StC Magazine | Winter 2019

The Magazine of St. Christopher’s

The Magazine of St. Christopher’s

StC Magazine Staff EDITOR | Kathleen Thomas VISUAL CONTENT EDITOR | Cappy Gilchrist PHOTOGRAPHER | Jesse Peters ART DIRECTION & GRAPHIC DESIGN | Merry Alderman Design CONTRIBUTORS | Laura Ambrogi, Lower School reading specialist; Henry Barden ‘19; Kaleb Bey ‘20; Aubrey Bowles ‘21; Mimi Burke, assistant to the director of alumni affairs and annual giving; Sharon Dion, director of communications; Whitney Edwards, Upper School chaplain; Paul Evans ‘01, digital communications specialist; Alice Flowers, archivist and assistant to communications; Kim Hudson, director of The Center for the Study of Boys; Hunter Gardner ‘19; Mason Lecky, head of school; Henry Weatherford ‘21; Karen Wormald, Kew Publications

stcva @STCVA

IN THIS ISSUE DEPARTMENTS 2

Message from the Head of School

4

Chapel Talks

6

Faculty Voice Laura Ambrogi

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Student Voices Henry Barden ‘19 Kaleb Bey ‘20

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Class Notes News from StC Alums

50

Faculty News & Updates

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AROUND CAMPUS

StChristophersVA

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Campus Highlights

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New Board Members

St. Christopher’s School 711 St. Christopher’s Road Richmond, VA 23226

30 Arts 32

Sports Recap

804.282.3185 www.stchristophers.com Member of VAIS, NAIS, NAES and IBSC

Cover art by Jeffrey Pohanka ‘16, a graphic design student at Virginia Commonwealth University

On The Cover

2CV in Action A look back at the first six years, and where we are today.

The Second Century Vision, put in place six years ago, is alive and well. In addition, a new professional growth and development model provides a foundation for teachers to create, execute and document yearly goals.

21 Center for the Study of Boys Update Peter Hamby Visits StC Snapchat’s head of news discussed the political divide, his role as a journalist today and what’s involved in compiling his podcast, “Good Luck America.”

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Construction Update Construction of the new recital hall / arts center is well underway. The building will be filled with music and students in early 2020.

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Chapel Talks Acornology Upper School Chaplain Whitney Edwards inspired faculty and staff with this eloquent sermon at the opening chapel service last August.

Finding Self-Worth from Within Philip Maruri ‘19 shared part of his journey to self-acceptance in a talk delivered to Upper School students at the annual Thanksgiving service.

Photo by RichmondTimeLapse

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MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Mason Lecky Head of School @StCHeadofSchool

Second Century Vision Undergirds and Inspires The Second Century Vision (2CV) is alive and well at St. Christopher’s School in 2019. To be able to make such a claim, with conviction, is actually a rather remarkable thing, as schools can be notorious for announcing grand scholastic visions, often expressed in glossy brochures, and then proceeding to ignore such visions, literally allowing those brochures to collect dust in administrator bookcases across campus.

The answer, formed by then-Headmaster Charley Stillwell, our creative faculty and staff, and our Board of Governors, is that we wished then — just as we do today — to hold fast to those timeless attributes that made St. Christopher’s great and impactful in the 20th century and evolve our pedagogy, practice and resources in a manner to make us and our graduates relevant and even more impactful in a rapidly evolving and shrinking 21st-century world.

Not so at St. Christopher’s today, some six years following the initial proclamation of the 2CV and approximately 10 years after first beginning to envision and articulate what kind of school it wished to be following the conclusion of our centennial year in 2011-12.

More specifically, St. Christopher’s doubled down on its founding precepts of shaping young men who possess honor and integrity, above all else, as well as our identity as a school for and about boys, all boys. Importantly, we publicly announced in early 2013 our intent to evolve and adapt our teaching practices and resources in a manner befitting the pedagogical, technological and global shifts then taking form and continuing to have impact on both schools and the workforce today.

In the words of Kim Hudson, director of The Center for the Study of Boys, itself a concrete manifestation of the 2CV, St. Christopher’s committed to “moving from the intuitive to the intentional” in all that we do to reach and teach boys. Rather than “going with our gut” or relying on practices or traditions that had existed for a century because they weren’t broken, we evaluated and enhanced our JK-12 curriculum, moved teaching practices from less teacher-centric to more student-centric, updated schedules across all three divisions, strengthened our global and leadership programming, relied more heavily on research and data in delivering both instruction and content, and committed to a schoolwide faculty growth and evaluation program that ensures an outstanding learning experience for boys across the entire school.

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During the past six years, we have done all these things, and so much more, while maintaining the transcendent foundation upon which Dr. Chamberlayne built this school — namely, the development of honor and integrity as our primary motive, and relationship-based education, deep ties between students and adults, as the vehicle through which we accomplish all aims.

Enjoy this edition of StC Magazine, in which you will be re-introduced to our Second Century Vision and learn of the many ways it is thriving and having impact at St. Christopher’s today.

StC committed to move from the intuitive to the intentional in all that we do to reach and teach boys.

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CHAPEL TALKS

ACORNOLOGY Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there was a kingdom of acorns, nestled at the foot of a grand old oak tree. Since the citizens of this kingdom were modern, fully Westernized acorns, they went about their life with a purposeful energy; and since they were mid-life baby-boomer acorns, they engaged in a lot of self-help courses. There were seminars called “Getting All You Can Out of Your Shell” and “Who Would You Be Without Your Nutty Story?” There were woundedness and recovery groups for acorns who had been bruised in their fall from the tree. There were spas for oiling and polishing those shells and various acornopathic therapies to enhance longevity and well-being.

One day in the midst of this kingdom there suddenly appeared a knotty little stranger, apparently dropped out of the blue by a passing bird. He was capless and dirty, making an immediate negative impression on his fellow acorns. And to make things worse, crouched beneath the mighty oak tree, he stammered out a wild tale. Pointing up at the tree, he said, “We … are … that!”

Delusional thinking, the other acorns concluded, but they continued to engage him in conversation: “So tell us, how do we … become that tree?” “Well,” said he, pointing downward, “it has something to do with going into the ground … and cracking open the shell.”

“Insane!” they responded. “Totally morbid! Why, then we wouldn’t be acorns anymore.”

The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault

I remember my first sermon after graduating from seminary.

I was so green, my little white clergy collar practically had the tags still on it. The sermon went well, meaning I made people cry but, like, in a good way. It turned out that one of my childhood teachers was in the congregation. She came up afterward and put her hand on my shoulder and said, “Wow, it’s funny, I never thought you would amount to much.”

Wow. Really? No, actually, I wasn’t surprised.

I knew she didn’t think much of me as an 11-year-old student. I could tell not only by the grades I got in her class, but also in the look on her face when I spoke. It was dull-eyed and unmistakable and read like, “Kid, you’ve got nothing to offer.” And, you know, I almost believed her.

When some folks talk about Jesus’ calling of his disciples, they portray it like it was some sort of magic trick that Jesus got them to get up and follow him. “Follow me,” he said, and they rose like zombies compelled to leave their lives behind by the sound of that stranger’s voice.

But it wasn’t some magic spell at all. Every teenager in first-century Jewish Palestine dreamed about such an invitation. The call to discipleship meant you were the cream of the crop. A rabbi, a master teacher whose purpose in life was to select and train the best and brightest to carry on the faith, had decided that you are worthy of the task. It meant a life of success, honor and respect.

The call to discipleship was their version of the Ivy League fat envelope. In fact, “follow me” is Hebrew for “welcome to Yale.”

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Who wouldn’t jump at the invitation?

However, those particular teenagers whom Jesus called, Peter, Andrew, James and John, were not first-string candidates for discipleship. They were the club team, if you will. At least, every other rabbi had thought so. We know this because of what they were doing when Jesus approached them.

Were they bent over parchment scrolls memorizing ancient commentaries? No. Were they in the temple praying. Uh-huh?

No, these boys had been dismissed from Talmudic studies and were fishing. They had become tradesmen. Now, I know not a small number of us would argue that a boat and a fishing line make mighty fine teachers in their own right. But, nonetheless, when Jesus rolls up on these Talmudic dropouts, he didn’t have to do any hocus-pocus to make them move. He just had to look at them and say, “Follow me.” (Matthew 4:19) That is to say: I see you, I know you, I know that in the past you have been underestimated, overlooked and dismissed. They were wrong about you. You can and you will do great things. (a.k.a. “Follow me”).

I often think about what it felt like to endure the dismissive judgment of my Middle School teacher when I look out at our students. Especially in those times when I think I have a boy all figured out. When I hold up my mind’s eye sketch of him, based on his lackluster performance and grades and attitude, and I have substituted that sketch for the actual human being before me. I recall the one who has called me to follow him despite my own lackluster past performances and I remember, “Oh, yeah, that’s right, I don’t know the half of it. I don’t know what’s going on at home, or in this child’s body or in his social orbit, or how this swirling, chaotic, contentious world is affecting him. I haven’t tried the dozen other ways to crack his shell and let the light of love and encouragement in. I don’t know the half of it.”

We talk about what it means to be a Christian school. And sometimes we get sidetracked by the small stuff like names and appearances when worrying about the big stuff like inclusion and admissions. And we worry if being an Episcopal school is worth all the trouble.

And I would say, if being a school that follows the example of Jesus Christ means striving to never underestimate, overlook or diminish a single human being, child or adult, then count me in. If it means that we agree to follow the example of Jesus, who was an absolute legend for picking the underdogs and relentlessly loving them into their true world-changing selves, then no apologies needed. If it means that you and I get to be in a place where the soil and the sun and the safety are such that our hard shells will give way to becoming the greater beings we were meant to become, then heck yeah.

Brothers and sisters, we are so much more than others’ estimations of us. And for these children whose self-esteem we hold in our hands, may we be the ones, maybe even the only ones in their lives, who point their gaze heavenward and remind them, “We are that!”

Amen.

The Rev. Whitney Edwards Opening chapel for faculty and staff Aug. 21, 2018

Finding Self-Worth from Within

By Philip Maruri ’19 When I was a young boy, my parents would say to me before school, “Be good, listen, pay attention, learn, have fun, have fun, have fun.” That last part was easier when I was young. There were no SAT scores, no races or tournaments, no college admissions. But it’s not just now that “having fun,” living life without the pressure of competition, can be difficult.

It’s August 17, 2015: my first cross-country practice and my first experience at St. Chris as a new student. I arrived at the same time as one other runner, and with his short stature, brown hair and similar build, I saw a bit of myself in him. We ran together and began talking, and I found out that we were very similar. But as the run went on, the conversation dwindled, and he ran ahead while I struggled.

That was my first meeting with Joe Beck, the student against whom I would compete repeatedly in my career here. People often confuse and compare us, and while it’s a compliment, to be honest, sometimes this competition can lead me to feelings of anxiety and inferiority. But it’s not because of Joe. It’s something I often do — find rivals among my peers and create petty competitions with them because, somewhere in my mind, I have to be the best. And when I am, it’s a great feeling. But when I’m not, well, that’s a different story.

While I love the taste of victory, how I perform shouldn’t determine my own feeling of value. Yet it often does. ... I’m likely not the only person who does this. I think a lot of people seek contentment through external factors, and it’s easy for us to fan this ambitious flame inside of all of us in hopes of self-improvement; to never be truly happy because there’s always room to better ourselves.

I can say from experience, using these as the basis for our worth is a dangerous path that will lead to feeling inferior when we fail to compete at a certain level, something that is certain to happen when we hold ourselves to unrealistic standards.

We need to learn that our worth doesn’t come from being the best like no one ever was, but rather, from ourselves. These competitions, no matter how they turn out, don’t devalue my worth or yours because, as said in numerous bible scriptures, we are beautiful in the eyes of God, created in his image and perfected by his hands.

We can see from the Lord himself that what matters is what we do and who we are as people.

Although this may seem vague, or like one of those motivational quotes your mother posts on Facebook with a sunset in the background, that’s good. We can be whoever we want to be, and we will be worthwhile no matter what. All we need to do is live our lives in a manner true to ourselves that gives us joy, and give them what we can. ... With the help of others, I’ve come to see how my competitive nature has impacted me and how I need to learn to find my own source of happiness. I’m just at the beginning of this emotional development, and it won’t ever end for me, just like it won’t for anyone else. I won’t ever be uncompetitive, and neither will you.

That’s OK. Today I want to offer my thanks for the wisdom of others, especially that of my family, which has allowed me to see this truth. Therefore, as you go on with your day, I want to remind you all to be good, listen, pay attention, learn, have fun, have fun, have fun. Bless you.

Philip Maruri ’19 delivered this talk at the Thanksgiving chapel Nov. 19, 2018.

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FACULTY VOICE

EARLY LIFE LESSONS IN COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

By Laura Ambrogi, Lower School reading specialist

Quick: think back to your own elementary school experience. When you heard the words “group project” announced, what kinds of feelings did that evoke?

Perhaps elation, because you were relieved that you could sit back and let the “go-getters” take over? Perhaps resignation or worry, because you were that “go-getter,” and you knew you’d be saddled with the bulk of the work? In all likelihood before the project was complete, drama in some form or another that was painful, even potentially damaging to relationships, would ensue.

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Consider for a moment, however, how crucial the skill of collaboration is in your adult life. From negotiating your babysitter’s hourly rate to striking deals in the boardroom, the ability to work and negotiate with others is a skill that we all call upon daily. As our world shrinks and employers actively seek employees who can excel in group situations, St. Christopher’s is committed to exposing boys to a variety of tasks where they must strive together toward common goals.

Collaboration in the early grades is an ongoing learning process. Projects that employ cooperative learning teach young children far more than simply content material. Long gone are the days of simply lumping students together, giving directions and

So what does collaborative learning look like in the Lower School of St. Christopher’s in the 21st century? Ultimately, we focus on guiding the boys through the process of such assignments. Boys aren’t born knowing how to navigate the complicated interactions involved in finding success as a cohort. We model, monitor and ask a variety of probing questions to help boys consider how their focus, attitude and work ethic impact group morale as well as project outcomes.

We debrief upon completion and reflect on what went well and what can be improved for next time. Boys learn that we have high expectations for them not just as individuals, but as a part of a larger whole. They learn to function as a team off the field by rolling up their sleeves and getting to work, sticking together, calling each other to task when someone isn’t pulling his weight, and building each other up with encouragement.

When I think of collaboration in action, I immediately envision a recent fifthgrade project. Small groups took on the task of creating catapults, with the goal of discovering which team’s creation could launch a piece of candy corn the farthest. In the midst of the happy chaos, I heard boys say phrases to each other

The ability to work and negotiate with others is a skill that we all call upon daily. allowing the chips to fall where they may. Researchers David and Roger Johnson assert that for this type of learning to have maximum benefit, the student must be taught “interpersonal and small group skills required to function as part of a group, including leadership, decision-making, trust-building, communication and conflict-management.” Indeed, modern educators know that working collaboratively is an art that must be coached and coaxed from each student for the learning to be effective. We must help boys understand how to present ideas with confidence, give constructive feedback that is honest without being hurtful, receive feedback gracefully and, finally, move forward when snags arise. The benefits of such work are undeniable. Johnson and Johnson maintain that the ability to cooperate is linked to better performance and achievement, increased time spent on tasks, more positive attitudes, and higher-level cognitive and moral reasoning. We know these increases neither appear magically nor exist in a vacuum; they take time, experience, exposure and dedication to cultivate and flourish.

Mrs. Ambrogi with students

like, “Let me explain what I’m thinking,” and “That’s a great idea; how can we make that work with his idea, too?” Clearly, these were boys for whom collaborative work was not a stranger. They have been immersed in this type of learning for years, and their ability to communicate at the ripe old age of 11 demonstrates that fact. It was utterly impressive to hear the maturity and ease with which they navigated what needed to be done and how much they delighted in each other’s successes. What a gift for us to give to our boys: the ability to work and grow with others, with the understanding that success for one means success for all.

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STUDENT VOICES

THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE CONDITION CONTINUE TO AFFECT ME EVERY DAY. What was labeled mild cerebral palsy created innumerable difficulties: multiple major surgeries, years of physical therapy as often as six times per week, and what I now know are lifelong handicaps. I had my first therapy session when I was only 2 after a neurosurgery on my spine, which cut 25 percent of the nerve rootlets which were generating constant spasticity in my calves and thighs.

However, my physical struggles also cemented in me a general sense of inferiority that became my school persona for years. I was my own weakness for a long time. In an all-boys lower school where one’s value as a fellow student is determined entirely from a physical standpoint, I had only self-doubt to associate with a disability I didn’t understand.

Fortunately, with tremendous adversity came tremendous advocates. Outside of school, my mother championed me into a man who believes his value has no physical limit. Jack McGurn, my dearest friend, is an empathetic and lifelong companion. Cindy Richards and her team of therapists gave me a sense of belonging and helped restore much of my mobility. Rusty Linville, my first personal trainer, and Joshua Ziegler, my second, believed in me when I didn’t, pushed me to build strength and led me to accomplish feats previously unimaginable, like running a mile.

Former Lower School Chaplain Megan Limburg with Henry Barden ‘19 at his fifth-grade graduation in 2012.

ADVERSITY: LIFE’S GREATEST TEACHER My name is Henry Barden, and I am grateful that I am disabled.

Born 13 weeks premature, I suffered a brain injury that left me with cerebral palsy. My diagnosis is spastic diplegia, meaning I have impaired motor skills, especially in my legs, more severely on the left side. The physical and emotional challenges brought about by the condition continue to affect me every day. Hurdling them has taught me some of my life’s greatest lessons.

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Dr. Tony Vitiello, my psychologist since age 8, began what I call the Henry Barden Campaign by coaching me to deliver a speech to the students and teachers in my school about my disability. The task was daunting, especially for a third-grader with an inferiority complex. I delivered the speech, and the speech, in turn, delivered lasting change. I successfully separated my condition from my identity in my own eyes and in the eyes of many of my peers. I was no longer cerebral palsy itself, but a person with cerebral palsy.

HURDLING THEM HAS TAUGHT ME SOME OF MY LIFE’S GREATEST LESSONS.

That day, my quest to find my own true identity began. In Middle School, thanks to great mentors such as Mr. Dickinson, I discovered my love of learning. For many years, my best friends at school were my teachers, because they didn’t see me as my disability, as I feared my peers did. I felt that my physical limits left me simply unpresentable to others my age. Recently, though, I’ve expanded my horizons to include my classmates. Only by making new friends can I tear down the subconscious walls that tell me I can’t. Thank you to the friends I’ve already made for supporting me in my journey. I hope to make more soon.

For years, I viewed my life and accomplishments through the adversity I’ve had to face down, the chip on my shoulder. Now I am thankful for the opportunity to move on and to discover myself. From the outset, cerebral palsy tried to define and limit me. It tried to mold my life into a story about a condition in my brain. Now my life is a story about me and what I choose to make of it. For all it took from me, my disability also taught me an invaluable lesson: cerebral palsy cannot limit how far I go unless I give up the pursuit. I can go anywhere. I can do anything.

Henry Barden ’19 delivered this talk at the Thanksgiving chapel Nov. 19, 2018.

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STUDENT VOICES

REMEMBERING AND HONORING THE LEGACY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

By Kaleb Bey ’20 Last summer, I signed up for a STEM-H program at VCU. Well, I didn’t sign up. My mother signed me up, but in my 17 years of life, I have learned that it is best to not argue with your mother.

Nonetheless, I have been interested in the field of sports medicine for a while now, and I was excited to be in an environment with people whom I thought would be just like me. So you can imagine my surprise when I found out that most of the students in the program were blind, or visually impaired. I was taken aback, but definitely more than I should have been, considering how my experience went.

I’m not going to lie. If I had known this course was going to be filled with visually impaired students, I would not have signed up for it, no matter what my mother said.

I would have thought it wasn’t for me. I would have known I’d be uncomfortable. It was the belief that they are different from me, but, they weren’t. I was just leading with my fear of the unknown.

Throughout the five weeks of the program, we worked in labs, with fake arms to practice blood draws, and worked with fine instruments to practice inoculations with bacteria. We took an engineering course building circuit boards, and we studied the future of technology in the health industry. At every step, my visually impaired classmates kept up. They used text-to-speech software to study articles. They felt their way around the labs to find the tools they needed. They used their fingertips to find the bulge of the veins where the best blood draw could be found. Not only did they keep up, but at times they were better than the rest of us.

At listening, following directions, feeling their way around experiments and measurements, their abilities exceeded their deficits.

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Kaleb Bey ‘20

They were better at many aspects of the work and definitely better at asking for help when they needed it. It became clear to me that maybe they had chosen a program which introduced them into health and wellness fields because they had a deeper understanding of what healing and helping others meant. They didn’t let that obvious barrier stop them from doing something they truly wanted to do. In fact, they even used it as motivation.

you, just as you say he is.” By accepting all of our differences, as King preached, we are doing God’s work.

It is one of the hardest things to do: step away from our perspective and step out of our comfort zone to change. But challenges don’t come without reward. Just like in school when we stay up all night studying to, hopefully, get an “A” on a test; or athletics when we go through grueling practices, just to see a victory when it’s time to compete. Embracing variety can be one of the hardest things in life to do,

I’m not going to lie. If I had known this course was going to be filled with visually impaired students, I would not have signed up for it, no matter what my mother said. I would have thought it wasn’t for me.

I would have known I’d be uncomfortable. It was the belief that they are different from me, but, they weren’t.

I was just leading with my fear of the unknown.

I’ve been an admirer of Martin Luther King Jr. for many years. I was first taken by his fearlessness.

His voice, speaking into hard times and places with such high hopes for the future. Things such as, “I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.” His way wasn’t my way. I tended to be shy and would draw away from conflict, worried about it getting worse. I’d turn away from uneasy situations. But not King. He seemed drawn to opportunities to speak of what is possible and inspire people to dream about it. It doesn’t matter if I’ve never been to a literal “mountaintop.” His rhetoric carried me there, and I could see with him farther than my urban viewpoint could ever afford.

Somewhere in the midst of that summer program, surrounded by people with whom I would have never identified, I finally understood a concept that Dr. King preached for years. Inclusive communities, when there are deep relationships between people of difference, whether they be physical, ideological, racial or political, are simply better. Not because it looks better for a promotional ad or because it’s fashionable, but because people are happier in relationship rather than division.

Dr. King didn’t preach civil rights because it’s better for black people. He preached civil rights because it’s better for all people, black, white, rich, poor, sighted, blind, able-bodied or disabled.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is one of hope, which leads us to a better being. King would often speak of fulfilling the gospel and doing God’s work. It takes risk, fearlessness, all led with faith and hope. Chapter 5 of Amos says, “Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with

but it comes with the rewards of unity, kinship and growth. The most inclusive communities are often the most admired. When people of different faiths, cultures, races and beliefs coexist, that is when the beauty of human nature shows.

Dr. King didn’t preach civil rights because it’s better for black people.

He preached civil

There was a point last year, at our Homecoming rights because game Nov. 4, when we won the Prep League title. it’s better for all A lot of you were there. But there was a moment that day, at the end of the game, when our defense people, black, white, rich, poor, caused a turnover in overtime and everyone stormed the field. There were hugs and high fives, sighted, blind, tears and this overwhelming feeling of brotherable-bodied or hood. It was my first year at St. Christopher’s, and disabled. there was a lot about this school which was different than any I attended before. I was still getting used to the place. But at that moment, my background, status, color didn’t matter. We were all just Saints.

And it was much bigger than all of us.

We are a part of something bigger than ourselves, and sometimes we have to get out of the way. Sometimes it’s not always easy or comfortable. We may have to go places and be with people that we’re convinced we have nothing in common with. But that is what will lead us to the “Promised Land” that Martin Luther King Jr. spoke so highly of. It is humbling to speak in honor of a man as honorable and respected as Dr. King, who worked to ensure that the color of my skin would not be a barrier to calling you my brothers and sisters. Thank you for accepting me as a part of your community, and thank you for listening to us speak today.

Kaleb Bey ’20 delivered this talk Jan. 17 at a chapel service in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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2CV IN ACTION

“St. Christopher’s will be a global leader in understanding boys, engaging and teaching them effectively, and developing in them the strength of character, wisdom and life skills required to succeed in college and to make a positive impact as leaders in a rapidly changing world.”

- 2CV Vision Statement In Bee Schnell’s Lower School science classes, boys conduct experiments and follow up with expository writing, which starts with phrases such as, “I think that because …” Middle School Science Teacher David Shin has boys involved in such handson projects as building bridges and cars that provide opportunities to learn from failure without high-stakes testing. In Upper School AP Environmental Science, students are wrestling with questions that have no single answer. Mr. Billy McGuire ‘85 looks to students to come up with their own, based on their values, experiences and knowledge, where they learn by sharing and hearing others’ perspectives.

These examples of the school’s Second Century Vision (2CV) speak to its impact in all three divisions since its rollout in 2013.

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Through its creation, administrators and teachers debated whether the vision was revolutionary or evolutionary. “I see it as the latter,” said Upper School Academic Dean Jim Jump, who also serves as director of college counseling and was one of the authors of 2CV. “It was a way to translate St. Christopher’s strengths and values as a school for boys dating back to Dr. Chamberlayne into a 21st century world that is very different.”

Administrators and faculty identified 21 essential qualities needed to be leaders in a complex, diverse global community.

Of those, five were dubbed priorities: • Creative thinking and problem-solving • Intellectual risk-taking • Global engagement • Empathy and collaboration • Technological savvy The vision included a core beliefs section, which Mr. Jump views as critical. “It’s an attempt to lay out a foundation and tie it to the things that made St. Christopher’s great and influential in its first 100 years,” he said.

While the curriculum is what faculty teach, 2CV provides a guide for how. The emphasis focuses on skills and using knowledge, rather than content alone; on active learning rather than passive learning, which lead to instructional changes.

Through the process, the school has emphasized cross-divisional and collaborative work, along with best teaching practices, specifically for boys. In 2012, Assistant Head of School Sarah Mansfield came on board to orchestrate these efforts, with teachers Lisa Snider, Keena Fitch and Karen Wray taking on additional administrative

The school has emphasized cross-divisional and collaborative work, along with best teaching practices, VSHFLŜFDOO\ IRU ER\V responsibilities in each of their divisions. Dr. Mansfield and these three curriculum specialists help faculty compose yearly goals and determine a plan of action. They meet weekly throughout the year to ensure efforts are in sync across divisions.

Dr. Mansfield said that the shift in engaging students is palpable.

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2CV IN ACTION

about concepts versus just repeating what the teacher has said,” said Lisa Snider, Lower School director of curriculum, instruction and academic support services. “They are synthesizing information at a higher level than they were before.”

Evidence, largely anecdotal, is gathered through research, curriculum development and cross-divisional group work, much of it funneled through The Center for the Study of Boys, also a child of 2CV (see page 21). Teachers focus on assessments, using CRISS (Creating Independence through Student-owned Strategies) and their relationships with students, which are critical to learning, especially for boys.

The curriculum team notes a shift away from silos to collaboration in which teachers embrace perspectives from people outside their disciplines. Faculty feedback indicates that boys are more flexible with their thought processes and ability to think outside the box with more interactive and hands-on activities to develop essential skills. “The biggest change I’ve seen and what we’ve been spending time developing is how students are thinking

While the Lower School has always pushed multisensory and movement-oriented activities, 2CV calls for boys to share more about how they’re thinking and write about information gleaned.

For example, Mrs. Dana Kuhlen’s fourth-grade boys use math journals to record personal reflections about their learning, take notes, create math equations, write scripts for video math tutorials and identify mistakes found in problems the teacher provides. Mrs. Kuhlen believes that journaling helps boys dig more deeply into concepts and apply their knowledge. She said, “Often that is what I’m looking for, having the boys relate concepts learned in class to their daily lives.”

Even classroom layout plays a role in developing certain skills.

Middle School and Upper School desks, formerly arranged in rows, now are most often clustered. Some Upper School classes use the Harkness Method, in which students are seated around a large oval table and engage in discussion with minimal teacher intervention.

To reinforce the school’s mission, the Lower School seeks to develop character and leadership with a monthly focus on a specific core value, including citizenship, respect, fairness, gratitude, empathy, courage, kindness, patience, humility and honor.

Homeroom teachers integrate the core values into their curriculum differently. Examples include journal-writing, service learning projects, Middle School buddy interactions and hands-on learning activities.

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FACULTY GROWTH MODEL SHIFTS THE PARADIGM As part of the process, StC division heads collaborated to define teaching excellence, a demonstrated commitment to the school’s values and mission as defined by 2CV and best practices for boys. The result was a document that articulated elements of effective instruction, which set the stage for a new professional growth model. Created through collaboration with the divisional curriculum specialists, the model incorporated teacher feedback from several summer work groups and a Curriculum Institute in which all teachers participated in the summer of 2016.

The ultimate goal is to provide teachers a framework and process to build their capacity as reflective practitioners who work in a collaborative community. “The professional growth model reflects a commitment to unifying the various elements of the Second Century Vision as they relate to teaching and learning — essential quality development, best practices for boys, and the Teaching Excellence Document, so that teachers can be key decision makers in their own professional learning,” said Middle School Curriculum Specialist Keena Fitch.

Components of the model include goal-setting, feedback and reflection. Teachers set yearly goals that can be measured and

First Grade Teacher Betsy Tyson works to build classroom community through empathy, starting with herself. “You have to be aware of the way you respond to a situation,” she said. “It sets the classroom tone.” Books, such as Trudy Lugwig’s “The Invisible Boy,” reinforce lessons of inclusion and acceptance, as do games, discussions and weekly meetings where students pass a talking stick and share concerns, compliments and thankfulness. “By expressing gratitude, the focus is moved away from the boy and to others,” Mrs. Tyson said.

“The class meeting is a great venue to practice problem-solving and to develop listening skills which can lead to becoming empathic.”

participate in a formal evaluation process that provides reflection and help in setting new goals.

The ultimate goal is to provide teachers a framework and process to build their capacity as UHŝHFWLYH SUDFWLWLRQHUV ZKR ZRUN in a collaborative community.

Upper School science teachers’ ongoing efforts speak to the diversity of intention. Mr. Bucka Watson is asking his students to share stories of personal struggle so that they grow more comfortable with each other and work better together in groups. Dr. Dan Fisher is initiating all kinds of experiential, boy-friendly activities, such as extracting sugar from bubblegum, inspired by a College Board AP Chemistry workshop he attended last summer. Mr. McGuire, who finds science journaling works better with handwritten and

Across all three divisions, our BUILD (Boys Using Innovation to Learn and Design) program inspires boys. In the makerspaces, students design and create using anything from a high-tech 3D printer to simple materials such as cardboard. BUILD combines science, technology, engineering, art and math with boys’ innate desire to tinker, create, compete, work in teams and disassemble and reassemble just about anything they can get their hands on.

In all pursuits, students learn as they design and often redesign to refine and improve their ideas.

Winter 2019 | 15

2CV IN ACTION

drawn entries, has students using Rocketbooks where their notes are stored in the cloud.

Even classroom layout plays a role in developing certain skills.

In the Lower School, teachers Amy Buerlein, Carrie Hoge and Meredith Smart are all focusing on small group math instruction as a goal this year. Instructional Technologist Jess Richards decided to be more intentional in supporting teachers as they work to differentiate their classroom instruction, while Ms. Padgett Shoemake is encouraging teachers to ask better questions so that students can better problem-solve in math. Since realizing the connection between their goals, these Lower School teachers are working together to support each other.

Middle School and Upper School desks, formerly arranged in rows, UPPER SCHOOL GATHERS now are most often clustered.

DATA TO INFORM FUTURE Some Upper School classes use DIRECTION the Harkness Method, in which students are seated around a large During the past two years, Dr. Andy Smith has taken on a new role oval table, engage in discussion with as Upper School assistant dean of faculty, charged with evaluating critical thinking by department. minimal teacher intervention.

Meanwhile Middle School science teachers are also exploring new arenas. Mrs. Mary Anderson is looking at the seventh-grade cell project with new eyes to ensure boys are contributing individually and collectively to group products. Mr. Shin found ways to include Ozobot in lessons about atom orbital shapes, while Mr. Kyle Burnette is figuring out how to balance handwritten and digital work so that boys learn best.

For each faculty member, Dr. Smith reviews projects, tests and exams and rates the required level of critical thinking using Bloom’s taxonomy. This framework for evaluation specifies six levels of thinking, a continuum from simple and concrete to complex and abstract. Dr. Smith then reviews his assessments with each teacher, requesting input, and charts results by week to determine the sequence. He then consolidates the data into a spreadsheet, creating a visual for a departmental review of overall strengths and needs. From there, Dr. Smith helps each group draft strategies so continued on page 19

Middle School faculty Craig Chewning, Christie Wilson and Brian Zollinhofer engineered a flipped math class, where they create instructional videos for boys to watch for homework. During class, students progress at their own rates, working on problem sets with teachers who provide guidance and feedback as needed. After completing their classwork, boys provide feedback to each other. “Those who find math easy get an additional challenge by getting to work on bonus material,” Mr. Zollinhofer said. “Others who think they’re bad at math learn that they’re able to do the work. They can’t hide in the back of the class and glide along.”

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WE LOVE AND UNDERSTAND BOYS St. Christopher’s cherishes boys for their energy, curiosity, competitiveness, sense of fair play, humor and lack of pretension.

WE TAKE PRIDE IN OUR WHOLE-BOY APPROACH TO EDUCATION A St. Christopher’s education develops boys intellectually, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

WE ARE COMMITTED TO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND PREPARING BOYS FOR COLLEGE AND FOR LIFE

WE VALUE THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNITY At the heart of the St. Christopher’s experience is a close-knit sense of community built on meaningful relationships between students and adults that inspire each boy to become his best self and give him the confidence to serve the larger community, locally and globally.

WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY BOY HAS THE CAPACITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE WORLD AROUND HIM

St. Christopher’s offers a superior academic program that provides a foundation both for success in college and for lifelong learning.

Boys are inspired by a sense of mission and heroic purpose, and St. Christopher’s actively encourages each boy to find and fulfill his unique promise to serve others.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE PART OF SOMETHING GREATER THAN OURSELVES

WE CARE MOST ABOUT DEVELOPING YOUNG MEN WHO POSSESS CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY

St. Christopher’s embraces the Episcopal Schools’ tradition that sees each person as a child of God; values inclusion and spiritual growth; seeks to educate for lives of meaning, joy and service.

The defining feature of a St. Christopher’s education is the development of character — honor and integrity, personal responsibility, compassion and respect for others, and willingness to work hard.

Content remains the same in Middle School science classes while game-oriented activities and biweekly problem-solving challenges provide points for grades and a different kind of venue for the learning. Boys check weekly rankings using their anonymous usernames, all in quest of the coveted “Master of the Universe” ranking. The gamified classroom provides opportunities for boys to set academic goals and work toward them by reaching smaller, attainable milestones along the way.

Said Mrs. Keena Fitch, who runs the program with Mr. Jeremy Dunn, “It involves choice, collaborative and individual work, and critical thinking against a backdrop of friendly competition and stellar fun.”

Winter 2019 | 17

2CV IN ACTION

The sixth-grade history class was revamped several years ago from a geography-based course to a theme-based approach that emphasizes global thinking, collaboration, empathy, critical thinking and understanding of self. Students study bias detection, current events and women’s issues. They also take personality and conflict management assessments to learn more about themselves and how they work in groups.

Hands-on activities include scavenger hunts, making T-shirts that tie in with a documentary about the Lost Boys of Sudan and organizing a culture fair where students work in groups to explore a specific region’s cuisine, customs and culture.

“The theory behind our approach is that the students’ minds are so wide open,” said Mr. Jon Piper, who co-teaches the course with Mr. Derek Porter. “They are not as jaded by world problems and have the ability to be positive thinkers. It’s actually eye-opening from the viewpoint of an adult. Sometimes the solutions to complex problems are simple. Sometimes a sixth-grade boy can help us see.”

Seniors choose from one of two electives, 9/11 to Now or Leaders in Action, to fulfill their history requirement.

In 9/11 to Now, boys write position papers in lieu of tests, where they use their research to support a hypothesis. In learning about the political, economic, religious and social forces that impact the contemporary world, students start realizing that we are interconnected globally. Students examine ongoing issues in Syria, Iran and Palestine while learning about Boko Haram, al-Shabaab and other terrorists groups.

Leaders in Action takes a similar approach, with a focus on analysis, application and evaluation. Part one focuses on theories of leadership using case studies and hypotheticals. Part two is devoted to community service, where each day one or two students lead, while Dr. Smith, history department chair, and Co-teacher Stuart Ferguson take a back seat. “They have to determine the problems and solutions and figure out how to work with other people on their teams,” Dr. Smith said. Empathy also comes to the fore in connecting in person with people served. Part three involves student critiques and making connections to leadership theories studied earlier in the semester.

The course concludes with group presentations to a panel of adults who provide feedback.

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continued from page 16 that individual teacher goals might be reflective. “The wealth of data is substantial,” he said. “Each faculty member in each department has the ability to be in direct control. They participate on equal footing about where we are and where we wish to head.”

In the coming months, Dr. Smith will compile data by department and by grade level to determine students’ progression throughout their four years in Upper School.

Through the process, Upper School Head Tony Szymendera sees his role as breaking down barriers between departments. Writing requirements for English and history teachers differ but also overlap, so departments will compare data to see if grade-level requirements are in alignment. It’s a challenging proposition, particularly for long-time faculty members. “It’s like you’re asking a person, ‘How do you walk?’“ said Mr. Szymendera. “Teachers worry they’re going to have to change everything they do. That’s not the case. Nothing is static. The kids are constantly changing and so is the faculty. These are seasoned professionals spending serious and thoughtful time to ensure our kids go out into the world as well-prepared as possible.”

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? StC faculty, administration and staff have been divided into cross-divisional content area groups as part of a self-study that is reviewing 2CV’s impact this school year. Each group will make recommendations that will be considered in the Virginia Association of Independent Schools 10-year accreditation and eventually inform StC’s next strategic plan.

STC BEST PRACTICES FOR TEACHING BOYS In creating the school’s Second Century Vision, faculty and administrators decided to formally articulate its knowledge of teaching and reaching boys. During the summer of 2013, seven faculty members developed these practices so that the school might share a common vocabulary and help teachers new to working at a boys’ school.

A key component to these best practices is the critical relationship between student and faculty.

PEDAGOGY • Create a classroom environment that is structured and consistent, where boys feel safe to succeed and fail.

• Be knowledgeable and passionate about your subject matter and seek to make content relevant and engaging.

• Offer varied instructional approaches to include opportunities for movement, handson learning, teamwork and competition, and choice.

• Offer varied assessment methods; multiple ways for boys to show what they know.

• Identify and support boys’ unique approaches to learning.

RELATIONSHIPS • Be authentic.

• Respect and value each boy; know him as an individual.

• Use humor and allow boys to do the same.

• Create trust and let boys know you care about them and about your subject.

• Demonstrate fairness and consistency in expectations, words and actions.

• Acknowledge and value failure as a potential learning opportunity.

Winter 2019 | 19

2CV IN ACTION

2CV TAKEAWAYS

FROM MASON LECKY, HEAD OF SCHOOL

Formally established in 2013, the Second Century Vision (2CV) offers faculty and staff a common pedagogical framework through which we deliver a first-rate and relational educational experience to every boy in our care. It has provided cohesion and purpose to all teachers, from JK classes all the way to advanced coursework for seniors, around the tenets of teaching and learning excellence that we know to be true, nearly 110 years after Dr. Chamberlayne established a small school for boys intent on fostering their academic, artistic, athletic, moral and spiritual development.

It means that for me, as head, I can enter any classroom in any of our divisions and know that I will observe boys actively engaged in the learning experience, through a defined lesson plan based on researched best practices for teaching boys, and delivered by a faculty member who is at once passionate about who they teach (boys!) and the content they deliver. It means that we are assessing our boys’ progress in new and innovative ways and that we are blending leadership, service, inclusion, integrity and global engagement into our traditional academic curriculum to form a 21st-century version of St. Christopher’s that builds on the foundation of our first 100 years and leans in to the challenges and realities of our modern world.

The 2CV is our pedagogical and programmatic guidepost. I am excited by all that it has accomplished for our boys and our school in the last six years and am eager to partner with our faculty and staff to envision its continued growth and progress.

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WHERE ARE WE NOW?

By Dr. Kim Hudson, director of The Center for the Study of Boys In 2014 we launched The Center for the Study of Boys as the next step in a long tradition of being a leader in the education of boys. The center was designed to provide the structure to take what we do to a whole new level through research, professional development, programming and outreach that promotes best practices in educating and engaging boys. Four years later, where are we?

The first core belief in our 2CV is “we love and understand boys.” A centerpiece of the work of The Center for the Study of Boys is research and professional development on relational teaching. Knowing that relationships are the foundation of boys’ learning, our faculty collaborate in grade-level teams to reflect on our relationships with the boys, sharing strategies for making positive connections. Each spring, we survey our boys in grades six through 12 to ask them how known and loved they feel in our community. Using longitudinal data, we are able to determine areas of success and opportunities for growth as we continue to work toward having each and every boy in our care feel known and loved.

Since 2015, faculty from the Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School have expanded their understanding of best practices for boys through participation in the Saints Action Research Team. Led by Lower School Librarian Laura Sabo and assisted by Upper School Librarian Marsha Hawkins and Middle School Teacher Derek Porter, faculty researchers have investigated collaboration, adaptability and storytelling and shared their findings with the St. Christopher’s faculty during our March professional day. Research briefs summarizing the research process and findings are available on The Center for the Study of Boys website (www.educatingboys.com).

The center has allowed us to build strong connections with boys’ schools around the world through our leadership in the International Boys’ Schools Coalition. In partnership with Scots College in Sydney, Australia, and Eton College in London, England, we presented a session entitled, “Building Research and Innovation Cultures in Boys’ Schools,” at the 2017 IBSC Conference in Baltimore and at the 2018 conference on the Gold Coast of Australia. Over the past two years, educators from boys’ schools in the United States and Canada have visited St. Christopher’s as they investigate establishing centers in their own schools.

Our Journeys to Manhood speaker series has connected our community with remarkable individuals who share their personal journey from boy to man, often overcoming a significant challenge or obstacle and through the process, developing resilience and moral courage. Our speakers (this year Peter Hamby and Chris Herren) spend time with our boys across all three divisions and present free events to the greater Richmond community.

In the spring of 2018, we began strategic planning for the center’s next three to five years. We will continue to keep the voices of our boys at the heart of the center and work to be a global leader promoting best practices in educating and raising boys, serving as a resource for both educators and parents.

Winter 2019 | 21

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF BOYS

SNAPCHAT HEAD OF NEWS URGES STUDENTS TO STAY INFORMED AND GET INVOLVED

By Hunter Gardner ’19

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P

Peter Hamby starts his day drinking coffee and scouring political news for the most interesting, salient topic he can cover in his Snapchat documentary-style show, “Good Luck America.” Hamby strives to provide news in a fast-paced fashion that appeals to a younger audience which has become increasingly harder to reach in a digital world.

Hamby began his journalistic journey as a producer at CNN where he won multiple Emmy Awards, most notably for his coverage of the 2016 election.

He has since moved to Snapchat as their head of news, running a podcast called “Good Luck America.” In his talk to students, Hamby emphasized the current political divide in the United States.

In lieu of making a presentation, Mr. Hamby opted for a conversation, and the school tapped alum Will Bird ’18 to take a break from his studies at the University of Virginia to lead topics of discussion, with questions provided

by The Center for the Study of Boys, which hosted the event as part of its Journeys to Manhood series. The format allowed for the discussion to cover a multitude of topics around politics, journalism and civility.

“Politics today has rapidly moved to two poles where there is not a middle anymore,” Hamby said. “Politicians from both parties are responsible for their own base and, because of that, each of those bases has gotten noisier

to the point where you can’t disagree with someone in your own party. I worry a little bit about the trajectory of our discourse but am still hopeful.”

In addition, Hamby spoke about fading civility in America. He used the recent parading of Senator Ted Cruz out of a restaurant as an example.

“You know it when you see it, and yelling at a U.S. senator in a restaurant because you don’t agree with his political stance to me seems over the line,” he said.

Hamby emphasized how the roles of the reader and the press need to adapt in a world where fake news threatens the credibility of truth itself. In a digital world people are curating their own news, and many are not relying on typical television news. Hamby encouraged students to get to know 10 of the most credible news sources and to frequently fact-check.

The press also needs to do their part to help fix the divide. “It’s important for journalists and news organizations today to not live in their own self-righteous bubbles and not assume that everyone is tuning in to the evening news or ‘Today Show’ or picking up the newspaper every day,” he said. “Most people are getting their news from social media and what’s in their hands.”

Hamby wrapped up the discussion urging those who care about politics to get involved and take action. He said, “Don’t just hashtag and retweet stuff, go vote. There is a competitive House race in Richmond. Work on one of those teams. Go knock on doors. Go volunteer for the mayor’s office. Try to get out of your bubble.”

Hunter Gardner ’19 is editor of the student publication The Pine Needle, which ran this article in November.

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AROUND CAMPUS

Campus Highlights SPEAKERS ON CAMPUS Katie Greer, an expert in cybersecurity and internet safety, spoke to boys and parents in September about the importance of students’ digital footprint.

Bol Gai Deng, a candidate for president of Sudan, also visited this fall and discussed attacks on his Sudanese village when he was a boy, his life as a slave, his escape and refuge in Richmond, and ultimate goal to help bring stability and prosperity back to his homeland.

Dr. Nelson Lankford, who retired in 2014 as vice president for programs at the Virginia Historical Society, addressed the 1918 influenza pandemic. The author/historian’s October visit was made possible by the Williams-McElroy History Endowment, established in 2014 to promote the study and understanding of history.

Bol Gai Deng

Earlier in the school year, Head of School Mason Lecky gave a tribute to Jack Williams 1919. After going against his parents’ wishes to help his Boy Scout troop transfer sick flu patients, Jack contracted the virus and died in 1918. Mr. Lecky called Jack a hero for setting the example of “noble living, self-sacrifice and an abiding love for mankind.”

Former NBA star Chris Herren shared his powerful story of addiction and recovery to Upper School students in November.

A meeting with parents and community members was held the night before. Chris’s story is detailed in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, “Unguarded.”

A TRIBUTE TO STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Archivist Alice Flowers and Digital Arts Teacher Amanda Livick pulled together a display cabinet highlighting the history of student publications. These 100-plus-year school traditions include the literary magazine Hieroglyphic, yearbook Raps & Taps and a newspaper revamped to The Pine Needle magazine.

Luck Leadership Center display of student publications through the years

24 | StC Magazine

Dr. Nelson Lankford (far right) with Sorrel and Jack McElroy ‘49

Jack Williams 1919

Homecoming Homecoming weekend kicked off Friday, Sept. 28, with a Varsity soccer 3-2 win over Paul VI Catholic High School. Saints convened on campus Saturday for a family cookout and enjoyed a Varsity football game blowout against Bishop O’Connell High School, 35-0.

Fall Festival Saints of all ages enjoyed the festivities, starting out with a Friday evening outdoor Oyster Roast (the fourth annual) and a Saturday morning Lower School Fun Run pitting the Chamberlayne Reds against the Chamberlayne Grays. The cold temperature and rain forecast called for moving the games, activities, vendor shops, used-goods sales and food park inside. Thanks to chairs Sarah Helen Studebaker and Tara Bennett as well as more than 350 parent volunteers. The afternoon was capped off with a Varsity soccer win over Veritas School.

Winter 2019 | 25

AROUND CAMPUS

Campus Highlights (continued) VOICES OF COLONIAL VIRGINIA

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS

The third-grade tradition continued where students from St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s moved through stations with parentled activities inspired by Colonial culture and customs.

The Episcopal tradition held in Lower School symbolizes our love, care and concern for all creation. St. Francis Day celebrates the truth that we are one with creation, and our pets are some of the best examples of God’s unconditional love.

Christopher Cheuk ‘28, Charles Yonce ‘28 and Adam Bishara ‘28

LESSONS AND CAROLS The annual Lessons and Carols tradition never fails to provide inspiration and grounding for the Advent season. The service included student group performances from all divisions, biblical readings and carols sung by all in attendance.

Charlie Hottinger ‘26

Charlie Parker ‘27 and Lance Clelland ‘27

26 | StC Magazine

Asher Green ‘26 and his pet snake Clyde

Recital Hall CONSTRUCTION UPDATE Progress continues on the school’s recital hall and arts facility that will open in early 2020.

Leading the project are Bowie-Gridley Architects and Taylor & Parrish contractors, the same team that headed design and construction of the Kemper Athletic Center and Luck Leadership Center.

According to Director of Development Delores Smith, an expansion of the arts program was identiďŹ ed as a priority in the 2000 strategic plan to help foster creativity, a critical quality of leadership in a 21st-century world. The building replaced the brick classroom wing at the west end of the Middle School building, and the Middle School auditorium was renovated to replace those classrooms.

The 30,000-square-foot facility will include a 450-seat concert hall/auditorium, visual arts studio, art gallery, English/creative writing classroom, music practice rooms, and state-of-the-art LED lighting and sound systems. Lobbies on two levels will support receptions following events.

A $31 million capital campaign is well underway. www.orchestrating-leadership.com

Photo by RichmondTimeLapse

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Legacies

Junior Kindergarten

Kindergarten

Thomas Lester ’32, son of Lee Lester ’98; Blake Martin ’32, grandson of Larry Blanchard ‘68; Aaron Newman ’32, son of Chris Newman ’84 and grandson of Bill Newman ’55; Harrison Noble ’32, son of Joey Noble ’00; Dulany Stewart ’32, grandson of Jim Blackwell ‘65; Harrison Waters ’32, son of Logan Waters ’99

Sam Carter ‘31, son of Adam Carter ’92; James Guthridge ‘31, son of Morgan Guthridge ’99 and grandson of Charles Guthridge ‘63; Lawson Patton ‘31, son of Lawson Patton ’04; Quint Reveley ‘31, son of Taylor Reveley IV ’92; Rand Turnbull ‘31, son of Ned Turnbull ’01 and grandson of Rob Turnbull ’68

Middle School

Upper School

Max Mumford ’25, son of Chris Mumford ’88; Noah Lee ’25, son of Bennett Lee ’84

John Collier ’22, son of Brian Collier ’85, and Will Rees ’22, grandson of Giles Robertson ‘60

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NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS | 2018-2019

ORRAN BROWN

CONRAD GARCIA

CARSON JOHNSON

Orran Brown graduated from Hampden-Sydney College and Harvard Law School. After practicing litigation for years, he founded his own firm, BrownGreer PLC, in 2002 to design and operate facilities for resolving multiple claims in class action and other settlement programs and to manage information in multidistrict litigation. Orran has four children, including Read ’18 and Drew ’21.

Conrad Garcia, who graduated from New Mexico State University and Washington and Lee University School of Law, serves as Williams Mullen’s tax law practice chair and concentrates on domestic and international tax planning. He serves on the endowment board and finance committee of ChildSavers as well as the board of directors of Virginia LISC. Conrad has two sons at St. Christopher’s, Zakary ’27 and Henry ’29.

Mobile, Alabama, native Carson Johnson attended the University of Virginia for her undergraduate and law degrees. After practicing law with Hunton & Williams LLP and then Harman Claytor Corrigan and Wellman PC, Carson recently accepted a position as outside advisory counsel for CFA Institute in Charlottesville. Carson’s sons are Charlie ’29 and Edward ’26.

GERD KOBAL

MANOLI LOUPASSI ‘85

TAYLOR REVELEY ‘92

German native Gerd Kobal received his medical degree and two doctorates (pharmacology and physiology) from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. He was the psychophysiology department chair at the University of Bamberg before being named the physiological pharmacology department chair at Erlangen-Nuremberg.

He also served as president of the European Chemoreception Research Organization and is now vice president at Altria Client Services. Gerd has two Saints, Leopold ’26 and Maximilian ’23.

Manoli Loupassi ’85 received his undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee University and law degree from the University of Richmond. He served as a state prosecutor for six years before being elected to Richmond City Council in 1999.

During his final two years of seven on the council, he served as president and city vice mayor. In 2007, Manoli was elected as a delegate to the Virginia General Assembly, where he served for 10 years. He is an attorney who concentrates on criminal and traffic defense. Manoli has one son at St. Christopher’s, Manoli ’23, and two daughters at St. Catherine’s.

Taylor Reveley ’92 graduated from Princeton University and Union Presbyterian Seminary and received his law degree from the University of Virginia. He began his career with Hunton & Williams LLP, focusing on mergers, acquisitions and financings for public and private entities. He represented the Harvest Foundation in its public baccalaureate initiative in southside Virginia that resulted in the founding of the New College Institute of Martinsville. Taylor is a third-generation college president now serving Longwood College. He has twin kindergarteners at St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s, Quint ’31 and May. Winter 2019 | 29

DEPARTMENT TITLE

The Arts Highlights from the auditoriums, music halls and art classrooms of St. Christopher’s

“INTO THE WOODS”

By Hunter Gardner ’19

Music in the Halls of StC The November strings concert was the last to take place in the iconic McVey Theatre at St. Catherine’s, which will be razed to make way for a new building. Eighty-eight students from St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s in grades 3-12 took part. Four different ensembles performed classical selections, bluegrass tunes, sacred hymns, selections from East Asia and Russia, as well as music from a popular video game series.

The fall Jazz Band concert in the LLC 2010 Cafe featured students improvising solos, jazz, ’50s rock ’n’ roll, samba, ’70s pop and ’90s grunge. Jack Ireland ’22 and Killian Winn ’22 were featured vocalists and played instruments. Cameron Lovings ’19 played guitar and sang an Eagles song.

The final musical to grace the iconic stage of McVey Theatre, “Into the Woods,” began with Darren Badley’s booming voice speaking the iconic line, “Once upon a time.” What ensued was a complicated conglomerate of classic fairy tales woven around the main story about a baker and his wife trying to break a witch’s curse so they can have a child.

The stage was turned into a whimsical forest, which had a minimalist touch due to construction enveloping one side of the building. Mesh trees hung from the sides of the stage and a projector provided the background of the woods, which changed as different scenes occurred.

The classic fairy tales of Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty all have a place within the story, with stellar performances by Edward Millman ’19 (Rapunzel’s prince), Charlie Whitlock ’19 (the baker), Killian Winn ’22 (Prince Charming), Scott Neely ’22 (Jack), Badley ’19 (narrator) and Max Macek ’21 (the silent cow). The baker must find “the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, the slipper as pure as gold.” At the end of the first act, most everyone has gotten what they wished. The fairy-tale characters all end up with the classic endings from their respective stories, with the baker and his wife finally resolving their curse.

The second act begins sometime later with everyone still living happily ever after. The act goes on to prove that actions have consequences when the giant’s widowed wife comes seeking revenge. It adds a twist to the story that changes up the overused expected fairy-tale ending. Multiple characters are killed by the giant, including the narrator, leaving those remaining to end the story themselves.

Editor-in-Chief Hunter Gardner ’19 wrote this story for the November issue of the student publication The Pine Needle.

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Artwork by Baylor Fuller ‘19

MIDDLE SCHOOL OUTRÉ PERFORMS TWO PLAYS Outré, the joint theater group for St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s middle schools, produced two plays this fall, instead of the usual one, providing more opportunities for students. The plays were “The Hysterical History of the Trojan War,” a comedic version of Homer’s story, and “Sideways Stories from Wayside School,” an adaptation of a children’s book. The group included 17 boys in the cast, 22 in crew and three who handled publicity. “A lot of the guys really identify this as their thing, and to be able to reach out and serve them is great, while allowing some of the athletic kids to shine in a different way,” said Company Manager Jeremy Dunn, who teaches Middle School science.

STUDENT BLOG HIGHLIGHTS WOMEN’S VOICES wearelisteningrva.com

By Spencer Villanueva ’21 Every woman has a different story to tell. As an all-boys school, St. Christopher’s seldom spotlights women’s issues. On that front, Henry Barden ’19 and a team of journalism students are doing just that through a multimedia blog, “We Are Listening,” which started last fall.

Emphasizing community outreach, the blog focuses on women in our community and plans to expand to include women across Richmond. Each story asks a common question: “What is important for boys to know or understand about women?”

The blog uses both writing and videography to convey women’s stories. This format allows the viewer options: an article can be clear, concise and to the point, but cannot convey emotion quite like a video. “We are getting the word out in as many ways as possible for maximum impact,” said Barden.

The name “We Are Listening” evolved with the blog. The original title, “RVAwomen,” changed after the interview between Mrs. Carey Pohanka and Henry Weatherford ’21. Mrs. Pohanka said that instead of making assumptions, boys should sometimes ask questions and listen. Other women interviewed expressed a similar sentiment.

Barden and Faculty Advisor Kathleen Thomas are enthusiastic about the new project. Mrs. Thomas said, “I think it has huge potential for where it could go. For me, if it helps broaden one boy’s perspective, it has been successful.”

Staff Writer Spencer Villanueva ’21 wrote this story for the November issue of the student publication The Pine Needle.

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FALL SPORTS RECAP

CROSS COUNTRY

FOOTBALL

SOCCER

The runners won back-to-back Prep League and VISAA titles in dominating fashion. In the Prep League meet, seven runners made All-Prep — Joe Beck ’19, Sully Beck ’20, Prep League champ Knight Bowles ’21, Neal Dhar ’20, Ian Smith ’20, Henry Valentine ’20 and Johnny Whitlock ’20 — but only five counted to StC’s final score. Bowles finished third overall at the state meet and was joined by Dhar and both Becks on the All-State team.

The Varsity football team jumped out to a 5-1 start before finishing the season 5-5, falling in the VISAA semifinals. Nine players were named All-Prep — Will Beck ’19, Charlie Boggs ’19 (Washington and Lee University), Daymone’ Fleming ’19, Will Hayes ’19, Jeff Moore ’20, Patrick Routsis ’19, Jack Siewers ’20, Dhykwon Smith ’19 and Jeb Wickham ’20. Boggs and Fleming were selected to the Big River Rivalry Game, an all-star game for the top seniors in Richmond.

The team was unbeaten all season until losing to Cape Henry Collegiate in the VISAA semifinals, finishing 15-1-1 and holding a national ranking for the entire season. Four players earned All-Prep honors — Gerard Broussard ’20, John Flood ’19, Alexander Levengood ’19 (The College of William & Mary) and Bridger Thurston ’19. Levengood was named Player of the Year again this year and finished his career as the school’s all-time leading goal scorer (104).

Joe Beck ‘19

Daymone’ Fleming ‘19 celebrates a touchdown with Charlie Boggs ‘19.

Bridger Thurston ‘19

Recaps compiled by Stephen Lewis, assistant athletic director and sports information director

32 | StC Magazine

Student Spotlight

David Millman ‘19 Scientist & Advocate David Millman’s passion for environmental stewardship seems to know no bounds. His high school efforts kicked off with an independent research project studying microplastics in the James River, dubbed outstanding in STEM by the Virginia Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. Upper School Science Teacher Austin Sutten credits David’s success with consistently using problem-solving skills to “optimize his methods” and “overcome obstacles as they came his way.”

David’s research led to the creation of a video on plastic pollution for two competitions that garnered awards and recognition, including online kudos from Hollywood star Hugh Jackman, one of the contest judges. These contests introduced David to the complex conundrum of environmental challenges. “I almost feel like it’s my civic duty to advocate for these problems,” said the environmental activist who is also an accomplished thespian. “Right now, in the way we’re headed, we’re approaching extinction.”

Coming back to school his junior year, he and Philip Maruri ’19 petitioned StC Science Department Chair Billy McGuire to revamp Saints for Environmental Awareness. They composed goals and a new mission statement for the club, expanded the school’s recycling efforts, increased river cleanup activities and led Wednesday lunch discussions with a group of like-minded students.

Last summer David attended the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Youth Institute and came into his senior year with the idea of starting the Environmental Youth Council of Virginia. As of today, the group consists of schools from five Richmond area districts. The group is considering forming a nonprofit organization (501c3) and is setting goals, writing a mission statement, fundraising, budgeting and developing a website. David would like to take this idea to the college level with the goal of creating a nationwide network.

“The power is in the numbers,” he said. “If you have thousands of students or tens of thousands of students across multiple states, there comes a point when you can’t ignore the outcry.”

Through the process, he realized that perhaps the most impact could be made through policy. So earlier this winter, David reached out to Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), sponsor of the bill to impose a 5-cent-per-bag tax on single-use bags, and testified, his presentation largely based on his research. While the bill did not pass, legislators talked to David afterward about the idea of a ban, possibly a more palpable alternative for the anti-tax GOP representatives. This involvement led to an invitation for David to join the Virginia Coalition of the Green New Deal, a progressive platform focused on climate change.

Mr. McGuire praises David’s efforts. “He’s thinking really big. He has an unusual amount of foresight for a high school senior. He has completely driven the train. My role has been just trying to keep the train on the tracks.”

Winter 2019 | 33

DEPARTMENT TITLE

Student News St. Christopher’s understands how boys think, how they act and how to best develop and focus their intellect and physical and emotional energy.

We call it educating the “whole boy,” and it doesn’t all happen exclusively in the classroom.

Here are just a few highlights of what our students are doing outside of school.

Willem Peters ’21 and his family, who hosted exchange student Monty Hannaford two years ago, visited him in his hometown of Sydney, Australia, last summer.

Willem Peters ’21, Banjo Hannaford, Monty Hannaford and Stephanie Peters hike to Manly Beach.

Hollis Cobb ’19 was included in the Top 10 under 20 recognition by the Virginia Episcopalian, a quarterly publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia that recognizes young people for leading ministries in Virginia. Hollis headed a listening project in Manakin-Sabot’s Hickory Haven neighborhood, where he interviewed and 34 | StC Magazine

recorded residents and helped pull an action team together. “As we move into this new technological era, we can lose some of the history that is there,” Hollis said in the magazine. “A listening project keeps history alive. Individual families may not have kids to pass on the history of their family. A listening project brings that history to life.”

Joaquín Torres ’25 performed at the Latin Ballet of Virginia’s production, “Victor, The True Spirit of Love,” at Grace Street Theater in September. The ballet is based on the autobiography, “Victor Torres,” a story inspired by the experience of a Puerto Rican teen surviving the streets of Brooklyn in 1942.

Joe Beck ’19 was recognized as a National Merit Semifinalist, an academic honor reserved for those who score in the top 1 percent of the 1.5 million high school students who take the PSAT each year.

Seniors recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars, who score in the top 50,000 nationally, include Aidan Fitzgerald ’19, Philip Maruri ’19, David Millman ’19 and Sam Moore ’19.

Hanover and New Kent counties.

Max Kobal ’23, Grady White ’24, Ben Butterfield ’25 and Teddy Price ’23

Raif Winn ’24 was in the musical, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” at the School for the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community (SPARC) last fall. He played Ted, the food-obsessed main character, who sticks with his friends Peter and Prentiss.

Joe Beck ‘19

Raif Winn ’24

The following boys made the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Honor Choir and performed last winter in Kansas City, Missouri: Ben Butterfield ’25, Max Kobal ’23, Teddy Price ’23 and Grady White ’24.

Mason Stanley ’23 has been accepted to fence in his first Junior World Cup two categories higher than his age bracket. He was one of four USA fencers selected to participate in Havana, Cuba, in December and competed in Paris in February. Mason was introduced to the sport as a Lower School student in the Extended Day program and started competing in 2015. Foil fencers are rated from A to E, and Mason earned a B rating last August, making him the youngest competitor in Virginia with that distinction. Mason is part of a Boston fencing club where he is coached by a former Olympian and trains at a fencing facility in Hanover.

Max Kobal ’23, Cameron Lovings ’19, Coley Lynch ’21, Miles Mullins ’21, Scott Neely ’22, Jack Nystrom ’23, Teddy Price ’23, Russell Richards ’20, Luke Thomas ’21, Charlie Whitlock ’19 and Weston Williams ’22 auditioned and were accepted into the Virginia Music Educators Association District Chorus, comprising students in Richmond and Henrico,

The sport, part of the Olympic program since 1896, requires strategic thinking, quickness and athleticism.

Varsity football linebackers Charlie Boggs ‘19 and DayMone’ Fleming ‘19 suited up for the Big River Rivalry, Richmond’s annual all-star game for the top senior football players, in mid-December at Randolph-Macon College.

Alexander Levengood ‘19 was the only Virginia player selected for the High School All-American Game. The College of William & Mary soccer signee wore his No. 21 jersey for the East team in the Dec. 1 game played in Florida.

Miles Mullins ’21 participated in the Virginia USATF Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships race in November, finishing second overall and first in his age group with a 5K time of 15:45. This qualified him for the National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Reno, Nevada, in December, as well as the Nike Southeast Regional Cross Country Championship in November. Miles finished his cross-country 5K season ranked first in Virginia and set the fastest mark of all sophomores in the state.

Mason Stanley ’23

The following boys achieved the rank of Eagle Scout this year, according to a listing in the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Alex Baber ’20, Aubrey Bowles ’21, Gibson Bowles ’21, Knight Bowles ’21, Whitt Bowles ’22, Drew Brown ’21, Harrison Coble ’21, Will Farrell ’21, Spalding Hall ’21, Jack McGurn ’19, Stewart O’Keefe ’22 and Mac Suskind ’21.

All are members of Troop 444 sponsored by Reveille United Methodist Church.

Oliver Gardner ’23 and Carter Lecky ’28 performed in Richmond Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”: Oliver as the Military Teen and Carter as the Gold Boy.

Alexander Levengood ‘19

Miles Mullins ‘ 21

Also in December, Timmy Gordinier ’21 traveled to Florida to participate in a national showcase under the umbrella of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Top Academy teams from around the country travel to play three games in front of college coaches as well as national and international scouts.

Sam Moore ’19 took part in the showcase as well, where Top Drawer Soccer recognized him as a top performer. This is his fourth year serving as captain of his Academy team, which is ranked 21st in the country, and he signed an amateur contract to play with the Richmond Kickers professional team for 2019. Sam will play soccer for UNC-Chapel Hill next year.

Carter Lecky ‘28 and Oliver Gardner ‘23 backstage with Richmond Ballet dancer Ira White ’11 at a rehearsal for “The Nutcracker.”

Sam Moore ‘19

Winter 2019 | 35

ALUMNI MILESTONES

MARRIAGES 1999

Thomas Francis Hancock IV to Ann Elizabeth Reid, Aug. 4, 2018

2001

Paul Michael Evans to Molly James Barber, Oct. 20, 2018

2007

Joą Davenport Blackwell III to Lindsay Seale Teague, April 7, 2018 Edward Alexander Grymes to Margaret Ware Szumski, Sept. 15, 2018 Alexander Coke Hall Jr. to Alyssa Lauren Halter, June 2, 2018

2008

Stephen Warwick Davenport to Madison Rose Taylor, Aug. 4, 2018 Richard Samuel Luck to Jenna Rae Chenault, June 23, 2018 Joą McCreagh Parrish to Carrington Wallace Jones, June 23, 2018

2009

Joą Miller Stillwell to Lindsey August McLeod, Aug. 4, 2018 Michael Francis Welch to Heather Peebles Garson, July 21, 2018

2010

Peter Stone Partee Jr. to Jane Dorsey Taylor, May 26, 2018

2011

Casey Tyler Fox to Madison Jane Fuelling, Dec. 1, 2018

BIRTHS 1993

Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Wallace Hines, a son, Alexander Gray, May 28, 2018

1996

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Antrim, a daughter, Carter Watson, Oct. 29, 2018

1997

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Moore IV, a son, James Spencer Quarles, March 21, 2018

1998

Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. R. Brown, a daughter, Laura Barrett Balmer, Oct. 1, 2018

2000

Mr. and Mrs. James G. Stikeleather IV, a daughter, Dorothy Marshall, June 26, 2018 Mr. and Mrs. James B. Hovis, Jr., twins John Wichford and Lucille James, July 7, 2018

2001

Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Cann, a son, Robert Pearce, Nov. 27, 2018 Mr. and Mrs. Burton A. Fuller, a son, Walter Croxton, Nov. 9, 2018

2002

Mr. and Mrs. J. Preston Kendig, a daughter, Taylor Reed, May 8, 2018 Mr. and Mrs. Ten Eyck T. Wellford Jr., a son, T. E. Thompson III, July 21, 2017

2004

Mr. and Mrs. Randall Alexander Arnett, a son, Millner Andrews, July 13, 2018 Mr. and Mrs. Andrew S. Elmore, a son, Grey Stratton, Oct. 31, 2018 Mr. and Mrs. Adam C. Foege, a daughter, Cora M., March 19, 2018 Mr. and Mrs. P. Joą Hughes, Jr., a son, Robert Jackson, April 8, 2018 Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Porter III, a daughter Charlotte Edley, Sept. 7, 2018 Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Hawks Traynham, a daughter Anna Shields, Jan. 16, 2018

2006

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Hovis, a daughter, Barrett Elizabeth, Aug. 8, 2018

36 | StC Magazine

Saints from the class of 2001 celebrate Molly Barber and Paul Evans ’01: Will Wall, Hunter Davis, Adam Lynn, Bryan Tedeschi, Tito SmithHarrison, Tim Innes, Nathan Hays, Paul Evans, Mercer Ferguson, Molly Evans, Will Paulette, George Teschner, Kelly Crockett, Burton Fuller.

Saints connect at the Boathouse at Rocketts Landing in Richmond following the wedding of Madison Taylor and Stephen Davenport ’08.

Saints reunite at the reception for Jane Taylor (St. Catherine’s ’10) and Peter Partee ’10.

Saints of all ages gather at the reception for Carrington Jones (St. Catherine’s ‘09) and John Parrish ’08.

Winter 2019 | 37

ALUMNI MILESTONES

ALUMNI DEATHS 1941

Richard Arnold Ricks III, of Bennington, Vermont, died Feb. 24, 2018.

Edwin Love Toone III, of Wilmington, North Carolina, died June 15, 2018.

1942

Joą Marshall Rasnik Jr., of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 12, 2018.

1943

Burr Noland Carter II, of Richmond, Virginia, died Aug. 25, 2018. Survivors include his sons, B. Noland Carter III ’72 and Edward H. Carter ’76.

Stanley Pleasants Reed Jr., of Richmond, Virginia, died on July 9, 2018. Survivors include his brothers, Poulson C. Reed ’61 and Daniel S. Reed ’67.

1959

James Douglas Freeman of Richmond, Virginia, died Aug. 11, 2018.

1944

Armistead Marshall Williams, of Richmond, Virginia, died Oct. 25, 2018.

1946

Joą Durrbarow Munford II, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died July 28, 2018.

1948

Hunter Holmes McGuire Jr., of Richmond, Virginia, died July 30, 2018. Survivors include his sons, Hunter H. McGuire III ’81 and William R. McGuire ’85, and grandson, John Peyton McGuire ‘12.

Richard Mimms Lee, of Richmond, Virginia, died Aug. 21, 2018. He is survived by a son, Andrew F. Lee ’85.

1950

Mann Quarles Brown Jr., of Richmond, Virginia, died March 28, 2018. Survivors include his stepsons, Christopher B. White ‘80, B. Briscoe White III ’76 and William B. White ’78, and grandsons, Benjamin B. White IV ‘07, Harley M. White ‘07, Christopher B. White, Jr. ‘07 and Jesse K. White ‘12.

Edward Armistead Talman, of Richmond, Virginia, died Oct. 31, 2018. Survivors include his stepson, J. Ros Bowers Jr. ’83, and his grandson, Talman Woodson Ramsey ‘21.

1951

Oliver Amos Pollard Jr., of Petersburg, Virginia, died June 10, 2018.

George Edward Robertson Stiles, of Ashland, Virginia, died June 7, 2018. Survivors include his grandson, Robertson Whit Licata ‘19.

1952

1953 1955

Harold Jesup Williams Jr., of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 20, 2018. Survivors include his son, Harold J. Williams III ‘79.

Ronald Talbot Buckingham, of Jacksonville, Florida, died Sept. 11, 2018.

Joą Vernon Morice Gibson, of Memphis, Tennessee, died March 24, 2018.

Franklin Earl Laughon Jr., of Richmond, Virginia, died Nov. 22, 2018. Survivors include grandsons, Patrick J. Hughes, Jr. ‘04 and Stuart Franklin Hughes ‘09.

Emil Otto Nolting Williams Jr., of Richmond, Virginia, died Nov. 27, 2018. Survivors include his brothers, John L. Williams ’59 and Julien H. Williams ’65, and sons, Otto N. Williams ’87 and Erskine A. Williams ’92.

38 | StC Magazine

Dr. Richardson Grinnan of Richmond, Virginia, died July 31, 2018. Survivors include his brother, Randolph B. Grinnan III ’53.

Timothy Ward Wood, of Richmond, Virginia, died Sept. 6, 2018. Survivors include a brother, W. Price Wood III ’62.

1960

Ralph Harris Ferrell III, of Baltimore, died Dec. 1, 2018.

Survivors include brothers, William G. Ferrell ’67 and John W. Ferrell ’72.

Clarence Parke Scarborough III, of Manakin, Virginia, and Man-O-War, Bahamas, died Oct. 14, 2018.

1972

Robert Sheffey Preston, of Carpinteria, California, died Nov. 22, 2018. Survivors include a brother, Frederick D. Preston ’82.

1989

Charles Austin Joy Jr., of Beaverdam, Virginia, died June 15, 2018.

1992

Edmund LaFayette Benson IV, of Richmond, Virginia, died Nov. 17, 2018. Survivors include his father, Edmund L. Benson III ‘55.

2013

Zane Joą Bidou, of Richmond, Virginia, died Sept. 17, 2018.

FACULTY & STAFF DEATHS Robert Louis Bailey, of Waverly, Virginia, died Sept. 11, 2018.

Mr. Bailey was a Lower School faculty member.

Katharine Hart Belew, of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 30, 2018.

Mrs. Belew was a Lower School faculty member.

Mary Glenn Carrington, formerly of Richmond, Virginia, died Sept.

18, 2018. Mrs. Carrington was manager of the Murrell Bookstore. She is survived by her son, W. Tucker Carrington IV ‘84.

Amy Luann Hadley, of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 27, 2018. Mrs. Hadley was the Lower School art instructor from 1972 to 1997. She is survived by a son, Gregory M. Hadley ‘80.

Michael David Pratt, of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 28, 2018. Dr. Pratt was an Upper School faculty member who taught economics.

He is survived by his son, Timothy M. Pratt ‘02.

Richard Leigh Towell, of Richmond, Virginia, died Aug. 12, 2018. Mr. Towell was an Upper School math teacher. Survivors include his son, Samuel T. Towell ’96, and grandsons, Richard L. Towell III ‘16 and Michael Sheldon Towell ‘17.

Helen Bugg Vaughan, of Glen Allen, Virginia, died Oct. 7, 2018. Mrs. Vaughan was the daughter of former Headmaster Robert Bugg and for many years was a member of the school’s business office staff. Survivors include her sons, William W. Vaughan III ‘70 and Robert W. Vaughan ‘72.

REMEMBERING

TK at StC Through the Years

THOMAS KENNERLY WOLFE JR. '47 (1930–2018) We are deeply saddened by the passing of alumnus Tom Wolfe ’47 in May, just before our summer 2018 magazine went to press. We honor and remember his influence and generosity to St. Christopher’s, while rocking the literary world with his radical style.

In high school, “T.K.” (as he was known by classmates) was involved in all areas of the school as co-editor of the student newspaper, sports editor of the yearbook, varsity baseball player, Student Council chairman and Missionary Society member.

Throughout the years, the white-suited icon shared his time and talents with his alma mater. He served for six years on the Board of Governors, as honorary chair of the school’s first endowment campaign, and returned to campus often to address students as well as to attend reunions and special events. The Wolfes and former Headmaster George McVey and his wife Nan developed a lifelong friendship and, for decades, Tom and his wife Sheila hosted an annual spring party in their Manhattan home for St. Christopher’s alumni who lived in the New York area, a soirée he dubbed the “Annual Gotham Dogwood and Pine Needle Party.”

Senior yearbook page

In the Lower School library early in his career

As the featured speaker at the school’s centennial gala, Tom addressed students and guests throughout the weekend. “His message to the budding young writers in the audience was, ‘Get out of the building.’ By that he meant, if you are a writer, then you have to go out and experience the world. You can’t isolate yourself,” said Development Director Delores Smith. “He meant that you had to experience the world with open eyes.”

As the honorary chair of the school’s first endowment campaign, Tom extolled the school’s strengths, saying that when he went to Yale University, where he received a Ph.D. in American studies, he began to realize that St. Christopher’s standards were probably unsurpassed anywhere in the country due to its dedicated faculty and small classes. In his foreword to the 2011 centennial history book, “St. Christopher’s School: Scholars and Gentleman,” Tom wrote, “St. Christopher’s turned out to be one of the greatest strokes of luck — or pedagogy — in my life. ...To tell the truth, after St. Christopher’s most courses I took in literature, even in graduate school, struck me as print versions of a garden tour.”

Tom is best known for pioneering an American literary movement called New Journalism, the art of writing nonfiction using fiction techniques such as dialogue, character development, setting and details that appeal and engage all five senses. He was a prolific writer whose works include “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” (1968), “Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers” (1970), “The Painted Word” (1975), “The Right Stuff” (1979), “The Bonfire of the Vanities” (1987), “A Man in Full” (1998), “I Am Charlotte Simmons” (2004) and “Back to Blood” (2012).

On campus with George McVey

At the school’s centennial celebration in 2011

Winter 2019 | 39

Class Notes Don’t see your class represented? We are recruiting class scribes to help us gather news.

Please contact Kathleen Thomas at thomask@stcva.org if you can gather news for your class.

1940s 1948 Nash Boney ’48 gives talks about the University of Georgia and, occasionally, the Civil War. He taught American history at UGA for 28 years and retired 24 years ago. Nash sometimes connects with Saints in Athens, students at UGA who spot and inquire about his rear-window stickers of StC, Hampden-Sydney College, where he received his undergraduate degree (1952) and the University of Virginia, where he received his Ph.D. (1963).

1950s 1951 Donald Warner ’51 reports that he and his wife Barbara moved into an apartment at St. Mary’s Woods in Richmond due to her issues with Parkinson’s. With three pianos on-site, he is regaining some finger dexterity, giving impromptu performances of golden oldies from the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s.

He wrote, “The most liberating aspect of this journey has been finding homes for lots of books, furniture, lamps, piano, many tables and an unbelievable accumulation of ‘stuff.’ There is also the delight in seeing our 40 | StC Magazine

grandchildren take possession of some of our legacy: the dinner place settings, glass and silverware, including two heavy ‘doorstoppers’ from a great-grandmother, and ‘The Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,’ published in 1886. Barbara and I both feel fortunate that we are able to be sufficiently comfortable in greatly reduced living space.”

1959 Jack Cann ’59’s fifth book, “Flight Plan Africa, Portuguese Air-Power in Counterinsurgency, 1961-1974,” has been awarded the National Defense Prize by the Portuguese Commission on Military History, which is part of the Portuguese Ministry of National Defense. His book was the unanimous choice of 15, making him the first non-Portuguese to receive the prize in its 27-year history. In addition to a diploma, Jack received a monetary award of €6,000 in Lisbon last November. He has written eight books, seven of which have been translated and published in Portuguese, and he is in the process of writing a ninth.

1960s 1963 Bob Priddy ’63, Roper Vaughan ’63 and Bill Hoofnagle ’63 met for dinner in early November when Roper and his wife Susan, who live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, were passing through RVA. Roper is involved with his aviation business and mentors young entrepreneurs. Bill is a lawyer at FloranceGordonBrown, primarily focusing on arbitration/mediation. Bob works at Scott & Stringfellow as an investment advisor and plans to retire in another seven or eight years. Roper and Bob were both involved with the 50th Reunion Committee at Washington and Lee University two years ago.

1964 Rick Renner ’64 is network administrator for BBRents in Middletown, Ohio, and owner of Your Next Home LLC in Columbia, South Carolina. He and his son have formed One Source Integration.

A TESTAMENT TO STUDENT/COACH CONNECTIONS Danny Bowles sent a letter to Upper School Head Tony Szymendera after the death of his father Norman Bowles ’53, who played baseball at St. Christopher’s for two years under legendary Coach Petey Jacobs before going on to play for the University of Richmond.

In the 1953 championship game, Norman pitched a complete game as the Saints won Coach Jacobs’ first title, 4-1. “My Dad has always kept up with the Saints baseball program and proudly would wear his red St. Christopher’s hat,” Danny said in the letter.

Coach Szymendera said he was touched that Danny reached out after his father’s passing and was glad to add Bowles’ baseball history to the collection.

“From my research, it looks like Petey Jacobs rode Mr. Bowles’ arm hard for two years,” Mr. Szymendera said. His findings revealed that Danny pitched 152.2 innings, 81.1 in 1952, the second most in school history, and then 73 in 1953, the fourth most in school history. Danny was 11-7 with 111 strikeouts to 46 walks.

At right: Norman Bowles ’53 wearing his Saints jersey

1965 Knox Hubard ’65 wrote a rebuttal to the rebuttal to his Richmond Times-Dispatch letter that warned against letting bureaucrats run health care. Nine of his wife’s 11 surgeries for lymphedema were covered by a for-profit health insurance company, but when forced by government mandate to give up her private insurance, Medicare “arbitrarily denied coverage,” he wrote.

After a two-year battle for coverage, the Hubards eventually won.

Fighting Coastal Erosion and Bay Pollution An update from Chris Davis ’72 I continue to ward off the siren song of retirement as president of ReadyReef Inc., a marine contractor specializing in living sills, living shorelines and living walls as the premier erosion control solution for coastal protection. With private ownership dominating the eroding waterfront, property owners can contribute significantly to improving conditions of the Chesapeake Bay. Traditional treatments, such as static bulkheads and revetment, are environmentally problematic and challenged in changing conditions.

Six members of St. Christopher’s class of 1965 will enjoy their 50th reunion at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington this spring: Pat Branch, Larry Brydon, George Budd, Frank Easterly, Knox Hubard and Kirk Materne.

Missed and remembered are fellow Cadets Hugh Tompkins and Frank Webb, who are deceased.

In the big picture, ReadyReef’s practices tie in perfectly with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Watershed Implementation Plans to fully restore the bay by 2025. In fact, living shoreline installations are now eligible for significant cost-sharing grants from the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts in bay counties.

continued on next page

Education remains a priority. ReadyReef goes anywhere at any time to present the case for the wild oyster and natural erosion control. The public is increasingly embracing the oyster for its dual role as a delicacy and essential environmental filter for improving water quality for all species. The goal of 18 billion Chesapeake Bay oysters will enter the public discussion as the environmental engine that will eclipse the Billion Oyster Project currently ongoing in New York Harbor.

For more information, go to: www.readyreef.com.

A Chesapeake Bay living shoreline Chris Davis ’72, a College of William & Mary graduate, was a professional basketball player and teacher before working in a variety of manufacturing industries. His brother and business partner, Ed ’68, graduated from Emory & Henry College, worked in the printing and packaging industry and also owned and operated a marine repair and retail business. Long-standing family ties to the Eastern Shore and Mathews County inspired ReadyReef’s efforts in helping to return the Chesapeake Bay to its natural condition as one of the most beautiful, healthy and productive estuary systems in the world.

Winter 2019 | 41

Class Notes continued from page 41

1970s 1970 Gris Bowden ’70 and his 124 partners sold last summer their 102-year-old insurance brokerage firm, Wortham Insurance, to Marsh, the world’s largest insurance broker.

Wortham was one of the country’s largest independent insurance brokers, with five Texas offices handling an annual premium volume in excess of $1 billion. Gris plans to retire sometime in 2019 and remain in Houston.

1976 In September, four alums from the class of 1976 celebrated turning 60 with a trip to Rome, Tuscany and Florence, followed by a train ride over the Swiss Alps and ending up in Zurich.

Here’s the group in Italy: Rex Smith, Dusty Boyd, Jimmy Rose and David Hawkins.

1973 Scott Harvard ’73, chief executive of Strasberg, Virginia-based First Bank, was named chairman of the Virginia Bankers Association at its 125th annual convention. Scott formerly owned and operated Harvard Resources, served as president and chief executive of Shore Bank and held leadership roles at Delmarva Operations at Hampton Roads Bankshares Inc. and Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, a subsidiary of Federal Home Loan Banks.

Hobie Claiborne ‘73 will serve a two-year term as chair of the St. Catherine’s School Board of Governors.

1978 Sandy Williamson ‘79, Ed Schoeffler ‘78 and Jim Cain ‘78 attended the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris with their wives. Even though the USA team did not perform well, the Saints reported they enjoyed great weather and a great time.

1974 Manson Boze ’74 and his wife Cindy sailed the East Coast in their 40-foot sailing catamaran to Florida and then the Bahamas for the winter. “We’re psyched for a great adventure. Best regards to all my buddies in the classes of ’73 and ’74,” he wrote.

1979 CLASS SCRIBE John Thomas ‘79 jthomas@ip-counsel.net In addition to working as a web application developer for Anthem, Jordan Ball recently completed his first online video course, JumpStart JavaScript. Now published on Udemy.com, it’s the first of six or seven installments planned for a full-stack web 42 | StC Magazine

development course. With first-month revenues just exceeding $20, he looks forward to incredible year-over-year growth in 2019.

Gov. Ralph Northam appointed New Market Corp. Chairman Teddy Gottwald to the Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors for a four-year term that started last July.

Charlie Luck reports that life is going well and the Luck Cos. recently celebrated their 95th year in business, expanding into South Carolina and Georgia with new acquisitions. He wrote, “Lisa and I are enjoying being empty-nesters and I have returned to racing and have finished two years of competing in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Division. Unfortunately, I will not be in attendance for a reunion because we have a race in Ohio that weekend.”

Sandy Williamson, CapTech co-founder and chair, was elected to the 2019 JA Greater Richmond Business Hall of Fame.

1980s 1981 Ryland Gardner ’81, his wife Shari and dogs Enrique and Xena the Warrior Princess moved a couple years ago to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to a small community on the Bay of Banderas. The Gardners travel to the States on occasion to teach courses for NOLS and NOLS wilderness medicine and spend the rest of their time at Casa Gaviota, which sits just above the Pacific, about 100 steps to the beach and a fantastic surf break. Ryland rents his two-bedroom house, as well as a studio apartment, and has enjoyed the transition from mountain guide and outdoor educator to “innkeeper,” as his dad (Bill Gardner ’53) dubs his new occupation. “We live on the property and enjoy helping our guests get the most out of their stay in our little Mexican paradise,” Ryland wrote. “We spend our days SUP surfing, exploring, fishing and chasing fun experiences for our guests and ourselves.

To me, it is an extension of what I have been doing for the majority of my adult life: sharing amazing places with other individuals in a meaningful way. For years it was guiding

Class Notes folks in the mountains on skis or on tall peaks or in a vast array of wild places. Now I am doing a similar thing in a tropical locale and ‘feeding my ocean soul.’” He encourages any Saints who would enjoy exploring the ocean, learning to stand-up paddle surf and relaxing at a different pace to visit and offers them a lodging discount. You can find information on his rental at vrbo.com (# 913467) or email him at snoyeti@mac.com.

How Vern Glenn Became Mr. Involvement

By Aubrey Bowles ’21 Vern Glenn ‘80, like many St. Christopher’s students, has always been obsessed with sports. “In 10th grade, I would only talk about sports at lunch, and George McVey would squawk at me to talk about academics,” said the StC football and track athlete.

Unlike most graduates, though, he made it his life calling, devoting the past 30 years to being a sports reporter and anchor at two San Francisco Bay Area stations. This Emmy Award-winning weekend sports anchor and reporter has interviewed such legends as Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Wayne Gretzky and Hank Aaron, and covered pretty much all big-league events, including Super Bowl XXIX, the 2000 U.S. Open (golf) and the Olympics.

While at the University of Virginia, Vern worked campus radio in the basement of his dorm, as a sports talk show host. “I loved when people would call in and disagree with me,” he said.

After graduating in 1984, he landed his first gig in Richmond as an intern for WRVA radio on Sunday nights, “Let’s Talk Sports with Chuck Noe.” Then in the spring of 1985, he got his first television job at WXEX Channel 8, now WRIC. Vern, who stands 5’3” and tips the scale at 150 lbs., is known for slapstick humor, endless energy and standing tall when facing obstacles. Through the years, he came to be known as “Mr. Involvement” for jumping into the fray of whatever he might be covering. He has done some pretty daredevilish stunts in his time, such as skydiving and motocrossing (which led to breaking his elbow after crashing into a wall), bungee-jumping, being a running back in a blitz pick-up drill with the 49ers and riding a bull. He has shot hoops with the Harlem Globetrotters and been pummeled by the Oakland Raiders at practice. “You have to do something, say something that people will always remember,” he said. “Otherwise, you’re just a replaceable talking head.”

Obviously, Vern loves what he does and will do whatever it takes to get a compelling story. “Every day I get up and I have no idea what the adventure is,” he said. “Every day is different.”

Marin Magazine, a lifestyle publication serving the North Bay Area of California, ran a feature story on Vern in its January issue.

Jimbo McLaughlin ‘82’s new book, “Bearskin,” was nominated as best first novel by Mystery Writers of America as well as the Barry Award given by Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine.

1983 CLASS SCRIBE Alexander Macauley ’83 alexander@macjamlaw.com

1989 30th REUNION CLASS SCRIBE Missing In Action email thomask@stcva.org to volunteer Joą Reid ’89 served on the weekly VIP panel for the Richmond Times-Dispatch Auto Racing Challenge, representing News Radio WRVA 1140 AM / 96.1 FM, where Winter 2019 | 43

Class Notes he works as morning talk show host. He also was the keynote speaker at a Steering Committee meeting to organize support for Chris Peace’s ‘94 re-election. John provided an analysis of the November midterm elections and a forecast about what those results mean for Virginia in 2019.

1990s 1990 U.S. Army Col. Francis Park ‘90, currently assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Directorate for Strategy, Plans and Policy, was the principal author of the 2018 National Military Strategy, recently approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman. His strategy division is now revising the presidentially signed Unified Command Plan for the Department of Defense’s combatant commands.

Carlisle Bannister ’90, chef at Upper Shirley Vineyards in Charles City, participated in a live cooking demonstration during “A Taste of Richmond Holiday” in November.

He was one of several local chefs to showcase signature samples from the Richmond area’s top restaurants.

1991 Temple Cone ’91 was appointed first official poet laureate for the City of Annapolis for the 2018-2020 term. A selection committee that includes notable literary figures met under the City of Annapolis Art in Public Places Commission and made its selection, which was presented to Mayor Buckley, who concurred. Mayor Buckley said, “Temple is an outstanding, recognized 44 | StC Magazine

poet with a record of engaging and encouraging creativity in his students. His ideas for building common ground and fostering creative expression in our community through poetry are inspiring.” This U.S. Naval Academy English professor is the author of four books of poetry. He has also published six poetry chapbooks, as well as reference works. His honors include two individual artist awards from the Maryland State Arts Council and an Annie Award for Literary Achievement from the Anne Arundel Arts Council. He holds a Ph.D. in literature from the University of Wisconsin, an MFA in creative writing from the University of Virginia, an M.A. in creative writing from Hollins University and a B.A. in philosophy from Washington and Lee University.

Richmond office and Leesburg, when I am not traveling to such exciting destinations like Fort Payne, Alabama (former sock capital of the world and where the band Alabama formed).” Here, Travis and the kids are on the road, top down.

1992

While Travis’ company moves the stuff, Travers Clemons stores it, boxes it up on order and tracks inventory. He’s president of Orbit Logistics, which provides “omni-channel fulfillment services” from facilities in Ashland, Charlottesville and Roanoke for companies from the Fortune 500 to startups. A Nevada warehouse is on the books for this year. Outside of work, you’ll find Travers and his wife Kristina fishing and camping on Virginia’s rivers with Chase (11), Piper (9) and Bridger (6).

Marshall Manson ‘92 recently joined Brunswick Group as a partner in its London office.

Marshall oversees a team of digital specialists across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India for the global communications advisory firm that specializes in such complex and sensitive situations as mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and crises.

1994 25th REUNION CLASS SCRIBE Massie Ritsch massie.ritsch@gmail.com When you consider how the world has changed in the 25 years since we graduated — more on our reunion in a minute — how we bring stuff into our homes is one of the biggest changes. What once got carried in a Thalhimers or Ukrop’s bag can now show up, on demand, in a box. Insert your own Circuit City joke here.

Two of our ’94 brothers have something to do with the way stuff travels. Is it coincidence, then, that they share the name “Trav”? Travis Ellwanger works in the heavy freight division of UPS, which moves 50,000 pallets around the world every day. Travis, wife Michelle and children Mary Read (12) and Henley (10) moved to Leesburg in 2017.

“I am fortunate to be able to work remotely and end up splitting time between the

But what sells us on the stuff in the first place? If it’s an eye-catching ad or alluring 360-degree image, our yearbook’s photo editor, Rick Levinson, might have been behind the camera. His state-of-theart studio in Burlington, Vermont, RLPhoto, shoots for big-name clients marketing everything from snowboards and electric cars to parkas and artisanal chocolates. It’s beautiful. So is the Levinson family: Rick, Tina, Sadie (12) and Ruby (9).

Class Notes You’ll see them at our reunion, May 3-5, at Ricky’s old house. The place is now in the hands of Christian Shield, who is graciously hosting (again) with our St. Catherine’s classmate Sherrie (Collins). A commemorative Pine Needle is in the works, so please shoot me an update if you haven’t already filled out the class survey.

We shouldn’t expect to see Mikko Pulkinnen, however. Our Finnish classmate lives in Helsinki with his wife and two daughters.

“I have been a strategy consultant for the past 16 years and am currently working as a partner at a local company, August Associates. I still like to do quite a bit of running, but it is not serious anymore.” When we connected a few months ago, Mikko had just reunited in Helsinki with a former running-mate: Patrick Belton.

Hamilton Street on land in front of the United Methodist Family Services campus.

1997 Ashby Price ’97 has formed Juno Financial Group, a Richmond retirement plan management company for employers that also provides wealth planning for individuals and families.

1998 Rhys James ’98 helped expand the Richmond law firm of Kaplan Voekler Cunningham & Frank to the Virginia Beach area. His practice of corporate and securities work gives the firm opportunities in the Hampton Roads area.

Mason Bates ’95 was nominated for three Grammy awards for his music in the opera, “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.” In December, he premiered his symphony, “The Art of War,” at The Kennedy Center, which incorporates the sounds of mortar explosions captured at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, California.

Matt Mattox ’98 recently took the helm of the Martin Agency’s GEICO account.

Since 2007, he has held roles as senior strategic planner and planning director before being promoted to senior vice president, group planning director in 2012, and most recently senior vice president, group account director. Matt has played a key role in launching all major GEICO campaigns since 2012, including the “Unskippable” series that played on a tendency for people to skip commercials when given the option.

More recently, he’s contributed to the “It’s What You Do,” “Not Surprising,” “More, More, More,” “Believe It,” and Best of GEICO campaigns. He received a master’s degree in 2005 from the VCU Adcenter (which was later named VCU Brandcenter) and a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from the University of Richmond in 2002.

1996

1999

Taylor Williams ’96 was part of a panel that discussed Richmond hot spots for commercial real estate development for Richmond Times-Dispatch Metro Business (Live). As a principal at Spy Rock Real Estate Group, Taylor has experience with development and ownership of apartment and office buildings in the Fan and Scott’s Addition, including the Symbol development at Rockbridge Street and Highpoint Avenue.

The company is also embarking on a mixed-use project at West Broad and North

20th REUNION

Hope to see you under the pines in May.

1995 Richard Griffith ’95 was admitted to the D.C. Court of Appeals and is now licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia.

He will continue to work as a senior litigation consultant at UnitedLex in Richmond, representing global life sciences corporations, manufacturers and AmLaw 200 law firm clients.

CLASS SCRIBE Merrill Cann ‘99 mpc7k@yahoo.com

2000s 2000 Jamie Whiteman ’00, along with his wife Meghan and children Olivia and Harrison,

relocated to Chicago so Jamie could take a job as a banker with J.P. Morgan in its Midwest coverage group. After living in New York and London since 2005, Jamie is excited to grow some roots in Chicago, where they reside in Lincoln Park.

2002 Marshall Tucker ‘02 has been promoted to partner at Troutman Sanders LLP, where he focuses on commercial real estate, specializing in the multifamily housing industry, including lender representation in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac transactions.

2004 15th REUNION CLASS SCRIBE Ben Traynham traynbht@gmail.com Melissa and Jay Hughes have two boys, Patrick (3) and Beau (7 months). They live in Richmond, where Jay works for Johnson & Johnson in the medical device spine division.

Jake Carter-Lovejoy lives in San Francisco and is director of strategy for Epsilon Agency, creating marketing campaigns for certain tech companies he cannot name but says you’ve definitely heard of. He also produces a podcast for Barstool Sports and is always looking for guests — athletes, sports or political enthusiasts, comedians, social media stars and others.

Ryan Robertson just moved back to Richmond to take a job with OrthoVirginia doing joint replacements after finishing his fellowship in joint replacements at the Anderson Clinic in Alexandria, Virginia.

Riel Smith-Harrison completed his fellowship and started a job with VCU Urology.

Andrew Elmore and his wife Julie live in Goochland and had their first child on Halloween. While Julie is teaching eighth-grade English at St. Catherine’s and coaching lacrosse and field hockey, Andrew works at SingleStone, a local IT consulting firm.

Granville Valentine, his wife Gina and their 1-year-old daughter Gray live in the Bay Winter 2019 | 45

Class Notes Area and recently moved to Marin County.

Granville is vice president of sales at Oracle, where he manages Oracle’s enterprise applications sales team for western North America. He recently completed an MBA at UC Berkeley, but he now spends most of his free time with the little one and exploring their new neighborhood. He says the West Coast Saints remain close and are ready to host any wayward Saints who make it out to NorCal. Nat Southwick, who is a Six Sigma Black Belt, lives in Logan, Utah, with his wife Kristan and dog Belle. He works as a chemical engineer for Schreiber Foods, which makes cheese, cream cheese and yogurt for McDonalds, Subway and Walmart. His job involves traveling three weeks a month to 15 domestic production plants.

Joy and Brian Herod live in Ashland, Virginia, and have two boys, Walton (4) and Zeb (2). Brian owns Neighbors and Herod Family Dentistry in Midlothian.

Katherine and Ben Traynham, along with baby Anna, live in Washington, D.C. After spending a few years lobbying for the chemical industry, Ben now works on Capitol Hill as staff director and counsel for the environment subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

Howard Bullock ’05 is a founding partner of Veldhuis & Bullock PLLC in Richmond. His practice focuses on catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases throughout Virginia and in U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western districts of Virginia.

Tyler Smith ‘05 founded TJPS Consulting in 2012, which became Health Data Movers in 2017. Since then, the company has grown to more than 20 employees and contractors and worked with major health systems across the country, including Yale-New Haven Health, Stanford Health, Northwestern and Vanderbilt. Working largely with the Epic Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system software, particularly around implementations, data conversion, and EMR integration, Health Data Movers has also begun to create and market software products to bring more value to existing clients. Looking to the future, Tyler hopes to begin working with more systems in Virginia and credits his role as the co-editor of The Pine Needle as giving him his first meaningful experience in project management. He lives in Palo Alto, California, and is in the process of finishing up his MBA at Stanford University.

Ryan Robertson joined OrthoVirginia, where he specializes in knee and hip replacements. Away from work, Ryan enjoys hunting, cooking, traveling and CrossFit.

2005 James Hoffman ’05 has joined Verizon Wireless as a real estate manager. In this role, James will work with localities across Virginia to ensure the deployment of 5G technology.

2007 CLASS SCRIBE Brelan Hillman brelan.hillman@gmail.com Luke Morris was accepted into the Institute of Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, for a master’s in brewing and distilling with entrepreneurship.

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Ted McChesney started the master of urban and regional planning program at VCU this fall and also works there in the Capital Assets and Real Estate office.

Chase Stratton reported: “I successfully defended my dissertation and am now a doctor. My degree specialized in insect agroecology and evolution, but is technically in plant and soil science. It is, after all, all connected.”

As for me, I was tapped to referee two college basketball leagues and will officiate DIII, JUCO and high school games throughout Virginia and North Carolina this summer.

2008 CLASS SCRIBE John Garland Wood jgwood89@vt.edu Mackie Wellford, who passed away on Dec. 1 2017, is remembered by wonderful family and his close friends from St. Christopher’s and VMI, of which he had many.

He will be missed for his upbeat personality, sense of humor and ability to put a smile on anyone’s face. His love for adventure and his toys – trucks, boats, ATVs, dirtbikes – was unmatched. While at St. Christopher’s, he was an Eagle Scout, honors student and All-Prep varsity track member.

Class Notes Richard Luck was married June 23 and is living in Northern Virginia, working as plant manager at a Luck Stone quarry.

2009 10th REUNION

Billy recently moved to Las Vegas after several years in D.C. and Charlotte and serves as director of business development at Pacific Stock Transfer Co.

between many of us, and we hope to see everyone at our 10-year reunion in Richmond on May 3-5, 2019. Please continue to share updates/photos and stay in touch.

Thomas Andrews hopped the pond from D.C. to London, where he continues to work for Cambridge Associates. The distance, however, hasn’t stopped him from hitting the Southeast wedding circuit, most recently at Michael Welch’s wedding in Asheville with a half-dozen other ‘09 Saints.

2011

Down south, Carter Younts calls Memphis home, keeping folks insured at Guardian Life. Harrison Tucker is immersed in Nashville’s live entertainment and music scene at tech-startup Aloompa. When not road-tripping 1,000-plus miles across the United States in his free time, Scott Richardson pays it forward as a math teacher in New Orleans.

Bart Farinholt traded Denver’s fresh mountain air for NYC’s concrete jungle but hasn’t given up his love for lacrosse. He works for Harlem Lacrosse, a nonprofit providing opportunities, relationships and experiences that guide youth to a path of success as students, athletes and citizens.

Joą David Crossen is based in Austin but makes a special effort to connect with classmates across the country while traveling for FactSet. He often sees Fitz-Henry Boze, Michael Towne, Tee Bowers and Peter Sisk in Denver, and Bart and Christopher in NYC. Drinks are still pending in San Diego, however, where Brown Farinholt and Robert Allen are busy living the beach life. When not surfing, Brown is finishing his Ph.D. in computer science, with a focus on cybersecurity at UCSD, and Robert, an active-duty Marine, pilots AH-1Z Viper (aka “Zulu Cobra”) helicopters.

Nick Molloy has also settled in NYC as an associate at Morgan Stanley after recently completing his MBA at UVA Darden.

Philip Halsey, who was recently married, works in sales for Potter’s Craft Cider outside Charlottesville.

Thanks to an earlier alumni magazine article, Christopher Alexander reconnected with Jay Weisbrod for a weekend tour of Jay’s former hometown, Guilin, while on vacation in China. Billy Miller also made the long trek to Guilin just before Jay’s return to the States, where he now works in international sales for Smithfield Foods out of Kansas City. In October, Jay visited StC’s Chinese II Honors class and shared how his language skills and cultural understanding helped shape his career path.

Taylor Powell graduated from VCU Medical School in 2017, was married last spring, and has since moved to Connecticut where he will complete his medical training in radiology at Yale. Taylor and his wife hope to move back to Virginia when he’s finished.

CLASS SCRIBE Christopher Alexander c.c.alexander@gmail.com The Class of 2009 has no shortage of updates across the country and around the world since graduating nearly 10 years ago.

Christopher completed his M.S. in real estate development at NYU and works in business development for Meridian Capital Group in NYC.

Many others have also pursued professional degrees: Stuart Mahoney at UVA Darden, Jay Lynde at UNC Kenan-Flagler, Charlie Blanchard at GW Law, Henry Moore at UofR Law, Nat Armistead at VCU School of Dentistry and Thomas Shockley at VCU School of Business, to name a few.

The Class of 2009 is fortunate to stay well-connected despite the distance

CLASS SCRIBE Henley Hopkinson thhopkinson@gmail.com The Sept. 25 issue of Richmond Magazine ran a feature on Ira White. A company dancer at the Richmond Ballet for three years, he underwent knee surgery and returned to the stage in late September for the 35th anniversary celebration of the professional company at Dominion Energy Center. In the Q&A, White discussed his move from student to stage, his view on dance’s role in the city’s thriving arts culture and serving as a mentor to kids. He plans to stay with the Richmond Ballet for a while but eventually would like to move to a bigger city. “I want to keep dancing and advancing for as long as my body can,” he said in the article.

James Busch lives in Vermont and is in his second year of a Ph.D. in earth sciences at Dartmouth College. His dissertation research focuses on the period of time when complex life first evolved on Earth. He has spent the last two summers doing field work in the Yukon Territory and Namibia.

Corey Dalton lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and works for Krossover, a sports technology firm. In his free time he enjoys golf, and he just completed his first season as head golf coach at Leman Manhattan Preparatory School.

Casey Fox lives in Dallas and works in player development for the MLB’s Texas Rangers.

He was married on Dec. 1 in Palm Desert, California, to Madison Fuelling, a classmate from Haverford College. Connor Wood and Will Halladay were groomsmen, and numerous Saints were in attendance.

Henley Hopkinson lives in Lyon, France, where he is studying for a professional certification in French fluency, while working remotely for the International Law Institute (ILI), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.

He will continue to pursue his interests in international trade and dispute resolution at Georgetown Law next year. continued on page 49

Winter 2019 | 47

Class Notes

DC Technology Journalist Reflects On Lessons Honed at StC

By CHASE GUNTER '11 I’m a journalist with Federal Computer Week. I cover Congress, technology and technology policy, and the federal workforce.

If that sounds like a broad beat, that’s because — it is. We’re a small staff, which is great because I get to cover a lot, but also tough because I’m covering a lot.

On any given day, I can find myself on Capitol Hill covering a congressional hearing, interviewing a member of Congress, speaking to federal employees, visiting at a government agency — or some combination thereof.

In the last year, I’ve reported on social media companies’ and their role in the 2016 election; social media companies’ intrusive and misleading data collection practices; Congress’ response (or lack thereof) to users’ concerns; the 2020 Census — planned to be the first ever “online” census — and the potential democratic implications if anything goes wrong.

Oftentimes, when we think of technology, it’s easy to think only of gadgets. But nowadays, so much falls under the umbrella of technology. In the health care debate, for instance, I reported on the future of healthcare.gov, the marketplace where Americans shop for health insurance plans. Heck, even “the wall” along the southern border — which may register as medieval — is planned to have technology like sensors and drones. And it’s no secret that the past two to three years have been… hectic… in the federal space.

While in college, I covered local news and the University of Virginia football and basketball teams for two local newspapers.

Reading and writing are central to my professional life. (My mom, Frances Doyle, is an English teacher at St. Catherine’s, so it’s possible I never had a choice in the matter.) One thing St. Christopher’s provided me was an excellent foundation of how to write cogent pieces worth reading.

Hayden Doyle ’27 visits big brother Chase Gunter ’11 in Washington, D.C.

Even before entering a journalism career, the St. Christopher’s English and history departments’ emphasis on writing, not to mention the books and authors assigned to us, were things I took for granted. At 17 years old, it can be easy to assume every school teaches students how to communicate ideas through writing. But St. Chris really is special in this regard. I was able to take journalism in high school, a subject even a school like UVA didn’t offer as a major.

Even in my first days of college English classes, where I’d be subjected to proofreading classmates’ papers, it became apparent just how valuable those lessons from St. Chris were. I’m immensely grateful. (To the point I should perhaps consider apologizing to some teachers who were professional enough to put up with the teenage version of me in hopes their lessons would take someday.)

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Class Notes

continued from page 47

Farrar Pace lives in the Bay Area and works in technology sales at Adobe, but spends much of his free time pursuing his passion of filmmaking and storytelling.

Ben Resnik lives in Washington, D.C., and works for West Wing Writers, a speech-writing firm started by Bill Clinton alums, writing for CEOs, celebrities, heads of state and various politicos.

After three years in New York City, Tucker Thompson moved to San Francisco where he’s working for private equity fund Gryphon Investors. “It’s been great so far, definitely a welcome change from living in the big city,” he wrote in an email.

Will Valentine lives in NYC and works as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. In his free time, he loves keeping up with UVA athletics teams and tries to get back to Virginia to go hunting with family and friends.

Stephen Wood lives in NYC’s East Village neighborhood. A freelance journalist, he focuses mostly on politics, history and soccer, sometimes all three. His work has appeared in Jacobin Magazine, Paste Magazine, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and other fine publications, including Richmond’s own RVAMag. Connor Wood lives in NYC and works in private equity. He is engaged to Dana Gullquist (St. Catherine’s ’11).

2012 Keaton Hillman ’12 was a member of the cast for the fall Virginia Rep production of “Mr. Popper’s Penguins.”

Eddie Whitlock ’12 is the proud owner/ operator of Anytime Fitness franchises in King George County and Fredericksburg.

Known at St. Chris as “Fast Eddie,” Eddie has taken his love of fitness and exercise he acquired at St. Chris into the world of entrepreneurial business.

Sam Coltrane received his B.S. (2017) and MBA (2018) at the College of Charleston and is now a sales manager for comScore, a media measurement and analytics company in New York.

Goode, Fitz Fitzgerald, Andrew Robertson, Joą Tyson, Parker Widhelm and Thomas Cottrell.

As a student at Randolph-Macon College, Clark Lewis started an eSports program.

Now recognized by the institution, the program recruits players from across the country to represent the school in competitions. Clark is working this year as an StC Extended Day teacher.

Zane Buono ’17 attended RPI for one year before transferring to the U.S. Naval Academy after completing six challenging weeks of midshipman training last summer.

2017

Alex Whitehurst started a job in development at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture last October. The James Madison University graduate who double-majored in history and English, initially worked at the Valentine Museum after graduation and continues there on weekends.

Peyton McElroy works for Infosys doing tech strategy consulting in NYC. He keeps busy traveling about four days a week and serving as the liaison between the on-site work and offshore team in India.

2015 CLASS SCRIBE Fitz Fitzgerald ’15 hef4ac@virginia.edu Offensive tackle Henry Stillwell ‘15 was named honorable mention all-Ivy League.

Stillwell started the final 30 games of his Big Red career, and helped Cornell to the most rushing yards in a season since 2006 (1,821).

Members of the class of 2015 got together at Thanksgiving: Wilson Bedell, Walker Dougherty (friend), Harvard Smith, Joe

Edward Anderson ’17 won the Shenandoah Mountain 100-mile mountain bike race in early September. His father Ed ’77 also took part.

VCU soccer player Simon Fitch ‘17 was one of 15 named to the Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team. Simon was one of three Rams named to the squad and helped VCU to the conference regular-season title and the A-10 semifinals.

2018 Hunter Fuller ’18, a member of Troop 444 sponsored by United Methodist Church, earned the rank of Eagle Scout this year.

2014 5th REUNION CLASS SCRIBE Peyton McElroy ’14 peytonrmcelroy@gmail.com Alec Ball ’14 alba9518@outlook.com Winter 2019 | 49

Faculty News PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT World Language Teachers Isa Shealy, Kathleen Hornick and Carey Pohanka attended the Express Fluency Teacher Workshop in Burlington, Vermont, in August. The conference focused on comprehensible input techniques with sessions led by Martina Bex, a world languages consultant, and Tina Hargaden, a Spanish and French teacher in Portland.

Bill Frederick, founder of Lodestone Safety International, visited St. Christopher’s in August to train faculty and staff from area Global Education Benchmark Group schools to navigate health, safety and security when traveling with students. The program, organized by Director of Global Engagement Fran Turner, included reviewing best practices and taking part in tabletop scenarios to help trip leaders avoid unnecessary risks and respond effectively in a variety of situations. StC participants included Business Office Accounting Manager Terry Dalton, Assistant Head of School Sarah Mansfield, Director of Health Ann Vanichkachorn and Teachers Alex Adkins, Emmett Carlson, Stuart Ferguson, Marsha Hawkins, Derek Porter, Elsa Woodaman and Hanna Zhu. Mrs. Turner was part of the Critical Language Scholarship Review Panel at the VCU National Scholarship Office, which helps scholarship candidates enhance their applications to study abroad in highly competitive programs.

College Counselors Jim Jump and Scott Mayer attended the National Association for College Admission Counseling conference in Salt Lake City in late September. Mr. Mayer was a delegate to the Assembly, NACAC’s legislative body, and visited Brigham Young University and the University of Utah. Mr.

50 | StC Magazine

Jump was a recipient of NACAC's highest honor, the Margaret Addis Award, along with the other members of the Steering Committee who drafted a new code of ethics for the college admission profession.

Representing the International Dyslexia Association, Lisa Snider spoke in October to employees at the VISA Corp. campus in Ashburn, Virginia. The presentation, which aimed to raise dyslexia awareness while creating a more diverse and inclusive environment, was televised to a broader national audience on VISA TV. Mrs. Snider, Lower School director of curriculum, instruction and academic support, currently serves as president of the IDA’s Virginia branch.

Head of School Mason Lecky, Dr. Mansfield and Chaplains Whitney Edwards, Durk Steed and Joe Torrence attended the National Association of Episcopal Schools Conference in Atlanta in early November.

The Rev. Torrence presented a workshop on community development and service learning for elementary schools.

Dr. Mansfield served as co-chair for this year’s VAIS Leading Learning Conference: Better Together. The annual conference connected educators from more than 60 of Virginia’s independent schools.

Upper School Head Tony Szymendera was named Coach of the Year for the National High School Baseball Coaches Association Region 2 (mid-Atlantic area including Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and West Virginia). He was recognized at a national conference in late November.

Middle School English Teacher Alex Knight’s poem, “Fair Ways,” was published in Aethlon: The Journal of Sports Literature.

Upper School Academic Technologist Carey Pohanka recently joined the VAIS Professional Development Advisory Commission.

She will help guide and plan the organization’s annual conference and other professional development opportunities. Ms. Pohanka also joined the Volunteer Committee for Higher Achievement, a program for middle school students in the Richmond area, where she also serves as a mentor.

Writer-in-Residence and English Teacher Ron Smith gave presentations at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on the visual arts and photography, and, in Paris, at the International Hemingway Conference, where he was the featured poet at the American Library and also read new poems to Hemingway scholars in the Salon Gustave Eiffel on the Eiffel Tower. Broad Street magazine published an interview focused on Mr. Smith’s latest book, “The Humility of the Brutes,” which was also reviewed favorably at H-Arete, the Sport Literature Association online site. His new poem, “Remedios Varo’s Locomotion Capilar (1959),” was published online in Plume, Issue #83, and his sonnet, “He Loved the World He Fought to Save,” was published in Five Points: A Journal of Literature and Art, a publication of the Georgia State University English department. In October, at the first RVA Booklovers’ Festival, Mr. Smith gave a reading dedicated to murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi; at Book People’s November Poetry Café, Mr. Smith read and commented on some of his favorite poems by Wallace Stevens, James Wright, William Butler Yeats, W.H. Auden and Elizabeth Seydel Morgan. In December Ron Smith published a new poem in Arts of War and Peace, an online journal published at Diderot University in Paris.

Upper School Chaplain Whitney Edwards, Lower School Head Benita Griffin, Middle School Spanish Teacher Kathleen Hornik and Lower School Teacher Cynthia Brown attended the National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference, where they explored the theme, “Equitable Schools and Inclusive Communities: Harmony, Discord and the Notes in Between.”

joining for the final five miles.

— born last summer.

The StC baby boom continues with Upper School Math Teacher Ross Gitomer, Admissions Director Hamill Jones, Upper School Digital Arts Teacher Amanda Livick and Upper School History Teacher Scott Van Arsdale as new parents to babies — Theo, Rennie, Evie and Scott Jr. “SJ,” respectively

Asha Bandal completed her 14th season as the head coach of the University of Richmond synchronized swimming team.

The team placed 11th in the country at the national championship, and her head captain was named the 2018 U.S. Collegiate Athlete of the Year.

Upper School faculty members Marsha Hawkins, Amanda Livick and Casey Torrence will deliver a workshop at the National Science Teachers Association conference in St. Louis in April. In a session called “Digital Literacies and Infographic Design,” the StC teachers will discuss the benefits of cross-disciplinary collaboration to high school students.

Upper School Science and Math Teacher Casey Torrence was selected to take part in the 2020 IBSC research cohort whose focus is Developing Agency: Boy Voice and Choice. Mrs. Torrence, who is also an Upper School resource teacher, believes that authentic learning often cannot be demonstrated via traditional pen and paper tests. Her project calls for physics students to create portfolios, which allow for self-reflection, small group feedback and student-teacher meetings, in lieu of standard assessments, to determine mastery.

The IBSC cohort will meet in June at its annual conference in Montréal. Groups will conduct research in the fall and communicate digitally throughout the year. In summer 2020, the group will regroup at the IBSC Annual Conference in Barcelona, Spain, where they will present their research findings.

Cricket O’Connor with sons Ross ‘09 and Bo ‘19

Mrs. Torrence, Ms. Pohanka and Multimedia and Technology Specialist J.D. Jump attended the inaugural VAIS Innovators and Makers Conference in February. They followed up later in the month with visits to schools in New York City to explore how others are using makerspaces.

OUTSIDE ACADEMIA Cricket O’Connor checked an item off her bucket list, completing the Anthem Richmond Marathon in November with son Ross ’09 for the duration and son Bo ’19

Anne and Emmett Carlson with son Mason and daughter Temple, Amanda Livick with son Cameron and baby Evie, Ross Gitomer holding Theo, Scott Van Arsdale holding Scott Jr., Jeb Britton with daughter Woodson, and Hamill Jones with daughters Ann Pinckney and Rennie

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New Faces on Campus ADMINISTRATION & STAFF Director of Communications Sharon Dion began her career as an account supervisor at The Martin Agency and spent the past 12 years with Capital One, most recently as director for communications and culture.

She holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Richmond.

Campus Security Manager Shaun Guice joined StC after 28 years with the Chesterfield County Police. His background is extensive, covering crime prevention, training, instruction, shift and tactical team commander roles and other task force positions.

Emily Keith, college counseling assistant, formerly worked as marketing and recruiting director for Harris Williams & Co. and as an executive assistant for reprographics company KeithFabry. She earned her B.A. in liberal arts and sciences from Virginia Tech.

Bookstore Manager Jessica Morrall co-managed Collegiate School’s bookstore for eight years, and before that served as the University of Richmond’s collegiate licensing manager. Jessica earned her B.A. in communications from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

LOWER SCHOOL Lower School Head Benita Griffin worked 16 years as an elementary teacher and 10 years as an administrator, most recently as assistant head of school and Lower School director of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day School in San Mateo, California. She also served as Lower School head at Derby Academy. Ms. Griffin holds a B.A. in English literature from Hunter College and an M.Ed. in elementary education from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

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Amma Gatty, junior kindergarten co-teacher, got to know StC as a substitute teacher last year. She earned an MBA from Strayer University and a B.S. in renewable natural resources management from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. Four years ago, Mrs. Gatty founded The Next Star Arts Program, a nonprofit that supports and teaches dance and theater to youth.

After receiving her BFA in art education from VCU, Lower School Art Teacher Meg Foster taught in Chesterfield County, where Harrowgate Elementary School named her Teacher of the Year. In her off hours, you will find her in her Midlothian studio, ArtHaus Visual Arts Studio, where she teaches afterschool and summer camp art classes to children of all ages.

Lower School Nurse Taylor Thomas is a Collegiate School graduate who earned B.A. degrees in psychology and exercise/sports medicine from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also received a B.S. in nursing from George Washington University and worked as a nurse in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C. An elite high school and college lacrosse player, Ms. Thomas was an assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Randolph-Macon College.

MIDDLE SCHOOL Nick Doremus has served as woodworking teacher since Steven Cooper transitioned to Upper School, and as an advisor who helps with Middle School theater. An accomplished furniture-maker, he attended the Rochester Institute of Technology and also spent time at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine. Mr. Doremus formerly worked as a ceramics teacher at Ewing High School in New Jersey.

Martin Millspaugh is serving as this year’s Kate Childrey Teaching Intern. He graduated from the University of Virginia as a double major in English and urban and environmental planning, and last spring served as advisor at The Winter Term in Switzerland.

Mr. Millspaugh also is an advisor, co-teaches seventh-grade history, coached football and is spending time in Upper School.

UPPER SCHOOL Peru native Martha Abrew is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Technical School in Pensacola, Florida, and holds a B.S. in applied mathematics from California State University Northridge, an M.Ed. in secondary education (math) from Hawaii Pacific University, and an MBA from Chaminade University of Honolulu. As a former sailor in the U.S. Navy and spouse of a U.S. Army member, this math teacher has lived and worked around the world with stops in California, Connecticut and Hawaii. Most recently, Mrs. Abrew has been a teacher and department chair at St. Louis School in Honolulu.

History Teacher Alex Adkins graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.A. in history while serving in the U.S. Army and Virginia Army National Guard. After graduation, he taught at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida, and Sacred Hearts Academy in Honolulu. Mr. Adkins, a recipient of a James Madison Memorial Foundation Senior Fellowship, received his M.S. in American history from the University of Edinburgh and his M.A. in teaching from Columbia University, while continuing reservist duties and training.

Spanish Teacher Veronica Mayer spent a year as a Fulbright teaching assistant in Madrid and several semesters as a teaching fellow and adjunct instructor at Yale University and Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. She earned her undergraduate degree in the Fundamentals program, which focuses on the humanities and social sciences, at the University of Chicago, and her first M.A. in modern European studies from Columbia University. Most recently, she completed her second M.A. in Spanish and will be awarded her Ph.D. in May, both at Yale.

EXTENDED DAY Mary Blissert brings a depth of experience from working for Chesterfield County, Collegiate School and St. Christopher’s. A two-time graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, she has a B.S. in early childhood education and a master’s in administration. Most recently, Mary has been substitute teaching at StC and Collegiate.

Raye Elder, a University of Virginia graduate, worked as a college counselor and an ABA therapist for five years. Most recently, she served as a manager at Caturra on Grove, but found she missed the classroom environment and is excited to be working with young people again.

Heather Peterson earned a B.A. in religious studies from Virginia Commonwealth University and is working on a master’s in social work through Radford University. Most recently, she worked as a parent educator at the nonprofit Family Lifeline.

In addition to Extended Day, Andy Pitzer is serving as a sixth-grade study hall proctor and P.E. coach. He taught history and coached basketball and lacrosse for 15 years at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in English, and Johns Hopkins University with an M.S. in information systems and telecommunications.

Joyce Solomon brings more than 30 years of teaching experience in Chesterfield County Public Schools. Mrs. Solomon earned her B.S. in special education and M.Ed. in early childhood education from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Mary Strunck graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in history.

For the past two years, she worked as a middle school teacher in math, history and literature.

Kate Sweeney, a graduate of the College of William & Mary, formerly worked in development for Northstar Academy, a school dedicated to serving children with academic, physical or social challenges. Her volunteer work through the Junior League of Richmond has fostered a passion for teaching and community work.

Jennifer Wilbur is a devoted career educator who has worked in Hanover County and Richmond Public Schools. She earned her B.S. in early childhood education from James Madison University and her master’s in education from Regent University.

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DON GOLLADAY CELEBRATING 50 YEARS AT STC Mr. Golladay is the classic St. Christopher’s teacher: caring, honest and practiced, with a personal pinch of “home-country charm.”

By Henry Weatherford ’21 Throughout his tenure, Mr. Golladay has become synonymous with St. Christopher’s Middle School, so much so that the hall he has worked in since 1974 has become known as the Golladay wing.

Golladay creates an ethos where students feel welcome, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes. Once, a student shaved his head in Mr. Golladay’s style and got up on stage during an “idol” performance. “He imitated the expressions, my mannerisms, my motions, my goofy sayings,” Mr. Golladay said. “It was so funny.” At the end of last year, Mr. Steed replayed the video in chapel to celebrate the demolition of the historic building that was razed to make way for a new recital hall. Viewers found it just as hilarious then as they did years ago.

Mr. Steed described Mr. Golladay’s habit of leaning his shoulders back, pulling on his belt and jingling his keys. “Nothing can throw Coach Golladay off of his power stance except when he drops his dry-erase marker, at which time he leans back and says, ‘Oh mama,’ remembering the time his back seized up and he laid on the floor until the ambulance took him away,” Mr. Steed said. “Once he has come up with a mathematical word problem, it’s sure to be full of anecdotal stories about duck-hunting and snow-skiing escapades.”

One of Mr. Golladay’s sayings is, “‘What are you DOing?!” This single sentence is bound to bring shivers down the spines of even the toughest of men, Mr. Steed said. According to Mr. Steed, “Life lesson: Conduct yourself in such a way that Mr. Golladay never has to stop you in the hall and ask, ‘What are you DOing?’”

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Not every story involving Mr. Golladay is funny, though. Both Middle School History Teacher Clifford Dickinson and Middle School / Upper School English Teacher Corydon Baylor said Mr. Golladay is a good man who not only cares for those that he teaches, but also his coworkers. “Mr. Golladay is a great human being,” Mr. Dickinson said. “He goes to church. He’s a good family man. He comes every day to school worried he won’t do a good job. He’s just a good guy.”

Once, when Mr. Baylor was new, he bid on a VCR camcorder at the school auction. Mr. Baylor did not expect to win, but he did, and soon realized that he did not have the money to pay for the equipment, as he had recently married and bought a house. Mr. Golladay offered to pay for Mr. Baylor. Though he did not take Mr. Golladay’s offer, Mr. Baylor said that it was symbolic of the man’s generous attitude to friends and colleagues during his many years.

Golladay creates an ethos where students feel welcome, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes.

“Fifty years is a long time,” Mr. Golladay said. While at St. Christopher’s, Mr. Golladay saw the moon landing, the tech revolution, the end of the Vietnam War, 9/11 and the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Throughout such drastic change in America and the world, Mr. Golladay has stayed the same man he was in 1969. When looking back on his long tenure, one can return to one of his old sayings, “Everything is copacetic.”

This story ran in the November issue of the student publication The Pine Needle.

The Magazine of St. Christopher’s

St. Christopher’s School welcomes qualified students to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Member of VAIS, NAIS, NAES and IBSC

Thanks to all the parents, students, alumni and friends who provided content and pictures for this publication.

Please send your news and photographs to thomask@stcva.org for use in an upcoming issue.

711 St. Christopher’s Road Richmond, VA 23226 P. 804.282.3185 F. 804.285.3914 www.stchristophers.com

SAVE THE DATE Reunion Weekend May 3-4, 2019