Winter 2017 | Moving Boys Forward

CONTENTS 4

Installation

The Rt. Rev. Shannon Johnston, Episcopal Bishop of Virginia, installs Mason Lecky as the seventh head of St. Christopher’s School.

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A Message from the Head of School

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Around Campus

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Challenger Party 2016

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Legacies

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Chapel Talk Highlights

Chapel talks provide inspiration and guidance to all.

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Health and Wellness

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Mental health initiatives supplement school mission to graduate boys strong in mind, body and spirit.

On the Cover Grant Mistr ’17 designed the cover art using Adobe Illustrator to accompany our special section on mental health. The maze pathways covering the brain represent a person trying to figure out how to navigate his or her consciousness. Grant has taken seven art electives in Upper School and plans to major in graphic design in college.

He works with digital and traditional mediums including pastel, charcoal, acrylic, oil, scratchboard and pencil.

New Board Members

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Faculty News

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Student News

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Class Notes

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Transitions

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Remember When

Dear St. Christopher’s Community,

I

write this letter now eight months into

programing in the arts, robotics, service

my tenure as your head of school. I can

learning, social justice initiatives and

report only gratitude for the ease of the

much, much more.

transition from Charley Stillwell to me,

Head of School Mason Lecky

thanks to his grace and competence but

For these reasons and many more,

also to the grace and competence of our

I was deeply honored to be officially

board, faculty, staff, parents, students,

installed Oct. 11 as St. Christopher’s

alumni and friends. Thank you, all of you,

head of school by The Rt. Rev. Shannon

for welcoming me and my family into the

Johnston, Episcopal Bishop of Virginia.

Saints community.

It was a glorious day of celebration for St. Christopher’s, not so much of me and

Growing up in Richmond in the 1980s

my role, but of the breadth of impact

and early 1990s, I thought I knew

St. Christopher’s has had on thousands

St. Christopher’s. It gives me great pride

of lives for the past 105 years.

to share that what I thought I knew (and admired)—its primary emphasis

This magazine content speaks to much of

on teaching honor and integrity, its

what I knew about St. Christopher’s and

commitment to whole-boy education,

what I have learned in recent months. I

its belief in the transformative power

hope you enjoy the read, gain new insight

of relationship-based education—has

into our dynamic diversity of programs

proven to be absolutely correct.

and initiatives and get a glimpse into the personalities that add life and vitality to

I am equally pleased to share with you what

our campus. The alumni stories recorded

I did not know about St. Christopher’s—

here bear witness to St. Christopher’s

that today we are a forward-thinking and

ever-widening influence and impact, as

globally oriented institution committed

our students develop and make a positive

to serving all types of boys, not just

difference in the lives of others.

some boys; that today we stand as a national and even global leader in the

May we continue to build on these

best practices in teaching and reaching

traditions and embrace new challenges

boys, thanks in part to the launch and

with open hearts and minds.

continued development of our Center for the Study of Boys; that today our commitment to educating the whole boy is stronger and more meaningful than I could have imagined, as evidenced from the vast range of opportunities offered students, from traditional offerings such as after-school athletics to innovative

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Yours,

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Mason Lecky Installed as Head of School

The Rt. Rev. Shannon Johnston, Episcopal Bishop of Virginia, installed Mason Lecky as the seventh head of St. Christopher’s School on Oct. 11, 2016.

Ned Valentine ’83 and Lewis Powell ’70, co-chairmen of the school search committee, along with Board of Governors Chairman Thurston Moore, presented Mr. Lecky to Bishop Johnston.

Gifts given to guide Mr. Lecky’s ministry included a collage of pictures from his early life to remember his boyhood so that he might play and learn and grow with students, a Bible to inform his decisions and inspire his work and a statue of St. Christopher bearing the Christ child to remind him of the school’s founding principle of sacrificial service.

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Front: Patrick Lecky ’26, Mary Lecky ’30, Carter Lecky ’28 Back: Megan Lecky, Mason Lecky and his parents Don and Betsy Lecky

“… St. Christopher’s justifies itself because it

student with Megan at Harvard. He immediately

embraces quality. Quality means you must apply,

impressed me with his talent but more so his

you need to be very smart and you will be led

character and courage.”

by a first-rate faculty who call you to a great challenge. But not simply to be smart. But to kick your learning up to a higher moral plane—to hate

– Excerpts from the homily given by Vance Wilson, headmaster at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C.

what is evil and hold fast to what is good. And for the governors of the school, it demands trying to provide this kind of education to anyone in this city who can meet the intellectual and moral standards.

“Mason Lecky feels this calling in his blood and in his soul. This Richmond native will stand shoulder to shoulder with the great school heads who have served prior to him. I also know he is a humble man. I knew Mason first as a very young intern, then as a teacher and coach, and as a graduate Vance Wilson delivers the homily.

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Mason Lecky shakes hands with Bishop Shannon Johnston.

Former StC Headmaster Charley Stillwell; the Rev. Edward Miller, board of trustees chair for Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia; Dr. David Charlton, president of Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia; the Rt. Rev. Shannon Johnston; Mason Lecky; Vance Wilson; St. Catherine’s Head Terrie Scheckelhoff

“… I will close this morning by offering three

“And number three, I commit to you that

commitments to the St. Christopher’s community,

whenever it is time for me to leave this post—and

as your new head of school.

I hope that time is many years from now—I will

“Number one, I promise you I will never take this role for granted. I will count my blessings each and every day, knowing that this job is a privilege and should be regarded as such. In recognition of this privilege, I will work as hard for you as any head of school can or should work for his school community.

“Number two, I promise you that while not all of you will agree with every decision I make in the years to come, and while there will be times

leave St. Christopher’s School an even stronger and healthier institution than it is today, and St. Christopher’s is incredibly strong and healthy in 2016, thanks in no small part to the remarkable service of my predecessor Charley Stillwell and his predecessor George McVey. “Thank you all, and may God bless our boys and St. Christopher’s School.”

– Mason Lecky

when I may not be a universally popular figure on campus, you have my word that every decision that I make will be made in what I believe to be the best interests of the boys of St. Christopher’s School, both the boys we serve today and those we will serve in the future. I will put the needs of our boys above all else in my decision-making.

Mason Lecky addresses the crowd of almost 2,000 attendees.

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Mason Lecky stands with former headmasters George McVey ’57 and Charley Stillwell.

StC BUILD Program Going Strong New Lower School lab opens

by Padgett Shoemake, Lower School math/science specialist StC’s BUILD program enhances learning in a myriad of engaging ways.

Hands-on activities require movement, encourage teamwork and create opportunities to fail safely. BUILD calls for collaboration, creative thinking, problem solving and risk taking along with technological savvy depending on the project parameters— all essential qualities that we strive to develop in our boys. It includes engineering and maker activities, coding projects and electronic gadgets—LEGO WeDos, Makey Makeys, Little Bits, Osmos and Ozobots.

The Lower School BUILD lab, which opened last fall, includes tables of different heights on wheels and stackable stools making it flexible to fit the needs of any activity. The space has a huge green screen for video recording and is the home of recyclable materials, tools and craft supplies. While BUILD activities are going on in the classroom, this new space allows students to spread out, access necessary materials and let their creative juices flow.

Lower School teachers and students often choose activities that tie to current lesson plans and collaborate with the Learning Commons team to incorporate research. Recent kindergarten

learning about Christopher Columbus used coding to help an Ozobot sailboat get Columbus safely across dangerous waters. Third graders read a nonfiction story about skyscrapers, researched them using online databases and then built their own applying what they had learned. With a tie to angles and measurement, fifth graders created candy corn catapults to see who could send a candy corn soaring across the blacktop.

Meanwhile the Upper School BUILD program in its third year is going strong. It offers a class and an independent study called Make. The Middle School offers a technology elective that includes BUILD initiatives.

The ultimate goal, says Carey Pohanka, JK-12 BUILD Coordinator, is to integrate BUILD technologies into the curriculum. For example, Upper School science classes are programming robots for projectile motion and Mrs. Pohanka asked her Middle School French students to program Ozobots to act out the plot of the novel, Brandon Brown Veut Un Chien. She said, “It’s the idea of problem-based learning where you give them a problem and they work to find solutions.”

Padgett Shoemake is one of the Lower School representatives to the all-school BUILD committee who helped order materials, supply tools and furnish the new space.

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A Homecoming Reflection

By Alex Rowe ’17 The smell of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs wafted through the air as I walked out the locker room one sultry September Saturday. Alumni, students, faculty and parents surrounded Knowles Field to watch the highly anticipated game for this St. Christopher’s homecoming.

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Strapping up my helmet as I walked with my teammates, I saw younger St. Christopher’s kids forming around the walkway. We began to take the field, and as we ran by the kids, we gave them all high fives. Being a 14-year senior, I thought back to my earlier years and remembered how much I looked up to those football players, thinking that maybe one day I might be in those shoes.

Although the game was a 48-6 blowout win for us against St. Anne’s Belfield School, I still had a good time playing and seeing all the familiar faces of younger students and graduates. After the game, I took some time for some reflection and went onto the now vacant field by myself.

The stands, where hundreds of fans stood cheering only hours ago, were empty. The only thing remaining was a “Go Saints!” banner. I walked the empty field, remembering the game, and realized how lucky I was to be a part of the team. Being part of any team at St. Christopher’s fosters a sense of brotherhood that cannot be put into words. I realized that this was one of the last guaranteed football games of my life.

During the next year, I will become an alumnus and join the crowd of cheering fans for future Saints. Although it was a sad moment, I will never forget this homecoming and the brotherhood that comes with playing football at St. Christopher’s.

Offensive guard Alex Rowe (#55) prepares to protect his quarterback John Damgard.

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Lower School boys gather on the track.

and Mason Lecky, 2 Megan Alec Reynolds ’94

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3 Young Saints enjoy the day.

Ties sing “The Star4 Beaux Spangled Banner” before kickoff.

Horner ’86, along with 5 Sherman Kyle Wade and Bethany Gates, provide live entertainment for the lunch crowd.

Caravati, Mac Jennings ’08, 6 Betty Chip Caravati ’83, Charlie Caravati ’55, Sid and Lynn Wilroy, Ivy Caravati Jasper ’18, 7 Justin Thomas Caravati ’18

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enjoy their last 8 Seniors Homecoming as students.

Armstrong ’17, 9 James Connor Liggan ’17 Jessee ’17, 10 Rob Berkeley Galstan ’17 Bowles ’77 expresses his 11 Russell enthusiasm for the annual event.

Jordan ’19 (#22) and 12 Hartley Hayden Mitchell ’17 (#1) celebrate with William Tappen ’18 (#35), Carter Davis ’18 (#34) and Jacob Vath ’17 (#72) in the background.

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Center for the Study of Boys Programs

“Dialogues with Dad” Connects Fathers and Sons The Center for the Study of Boys hosted two November programs with Dr. John Badalament on father/male mentors connecting with their boys. Dr. Badalament is director of programs for The Fatherhood Project, a program based at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is an author and director of a PBS documentary, All Men are Sons: Exploring the Legacy of Fatherhood.

The evening talk, geared to parents, covered topics such as creating a family vision statement, how family and cultural legacies impact parenting styles, practical tools to connect emotionally and taking a team approach to co-parenting.

At the following morning breakfast program Dr. Badalament invited the boys and their fathers/male mentors to engage with each other by asking questions designed to help them stay connected in a rapidly changing world. For instance, the dads/ male mentors had to answer the question, “What is your son/ mentee most proud of right now?”

Syracuse 8 Issues Still Relevant 36 Years Later Former players offer inspiration and perspective Challenges faced by the Syracuse 8 football players who boycotted against racial injustice 40-some years ago are still relevant, germaine and existent today.

These introductory remarks from the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities Director Jonathan Zur set the tone for October panel discussions organized and sponsored by the school’s Center for the Study of Boys. An evening program was free and open to the community, with a school program the next day geared to students. “We must lean into these conversations,” Zur said. “We must open our hearts and minds to difficult situations.”

By their actions, the panelists, then teenagers, sacrificed positions on the Syracuse University team, positions that were their ticket to a college education, positions that could have lead to prestigious NFL careers. The players sought the right to compete fairly for any position on the starting team, better academic support, better medical care for injuries and racial integration of the coaching staff.

Participants included Gregory Allen, a retired regional manager with Liberty Mutual; Dana Harrell, an attorney, commercial real estate consultant and professor of real estate finance; Abdullah Alif Muhammad, a lifelong educator who has worked with all age groups from preschool through adults; Ronald Womack, a graduate school instructor in educational psychology; and Clarence McGill, creator and manager of the Employability Skills Program with the Richmond Sheriff’s Office Community Custody Unit. All shared powerful stories about their experiences.

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An Evening with Dr. Abigail James The day a boy is born, the right side of his brain develops faster, giving him good spatial skills. For a girl, the left side of her brain, where the verbal center begins, takes the lead. By 20 months, her active vocabulary is twice that of a boy. So in kindergarten a boy may be more interested in throwing balls than focusing on words. They need help with verbal skills without feeling like they’re behind, another challenge in a coed environment.

“Usually because boys see girls are already good at it… they say, ‘School’s not for me’ at [age] 6 and 5,” she said. “I don’t think you want your kid doing that.”

Meanwhile, another part of the brain that resides in front of the Markedly different brain development in boys and girls can lead to early and lasting roadblocks in learning, said Dr. Abigail Norfleet James, a Charlottesville-based educational consultant.

She believes single-sex education should start in kindergarten, before youthful frustrations create long-term learning deficits.

The brain’s hippocampus, which converts memories from short- to long-term, develops earlier in girls, Dr. James said in an October community talk hosted by St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s. Girls remember words earlier and better, whereas boys better remember pictures.

hippocampus and triggers emotions develops faster in boys, but they often don’t have the words to express themselves. “That’s one of the best things a boys’ school does—it gives them an emotional vocabulary,” she said.

The last part of the brain to develop is the prefrontal lobe, which performs executive function. For girls, it’s fully developed between ages 18 and 20. Boys generally develop fully between 22 and 25 “and maybe 30,” giving females another advantage in “living their opportunities early.”

In general, single-sex schools give boys and girls freedom

She noted that art adorns the walls of most kindergarten classrooms, which does little to challenge girls, who are most in need of three-dimensional challenges such as building projects.

because they don’t limit each other, Dr. James said. “Single-sex education gives them the freedom to grow up, to be their own selves, to be comfortable in their own skin.”

Dr. James grew up at Woodberry Forest School, where her

“The problem is when you put boys and girls together, the boys

father was a teacher and her mother was the school historian.

will take over the building, and girls will step back and go paint

She graduated from St. Catherine’s and earned a B.A. in science

flat pictures,” she said. “So what you need is an opportunity to

education from Duke University. She completed graduate work

allow them to express themselves without limiting each other.

at the University of Virginia, where she received a master’s in

That’s what a single-sex school is all about.”

counselor education and a doctorate in educational psychology.

Other tidbits from Dr. James: • Single-sex schools make a concerted effort in Upper School to help boys shift to verbal skills so they are ready for college.

he’ll tell you everything. Have him help you clean out the garage. That’s how boys spill their guts, when they’re working with you.”

• Hands-on activities are the best ways for boys to learn.

• Boys are better able to pay attention in class by standing rather than sitting.

• Girls need to solve problems face-toface while boys usually do better without direct eye contact. “If your son has troubles, don’t sit him down and say tell me your problems,” Dr. James said. “Drive somewhere, and if he’s in the back seat

• Boys work well in groups, but the challenge is keeping them on task.

• Relationships are key to boys’ success. “If a kid decides that the teacher doesn’t like him, or he doesn’t like the class, that’s it, he’s done,” she said.

• Read to your child every day until they tell you to stop. Let them read anything and everything. Graphic novels are often a good start for boys.

• Provide role models. “Many boys don’t see men read,” she said. “They need to see that.”

• Talk to boys without baby talk and speak clearly. They often don’t hear as well as girls. “The boy is listening, it just doesn’t look like he is.”

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Fall Festival Food Frenzy

Through the eyes of a junior

By William Rodriguez ’18 Every year since kindergarten I had gone to the annual Fall Festival as a content festival goer, leisurely walking from giant inflatable to food truck to one of the many vendors and stands. But my junior year of high school, I got to experience it from the other side of the curtain: a frantic yet fulfilling affair involving complicated orders, hurling foil-wrapped food into jittery hands and tripping over icy coolers in a mad rush to feed the teeming masses.

Volunteering in the festival’s food court is a junior tradition, and it allowed me and a couple of dozen other students the opportunity to participate in the effort that goes into making Fall Festival happen. I was once the Lower School kid, eagerly waiting in line for a Chickfil-A sandwich and tapping his foot while gaping at the towering inflatable Titanic slide nearby. Now, I became part of a different but equally dedicated community of Saints: the hard-working volunteers who serve these kids, their friends and parents.

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Though we only experienced the fast-paced environment of the cooking and serving stations, it allowed us to understand that every burger cook, cake walk supervisor, bouncy house proctor and ticket-taker plays an important part in crafting a festival that has been an integral part of Saints’ lives for decades.

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William Rodriguez’s junior classmates, Christian Carlow, Eli Rhodes and Miller Farley, work the Fall Festival food court.

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Makai, a friend from Saturday Academy, with Maddison Furman ’18 and Will Eng-Nugent ’19

2 Clarke Dillard ’27 3 Bo Angus ’25, Gavin Johnson ’25 Hayes ’21 helps out with 4 William the Fall Festival bean bag toss.

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Fall festival Chairs Shannon Weiss and Micah Morano flanked by Vice-Chairs Emileigh Benson and Beth Carithers

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Both ’27, one of 6 Christian the identical Parker twins ’27, Colin Wishnack ’27 Spitzer ’27 and 7 Andrew Alex Rauchle ’26 play the ring toss game.

Steed ’21, Ryan Dugan ’21, 8 Nash Robert Mish ’21

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Edmonds ’26, 9 Charlie Brooks Wright ’26 Charlie Branch ’29, 10 Murray Matthews ’29

11 Gavin Johnson ’25, Ben Baruch ’30 Pellumbi ’25, 12 Edison Elliott Pellumbi ’28

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Creative Pursuits

By Connor Maloney ’20

McVey is overflowing with visitors, the theater’s doors are open and the stage is decked out in vivid colors and cotton candy truffula trees. Seussical the Musical opens with a familiar red hat on stage and a young boy (Hannah Jennison ’20) speculating on where it came from. The following story is an homage to all of Dr. Seuss’ most iconic works.

effective portrayal of a variety of characters. The shy and reserved Gertrude McFuzz (Emily McDermott ’18), a bird pining for Horton’s affection, General Genghis Khan Schmitz (Darren Badley ’19), a bombastic military commander and the surprisingly nice Grinch, among others, embrace the whimsy of Seuss and seem to enjoy every second of their performances.

The storyline follows both Horton the Elephant (Charlie Whitlock ’19) and Jojo the Who (Hannah Jennison) in their respective worlds, with allusions and cameo appearances by The Grinch (St. Catherine’s French teacher Derek Kannemeyer) and at least seven other Seussian characters. All is overseen by The Cat in the Hat (Cameron Lovings ’19), who spontaneously appears as a Willy Wonka-esque mentor figure, with a rampant disregard for the fourth wall. The Cat, the cast and the play convey a message of thoughtfulness, earnestness and creativity.

All this occurs on an amazingly constructed stage composed of multiple tiers of trees, homes and towers. The tech crew, while largely unseen, accomplished an incredible construction feat that perfectly captures Seuss’ colorful, oblong art style.

(Special mention goes to the news copter.) Costumes often are surprisingly human, effectively relying on aesthetic and color scheme to communicate who the characters are. The actors and musicians inhabit and embrace this world that has been laid out, and succeed in bringing Dr. Seuss to the physical world, if only for a while.

Musical numbers come with a consistently upbeat tone, often dominated by an Aretha Franklin-styled Kangaroo (Sarah Wells ’17), as well as a considerable ensemble cast. Musical ability, however, was complemented by acting ability, an

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Connor Maloney is a staff writer for The Pine Needle, the Upper School magazine, which published this story in March.

By Drew Brown ’21 This year St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s came together to put on a production of The Fantastic Mr. Fox based on the book by Roald Dahl. The play is about a family of foxes that move to a new home. However, when the family arrives they are faced with evil farmers who try to kill them. The fox family has to dig to escape the farmers. In the end, all the animals from the area and the foxes create an underground civilization. The play featured Ewan Cross ’22 as Mr. Fox, Wylie Wagnon ’22 as Farmer Boggis, Drew Brown ’21 as Kristofferson, Jay Munson ’23 as a rat, Max Buono ’23 as a weasel, Chance Thorne-Begland ’23 as a rat, Marc Revilla ’23 as a villager, Alexander Moore ’22 as a villager, and Luke Gresham ’22 as a mole. With only a month to practice the play the cast and crew were able to put on an hour-long production. Everyone is looking forward to the winter production of Beauty and the Beast.

Drew Brown is co-editor-in-chief for the Middle School online newspaper, The Paper Boy, which ran this piece in November.

Learning Global Citizenship Parents give lesson about Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights

Mrs. Sumita Ashrafi (pictured in photo wearing purple, mother of Dylan ’25) and Mrs. Nadira Berry (pictured in photo wearing orange, mother of Palmer ’27) taught Mrs. Maggie Jones’ fourth-grade class about the Hindu holiday Diwali.

The boys learned that lanterns are lit to symbolize the triumph of good over evil, reminding Hindus of the victories of good in their mythology. The Hindus worship Lakshmi, the goddess

of good fortune, at Diwali. The boys also experienced a traditional dance performed by Mrs. Berry, tasted different foods and received a diya, an Indian candle.

The event tied in with the school’s second century vision goal for students to become global citizens, fluent and familiar with different cultures and traditions from around the world.

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Upper School Writing Center Opens Its Doors in Luck Leadership Center

by Sherman Horner ’86, Upper School English teacher I learned how to write in high school. Not only was I thankful when I got to college, but also now as a teacher at the very school where I learned the craft. I am grateful to the Ron Smiths, Liston Rudds and Vinny Brodericks who instilled in me the confidence and ability to write, and I believe that my earnest and steadfast desire to teach my students that skill comes in many ways from my wish to give back to those who taught me.

Writing those papers throughout high school was not always fun, but having to write a paper of some kind every two to three weeks on average for English teachers who deeply cared about and were committed to students’ acquiring an ability to write— and write well—provided me the determination and incentive to handle the rigor that prepared me for any writing assignment I was to confront in college. Whether I had to write a thesis for my English major, a short essay for psychology or history classes or a case analysis for the handful of business classes I took, I was prepared.

This was very much a part of the motivation for starting a Writing Center at St. Christopher’s. As a member of our Upper School English faculty for the last 17 years, I well know that our curriculum demands a lot of writing from our students, and we have high expectations. In short, I wanted to see students here at St. Christopher’s have an actual place where they could talk about and get help with their writing in addition to what their classroom teachers provided. Since just about every college and university out there has a writing center on campus for undergraduate and graduate students, and even its own faculty in some cases, I knew that our students would soon be exposed to the

McGuire Gives Scenic History Tour Mr. Billy McGuire ’85 took honors environmental science seniors Thomas Branch, Mary Ackerly and Sheldon Towell for a spin in his 1914 Model T. He explained that 1914 was the first year that Henry Ford utilized the moving assembly line where workers were paid $5 a day, which reduced the price of the automobile. Because roads were in bad condition, Ford also developed a program to sell Americans on government road building, a start to the infrastructure that we have today.

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concept. My vision for a writing center here at St. Christopher’s crystallized when I thought about how much peer editing we do in our classes—when students read each other’s work to give and receive feedback. While it is often the case during such workshops that boys can be draconian and even semibrutal (“I can’t believe you didn’t put a comma there! What’s wrong with you?”), students get a lot of value from hearing what their peers say, and, quite frankly, they listen. I envisioned a writing center at St. Christopher’s to be a welcoming and comfortable place where students could meet and talk with each other about their writing.

When I presented the idea of a Writing Center to the seniors on last year’s Student Council, they immediately provided positive feedback. When I coordinated a writing mentor program where seniors on the Student Council and Honor Councils served as writing advisors to my ninth grade Honors English class, I knew that the goal of getting students to engage with other students about writing would work here. The ninth graders did an excellent job initiating the setup of the conferences with seniors and being receptive to their instruction while the seniors took great pride in sharing their points of view and writing expertise.

It was wonderful to see students talking with other students about writing, older guys working with younger guys.

The Writing Center officially opened mid-September on the second floor of the Luck Leadership Center and has received a number of student walk-ins each week, in particular seniors who want another set of eyes on their college essays or their 9/11 To Now history papers as well as a growing number of underclassmen who are beginning to see the value of this resource. In the spring semester, in addition to students being able to meet with Mr. Josh Thomas and me as the faculty overseers, we plan to have a handful of appointed student writing advisors trained and ready to work with students who seek help. We are excited to be up and running now and look forward to providing our students in the Upper School a place to formulate ideas aloud and in writing.

Alexander Levengood ’18 celebrates on the road to the state soccer title.

Saints celebrate state soccer title.

Fall Sports Update

by Stephen Lewis, sports information director

Soccer

Cross Country

22-1-1, Prep League and state VISAA champions

Fifth in Prep League, Sixth at State Meet

Varsity soccer won its second VISAA Division I title in the past three years by defeating Potomac 2-1 in double overtime in the state final. The team posted 16 shutouts, tying a school record.

In the state quarterfinals, the Saints erased a 3-0 deficit and beat Cape Henry Collegiate 4-3. The Prep League champions placed four players on the all-league team: player-of-the-year Garrett Levy ’17 (midfield), striker Alexander Levengood ’19 (28 goals), center back Frost Wood ’17 and keeper Jalen Maurice ’17.

Football 1-3 Prep League, 5-4 Varsity football narrowly missed a state playoff berth, falling 30-22 to Collegiate in the season finale. The Saints’ passing game was the best in school history, led by record-breaking quarterback John Damgard ’17 (2,697 passing yards, 27 TDs) and receivers Hayden Mitchell ’17 (1,345 yards, 14 TDs) and Justin Jasper ’18 (664 yards, seven TDs). Joining these players on the all-Prep League team were linebacker Paul Thompson ’17, defensive lineman D.T. Badley ’17, safety Will Forrest ’18 and offensive lineman Henry Schroeder ’18.

The cross country team had its biggest squad in recent memory with more than 20 runners, including several first-time competitors.

One newbie, pole vault standout Allan Pedin, paced the Saints in each early-season competition and finished third in his first meet. Sophomore Wyatt Campbell has championships in his sights for the future, placing second in the Prep League meet and fifth at states.

Sailing A few races were canceled because of poor race conditions, but the boys managed to improve throughout the season.

Harrison Clary ’18 and Reynolds Short ’20 recorded their best season finishes in the final race, the VISA Championships at Norfolk Yacht and Country Club.

Mountain Biking Edward Anderson ’17 swept the Virginia MTB NICA season series, winning all four varsity races, the first time that’s happened in the history of the league. Josh Craig ’17 had his best performance in the final race, finishing third.

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CHAPEL TALK HIGHLIGHTS On gratitude “As we continue our service this morning with prayer and with song, I will ask you to reflect on our many blessings at St. Christopher’s—those of majestic place, of dedicated and loving people and of innovative and boyfriendly programs. In the months and years to come I will routinely ask you to reflect on those blessing, as intentional acts of gratitude. But I will also ask all of us, myself included, what shall we do with our sense of gratitude, how can we walk together in the Gospel of Luke and in other faith traditions that call on all of us to care for one another as we ourselves long for caring as one human people?”

– Head of School Mason Lecky Opening all-school service, Sept. 6, 2016

“This is a calling” “… Now, granted, I know nothing.

“I don’t know what the A, B, C, or especially X schedule is, and I don’t know where to find coffee at odd hours of the day or night. I don’t yet know which of the students keep you up at night or which ones consider you more a mother or a father than their own.

“I don’t know which of you are the actual spiritual giants among us, nevermind who bears the collars or the divinity degrees. So much yet to learn.

“But I have figured out some things.

“I have learned that you, too, have times when you are so tired you cry when you mean to laugh and are convinced that a car in a crowded parking lot is a perfectly acceptable napping spot in a pinch.

“I have learned that you deeply respect and protect each other, caring much more about authenticity over credentials, humor over pretense and lunch over, well, most everything else.

“I have learned that you have and will bleed for your students, as needed, but you choose to do so internally, while maintaining your work and a calm smile, so as not to burden the rest of us who are busy bleeding for other boys and girls.

“I have also learned that whoever wrote all those Bible parables about hard-working shepherds chasing every last sheep must have worked at an Episcopal school. I have seen you at your desks with the 99 shining reports pushed to the side, and you bent over the one which has failed to shine. Fretting about what you will do differently to bring that one sheep closer into the fold.

“This is not easy because it is not a job. Unhmmm, this is a calling. And you do not rest until all of your flock are home and safe and thriving.”

– The Rev. Whitney Edwards, Upper School chaplain August opening joint chapel service for St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s faculty and staff

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“Remember who you are” “… From that point when I was 13 years old, until my father sadly passed away when I was 37, he would always say the same thing to me every time I left his house: ‘Remember who you are.’ My sister and I would tease him about it a lot, as it almost became comical that he’d say the exact same phrase every time we hit the door to leave. But over time, and especially as we began families of our own, we learned to sincerely appreciate the simple but profound message that it conveyed. It was his way of challenging us to think about what we were saying or doing, and what those actions conveyed to those around us. Did I make more mistakes after getting a demerit in Pre-Algebra? Of course I did … and I still do today. But that won’t stop me from continually challenging myself to do better and try to achieve that ideal version of myself. More important, the ‘remember who you are’

challenge is also about trying to find ways to show respect to those around you by not only avoiding mistakes in your own behavior but also putting the best aspects of your own personality on display for others to appreciate and enjoy.”

– Craig Chewning, Middle School math teacher/athletic coordinator/director of student conduct In honor of Mr. Chewning’s chapel talk, mats were made and placed outside the Middle School front doors that read: “Remember who you are.”

Shepherding one another “… I visualize my own support system as a safety net, intricately woven together and quietly with me at all times. The net is tight, because it’s strong, the net is also pillowy and soft, because when I fall into it, I know I need to fall hard.

I encourage you to take a moment and think about your own safety net. What does it look like? What can you do or add to it to strengthen it? Who in our community can you weave into your net?

“Walking across the terraces to receive your diploma will mark one of the biggest accomplishments of your life—a milestone that is nearly impossible to achieve alone. You need your safety net to get there. If in thinking about your safety net, you don’t feel connected to our wellness team right now, that’s okay—I urge you to explore other teams, friends and adults who can support you.

Learning to seek support is an important lesson to learn now as you will lean on others throughout your life.

Boys being boys for the good “… I compliment you guys.

From what I can tell, you get this. You get that forcing yourself on someone is wrong. You get that bragging about it is wrong. You get that even talking in that way is wrong. That’s really important because often our society is too ready to dismiss any of this behavior as ‘boys being boys.’ And ‘locker room talk’ is just the code word for boys will be boys. And what that means is that’s the best that boys/men can be: we can’t expect them (boys/males) to be ruled by anything other than their most base instincts. I know that is not true because I see it in you every day.

“You might not need to talk or need support, but you all are the ears and eyes of our community. You may know someone who needs someone to listen, and if you do, please encourage him to come visit. That’s what a strong community looks like—one where we shepherd one another, one where we walk together.”

“Do we fail? Sure, we say something mean to a classmate.

We tweet something to provoke. We don’t sit with someone at lunch. But I also see us succeed. I know guys who have reached out and befriended someone who is new or who is having a hard time. I have seen guys pick someone up who has missed a pass or a shot. I have watched guys work with a younger boy and help him navigate the new world of the Upper School. And I think that too is boys being boys.”

– Sazshy Valentine spoke in Upper School chapel in early November to introduce her new role as the Middle School/Upper School counselor.

– Upper School Head Tony Szymendera responded to October political scandals related to treatment of women and “locker room talk.”

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St. Christopher’s Challenger Party A donor recognition event September 21, 2016

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9 Jean Joyner, Laura Brown, 1 Norma Crawley Joyner ’52

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Kevin O’Hagan, Peter Bowles ’88, Bruce Nystrom

Lecky, Floyd Dormire ’49, 2 Mason Kendall Parker ’48

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3 Marian Johnson, Susan Robertson Hoggan ’61, Chip Hall, 4 Cam Hugh Ewing ’61

Anna King, Brent King, Anna Hatfield, Phil Hatfield, Richard Dodson, Rikki Dodson

Innes, Megan Lecky, Philip Innes ’03, 9 Tom Sarah Gray Innes, Anne Innes

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Lunsford Johnson, Allie Broaddus ’84, Fred Cox ’52

6 Sarah Helen and Peyton Studebaker ’99

10 Alma Jenkins, Ron Smith Marriott, Jakie Bowles, 11 Megan Fred Cox ’52

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

REMAINS

FRONT AND CENTER

St. Christopher’s

tradition bolstered by increased focus on mental health

Artwork by Grant Mistr ’17 Stories by Kathleen Thomas 23

Graduating boys strong in mind, body and spirit has always been St. Christopher’s mission undergirded by academic rigor, physical exercise and the Episcopal Church. While it holds fast to those traditions, it is also reaching out in new directions to meet demands from a fast-changing, technology-driven world.

At the forefront of this charge is Director of Health Ann Vanichkachorn, who has been making strides since her arrival in 2013. The former ob/gyn devoted her first year to policies and procedures to ensure “the highest standards for how health and wellness can be addressed as a school, bringing us where we should be, not just for students, but also for faculty and staff.” She has continued to build on the school’s whole-boy approach where healthy eating, exercise, study and prayer are all part of students’ daily routines, with an increased focus on mental health.

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Dr. Ann Vanichkachorn

Mike, whose early career in teaching and coaching evolved into counseling, adds that increased competition, be it for grades, sports or money, is also in the mix. In an individualistic competitive society without trust, human beings don’t thrive. “When a human being is feeling judged in a competitive situation it translates as stress,” he says. “We know that stress detracts from creativity. We know that stress limits high performance in any area.”

He and other counselors are seeing more young people with depression and anxiety disorders than ever before. He notes that the No. 1 pharmaceutical drug is an antidepressant, a confirmation of the trend. “Young people feel it at a greater degree because they haven’t developed yet,” Mike says. “Increases in suicide and drug use are all symptoms of kids trying to self-medicate and get away from a life that’s confusing.”

This year, two part-time counselors were hired—Sazshy Valentine to support Middle and Upper School and Catherine Graves for Lower School. Their arrival was quickly embraced, as both counselors’ schedules maxed out within the first couple of months of the school year.

Ms. Valentine helps students struggling with anger control, stress, grief and diagnosable mental health issues such as depression. She serves as an advocate and sounding board helping students navigate relationship and academic issues. Learning to ask for help is a life lesson that many learn too late. “I’m just here to encourage it now while they’re in this safe space,” she said.

In recent years, Mrs. Graves, who formerly worked in schools in Spotsylvania and Chesterfield counties, has witnessed a spike in anxiety with overscheduled kids, many with electronic obsessions. “So many kids feel they have to be the best at everything they do,” she said.

“They focus more on what they can’t do than what their strengths are. I see my job as helping to build on their strengths and work on things that aren’t easy for them.”

Mrs. Graves’ character education classes for third through fifth grades explore growth mindset, empathy, anxiety and anger management and conflict resolution. She works with kindergarten, first-grade and second-grade classes once a month to help guide the younger boys

Mike views himself more as a life coach than a therapist. “I’m not a fan of psychobabble,” he says. “I always tell people that psychology is a young, unproven, theoretical perspective about life, starting with Freud.” He tends to give more credence to religions that have been around for centuries. “These truths stand the test of time more than pop psychology,” he says. “There’s a new neurosis every year.” He’s a firm believer that where there is darkness, there is light, and sometimes the darkness makes people wake up to the light. He sees a hunger and a questioning, a seeking for something more real and more permanent.

Mike Thompson ’70

MIKE THOMPSON ’70 believes that much of young people’s stress stems from a lack of trust in authority, a differentiating factor from other generations. “There’s a cynicism,” he says about his young clientele. “They so regularly see the flaws of our leaders… The young people are watching adults disagree and fight all the time.

They’re disgusted with it.”

After graduating from Hampden-Sydney College, Mike coached and taught at St. Christopher’s and lived in Africa for a year. He received his master’s in education counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, and for years divided his time between coaching/teaching at Collegiate School and working at Thompson Counseling, which is now his sole focus.

in active listening and self-control. She also meets individually with students, families and faculty members as needed. “I love the Lower School grades because they’re more malleable in terms of planting those seeds,” she said. “If you give them some instruction, they soak it up. They need to know how to make friends, be a friend, be a good listener, so when they get to the upper grades they can listen and reach their potential.”

Each division has a team that meets regularly to discuss support needed for students who may be struggling.

In Upper School, for example, four faculty members/ administrators gather weekly to discuss psychological/ social concerns for boys in Upper School where needs are most acute. That group is part of a larger guidance committee that meets regularly to address mental health and academic concerns. The guidance committee includes the Upper School head, grade-level chairs, resource department, student discipline director and dean of students.

In addition, an Upper School Community Assistance Team (C.A.T.) supports students struggling with behavioral, emotional or substance-abuse issues before they become an honor or discipline issue. C.A.T. does not provide counseling or therapy but addresses concerns and suggests resources for students and their families.

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In a recent talk to the StC Networking Group about stress management, he used as example getting cut off in traffic. What assumptions and reactions might ensue? Thoughts about the person as an inconsiderate, reckless jerk? Anger and hurling curse words? If you believed the person might have family members in the hospital, how might your response be different, he questioned.

In so telling, Will’s goal was to shift perspectives. “There’s always going to be something,” he says. “You can be miserable and upset all the time, or you can choose to react differently.”

The first goal is to raise awareness, particularly of negativity, which can become automatic and routine.

The most common issue among his clients, which include all ages, is anxiety. “People don’t know what to do with it,” he says.

“Like any emotion, anxiety has a healthy function, but when the tipping point happens, and people are crossing that more, it’s not tolerable to feel a sustained level of anxiety.”

Will Nicoll ’03

WILL NICOLL ’03 often focuses on how perception determines reaction in his work as a mental health counselor.

C.A.T. COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE TEAM The C.A.T. is designed to help students with any behavioral, emotional or substance abuse concern before it becomes a disciplinary issue.

The ultimate goal of the C.A.T. is to promote student health and safety by providing a safe environment for addressing adolescent issues.

1. Asha Bandal 2. Kim Hudson

3. Emmett Carlson 4. Clarke Miller ’06

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The issue is exacerbated by social media, particularly among young people, in playing to people’s insecurities. Internet posts show the best moments in people’s lives and create inevitable comparisons, he says.

Will finds one of the most difficult issues in his practice to be substance use, a disease of the brain that often results in a maladaptive set of coping skills. Once a person becomes addicted, it can change the brain’s chemistry to the point that using is no longer about getting high, he explains, but about just getting back to “normal.” Prolonged use can cause the brain to stop producing dopamine naturally since other substances have been flooding the brain with the “feel good” neurotransmitter, so the drugs are needed just to get out of bed or walk the dog, for example.

Part of Will’s work involves recognizing patterns and getting people to view situations through the context of their own lives.

He’s trained in person-centered therapy, where unconditional positive regard and genuine, active listening emphasize relationship building between counselor and client, with the counselor often reflecting back what’s said. He likens himself to a full-length mirror, helping steer clients toward the change they want to make.

But the reality is that change is difficult, and he doesn’t always get to bear witness to results. He likens the need for therapy to a fire where out-of-control flames bring people in, but coals are often left burning. “The goal then is to not just put out flames, but to also put out the coals,” he said. “Because this can be a challenging process for many, I don’t always get to see the person through their journey. The flip side is that when you do, or even get a shift in perspective, it is an amazing thing to witness.”

He views being led into people’s innermost worlds, sharing confidences they don’t tell anyone else as an honor and a privilege. “I see the weight when they don’t carry that burden alone,” he says. “Families and friends mean well, but they have opinions and want to fix it. Giving someone a safe space so they’re not carrying that problem alone, that’s pretty cathartic.”

Will practices at William L. Nicoll LLC and is a supervisor at Chesterfield Mental Health Services. He works with all kinds of clients, including the seriously mentally ill, people who are incarcerated and substance users. At St. Christopher’s he was the humor editor for The Pine Needle and enjoyed writing, particularly creative writing with Ron Smith. After graduating from James Madison University with a B.A. in English and psychology, he taught at Chimborazo Elementary School as a Title I specialist and then received a master’s in education and clinical mental health at Clemson University.

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Meanwhile, yoga and mindfulness are gaining some momentum. Yoga, already offered to some Middle School students, will be available to all students, faculty and staff next year, and the school is actively exploring ways of bringing mindfulness, or the practice of silence, into the daily routine. The Rev. Whitney Edwards has already extended the duration of silence in Upper School chapel, which runs counterculture to much of the life they have inherited, she said.

As it becomes abundantly clear that wellness starts with one’s diet, the dining hall is offering healthier eating alternatives. Sugary cereals and Powerade have been replaced with whole-grain varieties and water. Plans call for a yogurt bar with healthy toppings and fewer fried foods. Lower School birthdays no longer include bringing in sweets but instead provide rewards such as dressdown days.

Drug prevention workshops, long offered to families and students in Middle and Upper schools, are supplemented with other programs, such as presentations from NBA player and addict Chris Herren, sleep expert James Maas and coach/author/seminar leader Joe Ehrmann.

Dr. Vanichkachorn recently held back juniors and seniors after chapel for an interactive exercise regarding the health ramifications and addiction potential of vaping, often falsely viewed by teens as an easier and safer way of using nicotine.

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1. Upper School students learn how interacting with dogs can help reduce stress.

2. Lower School counselor Catherine Graves talks about empathy to second graders.

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3. Last year’s Upper School health and wellness day included an introduction to yoga.

This spring, the Upper School will devote two afternoons to a mental health program similar to what it did last year for one half-day.

In response to all health and wellness initiatives, Will Nicoll ’03, a Richmond-based mental health counselor, said, “I think it’s wonderful it’s going that direction. It shouldn’t be somewhere you go at the end of the hallway.

I hope it becomes as much a part of the culture as the English or history department.”

The school recently sent out an anonymous student survey on drug and alcohol use to help direct future initiatives.

Dr. Vanichkachorn sees her job as staying current on best practices, sorting through data and vetting administration on what is sound. She said, “At the end of it all, I just want the boys to be the best they can be.” •

4. Middle/Upper School counselor Sazshy Valentine at her desk in Luck Hall.

Steve Martin ’63

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In recent years STEVE MARTIN ’63 witnessed four friends lose children to suicide. These tragedies spurred him to write, You Can Be Happy, No Joke.

He opens with a story about a good friend, an StC classmate, who contemplated suicide as a teenager but never acted on it and went on to have a productive, fulfilling life.

Steve’s goal with the recently released book is to prompt others to view their life differently. He outlines six steps to create harmony and mitigate fears and negativity.

“My objective is to show that there is more to life than meets the eye,” he says. “There are certain things you can do to turn you into your own best friend so that you can start to enjoy life and have commitment to things that are important.” He talks about the importance of being generous, following the Golden Rule and goal setting.

Part of the book relies on research and experiences with an Internet podcast he hosted from 2007 to 2009, “The Truth about Life.” The Hampden-Sydney graduate worked in advertising, with his brother David at The Martin Agency and later at Hawley Martin. For the last 20 years, he has published self-help and business books through his company, Oaklea Press.

His books are available for purchase on Amazon.

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Michael Quinn ’04

You can recover, and there is a solution. Jails and death don’t have to be your story. You can arrest it before that happens. I stayed sick for a long time because I didn’t know that.”

MICHAEL QUINN ’04 transferred to St. Christopher’s in ninth grade. It was an easy transition as he eagerly joined an already established circle of friends, a group known as the “popular party crowd.” He was a second-base starter and a Strings Ensemble cello player who aimed for perfection and went out of his way to ensure he was well-liked.

Externally he seemed confident and well connected. Internally he suffered from social anxiety and felt inadequate. Alcohol and marijuana helped him cope. Some parents levied punishment when he and his friends were caught imbibing; others condoned their behavior, closing the door and turning a blind eye.

Michael was named best partier in Raps & Taps, the school yearbook. After high school, he got a DUI but got the charge dropped with the help of a proficient attorney.

The party continued down south at his college of choice, Ole Miss, where drinking became a daily routine and drug use escalated to cocaine and pills. His grades plummeted, and he returned to Richmond to finish school at Virginia Commonwealth University. After totaling his parents’ car, Michael lobbied for rehab to defray his parents’ anger.

After a short stint in a traditional Pennsylvania treatment center, he returned to Richmond and found work, but nothing with potential. He remained hopeful a better opportunity would beckon and also in denial, determined to be a functioning user who would never ask for help.

He loathed the idea of going to meetings with strangers. He didn’t want anyone to know he had a problem, believing that people known to have addictions do not get the same respect and treatment as nonusers.

His girlfriend at the time demanded he give up the pain pills. When he refused, she kicked him out of their apartment, and Michael quickly spiraled out of control, resorting to heroin and crack on an hourly basis while living out of his car, stealing and doing whatever he could to afford the next high.

Racked with pain, Michael called his mom to ask if she’d join him for dinner. Randomly, in the middle of eating his sandwich, he came clean, saying he needed help but didn’t know what to do.

His mother had been preparing herself for years for one of two phone calls: one that he was dead or in jail; another asking for help.

She took her son home, sat with him through the night as he went through bodywracking

withdrawals. The next day she checked him into the McShin Foundation.

For six months Michael lived in its recovery house, which takes a nonclinical focus on accountability, structure and human connection.

“Something clicked,” he says, “a sense of community, a sense of belonging.” A linchpin was meeting people with similar backgrounds with whom he felt safe opening up and showing vulnerability. He started going to Alcoholic and Narcotic Anonymous meetings, and afterwards to dinner, a movie or a park to play football. He got involved in a baseball league for people in recovery. “I didn’t realize there were people doing the same things as other people, just without drugs and alcohol.”

Then came a call from the McShin founder offering a job as an intake counselor. A year later he was promoted to intake coordinator, overseeing all admissions. He now often spends 12 hours a day talking to families and addicts who have overdosed or are in jail, people who are sick and suffering. He directs them to McShin, another organization or 12-step program. He’s also involved with advocacy, trying to get abusers out of jail and into recovery. He’s not paid a lot, but the rewards are plentiful—bearing witness to new hope and turnarounds, receiving thank-yous from family members.

Still his allies—a network of friends, support meetings, his sponsor—are powerful. When temptation lurks, he plays the tape forward and weighs what’s at stake. He treasures his restored relationships, job and dog. He prays a lot. He’s grateful to now have a choice versus active addiction when “you have no choice.”

WTVR-6 ran a segment on Michael’s recovery and job last September. Many old friends reached out to congratulate him. He appreciated their support, but knows he can’t return to those circles, people who don’t understand where he’s been and whose lifestyle would tempt him to fall into old habits.

Michael advises family members and friends not to be enablers. They must give an ultimatum and open up the conversation. People usually have to bottom out before they are open to help. He knows from experience: “If you don’t feel that desperation, that pain, that spiritual bankruptcy, it’s not going to work.”

A Mother’s Perspective

He’s proud to have been clean for 20 months, but every day is a battle. “If I’m in a meeting, my disease is out there doing push-ups in the parking lot,” he says. “It’s waiting for me to walk out. It’s patient. It wants me dead. It wants me in jail. It wants me miserable.”

DUSTY O’QUINN realized her son had a substance abuse problem his sophomore year in high school, but like many mothers, was in denial. “I just didn’t want it to be my kid,” she says.

When Michael returned to Richmond from Ole Miss, she witnessed a spiral into more serious addictions. She had been down a similar path with her father, an alcoholic with 42 years of sobriety, and knew that only three outcomes are possible: incarceration, death or recovery.

Dusty also knew her required course of action would be gut-wrenching.

Parenting an addict, she said, is counterintuitive. Your instinct is to take care of them, but in so doing, you stifle their ability to change. Every day an addict wakes up and everything is the same and they are provided for, they will keep using. Recovery becomes possible only when their lives bottom out.

She well remembers the day she kicked her son out of the house, a cold rainy Sunday in 2015. Anger, yelling and bitter texts ensued. “I ended each text with ‘I love you,’ ” Dusty says. “I knew it might be his eulogy.”

Though heartbroken, she remained hopeful.

For the next six months, she tried to get on with her life, but kept waiting for the call. Seeing Michael was difficult because he was always high. When he called one night to go to dinner, she almost declined. He had looked so ill the last time she saw him, but she warily agreed. Midway through their meal, he put his hands on the table and said, “Mom, I’m so tired. I can’t do this anymore.

I need help.”

“Mom, I’m so tired.

I can’t do this anymore.

I need help.”

She stayed up with him through the night, and he checked into McShin the next day. In treatment she had to fight the urge to take care of him, to bring him food. Even now in recovery, that battle continues. “You feel like it’s fixed, but it’s not,” she says. “It’s a lifelong journey for an addict and for a family member.”

She stays involved in a 12-step program, which helps her fight the urge to rescue, to give him the dignity to figure things out on his own.

Dusty is fighting to erase the stigma of the disease. She is not embarrassed.

“The fact that my son is a drug addict does not make him any less a wonderful, fabulous person. He just has a disease.”

Part of her mantra is that you can’t judge someone’s story by the chapter you walked in on. Relapse is always a possibility, but she knows worrying and wringing her hands is a waste of time. “I am gratefully living one day at a time.

I honestly do not spend any time hovering over a future that may or may not be true. It’s absolutely part of the disease, but today it’s thankfully not something I need to delve into.”

If Michael does relapse, she has a support system. She says, “I’ll know exactly what I need to do for me.”

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Junior Kindergarten Shep Blanton, son of Charles Armistead Blanton ’97, grandson of Charles Armistead Blanton III ’65 and great-grandson of Charles Armistead Blanton II ’40 Henry Ayers, son of Charles Ayers III ’93 Levon Morgan, son of John Morgan IV ’94 and grandson of John Morgan III ’65 Ryland Willett, grandson of William Gordon Harrison III ’64 and great-grandson of William Gordon Harrison Jr. ’29 Woods Taliaferro, son of Tripp Taliaferro ’97 Jimmy Parker, son of James Parker ’97 and grandson of Russ Parker ’63 Kindergarten Mason Witt, grandson of William Sydnor ’61 Jackson Studebaker, son of Peyton Studebaker ’99 Harty Dillard, son of Hartwell Dillard ’94 and grandson of Bruce Marshall ’68 Alan Foster, son of Alan Foster ’91 John Waechter, son of John Waechter ’96

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Second Grade Coleman and Benjamin Mayer, sons of Justin Mayer ’99 and grandsons of Joel Nuckols ’71

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Fifth Grade Gray Hackney, son of Roby Hackney ’93

School 5 Middle Beck Mumford, son of Chris Mumford ’88 Henry Westfall, son of John Westfall ’89 Tripp Owen, son of David Owen ’93

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Upper School Bradford Owen, son of David Owen ’93 Spencer Whitaker, son of Scott Whitaker ’87

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Upper School Cont.

Warner Collier, son of Brian Collier ’85 Connor Maloney, grandson of James Jordan Jr. ’56

2016–2017

New Board Members Board of Governors Kristian M. Gathright Kristian M. Gathright has served as chief operating officer and executive vice president of asset management for Apple Hospitality REIT since its inception. She formerly worked for Cornerstone Realty Income Trust, United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc. and Ernst & Young LLP. Krissy, who received a B.S. in commerce from the University of Virginia, serves on the boards of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, YMCA of Greater Richmond and Courtyard Franchise Advisory Council. She and her husband, Jay, have three boys—Tate ’19, Luke ’22 and Lane ’29.

David B. Hale David B. Hale is vice president for business and finance and treasurer at the University of Richmond. He graduated from Colgate University and received a master’s in accounting from New York University. He worked at Colgate for 20 years serving as vice president for finance and administration and treasurer prior to relocating to Richmond in 2013. Before working in higher education, David served as director of international accounting at Sony Pictures Entertainment, head of Paramount Pictures’ international accounting office in the Netherlands and an accountant for Deloitte, Haskins and Sells. He and his wife, Ingrid, have three children—Samuel, a senior at Colorado College; Katrina, a sophomore at Maggie Walker Governor’s School; and Curtis, an eighth grader at St. Christopher’s.

Dena Fri​t​h Moore Dena Fri​th ​ Moore ​joined Harris Williams & Co. as one of the company’s first employees; she eventually served as managing director and chief o ​ perating officer. I​n 2011, s​he left​investment banking after more than 20 years to spend more time with her husband and children​,​and in 2012 ​​she s​ tarted DFM Advisory LLC to ​provide strategic and operational consulting to privately held companies and nonprofits. Dena graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and received her master’s from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is active at St. James’s Episcopal Church and is involved with CARITAS (board president), Impact Makers and the Distributions Committee of The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia, among others.

She and her husband, Chris, have two sons—Ben ’15, a second-year student at the University of Virginia, and Sam ’19.

Robert G. Reynolds Robert G. Reynolds is a co-founder and principal at Reynolds Development, a commercial real estate investment and development company. Robert graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in history and received an MBA from the University of Richmond.

He formerly worked as vice president of leasing for The Cordish Company, a large private real estate development company in Baltimore. Robert chaired the Executive Advisory Board at the Robins School of Business (2010-2016) and co-chaired an annual golf fundraiser for the Richmond Red Cross (2007-2015). He and his wife, Gaylen, have a son, Nicklas ’22.

Alumni Board S.S. “Tripp” Taliaferro III ’97 S.S. “Tripp” Taliaferro III is a partner with Private Advisors LLC. He was previously an associate at Quad-C Management Inc., a middle-market private equity fund, as well as Wachovia Capital Partners and Wachovia Securities. Tripp earned a B.S. in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his wife, Susan, a lacrosse and field hockey coach at St. Catherine’s, have three children— Madeline, a second grader at St. Catherine’s; Woods, a junior kindergartener at StC; and Ware, age 2.

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Faculty News Charles E. Noell III ’70 Faculty Sabbatical Fund Update Upper School faculty members Rich Hudepohl, Billy Abbott and Greg Tune trekked to Normandy in June. Check out their blog at: http://tinyurl.com/stcfrance.

Lower School Extended Day teacher Margaret Sharman took a two-week Alaskan land tour and cruise after her June retirement. A highlight was a talk given by Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Iditarod dogsledding competition that Mrs. Sharman formerly studied with her second-grade class.

In 2009 Charlie Noell ’70 established the Faculty Sabbatical Fund, the first of its kind at St. Christopher’s, to give teachers an opportunity to get away from the classroom for a period of renewal and rejuvenation. This time can be used for writing, research, travel or anything else that refreshes and invigorates.

New Saints

Cameron Archer Livick, son of Upper School photography teacher Amanda Livick and Evan Livick

Avery Christine Thomas, daughter of Upper School history teacher Josh Thomas and Laura Thomas

Born Jan. 12, 2016

Greatest joy: “Seeing her grow and discover things; it’s also pretty awesome when she smiles and laughs when I walk in the door every night!”

Greatest joy: “The day Cam said ‘Mama!’”

Classroom lessons applicable to parenting: “Be as organized as possible but flexible at the same time.”

Who does your baby look like?

“The daycare folks call him my twin.”

Born Feb. 17, 2016

Classroom lessons applicable to parenting: “Being patient and understanding that not everything is going to go the way you want it, especially not the first time you try something.”

Who does your baby look like?

“She is adorable, so that means she must look like my wife!”

Predictions on future career: “She loves books (although she usually tries to eat them) so I’m thinking she’ll be a writer or work in publishing!”

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Mason Alexander Carlson, son of Upper School math teacher Emmett Carlson and Lower School fourth-grade teacher Ann Carlson

Ann Pinckney Jones, daughter of Upper School history teacher Hamill Jones ’00 and Susanna Jones

Born May 27, 2016

Born June 4, 2016

Greatest joy: “Looking at Ann holding Mason and the pride I feel in raising a family of my own like I watched my dad do.”

(Emmett)

Greatest challenge: “The clothes! I’m embarrassed to say I’ve put her outfits on backwards a few times.”

“Watching Mason reach milestones, no matter how big or small they may be.” (Anne) Greatest challenge: “Remembering that there is not always a quick and easy fix when he is upset. And also, the neverending mountains of dishes and laundry.

You wouldn’t think someone so small could go through so many clothes and bottles in one day.”

Predictions on future career: “Teacher and coach at St. Christopher’s.”

Predictions on future career?

“She’s got some long fingers so right now we are thinking that she’ll be a concert pianist.”

How does she like StC? “The boys have been great with Ann Pinckney. She’s visited school a few times and some basketball workouts in Scott Gym. She liked watching the players go up and down the floor!”

Faculty News Head of School Mason Lecky and school chaplains Whitney Edwards, Durk Steed and Joe Torrence attended the National Association of Independent Schools biennial conference in New Orleans in November.

History Department Chair Andy Smith traveled to Cuba in October to help Father Halbert, an Episcopal priest in Santiago, rebuild a church destroyed in a hurricane in the 1980s. His team reconditioned and painted a pulpit along with metal pews badly rusted from extended weather exposure.

During his trip, Dr. Smith also discussed plans for the student X-term trip he and Upper School Chaplain Whitney Edwards will lead in late winter. Their first stop will be Havana to experience its culture and history, followed by four days in Santiago. Plans include clearing land and planting a vegetable garden, as well as other community outreach with youth from Father Halbert’s congregations. Dr. Smith expects these initiatives, combined with cultural exchanges of music and dancing, will provide an authentic Cuban experience.

The International Boys’ Schools Coalition has hired John Green to serve as coordinator for its Student Forum.

He will oversee the initiative, which started at StC, and provide guidance for the diverse groups of students who collaborate virtually and in person during the annual conference to initiate service projects and address global issues.

In addition to duties here as director of Upper School choral activities, Greg Vick has been appointed to the position of principal organist at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Richmond.

Last fall Rusty Wilson directed Annie Baker’s play John with Cadence Theatre Company in partnership with Virginia Repertory Theatre.

Guidance Director Jim Jump served as keynote speaker for the Senior Night program at George Marshall High School in Falls Church in September

and for Countdown to College, a day long workshop held at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach in August.

Last fall he also led two days of ethics workshops for students at the Loudoun Academy of Science. Mr. Jump was quoted in The Hatchet, the student newspaper at George Washington University, in an article on the hidden costs of college for students with high financial need. In addition, the latest post from his Ethical College Admissions blog was featured in the “Around the Web” section of the website insidehighered.com. As of July his blog had been featured more than any other higher education blog or website since early 2015.

Scott Mayer, college counseling associate director, taught a two-part class at the Virginia Historical Society on baseball history in Richmond, covering the local evolution of the sport from its amateur beginnings in 1866 through the arrival of the minor league Flying Squirrels. This summer was an important milestone as the 150th anniversary of organized baseball’s Richmond arrival. In August a Richmond Times-Dispatch article honoring the anniversary mentioned Mr. Mayer’s book on the subject co-authored with the late Dr. W. Harrison Daniel. In July Mr. Mayer attended the board retreat for the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling at Randolph-Macon College and attended the Clambake Institute, a summer college admissions conference held annually at St. George’s School in Newport, R.I. In September Mr. Jump and Mr. Mayer attended the National Association for College Admission Counseling conference in Columbus, Ohio, and visited some Ohio colleges. As part of the conference, Mr. Mayer represented the Potomac and Chesapeake region as a member of NACAC’s legislative assembly, and Mr. Jump, a past president of the organization, is serving on a steering committee studying and revising NACAC’s ethical standards document, the statement of principles of good practice.

Upper School Spanish teacher Kimberly Mayer was one of 40 Spanish teachers from Europe and the United States who spent two weeks in Salamanca, Spain studying at the Spanish Embassy.

A scholarship also provided the opportunity for Mrs. Mayer’s son Alexander ’20 to take part as a student. The program included cultural excursions and a homestay. The Mayers ended their stay with a week in Madrid visiting museums, churches and the ancient city of Toledo. “It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be able to share my love of Spain, its language, art and culture firsthand with Alexander,” Mrs. Mayer said.

Upper School math teacher Jim Boyd, who retired at the close of the 2016 year, published these five articles in the June 2016 Mathematics and Informatics Quarterly: “Spherical Caps without Calculus,” “Three More Geometry Problems that Can be Solved

by Computing Areas,” “Medians and Congruent Triangles,” “Boolean Analysis of Conversations among Knights, Knaves, and Neutrals” and “A Trigonometric Form for the Golden Mean.” Co-authors were Hunter Reinhart ’16 and math teachers Richard Palmaccio and Willie Yong.

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FACULTY NEWS In May StC Writer-in-Residence Ron Smith judged the Shann Palmer Poetry Contest (sponsored by Richmond Magazine and James River Writers), read his new poem “The South” at the launch of Into Quarterly Magazine and was interviewed by Style magazine about Edgar Allan Poe. At Shakespeare & Company in Paris, Mr. Smith took part in another launch, this for The Plume Anthology of Poetry 4, which includes his new poem “Da Danaans, Or Thank God for Plastic,” a humorous piece set in Dublin. During the summer, “Updraft 4,” Mr. Smith’s fourth Shenandoah Q&A column, was published online, and he delivered a speech to graduating students at Appomattox Governor’s School for the Arts & Technology in Petersburg. Mr. Smith wrote blurbs for books of poetry and selected poems for Aethlon: The Journal of Sport Poetry and was the spotlight poet in Winchester for “A Taste of Poetry” celebration sponsored by The Sow’s Ear Review and ShenArts. At Patrick Henry’s Pub & Grill in Richmond, he was a featured writer in The Literary Salon focused on writing about Richmond.

In September Mr. Smith gave four presentations at Amherst High School,

Jazz Band Director and music teacher John Winn won a Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Award (“Artsie”) for best musical direction for Virginia Repertory Theatre’s splashy summer show Dreamgirls. Mr. Winn also took part in Virginia Rep’s fall show, 1776, a musical about the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence. He played the role of Delaware delegate George Read, the only member of the Continental Congress who signed the document after opposing it. ranging from his own writing process to the history of the sonnet to the nature and value of poetry. At the Amherst County Public Library Mr. Smith lectured on Shakespeare and the sonnet tradition. At StC, he spoke to Hamill Jones’s “9/11 to Now” class about the attacks of Sept. 11 and read his poems

“Flying” (2002) and “Over” (2016). On Oct. 6 at the Virginia Capitol, he read his poem “Mr. Jefferson Speaks of Rapture” and passed the baton to the new Poet Laureate of Virginia, Tim Seibles.

Also last fall, Broad Street magazine published Mr. Smith’s essay-interview “Poetry & Reasonable Doubt.”

New Faculty/Staff Barbara “Bobbie” Ansell

Claire Berry

Extended Day teacher

Extended Day teacher

Hometown: Richmond Education: Longwood University, B.S. in family and consumer sciences Work experience: Teacher at Hermitage High School and several local preschools and for Henrico County’s adult education program; floral/home decorating designer and seamstress Favorite book: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice “about an independent woman during an era when men made most of the decisions”

Hometown: Haymarket, Va. Education: VCU, B.F.A. in interior design with a business minor Work experience: Interior designer for health care facilities, substitute teacher at St. Catherine’s, teacher at the Visual Arts Center and St. Christopher’s Summer Programs What jazzes her: “Dr. Pepper, knitting and going on an adventure!”

Marie Ayers Kindergarten co-teacher Hometown: Richmond Education: University of South Carolina, B.A. in art history Work experience: Substitute teacher at StC Hobbies: Taking photographs, hiking and walking her three dogs

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Jeb Britton ’99 Upper School math teacher/ coach/Raps & Taps advisor Hometown: Richmond Education: UNC-Chapel Hill, B.A. in economics; UVA, M.Ed. in administration and supervision Work experience: Caroline County High School math teacher, department chair and summer school administrator Favorite getaway: Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula

Kyle Burnette

Paul Evans ’01

Middle School science/health teacher

Digital communications specialist

Hometown: Mechanicsville Education: Radford University, B.S. in outdoor education Work experience: Various outdoor adventure/education programs where he made his home (mostly in tents) in West Virginia, Georgia and California, most recently for the James River Association How did he connect with StC? “Spending the evening on a deserted island with Mr. Holloway, Mr. Bruner and Mr. Cooper”

Christian Cousins Upper School Spanish teacher/coach Hometown: Dallas Education: Trinity College, B.A. in Hispanic studies; University of Texas at Austin, master’s in Hispanic literature and Ph.D. in contemporary Peninsular literature Work experience: Teacher at the University of Texas, St. Christopher’s, Princeton Day School, trip leader for Putney Student Travel, overseas educator for gap years with Carpe Diem Education About his favorite book, Don Quixote: “I’ve read it four times, and every time I read it I find something new, and it feels like a new adventure.”

Janine Davila Director of Summer Programs Hometown: Dover, Mass.

Education: VCU, B.F.A. with minors in art history and photography Work experience: Owner of J9 Marketing Solutions, an event planning and marketing company for local nonprofits; marketing director for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden where she invented the music series “Groovin’ in the Garden” and helped create the GardenFest of Lights; creative roles at The Martin Agency, Mark Smith Design and John Henley Photography About her passion for music: “It makes everything in life better!”

Whitney Edwards Upper School chaplain Hometown: Richmond Education: University of Pennsylvania, B.A. in religious studies; Yale University, master’s in divinity Work experience: Missionary, prison chaplain, parish priest in Panama, India, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Virginia, Oregon and Connecticut What’s she’s learning at StC: “Where I used to work I had to have really thick skin and a hard exterior. I am so grateful these guys are teaching me so much about humility, genuine honesty and humor!”

Hometown: Richmond Education: James Madison University, B.A. in English and American studies, M.A. in political science Work experience: Communications roles for two nonprofits and two Episcopal parishes in this diocese Trip of a lifetime: Sailing 1,600 nautical miles on a 44-foot schooner from Bodo, Norway, to Cork, Ireland

Daniel Fisher Upper School chemistry teacher Hometown: Rochester, N.Y. Education: University of Richmond, B.A. in sociology and chemistry; VCU, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry Work experience: High school math and chemistry teacher at Church Hill Academy Ideal vacation spot: Cape May, N.J.

Catherine Graves Lower School counselor Hometown: Richmond Education: VCU, B.S. in psychology; Radford University, M.S. in counseling and human development Work experience: Spotsylvania County Schools, Full Circle Grief Center, Chesterfield County Schools All in the family: “My mom worked at St. Catherine’s when I was a toddler, and now I am working at St. Christopher’s while my daughter is a baby. It is like life has come full circle!”

Jennie Holsinger Fifth grade reading and language arts teacher Hometown: Columbus, Ohio Education: The Ohio State University, B.S. in elementary education Work experience: Henrico County classroom teacher/interventionist; St. Christopher’s Lower School tutor Best thing about working here: “I have received so much help and support from the wonderful faculty and staff.”

Kathleen Kelleher Hornik Middle School Spanish teacher Hometown: Richmond Education: Virginia Tech, B.S. in psychology; University of Texas at Austin, master’s of social work Work experience: StC Upper School Spanish teacher, foster care social worker, residential treatment center therapist Fun fact: “I have three young girls to balance my work day with boys.”

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FACULTY NEWS

New Faculty/Staff (Continued) Donna Kelly Kindergarten co-teacher Hometown: Roanoke Education: Longwood University, B.S. in social work; Lynchburg College, teacher licensure program Work experience: Teacher in Bedford and Chesterfield counties and at Millwood School Favorite quote from Eeyore: “A little consideration, a little thought for others makes all the difference.”

Sarah Kelly Extended Day teacher Hometown: Richmond Education: University of Richmond, B.A. in English and master’s of liberal arts; University of Virginia, master’s in music Work experience: 30 years of private and classroom teaching Major accomplishment: Wrote and published three historical novels for young readers, including Vivaldi’s Muse, winner of the Tyler R. Tichelaar Award for Best Historical Fiction

Elizabeth McDermid Extended Day Spanish teacher Hometown: Richmond Education: College of William and Mary, B.A. in art history, minor in French; Southern Methodist University, master’s in secondary education Work experience: Worked for a fabric house in Paris and a Dallas hotel design firm; French teacher at Tuckahoe Middle School and Trinity Episcopal School; StC kindergarten aide and Middle School French/Spanish teacher Fun fact: “I have done five homestays in three countries to study French, Spanish and Italian.”

Extended Day teacher Hometown: Stafford Education: VCU, B.S. in psychology and master’s in teaching/elementary education Work experience: Circuit City accounting analyst, StC and St. Catherine’s substitute teacher Fun fact: VCU basketball fan and Francophile

Jess Richards Lower School Learning Commons instructional technologist Hometown: Smithtown, N.Y. Education: Towson University, B.S. in elementary education; St. Joseph’s University, master’s in instructional technology Work experience: Taught eight years as a classroom teacher in grades 4 through 6 in Maryland, New York and Virginia Best part of her job: “I really enjoy seeing the risks the boys take when learning new technologies. They aren’t afraid to try new ways to approach learning and eager to teach each other what they’ve discovered!”

Claudia Segneri Middle School director of academic resource Hometown: Norwalk, Conn.

Education: University of Connecticut, B.S. in elementary education pre-K-8; Southern Connecticut State University, M.S. in reading; Southern Connecticut State University, sixthyear diploma in educational leadership Work experience: Elementary classroom teacher and literacy specialist for 23 years, Middle School director of assessment and instruction

Shawn Moore

David Shin

Director of community and inclusion/ associate director of admissions/coach

Middle School science and robotics coach

Hometown: Martinsville, Va. Education: UVA, B.A. in psychology Work experience: St. Albans School, College Football Playoff, UVA, Howard University, USA Football, NCAA Goal: To make it to Alaska, the only state he has not visited.

36 | StC

Bernice O’Donnell

Hometown: Richmond Education: VCU, B.S. in forensic science; St. Xavier University, master’s in education Work experience: Teacher at Richmond Montessori School; Middle School head at Gladwyne Montessori School On the value of curiosity: “I love genuine, organic questions that arise during discussions. I believe true learning begins when someone begins to wonder: ‘What if…’ ”

Sazshy Valentine Middle/Upper School mental health counselor

Andy Taibl Associate director of athletics and leadership programming Hometown: Burke, Va. Education: Washington College, B.A. in American history Work experience: St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School associate dean of students, summer programs director, peer leadership cocoordinator, boys’ athletic director, coach and advisor Favorite pastime: Spending time with family. “There is nothing I love and cherish more than being a dad.”

Katelyn Temple Alumni/development database manager and gift processor Hometown: Richmond Education: Christopher Newport University, B.A. in political science; Virginia Commonwealth University, master’s of public administration Work experience: The Virginia Home and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fun fact: “I am dog obsessed and compete in triathlons!”

Josh Thomas Upper School history teacher/ Writing Center specialist Hometown: Richmond Education: James Madison University, B.A. in history; University of Richmond, teacher licensure program Work experience: James River High School teacher, coach, assistant athletic director, social studies department chair FIFA collector: He owns every edition of the game ever made, starting with the original on Sega Genesis, but he is not up with the times and has never played “Ultimate Team.”

Joe Torrence Lower School chaplain Hometown: Lynchburg Education: Ferrum College, B.A. in religious studies; Eastern Mennonite Seminary, master’s in church leadership Work experience: Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Christ Church Episcopal, United Methodist Family Services Musical talents: Joe, who plays guitar, mandolin, banjo and drums, takes part in his church band and with another group that plays for Beer and Hymns, a monthly event hosted by a local brewery.

Hometown: Richmond Education: University of Virginia, B.A. in history; Wake Forest University, M.A. in counseling Work experience: Counselor at a private practice; event planner and commercial real estate analyst in Washington, D.C. Favorite quote: “This too shall pass.”

Scott Van Arsdale Upper School history teacher, coach Hometown: Brick, N.J. Education: University of Richmond, B.A. in history; minors in education and economics Work experience: Monacan High School teacher, coach, assistant athletic director Historical dog naming: His dog, Theodore Roosevelt

Jon Waite Upper School math teacher, coach Hometown: Virginia Beach Education: Hampden-Sydney College, B.S. in math; Old Dominion University, master’s in education Work experience: Math teacher and coach at Norfolk Academy and Christchurch School Claim to fame: Playing minor league baseball for the Chicago Cubs

Gail Warren Lower School technology coordinator/ Learning Commons Hometown: Richmond Education: VCU, B.S. in elementary and middle school education; UNC-Chapel Hill endorsement and certification in gifted education; VCU, master’s in curriculum and instruction Work experience: Various jobs with the Virginia Department of Education and the MathScience Innovation Center in Richmond; teacher at VCU, UVA, Randolph-Macon College, John M. Gandy Elementary School in Hanover and John Neal Middle School in Durham, N.C. Passion: Travel with family

Clare Wilkinson Extended Day kindergarten teacher Hometown: Richmond Education: University of the South, B.A. in studio art; University of Richmond, M.L.A. in art and western culture Work experience: StC kindergarten aide and Extended Day teacher; art teacher for Richmond Public Schools; high school art teacher in Dominica, West Indies Artistic flair: “I love creating large, colorful, abstract paintings and always have at least one big project in the works. Creating art with my kindergarteners is one of my favorite parts of my job.”

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FACULTY NEWS

Faculty Favorite Reads Middle/Upper School English teacher Corydon Baylor: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller “Heller captures the absurdity of war and bureaucracy beautifully. Plus it’s a love story!”

Kindergarten teacher Whitney Mathews: Eats, Shoots & Leaves

by Lynne Truss “Because I’m a grammar girl. I love language and the power of words but mostly because I have very little tolerance for superfluous punctuation.”

Middle School history teacher Jon Piper: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus “I love this book because it attempts to explore the very nature of human life and the depths of depravity to which humans are capable of sinking. I think it is genius to bring sin to life in the form of a monster.

I am fascinated by gothic and romantic themes in literature. I actually have several copies of the book because I am constantly rereading it and marking them up to an unreadable state.”

Middle School English/ history teacher Hill Brown ’85 and school counselor Sazshy Valentine: To Kill A Mockingbird

by Harper Lee Mr. Brown: “This book means so much to me on many levels. I first read the novel in school, and I taught it for my first 12 years.

I look forward to reading it again and again.”

Ms. Valentine: “It was the first school-assigned book that I couldn’t put down, and I truly felt connected to the characters as if they were my friends or family. The ending left me yearning for more experiences with Atticus, Scout and Boo! I keep it on my bedside table and often pick it up even if just to read a few pages and spend some time with those old friends.”

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Upper School History Chair Andy Smith: The Compleat Pogo

by Walt Kelly This comprehensive series is about a set of Okefenokee Swamp comic strip characters used to tell stories about people. Dr. Smith describes Pogo as a possum who represents the unvarnished common sense of humankind, without any of the educational trappings or academic embellishments that Kelly found unappealing.

“Before there was Doonesbury, there was Pogo, with the same kind of satirical political and social commentary, but representative of the ’50s and ’60s. Kelly’s caricatures of Joseph McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover are still two of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. I cut my proverbial teeth on Pogo, and this particular book-length comic strip was my favorite of all of his offerings. Kelly’s son Steve and I were best friends at school from first through eighth grades, so our dads got to know each other and become friends.”

Middle School English teacher Gene Bruner ’78: Straight Man

by Richard Russo “Russo is best-known for writing novels about small-town American life: a string of under-read barfly classics, set in bluecollar towns in the space between New York and Canada, and often bringing to mind an even funnier, more approachable John Irving. In Straight Man, he tackles academia and especially the inner workings of a faculty that has been together way too much and for way too long. Moreover, it captures Man and Woman at distinct ages of maturity with hilarious accuracy. I read it at the beginning of every summer vacation when the magic of teaching has been cloaked with drudgery, exhaustion and one meeting too many. Mostly, it allows me to laugh again at myself and not to take everything so seriously. Great read for a teacher with a couple of years under his or her belt! A must read for any educator with 20-plus years at the same institution!”

Lower School Librarian Lucinda Whitehurst: A Wrinkle in Time

by Madeleine L’Engle “Meg Murry did not feel smart or brave or beautiful, but in the end she was all of those things for the people she loved. This book showed me that girls could be heroes.”

Student News

Sixth grader Scott Butterfield and his mom, Karen, traveled to Sweden this summer to visit Kristoffer Loo, the exchange student who lived with them and attended St. Christopher’s during the 2013-2014 school year. “This was the trip of a lifetime,” Scott said. “I will cherish the memories.”

Killian Winn ’22 was nominated for an Artsie (Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Award) for his role as Fool #2 in Quill Theatre’s spring production of William Shakespeare’s King Lear.

Killian was nominated in the “promising newcomer” category. In addition to Killian, his brother Raif Winn ’24 and Scott Neely ’22 were in the cast of A Christmas Story at Virginia Repertory Theater’s November Theatre downtown.

Thomas Kehoe, ’17 performed alongside St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s music faculty and other area professional musicians in the band for Seussical, the Upper School musical.

The Richmond Forum board of directors selected Fuller Wise ’18 to serve as a Richmond Forum Scholar for the 2016-2017 season. Fuller shares

Pictured here are National Merit Commended Scholars Austin Cashwell, Tanner Hood, James Armstrong, Andrew Vanichkachorn, Thomas Kehoe, Frost Wood and National Merit Semifinalist Jackson Barkstrom.

Commended Scholar Hunter Greenwood is not pictured. Commended students score in the top 5 percent of more than 1.6 million students who entered the 2017 competition by taking the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Semifinalists are the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represent the top 0.5 percent of the state’s senior students. this honor with four other students in the Richmond area who will staff speaker receptions, serve as greeters, check in guests, escort speakers and introduce speakers to area students in the student viewing room.

a standout wrestler who captains the team and carries a 4.5 GPA. Soccer and swim team captain Frost led soccer to a state title. The center back was named AllPrep and second-team All-State and has consistently earned academic honors.

In August, Aiden Messick ’18 attended the Virginia Space Coast Scholars program at Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore where he learned firsthand from NASA professionals about the latest cutting-edge technologies and missions.

The summer edition of Moving Boys Forward incorrectly identified the recipient of the Richmond Times-Dispatch Correspondent of the Year. The winner was William Rodriguez ’18, not his identical twin Henry. The Times-Dispatch, which held an event last spring to honor its 2015 Correspondents of the Day, described the rising junior as having “an intellectual maturity that escapes many adults.”

William argued that the United States should not let fear of terrorism prevent it from welcoming refugees. He wrote, “Accepting risks is a price one must pay for living in a free society.”

Four Upper School seniors have been nominated for the Lexus of Richmond Pursuit of Perfection Award—Tanner Hood, Jackson Barkstrom, James Armstrong and Frost Wood. Tanner is a standout wrestler who carries a 4.5 GPA. Jackson holds a 4.7 GPA and captains the tennis team.

James was injured this season but was

Mountain bike and cycling sensation Edward Anderson has signed with Axeon Hagens Berman, the world’s leading professional Under 23 cycling squad. Only eight newcomers and eight returners made the California-based team. Edward will miss some school in the spring to train, with most races taking place in the summer.

This fall Edward dominated the Virginia High School Cycling League of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), winning an unprecedented four straight races in the mountain bike series, most by wide margins. He doesn’t have any expectations for the coming year but looks forward to learning from his teammates. “They are riders that I’ve always admired and looked up to,” he says. “It’ll be really cool riding and racing with them.”

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Class Notes 1940s

1960s

A New York Times review of Tom Wolfe ’47’s

The Hon. J. Harvie Wilkinson III ’63 delivered remarks to the 2016 naturalization ceremony participants at Monticello and welcomed them as new citizens July 4, the 190th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson’s death. Seventy-six people from 40 countries took the oath of American citizenship.

new book, The Kingdom of Speech, said that the 85-year-old prolific writer shows no signs of mellowing with “his boldest bit of dueling yet.” The book critiques Charles Darwin’s and MIT linguist Noam Chomsky’s theories on understanding the origins of man’s speech and challenges how we interpret man’s ability to master language. Literary critic Dwight Garner describes the work as a “whooping, joy-filled and hyperbolic raid on, of all things, the theory

1970s

boggy, soggy and leaking all over the place,’ to put it in the words he inserts into the mouths of past genetic theorists.”

1950s

of three executives inducted into the Greater Richmond Business Hall of Fame last May. Hiter is managing director and co-founder of Richmond-based Harris Williams & Co., an investment banking firm that began in 1991.

He grew up in Richmond, was a kicker on the Hampden-Sydney College football team and first worked in commercial banking before being drawn to mergers and acquisitions. He graduated from Harvard Business School.

Charlie is president and chief executive of

of evolution, which [Wolfe] finds to be less scientific certainty than ‘a messy guess—baggy,

Hiter Harris ’79 and Charlie Luck ’79 were two

Henry Edmunds ’71 has retired after 30 years working with Lockheed Martin and lives in Atlanta. He has traded in his knowledge of F-22 flight tests and the development of CAD/CAN computer systems for the personal challenge and endurance test derived from mountain biking in various places across the country.

Goochland County-based Luck Cos., which includes Luck Stone and Luck Real Estate Ventures. He is the third generation of his family to manage the company. A former race car driver, Charlie returned to the family business in 1985 and became president in 1995 and CEO in 1999.

Sandy Williamson ’79’s CapTech Ventures was the cover story for the Nov. 7 Richmond

S. Buford Scott ’51, chairman of Richmond

Times-Dispatch Metro Business section.

Brokerage BB&T Scott & Stringfellow, was

The company that started in 1997 as a two-

recently recognized for his advocacy and

man information technology consulting

contributions to economic and financial

firm helping companies learn how to use

education in Virginia. Buford was a founding

the internet now advises clients on digital

board member of the Virginia Council on

strategies, business process improvements

Economic Education, which created an

and building and managing technology tools.

endowment in his name. The endowment

Sandy, company chairman, said CapTech has

is supported by initial gifts and pledges of

grown by “riding the technology wave” with

$500,000 with a target goal of $2 million.

clients. It has earned a spot on Inc. magazine’s The Hon. A. Donald McEachin ’79 was listed in Style magazine’s 2016 Power List. He won the U.S. House race for a redrawn 4th District making him the first StC graduate to serve in the U.S. Congress.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF GOLFING’S GREATEST ICON Alums teed off with Arnold Palmer in 1988 In remembrance of Arnold Palmer, who passed away in September, the Richmond TimesDispatch recalled his last tournament victory, the 1988 Crestar Classic for seniors at Hermitage Country Club. The event kicked off with a Pro-Am, four amateurs playing with one senior professional. When Crestar Bank Capital Region President Rob Norfleet ’58’s team drew Arnie, he drew some ribbing for stacking the deck, which he firmly denies.

The group included Jack McElroy ’58, then Wheat First Securities chairman and Crestar Bank customer. At the get-go, nerves got the better of the group, and they tanked the first hole. Arnie gave a pep talk and continued to help put them at ease with casual conversation. At each tee Rob said Arnie would be in the middle of the crowd, signing autographs, holding children and letting mothers take photos. He describes the golfing legend as “the life of the party, the most likeable guy that you can imagine.”

40 | StC

annual list of the 5,000 fastest-growing U.S. companies for 10 years, at times ranking it the fastest-growing company in Virginia, the article said.

Mark Collins Jenkins ’79 writes and preserves National Geographic history

by Thomas Ferguson, StC publications summer intern The first issue of National Geographic was published in 1888. Ninety-nine years

Fragile Earth?” The photographer had several globes made of Steuben glass

later, Mark Collins Jenkins ’79 joined the National Geographic Society staff as

that he dropped and tried to shoot a bullet through in midair. The cover

an historian and became responsible for knowing everything in between.

features a hologram where one view of the globe is whole, and the other is

Mark’s interest in history and writing started at St Christopher’s where he and

shattered. “That was one expensive cover,” he says.

his brothers (Brent ’80 and Hunter ’83) graduated and where his mother,

The work of an historian and historical writer takes persistence and discipline,

Alma, taught in the Lower School. After getting his master’s in English at the

but Mark enjoys the process. “You have to be painstaking, but it’s fun when

University of Virginia, Mark wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. “So eventually

you’re coming down to the finish line and just nipping and tucking and

I drifted off to D.C. and reawakened a boyhood dream of working at National

polishing,” he says. “And after a break to catch your wind, it’s great looking

Geographic,” he says.

forward to the next project.”

The National Geographic Society began as a collection of scientists who

Mark is currently working on a National Geographic U.S. history book and

shared an interest in exploration of the West. They didn’t have a lot of money,

helping former Editor Gilbert Grosvenor, who retired in 2011 as society

Mark says, so to gain membership they wanted to make their magazine

chairman, with his memoirs. “And that’s enough,” he laughs.

attractive to a broader range of readers. “They found that photographs of exotic places and an emphasis on quality of presentation did the trick,” he says. “That got it to become kind of a special ingredient in American cultural life for most of the 20th century.”

As historian for 22 years, Mark was responsible for research, giving speeches and writing about anything and everything to do with National Geographic’s history. The magazine’s scope afforded a wide variety of subject matter, but he decided he wanted a little more freedom. “I used to work on books on nights and weekends, and then in 2009 I decided to just focus on the books and work freelance for National Geographic and other organizations.”

His books show an expertise on topics as varied as the War of 1812 to the origins of vampire legends. His 2014 book National Geographic: The Covers compiles the most striking covers in the magazine’s history and the stories behind them. One of his favorites is the December 1988 issue, the centennial

Mark collaborates with Gilbert Grosvenor on his memoirs in Baddeck,

year for National Geographic, which ran with the tagline “Can Man Save Our

Nova Scotia. Photo by Sara Grosvenor.

1980s An April 2016 article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch outlined plans for Spencer Williamson ’81’s company to bring an autoinjector for treating severe allergic reactions back into the market. His pharmaceutical company, Kaléo, terminated its $230 million agreement with Sanofi to manufacture and market the Auvi-Q autoinjector, which was recalled after it failed to deliver the proper dosages of epinephrine. Kaléo now owns the product, which was developed by twin brothers who grew up in Richmond and have food allergies.

Kaléo’s other product, which reverses opioid overdoses, was not affected by the recall.

Peter Gretz ’86 serves as superintendent of Middlesex County Public Schools. Peter has worked in the Goochland educational system since 2008, most recently as assistant superintendent of business operations. He also served as director of instruction in Buckingham County, a language arts teacher, director of student services and middle school principal. Peter is an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and James Madison University.

Tim Miller ’88, who was instrumental in organizing the 2015 UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, has joined forces with Ken Gart and David Koff in Colorado to form RPM Events Group. Tim, the company’s chief operating officer, said the new venture is more than about promoting bike races. “This is about creating sports and entertainment properties that are not only memorable for the spectators, but valuable to the host cities and sponsors and sustainable into the future,” Tim said in a September article that ran in Cycling News. “I am looking forward to working with a group of forward-thinking professionals and developing an exciting new approach to the sport.” The company has tentatively scheduled races for late summer 2017, pending approval from UCI’s governing body.

41

CLASS NOTES Artist Marshall Ware ’81 captures the faces of StC

by Kathleen Thomas, Moving Boys Forward editor The sharp edges and flat paint speak to pop

Marshall uses the same technique for other

artist Roy Lichtenstein while other features are

genres. Two action scenes of Varsity track

reminiscent of Warhol’s silkscreens. Yet the

(which he coaches) hang in his classroom, and

bright colors and style are original and jarringly

he has completed a series of colorful plants

realistic, almost as if the faces, even composed

and flowers from photos taken at Lewis Ginter

of five shades of the same color, might step out

Botanical Gardens. He finds some time during

of the frame and share a confidence.

the school year for painting, but a looser

These large-scale works by Middle School art teacher Marshall Ware ’81 have become a signature statement on school grounds.

Twelve portraits of the StC maintenance staff adorn second-floor walls of the Luck Leadership Center outside his art classroom.

Former headmaster Charley Stillwell received one as a departure gift at the end of the 2016 school year. Marshall teaches the technique to Middle School students who come away with surprisingly realistic versions of themselves.

summer schedule allows for more productivity.

He often listens to podcasts while working, learning all the while. “I find it really relaxing,” Marshall said. “I can paint from 7 at night to 2 in the morning and feel good about it. I enjoy that, feeling like you’ve done something interesting and creative.”

After graduating from StC, Marshall went to Hampden-Sydney College to play football but transferred after a year to Virginia

He pursued and landed the job, and since then his contributions have been many.

Commonwealth University where he received

“Marshall’s love for art and work as an artist

The four-step process is involved: a

a degree in art education. In the early 1990s,

have enhanced his role as an art teacher at

photography session, up to 20 hours of

he was helping his mom out with her gourmet

St. Christopher’s,” said former Headmaster

Photoshop manipulation, projecting and

food and catering business when George

Charley Stillwell. “His talents and creativity

tracing the image onto canvas or paper and

McVey stopped in and said the school might

inspire his students. He also strengthens

20 to 40 hours of painting multiple layers.

have a position for a Middle School art teacher.

community with his art.”

1990s While teaching a class on the U.S. presidency two years ago, Longwood University President Taylor Reveley ’92 hit on the idea of hosting the vice presidential debate. Longwood went for it and got the nod from the Commission on Presidential Debates out of about 100 schools that expressed interest. The $5.5 million effort garnered all kinds of media attention (including The Wall Street Journal’s “Weekend Interview” in early July) while dovetailing with Taylor’s initiative to make citizenship a top priority. He wrote in a Virginian-Pilot op/ed, “We believe it’s an important public service, and a powerful opportunity for our students to see democracy in action.”

Mark Staples ’93 has been named director of the Utah Avalanche Center. A November story in Utah Outside described him as having “some serious avalanche chops.” The avid skier, snowmobiler, ice and rock climber recently worked as a pro-ski patroller at Big Sky Resort and received a master’s in engineering from Montana State University where he wrote a thesis on the energy balance at the snow surface and weak layer formation.

He was a forecaster at the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center for eight years

42 | StC

and has worked on projects for the National Avalanche Center. He has also been on the governing board of the American Avalanche Association. All these groups are devoted to avalanche education, safety and forecasting.

In the recent Utah Outside Q&A, he said, “We have an amazing team and an incredible community of avalanche professionals in this area. I hope we can continue to be a portal for

Alum visit to Lower School commemorates Veterans Day

sharing all the knowledge and experience of these folks for the general public so that they can get out and experience the mountains, have the time of their life and make it home to their family and friends every day.”

Wyndham Buerlein ’92 and Mason New ’92 visited the Lower School to talk about their time in the U.S. Marine Corps. Both Wyndham and Mason encouraged the boys to think about different ways they might serve America. Wyndham (far left) and Mason (far right) pictured here with their sons, Chase Buerlein ’27 and Mason New ’27.

Nelson Reveley ’01 leads project to improve Richmond transit

by Paul Evans ’01 Nelson Reveley ’01

cars. “Some of those involved in RVA Rapid

Rapid Transit’s Metro Clergy Committee. He

now serves as the

Transit are particularly passionate about the

also serves as parish associate for outreach

president of the

quality of life improvements that come with

and adult discipleship at Grace Covenant

RVA Rapid Transit

living in neighborhoods where you are freed

Presbyterian Church and has been helping lead

board, a grassroots

from having to rely on a car,” Nelson said.

Shalom Farms’ efforts to create a five-acre

“Some are driven to see Richmond become

urban farm on Union Presbyterian Seminary’s

organization focused on educating, organizing and advocating for a regional transit system. The goal is to connect the metro area, drive economic growth

a beacon of accessibility, opportunity and reconciliation across the lines that have divided us so pervasively over the years like race, class and jurisdiction. And some of us are simply aiming for the region to thrive in its competitive

property in Northside Richmond.

He credits his time as a student at St. Christopher’s with laying the foundation for his work, specifically with Rapid Transit. “Serving this organization has been one of the most fulfilling

and make Richmond a more accessible and

capacity to attract and retain young workers

and fruitful opportunities I have had to enlist

attractive place to live, work and play.

who generally prefer walkable, bikeable, transit-

the skills and values instilled in me as a student

friendly communities.”

at St. Christopher’s.”

transportation system makes access to jobs,

Nelson, an ordained Presbyterian minister, first

Learn more about RVA Rapid Transit at

goods and services heavily dependent on

got involved serving as co-coordinator for

www.rvarapidtransit.org.

1990s (cont.)

2000s

The reality is that the city’s limited public

Thomas Gresham ’94 co-authored A Baseball

Peyton Burgess ’00 has published his first

technical assistance and information services.

Guy, a book about Guy Hansen, a former Kansas

book, The Fry Pans Aren’t Sufficing, published

He will serve as the city of Richmond’s

City Royals farmhand, professional scout and

in 2016 by Lavender Ink. Pulitzer Prize-winning

citizen representative. Mike was also recently

Major League coach, known as one of sport’s

author Yusef Komunyakaa described the

appointed to the board of Lewis Ginter

most impassioned and devoted teachers.

book’s humor and its depiction of loneliness:

Botanical Garden.

“The hard-edged comedy of Burgess’s Harrison Hall ’96 has joined Divaris Real

narrative is shaped and honed, always

Estate, Inc., as a vice president in its Richmond

merciful, and is peppered with dialogue that’s

office focusing on commercial real estate

reliable and masterfully executed. Personal

leasing and managing.

and surreal, these poignant survival stories coax the reader into moments of shared feeling, into truth, reflection and simple beauty.” Peyton, a creative writing professor at Loyola University, received his B.A. in English from Loyola and a master of fine arts in fiction from New York University.

Michael Wright ’01’s company SpareFoot is listed as one of the top 50 innovative consumer tech companies in Austin, Texas.

It offers simpler ways to locate, book and

A group of Saints met in South Bend, Ind., for the Virginia Tech vs. Notre Dame football game Nov. 19. Pictured here: ​Lee ​Krauss ’98, Maunsel Hickey ’98, Charles Ayers III ’93, Charlie Ayers, Alexander Ayers ’98, Matt Conn ’98, Paul Habenicht ’98.

move stuff to self-storage units.

Ben Nicholson ’02 is in the middle of a four-year emergency medicine residency in Boston. After serving as a volunteer firefighter in Charlottesville while in school at UVA, he worked for the Richmond Ambulance Authority, LifeEvac of Virginia and the VCU International Trauma System Development Program. In Ecuador he helped develop a plan for transporting trauma patients in the Amazon basin; later experiences in Haiti and Thailand solidified Ben’s interest in pursuing medical school at VCU. He looks forward to entering the working world again in 2019.

Richard Graham ’05 is a vice president with

Mike Gray ’02, co-founder and partner with

Chicago-based Performance Trust Capital

Commonwealth Partnerships, was recently

Partners. He is head of agency mortgage

appointed to the board of the Richmond

collateral trading and splits time between

Regional Planning District Commission,

offices in Chicago and Nashville. Richard lives

a group focused on transportation, local

in Nashville.

43

CLASS NOTES After graduating from

his M.S. in physiology and biophysics in

Virginia Tech in 2013,

2016, studying human dopamine (DA) and

Matthew Londrey

norepinephrine (NE) transporters.

’09 moved to Boston to become head

Jason Pacious ’10 is teaching Spanish

coach of one of the

and biology at Church Hill Academy, an

nation’s best youth

independent Christian coed high school on the

climbing teams. Last

East End of Richmond. The school is part of

year he moved back

Church Hill Activities and Tutoring, a nonprofit

to Richmond to start

dedicated to helping students from Richmond’s

nursing school at VCU and took over the

East End achieve academic success, develop

youth climbing team at Peak Experiences.

character and serve their community.

This year USA Climbing tapped him as one of four to coach the USA National Team,

Ira White ’11 discovered his love for dance

which supports the Youth National Team and

early through Richmond Ballet’s Minds in

in November travelled to Guangzhou, China,

Motion outreach program. Soon after, he

where the young climbers competed in the

signed up for ballet and other countless

in his second year with the main company

annual world championships.

classes that Richmond Ballet offered.

and is pictured here in this year’s Richmond

Through the years, he rose through the

Ballet’s season brochure featuring their new

Alan Harris ’10 is a first-year student in the

ballet school ranks, including a year spent

creative campaign in partnership with mural

M.D./Ph.D. program at Virginia Commonwealth

in its trainee program and three seasons

artist Dennis McNett, Karnes Coffey Design

University School of Medicine. He obtained

in the second company. He is proud to be

and Alice Blue Digital.

Blair Neal ’04: Using creative thinking and technology to simulate experience

by Kathleen Thomas, Moving Boys Forward editor Even Blair Neal ’04 struggles to define his job

segues to a rocking dance party with Dutch

he joined Fake Love, the first hire for the two

as creative technologist for New York company

DJ Martin Garrix. Attendees gyrate to vibrating

founding partners. Blair heads the technology

Fake Love.

floors, pulsing strobes and ripples created from

team for the company that bills itself as an

speakers moving water in giant glass canisters.

“integrated experience design agency.” He

He usually resorts to describing projects, such

Blair handled the programming and live visuals,

focuses on programming as well as technology

as a 7UP-sponsored concert for deaf people,

overseeing all technical elements. Fake Love’s project, which created an experience in lieu

research and development and has traveled

as way of explanation. The project video opens with testimonials from people who are

of a traditional advertisement, translated to a

deaf about how music moves them. It then

YouTube video that went viral with more than 5.1 million views. It’s the story that pulls people in and creates an emotional connection, Blair says.

As a child, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduate loved to take things apart and see how they worked. He started out in the engineering school at the New York technological research university before pursuing the electronic arts program, graduating in 2008 with a bachelor of science and 2010 with a master’s of fine arts. Blair got his first taste of programming from StC’s early offering in computer science. He has always been into music, playing guitar in a high school band Fruit Punch Catastrophe that once

44 | StC

the world doing work for such big-name clients as Lexus, Google, Nike and Coke. “Every single project is completely different,” he says. “That’s the exciting part of it for me. It’s a learning process every time.”

After six years of operation, Fake Love was recently acquired by The New York Times. The company name will stay the same as it continues to create experiences, some of which are real but not all. “If someone thinks it’s real that’s all we need,” Blair said. “There’s a big level of performance and theater to what we do.”

Blair also pursues personal artwork outside his Fake Love job, most recently taking a week off to perform with the band Phantogram.

performed in Upper School chapel.

Microsoft featured that work on its blog, which

His thesis at Rensselaer explored the relationship

to generate images onto the band’s bodies

between visuals and music. He worked as a

while simultaneously showing a real-time

freelancer out of college performing live video

projection map of their moving silhouettes on

behind bands at concerts. After about a year

the stage background.”

used its Kinect technology that “enabled him

2000s (cont.)

Tyler Yeatts ’12 has co-written two articles that were published in The Daily Signal during his internship with The Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative think tank.

The articles, which came out last March, explored Venezuelans’ fight for economic freedom and millennials’ approach to trade.

Leaving your mark: A perspective from China

by Jay Weisbrod ’09 My decision to come to China was not an impulsive one but rather a choice born out of previous life experience, career aspirations and a lot of family support. After living in Taipei, Taiwan,

Scott Perlowski ’12 graduated from Belmont University with a major in commercial music and instrument bass and an emphasis in music technology. In his senior recital last spring, he sang and played bass and ukulele with a program that included the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” jazz composer Marcus Miller’s “Detroit” and an original song written by StC and Belmont classmate Preston Cochran ’12. Scott plans to remain in Music City performing live and in recording sessions while working with a studio there.

for two and a half years during my childhood, working at an advertising agency there for my summer internship during college, majoring in international studies and spending a summer in Guilin learning Mandarin, I decided I was ready to make a longterm commitment to my goal of becoming fluent. After that, my plan was to continue to work in the People’s Republic at a job that would serve as a jump-off point for my professional career.

Keaton Hillman ’12 made a Virginia Repertory Theatre debut in 1776, a Tony award-winning historical musical. As the courier, Keaton surprised the audience with an unforgettable solo of “Momma Look Sharp.” Keaton’s acting credits include Antony and Cleopatra, All’s Well That Ends Well (Virginia Shakespeare Festival) and Avenue Q and Crowns (William & Mary Theatre Department).

I quickly learned that, despite my prior Asia experience, being a resident of China held challenges I hadn’t faced before. When I first arrived in Guilin, I had no money, few friends, only temporary living quarters and still only a remedial grasp of the language. Guilin is a place where almost nobody speaks English, meaning there is a direct correlation between your language ability and relative independence. Even the most basic

Marshall Hollerith ’13, a senior at Washington and Lee University, was selected for the third year to the Academic All-District Team.

The business administration and English double-major ranks second all-time at W&L with 3,450 career rushing yards, and his 42 career rushing touchdowns are second all-time. Marshall is second all-time at W&L with 17 career 100-yard rushing games. In October he was named ODAC player of the week after rushing for 123 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s 48-34 victory at Guilford College. He is also in the ODAC record book for rushing touchdowns at 42. After graduation Marshall will work for SunTrust in Atlanta.

daily activities such as reading a street sign or buying a bottle of water were an ordeal at first. Things that I initially thought were interesting cultural quirks were now part of my new and, at times daunting, reality.

It became apparent to me that if I wanted to regain some semblance of a normal, productive life, I would need to focus on improving my language abilities.

The process was slow and difficult at first but it gradually improved my life in numerous, tangible ways. I took a job teaching at a local Chinese school, which financed my Mandarin classes as well as a small apartment.

I taught at the Guilin Sunny School for two and a half years, long enough

Dallas Tarkenton ’13, a senior at Mary Washington College, earned All-American honors at the 2016 NCAA Division III Swimming Championships in Greensboro, N.C., in March, with his eighth-place finish in the men’s 100-yard butterfly.

for me to pass my first fluency exam. During this time, I could tell I was making the adjustment. I had achieved greater mobility around town and the surrounding areas, made friends and even began a couple of entrepreneurial projects. All of this eventually led to my current position working for a textile manufacturing company, the Esquel Group, where

Ned Ukrop ’13 is graduating a semester early from Davidson College in December to take part in an internship in January with the U.S. State Department.

I am the only non-Chinese employee out of nearly 3,000 people. Esquel is the world’s largest manufacturer of cotton dress shirts; our customers include companies such as Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers and Hugo Boss.

At times, I wonder how it is that I’m living and working this far from home;

The September issue of Richmond Family Magazine ran sideby-side stories: William Maddock ’15’s humorous take on the day he left for college and his father Jerome’s perspective on William’s growing up and move-in day. William is a sophomore at Harvard University.

especially when it only feels like yesterday I was under the pines receiving my high school diploma from St. Christopher’s.

During those rare moments when I reflect and compare my early days in Guilin to my current circumstances am I able to fully grasp the progress that has been made. I realized that, while I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, something like this does not require a high IQ or a

Sam O’Ferrall ’13 will serve in the U.S. Army the next five years with 202 of his classmates, a placement he describes as the “ultimate brotherhood,” what he’s been working for all along at the U.S. Military Academy. His brothers, Griffin ’21 and Henry ’24 and father, Ren ’85, are pictured here with him during a November visit.

special talent. The only requirement is willingness. The willingness to push the boundaries and the confidence to know that you will succeed.

These are both traits that I credit St. Christopher’s for instilling in me.

This is an institution that empowers young men to go forth and leave their mark on the world beyond 711 St. Christopher’s Road. It wasn’t until recently that I have been able to fully understand and appreciate the value of the education I received during those four years. My message to students is: While being a member of the St. Christopher’s community is a lifelong distinction, your time as a student is all too brief. Soak up everything you can while you are here, and use that knowledge to leave your mark on the world.

45

CLASS NOTES CLASS NOTES Nic Marleton ’09 takes creative approach to serve and engage community

by Thomas Ferguson, StC publications summer intern As a dedicated project manager for a nonprofit in Pittsburgh, Nic Marlton ’09 knows that the work of improving schools and communities isn’t always pretty, but as an artist, he sees the beauty in everything.

Back in 2011, Nic spruced up the basement of Chamberlayne Hall with a dazzling mural of the James River. That summer, math teacher Richard Towell asked him if he would be interested in the project, and Nic jumped at the chance. “It really did mean a lot to me to be able to come back and be a part of St. Christopher’s in that way after graduating,” he says.

The mural, featuring iconic scenes along the river and several StC students and faculty, serves as a representation of the local community. Nic had previously painted other river murals around Richmond, including the walls of Carytown Burgers and Fries and Snake Oil Records.

A double major in art and ethics, history and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, Nic looked to muralism as an artistic way to engage with and serve the community. His senior year, Nic co-founded the Margo Lovelace Project in memory of a beloved Pittsburgh puppeteer whose shows delighted both children and adults in the ’60s and ’70s.

Nic and his team painted a mural for the project, but they soon realized they needed “a better form of storytelling.”

After earning a fellowship at the nonprofit Coro Pittsburgh, he was placed in the disadvantaged Wilkinsburg school district where he became project manager for a program called Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, or PBIS. “Students in tough situations benefit more by getting positive reinforcement for positive actions, not negative for negative,” Nic says.

“We’re seeing really great results… It was possibly the most rewarding professional experience of my life.”

Nic describes himself as half project manager and half artist, but he recognizes that if someone isn’t specifically looking for something artistic then there’s not always space for it. “I couldn’t have just made a painting about PBIS for the Wilkinsburg school district,” he says, “but there are elements of thinking like a designer or thinking creatively that I learned from my practice as an artist which influence how I operate every day.”

Nic credits St. Christopher’s for providing an environment where he could grow as a person and figure out what was important to him.

“St. Christopher’s coaches its students on how to be active citizens and contributing members of society,” he says. “St. Christopher’s treated me and treats its students as people whose ideas are valuable. Being

To honor Margo’s legacy, they organized a festival for local puppeteers to share their craft, and the visibility the artists received opened new doors for them to perform in venues all around Pittsburgh. “I sort of cut my teeth on that project,” Nic says, and it only intensified his appetite for serving others.

a member of that community allowed me to feel confident in my ideas and perspective.”

Nic demonstrates a thorough appreciation of his time at St. Christopher’s, calling it the “best high school education I could have ever hoped for.”

But he says that, as with everything in life, it comes with tradeoffs.

“There are lessons and experiences that the St. Christopher’s student has to intentionally pursue which are readily available to the kids in Wilkinsburg school district,” he says. “St. Christopher’s students have to be intentional about acknowledging and addressing the fact that by being afforded the opportunity to be a part of an elite private school, you are robbing yourself of the chance to experience and learn what it’s like for the people who didn’t get to be in those shoes.”

Nic plans to continue his art and nonprofit work, and his only goal in mind is to have a meaningful social impact.

Seeking Alumni Correspondents St. Christopher’s is recruiting correspondents to help gather news. We are looking for alums to reach out to classmates a few times a year by email, text or phone to request information and forward it to us. We are interested in any life events, such as a job change, trip or volunteer work.

To help, contact Davis Wrinkle, wrinkled@stcva.org or 804-282-3185 ext. 5316.

We are grateful for all alums and their families who keep us informed so that we are better connected.

46 | StC

When silence taught me: Part 1 Jabriel Hasan ’11 is serving

my wish while declining it indirectly. She did not call me to help her,

with the Peace Corps as an

because that was her moment to enjoy her space with her daughter.

English teacher in K’eyit, a small

Besides, the effort it would have taken to teach me a recipe I would

Ethopian town in the foothills

probably never use again would have insulted their time.

of the East Amhara highlands.

Here’s one excerpt from his blog

I also realized that the limitlessness Americans feel by virtue of being

“Cups of Coffee.”

American is not widely felt in many other societies. To varying degrees,

She had cooked the doro wat without me.

cultures place limits on human expression and experience. We learn our gender within our own cultural contexts. We create what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman. In every society, those

I could not understand how I

conceptualizations of manhood and womanhood shape how the

had managed to gain the liking

sexes perceive each other. Western, liberal ideologies view gender

of teachers and shopkeepers, but not my landlady. Maybe because I

as limitless. However, many other peoples have not been acculturated

occasionally resorted to climbing the gate after curfew for the sake of

in this way. My landlady understands me as a man through the lens of

enjoying that last cup of coffee or that last rolling drumbeat of a classic

a rural, Ethiopian woman. As a relatively progressive-minded American,

eskista. Maybe because I, an adventurous, young, American man,

I think I can do almost anything I want. For her, my maleness limits the

meant inevitable trouble for her, a middle-aged, unmarried, habesha

tasks I can perform. Gender is socialized to the extent that cooking

woman charged with securing a compound for the only foreigner in

is gendered; kitchens are gendered.

a 30-kilometer radius.

Nevertheless, she greeted me every morning with the same courteous smile, the same pious salutations.

I now consider my landlady my closest ally in K’eyit. I once saw her as being prying and over-protective, but now I see that this was really just her expressing care and concern. Recently, as I try to understand the

Easter presented me with an opportunity for “community integration,”

changing socio-political climate in Ethiopia and my place in the midst

as Peace Corps calls it. I decided that I would use the holiday tradition

of it, she has become one of my best friends. I think I owe this evolution

of cooking doro wat to bond with my landlady.

in our relationship to that rainy Saturday evening. It compelled me

She agreed when, on Holy Saturday, I went to her kitchen to ask if I could help her prepare the delicacy later that evening. That evening,

to try to understand her instead of judging her for how I thought she judged me. By better knowing her, I better know myself.

however, it poured. I took shelter in the comfort of my bed and

To read more about Jabriel’s experience, go to

entertained myself with episodes of Broad City, thinking surely the rain

https://jabrielinethiopia.blogspot.com

would halt activity until sunrise.

I awoke at 3 a.m. to a knock at my door beckoning me to celebrate the feast of the risen Christ.

With her daughter, she had tirelessly labored through the night, chopping four kilos of onions, melting massive globs of palm oil and spooning in copious amounts of berbere to create the wat we would sop up in a maximum of 10 minutes. She had sacrificed the rooster and stirred its tender flesh into the boiling hot stew—all without me.

For some time after, I felt she had slighted me by not calling me to help her. By her silence, her inaction, she had confirmed that she merely tolerated me. Real community integration occurred when I realized that this polite, Orthodox, Amhara highlands woman had not at all intended to offend me.

I realized the dictates of gender in this society. While unmarried men living alone cook simple foods for themselves, the laborious preparation of doro wat is typically reserved for women, who are perceived as having more skill and patience for the six- to seven-hour job. While the males of the house sleep, the females keep flames burning under sheklas. Mothers pass on to their daughters the recipe their mothers showed them over fires. In their kitchens, the only space women control in the Ethiopian countrysides, women bond with women. They teach, learn and observe the work they, in this culture, would not be considered women without knowing.

In retrospect, I am sure my request seemed, at worst, imposing, and at best, naïve. By saying “yichalal” (It is possible), she kindly agreed to

47

StC Transitions Weddings

1

2

3 1

Will Parrish ’04 married Alison Boy of Florham Park, N.J., in April 2016.

Front row: Tommy Parrish ’12, Charlie Parrish ’15, John Parrish ’08, Will Parrish ’04, Alison Parrish, Dan Nicholas ’04, Miles Kimbrough ’04 Middle row: Thomas Parrish ’83, Anne Townsend, former StC administrative assistant, Billy Parrish ’72, Will Milby ’04, Ashton Goldman ’04, Peter Pastore ’04, Frank Talbott ’04, Hugh Nicholson ’04, Jack Catlett, Briscoe White, Tom Innes Sr.

Back row: Basil Jones Sr. ’75, Jack Cronly ’69, Robert Porter ’04, Jimmy Mackey ’04, Brian Herod ’04, George Parrish Sr. ’75, George Parrish Jr. ’08

2

Smith Burke ’04 married Kristen Lee, Sept. 17 in Alys Beach, Fla.

O’Connor ’09 married Margaret 3 Ross Ellard, May 14, 2016, at Sewanee: The University of the South where they met.

Saints in the wedding party included Clay Stiles ’09, first male from left, Bo O’Connor ’19, third male from left, Travis Hamblen ’09, second male from right.

Groomsmen included Jack Burke ’97, Alex Baruch ’04, Marshall French ’04, Stephens Johnson ’04, Frasher Kempe ’04, John Molster ’04, Tee Valentine ’04 and Clayton Worthington ’04

Derek Robert McCown ’85 to Anuradha Naidu, June 7, 2015

Jay Patrick Hawkins Johnson ’01 to Jennifer L. Harvel, May 30, 2015

James Morton Mackey IV ’04 to Emily Alden Thomas, June 18, 2016

Christopher Alexander Buford ’92 to Jessie Nicole Haut, April 9, 2016

Alexander Davidson Baruch ’04 to Anna Hughes Falcey, June 25, 2016

James W. Clement ’06 to Caitlin Callowayz, Nov. 14, 2015

Daingerfield Tucker Henley ’99 to Virginia Cary Moncol, June 18, 2016

Bernard Smith Burke ’04 to Kristen Ann Lee, Sept. 17, 2016

Thomas Justin Moore IV ’07 to Julia Lynne Wilfert, Sept. 10, 2016

Charles Stern Moore ’00 to Jamie Kluender, June 18, 2016

John Houston Cain ’04 to Berkley Clare Salmon, Oct. 29, 2016

David Ross O’Connor ’09 to Margaret Ashurst Ellard, May 14, 2016

48 | StC

Births Mr. and Dr. Derek Robert McCown ’85, son Govindarajulu Derek, Feb. 19, 2016

Mr. and Mrs. Richard R. Griffith ’95, daughter Harper Brayden, May 23, 2016

Mr. and Mrs. James E. W. Zehmer ’98, son John Franklin, Oct. 21, 2015

Mr. Gregory A. Case ’90 and Ms. Michelle A. Quickle, sons Hunter Christopher, June 18, 2015 and Archer Leo, July 8, 2016

Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Antrim ’96, daughter Sydney Materne, Sept. 27, 2016

Mr. Jay P. Johnson ’01 and Dr. Jennifer Harvel, daughter Emory Rose Harvel, June 26, 2016

Mr. and Mrs. T. Pope Hackney ’97, son Gus Pope, May 28, 2016

Mr. and Mrs. William A. Coyle ’04, son Cameron William, Sept. 12, 2016

Deaths Robert Palmer Trice ’36 of Richmond, Va. died Oct. 1, 2016.

Survivors include sons R. Palmer Trice II ’70 and E. Winston Trice ’72, grandsons Edward W. Trice II ’98 and F. Trice Moore ’13.

John Dickinson Williams ’41 of Richmond, Va. died Oct. 11, 2016.

Survivors include sons John D. Williams Jr. ’71 and David L. Williams ’74, grandsons Thomas A. Darden ’06 and John D. Williams III ’11.

James Stuart Carr ’45 of Bruington, Va. died Nov. 16, 2016.

Beverley Bland Munford III ’45 of Richmond, Va. died June 1, 2016.

Survivors include his brother John D. Munford ’46 and son Benton A. Munford ’81.

Najah Carrington Taylor ’48 of Tappahannock, Va. died June 18, 2016.

James Augustine III ’51 of Leesburg, Va. died Jan. 23, 2016.

Henry King Burgwyn Brown ’51 of Richmond, Va. died Sept. 4, 2016.

Survivors include his brother Mann Q. Brown Jr. ’50 and son Kyle Burgwyn Brown ’87.

Clifton Meredith Miller III ’57 of Richmond, Va. died Nov. 28, 2016.

He is survived by his son Clifton M. “Tim” Miller IV ’88.

James Thomas Parkinson III ’58 of Richmond, Va. died Oct. 22, 2016.

Samuel Barron Segar Jr. ’51 of Norfolk, Va. died June 17, 2016.

Survivors include his brother Edward B. Segar ’53.

Edwin Henry Copenhaver III ’61 of Washington, D.C. died June 27, 2016.

George Tucker Smith III ’51 of Richmond, Va. died Sept. 1, 2016.

Survivors include his brother Joseph B. Smith ’59 and sons George T. Smith IV ’85 and Steven W. Smith ’87.

Edwin Macrae Rucker Jr. ’65 of Richmond, Va. died Dec. 21, 2016.

George Warthen Downs ’53 of Richmond, Va. died Sept. 6, 2016.

William Coleman French ’53 of Richmond, Va. died May 26, 2016.

Preston Hampton Haskell ’62 of Richmond, Va. died Dec. 17, 2016.

Carden Coleman McGehee Jr. ’72 of Washington, D.C. died Sept. 1, 2016.

Survivors include his brother Stephen Y. McGehee ’74.

Harry Strachan Hobson ’54 of Richmond, Va. died Sept. 17, 2016.

Charles Spurgeon Rowe Jr. ’75 of Fredericksburg, Va. died Aug. 24, 2016. Survivors include his brother Timothy D. Rowe ’79.

James Eley Jordan, Jr. ’56 of Richmond, Va. died Nov. 23, 2016.

Survivors include his grandson Connor J. Maloney ’20.

James Douglas Freeman Jr. ’76 of Richmond, Va. died Oct. 29, 2015.

Survivors include his father J. Douglas Freeman Sr. ’43.

Ann Victoria “Vicky” Broske of Henrico, Va. died Nov. 14, 2016. She served St. Christopher’s as a dining services assistant.

Virginia Grant McMillan of Richmond, Va. died May 30, 2016.

Mrs. McMillan served St. Christopher’s as an Extended Day teacher. Survivors include her son Andrew A. McMillan ’04.

Dorothy Landy Garner of Richmond, Va. died in the spring of 2016. Mrs. Garner served St. Christopher’s as a school secretary.

Anne Pyle of Richmond, Va. died Oct. 13, 2016. Ms. Pyle served St. Christopher’s as a Lower School teacher.

Survivors include her brother Howard Pyle ’58.

Robert Williams Herzog of Beaverdam, Va. died Jan. 11, 2017.

Mr. Herzog served the school as coach, athletic director, assistant headmaster, business manager, public speaking teacher and college guidance counselor. He was also founder and executive director of the Virginia Prep League. Survivors include his son Andrew S. Herzog ’72.

Dorothy Bunn Stuart of Richmond, Va. died June 6, 2016.

Mrs. Stuart served St. Christopher’s as a Lower School teacher. Survivors include her son Thomas J. Stuart ’74.

Robert Edward Taylor of Richmond, Va. died Dec. 27, 2016.

Mr. Taylor served St. Christopher’s as the supervisor of custodial services and was employed at the school for many years.

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Remember when?

Like Father Like Son Henry O’Ferrall ’24’s fifth-grade classroom with Mrs. Kadie Parsley is the same one his father Ren O’Ferrall ’85, StC athletic director, called home, then under the tutelage of teacher Edie Harper. The photo below in black and white shows Mr. Worthington teaching Bible class while the color photo above shows Henry in the foreground with classmates and Mrs. Parsley behind him. “It was pretty cool for me to sit in that same room on Parents Night, knowing that’s where Henry is finishing his Lower School too,” Coach O’Ferrall said. “Who would have thought it?”

50 | StC