt, but after all, who’s more fit to serve you than someone with experience in the industry? Exactly. TCBY’s soft serve is just that, not

to mention the massive range of toppings and cones. Although it may not be as hyped as the other yogurt places in the area, it’s a must have. After all, it is the country’s best.

commentary on student affairs

THE REMARKER | friday, may 17, 2013 | PAGE 16

Planetarium 16

Heat Index 17

Sevilla Cartoon 18

zuyva sevilla

[editorials]

An underused gold mine Planetarium allows for virtually any imaginable presentation and promotes interdisciplinary studies

ery few schools can offer their students a hightech planetarium, a dome in the corner of the campus that currently serves only constellation-loving astronomy buffs. Only Lower Schoolers and students enrolled in astronomy-related science courses regularly use the facility to see constellations. In reality, the new projecting and computer system has turned the facility into a stateof-the-art, IMAX-quality theater that can fly the audience over ancient cities, to legendary battlegrounds and through the human body. This facility should serve as a valuable resource for all academic disciplines — not just for students enrolled in the science courses offered by the school. Interdisciplinary opportunities •• • •• ••

English students could see real-life settings of fictional novels. History students could visit ancient settlements and legendary battlegrounds. Foreign language students could practice listening comprehension skills and hear star stories from various cultures.

The newly revamped planetarium can promote interdisciplinary studies by serving as a valuable resource for many more courses. Liberal arts studies in particular could use the brand-new facility to enhance a plethora of students’ learning experiences. The English Department could use the planetarium to show students settings of fictional novels. For example, sophomores reading Life of Pi could see the stars that Pi describes above him. Students studying Romeo and Juliet could see the exact same moon that Juliet stands under. Students could see the real-life settings of their novels. The History Department and Middle School Humanities Program could employ the planetarium’s panoramas, which can take the audience to any place on the planet. Sixth graders studying ancient civilizations could visit ancient Mesopotamian settlements and modern-day excavation sites. Students studying the Battle of Gettysburg could visit the

dome and see the battleground around them. In a series of 360-degree panoramas, they could see troop movements and battle strategy. The Foreign Language Department could use the facility for students to hear star stories of constellations from various cultures. Green Master Teacher Dr. Stephen Balog already has obtained movies in Spanish, so students could also watch movies in foreign languages to practice listening comprehension. hese are only a few ways instructors could utilize the facility. The planetarium can be used for virtually any imaginable presentation for any course or interdisciplinary study. Combined with teachers’ creativity, the new digital system could allow for endless possibilities. Of course, there is one limitation: training of faculty members. The planetarium’s digital system seems difficult to use. The apparent complicated nature of the digital system makes many instructors reluctant to create their own presentations for their classes.

See “Dimming the lights: planetarium” for Commentary Editor Vishal Gokani’s personal experience in the planetarium, Commentary, p.17

In reality, the digital system is very simple and easy to master with proper orientation. According to Balog, instructors will be ready to deliver presentations after a brief demonstration. In fact, the facility is so easy to use that students have created and delivered their own planetarium presentations with minimal instruction. We hope instructors consider the limitless potential of the underused planetarium. Even one short presentation can greatly improve students’ understanding of a historical event, biological concept, foreign language or work of literature. In a world where interdisciplinary learning is key and technology enhances education, we believe the school’s state-of-the-art planetarium has the power to fuel greater intellectual understanding, curiosity and passion.

leadership and ethics council

Interested students encouraged to take initiative

n years past, because of the exclusive nature of the school’s Leadership and Ethics program, the program has only been open to a select few students. However, juniors Vishal Gokani and Sam Perkins have attempted to reverse this selectiveness by creating the Leadership and Ethics Council (L.E.C.), a program completely open to all Upper School students. The L.E.C., with the guidance of Leadership & Ethics Program

Director Dr. John Perryman, Brachman Master Teacher Dr. Martin Stegemoeller and the program’s assistant director, Amy Reck, hopes to make the school community more closeknit: Upper School students will spend more time with both Lower and Middle School students to help promote interdivisional activity. Interested students are encouraged to submit a brief See “Choosing the Right Path,” News, p. 6

application for the L.E.C. to any of the previously mentioned people. And later, Upper School students who continue to express involvement in the L.E.C. will be considered for higher positions within the school’s leadership program. This is a rare opportunity for interested Marksmen to make a difference in their campus community. We think this involvement of more of the student body is a step in the right direction. Now it’s up to us to take advantage of it.

TIGHTLY-KNIT Leadership and Ethics Council Co-Chairs Vishal Gokani and Sam Perkins aim to promote interdivisional interaction and create an even more tightly-knit community.

commentary

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the remarker | Friday, may 17, 2013

vishal

Dimming the lights: planetarium

Gokani

he planetarium’s orange lights dimmed. The atmosphere of dusk quieted the Day Campers, who were packed into the dome. The stars appeared. I’d seen it a million times. In Lower School, Dr. Balog told us the ancient Greek myths and showed us the constellations in the sky-high tapestry of stars. But now it was my turn. Around us, a panorama of ancient Greek ruins was projected on the horizon, setting the tone. Kids stared at me from all around. I took a deep breath and dove into the story.

As a storyteller at Day Camp, I aimed to mesmerize kids with ancient myths. Over the last few summers, the job gave me the opportunity to practice my public-speaking and storytelling skills. And now, for the first time, I was delivering my own planetarium presentation. Using the planetarium’s special effects, I told the story of Perseus, who fought the snake-haired Medusa. There’s something special about the planetarium atmosphere,

that feeling of storytime at dusk, that soothes the audience. The planetarium is one of the most magical places we have on campus. It can take the audience to any place on the planet and fly the viewers through the universe with high-quality graphics. It’s also rarely used. I used to think the dome was underused because I had only seen Dr. Balog run it. That day at camp, I realized how wrong I was.

Before the presentation, I spent a couple minutes with Dr. Balog, who showed me how to work the planetarium. The new digital system is really just a simple software. He taught me how to play music and IMAX-style movies, fly the audience around the universe and display 360-degree panoramas. After the brief crash course, I was set. I used those skills as I recounted the myth. When I got to the part of the story where Perseus pulls out his sword and fights an epic duel with Medusa, the planetarium’s surround sound system played an intense soundtrack that I synchronized with the story. The projections on the dome, background music and engaging story kept the wide-eyed kids enchanted.

See “An underused gold mine,” Commentary, p. 16

As the show ended, the lights came back on and the stars faded away, the kids came up for high-fives. One of my ten-year-old friends told me he wanted to run his own planetarium show some day. As the kids walked out of the dome that was filled with orange dusky light, I recognized the limitless potential of the increasingly accessible planetarium. I’m even planning to present my Senior Ex in there next year. There are infinite educational opportunities in that dome. I hope we take advantage of them.

heat The

The lost calculator — found | Over the top

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

SMuuuuuhhhhLAX | Blazing

Two years ago, we received an email that shook us to the core. Now Deputy Commentary Editor Shourya Kumar, then a mere eighth grader, had lost his calculator. The community stood by the devastated soul as he embarked on his search for what became the campus’s Holy Grail. Legend has it that the toiling seeker was forced to use an abacus on math tests. This trimester, the search culminated when the nefarious Captain Sunshine came to the rescue and found the treasure. His path to manhood is a testimony to the resilience of this community.

MICHAEL DOOREY

CREATIVE COMMONS

You probably haven’t heard because the lacrosse team doesn’t really talk about it much, but they won state. They say that the speedy mid-fielder Evan Chang-Tung was serving up goals faster than Mickey D’s serves up McGriddles. Once key player Blake Robins got to the game with his ‘CROACH = Brick Wall’ sign, goalie Chris Roach literally took on the form of a brick wall, only letting in only two goals in the last 40 minutes. Not figuratively, literally.

Clapping for Clynch | Lukewarm

End of year academics | Cold as an Antarctic Christmas

Every time Stuco President Conner Lynch bounded on stage to announce the start of Upper School assembly, applause erupted from the Senior Class. Once, the man even got a standing ovation, delaying assembly by a solid five minutes. While Clynch is certainly an applause-worthy individual, we’d prefer having time for a pre-fourth period meal or cram session. Nonetheless, the Junior Class is ready to take on Clynch’s successor next year. Watch out, Golden.

Sleep? I believe sleep was an old wooden ship used during the Civil War era. Here it comes, boys — the grand finale before we get to summer. We just need to endure a few more weeks of College Board and school-sponsored torture. We have finals and subject tests and then we’ll have satisfied the voraciously insatiable appetite of Dr. College Board (guy’s a huge buzz kill by the way). That mythical thing called free time will return eventually.

CALLING

[SQUARING OFF]

TTYL, LOL. JK, ILY! I

Call me maybe...

— Aidan Dewar

CREATIVE COMMONS

live my life by one simple rule — WWAGBD? What would Alexander Graham Bell do? Don’t get me wrong, I love a good SMS. And if I notice it’s raining outside, you know I’m going to scroll through 350 emojis until I find the one for rain. My phone bill probably looks like that of a 13 year old girl the day after the High School Musical 3 Premiere (by the way— way better than HSM 2, am I right gals?). But the textual message lacks the personal connection that a good phone call does. For example: how am I supposed to use sarcasm over a message? If I text you, “Yeah, you can totally borrow my car,” you might not pick up on the sarcasm. When I get home and my car is wrecked, I won’t be happy — and I will text you an emoji of an angry face to let you know about it. If I had just called you, I would still have a car. Right, Chuck?

TEXTING

Calling vs. Texting Editorial Board members Charlie Golden and Aidan Dewar square off on calling versus texting.

’m sorry Aidan, I didn’t realize this was 2005. By the way, accept my Myspace request. If you prefer calling to texting, why embrace technology at all? Why don’t you ride on over here horse-andcarriage style, and we can duke it out in a boxing match — or should I call it fisticuffs? I’ll recover using modern medicine, and you can use some leeches. Seriously though, is there anything better than texting? You can act like you never receive anything you don’t want to, and you don’t look like a jerk if you don’t respond to the ladies. In fact, I haven’t texted a girl in weeks. So what if I’m absolutely terrified of the fairer sex? Should I have to suffer through an awkward phone call just to ask a date to Homecoming? Would that not be done more efficiently via a simple “HC?” Bottom line: texting is the HSM 3 to calling’s HSM 2. Obviously, everyone loves both, but one

is the clear winner. — Charlie Golden

commentary

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the remarker | Friday, may 17, 2013

Rebuilding the cathedral

We applaud the school’s renewed dedication to campus safety. With all of the mindless violence we have seen around the world lately, it is comforting to know that the school and all security guards are doing everything they can to keep us safe. concise opinion

the

SO-SO

Exam Scheduling With a three-day weekend in the middle of exam ‘week,’ students are bound to adopt new study patterns. We appreciate the chunk of time available to review, but we urge the school to make the exam schedule more concise in the future. The end of the year is hectic, and getting it over with as quickly as possible helps students.

the

BAD

Messes in the Commons

Announcements reminding students not to take food out of the cafeteria have been ignored, resulting in unnecessary messes in the Commons. Violation of this rule shows disrespect for the staff members who are responsible for cleaning up these messes. Be a Marksman and follow the rules.

VISHAL GOKANI

He preached about helping the poor, not about expensive buildings and the grandeur of the Church. I thought about the people who had nowhere to sleep but inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. I’d turned to the church for help before but never like this. I thought about Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the man in charge of the building and all of the collection boxes for the “Cardinal’s Appeal” that had been carefully placed next to all the exits. He had just returned from the papal conclave in Rome. His appeal was supposed to help those people. Instead, they slept beneath the bright screens begging for money to rebuild the cathedral. The most striking marketing for the Appeal was the group of homeless people stretched across the pews. People looked past them and walked toward the screens. I looked back at my mom and felt contempt for the building around me. It was built through the generosity of Irish immigrants and now it was being built on top of those who needed it the most. I told my mom that it was obvious — this new pope who remained humble through his elevation to one of the most important and prestigious positions in the world would help the poor people who needed it most. The cathedral was supposed to inspire people to help and pray for the most vulnerable people, not walk past them. But when it was time to leave, I looked at the line of people passing the donation boxes. They opened their wallets, removed a few dollars and stuck them in the cathedral building box. I remained silent, just as guilty as the rest of them.

Campus Safety

VISHAL GOKANI

he bright white sign next to the altar honoring St. Anthony of Padua in the 135 year-old church on Fifth Avenue in New York City proclaimed: Be a cathedral builder. Give to the reconstruction campaign. Yellow-cased iPads and flat screen TVs framed by a light colored brick wall joined the persuasion effort. $1000 repaints one square foot of the ceiling. $2500 restores one of the stained glass windows. Amid the glamour and commercialization of the nearly century and a half old cathedral, homeless people slept in the pews. An elderly woman with gnarled, freckly limbs twisted her body into a pretzel and slept on top of the small, torn bags containing all of her possessions. Her hair was so disheveled and smelly that it was noticeable from across the aisle. She shuddered roughly as she snored. A man with dark skin and a navy blue jacket tilted his head back as he rested on one of the dark wooden pews. He could watch the television beg for money as he drifted to sleep. As my mom and I walked past these people, she looked at me and asked, “Who do you think Pope Francis would help?” I thought about her question and the new pope who was elected less than two weeks before. I thought about the new pope who, after his election, stunned the world by making humility and charity key aims of his leadership. Gone are the expensive red leather shoes and ornate vestments of his predecessor. Instead, Francis wears simple black shoes and an iron cross. Before being elected pope, he preferred to live in a simple apartment instead of the bishop’s mansion in Buenos Aires and cook his own meals.

GOOD

VISHAL GOKANI

O’Meara

the

longstoryshort

Ryan

Passing of the pen | Zuyva Sevilla

remarker student newspaper

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

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

news editors Alex Kim Vikram Pattabi arts editors Cyrus Ganji Cole Gerthoffer sports editors Matthew Conley Teddy Edwards deputy commentary editor

Shourya Kumar campus coordinator Ford Robinson reviews specialist Nabeel Muscatwalla copy editor Aarohan Burma artist Purujit Chatterjee staff photographers Halbert Bai, Harrison

Chen, Riley Graham, Alden James, Tim O’Meara, Connor Olson, Mason Smith, Corbin Walp staff writers Nick Buckenham, Jacob Chernick, Tabish Dayani, Will Forbes, Richard Jiang, William Sydney, Bradford Beck, Jake Byers, William Caldwell,

Cameron Clark, Will Clark, 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.

Smlax

After five years of trying, lacrosse claims its first state championship, page 21

sprint. sports around campus

THE REMARKER | Friday, may 17, 2013 | PAGE 19

upcoming

Sporting Events in the weeks ahead

Next week

Summer

▶ The basketball

▶ Varsity basketball

ANDREW GOODMAN PHOTO

teams are playing in the Metrocrest basketball league throughtout the summer, their next game is May 20. The league is for players preparing to be part of the basketball program next winter. < Sophomore Travis Nadalini and freshman Bradford Beck work through a ladder drill during a football spring practice.

the

tip-off

Summer cont'd

coach Greg Guiler is hosting his annual Summer Slam basketball camp June 3-7 and July 8-12. The camp is for students enrolled in grades K-9 who want to imporove their skills.

▶ Rising freshmen

and eighth graders will attend the Vail Lacrosse Shootout held in Vail, Colorado with coach Byron Lawson June 17-30.

Grandmaster. Freshman Malhotra has nine state-level titles and three national-level titles. He is currently fighting for a silver medal in the World Amateur Championship. Fifth grader Xie is ranked first in Texas and the Southwest Region for his age group. In 2011, Xie tied for second in his age group with players around the world.

•••

The Athletic Banquet will be held tonight at 6:30 in the Great Hall. Awards and honors will be handed out to athletes. All 15 of the Lions sports will be celebrated.

•••

John Stutsman, assistant water polo coach, has announced ••• that this school year will be his Chess players Darwin Yang, final year at Akshay 10600 Preston Malhotra and Road. StutsTianming Xie man’s service are showing to this school their prowess was honored as players in by the Alumtheir victories ni Association in state and Tianming Xie, Darwin Yang April 19. In 1973, nationwide Stutsman joined tournaments. the community as a member of Yang is ranked as the best chess the Mathematics Department player in the 18 and under age to teach both mathematics and group in the country and 16th computer science. in the world. He is currently an In addition to teaching AP International Chess Master and calculus, he is also director of is almost an International Chess

Hotshots

CONNOR OLSEN PHOTO

MICHAEL DOOREY PHOTO

Under review

Opinion

Teddy

Edwards

▶ Football two-a-days

begin Aug. 5, lasting until Aug. 21.

Little lessons at Beck’s Prime

▶ Volleyball preseason

starts Aug. 5, as the Lions prepare to defend their 2012 championship.

▶U.S. Rowing National Youth Championship at Melton Hill Lake, starts June 7.

Computer Services. Stutsman was also a former head coach of the water polo team leading the team to two state championships during his coaching tenure.

•••

The seventh grade baseball team completely dominated this season, going undefeated. They won their last three games by ten runs or more.

•••

Despite a shaky start to the season, the eighth grade baseball team caught fire at the end of the season, winning four games in a row and then tying Trinity Valley in the season finale. The season was highlighted by a 9-3 win over rival ESD.

•••

The Middle School track team finished their season with several of the athletes running personal records. The Lions earned fifth place at the Tom Landry Relays, hosted at Tritiny Christian Academy. Eigth grader Daniel Garcia won first place in the 300 meter hurdles.

•••

“The Middle School tennis team took few players this year and succeeded,” Coach Ron Turner said. After losing to Greenhill early in the season, they avenged the loss beating the Hornets eight days later.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES IN LIONS’ ATHLETICS

Lax bro hero

Finally clinching this elusive state title feels like dumping all the books out of my backpack. Four years in the making, we Page 21 finally did it.

▶ The water polo team is playing in the Junior Olympics July 27-30.

a roundup of studentS’ athletic accomplishments

Twelve seniors are planning on continuing their athletic careers in college next fall. Justin Harvey and Bear Goldstein are playing lacrosse at Dartmouth and Princeton respectively. Deshawon Nembhard, Brendan Pak and Kareem Itani are playing soccer at SMU, NYU and MIT. Kendrick Spraglin and Dylan Kirksey are running track for Texas Tech and Rhodes College. Paul Gudmundsson and George law are playing football for Dartmouth and Davidson. Cameron Hillier is playing tennis for Colby College, Warren Smith is playing water polo for Brown University and Harrison Quarls is rowing crew for Trinity College.

Senior Evan ChangTung dominated in the lacrosse state championship, tying the game with 36 seconds left, then slamming home the game winner in sudden death overtime.

“

Senior Bear Goldstein

Wardawg Senior water polo captain Warren Smith was named mvp at the state water polo tournament May 4-5. The Lions finished third place after losing to Clear Creek in the semifinals. Smith is the first Marksman to win the award.

didn’t mean to ignore them. Honestly, they were so short I just didn’t see them. I didn’t even realize they were there until I heard a meek voice whisper, “Go St. Mark’s.” They were behind me now, dressed in SMLAX jerseys two sizes too big, trying to catch up to their mom, who had just stepped inside the Beck’s Prime to get an early dinner. They had just gotten back from the lacrosse state championship, where the Lions had come from a 6-2 deficit, tied the game with 38 seconds left, then scored a goal to defeat ESD in sudden death overtime. It was the Lions’ first state championship ever, and everyone in the community was proud to be part of it. I was sitting with my family, wearing my navy blue SM baseball jacket, watching motorcycles drive by on Forest Lane and guessing which ones had just been bought by 45-yearold men in the middle of a crisis, when I heard them. “Go St. Marks!” I yelled back in that awkward voice when you want to sound enthusiastic without being too loud and disturbing everyone else’s dinner. Still running to the safety of their mother, they looked back at me with sheepish grins. They were happy to share their school pride with a fellow Marksman, no matter how old. It made me happy too, sharing the lacrosse team’s victory with those two lower schoolers. t also made me think about how I behave normally when I see another Marksman. What normally happens is I’ll see a SM tee shirt, or a jacket, or a hat, or some other type of clothing and think, “Hey, that kid goes to St. Mark’s! I go to St. Marks! That’s cool!” then I continue on my way, without saying a word or even nodding my head in recognition. I never even thought to say “hi” or wave. I was completely ignoring a community I was so proud to be a part of. After moving here from London before my sophomore year, it was 10600 Preston Road that had made me feel at home in a completely new city, gave me confidence in myself and introduced me to people whom I will never forget. It took two lower I never even schoolers, brave enough thought to say to approach a rising hi or wave. I senior and shout “Go St. was completely Mark’s!” to show me this. ignoring a And I’m thankful that they community I was did. Senior year is a time so proud to be almost solely dedicated to a part of. school spirit and community. From getting Lower School buddies, to ROARing an unlucky girl’s house with your classmates, senior year is about cherishing your final year with the people around you and bringing your community together. It’s time I did my part. No longer will I ignore the community that has become my home. No longer will I walk past a group of third graders eating at Burger House without saying a word or worry about my voice disturbing other dinners when acknowledging my brothers. From now on, anyone wearing a SM shirt hat or other school items better be prepared to hear “Go Lions”. And, trust me, it won’t be in a meek whisper either.

sports around campus

Joe from the bayou 22

spring sports wrap-up 21

THE REMARKER | Friday, may 17, 2013 | PAGE 20

Dominican Republic 23

brad urschel and bear goldstein

Runs in the family Bradley Urschel ’79 was the most dominant athlete on campus, Then a horrific car crash derailed his olympic dreams. senior lacrosse star bear Goldstein talks about the special connection with his uncle.

VAULTED A crowd watches as Bradley Urschel ‘79 launches himself into the air during the pole vault event at a local meet in 1979.

here are only a few people in the world who can change your day with a single handshake, and Bradley Urschel ’79 is one of them. Ask him how his day is going and he’ll respond, “Awesome, what else is there.” For Urschel, awesome is the only way to be. Standing with a shirt that reads,“There’s no app for that” underneath a picture of a brain, he radiates happiness, infecting anyone who might be close to him. And it’s this same attitude his nephew, standout senior lacrosse captain Bear Goldstein, brings to the athletic fields every day. “A big thing for both of us is athletics,” Bear said. “I feel like something I get from him is an understanding of sports. Most people approach sports like an activity to do, but we see it as an opportunity to devote your whole body, mind, effort and all the gifts your given into a cause and you get to watch that cause grow in front of you. That’s a really special opportunity to have and when you understand that you understand sports.” But it was a long journey for the Bradley Urschel that graduated in 1979 as captain of the football and track teams to become the Bradley Urschel who Bear learns from today. On Nov. 30, 1983, Urschel was driving home with his father. He had spent the year training for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and was getting ready to qualify for the decathlon. Asleep in the back seat, Urschel wasn’t aware that there was an accident. He wasn’t aware that he had been thrown from the back seat out of the car onto the road. That he had Bradley Urschel’s experienced severe 1979 yearbook photo head damage and been rushed to the hospital. In fact, Urschel wasn’t aware of

CHECKED Senior captain Bear Goldstein, bound for Princeton, closes out on an ESD attackman during a 7-9 loss on March 15.

anything until he awoke from a coma almost a month later, Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve. “I was in a coma for a month,” Urschel said, “I’ll never forget waking up and seeing the Olympic trials on TV and that was when I realized I wasn’t going to be there.”

I was in complete survival mode. I was being told what to do, and had to be dependent on complete strangers. I was so skinny and weak I couldn’t use a bedpan, a nurse had to help me with everything I did. bradley urschel ’79

Urschel’s ordeal didn’t end when he woke up. He was still completely paralyzed and incapable of speech. “I was in complete survival mode,” Urschel said. “I was being told what to do, and had to be dependent on complete strangers. I was so skinny and weak I couldn’t use a bed pan, a nurse had to help me with everything I did.” One hundred ninety five pounds with only five percent body fat before the accident, Urschel came out of it weighing only 125 pounds. “He was in the hospital a year,” Amanda Goldstein, Urschel’s sister, said. “He was paralyzed at first, he was a vegetable, then he slowly came out. The doctors told us he’d never live, then they said he’d never walk, then they said he wouldn’t be anything. We’d be there every night, hoping there would be a new improvement.” Because of the brain damage Urschel sustained during the car crash, he had to completely re-learn everything. “I didn’t know what I knew anymore,” Urschel said. “I mean I knew I [had been taught] calculus but I just had to start all over. I remember re-learning the multiplication ta-

bles. It was like adding insult to injury.” But Urschel slowly improved. He learned to speak again. He learned to crawl, then walk, and can now jog three-fourths of a track, something he does to inspire and teach the track team to never take sports for granted. “I try to teach athletes what you’re really learning about sports,” Urschel said, “about difficulty and pain and going beyond that. Most people, when it gets hard, or when they start getting tired, they stop, and in the world that’s not how it is. Sports are a microcosm of training for life.” These lessons and examples Urschel embodies everyday have not been lost on Bear. “If I’m every not sure how to approach something,” Bear said, “I just look at his example. I don’t even have to talk to him I just have to watch him and what he does, and it helps me figure things out.” rschel’s injury also taught him about empathy and what it means to live a good life. “The way I like to think about,” Urschel said, “ is I feel like before, I was a human doing, and when I was in a coma I was a human well done, now I can be a human being. I don’t have to do anymore because I’ve done it! I know what its like to be the best so I don’t have make this much money or live in this house or have this job. I can just be a person. “I’ve learned the gift of receiving. We live in a world of giving and I was a giver before but now I can help other people by receiving. I have a deeper appreciation of life I could have never had before even as the greatest athlete in the school’s history. I live in gratitude and you can never appreciate something until you’ve lost it.” For senior Bear Goldstein, it’s this part of Urschel that has taught him the most. “People will see him and people who don’t know him may call him disabled,” Bear said, “but in reality he’s more able than almost anyone else. He lives a better life than almost anyone could ever dream of living.”

Runs in the family story by Teddy Edwards, sports editor, additional reporting by Will Clark, staff writer | photos by Andrew Goodman and Connor Olson, staff photographers and archives

The life of an athlete

Lasting impressions At the time of that dedication [of the BVU track meet], he was the school record holder in the 110 hurdles, the 300 hurdles, the pole vault and the decathlon. He still holds records today for both hurdles.

Records

He doesn’t know a stranger. He’s an inspirational guy. The committment and the strength he has shown in dealing with his own personal tragedies is a model for everyone. Athletic director mark sullivan

Head track coach john turek

BVU TODAY Bradley Urschel, namesake of the BVU track meet, talks about his life with his nephew, senior Bear Goldstein.

Brad is honest, committed, a man He is a living, breathing example of who has demonstrated throughout the very best we have to offer. I give his own life a commitment to his out a Bradley V. Urschel award every faith, a commitment to his family, year in track and field to the person a commitment to his passions and who best exemplifies his charachas persevered over some very teristics. difficult things. Head track coach john turek

Athletic director mark sullivan

Princeton records Decathlon — 7,512 points 1983 Pentathlon — 3,618 points 1983

St. Mark’s records 110 meter hurdles — 14.11 sec 1979 300 meter hurdles — 37.84 sec 1979 Decathlon — 6,770 points 1979

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Sweet victory

In 2012, Lions lacrosse lost by one goal to the Highland Park Scots in the state championship game. But the Lions were back — This time against ESD, another team that took away the Lions’ shot at state in years past. It came down to May 5, at 5:11 p.m.

Champions Senior captain and key defense player Bear Goldstein hoists the trophy alongside his teammates. Goldstein was named a 2012 All American defensive player as a junior.

ame tied. Sudden death overtime. State championship. Senior Evan Chang-Tung has possession of the ball. He rips the ball to senior Danny Koudelka, who is blocked by an ESD defender. Koudelka quickly recovers, hustles for the ground ball and passes to senior captain Andrew Graffy, who flings it back to Chang-Tung. Chang-Tung jogs a few steps, and takes a bounce shot. Pandemonium. As head lacrosse coach Hayward Lee would later say, it was Chang-Tung’s “me” moment. But instead of celebrating with his teammates that were surrounding him, Chang-Tung streaks eighty yards across the field and hugs senior Chris Roach, who only let in two goals during the last 40 minutes of the game. “That epitomizes what our team is all about,” Lee said. “They’re close knit, supportive of each other, and they make each other better. They displayed those character qualities that define what it is to be a good man.” After winning the school’s first state title ever, the team experienced indescribable joy and pride — and rightfully so.

The past four years were riddled with semifinals and finals losses to the champion. In 2012, they lost by one again in the finals. “Finally clinching this elusive state title feels like dumping all the books out of my backpack,” Goldstein said. “The weight accumulated from all of the previous losses was finally lifted. Four years in the making, we finally did it.” However, things did not look as bright at half-time. The Lions were down 6-2 and they knew they could not overcome a four point deficit in one play. So they crawled out of the hole one inch at a time. “When just about every bad thing that could have happened to us happened, we, as a team, fought back inch by inch, ground ball by ground ball, possession by possession.” Goldstein said. “We were bleeding pretty hard, but we healed as a team and clawed our way back into the game.” ee knew that to come out of their slow start, the gains on the field would have to be made little by little. And that’s exactly how he lifted the nervousness off of his team during a half time huddle. “We just talked about not worrying about the results, and just focusing on one thing at a time in good process,” Lee said. “We tried to not focus on the scoreboard and instead focus

on the next big play. That’s a great lesson. Sometimes you can want an outcome too much that it will freeze you up a bit, and the best way to do things is to have a good process.” With the motivation and game plan set, the Lions swept the second half of the game, scoring the first two goals in both the third and fourth quarter. While every member on the team contributed much to the effort, both Lee and Chang-Tung commend Roach’s performance. “Everyone on the team helped out in little ways that people may not notice,” Chang-Tung said, “but specifically, Chris Roach was a brick wall.” “Chris Roach made so many huge saves and really held it together,” Lee said. “He showed a mental toughness and a poise that is freakishly uncommon.” With all said and done, the seniors feel wistful about the season ending, and playing their last game together as a team. “I’m so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity be a part of this team for four years and to be coached by our coaches,” Goldstein said. “I knew it had to come to an end at some point and I’m going to miss going to practice every day with my SMLAX bros, but I don’t think we could have scripted any better ending.”

SWEET VICTORY story by Richard Jiang, staff writer | photos by Michael Doorey, staff photographer

Lions athletes find motivation, learn from defeat Crew team qualifies for nationals

he crew team had a solid finish to its spring season, with the varsity double of senior Sam Libby and junior Cameron Baxley finishing first at the Central District Youth Rowing Championships in Oklahoma City May 4-5 and qualifying for nationals. Senior Harrison Quarls also finished first in his single and qualified for nationals as well. Gio Lincon, Sam Libby, Cameron Baxley and Harrison Quarls took home a silver medal at the Texas State Rowing Championships. Libby and Baxley took gold in the varsity double, while Lincon and Quarls took third in the lightweight double. Senior Kevin Bass commended the team on its work ethic and determination, especially the newer members to the team. “I’m really proud of some of the younger guys on our team who have tried to step up,” Bass said. — Zachary Naidu ROWING ON Although the varsity quad placed fourth at the Central Youth Championship, the varsity single and the varsity double qualified for nationals.

Baseball finishes sixth in SPC

he varsity baseball team completed its season with a sixth place finish at the SPC tournament co-hosted by Kinkaid and Episcopal High School in Houston May 3-4. The Lions went 1-2 in the tournament with a 7-3 win over ESD and losses to Kinkaid and All Saints. The baseball team had a 6-3 record in regular season counter games, and a sub .500 record against non-conference teams to finish at 10-13 overall including the tournament. “The kids were very resilient,” Hunter said. “We dealt with some adversity really well as a team. And there were several new guys that got a chance to step in and show us what they had this year in addition to our usual suspects.” Hunter also feels that the leadership of team captains Sam Cassel, Brandon Stetler and Stephen Rambin was crucial to the Lions. — Zachary Naidu OUT AT FIRST Junior first baseman Mac Labhart makes another out. Lions placing at SPC shows that Hunter’s squad still has room to improve.

Water polo takes third in state

ater polo ended its season with a third place finish in the Texas State High School Championships after a close 8-9 semi-finals loss to Clear Creek. “We had very high hopes going into the tournament,” senior captain Warren Smith said, “but things just didn’t go our way Saturday morning against Clear Creek.” While they didn’t come out on top, the players did come away with an accomplishment to celebrate: Smith was given the TISCA MVP award,becoming the first Marksman to be so honored. Beyond this, he believes the team gave state its best shot and should be proud. “Fact is, sometimes you are the better team, the hungrier team, and the more fit team, yet you still come up short when it counts,” Smith said. — Noah Koecher ALMOST THERE Junior Jack Piggot shoots for a goal during the Lions’ run at state. Despite the dissapointing end to the season, the team achieved many personal goals.

Tennis ends season with bronze in SPC

arsity tennis ended SPC play in Houston with a third place finish after a second round loss against Kinkaid. “It’s a little disappointing,” captain Cameron Hillier said, “but third place isn’t half bad. I’m really proud of the team.” Hillier trusted the team put in everything they had and did well despite the close 3-2 loss in their first championship with new coach Scott Palmer ‘01. “We put in the work, and we put in the time,” Hillier said. “It was a tough loss against Kinkaid: they had a good team, and so did we. But it was a good match all around.” The Lions came back strong to win 3-2 in the final round against St. John’s. — Noah Koecher

FAULTLESS Senior captain Cameron Hillier went 3-0 during the SPC tournament, not dropping a single set. This capped off Hillier’s perfect record throughout the season.

Golf exceeds SPC expectations

oach David Baker did not know what to expect for his golf team this season. But this did not stop the team from practicing hard for a better result. “I’d say the main goal was just to improve week after week which we definitely accomplished,” senior captain Ryan Miller said. “We got off to a slow start but got better every week.” The team went into SPC with realistic goals. “We went into it hoping for the best,” Miller said, “but I don’t think anyone was expecting us to play as well as we did. Some of the younger guys put up the lowest scores they’ve had all year and Matt Genecov played out of his mind.” In SPC play, they lost to the John Cooper School by 15 strokes. finishing in third place. “We played the best we had all year in the last tournament,” Miller said. — Akshay Malhotra

THIRD Senior Matt Genecov ended his golf career with a third place SPC finish.

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the remarker | Friday, may 17, 2013

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f r o m

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A different kind of

classroom

STUDENTS here KNow joe milliet as a fun-loving math instructor, but what they don’t know is that he was a different kind of a teacher back in the day — a water skiing instructor.

DOCK START Standing on the dock, Joe Milliet (above) watches as a camper attempts to stand up on a pair of water skis. (Inset, the Mathematics Department chair today.) Milliet (left) stands with campers in front of a cabin.

he sun shined upon the long, wavy hair of Thomas B. Walker III ’73 Mathematics Chair Joe Milliet as he eased onto the throttle of a newly acquired ski boat in the clear, rocky bottom Brant Lake. Milliet would lead his hundreds of campers to yet another waterskiing tournament win in the Adirondack mountain lake of upstate New York before he headed back to teach Algebra at his large 5A public school in Beaumont, TX. While the brawny, short-short wearing Joe Milliet of years past may not be the one teaching math and leading McDonald’s Week, his thirty years of water-skiing helped shape the man he is today. During the Mardi Gras celebration of Milliet’s senior year at Tulane University, he was offered a position teaching boys to water-ski at Brant Lake Camp in the Adirondack Mountains. “For five summers in a row after I graduated from college,” Milliet said, “my work clothes were a swim suit and flip flops, and I drove a boat and taught kids to water-ski all day.” Growing up in Port Lavaca, TX, six-year-old Milliet learned to ski on the calm waters of the local bay behind his family boat. “Every weekend when the weather was warm,” he said, “we went to the beach, got the boat out and went skiing. I wasn’t very talented back then.” By the time he had entered junior high school, Milliet’s family moved to Port Arthur, TX, where he skied the nearby Taylor’s Bayou. “It was nice a width,” Milliet said, “and it was great for skiing because you didn’t have any choppiness like you’d have in a bay. That’s when I got decent at slalom skiing.” However, Taylor’s bayou had a problem one could find at nearly any East Texas bayou—water moccasins and alligators patrolled the shoreline. “When you fell,” Milliet said, “you were hoping that the

guy driving the boat was paying attention and would come back and get you fast.” Milliet continued to ski with friends until his senior year at Tulane University when he was offered a position at Brant Lake. “It was top notch,” Milliet said. “Boys went there for the whole summer, all eight weeks. They didn’t just come for two weeks or four weeks.” For five summers in a row after I graduated from college,” Milliet said, “my work clothes were a swim suit and flip flops, and I drove a boat and taught kids to water ski all day. JOE MILLIET

Brant Lake Camp featured multiple athletic facilities for all boys’ sports, but water-skiing was not popular when Milliet began his first summer. The seven-mile lake, surrounded by trees that blocked the wind, was simply a place for most of the boys to cool off after a game of basketball or baseball. However, as he began producing excellent slalom skiers, more boys became interested—it quickly became one of the most popular sports. “When I got there, there were 30 kids out of 330 that skied,” Milliet said. “When I left there, five years later, 220 out of the 330 kids were skiers.” Boys had the opportunity to slalom ski or trick ski, and he trained them for the annual northeastern tournament between camps which his team won every year. His ability to instruct was a big selling point of the camp, and parents would often journey to the camp to film their boys. “You’d put them in the front of the boat and put their kid on the back and take them skiing,” Milliet said. “While the dad was filming with an old film camera, you’d hope that you didn’t splash water all over the mom.” Unfortunately, Milliet’s teaching career began to interfere with his skiing business. After five years, he had to resign because of the lack of time to return to school. After leaving Brant Lake, Milliet continued skiing on the Neches River, but by the time he was in his mid-thirties, an arthroscopic knee surgery, an ACL reconstruct and fear of sun exposure forced him to limit his time on the water. His main focus became his math teaching career. “It was a great 30 year run from when I was a little kid till my mid-thirties,” Milliet said. “I still love the outdoors, but I just do it in measured weeks.”

A DIFFERENT KIND OF CLASSROOM story by Matthew Conley, sports editor and Matthew Placide, staff writer | photos courtesy of Joe Milliet

Sophomores Simenc, Ondracek invited to compete for national water polo team By Davis Marsh staff writer Sophomores Timothy Simenc and Nathan Ondracek were invited to compete in Huntington Beach, CA May 24 – 27 for a spot on the U.S. National Water Polo team. The National Training Selection Camp will determine the makeup of the two teams that will represent the nation internationally. Simenc and Ondracek competed at a nationwide tournament over spring break in Las Vegas, NV. The tournament, hosted by the Olympic Developmental Program (ODP), takes players who qualify for teams in their respective regions and judges which players are the best. “[The tournament] starts off with all of these zones,” Simenc said. “The southwest zone, which I am a part of, consists of Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. We were lucky enough to place third, and a couple of players got selected to play in the next tournament.” Ondracek enjoyed the experience from the ODP tournaments, but doesn’t see himself pursuing water polo professionally. “When we met our regional team, it was a whole different group of people,” Ondracek said. “You get to meet new people, make new friends. I hope to go play in college, that’s probably as far as I’d like to go. I don’t really have a dream to go to the Olympics.” Simenc, however, sees water polo as playing a

role in his future. “If the Olympics is my future, I’d love to go,” Simenc said. “I really just want to go to a good film school, and water polo can give me the extra lift to get into those schools. Film is one of my reasons to do it, but I also just love water polo.” Though they show extreme dedication to the sport, Simenc and Ondracek both had to make the decision to devote their time to water polo. For Simenc, the choice was more difficult. “I had a choice, it was either volleyball or water polo,” Simenc said. “It got to a point where I was doing club volleyball and club water polo and they kept on conflicting.” Ondracek agrees that there are rough days, but has always wanted to stick with the sport. “We have really tough days at St. Mark’s,” Ondracek said. “We have leg days, we put weights in the water. But, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to quit. Those are just days you have to get through.” Simenc said St. Mark’s has prepared him immensely for the upper ranks of water polo. “I feel like our system is all about discipline and we always go into practice thinking we have to do our best, we have to be disciplined, we have to do the right things, and if we do the right things we’re going to win for our state championship,” Simenc said. “The water polo program has taught me to be creative and be flexible with it.”

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BACK SANDLOT TO THE

senior sam cassell takes his baseball preparations very seriously. so seriously that he travelled to the dominican republic last summer for specialized training.

or many baseball players here, playing during the summer is just a way to keep their skills sharp and develop their talents a little more. However, senior Sam Cassell decided to take it a step further. Traveling to the Dominican Republic last summer to get a new perspective on America’s pastime, Cassell said his experience playing baseball in another country helped him immensely on the Lions varsity team this year. “I’d say it helped me a little in terms of skill, and it gave me a lot of new training ideas to stay in shape,” Cassell said. “It also showed me differences in approaches. Their style of play is simple but very aggressive, and I thought I could take a lot from that.” Cassell, who will attend business school at Lehigh College next year, says his one week trip showed him the differences between baseball in America and in the Dominican. “I went from our nice, manicured fields to basically playing on a sandlot,” Cassell said. “The infield felt like solid rock and there were weeds and roots running throughout the field. They also have completely different training methods. Here, we go to the batting cages or the field. They go to the beach for part of practice, so you’re working that much harder. Then we’d go practice on a field and then play a game later. I did it for a week, but they do that every day.” Assistant varsity baseball coach Dennis Kelly also plans to travel to the Dominican Republic this summer. While Cassell’s trip focused more on playing baseball, Kelly’s trip to the Dominican will focus more on coaching and training methods. “The Dominicans train differently from players in the United States,” Kelly said. “They play stick ball with milk bottle caps, run in the sand and have different ways of accom-

plishing baseball skill sets that prepare players for the Major Leagues. The Dominican will broaden my baseball coaching horizons and provide a great adventure in the process.” Kelly, who began playing baseball at the age of four and continued to play in high school and college, says that he’s also excited to see how players develop in a different environment. “I could talk endlessly about why I would like to go to the Dominican,” Kelly said. “The Dominican Republic supplies the MLB with the most foreign born players outside of the United States, and numerous American players play professional winter ball in the Dominican on their rise to the big leagues. I want to see firsthand how young kids experience baseball in a culture so much different that we experience in Dallas.” Inspired by a former coach, Georg Bull, who now coaches the German Junior National Team, Kelly says he wants to help other aspiring athletes like Cassell to experience baseball internationally. “When I moved back home this year, my best friend and I started Global Tours, LLC,” Kelly said, “and we are in the beginning stages of building an international baseball network.” Kelly said a lighthearted line from Dr. Seuss’s “Oh, the

BATTER UP (Left) Senior Sam Cassell reaches third for the Lions during a game against Fort Worth Country Day. (Above) Cassell and Lions Assistant Varsity baseball coach Dennis Kelly will travel to the Domincan Republic this summer to coach baseball.

Places You’ll Go!” inspires him and resonates with how he thinks his experience in the Dominican Republic will be: “Oh the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.”

Back to the sandlot story by Tabish Dayani and Phillip Smart, staff writers | photos by Andrew Gatherer, head photographer

Track’s nine year SPC streak ends; squad takes third

By Bradford Beck and PJ Voorheis staff writers After winning the SPC championship nine years in a row, the track team took third place this year. Despite a strong effort by the athletes, the team lost to St. Stephens Episcopal by one point and to Episcopal High School by 37.5 points. On April 20, though, senior captain Kendrick Spraglin broke the school record and became 15th in the United States for the triple jump with a leap of 47’ 8.00. “I was happy that I finally broke the record that I had been dreaming of since I was a freshmen, but I felt like I could jump even further,” Spraglin said. Spraglin not only holds the school record for triple jump but also holds SPC jumping records and leads the SPC this season in the triple jump, long jump, and the 300 meter hurdles. Spraglin was one foot away from breaking the school record in the long jump as well. One key to Spraglin’s success is his mental preparation before each jump. “Honestly, I think about my two uncles before every single jump when I’m on the runway and before every meet I just listen to music,” Spraglin said.

Spraglin’s two uncles have been his inspiration throughout his life. “Well as far as my uncles go they were just my inspiration in life, period,” Spraglin said. “They were the two people I knew would always believe in me in whatever I did. I could go to them with anything and they would support me 200 percent. Once both of them passed away I swore to myself that I was going to make it someway, somehow for them.” Spraglin will be attending Texas Tech University this fall and plans to walk onto the track team. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity to compete again, and I’m going to work as hard as I can to earn the scholarship,” Spraglin said. Spraglin has been on the varsity track team all four of his high school years. He has been a part of three SPC championship track teams and this year’s third place team, the first track team in nine years not win first place. “Well for me it just really hit me today(day after SPC championship) that we lost,” Spraglin said. “Hopefully, the team next year comes out with a fire that they need to win the next one. I’m just sad i had to go out like that my senior year, but it was still a good season.”

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Senior Kendrick Spraglin breaks records BACK IN TIME Senior Chandler Burke (blue shirt) sits in one of Marietta Johnson’s fifth grade math classes. Burke first met Johnson during his fifth grade year and his letter about Johnson won the school a a $1,000 prize.

Burke’s letter about Johnson wins award By William Caldwell staff writer Senior ChaNdler Burke’s letter about math instructor Marietta Johnson won a contest sponsored by the National Basketball Association’s Dallas Mavericks. In the essay, Burke had 150 words or less and explain why Johnson should be recognized as a very influential figure. Johnson was shocked when she learned Burke had won the contest. “I am just blown away,” Johnson said. “I cannot believe this, and I can’t believe that he would stop and take the initiative and the time to write a letter.” According to the Dallas Mavericks’ website, the teacher and school both get significant prizes. winning teachers will each receive $1,000 for themselves and $1,000 for their school, as well as tickets to the Mavs vs. Suns game Apr. 10, 2014 where they will be recognized during halftime. Burke was very excited when he found out that the Mavricks had chosen his letter about Johnson. “I felt so happy for her because I was able to show my appreciation for her profound influence on my life,” Burke said. However, Johnson did not know about the letter or the contest until she was told that Burke had won. “I had no idea from Chandler,” Johnson said. “I think that’s interesting because

he wasn’t trying to look good or get brownie points. I didn’t even know he had written the letter.” Johnson was very flattered when she learned Burke had written about her. “I was so honored,” Johnson said. “He came new in the fifth grade, but he and I really worked that year to catch him up, but he had a teachable spirit. When I would make a suggestion to him, he would really try to put it into practice.” Burke still has good memories from his fifth grade math class. “The one moment that stands out about Mrs. Johnson is her high expectations of us,” Burke said. “As I say in the essay, some other teachers seemed to shield us from significant problems. Mrs. Johnson presented us with challenge problems every week and expected us to complete them.” Johnson is honored not only to be an academic teacher, but also to be a teacher of character. “What meant even more to me was the fact that he said, ‘I like the way you encourage us on character. You praise people when they’re honest, and you praise people when they’re compassionate,’” Johnson said. Johnson is happy to instill character in her students as well as math. “In this [fifth grade math] class,” Johnson said, “character is more important than math, and I’m the math teacher.”

water polo

No wasting polo time

ACROSS THE WORLD Senior Warren Smith, sophomore Nathan Ondracek and junior Jack Mallick (pictured with a local player) will travel to Romania this summer with coach Mihai Oprea to play water polo with local teams and visit historic Romanian sites.

remarker student newspaper

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

THE BACK SPORTS PAGE the remarker | Friday, may 17, 2013

e r t i m e

47’8’’ distance

in the triple jump set by Kendrick Spraglin, an SPC record

point lost

by senior varsity tennis captain Cameron Hillier during a counter game against Oakridge

losses

for the varsity lacrosse team since spring break

17 athletes

matched or improved their personal bests in the SPC track and field tournament

P L A Y E R

P R O F I L E

TOPSPIN

ifth graders can barely

find time to finish their math homework, and fifth grade prodigy Tianming Xie can’t find enough time to win more table tennis competitions. Inspired by his father, Xie started with the sport at a very early age, going on to place second for ten and under at a national tournament in Las Vegas in 2010; he was only seven years old. Recently, Xie has gone on to place third in the USA Table Tennis US Open and placed first in 11 and under at the Junior Olympics, a national competition. With tournaments almost every weekend, Xie is ranked tenth in the country for his age group.

TROPHY CASE Xie has amassed an impressive collection of awards since beginning table tennis at age seven. Most notable are his awards at the USA Table Tennis US Open and the table tennis Junior Olympics. Inspired by his dad, Xie practices at least an hour a day on top of school work and a successful run with his other hobby, chess.

I like to play because I can meet new friends. It’s fun to accomplish something after practicing and working hard. TIanming Xie

goals

by which varsity water polo has outscored opponents in past two tournaments

goals scored by varsity lacrosse team in state playoffs, compared to 14 for their opponents.

hits

by the varsity baseball squad against rival ESD in game 2 of the SPC tournament.

TOP SPIN story by Zuyva Sevilla, graphics director | photos by Andrew Gatherer, head photographer, Michael Doorey and Bin He