StC Magazine Summer 2018

The Magazine of St. Christopher’s

OUR EPISCOPAL TRADITION page 12

GRADUATION page 38

IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

AROUND CAMPUS

12

Our Episcopal Tradition

2

Head of School Letter

20

Center for the Study of Boys: Research Update

6

Faculty Voices The Rev. Durk Steed

23

Highlights

8

Student Voices Mohamed Ismacil ‘18

26

Arts

30

Sports Recap

10

Alumni Voices Paul Bullock ‘98

80 Staff and Faculty Retirements

GRADUATION

REUNIONS

38

Senior Class

52

On Campus

40

Lower School

54

Around the Country

42

Middle School

60

Class Notes

44

Upper School

StC Magazine Staff EDITOR | Kathleen Thomas VISUAL CONTENT EDITOR | Cappy Gilchrist PHOTOGRAPHERS | Martha Branch, Jay Paul, Jesse Peters GRAPHIC DESIGN | Merry Alderman Design CONTRIBUTORS | McGuire Boyd ‘93; Mimi Burke, assistant to the director of alumni affairs and annual giving; Paul Bullock ‘98; Michael Chapman ‘18; Harrison Coble ‘21; Susan Cox, director of marketing and communications; the Rev. Whitney Edwards, Upper School chaplain; Paul Evans ‘01, digital communications specialist; Alice Flowers, archivist and assistant to communications; Kim Hudson, director of the Center for the Study of Boys; Michael Hylton ‘18; Mohamed Ismacil ‘18; Jim Jump, Upper School academic dean and director of college counseling; Mason Lecky, head of school; Stephen Lewis, director of sports information; Kinloch Nelson ‘18; Willem Peters ‘21; Henry Rodriguez ‘18; Ron Smith, StC writer-in-residence; the Rev. Durk Steed, Middle School chaplain; the Rev. Joe Torrence, Lower School chaplain; Fran Turner, director of global engagement; Lucinda Whitehurst, Lower School Learning Commons coordinator/librarian; Henry Weatherford ‘21; Karen Wormald; Coleman Wray ‘21

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Letter from the Head of School

Our Episcopal Identity Ask any St. Christopher’s senior to identify the founder of our school, and I hope that each would answer, without hesitation, Dr. Churchill Gibson Chamberlayne. I suspect a portion of the boys, though not all, would know, further, that Dr. Chamberlayne was an Episcopal priest. Only a small number of boys, if any, might offer that Dr. Chamberlayne, before founding the Chamberlayne School in 1911, served as an Episcopal chaplain at both the Gilman School in Baltimore and the University of Virginia and also as a missionary in nearby Albemarle County.

I do not know that any St. Christopher’s senior, or any student, for that matter, could clearly articulate the precise ways that Dr. Chamberlayne’s faith and calling as an Episcopal priest directly relate to their experiences as students at St. Christopher’s today.

However, I suspect that every St. Christopher’s boy, teacher, parent and alumnus can quickly discern that St. Christopher’s is a “Church School.” Exactly what that means is likely open to interpretation and individual experience.

Is it the routine of Chapel, up to three times per week, for every boy? Is it the presence of three chaplains on our campus, one per division, offering pastoral support and spiritual influence to boys, their families and our faculty and staff? Is it the manner in which we weave religious studies into our curriculum JK-12, the teaching of Christianity, of course, but also of other world religions? Or perhaps it is our Episcopal calling to preach and practice “radical hospitality,” to know no bounds in welcoming each and every member of this community — regardless of faith identity, creed or family background? Most fundamentally, is it our charge to uphold the Baptismal Covenant’s call to “respect the dignity of every human being”?

It is all these things, of course, and many more, that form the Episcopal identity of St. Christopher’s today.

I often think of Dr. Chamberlayne’s three bedrock traditions that he established in the early years of the Chamberlayne School — the Missionary Society, called to extend grace and compassion Dr. Churchill Gibson Chamberlayne, founder and headmaster 1911-1939

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from the boys of St. Christopher’s to members outside our immediate community; the Honor Code, which exists to bind the boys to a higher and common standard of ethical behavior; and our Literary Societies, which give the boys both the confidence and the ability to proclaim in public, from an early age.

With those three founding traditions, Dr. Chamberlayne ensured that St. Christopher’s boys would be called first, to serve; second, to act with honor; and third, to share, through oration, their gifts and ideals. Knowingly, I suspect, Dr. Chamberlayne imbued the school with an enduring Episcopal legacy, made manifest, at least in part, through these three habits.

What he may not have fully envisioned is the manner in which I, as head, and every employee of St. Christopher’s, I pray, turn to our Episcopal identity, our being a “Church School,” when faced with seminal decisions for our institution. He could not have known how richly we benefit from our association as a Church School in the Diocese of Virginia, one of six such institutions in the Commonwealth; or through our active membership in the National Association of Episcopal Schools, a leading force in developing and advocating excellence, inclusivity and inquiry in more than 1,000 Episcopal schools worldwide.

I hope he would take comfort in knowing that the Episcopal founding of the Chamberlayne School in 1911 and of St. Christopher’s in 1920 is extant in every corner of our campus and in the very fiber of our mission — which is not to convert each boy to one path or form of light, but rather to open his heart and mind to God’s unfailing love for him and for all of humanity and to instill in each graduate the capacity to make an enduring difference in the lives of others.

I hope, too, that you enjoy this issue of StC Magazine, dedicated to an examination of the state of Episcopal identity at St. Christopher’s. Better yet, I invite you to come to campus, to Chapel, especially, to discover it yourself.

Yours,

Mason Lecky Head of School

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CHAPEL TALKS

Rescue Squad Work Engenders Compassion and Respect “I began at Tuckahoe Rescue Squad my junior year after taking six months of night classes that included weekend and weekday classes. My passion began with my brother Josh, who is a Chesterfield police officer. His stories about the chaos on duty made me realize I want to do something with public service in the future. ...

“I have learned countless valuable experiences that not only taught me a massive amount of knowledge and skills in emergency medicine, but life lessons that have shaped me into not only who I am today but who I look to be in the future. Even though this is my passion, it doesn’t mean some days aren’t hard.

Some calls stick with you long after the paperwork is finished. Usually what sticks with you are the sounds, the sights, the conversations with families or, most of all, the decisions you’ve made.

“When people ask about EMT work, they typically respond with how cool or fun that must be, which it is. I find myself not talking with those people about the butterflies felt when arriving first on scene, or when I’ve turned to my partner and said, ‘There’s no way they’re alive in that car,’ before exiting the ambulance, or the conversations I’ve had with people from within their mangled vehicles about their condition, their loved ones and more. They don’t know how long six minutes feels as you try to calm the trapped driver, as you wait for equipment to arrive to start prying him out.

“When you need to debrief about these instances, you do so with your crew. Your crew is your family. You’ll spend your regular shifts together, watch movies together, go to dinner, ride for hours in an ambulance listening to your ambulance Spotify playlist, which I call the Jambulance playlist, talk about your lives outside of being on duty, while always being ready to be thrown into a dangerous scene at any moment. Your partner is who you will have constant fun and jokes with, your friend who will laugh with you after treating a psych patient who thinks they are a surveillance camera. They’re the ones whom you have thoughtful conversations with on the next call after responding to a cardiac arrest that you weren’t able to save. Your partner is your

backup when an overdose patient wakes up and tackles you to the ground. EMS has taught me that kind of friend or family is possible, and they’re important in getting through anything life forces you to encounter.

“EMS teaches courtesy, compassion and respect from nearly every call I’ve been on. “... With passion comes motivation and drive. You’ll encounter obstacles, but whatever the obstacle may be, you’ll be able to find support and maintain determination and overcome it. My hope is to inspire others to be who they want to be as I continue chasing my personal goals, as I prepare to possibly take a medic class this fall and pursue a pre-medicine track in college.”

— Michael Hylton ‘18 Upper School Chapel April 20, 2018

Michael Hylton ‘18 with his family after speaking in Chapel

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Courage Matters “Courage means lots of different things to different people. It takes courage to serve in our armed forces or to be a police officer. It takes courage to tackle a new challenge. It takes courage to try a new restaurant. Courage matters.

“Recently I have had the opportunity to participate with our fourth-graders in a feeding ministry they have been working with called Shepherd’s Way Relief Center.

Every grade has a service learning partner whom they are developing and fostering relationships with. At Shepherd’s Way, they serve Richmond’s most at-risk population, the homeless. They do incredible work helping folks who are underresourced in our city by providing breakfast five days a week. They also have a pantry with canned goods and personal hygiene items as well as a clothing closet full of things people need. The folks we encounter there experience a very different life from us, and it is easy to paint our friends at Shepherd’s Way with a particular brush, but I have watched with wonder as the fourth-grade boys have jumped in to lend a helping hand. They serve sausage, look for toothpaste in the pantry or collect the trash after the guests have eaten.

“All of those things are great, but the courage I saw was in the conversations they had with the guests, the friendships made and the stories shared. We met ‘New York,’ a gentleman who has been homeless for some time because of an injury he suffered while in Afghanistan, and Marge, the elderly lady that ‘New York’ helped every single day so that she could eat. There is plenty about Shepherd’s Way and the folks who come there which mark us as different, but in the eyes of the fourthgrade boys, none of that seemed to matter. They just saw people as people and were making a difference by serving and also by listening.

“The truth is, it takes courage to make a difference in the world. It takes courage to serve; it takes courage to open yourself up to others. It takes courage to give without an expectation of getting something in return. It takes courage to choose the hard right over the easy wrong. It takes courage to go into the unknown and merely give of yourself. It takes courage to listen to someone’s story that may be very different from your own. My prayer is that I might have as much courage as these boys and the other boys here in the Lower School to live courageously by giving of myself, by listening to the stories of others. And the courage to live a life that makes a difference.”

— The Rev. Joe Torrence, Lower School chaplain Lower School Chapel Spring 2018

Growing Up Doesn't Happen Overnight “I turned 18 years old yesterday, something that strikes fear in the hearts of my parents. Overnight, at least according to the law, I went from being a child to an adult, but the truth is the process of growing up does not happen overnight. It takes years, and I thank God I spent those years here surrounded by you guys. I started freshman year unsure of myself, unsure that I needed to work hard, afraid to put my neck out, but before me lay many opportunities to test and grow me. Whether it was trying out for Beaux Ties or football or tackling tough classes or even standing up and talking here in chapel, I have never been disappointed in trying and I want to thank you guys for your support. It’s really something special to be known as well as I am here, much how I know you all very well. … I don’t know who or what I would be today without the support of classmates, teachers and family, but I am glad for the adult that I am becoming and thank you all for supporting me. I am very grateful to the class of 2018 for always pushing me and seeing abilities in me I did not know that I had.”

— Michael Chapman ‘18 Senior Chapel May 16, 2018

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FACULTY VOICES

Lifting Us In Prayer The Rev. Durk Steed’s words encapsulate founder’s vision During the week of the 78th anniversary of the Rev. Churchill Gibson Chamberlayne’s death, a group of administrators, faculty and students gathered at his gravesite to give thanks for his life.

In his memory, Middle School Chaplain Durk Steed wrote three prayers in keeping with Dr. Chamberlayne’s mission and life work at St. Christopher’s.

PRAYER FOR KNOWLEDGE

PRAYER FOR HONOR

PRAYER FOR COMMUNITY

Lord God,

Lord God,

Lord God,

You created us with minds that hunger and thirst for knowledge. Let all the effort our teachers, our classmates and we apply toward learning bear much fruit. Let our time in the classroom, time spent on field trips and projects and our time spent on homework and study all be fully represented in our lives.

You created us to be people of character who nurture honor and integrity in our lives. Bless our efforts to lead honorable lives. Keep us from pride when we are successful, and teach us grace when our friends fall.

You have created us to live in community and serve each other. We pray that St. Christopher’s School would be a place where we can learn to be in relationships with diverse people and that in those relationships we could encourage one another to grow deeper in our commitment to making a positive impact on the world.

Let our teachers and parents be encouraged that we are making the most of the opportunities provided for us at St. Christopher’s. Most importantly, let the knowledge we are learning sink deep into our memories so that one day it may be useful and beneficial in our service to others.

Amen

Students, faculty and administrators congregate every April at Dr. Chamberlayne’s grave at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Richmond.

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Fuel our desire to know you, to honor and respect you and to honor and respect those around us.

Amen

Teach us the divine truth that only through sacrifice are great things accomplished.

Amen

Keeping God Relevant “I want to try to reinforce the presence of God in other people’s lives and keep people excited about God. As the world becomes less focused on God and more secularized, the biggest challenge is helping busy people see God is relevant, ready and able to help with all the modern world can throw at them. To this end, I strive to keep chapel talks exciting and appealing to kids in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. I want students and faculty to realize that, even with their tight schedules, they can find a way to fit God into their lives, even center their lives around God if that’s what they are interested in doing. It’s God versus Google for our attention, and I’m confident God will win.”

Interview with Durk Steed conducted by Harrison Coble ‘21

Cameron King ‘23 and the Rev. Durk Steed

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STUDENT VOICES

FINDING A HOME End-of-Year Reflections from Exchange Student Mohamed Ismacil ‘18

“A couple of weeks ago, I told y’all my hyena story. Now is the time to hear my lion story.

Just kidding! Instead, I would like to share with you what my journey has been like from my country to yours.

“This morning’s reading of the story of Abraham is from the Christian Bible but it is also found in the Jewish Torah and the Quran, the holy scripture of Islam. This illustrates that we speak, look and think differently but we have more in common than different.

We set and work toward goals, we love, we

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worry, we get embarrassed and so forth.

“As many of you know, my name is Mohamed Ismacil with silent “c” and I am a senior exchange student who is not from Somalia, Somali Land, Somali-land, but from Somaliland, one word. You might not have heard of Somaliland. Somaliland is located in East Africa and broke away from the rest of Somalia in 1991 due to corruption in the central government, but it remains unrecognized by the United Nations. Somaliland is predominantly a Muslim country and is currently very peaceful with a booming economy, unlike its neighbor Somalia. Our language is mainly Somali, and the secondary language is Arabic. I am from a middle-class Somali family with nine siblings, and I am the seventh child. After finishing elementary school, my father sent me to an American-style boarding school called Abaarso School of Science and Technology.

“Abaarso was founded in 2009 by an American, Jonathan Starr, a former finance executive. I didn’t really want to go to a boarding school, but I followed my father’s will.

Given how competitive Abaarso was, I was fortunate to get in. … In my senior year, I thought about studying somewhere abroad to leave my comfort zone and get a different experience. I applied to schools in Eurasia and South Africa and was accepted

by ASSIST, an exchange program that sends 160 scholars from around the world to attend the finest private schools in the U.S. “I was the happiest person on Earth because I was going the United States of America. I imagined the tall buildings in Chicago and New York and the fancy and amazing lives in the movies. My parents were very happy for me. I didn’t worry about my school placement because ASSIST previously took students from Abaarso, and they were all placed in boarding schools. However, I

learned I was going to St. Christopher’s in Richmond, Virginia, and I would be living with a host family. I worried about fitting in with Scott Campbell and Nancy Sowder, and their sons Luke and Wyatt, because I am from another world. I found my host mother’s phone number on the contact information and sent her a message. We got to know each other and, immediately, I discovered that I got a great family. I started counting the days until I would depart for the U.S. My excitement was just increasing day after day but my Somali family was increasingly concerned. Because the news nowadays tends to focus more on negative issues, my parents were seeing the sad part of America. The international news focuses on mass shootings, anti-Muslim rhetoric and protests, especially the march in Charlottesville. My mom discovered that it is very close to Richmond and argued that it would be so much better if I stayed home in Somaliland. I reassured my mother, all would be okay. When I was departing for the U.S. everyone said, ‘Be careful in the U.S.,’ and that really stood out to me.

First the Kingdom of God,’ and that was the moment I fell in love with the chapel. The following week, I contacted my family and informed them that the chapel is my favorite time of the day. They were shocked! My mother started to call me more frequently to ask if I still pray five times a day. I told her that the school chaplain reminds me to pray every day. From that day, she started to worry less. I loved all of my classes both at St. Chris and St. Catherine’s and I have truly learned a lot. When I am having a conversation with my friends who go to schools in the U.S., they often brag about how good their schools are. My response is, ‘How many schools do you go to?’ Their response is clearly one. I say to them, ‘Excuse me, I go to twice as many, St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s!’ Throughout this year, I faced a lot of challenges, but my joys, whether they were big or small, were more than my challenges. This year would have not been so great without having Mrs. Turner listening to my complaints. There is Mr. Moore to whom, when I want to upset, I would simply say ‘I am giving up’ and I can quickly notice the change in his reaction. There is the Rev. Edwards who always tells me that I am a gift to St. Christopher’s. There is Dr. Fisher who always says, ‘You got this, Mohamed.’ There is Mr. Lecky, my advisor who, every time we meet, would ask me if I need anything. …

There is Mrs. Thomas whom I consider my mother at St. Christopher’s. I can go on and on. People would always ask me what it is like to be a Muslim at St. Christopher’s? My response is I am beyond respected and cherished. St. Christopher’s offered me all the support that I needed, and I can call this place home.

“Once you take your final steps at the terrace, you will know your soul is tied to this place. Always remember that the community which loved and motivated you will always be there for you, and you will always be the saints of St. Christopher’s and the saints of God.”

“I arrived Aug. 14, 2017. I spent the first week at a boarding school called Pomfret School in Suffield, Connecticut, for the ASSIST orientation. It was so much fun getting to know the other scholars, and every single thing they shared was so interesting. I was so sorrowful to separate from all of the ASSIST scholars and the ASSIST staff that I bonded with. I knew that I would travel with other exchange students, Max and Miriam, and I would meet my fabulous host family, so I was not super-sad.

I met the Campbells at the waiting area of Richmond International Airport. When I met them it was as if I had known them for my entire life because I had pictures of everyone, and my host mother had told me a lot about the family. I really love the Campbells. They will always be my other family. I will never forget all the care and love that my host family has provided me. More importantly, we celebrated each other’s differences. Early on, Mr. Campbell was so kind to show interest in my religion, and he came to the mosque with me. Watching him pray, I realized how hard it is to understand another person’s religious practices.

“I’ve enjoyed playing so many family board games and, although I am not the best player, I’ve enjoyed challenging and giving a hard time to Wyatt and Mr. Campbell. I will not forget beating my father in ‘Whack a Mole,’ making him lose his ‘Whack a Mole’ title. ... I had so much fun with my host family this year that I am not prepared to leave them and all the pets anytime soon. They are here with us this morning, and I would like them to stand so we can acknowledge them.

“I came to St. Christopher’s last August for the new student orientation. We were told to head to the chapel to learn how the Upper School works. The chapel was opened with the hymn, ‘Seek Ye

“In conclusion, I have two messages to deliver. If you try to visit my country, your immigration office will tell you that it is too dangerous to go because of wars in Somalia. Likewise, when I was coming to the United States, I was told it is dangerous in the U.S. You will never be able to break those perceptions if you don’t put your fear aside and have your own experience. That is exactly what I did, and I have met Americans who love me as much as I am loved at home. Second, whether you are a senior with 14 days left or a junior, sophomore or freshman, you may count the days and years until you graduate. But trust me because I have been through graduation, once you take your final steps at the terrace, you will know your soul is tied to this place. Always remember that the community which loved and motivated you will always be there for you, and you will always be the Saints of St. Christopher’s and the saints of God. “Please do me the honor of helping me finish as I started, by standing and singing hymn number 711, ‘Seek Ye First.’”

Mohamed Ismacil ‘18 delivered this talk on May 11 to Upper School students in Chapel.

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ALUMNI VOICES

START RIGHT NOW Paul Bullock ’98 offered students a world of perspective and inspiration when speaking in Upper School Chapel May 4 at the start of his 20th reunion weekend. Here’s what the L.A.-based writer and producer whose long list of credits includes TV movies, shows and documentaries had to say.

“… I have always been interested in music, books, TV and movies but, when I was your age, I had absolutely no idea how to turn my passions into any sort of ‘real job.’ Growing up in Richmond, I had met journalists and the occasional attorney who had written a novel. But I really didn’t have a professional example of what I wanted to become.

“Thankfully, I was extremely fortunate to grow up in a household with an endlessly supportive family. They were willing to indulge my early experiments in creative output, no matter how weird or embarrassing. The one thing my parents, who are here this morning, actively discouraged, though, was watching television, especially on school nights.

“But all of that changed in the spring of 1990. There was this new thing all the guys in Mrs. Young’s fourth-grade class were talking about called: ‘The Simpsons.’ I knew I had to be a part of it. I remember formally sitting down with mom and dad and making what I thought at the time was a well-reasoned argument as to why I should be able to carve out Sunday nights at 8 p.m. for myself. After more than a little convincing, they agreed to give it to me. And, in doing so, they kicked off a lifelong obsession with TV and film that has taken me from Richmond to North Carolina, then New York and finally to Hollywood.

“I guess what I’m saying is thank you, mom and dad, and this is all your fault.

“Today I’d like to share a few pointers with you I’ve learned over the past two decades …

JUST PICK SOMETHING “Knowing this place, I am absolutely certain I am not the first person who has told you that you can truly do anything you want to do with your life. But you might be surprised at how frightening and potentially stagnating those endless options will become when you’re later faced with paying your rent or raising a family.

“Don’t worry about failure. It really doesn’t matter. Whatever you choose to do will not be good, at first.

“When I was here at St. Christopher’s I desperately wanted to be a musician. So my friends and I started a band. It was a jam band that mostly covered the Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic and Phish. We played shows at bars, house parties and even a middle school dance. There were seven of us. Sometimes our sets lasted for over three hours.

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“Our band was called Papa Legba. We took our name from a song on Talking Heads’ 1986 album ‘True Stories.’ A friend of mine recently told me that Radiohead also took their name from another song on the same album.

“Unfortunately, we were no Radiohead.

“But it didn’t matter because we did it and we had an awesome time doing it.

“What I didn’t understand then was this allowed me to begin to build a creative vocabulary that I still use today. All in all, it was pretty nerdy. Which leads me to my next point:

GET NERDY “A couple years after my time at St. Christopher’s I was sitting in professor Lisa Sternlieb’s office at Wake Forest and she fixed me with a question I’ll never forget. She asked, ‘Paul, are you independently wealthy?’ I took a moment to quietly process this then softly replied, ‘No.’ “To which she said: ‘That’s a shame because you are a terrible writer.’

“Then she handed me a paper I’d written. It compared Orson Welles’ 1941 film ‘Citizen Kane’ to a novel we’d been reading in her literature class. The paper was some hot garbage I pumped out the night before, and she knew it. She went on to say that while the paper had coherent logic and hit all the talking points we’d discussed, it completely lacked a unique point of view. And, to make matters worse, during my hasty spell-check right before I emailed it to her I had autocorrected every instance of Welles’ name from ‘W-E-L-LE-S’ to ‘W-E-L-L-S.’ I had misspelled the name of the most famous American filmmaker dozens of times throughout the document.

“Sensing my embarrassment, she gently told me that it was clear I had the ability to write with power and purpose, skills I had started to hone in Chamberlayne Hall from the obviously excellent instruction of Mr. Smith, Mr. Wood, Mr. Randolph and many others before them. But it was also clear that I wasn’t doing all the work I needed to be doing. I was simply doing enough to get by.

“And she was totally correct.

“This conversation led me to think differently about my education.

I loved writing, but I also loved TV and movies. I decided it was time for me to try making my own movie. Wake didn’t have a film program. But they did have the option to create your own class.

So, I wrote a proposal to make a short documentary and chose a subject that is still very close to my heart: Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

“The film became all-consuming, and not just because the Krispy Kreme PR rep gave me dozens of free doughnuts to take home at the end of each day of shooting. I basically moved into an ancient editing bay in the basement of the communications building. And, by the time I finished the short, I had become a fledgling filmmaker. More importantly, I had started to find joy in a process, not in a result. And, like my overweight hero, Orson Welles, I was now doomed to spend a good portion of my life chasing the high I

experienced telling stories with moving pictures.

“I just didn’t know it yet.

YOUR IDEA OF SUCCESS WILL CHANGE “Toward the end of college I was running the campus radio station and still interested in a career in music. By then I knew I was not meant to be a recording artist but I thought I might be able to help other, more talented people make their own records. So I reached out to everyone in the industry I possibly could. I sent hundreds of emails and interviewed at a dozen record labels.

“As I was doing this, a couple buddies from college, who knew I had made some student films, suggested that I try working as a production assistant on a TV show. P.A.s are … the lowest rung on the production ladder, running errands and getting people coffee, but they have incredible access to an amazing array of creative professionals working at the top of their field.

“This led to a gig working on ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.’

It was there that I first met television writers and watched in awe the unique combination of writing and production skill that brings a TV show to life. These writers gave me the confidence to move on to other shows, meet other writers and begin making my way into writing rooms, at first proofing and editing their work, then making small contributions to their shows, then writing entire episodes myself.

“These women and men became mentors to me. They gave me the opportunity to fail and to learn from my mistakes. They taught me the universal truth: writing is rewriting. And I did a lot of rewriting. Over the years I have written dozens and dozens of scripts.

At first they were just plain awful, but over time they got a little bit better. And I’m still learning. It’s what I do every single day of my life. There have been plenty of ups and downs. But it’s how I make a living, and none of it would have been possible without them.

“Which leads me to my fourth point:

LISTEN TO OTHER PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WOMEN

His twin sister Eliza, who, I’m sorry to say went to Collegiate, can tell you all about marketing and advertising.

“Which reminds me, one thing St. Christopher’s didn’t do was teach me much about women. I mean, maybe you haven’t noticed but there are no girls enrolled in this school.

“So, as you look for mentors and collaborators and listen to their stories, I encourage you to listen particularly hard to women. I can say with absolute certainty that their career journeys are more arduous than our own, and they offer a perspective that is always equal to and often more valuable than that of your fellow men.

“My most important collaborator is my wife Rachel. She is my partner in life and my first editor for every single one of my ideas. She is my harshest critic and strongest supporter. I have consulted her about every one of my projects and her opinion is incredibly valuable to me.

“But as much as it helps to have someone on your team, this all begins with you, so —

START RIGHT NOW “I’m particularly fond of a quote attributed to Mark Twain: ‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and starting on the first one.’

“Your life and career will be incredibly complex and often overwhelming.

“When I graduated from here 20 years ago I could not have imagined I would spend most of that time working on television shows in California.

“If you just pick something and get nerdy about it you will be better prepared than most for whatever comes your way.

“As your ideas and goals change, always remember: this community and many other people will be there to support you. If you listen to their stories you will never stop learning.

“So start right now.”

“Filmmaking is a collaborative art form. I’ve had many, many great mentors and collaborators. And I’m still finding them all the time.

“It started right here at St. Christopher’s. This school gave me so much: an extraordinary education and friendships that have lasted my lifetime.

“Look around you. For the rest of your life these people will continue to inspire you. And whatever you want to do, there is someone in this room who will help you or knows someone who will help you.

“My classmates from 1998, some of whom are in the back of this room right now, will help you understand finance, buying real estate, running a family business, or relocating to another city to follow your dreams. If you are interested in entertainment, I will help you. If you want to learn about working at a tech company, my brother Daniel, who graduated in the class of 2002, will help you.

Paul Bullock ‘98

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OUR EPISCOPAL TRADITION A DEFINING IDENTITY WHERE ALL ARE WELCOMED TO THE TABLE

By Kathleen Thomas

Because his wife-to-be’s church was under construction, Upper School Math Teacher Emmett Carlson was married in the Upper School Chapel, a fortuitous turn for him since he feels at home there. “It’s a lot more homespun, a lot more folksy, a lot more intimate,” he said of the cream clapboard building, a former gym consecrated as a sacred space in 1966. “There’s a lot less of a gulf between the clergy and the congregation, which is reminiscent of Judaism.”

Mr. Carlson’s mother, who grew up Jewish, joined a synagogue when he was 10, and his father is Christian, but Mr. Carlson himself never really developed a traditional faith. He arrived at St. Christopher’s in 2006, a 23-year-old Princeton University graduate, and found Chapel the closest experience he’d ever had to being part of a religious community, a grounding and relaxing way to start each work day. He points to the singing of hymns, in particular, as transcendent. He also connected with some or part of the oft-repeated prayers and has found them useful, both in helping him grow personally and in speaking with students about topics close to the heart. “I have become much more competent to discuss emotions with others because of some of the things we do and the terminology we use,” he said. “I don’t think we could do that as effectively if we didn’t have the religious context behind it.”

In these ways, St. Christopher’s Episcopal identity touched and changed a young teacher. Through the decades, multitudes of Saints from different backgrounds and ethnicities have shared similar experiences.

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The sun rises as boys file into the Chapel on a wintry morning, a daily tradition that shapes the core of a St. Christopher’s boy.

“It is a network, something that binds us. To know that we have the shared ethos as a church school in Virginia is a special part of our fabric.”

— Head of School Mason Lecky

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The school was, after all, founded in 1911 by the Rev. Churchill Gibson Chamberlayne, an Episcopal priest who filled the school with an Episcopal ethos. Chapel has always been a part of school life, and Dr. Chamberlayne wrote prayers for all occasions, from athletic victories to daily life, while developing a form of worship, framed by Psalm 111, which is still used today.

The Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia purchased the financially strapped Chamberlayne School in 1920 and renamed it St. Christopher’s, Dr. Chamberlayne’s suggestion to honor the patron saint of travelers who bore Christ, in the form of a child, across raging waters. Throughout its history, chaplains, now one for each division, have played pivotal roles in leading worship while also serving as mentors, teachers and counselors.

The National Association of Episcopal Schools explains its mission as one that integrates spiritual formation into all aspects of education, where we model God’s love and serve God in all persons regardless of origin, background, ability or religion. We are one of five other church schools in the Episcopal Diocese

of Virginia, consistent with the notion that we are part of something greater than ourselves. “It is a network, something that binds us,” said Head of School Mason Lecky. “To know that we have the shared ethos as a church school in Virginia is a special part of our fabric.”

Our Episcopal identity should inform all that we do as the central tenet of our formation and identity, according to Mr. Lecky. “It can offer a humbling effect on campus,” he said. “I think that’s important in grounding us, something that silences us and brings us together. It’s a reminder of our place in context with God and the vast expanse of humanity.”

Lower and Middle School boys gather for Chapel several times a week; Upper School boys start every day in Chapel. Alumni repeatedly remember the daily gathering as the most memorable ritual of their St. Christopher’s experience.

For 20 years from her perch on the dais’ worship bench in Upper School Chapel, former Chaplain Melissa Hollerith looked out on a sea of students enveloped all the way around by faculty, which she likened to support beams or arms around them. “It is almost as if the faculty are saying, ‘Today might be a good day, today might be a bad day, but know this: we are here for you.’ It is a powerful visual image,” she said. “A school that just has announcements cannot create community or intimacy like that. It happens when you pray, sing and laugh together. It’s palpable. I miss it.”

During Holy Week this spring, the school offered opportunities for students in all divisions to receive communion, a tradition that in recent years fell out of practice. Families were also invited to take part. “In some ways Episcopal schools, particularly St. Christopher’s, are the center of life for many families,” said Upper School Chaplain Whitney Edwards. “People want to share their highs and lows with their children in real time, in these precious years we have them. We often have their children more than they are at home. We shouldn’t be surprised that families want to be a part of it.”

The January funeral for Upper School Math Teacher Rich Hudepohl drew from the Episcopal liturgy to pull together more than 1,000 members of the community to share in the blessing of a teacher’s life. “It’s what makes our school really special, that we can embrace all aspects of life in a spiritual context,” said the Rev. Edwards. “Alums, current students, parents and faculty sat side by side with his extended family, showing in a real way that we are one family in God.” Episcopal schools seek not to create converts or enforce a certain set of beliefs, but to guide students to find meaning by serving the greater good, something beyond themselves. Lower School Chaplain Joe Torrence said that a core part of his division’s identity

“In some ways Episcopal schools, particularly St. Christopher’s, are the center of life for many families.”

— Upper School Chaplain Whitney Edwards

“B

ecause we want to form and prepare our boys for the world, we want a diversity of experience and backgrounds and understanding of meaning amongst our students and faculty. Living in community is always messy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile. We know all too well by how beloved this place is by past and present students. It is something we love together. We serve something greater than ourselves. We call it by different names, but a meaningful life is serving something greater than oneself.

We take that as a given at St. Christopher’s.”

— The Rev. Whitney Edwards, Upper School chaplain

“W

hen a child walks into your Chapel or your classroom or onto your athletic field, you see the child first and foremost as God’s, as an image bearer, and as someone you are called to treat with all the respect and dignity God’s image demands. Episcopal church schools create communities where together students, parents and teachers revel and commiserate in the sheer joy and craziness of being a Lower, Middle or Upper School-aged human.

What a ride! But what a safe, welcoming and forgiving place an Episcopal church school is to take the exciting ride to responsible adulthood.”

— The Rev. Durk Steed, Middle School chaplain

“B

eing Christian is more than buying into a set of beliefs — it’s a way of life, and being an active member of a community. I saw that play out on campus as a student. I feel that kind of intentionality today in Chapel, in our advisory lunches, in Missionary Society projects and in our recent hosting of a Muslim student forum. Instead of encouraging boys to believe a certain set of doctrines, we’re challenging them to say what they believe, to establish their own set of beliefs. We do well in both academia and religion, giving boys an education and a strong moral foundation that teaches inclusivity, kindness and empathy.”

– Paul Evans ’01, StC digital communications specialist

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is its service learning program, which isn’t just about collecting donations, but building relationships with those they serve through hands-on work. Every grade works with one nonprofit throughout the year. Upper School boys are required to fulfill 50 hours of community service, but most put in far more.

A key element of the Episcopal mandate is to celebrate diversity and to welcome everyone to the table. Every voice should be heard and valued with no pressure to conform. Mr. Carlson is especially appreciative of the Episcopal approach to inclusivity. Taped to the wall of his desk in his Chamberlayne Hall classroom is a handout from a Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia conference related to transgender youth, saying he was impressed by the “open and loving tenor” of those meetings.

The church affiliation means we seek to lay a strong foundation and nurture relationships that children and young adults can have with God with anchors found in scripture. “We can emphasize at a turbulent time of growing up, when they are full of self-doubt, that they are valued and have great worth simply because they are a child of a God,” said the Rev. Hollerith. Scripture provides the scaffolding to discuss difficult topics. “Be it the Lower School boy who misbehaves or the Upper School student who has an honor offense and tries to stand back tall in the community, scripture calls us to forgive, to mend and to heal,” Mrs. Hollerith said. “And if you want to talk about community service, what better platform is there than Chapel and the foundational message of the faith that calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves.”

The same philosophy applies to other challenges in managing the complicated mechanism of school operations. “In my experience, when schools have difficult decisions to make or experience seminal moments shaping who are we, what do we stand for and what is non-negotiable for us, having that Episcopal identity as a compass is incredibly powerful,” Mr. Lecky said. “In moments of challenge, we look to our mission and our fundamental nature as a faith-based school, and often that leads us to compassion and to forgiveness and grace.”

Religious study classes are required at each division, providing a critical foundation for the study of other disciplines, including literature, history, art and philosophy. Upper School Religion Teacher Karen Wray hopes her biblical studies class provides opportunity for boys of all religious backgrounds to gain insight into the Christian faith. “For some, the stories may be familiar, but I hope that they will be given new insights,” she said. “For others, they might hear a story or consider an idea that, to this point, they have not​. I look to establish connections with boys, based on the knowledge that belief and faith in God can be a wonderful way to begin or develop meaningful relationships with others.”

Overall, it’s a sense of community that binds us all. “In a lot of ways it feels like family,” said the Rev. Torrence. “I think it is in part due to our church identity, who we are called to be as a church.

So it makes sense that is what we’re called to be as a school. I think faculty and staff feel that, our boys and families feel that. You belong to something that’s bigger than you are.”

“W

hile we have present and concerted efforts to create a more inclusive community, I feel that we have always had a rather progressive and inclusive community. I’m not sure that the ‘outside’ has always perceived that, and at times that perception might have drawn in people who wanted us to be confined in our acceptance of others: but our foundation is built on a respect of others to love thy neighbor as thyself. Think about all of the people who say that we are exclusive. I don’t think they really know us. They just think they do. That’s not really that different from our parishes. People might see stuffiness walking into the church, but they don’t know the love and respect exchanged within the church walls until they become a part of it.”

— Billy McGuire ’85 Upper School science chair

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DEPARTMENT TITLE

THE RT. REV. SUSAN GOFF’S CHALLENGE TO SCHOOLS: GO DEEPLY INTO FAITH The Rt. Rev. Susan Goff visited St. Christopher’s on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, to speak in Chapel for all three divisions and visit classes. As Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Virginia, she oversees Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia, which includes St. Christopher’s and five other Episcopal college preparatory schools across the state.

In a conversation with StC Magazine Editor Kathleen Thomas, Bishop Goff shared her reflections on a variety of subjects. Here are some highlights.

What is the role of a 100-year-old Episcopal all-boys school in our community?

“With so much focused attention on gender issues, the #MeToo movement, the arrests of powerful men accused of sexual misconduct and harassment, we’re naming some things that haven’t been quite so safe to name before. To turn some of that around and move toward complete mutual respect between the sexes is going to take hard work on the part of women, but harder work on the part of men. This place is preparing men who, if the past holds true, will be in positions of influence in all kinds of fields. If we can send out [graduates] who get it, who are more sensitive than past generations to the inherent power they have and will work with women as partners in every sense of the word — as marriage partners and partners in business, education and industry — then we really can begin to turn this around. A boys school is in a position to really make a difference.”

How can St. Christopher’s live into its Episcopal identity while still being inclusive of boys from all backgrounds?

“The Episcopal Church has always planted schools … for the education of men and women of all backgrounds, and not just Christians. Education is not about evangelism, but for the sake of having an educated populace. We’ve always invited people of every background to be part of that education.

“Our sources of authority in church are scripture and tradition, and reason; using our minds, appealing to science and psychology, appealing to what we know about the environment, about medicine and how the brain works. So it’s not just scripture alone, but scripture as interpreted by how we’ve lived it and understand it,

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scripture interpreted by human reason. Because of that, we leave plenty of room in an Episcopal school and in the Episcopal Church for people from all kinds of backgrounds and traditions to come as they are. We have room for questions. We have room for doubts.

We have room for people to say, ‘I don’t believe that.’ We talk about it as the big tent. The Episcopal Church is a big enough, broad and wide enough tent that we don’t have to be the same. We don’t want to be the same. If I were in a church where there wasn’t room for doubts or questions, I would have had to leave a long time ago.

We believe that questions and doubts are not the opposite of faith — they are what make faith ours, rather than someone else’s that we just put on like a sweater.”

How might you challenge St. Christopher’s to grow?

“I would challenge St. Christopher’s not to be afraid to go deeply into faith. Sometimes our schools are afraid. They’re afraid that going deep in faith feels like proselytizing, but it’s not about making more Episcopalians or even making more Christians.

It’s about helping boys to know and articulate what it is they believe. We do have room in our Episcopal schools for Muslim boys and Jewish boys to know something about their faith, for atheists to explore what they believe in. Even if someone doesn’t believe in God, what do they believe in? What is the underlying principles that guide life? … I see younger generations hungry for authentic faith, even if it’s not traditional faith.”

What is the importance of ecumenical faith formation?

“To have a place where young people can talk about their faith is so important for the humans of the world. There is so much division in the world because of religion. If we can’t talk about faith and understand each other’s faith perspectives and respect each other’s faiths, we can’t help heal the rift. In public schools there’s so much fear of proselytizing, there’s no talk of religion at all. It’s a gift that Episcopal schools can talk about it from socioeconomic, cultural, political and personal perspectives.”

What message would you relay to our boys and families here?

“Be who you are. Don’t be afraid to become who God created you to be.”

What role does art play in your life?

“My parents were both extremely creative. In my 30s, I discovered I was an artist after taking part in a workshop on expressing the psalms creatively. I played around with some art supplies and have been more intentional about doing art ever since. My spiritual discipline is to do art three hours a week, which isn’t nearly enough. … If I’m not doing art, everything gets boring. My sermons aren’t as good. I’m not as sharp with creative problem-solving. It’s all connected.”

What would you like to be remembered for?

“For connecting. For connecting people with each other, connecting people with their faith, connecting issues that are political and social with faith. For seeing where the dots are and helping draw the lines between the dots. I hope that people will remember from visits and other things that I love them. I would love to be remembered as a lover of God’s people.”

Susan Goff became the first female bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia in 2012. As the Bishop Suffragan, she focuses on youth and education, Latino and women’s issues. She is also licensed as a visiting bishop in the companion Diocese of Liverpool in England. She received her master of divinity degree with distinction from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and a B.A. in psychology, magna cum laude, from Douglass College, Rutgers University in New Jersey. Bishop Goff began her ministry as a school chaplain at St. Margaret’s School and at St. Catherine’s School before becoming rector of Immanuel Episcopal Church in Mechanicsville, Virginia, and St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Springfield, Virginia. She is a visual artist who creates mixed-media canvases and sculptures that include found objects.

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CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF BOYS

Adaptability: A Critical 21st-Century Skill The Center for the Study of Boys promotes best practices in engaging and teaching boys through research, professional development and programming.

RESEARCH UPDATE

By Kim Hudson, director of the Center for the Study of Boys This year’s Saints Action Research theme focused on boys and adaptability in a changing world. Adaptable people possess a capacity to respond to uncertainty, change and novelty, often with a positive attitude, and are further characterized by their creativity, resilience and flexibility. In a competitive, high-achieving learning environment, our boys face many pressures.

As they study or train for longer hours, juggle extra lessons to improve academic performance, or spend time on additional coaching in sports and cultural activities, there is little time for the very things that develop adaptability — like exploring and experimenting through creative activities, taking risks and failing, growing resilience and taking time to reflect and be mindful. We invited faculty across divisions and content areas to explore the potential of creating adaptable learners.

Elsa Woodaman Upper School Spanish teacher How might a student-directed collaborative project foster authentic language use?

After observing disinterest or frustration with artificial speaking activities, Mrs. Woodaman sought to increase student desire to communicate more naturally in Spanish.

For one class period every week for a month, small groups researched a topic of their choice, using only authentic language websites. Students discussed it in Spanish and then compiled information to record a final Spanish-language product of their choice: interviews, “mockumentaries” or simple narratives. Students were graded on the process as well as the final product.

From data gathered through interviews, observation and a post-experience survey, Mrs. Woodaman reported that student enthusiasm rose significantly with students using Spanish in more authentic ways.

They seemed happier and more willing to speak, and, in some cases, took time outside of class to look up vocabulary. It was not until the project’s end, with the creation of a final product, that several students complained, some reverting to feeling the tedium of regular academic restrictions.

Mrs. Woodaman will continue to incorporate such project-based learning activities several times each semester. She plans to assign more home research to maximize communication time during class and to experiment with a variety of presentation options for the final project, or possibly eliminate it to investigate whether the absence enhances conversation.

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Joe Torrence Lower School chaplain How might fifth-grade boys engage with varying historical perspectives on the birth of Jesus to promote deeper connection with Biblical text?

During the past year, the Rev. Joe Torrence noticed that boys in his fifth-grade religion class seemed less engaged. To many students, scripture seems out of date, out of touch and irrelevant.

The Rev. Torrence wanted the boys to understand how faith pertains to everyday life and help them connect to the stories on a deeper level. As part of an eight-week unit, the class looked at Jesus’ birth narrative through lectures, discussions and interactive activities, such as writing a letter as Herod to Caesar explaining why Jesus was a threat to his power, creating a video as if they were Joseph sharing a message that his son Jesus would listen to as he grew into manhood, studying the Gospels of Luke and Matthew to decide which shepherds would travel to witness Jesus’ birth and, finally, telling the story using such creative mediums as Legos and video blogs.

The Rev. Torrence reported that boys gained a deeper appreciation for scripture and that he witnessed a new appreciation during the annual Lower School Christmas Pageant. He found boys to be more engaged and creative, and he plans to continue to incorporate engaging, hands-on activities into his instruction.

Ann Carlson fourth-grade teacher Gail Warren Lower School technology coordinator Understanding your mindset: A tool for goal-setting Mrs. Carlson and Mrs. Warren investigated how mindset might foster adaptability and accountability in fourthgrade students. Boys worked to understand the inner workings of the brain, identified their own mindset perspective and set academic goals. Mindset is a tool that can help boys better understand who they are, as well as their academic strengths and weaknesses.

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CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF BOYS

Leslie Long Middle School Band instructor What is the effect of gamifying instrument practice on the self-motivation and musical curiosity of Middle School boys?

Throughout her 29 teaching years, Mrs. Long has witnessed a marked decrease in practice habits and has found that her two-day-a-week rehearsals do not give band members enough playing time to make real improvements. She finds students get frustrated more easily than in the past and often give up rather than put in the necessary work.

Carey Pohanka Upper School instructional technologist How might a community of support help Upper School boys adapt to online learning?

For the past four years, St. Christopher’s has offered Global Online Academy elective courses to boys in grades 10-12. As the GOA site director and a GOA teacher, Ms. Pohanka wanted to explore why some boys are successful in online project-based, student-driven classes, while others are not, and how she might best support them.

Ms. Pohanka’s focus was to bring GOA students together to build a sense of community. Lunch meetings allowed boys to share issues regarding online learning, such as time zone differences and forming connections with teachers, a key component to boys’ desire to perform. Ms. Pohanka also brought parents into the loop by meeting with them on Parents Night to establish relationships.

Going forward, Ms. Pohanka will continue to gather boys to connect and share practices for GOA class success. She also wants to better prepare them at the beginning of each semester to thwart any technical issues. She will share her findings with all GOA teachers so they might best meet the needs of our boys.

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To motivate them to practice more, she created a two-month program where Band Buck$ were earned for specific tasks, such as practicing for several days in a row, playing musical scales, going to a concert, learning to play a movie theme or performing in a concert. At the conclusion, boys participated in a videotaped interview or filled out a survey. Most reported the program motivated them to practice. While 92 percent agreed that reward systems can help with practice, only 50 percent said they practiced because they knew there would be a reward. A culminating auction activity allowed them to use their bucks to bid on items such as gift cards.

While musical curiosity is difficult to measure, Mrs. Long was gratified to find students exploring more during and after the program. She believes that gamifying practice helped boys who participated in the December concert gain more confidence and plans to use the Band Buck$ program again next fall.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM HAPPENINGS

AROUND CAMPUS GOING FOR A PIÑATA WORLD RECORD Lower School boys in Mrs. Isabel Shealy’s Spanish classes made piñatas to help the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (VAHCC) break a world record at the annual ¿Qué Pasa? Festival of Virginia May 5.

The piñata display, which included more than 1,000 creations, helped raise money for the VAHCC’s Pasaporte a la Education, a mentoring and leadership program for Hispanic youth in Richmond and Chesterfield County. StC is a member of the VAHCC.

HONORING ARTIST JANE WELLS CYRUS JOYNER In May, St. Christopher’s exhibited the work of Jane Wells Cyrus Joyner ’68 (St. Catherine’s), mother of Lucius Cyrus ’97 and John Cyrus ’99. Mrs. Joyner, a Richmond artist with a BFA in painting and printmaking from VCU, teaches art classes in her Northside studio and enjoys nurturing artists, her garden and bees. The former StC teacher said, “My work explores the space between the natural world and the inner response and is an expression of the relational nature of life.”

DEEDY SHARES PASSION FOR STORYTELLING In February, award-winning children’s author and storyteller Carmen Agra Deedy visited the Lower School to talk with boys about her books and creative process. Deedy began writing as a young mother and storyteller. Her NPR commentaries on “All Things Considered” were collected and released under the title, “Growing Up Cuban In Decatur, Georgia.” Other books include “The Library Dragon,” “The Yellow Star” and “Martina the Beautiful Cockroach.” During the past 20 years, Deedy has told stories to hundreds of thousands of school children, and her website says, “They remain her favorite audiences.”

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AROUND CAMPUS STC HOSTS IBSC REGIONAL CONFERENCE The International Boys’ Schools Coalition regional conference, “Rewriting the Narrative: Guiding Boys in an Age of Extremes,” was held on the StC campus in late April. Speakers included Howard University Football Coach Mike London, U.S. District Judge Hannah Lauck, Altria Brand and Trade Channel Authority Director Michael Thorne-Begland and Richmond General District Court Judge Tracy Thorne-Begland. A panel of StC​ Upper School ​students ​shared perspectives on the importance of student-teacher relationships and the harmful misconceptions that shape society’s perception of young men.

MASON BATES ’95 CONNECTS WITH STUDENTS BEFORE WORLD PREMIERE Mason Bates ‘95 spoke in Upper School chapel in early April, three days before the premiere of his “Children of Adam: Songs of Creation for Chorus and Orchestra” commissioned by the Richmond Symphony to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

In his StC talk, Mr. Bates highlighted a biblical saying about how the Lord works in mysterious ways, explaining that when his plans to become a writer and go to Harvard University didn’t work out, he pursued music at The Julliard School. Musical America, founded in 1898 and the oldest American magazine about classical music, recently named Mr. Bates the most-performed composer of his generation and the 2018 Composer of the Year. This composer-in-residence of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts urged students to seek out mentors and gave a shout-out to Writer-in-Residence Ron Smith and former Choral Director Hope Armstrong-Erb, who taught him piano, theory and composition and stressed that “discipline and creativity have to exist side by side if you’re going to make anything happen.”

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DEAN KING ’81 INSPIRES READERS AND WRITERS

MUSLIM STUDENTS SHARE EXPERIENCES

Author Dean King ‘81 spoke to Upper School and Middle School boys in early February about his research and writing. “My job as a history teller is to immerse you in the story and sweep you away to another place and another time,” he said. “I want you to experience it not just intellectually, but physically and emotionally.”

What is it like to be a Muslim student in high school?

Mr. King encouraged boys to go beyond the basic facts. “In a world where information is always at your fingertips, it is more important than ever to go and find out things for yourself,” he said. “This is the way you take ownership of the story you’re trying to tell.”

Mr. King, an award-winning author of nine nonfiction books, has chased stories across Europe, Asia, Africa and Appalachia. His visit was funded by the Williams-McElroy History Endowment, established in 2014 to promote the study and understanding of history.

Virginia-area Muslim students gathered for an April 13 conference at StC to share their joys and challenges. The conference was organized by Mohamed Ismacil ‘18 and St. Catherine’s students Nawal Abbasi ‘20 and Suha Minai ‘18, with faculty support from Director of Global Engagement Fran Turner, Director of Community and Inclusion Shawn Moore and Instructional Technologist Carey Pohanka. The keynote speakers were Mona Hafeez Siddiqui, an assistant attorney general at the Virginia Office of the Attorney General in the Division of Human Rights, and Murtaza Khan, a young economist, entrepreneur and former president of the VCU Muslim Student Association.

DAY OF GIVING HONORS FACULTY AND STAFF St. Christopher’s held its second annual Day of Giving May 1 to celebrate teachers and mentors, past and present. Throughout the event, friends of the school made 459 gifts that totaled more than $115,000, including a $20,000 match from the Alumni Board.

CAMP SPEAKER DEDICATES LIFE TO MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN In early April, Ms. Yiota Souras ’88 (St. Catherine’s) spoke in Upper School chapel and visited various classes during the day to speak about her work with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children and, in particular, sex trafficking in the United States. “Child victims of trafficking come from every socioeconomic, racial and ethnic background,” she said. “They live in cities, the suburbs, in rural areas in every state across the country. One common trait all of these children share is that they are deeply vulnerable and most often in need of love and emotional support.”

Prior to Ms. Souras’ visit, the Upper School student body and faculty watched “I am Jane Doe,” a 2017 film that advocates for victims of sex trafficking while targeting the website Backpage.com, a controversial venue for sex ads and transactions, many involving children.

Her visit was funded by the Camp Speaker series made possible by the family of Paul Camp, a now-deceased Richmond businessman with long-standing ties to St. Christopher’s.

BOOK CHALLENGE BINGO

By Lucinda Whitehurst, Lower School Learning Commons coordinator/librarian

Lower School teachers and staff members really like reading. Not surprisingly, when asked to think of a favorite children’s book, many teachers replied with a whole list of books they loved when they were young or enjoy sharing with children now.

To inspire the third-, fourth- and fifth-grade boys to read some of those same books, we played Book Challenge Bingo in April and May. To fill out their Bingo cards, boys had to read books recommended by teachers from different grade levels, Enrichment teachers and administrators. Other boxes on the board required them to get suggestions from parents or friends. While many boys were able to get one or two rows filled, 33 boys filled their entire Bingo cards by reading 16 books. Some boys even started working on a second Bingo card, reading different books. Prizes were awarded.

THE PRACTICE OF HEALTHY LIVING

MAYOR STONEY RETURNS TO STC

Fourteen sixth-grade boys joined members of the Alumni Board at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond’s Northside location for a variety of hands-on healthy living activities in April. They participated in physical activities such as an outdoor obstacle course, basketball games and a one-mile run, as well as a nutrition activity.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney spoke in Upper School chapel April 12 about his vision for Richmond, which includes increasing funding for after-school programs.

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The Arts Highlights from the auditoriums, music halls and art classrooms

“A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD KIDS” WOWS AUDIENCES The Lower School April rendition of Music Theater International’s “A Year with Frog and Toad Kids” was met with great reviews. The simple, age-appropriate humor for Lower School students taught valuable lessons about friendship, tolerance and forgiveness.

The plot focuses on an adventure each season of the year involving best friends Frog and Toad. “You don’t have to be just like your best friend to have fun,” said Director Mary Tryer.

“Frog and Toad teach us that friendship is what can you do for someone that makes them feel special.”

The spring musical followed the usual format with every boy in kindergarten through fifth grades playing a role in four different casts and four performances. An add-on introduction, written by Mrs. Tryer, included a dedication to Lower School Head Dave Menges with fifthgrade boys playing kindergarteners with the names of graduating seniors Grayson Walsh, Mac Wade, Will Forrest, Thurston Moore and Justin Jasper. “Those senior boys came to our final performance,” Mrs. Tryer said. “They were so cute with the younger boys, and our little guys were so excited to see them. The senior boys are like celebrities in the Lower School.”

Mr. Lee Covington served as accompanist.

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“METAMORPHOSES” EXPLORES MUTABILITY AND LOVE POOL CONSTRUCTION MAKES FOR UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE

By Kinloch Nelson ‘18 As soon as King Midas (Darren Badley ’19) stepped into the pool with his suit on, the entire audience knew that “Metamorphoses” was going to be a fun play. This Upper School Ampersand production combined its source material’s themes of mutability and love with the comedy and action of forcing actors to work with a pool, whether they’re being pushed into it or floating on the surface.

“Metamorphoses” is split into six different vignettes, most of them sourced from the Roman poet Ovid’s narrative epic.

The most impressive aspect of this May play was without question the pool. Its purpose flawlessly changes from swimming pool to ocean to the River Styx. As Zeus and the scientist tell the

story of the creation of humanity, King Midas strides into the pool, and the sound of the water makes the scene feel like reality.

Only a few days before the show, the pool broke. All of the water drained out and the Ampersand crew worked incredibly hard to get it fixed. “A bunch of the kids really stepped up,” said Upper School Multimedia and Technology Specialist and Ampersand Light Designer J.D. Jump. The actors only had a few days to rehearse in the pool, making their performance all the more impressive.

This excerpt from the play review by Co-Editor-in-Chief Kinloch Nelson ‘18 ran in the May issue of the student magazine, The Pine Needle.

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The Arts New Beginnings Turner Clark ’25

SAINTS SEE THE WORLD JURIED STUDENT PHOTO EXHIBIT EXPLORES HUMAN CONNECTION St. Christopher’s students (JK-12) and St. Catherine’s students (grades 9-12) were invited to submit up to two photos to be considered for the Saints See the World photo exhibit, held May 14-28 in the Luck Leadership Center Playhouse.

At the opening reception, Saints families shared international dishes, music and dance.

The show showcased student photos that speak to the school’s 21st-century vision of global engagement and were judged by a local photographer. Prizes were presented for three photos that best illustrate the show’s theme of connections between people.

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“The bride and groom in India look on as their reception unfolds. The band entertains. The guests dance. The wedding photographer captures the moment. Many different elements of human connection are represented in one image.”

City Life Baird Weisleder ‘21 “In this picture from my trip to Havana, Cuba, we saw the life of different people throughout the city. … Cuba was a very interesting place. This picture shows the lifestyle of Cuban citizens in their daily life, possibly off from work or on their way to lunch. The family takes a picture together, leaning up against the car that they have probably repaired numerous times.”

Holi Dance John Fitzgerald ‘19 “This photo shows one of the girls (Sarah Johnson ’20) on the Saints X-Term trip dancing with an Indian man, who is preparing for the Holi Festival three days later.”

Team Sailfast Bo Angus ’25 Bo was one of 1,400 young sailors from 33 nations who gathered in Riva Del Garda, Italy, to compete and build friendships in the world’s largest regatta. His team was made up of competitors from more than 10 countries. Shown here are Bo’s fellow racers from the United States, Australia, United Kingdom and Dubai.

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WINTER & SPRING SPORTS

FUTSAL

SWIMMING AND DIVING

INDOOR TRACK

Futsal dominated the competition all season but fell in the championship game 2-1 in overtime. The team finished 15-1-1 overall, and the program has won five of the past seven Valentine Classic tournaments.

The squad went 18-3, placing second in the Prep League meet and third in the VISAA meet. Tennessee commit, Sean Hogan ’19, was swimmer of the meet at States for the second year in a row and posted two All-American times.

The indoor track team won the Prep League title the second year in a row and finished second in the VISAA meet. Harrison Rice ’18 set a new school record in the pole vault.

Elby Omohundro ’19 was Prep League meet MVP. Both were individual State champs for the Saints, along with Frank Royal ’19 and Ian Smith ’20.

BASKETBALL

SQUASH

The basketball team made its eighth straight VISAA tournament appearance after finishing 15-13 overall behind two All-Prep League performers Gibson Jimerson ’19 and Justin Jasper ’18. Jimerson was also named second-team All-Metro after averaging 25 points and eight rebounds per game.

This program continued to ascend. The group went 3-1 at Nationals in their division, and finished the season with a second-place finish at the Episcopal Invitational. Quinn Bundy ’18 led the charge all season, along with Alex Johnson ’19 and Chris Schroeder ’20. Coach Patrick Chifunda described the season as the best in school history.

WRESTLING After coming up short the past five seasons, wrestling got back on top at States, downing Benedictine College Preparatory School and others by a comfortable margin. Seven wrestlers won State titles (Erik Roggie ’21, Trey Ashby ’18, Connor Alexander ’19, Gray Hart ’18, Jackson Turley ’19, Carter Davis ’18 and Jens Ames ’18). The team also finished sixth at National Preps with five All-Americans (Ames, Hart, Davis, Alexander and runner-up Turley). Turley won the NHSCA nationals at 170 pounds and was one of 10 Saints named All-Metro (all seven State champs, Kevin Schork ’21, Loudon Hurt ’20 and Ralph Levy ’18).

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

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GOLF

LACROSSE

The Prep League champions set a tournament record, shooting a 3-under 285 with four players earning All-Prep honors: Player of the Year Connor Johnson ’18, Clifford Foster ’18, Ben Cooper ’19 and Drew Brockwell ’18. The team finished second in the State tourney, with Johnson and Brockwell being All-State.

Lacrosse finished the year 10-9, losing in the State quarterfinals by a goal to eventual champion Paul VI Catholic High School.

Luke Valentine ’19, Hartley Jordan ’19, Will Tazewell ’20 and Burke Widhelm ’18 all earned All-Prep League honors.

BASEBALL The baseball team claimed the VISAA title, the program’s first since 2013, going 24-1 in the process, 10-0 in the Prep League, the first unbeaten mark in 35 years. Donovan Murphy ’18, Patrick Routsis ’19 and Maddison Furman ’18 were named first-team All-State, along with State and Prep League Player of the Year Nick Biddison ’18. Hunter Andrews ’18 joined these players on the All-Prep League team. Tony Szymendera was State and Prep League coach of the year.

TENNIS

OUTDOOR TRACK

Tennis registered an 11-3 record and made it to the VISAA semis before falling in a tight one to eventual champion Collegiate School 5-4. The boys also finished a point behind the Cougars in the Prep League tourney. Will Thompson ’22 was named All-Prep after going unbeaten at No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles. Talman Ramsey ’21, Eli Bemiss ’20, Joe Parker ’20 and Alaister Burke ’20 also were All-Prep.

The team placed second in both the Prep League and VISAA meets and went 17-1 in duals. Elby Omohundro ’19 was field event and overall Prep League meet MVP, and Frank Royal ’19 was the MVP of the running events. Omohundro was field event MVP in the State meet. Winners for both meets also included Harrison Rice ’18 (pole vault) and Ian Smith ’20 (800).

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DEPARTMENT TITLE

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

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

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

Charlie Whitlock ’19 played Charlie in “Godspell,” a March production by First Presbyterian Church’s Music Ministry.

Hunter Andrews ‘18 and Cameron Lovings ‘19 were selected by audition to participate in All-Virginia Chorus held April 5-7 at the Carpenter Theatre. Dave Valentine ‘24, Teddy Price ‘23 and Max Kobal ‘23 were tapped to sing with the Middle School All-Virginia Choir at First Baptist Church April 7.

Philip Maruri ’18 and David Millman ’18 are re-energizing Saints for Environmental Awareness and Action (SEAA), a

club that has existed in the Upper School in various forms through the years. In addition to talking about environmental issues, they plan to take action with a series of river cleanups.

Ian Garrabrant ’18 performed in HATTheatre’s May production of “Rock Toyz” as the Rat King.

The 85 fundraisers for the St. ChristoCURES team collected $23,205 for VCU Massey Cancer Center, with most taking part in the Monument Avenue 10K. The team, sponsored by faculty members Asha Bandal and Kim Hudson, won the Massey Challenge for the eighth time in nine years.

Cameron Lovings ’19 and Tyler Hutchison ’19 participated in the New Zealand exchange, studying at Lindisfarne College in Hawke’s Bay during X-Term and spring break and then hosting students in Richmond for four weeks this past spring.

Also this summer, Meyann Avele-Eya ’20, Alaister Burke ’20, Tomas Castro-Albano ’20 and Dhywkon Smith ’19 attended the Harold M. Marsh Jr. Connections Institute, a four-day conference dedicated to promoting respect and understanding among all people. Joe Parker ’20 studied for five weeks in France through a Greenheart Travel high school abroad program.

Jake Ramsey ’21 and Baird Weisleder ’21 traveled to Seville, Spain, through True Immersion Study Abroad. David Millman’s ’19 summer involvement with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Student Leadership Program helped establish a student advisory board. Mason Cametas ’19 took part in the Summer Institute for Leadership and Public Service at St. Christopher’s. Reynolds Short ’20 participated in the Virginia Space Coast Scholars program through NASA.

The StC Robotics team competed in two regional tournaments this year, in one winning the Innovate Award for ingenuity and inventiveness and placing second overall.

OTHER SUMMER STUDY Joe Brennan ’20 (sports management) Wake Forest University

Tyler Hutchison ‘19 won the Horkheimer/D’Auria Youth Service Award, which recognizes exceptional service by young astronomers to any Astronomical League society in the form of a $1,000 prize.

Read Brown ’18 (Russian) University of Virginia Language Institute

This year Tyler Hutchison ’19, David Millman ’19 and Harrison Rhodes ’19 completed the online Virginia Aerospace Science Technology Scholar program sponsored

by NASA. The rigorous program requires a substantial time commitment. David

Thomas Lamb ‘20, Jonathan Phares ‘20, Christopher McCormick ‘19, Harrison Rhodes ‘19 and Mac Suskind ‘21 run for VCU Massey Cancer Center.

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and Tyler also participated in a week-long summer program at NASA Langley.

Drew Brown ’21 (music) VCU Berklee College of Music and Film

Charlie Cox ’19 (entrepreneurship) Cornell University Alec Davis ’19 (engineering) Bucknell University Harrison Rhodes ’19 (Chinese) Concordia Language Villages Josh Vanichkachorn ’19 (Chinese) Middlebury Summer Language Academy Fifteen seniors have committed to play sports in college. Hunter Andrews will play baseball at Roanoke College with several merit scholarships. Drew Brockwell and Connor Johnson received gold scholarships and will play golf at Virginia Tech, while Clifford Foster will join the golf team at Virginia Commonwealth University. Justin Jasper (University of Richmond) and Henry Schroeder (James Madison University) both received full football scholarships. Will Forrest, a preferred walk-on for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill football program, was selected as a Morehead-Cain Scholar there. Maddison Furman, who will play baseball at Virginia Commonwealth

University, received a scholarship and is a recipient of a Virginia Merit Award.

School-record pole vaulter Harrison Rice will compete at Virginia Tech, while Burke Widhelm will attend Furman University with a lacrosse scholarship. Other college-bound athletes include Nick Biddison (Virginia Tech–baseball); Jens Ames (Washington and Lee University–football); Carter Davis (American University–wrestling); Gray Hart (University of Virginia–wrestling) and William Tappen (JMU–football).

A senior art show for J.P. Shannon ’18 and Christian Sherod ’18 was held in the Luck Leadership Playhouse in late May.

J.P. Shannon ‘18 and Christian Sherod ‘18

Will Forrest ’18 and Maddison Furman ’18 were nominees for the Richmond TimesDispatch Scholar Athlete of the Year, and Maddison was among the 10 male finalists.

This year’s Battle of the Brains team (seniors Read Brown, Kinloch Nelson, Henry Rodriguez and William Rodriguez) advanced to the Final Four in the television competition,

losing in the finals. Captain Kinloch Nelson was selected as a Battle of the Brains All-Star.

Numerous seniors will attend college with scholarships and merit awards. Those going to Hampden-Sydney with merit scholarships include Will Atkinson, Alex Davis, Hunter Fuller, Ben Hulzapple, Noah Lupica and Jack Whitmore. Hunter also received an Eagle Scout scholarship. Conor Crook will attend Virginia Tech as a member of the Corps of Cadets with an Emerging Leader scholarship. Aidan Messick will attend Tech’s School of Engineering with help from a merit scholarship provided by his church.

Christopher Flippen will attend Virginia Commonwealth University as a recipient of Virginia Merit Awards. Zack Akin will attend the University of Oklahoma as a University Scholar. Colman Barsanti will attend Clemson University with a merit scholarship. Read Brown will attend New York University as a Presidential Scholar. Christian Carlow will attend the University of Georgia as a Classic Scholar. Michael Chapman will attend the University of South Carolina with a Distinction Award. Timothy Emrick received the Friar’s Scholarship to attend St. Bonaventure University. Logan Hingst will attend High Point University as a Presidential Scholar.

Michael Hylton will attend Randolph-Macon College as a Dean’s Scholar. Connor Pehl will attend Montana State University with a merit scholarship. Christopher Rise will attend Southern Methodist University with a merit scholarship. Andrew Walters will attend Eckerd College with a merit scholarship. Jens Ames will attend Washington and Lee University with support from the Scholarship Fund at the Grand Lodge, A.F. and A.M of Virginia.

SENIOR STANDOUTS AP SCHOLARS Christopher Flippen Will Bird Justin Jasper Quinn Bundy Reid Kiritsis Thomas Caravati Aidan Messick Andrew Clark Thurston Moore Spencer Cox Fuller Wise AP SCHOLARS WITH HONOR Jens Ames Santi Castro-Albano Harrison Clary Maddison Furman Ian Garrabrant Hunter Meck William Rodriguez AP SCHOLARS WITH DISTINCTION Read Brown Christian Carlow Jack Edwards Miller Farley Will Forrest

Jack Franko Alston Hackney Ralph Levy Kinloch Nelson Jack Pendlebury

Henry Rodriguez COMMENDED NATIONAL MERIT STUDENTS (top five percent nationally) Read Brown Harrison Clary Kinloch Nelson LEXUS PURSUIT OF PERFECTION LEADERSHIP AWARD NOMINEES Jens Ames Will Forrest Maddison Furman Justin Jasper Ralph Levy SUMMER RESIDENTIAL GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL PROGRAMS Darren Badley ’19 and Charlie Whitlock ’19 (visual and performing arts) Joe Beck ’19 (math, science and technology) Philip Maruri ’19 (agriculture) Teddy Hill ’19 (Spanish Language Academy)

StC 2017-18 Battle of the Brains team

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AROUND CAMP{US

Memorial Day Service / Chamberlayne Breakfast The May 22 all-school Memorial Day service honored those who have served and are currently serving our country in the military.

In his opening remarks, Missionary Society President Justin Jasper said, “We honor those selfless Americans, our alumni especially, who have given their lives to keep alive the hope for a world of freedom, justice and peace for all. They have given the ultimate sacrifice — their lives — in order to insure that others can live in tranquility. We pause to remember their sacrifice and to reflect upon the noble ideas for which they fought. May we be inspired to continue their work in a peaceful manner until freedom, justice and peace truly are the common blessings of all who inhabit the earth.”

Service highlights included participation of the Marine Veterans Color Guard, the Beaux Ties’ rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Taps” played by Garnett Nelson ’20. Head of School Mason Lecky read the names of alumni who sacrificed their lives in serving and asked members of the Chamberlayne Society (for classes 1967 and older) who served in the military to stand.

After the service, Chamberlayne Society members stayed for breakfast.

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AROUND CAMPUS

AN EVENING UNDER THE PINES The biennial auction, held Feb. 10 at the Jefferson Hotel, featured pine decor and live auction highlight, a 2018 Toyota 4Runner. Proceeds from the record-breaking event will go to this summer’s renovation of the Lower School auditorium. Kudos and thanks to Chairs Kate O’Hagan and Elizabeth Edmonds.

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CHALLENGER PARTY May 16 | A donor and volunteer recognition event

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GRADUATION 2018

THE CLAS

Front row: Harrison Bones, Andrew Walters, Maddison Furman, Trey Ashby, Michael Hylton, Hunter Andrews, Nick Biddison, Will Atkinson, Christopher Flippen, Drew Brockwell, Jens Ames, Will Forrest, Will Bird, Seth Burman, Ralph Levy, Spencer Cox, Jason Suarez, Logan Hingst, Gray Hart | Second row: Timothy Emrick, Conner Pehl, Taylor Sommers, Henry Robinson, Lyon Tyler, Christopher Rise, Donovan Murphy, Everett Martin, Alston Hackney, Carter Davis, Dane Halle, Hunter Fuller, Grayson Walsh, Hunter Meck, Ian Garrabrant | Third row: Josh Waite, Andrew Clark, Mac Wade, William Rodriguez, Henry Rodriguez, Harrison Clary, Jack Franko, Jack Feiler, Thurston Moore, Fuller Wise, Quinn Bundy, Michael Chapman, Miller Farley, Christian Carlow, Zach Akin | Fourth row: Christian Sherod, Ryan Fortner, Jack Anderson, Reid Kiritsis Fifth row: Kinloch Nelson, Will Roberts, William Tappen, Burke Widhelm, Henry Schroeder, Conor Crook, Scotch Nelson, Ben Hultzapple, Connor Johnson, Thomas Caravati, Eli Rhodes, Teddy Roski | Sixth row: Aidan Messick, Santi Castro-Albano, Jack Whitmore, Noah Lupica, Reid Brown, Clifford Foster, Justin Jasper, Landon Spruill, Alex Davis, Colman Barsanti, Wayland Jones, R.J. Wilkinson, Jack Edwards, Jack Pendlebury, Harrison Rice, J.P. Shannon | Not pictured: Mohamed Ismacil

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SS OF 2018

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GRADUATION 2018 — LOWER SCHOOL

“ … Finally, as my time as the head of Lower School officially comes to a close, I want to share with you the two most prominent feelings I have. First of all, I am so grateful.

I’m grateful for all of you — the boys, all the current and former Lower School parents and my colleagues. For the past 17 years I’ve had the great fortune to be able to serve in this incredibly special school community. The impact St. Christopher’s has had on my family and me can’t be measured or captured in words. St. Christopher’s is family. It’s home. For that, I’m truly grateful.

“And secondly, I leave with so much hope in my heart. I am hopeful for what lies ahead because of this amazing group of boys. You all have so much promise and potential, and I am confident that you’ll make a positive impact in the years to come, not just within the St. Christopher’s School community, but in the broader Richmond community and beyond.

“Thank you — boys, parents, friends and colleagues — for sharing this amazing journey with me. God bless you all.”

— Lower School Head Dave Menges

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LOWER SCHOOL AWARDS DOROTHY M. BUGG MEMORIAL AWARD Brodie Schlobohm ’27 ALBA WHITE MEMORIAL AWARD Palmer Berry ’27 WILLIAM ADAMS PINDER AWARD Lukas Gordinier ’26 WILLIAM S. GRIFFITH PRIZE FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Ryan Smith ’26 THOMAS NELSON PAGE PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENGLISH COMPOSITION Beauford Mathews HELEN SHEPHERD MUSIC AWARD Leo Morfopoulos ANDREW BEIRNE BLAIR AWARD FOR LOYALTY AND BEST SPIRIT IN ATHLETICS Joshua Robinson DUFFEY AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP IN ATHLETICS Dougie Boardman SCIENCE AWARD Harris Wolfe SPANISH AWARD Robert Shealy GEORGE SQUIRES LITERARY AWARDS Austen Wrinkle ’26 (first prize); Keller Degnan ’26 (second prize), David Simkin ’26 (third prize); Mac McClendon ’28 and Bryson Atkins ’28 (honorable mentions) HENRY J. TOBLER MEMORIAL AWARD FOR ART Cade Colllingwood OLIVIA HARDY BLACKWELL AWARD Zach Davila

Mrs. Jen O’Ferrall

Mrs. Sonia McDonnell

BEATTIE MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR LEADERSHIP Joseph Conner HIGHEST ACADEMIC AVERAGE Wally Jones NORMA ALLEY PRIZE FOR FACULTY EXCELLENCE Sonia McDonnell, Lower School Spanish teacher HAWKINS HIDEAWAY PRIZE FOR LOYALTY AND SERVICE Jen O’Ferrall, Lower School Academic Support Services teacher

*All prize winners are members of the class of 2025 unless otherwise noted.

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GRADUATION 2018 — MIDDLE SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL AWARDS ROBERT W. BUGG AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CITIZENSHIP IN GRADE EIGHT Jack Ireland WILLIAM R. BABCOCK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP Jay O’Keefe and Whitt Bowles MONICA FRISCHKORN WENZEL MEMORIAL SERVICE AWARD Nikkos Kovanes SARA WHALEY FORSYTHE MEMORIAL SCIENCE PRIZE Kevin Omohundro FRANKLIN & GRACE MULLINAX MATHEMATICS AWARD Charles Innes T. FOSTER AND ANN WITT HISTORY PRIZE Mason Stocks WOODWORKING AWARD Will Wise MUSIC AWARD Matthew Son DRAMA AWARD Ned Mangum ART AWARD Jack Mitchell T. FOSTER AND ANN WITT ENGLISH PRIZE Jack Ireland and Mason Stocks BENJAMIN BRISCOE WHITE MEMORIAL SPANISH PRIZE Mason King MIDDLE SCHOOL LATIN PRIZE Charles Innes DULANEY WARD FRENCH PRIZE Jack Ireland ATHLETIC AWARD Nikkos Kovanes CENTENNIAL CITIZENSHIP AWARDS Eric Brown ’24, Theo Cross ’24, Charlie Hudson ’24, Ned Lumpkin ’24, Bo Stocks ’24, Michael Jimenez ’23, Jeffrey Mitchell ’23, Macon Moring ’23, Wes Wise ’23, Kent Goode ’22, Mason King ’22, Ned Mangum ’22, Mason Stocks ’22 HIGHEST GPA for the eighth-grade class Mason Stocks *All prize winners are members of the class of 2022 except for Centennial Citizenship Awards as noted.

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“... Class of 2022, I wish you continued success as you move into Upper School next year. I hope your collisions, wherever they may be, form stronger bonds. You are a very talented group of molecules. As a group, you will gain strength by forming more bonds by supporting each and every member of your class and never breaking bonds by leaving guys out or putting others down. It is all about chemistry.”

— Middle School Head Warren Hunter

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GRADUATION 2018 — UPPER SCHOOL

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KINLOCH NELSON ’18 VALEDICTORIAN “… Throughout this year, I felt a sense of communal trust that I didn’t know existed here before. When Christian Carlow, Justin Jasper, Miller Farley, Will Forrest or Quinn Bundy, to name just a few, shared their experiences in chapel this year, I knew our class had grown to trust each other. It takes a ton of bravery to speak like they did, but it also takes a community-wide understanding and supportiveness that I wasn’t as sure about in years past. Through Lower School, Middle School and even the first few years of Upper School, I don’t think we would have been able to do that as a group. But here we are, senior year, and I find myself surrounded by people whom I respect, admire and trust. We’ve grown up to have

the emotional maturity to support each other, and that’s what this school has been building up to for all this time.

“One way to build this community of trust is to share your own stories. The hard things are never easy to say, even to your closest friends, but if you learn to be comfortable with yourself, you can start to build those relationships up to be even stronger.

“Go out into the world and be the best citizens you can be. Care about your friends and listen to what they have to say. Help them when they’re down and celebrate all of their accomplishments. Confide in your friends, and let them confide in you. Show up. That is the St. Christopher’s spirit.”

READ BROWN ’18 SALUTATORIAN “… But one constant for all of us will be that we will always be members of the St. Christopher’s class of 2018 and the broader St. Christopher’s community as a whole. This is important for at least two reasons.

“First, our experience here provides a solid foundation for us to move forward. Our time at St. Chris has taught us how to think critically, to be open to new ideas and, above all, to be honorable. With such a solid background, we are well-equipped to confront whatever challenges we will face in the coming years.

“Second, being a member of the St. Chris community will be a source of comfort and belonging that will benefit us for decades to come. In second grade, I remember there being some conflict between a few boys in Mrs. Jones’ class. To resolve it, Mrs. Jones told us that Saints always look out for each other. She said that we don’t always have to get along, but we will always have each others’ backs and want the best for one another. I think that’s a great message for us all to remember as we head off into the world. If we do what Mrs. Jones said and always look out for each other, there is no limit to what the St. Christopher’s class of 2018 can accomplish.”

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GRADUATION 2018 — UPPER SCHOOL

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UPPER SCHOOL AWARDS WILLIAM M. HILL JR. ’73 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP Hartley Jordan ’19

CIVITAN HONOR KEY AWARD Michael Chapman

RAY MERCER “BUCK” PAUL III ‘06 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP Darren Badley ’19

THE REV. MELISSA K. HOLLERITH PRIZE FOR SERVICE, COMMUNITY-BUILDING AND INCLUSION Michael Hylton

WILLIAM CARTER BOWLES JR. ’56 MEMORIAL MUSIC PRIZE Ralph Levy DOUGLASS P. GRIFFITH PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN MATHEMATICS Kinloch Nelson SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN DRAMA Spencer Cox SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN ART J.P. Shannon SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENGLISH Read Brown and Kinloch Nelson SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN SPANISH LANGUAGE Maddison Furman SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN SPANISH LITERATURE Kinloch Nelson SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE Read Brown SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE Read Brown SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN HISTORY Jack Franko MOORE PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN FRENCH Eli Rhodes E.W. BOSWORTH LATIN PRIZE Kinloch Nelson DAVID M. BONEY JR. ’44 MEMORIAL PRIZE Jason Suarez

CHARLES M. STILLWELL PRIZE FOR LEADERSHIP Jack Anderson ALEXANDER McNEILL CARRINGTON ’41 MEMORIAL AWARD Seth Burman JOHN NEWTON GRAY ’35 MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR OUTSTANDING LOYALTY Maddison Furman DASHIELL MEMORIAL PRIZE Jens Ames IRVING H. BLACKWELL MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR HIGH DEVOTION TO THE HONOR AND TRADITIONS OF ST. CHRISTOPHER’S SCHOOL Justin Jasper WILLIAM CABELL BROWN PRIZE FOR CHARACTER AND ABILITY Kinloch Nelson JOSEPH BRYAN MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR LEADERSHIP Will Forrest ARMSTRONG-JENNINGS AWARD Emmett Carlson, Upper School math teacher ANDREW JACKSON BOLLING III FACULTY AWARD Jeremy Dunn, Middle School science and theater teacher Dave Menges, Lower School head CARL J. KOENIG PRIZE FOR FACULTY EXCELLENCE Richard Hudepohl, Upper School math teacher (posthumously) *All prize winners are members of the class of 2018 unless otherwise noted.

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GRADUATION 2018 — UPPER SCHOOL

Legacies

Front row: Alex Forrest ’86, Donny Wade ’91, Ned Roberts ’72, Cliff Schroeder ’86, Kinloch Nelson ’89, Kinloch Nelson ’61, Lee Chapman ’88, Chip Caravati ’83 | Second row: Will Forrest ’18, Mac Wade ’18, Will Roberts ’18, Henry Schroeder ’18, Kinloch Nelson ’18, Michael Chapman ’18, Thomas Caravati ’18 | Not pictured: Charles Caravati ’55

Miller Farley ‘18

Front row: Alex Forrest ’86, Donny Wade ’91, Ned Roberts ’72, Cliff Schroeder ’86, Kinloch Nelson ’89, Kinloch Nelson ’61, nes ’80, Matthew Farley ’87, Harrison Tyler ’45, Garland Flippen ’54 | Second row: Hunter Meck ’18, Harrison Clary ’18, Edward Anderson ’18, Alston Hackney ’18, Quinn Bundy ’18, Wayland Jones ’18, Miller Farley ’18, Lyon Tyler ’18, William Tyler ’80, Christopher Flippen ’18 | Not pictured: Armistead Williams ‘44

Will Forrest ‘18 and Christopher Flippen ‘18

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COLLEGE DESTINATIONS AMERICAN UNIVERSITY Carter Davis

LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY Ryan Fortner

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA Zach Akin

AUBURN UNIVERSITY Teddy Roski

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY Taylor Sommers

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Dane Halle

CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY Jason Suarez Lyon Tyler

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY J.P. Shannon

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Justin Jasper

MARSHALL UNIVERSITY Mac Wade

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA Quinn Bundy Michael Chapman

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY Colman Barsanti COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY Seth Burman Harrison Clary Jack Franko Hunter Meck William Rodriguez ECKERD COLLEGE Andrew Walters FURMAN UNIVERSITY Burke Widhelm GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY Ian Garrabrant HAMPDEN-SYDNEY COLLEGE Will Atkinson Alex Davis Hunter Fuller Ben Hultzapple Noah Lupica Jack Whitmore HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY Logan Hingst JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY Spencer Cox Wayland Jones Will Roberts Henry Robinson Henry Schroeder Landon Spruill William Tappen Josh Waite Grayson Walsh LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Christian Sherod

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Connor Pehl MUSICIANS INSTITUTE Santi Castro-Albano NEW YORK UNIVERSITY Read Brown ORANGE COAST COLLEGE Everett Martin RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE Michael Hylton ROANOKE COLLEGE Hunter Andrews SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY Christopher Rise ST. BONAVENTURE UNIVERSITY Timothy Emrick UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA Trey Ashby UNIVERSITY OF DENVER R.J. Wilkinson ­ NIVERSITY OF GEORGIA U Christian Carlow UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI Harrison Bones Scotch Nelson UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL Will Forrest

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Jack Anderson Will Bird Thomas Caravati Jack Edwards Alston Hackney Gray Hart Ralph Levy Thurston Moore Henry Rodriguez VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY Christopher Flippen Clifford Foster Maddison Furman VIRGINIA TECH Nick Biddison Drew Brockwell Andrew Clark Conor Crook Miller Farley Connor Johnson Aidan Messick Donovan Murphy Jack Pendlebury Eli Rhodes Harrison Rice WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY Jack Feiler Fuller Wise WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY Jens Ames Reid Kiritsis YALE UNIVERSITY Kinloch Nelson

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GRADUATION 2018 — AWARDS

At the May 24 Upper School Awards Ceremony, students received school, state and national recognition in a variety of areas.

Comcast of Metro Richmond Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Michael Hylton ’18 Presidential Volunteer Service Award Michael Hylton ’18

Visual Art Awards presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers Hunter Fuller ’18 (one Gold Key and one Silver Key in the National Scholastic Competition); Tyler Hutchison ’19 (two honorable mentions); Charlie Polk ’21 (one Silver Key); JP Shannon ’18 (one Silver Key and one Gold Key); Dhykwon Smith ’19 (one Gold Key and one Silver Key); Hays Talley ’21 (two honorable mentions, two Silver Keys, one Gold Key and one Silver Key in the National Scholastic Competition); Max Wallace ’21 (two honorable mentions and one Gold Key)

Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond’s Brotherhood/Sisterhood Youth Award Seth Burman ’18

Photography Award given by Candela Books + Gallery in conjunction with the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards: Dhykwon Smith ’19

Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award and local winner of the Chancellor Wythe Scholarship Michael Chapman ’18

Chinese Awards Edward Pasco ’21 (Chinese 1) Josh Vanichkachorn ’19 (Chinese 2) Will Bird ’18 (Chinese 3)

Hieroglyphic Award Harrison Clary ’18

French Awards Brett Akin ’20 (level 1) Drew Brown ’21 (level 2) Joe Parker ’20 (level 3) Christopher McCormick ’19 (level 4) Justin Jasper ’18 (level 5)

StC Poetry Out Loud Competition Hollis Cobb ’19 (first prize) David Millman ’19 (second prize) Spencer Cox ’18 (third prize) Poetry Society of Virginia, Student Prizes: Grayson Walsh ’18 (second place); Justin Jasper ’18 and Spencer Cox ’18 (honorable mentions) Digital Media Prize Jack Whitmore ’18 and Alex Davis ’18 Pine Needle Award Kinloch Nelson ’18 Henry and William Rodriguez ’18 Pine Needle Special Recognition Oliver Hale ’21 Raps & Taps Award Jack Anderson ’18 and Jack Feiler ’18 Glee Club Award Grayson Walsh ’18 Chamber Orchestra Award Reid Kiritsis ’18 Best Thespian Award Darren Badley ’19

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Latin Awards from the National Latin Exam Committee Hoby Ballou ’20; Mike Hawkins ’21; Jude Reiferson ’20 (cum laude); Zack Kirsner ’20 and William Tune ’20 (magna cum laude); Hank Valentine ’20 (silver maxima cum laude); Austin Ford ’20 (gold summa cum laude)

Economics Award Jack Anderson ’18 British Literature Award Joe Parker ’20 Wilbur Davis Bailey Prize Hollis Cobb ’19 Biology Award Andrew Walters ’18 Chemistry Award Alston Hackney ’18 Physics Award Jack Anderson ’18 RPI Science Award David Millman ’19 Bausch and Lomb Science Award Philip Maruri ’19 Robert W. Bugg Scholarship Dhykwon Smith ’19 Horace A. Gray Family Scholarship Wyatt Campbell ’19 and Warner Collier ’20 John Peyton McGuire Memorial Scholarship Allyn Banks ’19 McGuire-Wilkinson Scholarship Hollis Cobb ’19 McGuire-Jack Gordon Scholarship William Eng-Nugent ’19 John Neasmith Dickinson ’73 Memorial Scholarship Award Tyler Hutchison ’19 Bradford Allen Parrish ’91 Memorial Scholarship Alexander Levengood ’19

La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica Eli Bemiss ’20; Neal Dhar ’20; Austin Ford ’20; Alexander Mayer ’20; Garnett Nelson ’20; Walker Wallace ’20

G. Gilmer Minor Jr. ’30 Scholarship John Flood ’19

StC Top Scorer in the 2017-18 Continental Calculus contest Read Brown ’18 (also tied for first in the Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania region)

Randolph-Macon College Leadership Award: Teddy Hill ’19

World History II Research Paper Award Joe Parker ’20 Willis Clyde Locker Jr. ‘40 Memorial Prize Arnold Henderson ’19

Hampden-Sydney Book Prize John Fitzgerald ’19

Sewanee Book Award for Excellence in Writing: Hollis Cobb ’19 Kenyon College Presidential Book Award Christopher McCormick ’19 John Merchant Book Award Will Eng-Nugent ’19

Washington and Lee University Book Award: Colin Reece ’19 William and Mary Leadership Award Henry Barden ’19 West Point Leadership Award John Flood ’19 University of Chicago Award David Millman ’19 Williams College Book Award Alex Brown ’19 Dartmouth Book Award Sam Moore ’19 Jefferson Book Award Philip Maruri ’19 Harvard Club of Virginia Prize Joe Beck ’19 GEORGE SQUIRES LITERARY AWARDS Photography: Ian Garrabrant ’18 (first prize); Ryan Fortner ’18, Jack Pendlebury ’18, Fisher Bredrup ’21, Dhykwon Smith ’19 (honorable mentions) Visual art: Baylor Fuller ’19 (first prize); Spencer Cox ’18 (second prize) Prose: Hollis Cobb ’19

The Athletic Banquet, held May 22, recognized athletic achievement throughout the 2017-18 academic year.

E. Otto N. Williams ‘27 Wrestling Trophy Gray Hart ‘18

ATHLETIC AWARDS

John R. Brisner Baseball Award Nick Biddison ‘18, Maddison Furman ‘18

Davenport Trophy: Justin Jasper ‘18

St. Christopher’s School Squash Award Quinn Bundy ‘18

Slater Prize: Jens Ames ‘18

C. Braxton Valentine ‘41 Lacrosse Award Michael Chapman ‘18

John T. Siegel ‘57 Memorial Prize: Will Forrest ‘18

Laverge ‘57 Tennis Award Alston Hackney ‘18

Athletic Director’s Award for Competitive Excellence Nick Biddison ‘18, Drew Brockwell ‘18, Gray Hart ‘18, Harrison Rice ‘18, Henry Schroeder ‘18

Harry W. Easterly Jr. ‘40 Golf Award Drew Brockwell ‘18, Connor Johnson ‘18

Nelson Hill Hotchkiss Award Donovan Murphy ‘18, Jack Pendlebury ‘18 Talmadge Abbitt DuPriest Award Michael Chapman ‘18, Maddison Furman ‘18 Bradford Allen Parrish Award Miller Farley ‘18

Poetry: Philip Maruri ’19 (first prize); Ian Garrabrant ’18 (second prize); Hunter Meck ’18, Grayson Walsh ’18, Henry Robinson ’18, Gray Hart ’18, Jack McGurn ’19 and Seth Burman ’18 (honorable mentions)

James Turner Sloan II Award Quinn Bundy ‘18, Connor Johnson ‘18

Parody: Kinloch Nelson ’18

Monogram Award Clifford Foster ‘18, Alston Hackney ‘18, Logan Hingst ‘18

Group of poems: Harrison Clary ’18 (first prize); Timothy Emrick ’18 and Spencer Cox ’18 (second prize); Mohamed Ismacil ’18 and Justin Jasper ’18 (third prize); Jason Suarez ’18 (fourth prize)

St. Christopher’s School Swimming and Diving Award Zach Akin ‘18, Christian Carlow ‘18

The Robert Williams Herzog Award: Ralph Levy ‘18

Strength and Conditioning Award Jens Ames ‘18, Will Forrest ‘18, Henry Schroeder ‘18

Randolph Burwell Cardozo Jr. ‘74 Track Award: Harrison Rice ‘18

COACHES OF THE YEAR Golf Prep League Ren O’Ferrall Baseball Prep League & VISAA Tony Szymendera Tennis Prep League Richard Peyton Wrestling VISAA Ross Gitomer Petey Jacobs Distinguished Coaching Award Key Randolph Track Prep League Marshall Ware

“Voice of the Saints” Award Jack Franko ‘18, Michael Hylton ‘18 Buerlein Distance Running Award Neal Dhar ‘20 Hugh Brenaman Football Award Will Forrest ‘18 Anna P. Goodale Soccer Award Miller Farley ‘18 James W. Proffitt ‘48 Basketball Award Justin Jasper ‘18 St. Christopher’s School Futsal Award Lyon Tyler ‘18 Summer 2018 | 51

REUNION

REUNION WEEKEND May 4–5, 2018 A jam-packed reunion schedule kicked off Friday with capsule classes on campus and an invite from Rob Long ’06 to his boutique bowling alley, River City Roll, which opened earlier this year in Scott’s Addition. Friday night’s Red & Gray Soirée brought together attendees of all ages to mix and mingle under the big tent in the Historic Corridor. Saturday activities included an early-bird run; chapel with guest speaker Dave Menges and choral presentation by Glee Club members past and present; a campus tour with Head of School Mason Lecky, followed by a cookout lunch before Saturday night class parties at Alumni Hall (for the class of 2008) and local alums’ homes.

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REUNION March 22 In conjunction with St. Catherine’s at the home of Mary and Doug Marsteller ’79 1. Judy Hawthorne Hunter Carpenter ‘03 Jillian Carpenter ’03 2. Watson Bryant ‘70 Natja Bryant 3. Sarah and Neal Moriconi ’08

ATLANTA

1

2

3

4

1

2

RIVER SAINTS

June 8

At the home of Jennifer and Jay Ball ’82 1. Cary Mauck ‘79, Missy Mauck | 2. Jay Ball ‘82, Jennifer Ball, Mason Lecky 3. Theresa and Bolling Williamson ‘55

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3

4. Richard Baker ’08 Marshall Hollerith ’13

NEW YORK

1

2 May 10 In conjunction with St. Catherine’s at the home of Charles and Mary Hipp Brock ’66 (St. Catherine’s) 1. Thomas Johnson ’10, Kyle Wittenauer ‘10, Peter Partee ’10 2. Corey Dalton ’11, Edward Custer ’10, Will Valentine ’11, Charles Naylor ’99 3. Mary Hipp Brock ’66 and Larry Brydon ’65

3

2

1

CHARLOTTE

3

January 16 In conjunction with St. Catherine’s at the home of home of Margaret Morrison Bradley ‘97 (St. Catherine’s) and her husband Waldo 1. Debbie and Jimmy Proffitt ’76, C.W. Stacks | 2. Mason Lecky, Michael Doyle ’03 | 3. Geoff Wrinkle ’85, John Ball ’01, Chris McCoy ’90 Summer 2018 | 55

REUNION

2

1

SAN FRANCISCO January 23 Hosted by St. Christopher’s, St. Catherine’s, Collegiate School and Norfolk Academy in the lobby of the LinkedIn headquarters building at 222 Second Street 1. Peyton Williams ’93, Tom Pinckney ’89 2. Jay Jennison ‘04, Alex Baruch ‘04, Tyler Schmidt ‘05, Jack Zampolin ‘05, Frasher Kempe ‘04

3

LOS ANGELES January 22 Hosted by St. Christopher’s, St. Catherine’s, Collegiate School, Norfolk Academy and St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School at The Belmont Justin Dray ’94, Laura Birdsley ’96 (St. Catherine’s), Paul Bullock ’98

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3. Charles Alexander ’82, Vernon Glenn ’80

RALEIGH

1

2

3

January 16 Hosted by Cece and Peter Scott ’68 at Carolina Country Club 1. Mason Lecky, CeCe and Peter Scott ’68, Megan Lecky | 2. Richard Cates ’63, Nathan Hays ’01, John Garland Wood ’08, John Ware ’87 | 3. Davis Wrinkle ’81, Philip Woodward ’97

SAVE THE DATE FOR REUNION WEEKEND 2019 | MAY 3-4 Summer 2018 | 57

ALUMNI MILESTONES

BIRTHS 1987

Mr. and Mrs. David D. Addison Jr., son Garland Edwin, May 23, 2018

1993

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

1997

Mr. and Mrs. John K. Burke III, son John Kirkland IV, May 23, 2018

1999

Mr. and Mrs. James E. Britton, daughter Ann Woodson, May 15, 2018

2000

Mr. and Mrs. Austin Harris, son Ansel Hayden, March 12, 2018

2001

Mr. and Mrs. James T. Alexander IV, son Wyatt Grandin, Dec. 30, 2016

Mr. and Mrs. Adam M. Lynn, daughter Abigail Marie, March 27, 2018

Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. Turnbull, son John Foster, March 12, 2018

2002

Mr. and Mrs. J. Preston Kendig, daughter Taylor Reed, April 8, 2018

2004

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel J. Ludeman Jr., son John Asher, April 14, 2018

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Valentine Jr., daughter Frances Cameron, May 23, 2018

Priscilla and Jamie Alexander ’01 with son Wyatt

MARRIAGES 2001

William Kelly Crockett to Marl​èn​e Catherine Annie​Graf, Sept. 16, 2017

Craig Cranston Whitham to Christine Luckey, May 6, 2017

2007

John Davenport Blackwell III to Lindsay Seale Teague, April 7, 2018

2008

Richard Samuel Luck to Jenna Rae Chenault, June 23, 2018

2010

Peter Stone Partee Jr. to Jane Dorsey Taylor, May 26, 2018 Kelly Crockett ’01’s wedding in Deltaville, Virginia: Will Wall ’01, Dillon Bland ‘02, Bryan Tedeschi ‘01, George Teschner ‘01, Will Paulette ‘01, Kelly Crockett ‘01, Davey Crockett, John Kingston, Desmond McGroarty ‘01, Burton Fuller ‘01

Erika and Danny Ludeman ’04 with their newborn son John

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Austin Harris’00 with wife Katie and baby Anson

Christine and Craig Whitham ’01

DEATHS 1943

Russell Cecil Scott of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 9, 2018. Survivors include his sons Russell D. Scott Jr. ’78 and W. Norwood Scott ‘85.

1944

Claude Reynold Davenport Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Jan. 25, 2018. Survivors include his son Claude R. Davenport III ’79.

1947

Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. of New York, New York, died May 15, 2018.

1948

James H. Hawfield of Hagerstown, Maryland, died March 18, 2018.

1954

Ralph Savoye Major, Jr. of Sarasota, Florida, died Nov. 26, 2017.

1956

Huntley Gibson Davenport of Richmond, Virginia, died April 3, 2018. Survivors include his son H. Gibson Davenport Jr. ’84 and grandson Huntley G. Davenport III ’19.

1959

Robert Withers Ellyson of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 15, 2018. Survivors include his brother William G. Ellyson ’56 and nephew William T. Ellyson ’90.

1959

David Millard Hubbard of Richmond, Virginia, died March 9, 2018. Survivors include his son David G. Hubbard ’89.

1961

Julian Wier Harman, Jr. of Lancaster, Virginia, died April 12, 2018. Survivors include his sons J. Wier Harman III ’84 and William E. S. Harman ’86.

1965

Warren Philo Elmer of Santa Barbara, California, died Feb. 18, 2018.

Hugh Harrison Tompkins of Bethesda, Maryland, died April 18, 2018. Survivors include his brothers William F. Tompkins III ’58, Seldon T. Tompkins ’62 and Benjamin T. Tompkins ’76.

1970

William Samuel Richardson of Glen Allen, Virginia, died April 21, 2018. Survivors include his son William S. Jared Richardson ’97 and grandson Jens Erick Ames ’18.

1972

James Dabney Watkinson, of Richmond, Virginia, died May 31, 2018. Survivors include his brother Robert Fielding Watkinson ‘78.

1987

Christopher Robert Halsted of Mobile, Alabama, died April 2, 2018.

Summer 2018 | 59

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

If interested, contact Kathleen Thomas at thomask@stcva.org

1950s 1954 At the June special service to commemorate the Middle School auditorium, the Boyd family trio (long-time Upper School Math Teacher Jim Boyd ’54, his son Leo Boyd ’88 and grandson Jamie Boyd ’22) participated. Jamie lit the candles, and his father and grandfather extinguished them at the end.

The building, which is more than 50 years old, will be converted into classroom space.

1959 Fred Cox ’59 of Marcellus Wright Cox Architects was featured in the Richmond Times-Dispatch in a story headlined “The People Who Built Richmond: A Modernist who helped preserve Richmond’s architectural history.” The article tracks his career and notes how historic preservation separated him from most as the profession evolved from traditional to progressive to modernist. Saving Richmond’s historic landscape while building modern civic, collegiate and health care projects earned Fred accolades. He became a fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1986 and received the Virginia Society AIA’s Noland Award, its highest recognition given to an individual.

fingerstyle and jazz. He’s also the author of more than a dozen books of guitar transcriptions and host on an almost equal number of instructional fingerstyle guitar DVDs. Duck has also released albums of Thelonious Monk arrangements for acoustic guitar and collections of Irish fiddle music. This year, he released three LPs and “Les Blues Du Richmond,” an archival album of early demos and outtakes, many recorded in Richmond. Now living in San Francisco, Duck plans on getting back to Richmond in the near future.

1970s 1973

1960s 1960 Matthew Thompson ’60 was one of three executives inducted into the Greater Richmond Business Hall of Fame in May 2018, joining 105 others named since the program’s inception in 1988. Matt is the retired chairman of Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley, a Henrico-based firm he co-founded in 1969, the first independent investment counsel in Richmond.

Gil Minor ‘59, who was inducted in 2003, attended the service.

Scott Harvard ’73 serves as president/chief executive of First Bank, which opened its West End branch in Richmond on Patterson Avenue last October. Formerly a Virginia Federal Savings and Loan opened in the 1960s by his uncle, that location was also where Scott started out as a young banker in the late ’70s.

1978 Classmates from the class of 1978 gathered for a golf event in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

1964 CLASS SCRIBES Harry “Le” Leland Frazier Jr. ‘64 lighthorsesh@verizon.net Thomas “Bumby” Cary Gresham ‘64 fenwayfan1952@hotmail.com

1966 Tad Thompson ’66 is serving as an officer of the John Marshall Foundation as secretary/treasurer.

1967 McGuire Boyd ‘60 and McGuire Boyd ‘24 led in the Opening Sentences for the June service that commemorated the Middle School Auditorium before its demolition this summer.

An article on Richard “Duck” Baker ’67 was featured in Style Weekly April 18. Duck’s ability to execute a wide range of music makes him known as a “guitarist’s guitarist” who performs ragtime, blues, acoustic

78 CUP golf event in Pinehurst: John Fleming, Wheat McDowell, Neville Johnson, Pratt Cook, Ed Schoeffler, Jim Cain, John Macon, John Orgain, Forrest Butler, Ben Jarratt, Rip Wilson, Ware Palmer

Speaking of golf, Ed Schoeffler ‘ 78 organized a reunion weekend golf tournament for his class and sank a hole-in-one at the Country Club of Virginia. continued on page 62

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Tom Wolfe '47 (1930-2018)

StC Writer-in-Residence Reflects on the Richmond Native’s Legacy

By Ron Smith

Tom Wolfe ‘47 was a whirlwind of contradictions and surprises. He was a manly dandy. He was a Ph.D. who did the down-and-dirty work of an old-fashioned journalist. He was a nonfiction writer who produced bestselling novels. He was a soft-spoken Southerner who was often inspired by the world’s roaring Vulgarity, a gentleman who documented the decidedly ungentlemanly. He was slim and debonair, but he could fight like a street brawler when necessary, as his in-print altercations with pugnacious Norman Mailer clearly show.

It’s difficult to grasp how central his work was and still is to American culture. Richmond is the home of Edgar Allan Poe, James Branch Cabell, Ellen Glasgow, Tom Robbins and Dean King — but it’s possible that “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” is the most influential book ever written in the city limits. Wolfe’s work has been near the center of American literary culture since the 1960s, when it exploded onto the scene in “The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby.” Long before universities were offering degrees in “creative nonfiction,” Tom was writing something he called the New Journalism. In his hands that jazzy, sometimes hyperventilated style intended not merely to pass on fact, but to catch the excitement and fragrance (or stench) of the moment.

He’s been translated into many languages. (I remember seeing a German version of “The Right Stuff” on his shelf. He said the title translated literally as “Heroes of the Nation” and shook his head at how much slangy American pungency was lost there.) A few years ago, a quick search through Britain’s prestigious Oxford University Press reference books found Tom Wolfe listed, quoted or referred to in 20 separate volumes. In 2012, I found that Tom Wolfe appeared more often in Oxford University’s reference works than Stephen King, Dan Brown and Tom Clancy all put together. Presenting the Library of Virginia’s Lifetime Achievement Award to Wolfe a few years ago, then-Governor Tim Kaine revealed that he had apparently read every one of Tom’s books closely and with rare and detailed understanding. Tom was astonished and deeply grateful.

Tom Wolfe was sometimes called a contrarian, apparently because he sought the story that other writers had overlooked or had been

afraid to touch. And a satirist. But he once said, “I have never knowingly written satire. The word connotes exaggeration of the foibles of mankind. To me, mankind just has foibles. You don’t have to push it.” Still, Wolfe was often seen as a satirist because he examined social data with such ferocious energy and merciless objectivity.

He’s also been called a Naturalist, a kind of literary scientist whose field of study is the human animal. It’s true that Tom loved to tell the Awkward, Troublesome Truth — but he also needed to entertain himself while doing so. He showed it was possible to be a master reporter and, at the same time, a pyrotechnic stylist. One of my favorite reviewers, Michael Dirda, noted in The Washington Post that “Tom Wolfe … can do just about anything … with words.” He was a man of honor and of art.

Despite the sometimes appalling nature of his subjects and characters, Tom Wolfe was no pessimist. He had what novelist Ian McEwan called “impatience with the professionalism of despair.” Many knew Tom better than I did. I look forward to their reminiscences. When I think of Tom Wolfe, I think first of the gracious, attentive Southern gentlemen I was honored to know over the course of decades. And then I think of the books, so many books, each of which he would generously inscribe with an Oscar Wildean flourish.

This tribute ran in Style magazine May 15, 2018, soon after Tom Wolfe’s passing. Poet Laureate of Virginia from 2014 to 2016, Ron Smith is the author of four books, most recently “The Humility of the Brutes” (LSU Press, 2017). The STC writer-in-residence holds the George O. Squires chair of distinguished teaching.

Summer 2018 | 61

Alumni Profile Charlie Luck ’79 back in the driver’s seat

By Paul Evans ’01 When he’s not in Goochland at his family-owned Luck Companies enterprise, Charlie Luck ’79 can be found behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 race car. Charlie, who developed an interest in motorsports when he was a student at St. Christopher’s, competed and won the IMSA Porsche GT3 Platinum Cup Masters race at Sebring International Raceway in March.

He went on to take two additional wins in April at the Platinum Cup Masters at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama. In the first race of the doubleheader weekend, Charlie started from the pole position as a result of turning the fastest lap when qualifying. The second race was similar as he clung to the lead and earned the class victory, while placing fifth overall, ending the race with a championship lead in the Platinum Masters category at this point in the 16-race season.

These wins mark the culmination of a long journey back into motorsports. Charlie began racing with NASCAR in the Busch Series in the early 1980s, accumulating 106 starts between 1982 and 1986 with five top 5 results and 38 top 10 finishes. However, he stopped to focus on growing his family business, Luck Companies, which expanded to three business divisions under his leadership, and raising three children, Richard ’08, Sarah ’10 (St. Catherine’s) and Margaret ’14 (St. Catherine’s). After 30 years, Charlie returned to racing while staying committed to Luck Companies. “My wife Lisa and I talked about how much we love motorsports and love racing and wanted to find a series that was competitive, professional and placed a priority on safety,” Charlie said.

During the 18 months leading up to these victories, Charlie invested his time, money and energy into being the best driver he could be. So, it’s no surprise that he was overcome with emotion as he made his way around the raceway during the cool-down lap after the Sebring race. “When I got the checkered flag, of course, the crew blew up on the radio, I blew up on the radio, and everybody was screaming and yelling,” he said. “At about the halfway point, I just broke down crying. I cried all the way to victory circle.”

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1977 Not to be forgotten, but inadvertantly omitted from last year’s magazine, the class of 1977 celebrated their 40th StC reunion last year.

Front row: Scott Cardozo, Christopher Branch, Wilson Whitehurst, Tom Catlett, Rob Brooke, Frank Maloney Second row: John Honey, John Morley, Tom Cain, Doug Davis, Richard Taylor, Marshall Burke, Gordon Valentine Third row: Jamie Doswell, Jimmy Blackford, Andy Mauck, John McCammond, Russell Bowles, Edward Anderson, Mark Gottwald Fourth row: Ken Pohlig, Brent Torstrick, Steve Frazer, Bolling Lewis, Billy Trigg, Lewis Wright

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Class Notes 1968 50th Reunion Front row: Randy Randolph, Stuart Flanagan, Bruce Frostick, Taz Carrington, Edmund Rennolds, Greg Lane, Bill Court, Joe Howell, Rick Churchill Second row: Holt Massey, Richard Cross, Darnley Adamson, J.D. Smith, Rick Cates ‘63, Ward Cates, Billy Hancock, Bill Dennis, Wilson Trice Third row: Powell Johann, Ed Davis, Rives Hardy, Tommy Meehan, Larry Blanchard, George Cherry, Sammy Greenway, Peter Scott, Dan Andrews, David Branch, Ferd Baruch Fourth row: John Maddux, Bill Millikin, Preston Cottrell, Hutch Smith Back row: Rob Turnbull, Bobby Long, Conrad Sauer, David Witt, Bill Rice (behind Witt), Claiborne Gregory, Howard Wessells, Holt Edmunds Not Pictured: Bery Gay, Carter Redd, Britt Richardson, Chris Tompkins

1973 45th Reunion Front row: Bruce Cann, Howard Dickinson, Lud Kimbrough, Randy Harrison, Vernon Priddy, Chris Blair, Marshall Reinsdorf, Allan Wagner, Stan Greene Second row: Phil DiStanislao, Lewis Bosher, Shep Parsons, Gary Shelton, Claiborne Irby, Harrison Wilson, Scott Ellett, Sam Bemiss, Henry Riely, Granville Valentine

1978 40th Reunion Front row: John Board, Butch Butcher, John Fleming, Randy Daniel, Wheat McDowell, Neville Johnson, John Orgain, Berkeley Fergusson Second row: Tyler Akers, Mark Jenkins, Forrest Butler, Ware Palmer, Tom Disharoon, Parke Smith, Jim Cain, Mack Faulkner, Scott Inman, Bill Rachal, Dave Cohen, Pratt Cook, Collins Denny, Ed Schoeffler, Bill Peery, Graham Cecil, Bill Russell, Stuart Horsley, Matt Renner, Ben Rawles, Bill Crenshaw, Richard Mitchell

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Class Notes 1983 35th Reunion First row: Ros Bowers, Charles Bice, Justin Smith, Alec Oppenhimer, Sam Procter, Hunter Jenkins, Pierce Walmsley, Robert Chappell Second row: Gordon Wallace, Scott Davila, Matt Morgan, David Chew, Todd Williamson, Birck Turnbull, John Woolard, David Bandas, Thomas Larus, Thomas Parrish, Whis Howard, Ted Ukrop, Alexander Macauley, Stuart Gilchrist Not Pictured: Chip Caravati

1988 30th Reunion First row: Leo Boyd, Churchill Bowles, Chris Mooz, Eddie Lumpkin Second row: Paul Doherty, Tim Miller, John Street, Rand Dupriest, Marc Orgain, John Williamson, Geoff Switz, Peter Bowles, Chris Mumford Not pictured: Austin Brockenbrough, Graham Bundy, John White

1993 25th Reunion Front row: Julian Pozzi, Ian McVey, Will Perkinson, George Bland, Charles Ayers, David Adamson, Chris Broaddus, Roby Hackney Middle row: Daniel George, Toks Ladejobi, Rob Flowers, Trey Jackson, Wally Wallace, Garnett Hall, Charles Valentine, McGuire Boyd, Carlton Hines, Clark Coulbourn, Patrick Madden Third row: Wade Blackwood, Chris Lance, Rob Scott, Kirk Tattersall, Connell Mullins, David Owen Not pictured: Travis Massey

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Class Notes continued from page 62

1980s 1982 In the mid-1990s while attending the University of Virginia and working toward a master’s in fine arts, James “Jimbo” McLaughlin ’82 penned his first novel, which fell short of being the masterpiece he had hoped it might. During the last 20 years his manuscript evolved, and in 2008, he published it as a prizewinning novella in The Missouri Review. It has just been published as “Bearskin” in its full and final form. Jimbo’s book was included in The New York Times article, “4 Writers to Watch This Summer,” and HarperCollins’ “lead read” for the summer.

The Times describes it as “intensely observed nature writing with white-knuckle suspense … Picture Thoreau having left Walden with a bunch of bad dudes hot on his heels.” Jimbo now lives in Utah.

the nonprofit criminal exoneration organization, the Mississippi Innocence Project, where Tucker has served as director since its founding.

1989 Robert Norfleet ’89, has been named director and investment advisor within the foundations and endowments specialty practice of SunTrust Bank. Rob, who has more than 23 years of experience in the financial services industry, will advise tax-exempt organizations on investment strategies.

Jimbo McLaughlin ‘82

1984 University of Mississippi Law Professor Tucker Carrington ’84, along with Washington Post journalist Radley Balko, have penned “The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South.” The book details the wrongful convictions of two men in the separate murders of two girls in the same rural Mississippi town in the early 1990s. The real killer of both 3-year-olds is revealed to the reader before the wrong men are put on trial. The reader also knows in advance the men were freed thanks to the work of

John Reid ’89 has returned to Richmond after 12 years working in politics and public relations in Washington, D.C., and New York City. He is the host of “Richmond’s Morning News” for WRVA-AM 1140/FM 96.1.

John was an intern and staff assistant for President Ronald Reagan in Los Angeles and served as communications director for former Gov. George Allen in the U.S. Senate. From 1994 to 2004, John anchored “Good Morning Richmond” at the ABC affiliate WRIC-TV 8. He can be heard weekdays from 5:30 to 10 a.m. presenting commentary and world events while interviewing newsmakers and other journalists.

Kinloch Nelson ’89, valedictorian of his class, was pictured in the Richmond Times-Dispatch at the recent Upper School StC graduation, with his father Kinloch ’61 and son Kinloch ’18, who was also valedictorian of his class.

Here’s a photo of Kinloch at the class of 1989 graduation.

1990s 1993 The class of 1993 established the Richard G. Hudepohl Endowment for Experiential Learning Scholarships in celebration of its 25th reunion. Kirk Tattersall was the lead donor. Fund income will help offset the cost of trips to France and Normandy for students who otherwise could not afford to go. The trips, created by Richard Towell and Mr. Hudepohl, will be continued by Upper School faculty John Burke and Greg Tune.

Here’s a quick overview of jobs held by others who responded to survey questions for a Pine Needle special 25th edition: David Adamson is owner of Virginia Acoustical Inc., a Richmond-based construction company specializing in acoustical ceilings, wall panels and commercial interior construction; Charles Ayers is a partner with Dunlap & Partners Engineers in Richmond; George Bland is director of RockIt Sports, a Richmond facility that provides indoor practice, lessons and league play; McGuire Boyd is a trial lawyer with Williams Mullen in Richmond; Chris Broaddus is a hospitalist with Sound Physicians in Richmond; Clark Coulbourn is an account executive at Salesforce in Richmond; Rob Flowers is a senior estimator for Clark Construction continued on page 68

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ALUMNI VOICES

KEEPING IT OLD

By McGuire Boyd ’93

I am not an anthropologist or a sociologist or a child psychologist. I am not well-read on this topic. You can file this under “B” for “Bloviate” or “H” for “Harangue.” I invite you to convince me that I am wrong. Here I go.

In 2016, Mother Jones published an article on the impact of GPS devices on Inuit hunters in northeastern Canada.1 While their ancestors had navigated the harsh terrain relying only on their knowledge of stars, current, wind, and light — knowledge gathered and handed down over thousands of years, generation to generation — these modern hunters, using handheld GPS devices, floundered about.

In winter, the batteries quickly failed unless the devices were kept against the body under much clothing. The units themselves were devilishly hard to operate with gloves or mittens, and their screens iced over in seconds.

Worse, GPS was leading young hunters into mortal danger.

Some followed straight-line tracks onto thin ice and fell through. Others, when their devices failed, couldn’t read the snow or recognize traditional landmarks. After several near-fatal and fatal incidents, the villagers created a program to integrate GPS with traditional wayfinding. Knowing the technology was here to stay, the Igloolik Inuit wanted to make sure they could harness its advantages without literally losing their way.

Bear with me on this navigational transition. We, our class, found our way through the 1980s and 1990s without GPS, without smartphones, without social media, without padded jumping places and without that much supervision, comparatively speaking. We’re blessed to have been raised this way.

Very few of us lived in neighborhoods where we worried about crime although the overall crime rate was much higher. Hand-wringing media types like Nancy Grace had not yet convinced every parent that a kidnapper lay just outside the house. Youth sports were not yet a multi-billion-dollar arms race of travel teams and clinics and year-round specialization.

We had a ton of free time, comparatively speaking.

McGuire Boyd ‘93 with his children, Maggie (age 7), McGuire ‘24 (age 12) and Finley (age 10)

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St. Christopher’s operated on a looser basis, too. I remember a day in ninth grade when it snowed heavily. By sixth period,

SCHOOL the teachers gave up teaching and the entire Upper School spilled out of Chamberlayne Hall. Mayhem ensued: seniors against freshmen in a snowball fight. We struggled to hold ground, retreating toward the football field, then around the far side of the fieldhouse, then across the Bulldog soccer field to the brick wall near the basketball courts, which would be our Alamo. We were exhausted, soaking wet and heaving with joy. Teachers would get fired if that happened today. I blame the lawyers. And the parents.

Back to navigation in northeastern Canada.

It must be true that an Inuit hunter armed only with ancestral knowledge carries with him a healthy respect for his surroundings. Some might call it survival instinct or competency or common sense. A GPS device might convince him to proceed on a straight-line track into the darkness. Survival instinct, competency, or common sense might convince him otherwise.

Now let’s talk about Middle School between 1986 and 1989, and let’s replace “survival instinct” with “resiliency.” It did not take a sixth-grader long to figure out when he needed to shut his pie hole and pay attention. Some imposing men ran classroom and P.E. instruction. There was certainly some fear. There was also tremendous love. And good humor. I am convinced that those teachers knew what their own teachers knew, going back over many generations: that resiliency, competency and common sense do not grow in environments that are too gentle. There must be some risk, or at least the perception of some risk. And there must be some hardship, leavened with good humor.

What does this have to with smartphones and supervision? I am trying to get there.

My Don Quixote full-tilt-at-the-windmill

rant is that a pervasive combination of overparenting, overscheduling, overcoddling and smartphones has robbed our children of what we had growing up. We’re all at fault. We are the GPS device users who have forgotten how to read the snow and recognize traditional landmarks.

When my brother was 16, he went to a double header at the Diamond with his friend Tom Gresham. Jack told my parents that he would be home after the second game. My parents did not sleep peacefully when we were out, and they made us check in whenever we got home so that they could fall back asleep in peace. The second game of the doubleheader lasted 14 or 15 innings. My brother and Tom stayed until the very end, which was around 2 a.m. My parents went to bed that night with the radio dialed to 910AM. They woke up every half hour or so, turned the radio on, and confirmed that the second game was still in extra innings. Text messaging between my brother and my parents during those late innings would have rendered a traditional landmark (hometown AM radio) useless. It would have smothered Jack’s experience. It would have robbed me of a story I like to tell.

My biggest gripe is with smartphones. Our enemies could not have designed a better drug to spike our narcissism and anxiety while eliminating basic manners like eye contact and conversation, all mixed in with a heavy dose of lethargy. These two headlines from 2017 say it all: Why can’t we put down our smartphones? It’s because their apps and content are purposefully designed to be habit-forming, says former Google product manager Tristan Harris2.

19-Year-Olds as Sedentary as 60-Year-Olds, Study Suggests.3 Let’s conclude with a thought experiment. Imagine your 12-year-old child saying to you: “Mom, Dad, things are going okay. I feel pretty good. I get good sleep. I like my friends at school. I’m not included in every single get-together, but overall, I’m doing okay.” You recognize that your child just described you, more or less, when you were 12. Now imagine replying with all the middle-age wisdom you can muster: “Why, it sounds like you need a smartphone, son. And let’s get you an Instagram and Snapchat account while we’re at it.

That way, you can keep up with everybody all the time. Oh, and let’s not forget to load in some Candy Crush for good measure.”

O.K., wow, I just went a little overboard. Let me try to bring this home on a more positive note. On the remote island of Igloolik in northeastern Canada, villagers saw technology leading their young hunters dangerously astray. They took action. They worked to integrate GPS with traditional wayfinding. Stated differently, they kept the technology, but they also kept it Old School. Let’s keep it Old School.

1 2 3

https://www.motherjones.com/media/2016/11/gps-brain-function-memory-navigation-maps-apps https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-cant-we-put-down-our-smartphones-60-minutes/ https://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2017/nineteen-year-olds-as-sedentary-as-sixty-year olds-study-suggests.html

McGuire Boyd ’93 is a trial lawyer with Williams Mullen in Richmond. This article ran in The Pine Needle’s special 25th edition for his class reunion.

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Class Notes

1998 20th Reunion First row: Brian Lynn, Charles Brown, Taylor Moorman, Alexander Ayers, Taylor Wiseman, Rob Pinkerton, Anthony Basmajian Second row: Robert Turnbull, John Neal, Lee Lester, Peter Weistroffer, Eppa Hunton, Matthew Burlee, James Zehmer, David Satterfield, Jim Clary Third row: Paul Bullock, Jon Bliley, Tommy Huffman, Marshall Croft, Malcolm Randolph, Rhys James, Lee Krauss, Maunsel Hickey, Chris Nuckols, Scott Oakley, Paul Habenicht Not pictured: Andrew Aquino

2003 15th Reunion Front row: Tony Szymendera, William Nicoll, Ward McGroarty, Andrew Livick Second row: David Roberts, Tony Julius, Robert Miller, Gray Stiles, Marshall Alexander, Scott Kelly, Bobby Johnson Third Row: Jenks Coggin, David Coleman, Jonathan Wright, Chris Epes, Basil Hallberg, John Young, Philip Innes

2008 10th Reunion Front row: Joseph Suarez, Stephen Davenport, Jimmy Meadows, John Parrish, Andrew Bernard, Kevin Isaacs, Stephen Davis Second row: Robert McCarthy, Benjamin Harrison, Brewster Rawls, Chas Skidmore, Sam Priddy, Michael Tuohey, Brian Kusiak, Paul Ferramosca, Rob Valentine, Lon Nunley, John Garland Wood Third row: Sandy Wall, Pierre Molster, Whit Long, Teddy Mitchell, Sam Hays, Sam Hewitt, Charles Ellen, John Calvin Barnard, Daniel Fletcher, Matt Clark, Andrew Klein

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Class Notes continued from page 65

Group LLC in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Daniel George is technical director at CapTech Consulting in Washington, D.C.; Roby Hackney is a principal at Hackney Real Estate, a Richmond-based retail property investment, management, leasing and development company; Carlton Hines owns the Urban Garden Project and works part-time at Oates Landscape Architecture; Trey Jackson is a property adjuster at Farmers Insurance in Richmond; Toks Ladejobi works for Madison Marquette Real Estate in the D.C. area; Christopher Lance is operations manager for Eagle Transport Corp. in Richmond; Patrick Madden works in real estate investment in Atlanta; Ian McVey is an attorney with Turner Padget Graham & Laney in Columbia, South Carolina; Connell Mullins is an attorney with Spotts Fain PC in Richmond; David Owen works with Union Bank & Trust in Richmond; Rob Scott is the office managing partner of Akerman LLP’s Salt Lake City office; Charles Valentine is head of strategy and business development for Q Customer Intelligence in Richmond; Wally Wallace works as an equity analyst at Raymond James in the Washington area; and Peyton Williams serves as marketing director at Toolwire in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mike Holden, who lives in Maryland with his wife Erin and five children ages 1 to 11, has spent most of his career in marketing and public relations. He’s currently the senior marketing manager for the California-based International Association of Business Communicators.

1994 CLASS SCRIBE Massie Ritsch ‘94 massie.ritsch@gmail.com One of our own took the Upper School chapel stage back in April to inspire current Saints. Robley Bates spoke at the invitation of his UVA roommate and long-time friend, Head of School (and redeemed Cougar) Mason Lecky. In a multimedia presentation enhanced by some vintage Pine Needles that he loosely edited back in our day, Robley connected seemingly disconnected chapters of his life: St. Christopher’s, the Marine Corps and the automotive business he’s in today. Robley owns

the Richmond-area locations of Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers. His excellent life lesson for students: Set goals, have a plan to accomplish them, but be prepared to improvise along the way. You can watch his chapel talk on the StC Facebook page. Robley and his wife Lauren recently welcomed a son, royally named Robley D. Bates V, who joins big sister Molly, who’s almost 3.

international construction company, Keller Foundations, which has its North American headquarters near BWI Airport. Let’s just say “Grouting” and “Earth Retention” are menu items on the company’s website. At home, Jack and his wife Linda are kept busy by daughter Nikki, who’s 12, and son Jackson, who is 9 — shown below.

College roommates Robley Bates ‘94 and Mason Lecky

Keen Starke was among the ’94 crew who turned out to support Robley. (Keen also had a cameo in Capt. Bates’ aforementioned slideshow.) Keen and family — wife Arpie ‘95 (St. Catherine’s) and two young Saints, 10-year-old Mary Mac and 8-year-old Thomas — have put down roots in Richmond after five years in Singapore. Keen’s a big shot with Universal Leaf Tobacco Company.

It’s been four years since Alec Reynolds returned from Asia, where he was stationed in Shanghai for cancer drugmaker Celgene.

He’s now back in Westfield, New Jersey — the Shanghai of the mid-Atlantic — with Laura and their three children: Quinn (9), Elliot (7) and Lillian (3). Alec was in Richmond this past spring to join his father and siblings for the opening of the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU and dedication of a gallery honoring his late mother, Bev Reynolds, who was a champion of the new museum and of our class.

Like the disciplined student he was, Jack Boyd dutifully responded to my call for alumni notes. Jack has been in Baltimore since 2004. He’s an attorney with an

Follow Jack’s lead, classmates. Let me hear from you for the next issue.

1995 Mason Bates ’95 was the cover feature for Style Weekly April 17, promoting his Richmond visit and his collaboration with the Richmond Symphony in celebration of its 60th anniversary.

1997 When the Virginia Historical Society decided to update its brand, it chose the creative firm of Love Affair, founded by Hilton W. Graham II ’97, to partner with as the newly rebranded Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Hilton had worked with various agencies and in political communications before starting the firm in 2016. Understanding a brand, why it exists and why it is important to its customers form the foundation for Love Affair’s success. Hilton serves as the company’s chief executive and chief creative officer, while fellow Saint Andrew C. Aquino ’98 is chief strategy officer. continued on page 71

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Class Notes

FOODIES FIGHTING INEQUALITY STC ALUM WORKS TOWARD FOOD EQUALITY IN RICHMOND

By Kurt Jensen ’11 Since graduating from the University of Virginia, I’ve been using my skills (that, honestly, I learned in the student publications office at St. Christopher’s) to further the missions of national and international nonprofits, largely trade associations, managing their publications, websites and email newsletters.

Only recently have I gotten the privilege to work more intimately with a young local charitable organization here in Richmond, the E.A.T. Foundation, whose mission is the eradication of food deserts and the promotion of food equality.

Food deserts are a huge issue in the city of Richmond — I actually live in a food desert, just south of the river in Manchester — but we at E.A.T. also know that access, or building new grocery stores, isn’t enough to address food inequality issues.

E.A.T. Foundation hopes to make a positive impact on food equality in Richmond via food-focused and individualized well-living initiatives with families and communities in Richmond that lack adequate food skills and resources.

Good food brings people together, and E.A.T. hopes to leverage this reality on all levels to teach meaningful skills and make a difference in Richmond.

What is truly unique about the E.A.T. Foundation is that our fundraising efforts are closely guided by the philosophies that drive our mission and, frankly, our fundraising events are a lot of fun. E.A.T. uses pop-up dining events as our platform to fundraise and increase awareness of food-inequity issues throughout the community. Our guests are treated to a gourmet and experimental five-to-seven course chef’s tasting dinner, complete with wine pairings, orchestrated by an outstanding mystery chef. But beyond that, each event is guided by a narrative which elevates discussion and emphasizes the connective and communicative aspects of food.

Fundamentally, we believe this holistic approach, elevating the discussion and promoting the fun, cultural and expressive aspects of food, will promote all communities’ investment in food equality — from those with abundant resources to those without.

Communities can come together around good food, and good food can make a huge difference in the lives of Richmond families.

The simplest way you can support the mission of the E.A.T. Foundation is to subscribe to receive our emails, here: eatogether.org/subscribe/.

I know your inbox is probably full of trash, but my close friend and I write these emails, and I promise they’re interesting and fun.

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Class Notes

continued from page 69

1998

2012/2013

Jimmy Hovis ‘00, Thomas Hovis ‘05 and Sandy Wall ‘08, former varsity lacrosse players for StC, coached Douglas S. Freeman High School’s varsity lacrosse team for the seventh year and faced Atlee High School for the fifth consecutive time in the Class 5, Region B VHSL championship game but lost.

Freeman last won the championship in 2014.

Charles Williamson ’12 and Chase Crowder ’13 have joined Industrial Commodities Inc. as partner managers in Glen Allen, Virginia. Both are 2017 college graduates, Charlie from Virginia Tech and Chase from Hampden-Sydney College.

2000s 2001 CLASS SCRIBE Paul Evans ’01 evansp@stcva.org

2007 CLASS SCRIBES Brelan Hillman ’07 brelan.hillman@gmail.com Thomas Jenkins ’07 tjenkins43@mac.com

2010s 2011 CLASS SCRIBES Henley Hopkinson ’11 thhopkinson@gmail.com Kurt Jenson ’11 kurtmj93@gmail.com

After a year of discernment and spiritual formation, Wesley Owens ’13 will head to the University of Oxford this fall to continue his theological studies in preparation for ordination to the Anglican priesthood.

2014 CLASS SCRIBES Alec Ball ’14 Alexander.R.Ball@colorado.edu Peyton McElroy ’14 peytonmcelroy@gmail.com John Burke ’14 was the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Week and was also named to the 2018 ODAC’s Men’s Lacrosse All-Tournament Team. In addition, John and teammate Chandler Shaheen ’14 were two of 10 Hampden-Sydney College Tigers named to the 2018 All-ODAC Men’s Lacrosse Team. Chandler was one of the top goal-scoring midfielders in the league and the country, posting 36 points on 32 goals and four assists. After four years, he ranks 18th at H-SC in points (138), eighth in midfielder points and ninth in goals (118). Chandler’s

accomplishments earned his spot on the All-ODAC Second Team. John, a junior, moved from attack to first-line midfield and totaled 46 points on 24 goals and 22 assists, earning his place on ODAC’s All-Tournament Team. In the last three games of the year, he scored four goals and two assists against Guilford College and followed with consecutive three-goal, two-assist games against Lynchburg College and Roanoke College. He assisted on the game-winning goal against Roanoke in the regular season and scored the game-winning goal against Lynchburg. John’s earned a place on the All-ODAC Third Team.

2015 CLASS SCRIBE Fitz Fitzgerald ’15 hef4ac@virginia.edu

2017 Edward Anderson ’17 continues to compete in cycling races while juggling a busy schedule of college studies at the University of Virginia. Eddie co-founded the mountain biking club here at StC and is now into his second year of being signed with Hagens Berman Axeon, a UCI professional cycling team based in the United States. Eddie is also a member of Team USA, which taps three cyclists to compete in the Summer Olympics. About half of the Axeon team graduates to the UCI WorldTour, the highest level of competition.

2013 5th Reunion Front row: Collins Burlee, Ryan Nelligan, J.T. Beck, Anthony Battiston, Peter Ferramosca, Hamilton Shaheen, Sam O’Ferrall, Charlie Yorgen Second row: James Sumpter, Christian Alcorn, John Buoyer, Doug West, Carsten de Wolff Third row: Morgan McCown, Will Abbott, Ned Ende, Evan Reid Fourth row: Christian Braden, Rodney Williams, Jack English, Andrew Carleton

Summer 2018 | 71

for the VCPE as part of their safe schools initiative, which is also available to members.

Faculty News PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Lower School World Language Teachers Isabel Shealy and Sonia McDonnell organized a group for world language teachers, RVA Comprehensible Input Group for Elementary Schools, which meets monthly to discuss best teaching practices and recent research. Mrs. Shealy and Mrs. McDonnell presented demos to the group several times during the school year, most recently about the use of authentic materials and one-word images.

Mrs. McDonnell attended a November workshop by Tina Hargaden, “Language Strategies to Build Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency,” at Liberty Bible Academy in Mason, Ohio. She also participated in Annabelle Allen’s (La Maestra Loca) February workshop at East Wake Academy in Zebulon, North Carolina, which focused on language acquisition through comprehensible input strategies.

Middle School and Upper School Counselor Sazshy Valentine and Director of Health Services Ann Vanichkachorn completed training as facilitators for PreVenture, a school-based program designed to prevent alcohol and drug misuse among 13- to 15-year-old students. Tailored interventions in the program are based on screening results for four personality dimensions that have been linked to increased risk for maladaptive alcohol and drug use: anxiety-sensitivity, hopelessness, impulsivity and sensation-seeking.

Dr. Vanichkachorn presented a VAIS February workshop for educators titled “What’s the Big Deal with Vaping? Is It Really ‘Harmless’?” The session was made into a webinar now available to all VAIS members. Dr. Van also recorded a two-part webinar on “Concussion Basics for School Personnel” 72 | StC Magazine

Middle School Science and Health Teacher Kyle Burnette and Middle School Science Teacher Mark Holloway, who co-lead the Middle School Adventure Education Program, attended the Outdoor Leadership Conference at the Blue Ridge School in February. The StC Middle School program involves hiking, fishing and climbing.

Mr. Burnette, Ms. Valentine and Middle School English Teacher Alex Knight attended the Learning and the Brain conference in New York City, “Educating Mindful Minds: Using the Science of Stress to Improve Resilience, Behavior and Achievement,” in April.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch tapped Lower School Nurse Annette McCabe as Correspondent of the Day for her March 6 Letter to the Editor about medication theft. She spoke from experience in 2016, when caregivers of her 86-year-old mother in hospice care stole her Oxycodone and replaced it with Claritin. Nurse McCabe said she immediately dismissed her mother’s caregivers, who were licensed with the Virginia Board of Nursing, and filed a police report. While Henrico police were unable to file criminal charges, Nurse McCabe advocates that everyone practice five rights in medication administration: the right drug, the right dose, the right patient, the right time and the right route.

Upper School Head Librarian Marsha Hawkins led a workshop on boy-friendly libraries at the Association for Independent School Librarians national conference in Atlanta in April.

Director of Global Engagement Fran Turner, Assistant Head of School Sarah Mansfield, Upper School Director of Curriculum and Instruction Karen Wray and Middle School Director of Curriculum and Instruction Keena Fitch attended the Global Education Benchmark Group conference in Cleveland in April.

Lower School Teacher Meredith Smart traveled to Chicago in June to participate in the ISTE 2018 Conference to learn about new technology and how to best incorporate it in the classroom.

Fifth-grade Teacher Kadie Parsley graduated from the University of Richmond

with a post-master’s graduate certificate of educational leadership and policy studies. This fall she will embark on her Ed.D. of educational leadership and policy studies at the Virginia Tech Richmond campus.

After a competitive selection process, Upper School Instructional Technologist Carey Pohanka and a Collegiate teacher were tapped as co-directors of the New Teacher Institute (NTI), the flagship program that prepares teachers with three or fewer years of experience in independent school teaching during the summer.

Ms. Pohanka received Mentor of the Year honors at the recent Green Apple Awards for Higher Achievement, a nonprofit dedicated to helping middle school students.

She is currently mentoring a group of fifthgrade scholars in the program, teaching both math and social justice issues.

First-Grade Teacher Betsy Tyson, along with Upper School Chaplain Whitney Edwards, attended the fourth annual Adult Mindfulness Retreat at Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts, in August.

The Rev. Edwards also traveled to England this summer to serve as a guest preacher at Canterbury Cathedral, while Mrs. Tyson completed El Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Laura Sabo, Lower School Learning Commons librarian and Saints Action research advisor, and Kim Hudson, director of the Center for the Study of Boys, presented “Research and Innovation in Schools for Boys: Creating Cultures and Building Networks” at the 2018 International Boys’ Schools Coalition Annual Conference at the Southport School in Gold Coast, Australia. Mrs. Sabo and Dr. Hudson presented alongside colleagues from Scots College in Sydney and Eton College in the U.K. Also at the conference, Upper School Associate Dean of Students and English Teacher John Green was awarded the International Boys’ Schools Coalition Hawley-Jarvis Service Award. The IBSC Board of Trustees created the award in 2015 to honor individuals whose selfless service furthers best practices in boys’ education and the professional development of those who educate boys and young men. Mr. Green was recognized for his creation of the IBSC Student Forum.

Middle School Science Teacher David Shin and Middle School History Teacher Derek Porter embarked this summer on their study for the Executive Ed.D. program in education policy, planning and leadership at the College of William and Mary.

Upper School Academic Dean and Director of College Counseling Jim Jump was part of a three-person team, along with admission deans from Washington and Lee University and UNC-Chapel Hill, evaluating the college counseling program at Charlotte Latin School May 30-June 1. In May, he served as the keynote speaker for Randolph-Macon College’s open house for juniors, and he also did two presentations at the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for the College Admission Counseling conference in Dover, Delaware. His Ethical College Admissions column has been reprinted in the parent newsletter at the Blake School in Minnesota and the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling blog.

In December, Writer-in-Residence Ron Smith’s poem about George and Martha Washington, “Suitor,” was reprinted online at P.S. I Love You, and his photo entitled “The Madonna Creates a Moon” was published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Also last winter, he read at Blue Bee Cider in Richmond and presented at the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts & Technology Writers Fest in Petersburg.

His Greece-inspired poems were featured in the VMFA’s opening of “The Horse in Ancient Greek Art,” where he gave a reading, which was followed by another reading at the Virginia Festival of the Book. In April, Mr. Smith read a poem at Virginia State University’s meeting of its Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society. His recent book, “The Humility of the Brutes,” received a rave review in Virginia Living magazine’s March/April issue and in Deep South magazine. Mr. Smith was the final judge for WriterHouse’s annual April poetry contest, served on a panel at the Poetry Society of Virginia’s Annual Festival in Williamsburg and was interviewed by Blogspot’s The Leaving Years. Shenandoah, a Washington and Lee University online publication, featured Mr. Smith’s poem, “What a Rush,” an elegy to late poet and professor Claudia Emerson, who served as

Poet Laureate of Virginia from 2008 to 2010. Finally, Mr. Smith’s poem, “That Nun We Have Lunch With,” was published in the magazine Artemis along with his photograph taken in Rome, “Glamour,” and his poem, “The Birth of Modern Poetry,” appeared in Interno Poesia.

The Missionary Society for both the Upper School and Middle School sponsored dunking booths to raise money for charity. Students bought tickets for a chance to dunk Head of School Mason Lecky and Middle School Head Warren Hunter, along with Upper School Teachers Marsha Hawkins and Greg Tune, and Middle School Teachers Marshall Ware and Mark Hollaway. All Upper School donations went to the Rich Hudepohl Scholarship Fund, while the Middle School raised funds to help with pancreatic cancer research and environmental protection.

Outside Academia Asha Bandal completed her 14th season as the head coach of the University of Richmond synchronized swimming team. The team placed 11th in the country at the national championship, and her head captain was named the 2018 U.S. Collegiate Athlete of the Year.

Jane “Temple” Carlson was born April 30 to Lower School Teacher Ann Carlson and Upper School Math Teacher Emmett Carlson.

Ann “Woodson” Britton was born May 15 to Upper School Math Teacher Jeb Britton and his wife Ibbie.

Ibbie and Jeb Britton ’99 with newborn daughter Woodson

Math Teacher Emmett Carlson with son Mason and daughter Temple

Teachers and administrators take a dunk for charity at the Missionary Society’s dunking booth contest.

Participants included Head of School Mason Lecky (pictured left) and Middle School leaders Mark Holloway, Warren Hunter and Marshall Ware (pictured right).

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Upper School English Teachers John Burke, Key Randolph and Jay Wood

STRENGTHS IN BEING A DESTINATION SCHOOL This year marks the 30th anniversary for Upper School English Teachers John Burke, Key Randolph and Jay Wood, and the 31st anniversary for Upper School Head Tony Szymendera.

Here they reflect on their early years and moving into their fourth decade at StC.

By Kathleen Thomas

74 | StC Magazine

“One of the strengths of St. Christopher’s and one of the signs of its strength is that it is a ‘destination school,’ a place where good people come and spend their entire careers. I am reminded of that every spring at commencement when the members of the Upper School faculty stand and are recognized

for their years of service. How remarkable and special it is to have faculty and staff members who have devoted 30 or 40 years or even more to St. Christopher’s and what a gift it is for a school to have that wealth of institutional memory.”

— Jim Jump, Upper School academic dean and director of college counseling End-of-school faculty-staff gathering June 7, 2018

TONY SZYMENDERA After graduating from Haverford College in 1985, Tony Szymendera taught religion and social studies for a year in the Philadelphia archdiocese as a long-term sub. He loved the experience of working with and motivating young people, and followed a college friend’s suggestion that he connect with an education placement agency, which helped land him the job at StC. Mr. Szymendera remembers with fondness the growing sense of camaraderie and belonging that came from teaching, coaching three sports and eating in the dining hall after practice. In tandem came increased responsibilities — helping with dances, directing student activities, handling discipline and being named head varsity baseball coach. “Professionally I was getting opportunities I knew were happening at a much faster rate than I could have expected, and culturally I really liked this place,” he said. “I had gone to an all-boys high school that was much bigger, but the all-boy environment resonated with me.”

At the end of his second year here, he was named honorary senior in the 1988 Raps & Taps. His prediction: “In 10 years, I will be running this school.” Within five, he was named head of Upper School, a role formerly held by the headmaster.

His collaborative style led him to initiate the school’s first Upper School faculty retreat to discuss past, present and future direction.

Priorities included being less sarcastic and more communicative. “I think having the opportunity to talk got a lot of grievances out and gave me a map,” he said. “I still feel like it’s my job not to have all the answers but to provide the means for figuring out the answers.”

Mr. Szymendera has considered other jobs during his 31 years here, specifically head of school opportunities, but found they couldn’t beat his current situation, since many had limited endowments.

“For some people, that would be a good challenge, but I would spend all my time raising money for someone else to do something with it in 10 years,” he said. “I can affect change right here, right now. Why do I need to go somewhere else for a new title?”

Tony Szymendera with Thomas Caravati ‘18

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John Burke coaching from the sideline

Key Randolph at graduation this year

JOHN BURKE

KEY RANDOLPH ‘84

During his senior year at Denison University, John Burke focused on interviews for business and sales jobs, but on a whim signed up with a private school placement service. About a week later, he got a call about an opening at StC and trekked to Richmond on Easter weekend. His ride dropped him at former administrator Doug Griffith’s home, who took him to Easter dinner at his mother-in-law’s house. That Monday he interviewed with many folks, but one moment particularly stood out: While eating lunch with then-Headmaster George McVey, a special needs cafeteria worker walked by and started ruffling Mr. McVey’s hair. With his characteristic understated cool, “George didn’t bat an eye,” Mr. Burke said.

Key Randolph ’84’s connection to StC goes back to transferring his junior year of high school after relocating from the San Francisco Bay Area. From the get-go, he loved the school, particularly relationships with faculty.

He fell in love with the place at first blush and was hired two weeks later.

This English and world history teacher, who was named head lacrosse coach his second year, soon found connections within the StC community. His favorite Denison professor was a poet and best friend to StC English Teacher Ron Smith. He worked at Camp Deerwood in New Hampshire, where History Department Chair Andy Smith was a camper and counselor for 21 years.

Mr. Burke said he’s never had the yearning to go anywhere else.

Marrying a Richmond girl was part of the equation, and he remains a big fan of the teacher/coach model. “To have the interaction with kids both in the classroom and through their extracurricular activities keeps a unique and special bond.”

John Burke early in his career at StC

76 | StC Magazine

He is grateful to former teachers Sandy West and Andy Smith, who took him skeet shooting and fishing, the latter of which became a lifelong passion. He credits Ron Smith with instilling a strong work ethic and appreciation for books and literature.

After graduating from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in English, Mr. Randolph followed through on his mom’s suggestion that he talk to school administrators about teaching. Mr. Randolph thought it was something he might pursue down the road, only to find out the school was hiring three English teachers. “I figured if there was any job you could do for nine months and leave, this is it,” he said.

“And 30 years later, here I am. I just really liked it.”

He thought about leaving once about 10 years in to go to law school to pursue a more lucrative career to support his young family. “It was really emotional,” he said. “I realized that if I felt so strongly about leaving St. Christopher’s, I probably shouldn’t go.”

He has enjoyed coaching, now focusing on pole vaulting, as a different way to connect with kids. He appreciates working with motivated students and with well-educated, professional colleagues.

Most of all, he is grateful for the autonomy granted. “The school trusts me to do the job without interfering a lot, which is really important. … To know that people have your back and support you, I think that’s hard to come by today. I don’t think there are many places that are as supportive of the boys and of us.”

Key Randolph ‘84 featured in The Pine Needle when he was in Upper School

WILL FUTURE TEACHERS EXHIBIT THIS LEVEL OF LOYALTY?

Jay Wood with his son Frost ‘17

Generational studies and statistics would say no. Mr. Szymendera doesn’t think this applies to everyone, however, especially those who are seeking community, a home that is more than a job. There have always been folks who are here for a couple years and leave for one reason or another, but there are others who stay, bringing ”that institutional memory from one generation to another,” Mr. Szymendera said. “If we’re doing the same things we were doing in the 1950s we wouldn’t exist.” Yet, “alumni can walk back on campus and find the important pieces are still there, the values, traditions, the intangibles that make St. Christopher’s St. Christopher’s. … It’s about honoring the past but also being relevant.”

JAY WOOD Jay Wood was hired to fulfill the responsibilities of then-English Chair Ron Smith, who took a year sabbatical. While on spring break from Princeton University, Mr. Wood played in a lacrosse tournament at Hampden-Sydney College and detoured to 711 St. Christopher’s Road for an interview. While he was expecting to land in a northeast school in a city with facilities that supported his passion for squash, he found himself taken with the southern school. “I liked the people and the culture,” he said. “There was no snobbishness. People seemed so much more welcoming than the New England boarding schools with which I’d already interviewed.”

Mr. Wood credits veteran Upper School English teacher Liston Rudd for “saving his bacon” his first year, mentoring him in everything from research paper prep to answering grammar questions.

When the time came for contract renewal, he was surprised when Headmaster McVey told him he didn’t have to worry about looking for another job. When Mr. Wood questioned him, Mr. McVey gave a typical pithy response: “If you were screwing up, I would know about it.”

Photo from The Pine Needle, fall 1988

Mr. Wood, who played soccer, squash and lacrosse in high school, focused on the latter at Princeton University, and was named head varsity soccer coach at StC. He came to appreciate the sport as a good fit for his coaching personality, with a greater aptitude for coaching in training sessions vs. ‘in-game’ coaching.

While pursuing his master’s at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English for five summers, he learned that other schools might pay more than StC, but they could not match the benefits.

“I feel very fortunate that I was permitted to teach and coach at the areas and levels that I was able to do well with,” said the English department chair.

In addition to working with talented students and caring colleagues, Mr. Wood said he’s come to appreciate the breadth of the StC community. “Hannah and I have benefited from living on campus and later sending our children to StC and St. Catherine’s,” he said.

“The past 30 years have provided a terrific opportunity to learn, to grow and to live and work here as a teacher and coach.”

Jay Wood from an earlier year at StC

Summer 2018 | 77

Dave Menges

By Henry Weatherford ’21 and Willem Peters ’21

DEPARTS AFTER 17 YEARS AS HEAD OF THE LOWER SCHOOL

By Henry Weatherford ‘21 and Willem Peters ‘21

The image of Mr. Dave Menges, head of the Lower School for 17 years, meeting children with a handshake and a kind greeting, is embedded in the memories of every St. Christopher’s parent, student and faculty member.

Mr. Menges has made it his goal to create what he calls a more “forward-moving and forward-thinking school.” He calls an organization that does not move to meet the requirements of a changing society and world “stuck.” He has worked to cultivate a close-knit ethos around the school, a caring and compassionate community where children are taught about empathy, collaboration and affection to prepare them for the needs of the 21st century.

“It brings me great satisfaction ... being confronted with a challenge or problem and trying to solve it — boys who are having a difficult time, teachers trying to think of new ways of teaching,

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best strategies or approaches to make situations better,” Mr. Menges said.

He always finds it difficult when a boy, family or colleague is going through a challenging time.

He said one of the most taxing times for him was the days following Sept. 11, during his first week working at St. Christopher’s: “I found it quite difficult to even talk to the boys after the attack,” he said.

“Many of them had lost loved ones and family friends. ... You can’t pull a lever and make everything better.”

Thankfully, not every day presents such challenges. “There are events, things like the ebb and flow of a school day,” he said. “You know, there’s a rhythm to it that kind of has a life of its own. I love it. It’s something that’s really special.”

Over the years, Mr. Menges has collected many memories. One time a boy, knowing Mr. Menges has a sweet tooth, gave him a brownie for April Fool’s Day that turned out to be a sponge.

Other memories are more serious, he said. “Having the [junior kindergarten] and [kindergarten] boys over during winter is

another one of my favorite memories. The religious aspect of things I also love, chapel, Holy Week and the Christmas season.”

Mr. Menges said that he is going to miss his colleagues, the students and people of St. Christopher’s.

“I just made so many great friendships over the years,” he said. “I just need to go have a conversation with [the boys], and [it makes] make me feel better. It’s been a really great, magical 17 years. It’s been hard work, but the more you put in, the more you get out.”

Mr. Menges said he has loved watching an entire generation grow and develop through his time here and is grateful for his own personal and professional development. “Over the years, I’ve been able to really learn more about who I am,” he said.

In the short term, Mr. Menges plans to do some seasonal work for Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Maine, which he worked for before coming here, and will commute back and forth between there and Richmond.

He will undergo some shoulder surgery because of a rotator cuff tear and have time to attend all his children’s games without having to worry about missing school.

His daughter, Erin, who received this year’s CAA Institutional Female Athlete-Scholar award, just graduated from the College of William and Mary where she excelled at field hockey. His son, Sean, a rising junior at the University of Richmond, plays lacrosse; Cara, a rising freshman at William and Mary, will also play field hockey there.

At Outward Bound, Mr. Menges will provide instruction on canoeing, hiking and other outdoor activities.

“There’s something about taking a group of young people who are at this really interesting stage of their lives, going out on expedition with them, teaching them skills to cope in an unfamiliar setting and watching how people grow under the circumstances,” he said. “It’s good for the student and good for me as well. There’s a sense of accomplishment when it’s all said and done.”

Mr. Menges said he believes that the change in setting is good for boys. The “learning is the same, but the situation is compressed.”

Mr. Menges’ resignation is a great loss for the school, his colleagues said.

The Rev. Megan Limburg, former Lower School chaplain, worked with Mr. Menges for 13 years. When the school was interviewing candidates for the position of principal, Mr. Menges was the last in line, and he was “clearly the best candidate … he was very positive and had high energy,” said Dr. Limburg, who enjoyed having as her boss someone who was always thinking about the “big picture.”

She admired him for overseeing the complex and ever-moving parts of the Lower School, while still keeping a great attitude.

Dr. Limburg said her favorite memory of Mr. Menges was on her 50th birthday. When the female faculty members wore pink tutus, Mr. Menges followed suit. He wore the tutu to carpool duty and posed for pictures.

“He was always willing to have fun and be silly at the right times,” Dr. Limburg said.

“I’d like to be remembered that I care, that I’m an optimistic, glass halffull eternally hopeful personality. I hope that people look back and say the things that drove him were ultimately for the good of the boys.”

“When something was not going well, he would ask you about it,” said Mrs. Parsley.

Second-grade Teacher Glorietta Jones described Mr. Menges as a “sensitive, kind-hearted man.” Her heart sank when she heard he was leaving.

Mr. Menges said he is excited about a new chapter, but also emotional and sad, calling STC his family.

Still, he added, “I think any institution like ours needs the benefit of a fresh lens.

Seventeen years is a long time.”

Henry Weatherford ’21 and Willem Peters ’21 are staff writers for the student publication, The Pine Needle, which ran this story in May.

On Monday, April 23, St. Christopher’s held a special chapel service to honor Mr. Menges’ contributions to the school. The entire school attended, including parents, friends and former Headmaster Charley Stillwell. Current Head of School Mason Lecky opened the service by thanking Mr. Menges for everything he had done, even in the short time he had known him. The Rev. Limburg talked about her 13 years with Mr. Menges.

Fifth-grade Teacher Kadie Parsley admires how Mr. Menges knows every boy by name and greets them every day and has found that he genuinely cares for the teachers.

Summer 2018 | 79

Retiring Faculty & Staff

Ginger Adamson Registrar “Ginger started working at St. Christopher’s in 1974, and except for a break to raise her two children, has been here ever since. A source tells me that Ginger was well aware of St. Christopher’s long before her first day at work, owing to her days as a St. Catherine’s boarder who dated a St. Chris student.

“Working as a college counseling administrative assistant requires a unique combination of skills and temperament. The fall consists of waves of application deadlines every two weeks, with a couple of those deadlines being more like tsunamis. Processing applications requires organization, attention to detail, patience, the ability to deal with stress and uncertainty and, at St. Christopher’s, an understanding and love of boys.

“Ginger has taken on her challenging job with grace and skill. She has also seen and adjusted to some significant changes in the college admission world. Today college admission is more complicated and more competitive than ever before, with more ways to apply and more deadlines. Twenty-five years ago there were four colleges that admitted fewer than 20 percent of applicants — today that number is around 50. An application process that used to stretch out over four months is now compressed into what seems like three weeks. Nearly 10 years ago over a three- or four-year period we went from all applications being done by paper and mailed to all applications being submitted electronically.

“She has also seen significant changes at St. Christopher’s. She has seen a change in the name of our office, from Guidance to College Counseling, and a change in the name of her title, from secretary to administrative assistant. She has moved from typing transcripts

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“Ginger has taken on her challenging job with grace and skill. ... She’s the glue that keeps us all together.” on a typewriter to printing them off the computer. She has seen the office move from the space now occupied by the switchboard to the Luck Leadership Center, and transitioned from college recommendations written by Bob Herzog consisting of either “Recommended” or “Highly Recommended,” with the number of exclamation points providing nuance, to my three-page handwritten, verbose drafts. She deserves workers’ comp for being able to decipher my handwriting.

“Approximately 10-15 years ago I served as president of the regional college admissions professional organization, and we had a board meeting in Columbia, Maryland. I drove up after coaching a basketball game, and by the time I arrived at the hotel the board had finished dinner and gathered in the bar. When I sat down with the group the conversation stopped, bringing my paranoia to the forefront. What they soon revealed was that the topic of conversation had been how they all wished they could hire Ginger.

“This is a day I hoped would never come. It is hard to imagine my office without Ginger, but I am excited for her to have time for herself and her grandchildren more than I am selfishly sad for me.

Please join me in thanking Ginger Adamson for sharing her talents with us all these years and making St. Christopher’s a better place.”

This is an excerpt of Jim Jump’s tribute to Ginger Adamson delivered at an all-school gathering at the end of school.

While she is retiring from a long tenure of service, Mrs. McCabe’s commitment to both of her crafts — modern and alternative medicine — will leave lasting impressions on patients lucky enough to receive her treatment.

Annette McCabe Lower School Nurse

By Henry Rodriguez ’18 What do the words “energy medicine” mean to you? Do you laugh and think of fake science and superstition that has no place in the modern era? Or do those words conjure up visions of long-forgotten learning; techniques that sound foreign and mystic yet have been timelessly applied by countless faithful healers?

Lower School Nurse Annette McCabe is the second kind of person.

A devoted servant of ailing young boys here at St. Christopher’s the past 17 years, Mrs. McCabe mostly dealt with cuts, bruises and other minor injuries often suffered by roughhousing boys, and she retired at the end of this year.

She became interested in energy medicine, also known as spiritual healing or Healing Touch, while visiting relatives and learning about family history in Europe. Her great-grandmother, she learned, was a midwife and town healer in 19th-century Germany.

Her great-grandmother would wave her hands around injured areas and place them on friends’ shoulders to heal them. Until her investigation, Mrs. McCabe said, “These were just stories that were passed down, and no one would believe it.”

This discovery stuck in her mind until an event several years later. A nursing journal published an article on energy medicine and Nurse McCabe then started exploring this holistic medicinal approach through formal means.

She described the process as manipulating energy fields around wound areas. Nurse McCabe uses her hands to bring oxygen to the afflicted part and move heat away, which she said accelerates healing. “I call it massaging the shadow,” she said. The practice is a part of integrative medicine, an area of study that includes massage, yoga, ayurveda and “other ways for the body to heal itself other than pills.”

She also uses emotional freedom techniques, or EFT, which heals by tapping the same energy pathways present in acupuncture.

Nurse McCabe has her own certified practice outside of school, where she hosts Healing Touch sessions with individual patients.

She also makes house calls and does hospice care, which “helps patients transition into the next life.” She has never been unable to comfort any of her patients so far, and currently helps people with all kinds of health problems, including ones with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Those concerned about Lower Schoolers being treated with Healing Touch for recess scrapes need not worry. In her duties at school, Mrs. McCabe strictly adheres to modern ways of treatment only. However, she has worked with with Lower School teachers like former Music Department Head Carrington Wise, who testified that the sessions helped her and her family “immeasurably.”

Mrs. McCabe doesn’t believe there’s any conflict whatsoever with modern medicine. “This is complementary medicine,” she said.

“That’s why it’s ‘integrative.’” She would never treat any patient who wouldn’t also see a doctor. In her view, traditional medicine combined with spiritual healing is the perfect combo.

She does believe that in the context of modern problems like the opioid crisis, “people will be looking for ways outside of more medication.” Even now, acupuncture is covered by insurance and Mrs. McCabe thinks it’s not long until “one day on health forms, it will say ‘check here for energy medicine.’”

“It’s exciting because I’m a pioneer,” Mrs. McCabe said. Still, she recognizes the role people like her great-grandmother have played. “It’s like, nothing’s new ... thousands of years they’ve been doing this stuff.”

While she is retiring from a long tenure of service, Mrs. McCabe’s commitment to both of her crafts — modern and alternative medicine — will leave lasting impressions on patients lucky enough to receive her treatment.

Henry Rodriguez ‘18 was co-editor-in-chief of the student magazine, The Pine Needle, which ran this article in its May issue.

Summer 2018 | 81

Extended Day Teacher Mary Rogers described her co-worker as “friendly, loyal and devoted.”

Mary O'Brien Extended Day Program

By Willem Peters ’21 Mrs. Mary O’Brien retired from St. Christopher’s this year, but has some fun plans for the future. After 31 years of helping kindergarten boys and girls, Mrs. O’Brien described her time here as wonderful.

Before St. Christopher’s, Mrs. O’Brien taught preschool at James City County School, showing that she has a knack for working with kids. During her time here, she devoted her time to Extended Day and was the overseer for fourth- and fifth-grade study halls.

During her time in Extended Day, Mrs. O’Brien witnessed many changes. She joined the program the second year it was launched, one of the two teachers to look out for 24 students.

The number of students has now grown to more than 400, and the workplace has had to change to accommodate the growing demand. “We have been in houses, trailers and now the old Lower School wing,” she said.

When asked what her favorite memory was from her time at St. Christopher’s, Mrs. O’Brien couldn’t say just one. Many of her memories are about how she got to see the children in Extended Day be so fun and creative.

One of the goals for Mrs. O’Brien has been to broaden the children’s horizons by talking about the Olympics and famous artists such as daVinci, Monet and Picasso. She described the kids as “sponges at this age” and was always amazed about how much information they retain.

Extended Day Teacher Mary Rogers described her co-worker as “friendly, loyal and devoted.”

What Mrs. O’Brien will miss most from St. Christopher’s are her relationships with the children and the teachers. She will miss the hugs from the kids, their spontaneous nature and their love of learning. She will also miss brainstorming what to do for the week ahead with other Extended Day faculty members.

After retirement, Mrs. O’Brien is most excited for traveling, reading books, bowling and TV binging. Also in retirement, she said the Extended Day program is so great, she wants to come back and substitute. She also wants to come back and volunteer with the Artists and Builders class.

Though she has retired, Mrs. O’Brien will stay involved with St. Christopher’s, which shows real commitment that has, hopefully, rubbed off on her students.

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Willem Peters ‘21 is a staff writer for The Pine Needle, which ran this article in its May issue.

Remembered for her love for the boys.

Pam McDaniel Junior Kindergarten Co-Teacher

By Coleman Wray ’21 Described as being loved by all the boys and an incredible asset, Junior Kindergarten Co-Teacher Pam McDaniel has retired after a quarter of a century at St. Christopher’s.

Mrs. Claudia Sloan, formerly Ms. Hubert, who worked with Mrs. McDaniel for 25 years, described her as “a steady right hand and really good friend who has taught me how to be a better person.”

Mrs. Sloan said that Mrs. McDaniel helped her gain a sense of the school when she started working there because McDaniel already had two boys who had gone to St. Christopher’s. This experience proved to be “a really good asset” in learning the traditions here.

Mrs. McDaniel also taught woodworking for 19 years to the Lower School boys. When she was approached about woodworking, she was hesitant, saying that she had “avoided power tools all my life,” but she ended up accepting the challenge.

If there’s one thing that Mrs. McDaniel will be remembered for, it is her love for the boys. Mrs. McDaniel said she “hopes I

brought some joy into these boys’ lives just like they did to me” during her long tenure.

However, Mrs. McDaniel will not miss some parts of her job. “Standing out at the playground when it was 20 degrees and windy” was among her least favorite moments. Mrs. McDaniel plans to enjoy her retirement by spending time at the beach in the fall to avoid cold, wet days in Virginia.

Since Mrs. McDaniel has been here for 25 years, she has obviously witnessed many changes to the school, including the Gottwald Science Center and the Luck Leadership Center.

She said that the school as a whole is “more compassionate” now than it’s ever been, while the “core values” are still present from when she started working here.

Mrs. McDaniel is grateful for her time at St. Christopher’s, and said the best advice she can give to any new teacher is to laugh and “never lose your sense of humor.”

Coleman Wray ‘21 is a staff writer for The Pine Needle, which ran this article in its May issue.

Summer 2018 | 83

March On, Saints Congratulations to St. Christopher’s Class of 2018 as they embark on the next chapter of their academic careers at top colleges and universities.

We are so proud of all you’ve accomplished.

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GRADUATES ATTENDING:

ONE

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17

NYU PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR

5 American University Auburn University Christopher Newport University (2) Clemson University College of William and Mary (5) Eckerd College Furman University George Mason University Hampden-Sydney College (6) High Point University

Colleges & Universities in

ONE

Lexus of Richmond Pursuit of Perfection Weekly Leadership Awards

James Madison University (9) Liberty University Longwood University Louisiana State University Loyola Marymount University Marshall University Montana State University Musicians Institute New York University Orange Coast College Randolph-Macon College

States & D.C.

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AP SCHOLARS

MOREHEAD-CAIN SCHOLAR UNC-CHAPEL HILL

FIFTEEN COLLEGE ATHLETES

Roanoke College Southern Methodist University St. Bonaventure University University of Alabama University of Denver University of Georgia University of Mississippi (2) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Oklahoma University of Pittsburgh

University of Richmond University of South Carolina (2) University of Virginia (9) Virginia Commonwealth University (3) Virginia Tech (11) Wake Forest University (2) Washington and Lee University (2) Yale University

SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, October 4 at 7pm

Peter Hamby Head of News at Snapchat

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The Magazine of St. Christopher’s

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

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

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

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Oil painting by Beth Marchant