The ReMarker | Sept. 2022

HABITS | New expectations

RECLAIMINGPHOTOS HONOR

Chinese teacher earns Gene and Alice Oltrogge Master Teaching Chair

BY Zack Goforth

Chinese teacher and Senior Class sponsor Janet Lin was appointed to the position of Gene and Alice Oltrogge Master Teaching Chair Aug. 17.

“I was deeply honored and caught by surprise,” Lin said, “but I also know that [the award] means a great responsibility.”

Following the award, Lin was able to reflect on her favorite memories from her seven years in the Foreign Language Department.“Myfavorite part of the job,” Lin said, “is when graduates email, call or text me and say, ‘Hey Ms. Lin, I placed in the third or fourth year for my college Chinese program.’ That’s how I know I equipped them well, and I really brought them to

the level they’re supposed to be at or sometimes even higher.”

As of now, Lin’s plans for the future of the Chinese program center around expansion.

“I want to give every student at St. Mark’s a chance to enroll in the Chinese program by exposing them to Chinese in some way,” Lin said. “I want them to not be afraid of learning Chinese and to realize that it can be fun.”

To do so, Lin plans to extend the program’s outreach.

“Lower School, for example, doesn’t have a Chinese program,” Lin said, “but we have the school-wide events such as the Lunar New Year celebration. Even though some kids do not have Chinese classes, events like this help to expose them to the culture. This year, we are planning even more surprises for the whole school.”

Another one of Lin’s goals is to reinstate the international trip to “TheChina.trip[to China] has been cancelled since 2019 because of the pandemic,” Lin said, “so we plan to resume this trip because it’s a great experience for everyone that goes.”

Even with these new developments, Lin looks back and believes she would not be assuming this prestigious position without the help of a select few.

“I would like to thank Mr. Dini and Mr. Ashton, and all of my colleagues for supporting me,” Lin said. “But mostly, I would like to thank my students for enjoying my class. Last year was a pretty difficult time for me, but I could wake up and know I was coming to teach [my students], which made really helped get me through those times and made me happy.”

STORY Shreyan Daulat, Arjun Khatti, Morgan Chow, Dillon Wyatt Sal Hussain, Morgan Chow

It's the first "normal" school — two years in the making. Standards are high. Consequences are higher. Time to tighten up on the little things. See coverage, pages 16-17.

The catgovernorgreatfight

MYLESFocusLOWENBERGMagazineEditor

T exas is one of the fastest growing states in the nation, with thousands moving here every week — so why does our most prominent citizen want to leave so badly?

Is it the housing costs? The mosquitoes? The crime? Maybe it’s the weather. I heard Washington D.C. is very nice this time of year.

But no, I still just can’t believe it. Our most illustrious dear Governor Greg Abbott, exiling himself to that swamp? Why would he ever want to move there, besides becoming the most powerful person on ear...— Ok, actually I think I get it now.But if Abbott wants to follow Kristaps Porzingis to D.C., can he at least be a little more subtle about it? I know his job being a Presidential candidate is a lot of work, but he should really focus on his side gig as governor of Texas a bit more.

In case you’ve been living under a political boulder for the last two years, you should know Abbott has been engaged in a click-measuring contest with his frenemy, Ron DeSantis. Both are Republican governors and absolutely awful at hiding they want to get out of their states as soon as possible.

They’ve been passing lots of laws that relate to the “culture wars.” If you don’t know what the culture wars are, God bless your soul. I won’t burden your pure and innocent mind by telling you. I’ll just say that they are to whatever remained of our nation’s governing ability what a flamethrower is to a piece of

Theybroccoli.gosomething like this: One of them sees, say, a tiny minority of children with an extremely high rate of mental illness and depression and says, “I should make laws specifically targeting them, even though my state could really use actual legislation.” The other one realizes this simply cannot do. He is now obligated by some sort of ancient Republican ritual to pass an even harsher law that does even less to solve the problem.Thestate of our politics is best described by knowing this massive economic loss is because of two theoretical friends’ subtly catty relationship with each other.

Fun!The funniest part about this is that Donald Trump will run for President again in 2024 and crowd out the entire Republican field. All the click-measuring contest for nothing! Oopsie. Maybe after all this, we can finally have an actual governor? Pretty please?

BROTHER-SISTER

Destined TO BE

How the school's long-lasting relationship with The Hockaday School has evolved over time.

See coverage, page 6

A NATURAL ATTRACTION An integral part of single-gender schools is having an adequate number of interactions with the opposite gender. Fortunately, two of the most storied single-gender institutions in the state are just around the corner from one another, and already have a long-standing, beneficial relationship.

NEWS IN BRIEF

DEBATE SUMMER TRIP Over the summer, the debate team traveled to the University of Michigan Debate Institute. For several weeks, the boys went to lectures and labs every day, where they honed their craft and getting a head start on the arguments of this year’s topic, which will allow the team to perform better at tournaments both individually and as a team.

COMMUNITY SERVICE The first of three community service deadlines throughout the school year will be five hours due on Oct. 10. The following five hours will be due on Feb. 6, and the last five will be due on April 10. While hours performed during the summer count towards Presidential Service Awards, they do not count towards the school’s own requirements. The three deadlines serve to incentivize students to do hours on a more regular basis. While the longer deadline’s goal last year aimed to give students more

HEADLINESBreakingdownthismonth’s

opportunities and flexibility in completing their community service requirements, it resulted in numerous boys waiting until the last few weeks to get their hours in.

MCDONALD'S WEEK The theme for this year’s McDonald’s Week will be “Space Jam,” as decided by a vote of the junior class at a class meeting on Sept. 1. McDonald’s Week, an annual weeklong fundraiser headed by the junior class benefitting Austin Street Center, will take place from Nov.

Students14-17.can attend many events throughout the week to support Austin Street, including a car wash, dinners in the evening at various restaurants in the area and activities at McDonald’s in the morning before school and throughout the school day on All-Day Day. “Space Jam” was chosen over the other finalist, “Cars,” both of which were suggested by junior co-chairs Lucas Blumenthal, Ryland Ellis and Ashrit Manduva.

hot topics.

What happened: Ukraine launced a largescale counter offensive against Russia.

When: Aug. 29

APPLICATIONS RECORD The school received 876 student applicants this year, a record number. The school admitted 135 students, leading to the smallest admission ratio in school history. New application records have been set each year for the last four years, which is due to a factor of reasons like Dallas’ relatively attractive business climate. In the past, around six applicants have applied from California. However, there were more than 60 applicants that applied for the 2021-2022 year.

EVENSONG The first evensong of the year took place on Sept. 18. The Roosevelt Family Pipe Organ was fully functional for the first time in three years and was rededicated, honoring the donors that made building the organ possible for the first time in 2011. The choristers sang two of the same pieces for the school community they performed on their summer trip to England. relationsSchoolhateIndianstoryPhoto

How two of Dallas' oldest schools have stayed together over time.

Importance and relevance: The attack has largely proven to be a success, as Ukraine has taken back major towns while reportedly outnumbered eight to one.

What happened: Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96.

When: Sept. 8

Importance and relevance: Elizabeth was the longest-ruling monarch in England's history. She spent over 70 years on the throne.

What happened: The first death due to Monkeypox was confirmed in the US.

When: Sept. 13

Importance and relevance: The resident of Los Angeles County became the first to die from the disease in the US after tens of thousands of confirmed cases.

What happened: The 21st anniversary of 9/11.

When: Sept. 11

Importance and relevance: The national tragedy was remembered by numerous gatherings and a speech by President Joe Biden.

GRAPHIC Morgan Chow, Matthew Hofmann

The best pictures Ekansh Tambe '22 took in Ukraine this summer.

A deeper look on how a recent incident rocked our community.

Not on their watch

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD has joined the long line of school districts around Texas in banning or limiting certain books or topics from being taught or discussed in schools. In this case, topics included the discussion of gender identity and Critical Race Theory, among others. As these changes move closer and closer to campus, we sat down with students to learn about the most recent ban and how they could impact each student's education as a whole.

I understand that Grapevine High School has limited discussion of various topics in classes. Can you quickly list off what those are and how those have impacted your classes so far?

Kyle Oltmann, freshman at Grapevine High School: So far, I think it has just been things regarding pronouns and LGBTQ students, but I do not fully understand or know what they are. As far as I can see, nothing has really changed in schools. The teachers still teach the same way that they have been.

I heard some students organized a walkout over this policy. Was a lot of the school supporting it?

KO: The support behind the walkout is pretty much only from the group who walked out from what I've seen. About half of the kids outside were protesting the protesters just to make fun of it. Since the kids who walked out would wear all black, a lot of kids wore all white to protest the walkout. There were also kids who would go outside and yell insults at the group of protesting students and things like that. Some of the kids I know were trolling because of what their personality is like, but there are some kids who genuinely think what the school board has done was a good idea.

Critical race theory was also banned from being discussed, which has some parents concerned about their children not learning the full scope of American history. Has this ruling changed your history class curriculum at all?

KO: I haven't learned it so far, and I do not really know what it is. From what I’ve seen, our history classes are still the same. From my little brother's perspective in early elementary school, history classes haven't changed either.

Being a student yourself, what do you think about these changes? Are you concerned that they will negatively affect your education by causing you to not learn about certain things?

KO: From my point of view, there are some things that should be taught in schools and some things that parents should teach their children. These topics that they banned could be taught in school, but if your parents know about it, then they can teach you more, and sometimes in better ways, than what the school can do. But, I think that it

BY Neil Yepuri

T he Literary Festival is back for the 2022-23 school year with a new panel of guest writers.

The Brent P. Johnson ’89 Guest Writer, and the headliner of this year’s event, is Rebecca Makkai, a novelist and short story writer. Best known for her novel The Great Believers and her short story compilation Music for War Time, she also has an upcoming novel upcoming called I Have Some Questions for You

“The Great Believers is her most celebrated novel, and deservedly so,”

Literary Festival sponsor David Brown said. “But my favorite is The Hundred-Year House, a fascinating ghost story. Music for

is just not really going to affect our learning since they aren’t taking away any major units from the Texas Board of Education's requirements for graduating.

How does banning certain topics end up devaluing a student’s education?

Senior Akash Raghunathan: An education is supposed to make you more informed about the world and deal with the world better. Banning perspectives, even if they are perspectives you disagree with, is counterintuitive. One example is not talking about slavery and not talking about how the wrongs from slavery haven’t been righted. That’s worth hearing because it’s worth knowing somebody feels that way. You may not agree with reparations, but you have to hear about why people believe they have been screwed over.

Do you think banning certain topics could end up changing students' opinions about the world?

AR: We read racist and anti-Semitic documents in history class. It doesn’t mean we agree with them. We have to see these perspectives that are not great. We have to see where we messed up in the past to stop it from returning in the future.

What kind of an effect do you think this will have on students who may miss out on learning about certain subjects?

AR: I think if people are not exposed to perspectives, that just makes you less aware. Especially if they are from certain areas or certain races, it just increases division on all fronts. That would be a major effect on education. It will make education more polarized. If you're selectively informed, you may be informed on one thing because you agree with it, or not informed on another thing because you don't agree with it. In the end, that will just separate people even more.

Why do you think banning topics in school has become an issue?

AR: I feel like the main issue is just politics. There are people trying to make a stand to make themselves different. I honestly think that in and of itself is an issue. It's a political issue, so some people can get more votes, and some people can look bad. This is one of those things where it's up to an individual school and individual district. It should not be a huge political issue like it is. If you want to have a discussion on why you do not want a book in a library or to discuss a book, I don't think it shouldn't become a big political thing.

Texas school districts who have recently limited the teaching of certain topics:

ISD:ColleyvilleGrapevine(20 miles from campus)

Carroll ISD: (25 miles from campus) Keller ISD: (31 miles from campus)

Allowed teachers to not call students by their preferred pronouns, gave trustees power to select the books that are taught, banned talk of gender identity until sixth grade and Critical Race Theory outright.

Placed the biography of a Black author, who was also the namesake of a middle school in the district, under Removedreview.

almost 50 books from circulation including the Bible, various LGBTQIA+ related titles, and a graphic novel version of Anne Frank's biography.

War Time is a collection of short stories, some of the best I've recently read.”

Another guest speaker is poet and essayist Martin Espada, who has won the National Book Award for Poetry for his collection of poems, Floaters. He has also written a book of essays called Zapata’s Disciple “[Espada] especially explores social issues and the plight of people who are marginalized,” Brown said. “He’s won a number of awards as a poet.”

Former Highland Park student and screenwriter Josephine Decker is also on this year’s panel, having written or directed three movies, including one about the life of writer Shirley Jackson, and another about a student named

Madeline.“Anumber of our teachers either do teach or have, at one time, taught 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson,” Brown said. “Madeline's Madeline is about a teen confronting some trauma in her life, so that's relevant for high schoolers too.”

Finally, former Marksman and editor for the Criterion Collection, Ben Mercer ‘03, will be a guest speaker, representing the first time an editor will be on the panel.“Editing is so much an important part of the writing process for students as they proofread their work,” Brown said. “That's what a professional editor does too.” Festival

TOP PICKS

STORY Dillon Wyatt, Grayson Redmond

BashourZacharyPHOTO

KYLE GrapevineOLTMANNHighSchool student

Breaking boundaries while capturing every moment

Ekansh Tambe '22 spent the summer traveling to Ukraine to examine the current social situation as a result of the recent Russian invasion. Tambe traveled to different refugee camps, including a psychiatric facility in Sadhora, meeting locals and experiencing their ways of life. Here are some of the highlights of his trip as seen through the lens of his camera.

EkanshCOMPILATIONDawsonYaoPHOTOSTambe

Are forgotten?AmericansIndian

Much of recent discourse over racial discrimination has focused on issues such as police violence and mass incarceration against African Americans or xenophobia and prejudice against Southeast Asians, but a shocking incident in the heart of Plano in late August begs an obvious question: are we unfairly overlooking Indian Americans?

STORY Will Spencer

Threats of violence and affirmations of hate sprinkled with a healthy dose of expletives echoed through a Plano parking lot Aug. 25.

The victims of these attacks were four Indian women, speaking to each other on a normal night out before being approached by the Mexican American realtor who shot out slights at them between intermittent physical strikes.

In recent years, discourse concerning racism and race relations in the United States has increased massively, but discrimination against some racial groups has certainly received vastly more focus than others. This attack aimed at Indian Americans, calls that focus into question.

Was this attack an isolated incident, or was it indicative of a larger trend? Are Indian Americans being unfairly forgotten in campaigns for equality?

The recipients of the attack were four Indian women. Frightened by the incident, several of them took cell phone videos of the attack, which ultimately went viral on social “Suddenly,media.we heard this woman yelling at us and started coming toward us, and we were shocked by the racial slurs that she used and her combative attitude,” one of the victims said in an interview with WFAA TV one day after the incident.

One of the women is the mother of alumnus Ayush Saha ‘19, bringing the proximity of the incident even closer to our very own campus.

Given the locality of the incident to the school, some students are worried that they might one day be on the wrong end of such an attack.

One of many Indian Americans on campus, senior Arjun Badi, president of the Political Forum Club, devotes himself to correcting what he sees as injustices in the world around him. When Badi saw the viral video of the attack in the parking lot for the first time, he wasn’t surprised.

“The sad part about the incident in the parking lot is that it wasn’t shocking,” Badi said. “Somehow, it wasn’t shocking that people would be harassed for doing essentially nothing. I mean, that woman threatened to pull out a gun on them for literally nothing.”

Badi wasn’t shocked by the video, simply because he had already seen plenty of similar incidents before. His experiences with anti-Indian stigma go back to his early childhood.

“I used to live in northern Louisiana,” Badi said. “In first grade, one of my white classmates spat on my face and told me to go back to where I came from. I came from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but for some reason I don’t think he was telling me to go back there.”

Badi laments that Indian Americans are often unable to simply pursue their livelihoods in peace. Despite their hard work, Badi claims that a stigma“Peopleremains.like my parents, immigrants to this country, worked hard to support a family, but some people just do not understand that we’re just trying to make our way in the world,” Badi said. “People should have a right to just go to a restaurant without being harassed.”

One explanation for a lack of public focus on Indian American race relations could be people’s tendencies to

focus on what is in the news.

According to Director of Diversity and Inclusion Lorre Allen, sometimes people can unfortunately get caught up in the rush.

“At the end of the day, I think more people will focus on more recent news events,” Allen said.

“Ensuring inclusivity, understanding of diversity and differences, and a shared sense of belonging is not a one-time thing. These [principles] should be how we live and treat each other, but sometimes I think they’re overlooked in the moment.”

Allen posits that the solution to such an information overload lies in an intentional effort from all Americans to focus on racism’s entirety.

“We have so much information going through our news feeds, but I think that attention needs to be placed on racism as a whole,” Allen said.

“This attention is required in order for us to be better humans in how we treat eachBadiother.”gives one simple piece of advice to Americans wishing to create a more equal nation: treat Indian Americans with the same decency that you would give to any other.

“Indian Americans are just like any other group in this country,” Badi said. “We aren’t special, and we don’t deserve special treatment. We just need to be equally recognized. When something happens to anyone in this country, like what happened at that parking lot, there needs to be a nationwide discussion about it.”

Editor’s note: See page 27 for Managing Editor Arjun Khatti’s personal column on his culture following the event referenced in this story.

BY Akash Manickam

The International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC) conference, hosted annually by a member school, took place on campus June 26-29.

The conference, which was suspended for two years due to COVID-19, drew in 500 teachers from all-boys schools around the world.

“They met for four days here on campus,” Conference Committee Chair and Assistant Head of Middle School Jason Lange said. “They got to experience five keynote speakers, nearly 100 workshop sessions, and two evening receptions. The first evening was at Old Parkland, and the second evening was at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.”

The idea of bringing the conference here was first brought up after Headmaster David Dini attended the 2016 conference in Vancouver, Canada.

A committee of 17 faculty and staff members met monthly for 18 months as part of the planning process. While Lange was the chair of the committee, Lower School humanities instructor Shannon Nadalini and computer science instructor Kurt Tholking also served as co-chairs.

“The three of us recruited 14 others on campus who had various areas of expertise and experience in planning

events,” Lange said. “For example, there was a hospitality committee that was in charge of things like food and catering, transportation to and from the hotel, how we would entertain spouses who came with delegates to the conference.”

The committee planned events and catering, recruited speakers and proposed possible teacher workshops. Lange compared the experience to hosting the Olympic games.

“Schools bid for the honor to host it,” Lange said, “and they have to have the resources and the desire to put on a conference that can accommodate 500 people.”

After basic planning was completed, the school’s community was asked to provide any help they could.

“The entire faculty of St. Mark’s really stepped up to give presentations, to guide people on campus, to attend evening receptions, to welcome people to Dallas,” Lange said.

The experience was eye-opening and rewarding for the school’s“Thefaculty.bestthing that came out of the conference for me personally was a closer relationship with my St. Mark’s colleagues,” Lange said. “We had to work together in ways that I haven’t worked with them before to plan, organize, and execute a world-class conference.

THESETTINGSCENE

injury.seriousfearthreatathearrestattacker’sledlotinconfrontationAaparkingultimatelytotheunderchargeofterroristiccausingofabodily

Lorre DirectorAllenofDiversity and Inclusion

Arjun Badi Senior

GRAPHIC Will Spencer

“

In first grade, one of my white classmates spat in my face and told me to go back where I came from.

ARJUNSeniorBADI

Together through thick and thin, from now to then

Since 1913, St. Mark's and Hockaday have shared a strong bond. The two single-gendered sibling schools have frequently coordinated activities together. However, as time has passed, some of these have vanished, to the point where the future of the relationship remains unclear. To gain a better understanding of the schools' relationship through the years, we took a look at the schools' intertwined history. After all, it's impossible to determine the future without learning about the past.

There’s always been a bond between us. Since the era of Menter Terrill, a strong brother-sister relationship between St. Mark’s and Hockaday has connected the two schools, creating an interschool association full of reciprocal care. Having endured the test of time, the partnership has allowed for a unique collaboration between the two.

However, since various events connecting the institutions have been shut down, two major questions haveHowarisen.did we get to this point in our relationship?

Where do we go from here?

The relationship between St. Mark’s and Hockaday has existed since the inception of both schools, which were founded by friends Menter Terrill and Ela Hockaday in 1906 and 1913, respectively.

“Ela Hockaday was a student of Menter Terrill,” Associate Headmaster and Interim Head of Upper School John Ashton said. “The two of them were quite innovative in working with education. The whole impetus for founding Hockaday came from founding a school for girls with a rigorous academic environment, without sending girls to boarding school.”

At first, the bond had a very practical purpose: allowing girls to take classes at St. Mark’s which weren’t offered at Hockaday, and vice versa. The connection between the two worked well for both schools, providing equal opportunities for boys and girls alike.

“[The fluidity] was fascinating, and it worked fairly well,” Ashton said. “There was a consistent presence of students going back and forth between the two schools, especially if you had a free period on one end or lunch on the other.”

“Towards the end of the program, some of the women coming over from Hockaday felt like the oncampus environment was unfavorable,” Owens said.

However, regardless of the status of the program now, Owens still remembers the system“Wefondly.wereprobably made a little more aware that we should be more polite and less crude,” Owens said. “But they certainly fit in the classroom, and I still do miss it.”

Nevertheless, the connection from before still remains, and activities have carried over and remained traditions.

“Community service, drama, social activities, and other programs have certainly stayed the same,” Ashton said. “As far as the formal activities that we share, they’re unchanged.”Fromapurely academic perspective, the bond has many different types of benefits. History instructor Dr. Andrea Hamilton, who analyzed an all-girls school as a part of her dissertation, sees having a brother or sister school as a win-win.

“The argument is that if you have a close relationship between single-sex, male and female, schools you can share the best of both worlds,” Hamilton said. “You get the benefits of single-sex education, but you aren't separating people unnaturally.”

Hamilton sees many other benefits for having a brother-sister school relationship.

and it would take those schools having a real commitment to making it happen."

From Hockaday’s perspective, there are also many benefits for having a strong connection.

“Aside from the obvious co-educational reasons, a strong relationship between our schools allows us to increase support for student activities, push each other towards excellence, have more productive conversations to challenge our own thinking, and create a bigger community of learners,” Hockaday Head of Upper School Lisa Culbertson said.

Culbertson, a former student at Hockaday, remembers these shared experiences which are now non-existent. She posited that a return to that format would be great for bothIschools.“Whenwasastudent at Hockaday, we had joint classes, and several clubs were co-ed,” Culbertson said. “If I had a wish list, the top item would be for our schools to find creative ways to engage more academically and with other extracurriculars, even if our schedules do notYet,match.”Culbertson still recognizes that the bond was bound to shift as time passed.

“All relationships evolve over time, and ours is not immune to that evolution,” Culbertson said. “We have been through years where we have been very close and others that were less connected.”

JOHN AssociateASHTONHeadmaster

Chemistry instructor Kenneth Owens ‘89, who attended the school during that time, also enjoyed the dynamic, and the duality between the schools.

“There was an attempt to make women present in the classes,” Owens said. “The teachers were good about making sure everyone was included, and it worked.”

However, certain obstacles have since limited that interchangeability. Namely, schedule differences.

“[Hockaday] went to a block schedule in the late 90s, and we’ve remained on a different schedule,” Ashton said. “As a result, the ability to take classes was diminished quite a bit at that point.”

According to Owens, the decline was also partially due to the environment that the school produced, mostly because of the overwhelming amount of boys.

“I think that either sex could benefit from the perspective of another,” Hamilton said. “We talk a lot about being open to different perspectives, and having co-ed classrooms and discussions definitely brings that to the table.”

Hamilton believes her classroom would benefit from having that difference in opinion

“I would love to have female students in my classes,” Hamilton said.

“In AP, for instance, we talk about men, women, class and race. We’d like diversity in the classroom. However, that would be something that would be decided by the administration,

Though it is a relationship that has lasted for over 100 years, the schools are still fundamentally different.

“We're different schools, and we're governed independently,” Ashton said. “We're separate. There’s not a formal relationship with regard to governance or administrative leadership, and we're independent in that regard.”Despite this, Ashton still recognizes the valuable interactions between the two schools, and commends them, as well as the students, for continuing to develop the relationship from decade to decade.

“I think it’s great that there remains real interest,” Ashton said. “We certainly remain committed to Hockaday, and speaking as a former and current administrator for both schools, I’m grateful that we have this relationship that exists between the two communities. We are proud to live in a place where these exist.”

STORY Dawson Yao, Grayson Redmond, Will Clifford

“ Change doesn’t have to be about big events; several small events or activities can change relationship,thetoo.

LISAHockadayCULBERTSONHeadofUpperSchool

KEN OWENS '89 Chemistry instructor

LISA HockadayCULBERTSONHeadofUpper School

DR. ANDREA HAMILTON History instructor

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION Will Spencer PHOTOS Courtesy Development Office, The Hockaday School

10600 PRESTON ROAD Starting out as the Terrill School, St. Mark's School of Texas was the result of a merge between Texas Country Day and the Cathedral School for Boys, founded 1933 and 1946 respectively.

11600 WELCH ROAD Hockaday was founded in 1913 with a campus on Haskell Avenue, before moving to their Greenville Avenue campus in 1919 and their current home on Welch Road in 1961.

THE BOYS IN WHITE The first students graduated in 1906, with the classic white button-down shirts having been implemented since the very beginning. This year, the school had a record 876 student applicants, with only 135 admitted.

THE GIRLS IN GREEN Hockaday admits girls from 14 different grade levels, from pre-K to 12th grade.They have more than 6,500 alumnae in 44 different countries.

BANNER CHAPEL Every year, fourth graders make banners to present in chapel. Led by art instructor Suzuko Davis, the boys make the banners out of large felt sheets and then showcase their work by proceeding down the chapel aisle.

FINE ARTS PROGRAMS Hockaday offers many different forms of arts, including theater, dance and orchestra, with musicals being common throughout the year.

GRADUATION Serving as the final step of their journeys at both Hockaday and St. Mark's, seniors line up in rows, side by side, with their sisters and brothers. During the ceremonies, various speeches are delivered and awards and diplomas are distributed, making for some very emotional events. In 2020, Hockaday graduated with social distancing, with each senior adequately spread out (top). Last year, the Class of 2022 was sent off, wearing the trademark white tuxedos in the process (right). It was the first full commencement service since 2019, with Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt '83 as the speaker.

PHOTOS Courtesy Development Office, The Hockaday School

salespoweredtoCaliforniabangascars

BY Zack Goforth

By 2035, a mere 13 years away, all new cars in the state of California will have to be electric or hydrogen powered. The internal combustion engine has been on its way out for years, but it finally has a due date. Maybe it really is all for the better, though. After all, the facts don’t lie; global warming and climate change continue to worsen while air pollution runs rampant in densely populated cities around the country. If we don’t change, the earth will.

But for that odd group of people who believe cars are more than just heaping piles of metal and wires and rubber, it’s almost like a part of us is dying — a part of us that leaks oil, misfires on cylinder four and spits out noise. Raw, visceral noise. A noise that makes a five-yearold kid realize what his new passion is. As more and more people jump on the electriccar-revolution, cars nowadays seem to be losing the very thing that makes them stand out — their personalities. As I mentioned before, sound is a huge part of the driving experience.

The rich rumble of a Subaru boxer-four or the sensual scream of a Porsche flat-six are actually forms of music. Everyone and their mother can appreciate the sound of that rich guy down the street’s Ferrari. There are also other things that will go down with the combustion engine, some of which are already on their way

Nobodyout. knows how to drive stick anymore. And I’m not sure how working on an electric car by yourself is going to fly with most people. Despite this, there’s obviously a positive side to it besides saving the earth and what not. We won’t have to worry about gas prices anymore. Less moving parts means less things can go wrong. And, as most people are starting to find out, electric cars really are just quicker.

It is the future, and it’s a future that all twenty people reading this who are deranged enough to feel an emotional connection with a machine are going to have to embrace. Electric vehicles have their place — and even autonomous ones have theirs. But personally, I’m still going to daydream about the day I can tear it up through some California switchbacks, ripping through gears with a symphony of steel right behind my head.

The future is coming, but maybe it can wait. Just one more day.

STEM IN BRIEF INSIDE

GEOLOGY RETURNS Geology class is returning for the first time in five years. Previously, there have not been enough kids who want to take the class. Science instructor Dan Northcut will teach the semesterlong course. The class will cover topics ranging from mineral and rock identification to geologic time and the geologic process. Additionally, they will go on a field trip to search for shark teeth and a behind-thescenes trip to the Perot Museum.

PLANTING PATHS Cultivation Nation has spent the summer working on a prairie restoration project along the Northaven Trail. The club, led by senior Akash Munchi and sponsored by science instructor Dan Northcut, works on planting trees and plants around Dallas to make it a greener place. The club has been meeting all summer, working on projects around Dallas. In June, they started their prairie restoration project. Members

ResidentTIMEmetereologist

planted native prairie plants from seeds they collected during the last school year. In November, the club will plant trees they grew in the greenhouse for a reforestation project.

ENGINEERING COURSE The recently inaugurated engineering eight elective will take place in the second semester this school year. The course is designed to seamlessly connect students from basic seventh grade computer science to more advanced robotics. The course is less structured than computer science, allowing students to design and create their own robots. The elective will occur three times in each eight-day rotation, half as often as a normal class. Since its inception last year, the class has enjoyed high enrollment numbers, as a quarter of eighth graders are currently signed up for it. Students will have an opportunity to get introduced to the Makerspace.

WEATHER REPORT

Akash Munshi breaks down the upcoming forecast in Dallas.

MATH STUDENTS WIN AWARDS

This summer, three students – junior Kevin Lu, sophomore Surya Dinesh, and eighth-grader Tony Lu – placed second and tenth respectively in the global ARML math competition as part of the Texas team at Iowa University. Texas was split up into three teams.

Kevin Lu’s team placed second overall, and Tony Lu’s and Dinesh’s team placed tenth overall. Tony Lu and Dinesh tied for their team's highest individual round score.

POWER GRID Texas lawmakers passed bills to prevent the power grid from collapsing during inclement weather. The bill gave money to companies to prepare power plants for inclement weather. Workers wrapped electric cables and pipes with rubber insulation at several power plants. However, the shortage of natural gas is problematic for the plants to stay running during stormy weather.

Soaring HIGH days

Today High is in the low 90s. Low is in the upper 60s to low 70s. Dry and sunny. Slight chance of a shower: less than 5%.

Tomorrow High is in the upper 80s to low 90s. Low is in the high 60s. Dry.

Sunday High is in upper 80s to low 90s. Low is in the mid to high 60s. Slight chance of rain, about 5%.

Slightly cooler than the past week.

Victor Vescover '84 takes the ride of a lifetime on a BlueOrgin rocket to outer space, floating in the the zero gravity of his cabin. coverage, 11

ROCKETMAN Vescovo and his crewmates rise above the Earth and witness its beauty firsthand. The alumnus adds this adventure to his impressive resume.

How a national bill will affect both the enviroment and our economy.

Mark Stern ’77 reflects on his decades long research career.

Victor Vescovo ’84 shares his story of how he left the world.

PHOTO Creative Commons

Going for green: inside the ReductionInflation Act

Black smoke rises as forests burn. Temperatures rise as icebergs melt. Green vegetation slowly withers.

Politicians struggle to reconcile environmental and economic disasters. Time slowly ticks away as the worldUntildecays.Aug. 7, an agreement is made. A deal was reached, and its aim? To fix the problems we face.

The bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act is seen as a catalyst for change by environmentalists. Senior Sam Adams, vice president of the environmentalist student organization, Green Mark’s Club, sees this as a move in the right “Thesedirection.aresome pretty big steps forward,” Adams said. “Especially with the money that's being directed towards initiatives to fund credits to companies, which are focusing on new carbon capture technology implementations.”

These credits are part of a market-based approach to limiting climate change. By incentivizing companies to reduce their carbon footprint, results are speculated to be achieved much faster.

“With global warming, there isn't a ton of time left to do something to slow down the rate of our human effect,” Adams said. “So incentivizing companies to focus their resources and time on green technology development will

help make the reduction of climate change possible faster.”

The development of new green technology is also projected to lead to the development of more green energy jobs. The White House has said that credits in areas that used to specialize in coal and oil energy will be worth nearly ten percent more.

“The credits directed towards towns, especially in states that used to primarily run coal mines and steel operations, now give incentives for them to open green energy producing facilities,” Adams said. “And from an economic standpoint, that's great for both the environment and the economy, because you're stimulating jobs in places that don't have jobs as a whole.”

However, not all parts of the bill were as environmentally oriented. To get the bill passed through a notoriously partisan government with a Senate completely split down the middle between both parties, concessions had to be made on both the taxing and spending side. Among these concessions was the reopening of public lands to drilling for oil and gas.

“Despite being necessary for the act to pass,” Adams said, “the concessions made specifically regarding West Virginian oil drillings is not a step towards a better environment that the other parts of the bill champion.”

Even with the concessions, the Inflation Reduction Act is projected to match 90 percent of the original emission reductions contained in the Build Back Better Act, which was rejected for being too one-sided. However, many people have their doubts.

Economics professor Bryan Boucher questions the usefulness of a market-based approach.

“There are external impacts of the market decision,” Boucher said. “That's where we need the government to come in and place limits or taxes to restrict some of those kinds of natural market conditions.”

But, Boucher doubts the gravity of the impact this will“Ihave.think it can help to lead to better practices, which can then lead to f less impact on the theseveralBoucherenvironment,”said.Theactalsohasprovisionsforlimitationofinflation.

However, these reductions are not projected to be nearly as effective as the ones for climate change. Boucher approves of the acts’ sentiment; however, he doubts the overall effectiveness.

“Whenever the government tries to get involved in the natural economic market, it's always a challenge,” Boucher said. “Imagine landing a plane. The challenge is making sure that we bring the plane down, but that we don't bring it straight down, so it crashes, or that we don't bring it down enough so that it continues flying.”

External factors make it hard to determine whether the government’s intervention will have any significant impact.“Economists will tell you there's not a direct correlation causation,” Boucher said. “Prices will ultimately fall when the market is ready for them to fall.”

According to Boucher, inflation rates have likely reached their peak and will begin to fall naturally, however, these predictions are tentative due to the numerous external factors that can affect the “Frommarket.an economic standpoint, I don't know if the bill is actually going to do anything about inflation,” Adams said. “Within the next half-decade, the inflation impact is going to be reduced by a tenth of one percent, which in the grand scheme of things is virtually zero.”

PRIORITIESDIFFERENT

STORY Matthew Hofmann, Aaron Augustine

Politicians struggle to face a climate disaster, resulting with multiple pieces of legislation targeted at different aspects of the issue. Green Mark's Club Vice President Sam Adams spoke about his hopes for the future of our climate with these acts being passed more and more frequently and the content and impact of the new legislation.

LOWER SCHOOL TEACHING Green Mark's Club Vice President Sam Adams and President Shreyan Daulat teach a fourth grade class about saving water.

PHOTO Shreyan Daulat

Crunching the numbers

Researching numerous topics like string theory, topology, physics and number theory, Mark Stern '77 also teaches graduate students at Duke University. He discussed his career path with Environment & STEM Editor Aaron Augustine.

INTERVIEW Aaron Augustine

What is your role within Duke?

Mark Stern: When I was a graduate student, I wrote a thesis in an area called index theory, which is used to count the solutions to certain equations known as elliptic partial differential equations on curved spaces. I focused on these spaces for a while to answer questions that are arising in number theory. And in the process, I gained some expertise, which in collaboration with one of my colleagues allowed me to see how to solve the Zucker Conjecture, a rather famous problem. This led me to start looking at another large class of problems that were related. I developed the foundations of this field and answered some of the fundamental questions of this for several years. And then I got called up by a physicist from Harvard, with a question related to this area, and somebody told him I was the person to ask about it. And this fellow was a string theorist. At that time, I didn't know any string theory, but the questions he asked me were really excellent questions. The answering of them would really propel the field forward.

What emotions did you feel when you solved the famous problem that stumped mathematicians for centuries?

MS: It was very fun of course. There was an issue that this colleague of mine has a very different expertise than I do. And so we came together to work on this problem by bringing our two fields together. At some point to me, it was clear the problem was complete. It was solved, but he had some questions about my proof of some of the parts. So, I was waiting for him to finish proofing, and then I heard a rumor that someone else was going to release the solution to this problem. So I approached this colleague, and basically locked us in a room for however long it took until he understood the proof.

Physicists are much more cutthroat because they only have one reasonable world to look at. Mathematicians have many, many worlds to look at. So, we're perhaps not as cutthroat a group. We arranged for this other mathematician, to fly in from the Netherlands. And we all met in Princeton, New Jersey with some of the experts in the field. We presented our proof to these experts and the others. This Dutch mathematician's presentation and ours were completely independent. There was no overlap of technique at all. It was honestly amazing. We shared credit, and in our community, that was sort of a happy outcome.

How did the school inspire you to begin research ?

MS: When I was in eighth grade, the alegebra teacher was Jack Hollen. And he had a notion that he wanted to do things much more abstractly, than the average algebra teacher. He started off with the field axioms. He had us derive basic arithmetic from them. And I loved doing this. I mean it was just enjoyable. And so I remember being so excited when I proved that zero multiplied by anything was zero.

The next year, I had someone who was more rigid in their teaching style. That was [former chemistry teacher] Ken Owens. And his class didn't have the same effect on me as Hollen's, but he had a list. He kept a card folder full of special problems to work on. And he gave me a problem, which I didn't know at the time, but it was an equivalent to a famous ancient Greek problem, which eventually was proved unsolvable about 100 years ago. But for years I'd go on to a cross country or track team bus trip, and if it was getting boring, I would pull out a

piece of paper and try to work on this problem. I tried to solve this problem from ninth grade through senior year and never solved it, which is also good training for becoming a mathematician because we work on problems for years. If I'm working on a problem that somebody's worked on for 50 or 100 years, the odds that I'm going to solve it in half an hour are really pretty small.

Have you interesting interactions with any Marksmen in the field?

MS : When I finished my graduate work I took a postdoc at The Institute in Princeton, which is the place where Einstein spent a chunk of his time in the US. And while I

was there, people kept coming up to me and commenting on the physics seminars I'd been giving, and I hadn't been giving any physics seminars. So, I said, you must have confused me with someone else. They told me that this guy looks just like me. And so finally, I found out who they were talking about. It turned out there was a physicist who was at St. Mark’s from a couple of years ahead of me. And apparently, all Texans look alike to the rest of the world. And so, the one time I was confused for another person, it was a fellow Marksman.

What advice would you have for a Marksman planning to go into a research STEM role?

MS: Start early, work hard and you must love it.

String theory's history spans multiple decades of research. Thanks to the help of many researchers, string theory was able to develop into a theory of gravity. From its beginning in 1943, string theory was an outgrowth of S-matrix theory. S-matrix theory was started by Werner Heisenberg and was picked up by many other theorists. Over the past nearly 80 years, string theory has taken many other scientific models and made its own.

Thanks to the development of string theory, society has been able to undergo multiple advances to mathematics and physics which were then applied to problems related to black hole physics, universe cosmology, nuclear physics and condensed matter physics. String theory provides a description of gravity and particle physics and is even a potential theory of everything.

String theory is a mathmatical model where particles are replaced by one dimensional objects deemed "strings." String theory tells how strings navigate through space and interact with each other. From a far, the strings look just like normal particles. According to string theory, the vibrational states of the string are created by quantun mechanical particles that carry a gravitational force. This means that string theory is a theory of gravity.

EDUCATING With students at Duke University, string theory theorist Mark Stern teaches his findings from his years of research (top). As a mathematics professor at the school, Stern likes discussing various intellectual topics with fellow professors (bottom).

PHOTOS Courtesy Mark Stern

Vescovo blasts away — one more exploration

Victor Vescovo ‘84 knows his way around this world. He’s been to the North and South Poles. To the ocean’s deepest depths. And to the world’s highest peaks.

And now he’s added one more place to the list. One out of this world. Space.

Vescovo has always wanted to go to space.

“I was 3-years-old when Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon,” Vescovo said. “And I think I got very excited about that, even at three years old. I wanted to become a military pilot, but my eyesight was too poor to allow that to happen.”

But he always held on to his dream of going to space one

“Withday. the advent of commercial space launches happening with greater frequency, I put myself in a position where I was contacted for one of the early launches and ended up going up into space on Blue Origin’s NS-21 flight,” Vescovo said.

When Vescovo first saw the rocket, he was just amazed.“Imean, it's very large, of course, and you understand that it's basically a large flying bomb with a lot of explosive material,” he said. “And you'll be sitting on top of it. It's heavily engineered, very safe, but it's a lot of energy in a very compact, very large structure that you're going to be on the top of. It's quite intimidating, but incredibly exciting.”

Before the flight, The NS-21 crew spent three days training.“What we attempted to do was to mimic the 10-minute flight, many, many times,” Vescovo said. “All the way from entering the capsule and getting strapped in, to how we would release ourselves from our seat and float in zero G and then get back in so that we could withstand the multiple G's of reentry. So it was all about safety and making it so that when we had the actual mission, it was very expected what was going to occur.”

Vescovo estimates the six member crew did a cumulative 20 hours of training, and they ran through five or six simulations of the entire rocket launch.

“[The training was] extremely thorough and extremely professional,” Vescovo said. “And the whole program was run by people with extensive NASA, astronaut and flight training credentials. I can't speak higher about the quality of the training and the overall Blue Origin program.”

Walking towards the rocket on the day of the launch, June 4, Vescovo just felt excited.

“Like so many expeditions that I've been on either to mountains or to deep oceans, there is always so much preparation,” he said. “And when you get to that point

where you're actually walking to your craft to undertake an expedition or strap on that rope on a mountain, it becomesVescovoreal.”sat strapped in his seat before the launch for over half an hour. He just hoped to actually be able to go.

“Until that rocket actually lights you don't know if you're going to go,” Vescovo said. “They’re very complicated machines. It is, after all rocket science.”

But those 36 minutes passed. And as the rocket took off, Vescovo felt exhilarated.

“Once that candle is lit, you're going,” Vescovo said. “And you know that you're going to hopefully get into space very rapidly, and everything will go well.”

A display showing the speed of the rocket is front of each crew member, and as the rocket ascended, Vescovo watched as the number climbed.

“And we were going through Mach 1, Mach 2 and Mach 3, vertically, that was just an incredible rush,” Vescovo said. “And then starting to see the view off to my right where it was getting darker and darker, and eventually leaving the atmosphere and [then] we're in the blackness of space. It was just amazing.”

Two minutes after the launch, the crew capsule detached from the rocket, leaving the crew in zero G.

“We floated out of our seats,” Vescovo said. “And there were smiles, laughter — everyone was just so happy. And it was so easy to move around. When you have no weight, you can easily navigate up and around and over people and look out the windows and do a somersault without even thinking about it.”

Vescovo said zero gravity was unbelievably fun.

“The best part was grasping one of those large windows, looking out at planet Earth, seeing the very thin skin of atmosphere that allows us to survive on this planet, and seeing the blackness of space,” Vescovo said. “And the sun burning fiercely, but not in a blue sky — in a black one. And then seeing the whole expanse of Texas below us, taking all that in is something that they call the overview effect, where you realize that we are small beings living on this spaceship, that is the planet Earth, and you appreciate it, and you come back wanting to take care of it much more than you

didAmongbefore.”the other five members of the crew was Hamish Harding, who had also gone down to the bottom of Challenger Deep with Vescovo. Together, they make the first pair to have dived to the bottom of the ocean and also go into space together.

“That experience [of going to space] binds you in a way that very few other things can,” Vescovo said.

And Vescovo absolutely hopes and plans to go to space again.

“I would love to go into orbit,” Vescovo said. “I would love to go into a space station. And I hope I live long enough to hopefully one day go to the moon.”

Vescovo is the first Marksman in space, and he has been recognized by Forbes as the first person to summit Everest, reach the bottom of the ocean and go into space.“Ijust have an insatiable sense of curiosity and a desire to push myself to and beyond whatever limits I might have,” Vescovo said. “And I just find that very rewarding. I think that everyone should try to exceed their own expectations of themselves.”

His ultimate purpose in exploration is to experience everything that is possible in life.

“Because we are all on this planet for only a very short period of time,” Vescovo said. “Time moves very, very quickly, which is something that the young men at St. Mark's, don't fully appreciate until [they] get older.”

After the spaceflight, Vescovo returned to deep ocean research. He hopes to continue his research, climb new mountains and continue his interest in business and engineering.“Idon'tthink I've ever been bored in my life,” Vescovo said. “And I'm sure that that won't start anytime soon.”

After taking a flight on a BlueOrigin to experience outer space, Victor Vescovo ‘84 is now the first man to ever reach the bottom of the ocean, the peak of Everest and space.

GOING UP

preparesVescovotakeoff,Before to enter shuttle that will take him the space.vacuumemptyof

STORY Aaron Augustine, Linyang Lee

PHOTO Courtesy Victor Vescovo

CURIOUSSTAYING In addition to traveling to 2017.ofDeepasocean,depthsgreatestenteredVescovospace,hastheofthesuchChallengeraspartavoyagein

PHOTO Courtesy Victor Vescovo

MotorcyclistThe

This is freedom.

The wind runs by as the road twists and curves through the landscape and the sun shines directly above.

His left hand reaches for the clutch, pulling the lever as his foot kicks the gear shifter up one. The Harley accelerates, bringing him away from the IHOP he and his crew had met up at. Bringing him closer to all the sights and smells and sounds the open road has to offer. Bringing him away from all his worries. With each increase in RPM, his head becomes just a little clearer.

Each ride seems to take him back to high school, back to days of tearing through the woods, exploring new trails and the limits of his first bike. Let’s see where this goes. The sunlight seems to cast a warm nostalgia over him. It only took a minibike equipped with a lawnmower engine to spark a lifetime of fun.Maybe he thinks of his dad and the hours they spent together teaching an old Yamaha new tricks, turning into a race bike.

Maybe he thinks of that time he tried to pop a wheelie in front of his girlfriend and ended up dragging the bike home."Don’t ever think you’re better than a motorcycle because then it’s gonna come back and

Maybegetcha."heeven

thinks back to California. To his service in the Navy, riding his first street bike back and forth from the base in the mornings to his home in the afternoons.

Just around the bend, the light turns red. The bikes crawl to a stop, giving him time to look at the people around him. It’s amazing how this love for two wheels has allowed him to connect with so many interesting people. Interesting people like Don Denman in maintenance or the late Tim Hicks, men who he has had the pleasure of riding with. These people all share the sameAndpassion.that’s all it really is — passion. That’s all it takes to bring a frame, a motor and two wheels to life. That’s why, when the sun is shining and the weather is sweet, Rick Cerovsky is always looking for his helmet.

ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS The robotics team hosted the kickoff for a competition on Sept. 17 in the Winn Science Center where robotics teams from across Dallas receive the robotics challenge which the groups have to solve. Also, over the summer, large amounts of electricity were wired to the science building in preparation for a new welding shack, which will assist robotics team members in constructing more complex metal structures.

QUIZ BOWL RETURNS After getting the quiz bowl team back into rhythm of in-person tournaments last year, sponsor Paul Mlakar has decided to commit to all in-person competitions this year. There has been an uptick in team members this year, potentially due to the switch from online to in-person. Though the Texas Quiz Bowl Organization seems to favor those competing online, the school team is fully invested in competing in-person this year and excited for

SAY WHAT?

Through the WOODS

the challenges ahead.

SOPHOMORE LION AND SWORD

After years of being limited to exclusively for juniors and seniors, Lion and Sword is opening up the opportunity for sophomores to join. During the pandemic, Lion and Sword was limited in its work, but with the return to normalcy, the interest rate has suddenly skyrocketed. The administration decided to handle this increase of interest by including sophomores.

The organization uses its members to assist in a variety of school events throughout the year. The most prominent of these events includes Mini School, Open House, Baccalaureate, prospective student visits and school convocations.

FUN DAY Students from grades one through six will have the opportunity to attend Fun Day on campus Sept. 30 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event is a using a safari-inspired Wild Things

theme. The Parents' Association has organized several activities, including a dad-run grill, laser tag and a dunk tank. Participating students can purchase the camo-style Fun Day shirts and wear them on the day of the event. Five dollar wristbands can also be purchased for access to the activities and games.

TELOS UPDATE The Middle School Telos program has been altered slightly going into the 2022-2023 school year. This time around, an Upper School Telos member will join a Middle School advisory and meet with them once or twice a month. These members will not have a specific agenda, as opposed to in past years, but will instead deliver wisdom through casual conversation. In addition to these frequent advisory sessions, leaders of the Telos program will give three character and leadership-based presentations to each Middle School grade throughout the year.

Guys, that's a silly boo boo.

How this alum ended up working for the U.S. Department of State.

Meet all 17 of the new faces that have joined our campus this fall.

Max Palys '21 in crazeClassicsandNewTaiwanfacultystaff

Why is the English program shifting away from the classics?

CALENDAR

THIS WEEK THIS MONTH

Monday National Pancake

Tuesday Voter

Wednesday Admission Coffee @ 10:15 a.m.

Thursday National Coffee Day

Friday Lower School September Birthday Chapel; Fun Day on campus

Oct. 1 SAT on campus

Oct. 3 Community Service Food Drive Begins

Oct. 4 PA CommitteeExecutiveMeeting

Oct. 5 Yom Kippur: No school

Oct. 10 5 hours of community service due

Oct. 12 PSAT for juniors

Oct. 23 tournamentDebate

Oct. 23 Lower School Halloween parties

Sherry George Math instructor

Ball security is job security, and I've got mouths to feed.

Silas Hosler Senior

I'm the rizz god, they call me Tenz the way I sendz myself to Homecoming.

Matthew Liu Freshman

The Pecos Wilderness Trip has occurred for over 50 years. With three consecutive freshmen classes missing trip, what does that mean for the future of the program? Will it remain a graduation requirement? coverage, page 19 IN BRIEF

THE VIEW The Pecos Wilderness Trip is known for its beautiful mountain scenery. A group during the 2016 trip enjoys the fresh air and nature during a hiking break.

PHOTO Courtesy Development Office/Dave Carden

STORY Zack Goforth

Sharang

THE TRIUMPH Along the way, he picked up a 1972 Triumph, which he owned for 30 years.

GRAPHIC Joshua Goforth

Communicating through adversity

Max Palys ‘21 held a lighter in his right hand and a firecracker in his left. The air was heavy with excitement.

Palys had been eating food all day. But, the food he ate wasn't hot dogs or burgers. And the celebration was not the Fourth of July.

It was Lunar New Year. Palys was in the middle of his gap year studying Mandarin abroad in Taiwan.

Recently, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, causing tensions to increase – and with that comes an increased necessity for productive cross-language communication, something facilitated by the program Palys participated in.

Over the course of 2021, Palys was involved in a government-sponsored program called National Security Initiative for Youth. NSLI-Y fosters international cooperation by ensuring students have the linguistic skills and cultural knowledge necessary to effectively communicate.“Atitscore, it's just a language immersion program that sends high school students or students that just completed high school to foreign countries so they can study foreign language,” Palys said.

Gene and Alice Oltrogge Master Teaching Chair Janet Lin was a crucial part of Palys’ acceptance into the program, helping Palys develop his Mandarin skills so he was able to communicate effectively.

“It's very competitive as the acceptance rate is less than 15 percent,” Lin said. “ It's pretty difficult to get in.”In addition to low acceptance rates, NSLI-Y also puts another burden on the selected students.

“As a participant in the program, you really are an ambassador for the United States,” Palys said. “I think people are selected on their social qualities and cultural understanding, their ability to connect with people, and their ability to portray the United States in the best light.”With that comes changing misconceptions about being an “ThereAmerican.isnosuch thing as a stereotypical American,” Palys said. “Our cultures and backgrounds are broad and beautiful. Those conversations were some of my favorite parts of the programs.”

In addition to being selected for NSLI-Y, Palys also got accepted into Harvard University.

“He was really struggling, thinking about whether he should go,” Lin said. “He deferred going to Harvard and went to Taiwan because he thought he needed an immersion so he could learn the culture and the language.”However, COVID-19 hindered his travel plans. After a couple months at home, Palys was finally able to fly to Taiwan to continue his studies.

“In early December, he departed from here,” Lin recounted. “He quarantined for two weeks there, and then he started a course there.”

Robust restrictions on COVID-19 never held Palys back.“It's no secret that East Asian nations handle COVID-19 and think about COVID-19 very differently than the US and the west,” Palys said. “That looked like mandatory masking, outside and inside, reduced social gatherings when possible, and a government contact tracing system where we scan QR codes when we go in

and out of However,buildings.”according to Palys, the different perspective was eye-opening and refreshing.

Over the course of the school year, Palys stayed in dorms, but during the weekend, he visited and bonded with a host family.

“We went traveling, we went out to eat, we went to all sorts of cultural activities,” Palys said. “One of which was the celebration of Lunar New Year, a cornerstone of East Asian culture. It was something very special.”

Lunar New Year is an annual celebration of the beginning of the Lunar calendar, a calendar based on the cycles of the moon.

“We enjoyed a traditional meal and set off firecrackers, sparklers, all sorts of the traditional things,” Palys recounted. “We ate a lot of traditional food. What was awesome was the feeling of being a part of a family during such an important cultural event. It was definitely a highlight.”Duringhis time in Taiwan, Palys learned several valuable lessons when he encountered situations where he could not speak the language as well as others.

“The first lesson was humility and listening,” he said. “I think it is very easy in the States when growing up in this humanist culture, brings out almost egocentrism, as everyone is proud of themselves and everyone wants to talk. Something I really learned in Taiwan was to listen, mainly because my Mandarin skills were not up to par.”

Surrounded by native speakers, Palys realized that he had to get comfortable knowing he was not the best student or speaker.

“It was a humbling experience,” Palys said. “When you listen, you take in so much information that you wouldn’t be able to pick up on any other way, you pick up unique cultural subtexts. You pick up on habits and rhythms and also you are just learning more about people.”Thevalue of listening and being humble is extremely

Homecoming planning underway with help from students, faculty and parents

BY Vikram Singh

H omecoming — the event of singing, moshing and dancing is set to return Oct. 29 this year at the House of FollowingBlues.tradition from the past few years, the school is renting both stories to ensure the students have enough space to enjoy the dance.

“I’m super stoked this year because we have both the main hall and the second floor,” Student Council President Sal Hussain said. “This may sound a little biased, but between having the whole venue to ourselves along with the incredible design [senior] Morgan Chow is working on, I think this will be one of the best homecoming events in a while.”

The upcoming homecoming is organized in familiar fashion to previous years, with homecoming being

the week of Oct. 24th and the game being on the 28th against ESD. Freshmen will be transported from campus to the venue an hour early for dinner and will be brought back to campus after homecoming. The theme will be revealed during an assembly in late September, and after that, tickets will go live.

“Besides last year, the last few homecomings and the way we went about planning them was a little different in terms of the pandemic and the tornado,” Student Council Sponsor Michele Santosuosso said. “Unless something comes up, I think this year’s homecoming will be a return to normalcy.”

The student council is also collaborating with the Parents Association to ensure that all processes, like passing out the mums, run smoothly.

“The three parents I am working with have done a great job of staying organized and helping plan this event,” Santosuosso said. “They’ve been a great help

and are making sure we can make this homecoming as good as it can be.”

According to Hussain, this year's Homecoming video – anticipated by students and teachers across campus – will be the main event for an assembly later this“Imonth.amexcited to share the video with the rest of the school," Hussain said. "We are currently in the works of filming it hoping to have it done by the end of the month,”With the collaboration of the Administration, Student Council and Parents Association, the plans for Homecoming 2022-2023 are coming together.

“I am excited to bring the liveliness and energy back to St. Mark’s that we lost due to the muddle of the pandemic these last few years,” Hussain said. “And I have no doubt that this year we will be ready to come back stronger than ever.”

important at a school like 10600 Preston Road, something Palys believes will be important for the rest of his “Ilife.think those lessons will be something that sticks with me for the rest of college and beyond,” Palys said.

STORY Matthew Hoffman, Joseph Sun

Over the summer, Max Palys '21 traveled to Taiwan as part of the National Security Initiative for Youth. Even as tensions between Taiwan and China rose, Palys continued to immerse himself in Taiwanese culture and to learn Mandarin.

CITY LIGHTS culture.Taiwanesehimself'21ataroundWalkingTaiwannight,Palysimmersedinthe

HARD WORKAT

Dissecting rice plants in a rice field, Palys (left) was able to learn a countries.otherTaiwanskilltraditionalusedinandAsian

PHOTO Courtesy Max Palys

PHOTO Courtesy Max Palys

New faces on campus

JACKSON COLE

CARRA BROWN

Math instructor

Favorite place: Southern California

Favorite movie: Disney movies

Personal hero: Her mom

Interim math instructor

Favorite food: Hamburgers

Favorite song: “You Never Even Called Me” by My Name

Pet peeve: When students ask how much they should take off on homework questions

DANIEL LIPIN

Biology instructor

Favorite hobbies: Legos

Favorite food: Ribeye steak

Pet peeve: When people don’t put dates on assignments

ANALISA RODRIGUEZ

Band Director

Favorite song: “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls

Favorite food: Homemade pasta

Pet peeve: When people aren’t on time

ALLI CARROL

Nurse Favorite place: Capri

Favorite book: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Role model: Mom

JENNY DIAL CREECH

Journalism adviser

Favorite book: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Favorite hobby: Traveling Biggest pet peeve: Incorrect grammar

LINDA LIU

Chinese instructor

Before St. Mark’s: Taught a Chinese class to a group of international students

Favorite food: Hot pot

Favorite hobbies: Dance

ANNA CROUCH

Senior Associate Director of Admission and Financial Aid Before St. Mark’s: Worked at Mercersburg Academy in PA Favorite genre of music: Whatever her two young boys listen to

RACHEL MULDEZ

Wood and Metal instructor Favorite book: The Rebel by Albert Camus Favorite song: Loves all songs

Favorite hobbies: Climbing and bouldering

GARRETT KHESHTINEJAD

Lower School music instructor

Before St. Mark’s: Taught elementary music at Fort Worth ISD

Favorite food: Bacon cheeseburger

Favorite movie: The Fugitive

AUDREY MURRAY

Part-time Latin instructor

Favorite place: Athens and Barcelona

Favorite song: Anything by The Cure, Pink Floyd, or Brand New

Favorite hobbies: Clay shooting

VANESSA LEYVA College coordinatorcounseling

Before St. Mark’s: Assistant Director of Admissions at SMU

Favorite song: Anything from the Hamilton soundtrack

Favorite hobbies: Lots of reading

RAEANN ROBERTSON

Development assistant

Favorite book: Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton

Pet peeve: When people cut her off in traffic

Favorite food: Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake with chocolate ganache

Film instructor

Favorite movie: Nostalghia (Tarkovsky)

Before St. Mark’s: Acting for the last decade and a half

Favorite place: Santa Barbara, CA MARK SCHEIBMEIR

Administrative assistant Before St. Mark’s: Worked for a durable medical equipment facility

Favorite hobbies: Baking, reading and hanging out with friends

Favorite book: Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall

TREY WHITTY

Varsity lacrosse head coach

Before St. Mark’s: Worked in Maryland at St. Paul School for Boys

Favorite sport to watch: Golf

Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting

Administrative assistant

Favorite food: Sushi

Favorite band: Tied between Nirvana and Weezer

Pet peeves: None

JENNIFER SCOTT

SETTLING IN (Top) Band director Analisa Rodriguez leads the band in a routine practice. (Left) Chinese instructor Linda Liu leads one of her middle school Mandarin classes outside for a lesson. (Right) Math instructor Jackson Cole passes back papers to his middle school students.

“ the hope are also a

DAVID

PHOTOS Courtesy Dave Carden

A different kind of lesson

Traveling across America to teach in public schools has proven to be an important experience in service for now-faculty members at St. Mark's.

Katelyn Muñoz had practiced with her friends. Dozens of times.

It was for a five minute lesson. Five minutes about identifying colors in Spanish. Five minutes to teach a first grade class all in her second language.

It would determine whether she would be a good fit for Teach For America. And she was nervous. Scared even.

But she walked into the room. And she began to teach. She began to teach so she could become a teacher in Dallas. She began to teach so she could help her community. She began to teach so she could make an impact.

The five minutes passed.

Soon, she was submitting her written responses to the application questions. Sending her college grades in. Waiting for a reply.

And after graduating from SMU, she set up shop in South Oak Cliff teaching in Spanish. Full time.

Muñoz, Director of the St. Mark’s Fund, was studying journalism, Spanish and political science in college when she found out about Teach For America (TFA).

“I thought that I was going to be some international reporter in Spanish,” Muñoz said. “I was interning at Al Diá, which is the Spanish speaking newspaper in Dallas. And while I was doing that, I interviewed some families in a working-class community who were impacted by their child's educator. And they are like, this teacher has made all the difference in the world for our students. I realized that I didn't want to just be reporting about things that mattered to me, I wanted to be making a difference.”

Late into her senior year, she changed her whole career plan.“I was like ‘I think I am gonna go for Teach For America,’” Muñoz said. “I am gonna apply, and if they want me, I'll go wherever in the country they want me to go. And it just so happened with what I had been studying and having been a lifelong Dallasite, they said I’d be best serving the community by being a bilingual teacher in the in the city you grew up in. So that was awesome, and I have never looked back.”

As a corps member at TFA, Muñoz taught bilingual kindergarten in South Oak Cliff at Clara Oliver Elementary

for two years.

“I became very close to the families I was working with,” Muñoz said. “And one of my students, her mom was pregnant and having a baby and they invited me over after her sibling was born to the hospital to meet to meet her baby sister. I think it hit me in that moment that I had become part of their family. You wouldn't just invite your random teacher to come meet your baby sibling in the hospital.”

It wasn’t the last time that happened to Muñoz.

“[That happened to me] maybe three more times in the course of two years,” Muñoz said. “And it just really made me feel like I had a deep connection.”

During her time at Clara Oliver Elementary, Muñoz felt taking her students on field trips was always a highlight.

“I first realized my love of fundraising in that time,” Muñoz said. “My school's field trip budget for my grade was literally one penny. And it was just to keep the account open - you had to have something in the account to have it exist. And so it just had one penny, which of course you couldn't do anything with. But my families, they deserved. They deserved to have their children see something.”

So Muñoz worked with an MBA student and his peers at SMU for a grant where they became mentors for Muñoz’s kindergarten class.

“[We] took them on a field trip and developed bilingual curriculum together to take the experience around going to the aquarium and turning it into a whole series of lessons,” Muñoz said. “So not only did they get that experience, but they also gained college-age mentors.”

Interim math instructor Jackson Cole ‘16 first joined Teach For America in his sophomore summer at Yale, after working with a community nonprofit in South Oak Cliff.

“In my sophomore summer, I got interested in Teach For America,” Cole said. “One of my bosses at that organization for Oak Cliff had done Teach For America, and he really advocated that education was one of the key leverage points if you wanted to make a difference in your community.”

There, he spent time teaching at schools in Chicago, Atlanta and Nashville. After he had completed his degree and started to participate in Teach For America again, he came back to Dallas.

“I was placed in Northeast Dallas, which was really surprising because I had spent so much time in South

Dallas,” Cole said. “I was going to a brand new community, which was great because I got to learn more about the different parts of Dallas.”

After two years teaching in Dallas ISD, an interim math teaching position at St. Mark’s opened up, and he accepted the “Ijob.did well in math here, and I love teaching it, but I also had those lasting connections I made with teachers here,” Cole said. “In this office space, it’s me, Mrs. Opera, Mrs. Pool, and Mr. Martin. All three of them taught me when I was a student here, so it’s kind of an all surreal experience to be sharing an office space now with all my former teachers.”

Remembering a conversation with his former publications advisor and the current Communications Director Ray Westbrook, Cole realized why he wanted to come back to his old community.

“He said that when a place like St. Mark’s asks for your service, there’s something about this place that almost always means you say yes,” Cole said. “That conversation really stuck with me, and I think if I had to articulate my decision in any way, it would be with that theme of service. St. Mark’s had a need for a math teacher, and the most important lesson I learned at St. Mark’s was that leadership involves effective care and service towards your communities.”StephanieChung, Managing Director of Marketing, Communications and External Affairs at TFA, feels such dedication allows TFA teachers to teach students well.

“TFA teachers really go into classes and work with their student to push them beyond what you're supposed to be doing in class,” Chung said. “Obviously, every teacher has to teach what is in the curriculum and what is like mandated by district or by the state. [TFA teachers] also ensure that students have the reading skills, the writing skills and the critical thinking skills — that is what will push students to be two times further along than they were before.”

Muñoz feels Teach For America has made her more empathetic, more courageous and more willing to advocate. And she feels this impact lasts to this day.

“I think my experience at Teach For America is what led me to St. Mark's,” Muñoz said. “Because I was really impressed with the mission of making men of character. [And] I really believe that is the greatest mission that we can all have — just becoming people of good character.”

Chapel council plans interfaith visits and interactions both on campus and off

BY Akash Manickam

The Chapel Council will continue to visit places of faith in the Dallas area as part of their interfaith visit program this year, with each visit consisting of a lecture or tour of the religious site.

The first interfaith visit took place in March 2022. The Chapel Council visited the Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple, one of the largest Hindu temples in the nation.

“It’s kind of a second home to me,” senior and Chapel Council chair Arjun Badi said. “Members of the temple board came and greeted us, they gave us a tour of the temple and they gave us a presentation on basic tenants of the Hindu faith, including things like dharma, karma, murti worship and basic fun facts.”

Soon after that visit, the Chapel Council attended Temple Emanu-El in April 2022. The temple’s community includes many families from the school.

“[Senior] George Genender set up a visit in which St. Mark’s students were given a presentation about the Jewish faith,” Badi said. “They then [attended] the Shabbat service on Friday night.”

The interfaith visits come at a time when the Chapel Council is expanding its role in weekly chapel services.

“We have a lot of special projects along the way,” senior and Chapel Council chair Bijaan Noormohamed said. “[We have] a Blessing of the Animals for seniors and little buddies on November 2, all of our themed chapels — our Lunar New Year chapel, Diwali chapel, Eid chapel — all interspersed throughout the year.”

The Chapel Council is also in the process of inviting new guest speakers to campus.

“We are in contact with a Cistercian monastery to hopefully have a Cistercian monk come speak to us,” Badi said. “We’re [also] looking forward to hosting a Mormon bishop and maybe a Sikh priest in the Chapel Council just to talk about slightly less common faiths in the St. Mark’s community.Thisyear, the role of the Chapel Council is shifting towards a more active position.

“Last year, we tested out starting interfaith visits,” Badi said. “This year, we’re hoping to do a visit once a month in addition and bring speakers of other faiths. We want to be talking amongst ourselves about our own faiths and what we think, what we believe in religious philosophy.”

CLASSTIME

tripaquariumStudents(above).teachingherexcitedleft).classroominincludingdecorations,Spanishpiñatas,Muñoz's(farMuñozforfirstdaytakeanfield(left).

STORY Myles Lowenberg, Linyang Lee

PHOTOS Courtesy Katelyn Muñoz

LITTLETHING

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the school’s focus diverted to the most important matters — maintaining learning, extracurricular activities and student health and safety. This resulted in more leeway regarding rules related to uniformity, and some faculty members simultaneoulsy saw a steep increase in cheating. Now, with adminstation cracking down on rules — both little and big ones — to a greater extent across the board, we investigate the connection between conforming to those rules of uniformity and building integrity in Marksmen.

Almost every Marksman — almost every student nationwide, for that matter — has been pushed to that line. The line that separates academic integrity from dishonesty.Andwhen poor time management, stress, academic pressure and other external factors influence a Marksman to cross it, the whole community pays the price. Because when that line is crossed, we cheat ourselves. We cheat our peers and teachers. We cheat 10600 Preston Road.

Now, as virtual learning stays in the past and the first fully ‘normal’ school year begins — with lunch in the Great Hall, football games, in-person chapel, assemblies and extracurricular activities — administrators, faculty and staff are returning to a more traditional approach to building character in students.

Headmaster David Dini says with this return to normalcy comes greater expectations of Marksmen across the board,

beginning with the small habits — tucking in your shirt, wearing a belt, having a clean-shaven face.

We investigate if these small habits — these little things — aid Marksman as they inevitably face difficult decisions and situations — ones that require utmost courage and honor.

Can the little things really make a big difference?

Dini certainly thinks so. “You play the way you practice,” Dini said. “Forming small but meaningful habits and presenting your best self everyday can undoubtedly have a huge impact in every aspect of your life — whether athletic performance or adherence to honor and integrity and academic excellence.”

But for youth, getting into any routine or developing certain habits may be difficult. Long nights at the desk followed by demanding school days make little efforts like staying in uniform or eating lunch in the right place seem insignificant.

As hard as it may be to maintain these actions, Assistant Upper School Head Jason Leneau sees them as crucial steps in each student’s development as a young man and future leader.

“The way you carry yourself during the day really starts to build the foundation of how you're going to live your life throughout your years,” Leneau said. “From the way you dress, to the way you respond to and engage with people. We want to refine some of the things we've gotten away from over the last couple of years with COVID-19.”

According to Dini, many of these habits can be instituted in personal life as well.

“I like to reference Admiral [William] McRaven’s Commencement speech at UT Austin in 2014,” Dini said. “It was a top 10 things to be mindful of. The number one thing was making your bed. If we can’t do the simple things, then how can we do the bigger things well?”

Of these bigger things, maintaining integrity despite academic challenges and pressures comes to mind. Every student here knows that expectations for success — internal and from teachers, peers and parents — are extremely high. Leneau understands and “Theempathizes.biggest thing we want to remind young men is that there's a growth process,” Leneau said.

“People mature at different rates. I want them to understand that it's more process driven. A lot of young men think they already have it figured out, but we all have a lot to learn about Especiallyourselves.”after the pandemic, when enforcing the little things was the least of the school’s problems, Discipline Council Faculty Chair Nancy Marmion noticed many students took advantage of the more relaxed educational setting. She particularly saw an increase in academic honesty violations. To her, this ‘newfound’ attention to detail is just a return to the norm.

“When we came back to campus after the pandemic, there was a general feeling that you guys had lost so much,” Marmion said. “You didn't get to do sports, to have lunch together in the cafeteria, so there was a little bit of letting up on enforcing some of the rules. What you're seeing now is the school going back to the same rules we've always had.”

She further emphasizes that, even though these rules may seem tedious, they are essential to the students’ wellbeing.“Wehave rules because we care about the students, similar to parents having rules for their kids,” Marmion said. “Those rules are there to help us grow, even to keep us safe. Part of growing up is pushing the limits, but there are certain rules you probably don't want to push. A lot of colleges don't give a second chance the way it is at St. Mark’s. We understand you guys are growing up, so, if you make a mistake, we usually assume you're going to learn from it.”

It’s evident there’s a consensus among the administration: the little things matter. But how can we encourage them effectively?

NANCY DisciplineMARMIONCouncilFaculty Chair

Stephanie Knight is Dean of the Simmons School of Education & Human Development at Southern Methodist University. She specializes in instructional strategies, learning environments and student outcomes. She asserts it all starts with cultivating a cohesive student community.

“Maybe there’s a feeling among some students that they're not involved — that they're not engaged in the decision-making of the classrooms,” Knight said. “In that case, not tucking in their shirts could be a form of rebellion. So, you can solve a lot of the little problems by getting students to participate actively in school-related things. I've seen teachers who are very successful in getting students to set rules and enforce them. But the students need to think that those rules are relevant to them, and that administrators and adults are listening to them.”

Knight understands that these rules come in all forms. In addition to regulating the little habits, she believes administration must standardize and equalize how they enforce even the biggest disciplinary offenses.

“If some teachers allow someone to get by with taking internet content and putting it in your papers, but then other teachers don’t allow that, you've got an inconsistency, and you're going to have a problem,” Knight said. “You need to get all the teachers together to decide on the expectations and their consequences.”Ideally,Knight believes it’s best if there are systems in place that make students feel they don’t need to cheat in the first place — whether peer mentoring programs or more teacher help sessions built in throughout the day.

Dini agrees that to create a sustainable campus environment, there has to be a collective effort.

“It’s not just challenging students to be their best selves,” Dini said. “It's also challenging adults. We’ve had a lot of conversations with faculty and staff during our recessional meetings. It’s a community wide commitment to say we have high expectations. That happens in ways small and big, and the small behaviors lead to patterns and habits that underpin what we do on a larger scale. We need to constantly aspire to lift ourselves up toward those expectations and beyond.” at a time

“ If can'twe do the simple things, then how can we do well?biggerthethings

DAVID HeadmasterDINI

STORY Shreyan Daulat, Arjun Khatti, Morgan Chow, Dillon Wyatt

HABITS | New expectations

PRIM AND PROPER Assistant Upper School Head Jason Leneau fixes the top shirt button of senior Luke

DAVID HeadmasterDINI

STEPHANIE KNIGHT Dean of Simmons School at SMU

PHOTO Charlie Estess

How would you describe the culture at the school in terms of academic pressure?

Senior Aadi Khasgiwala: I think there’s definitely something to be said about academic pressure, but I feel like now it’s getting a lot more attention. The new schedule helps with it by giving us more free time. I think there’s a lot of resources on campus to help us out with pressure: from teachers and friends to sports teams and clubs, there’s a lot of different communities on campus to help us to deal with it.

Senior Murphy Paul: From the kids, there’s not a lot of pressure. In our grades, there’s a lot of support from our friends and peers. But I do think outside factors that contribute to pressure can leak into everyday life at school.

Junior Harry Wang: I think that the culture of pressure at St. Mark’s is a good competitive pressure that cultivates hard work and success from the students.

AX: If you’re in a class that’s a bit higher than your level, then you might be more inclined to do cut corners because everyone else around you is more adept or because your parents could be putting too much pressure on you.

HW: Yeah, I think that’s definitely something that teachers have been trying to emphasize: uniforms and then academic honesty.

AX: A little bit, but I would honestly say not that much —at least not significantly more than last year, actually.

What disciplinary changes, if any, have you noticed the administration making recently, and how can we improve those areas this year?

MURPHY PAUL Discipline Council Chair

AK: I would say that pressure facilitates people cutting corners because there’s a lot of people who don’t want to buckle down and do the work when there’s just so much of it, which is understandable. We’re given so much work, and if you’re up till midnight, 11 p.m or 1 a.m. doing your homework. It gets really easy to cut corners and not do things thoroughly. I feel like it also takes a little bit of the joy of learning away from you until you rediscover it yourself.

HW: I think there’s an incentive to cut corners and take the easy route, which is caused by the pressure. I think that the pressure also causes a lot of benefits and positive things such as working harder. I think that these benefits outweigh whatever negatives can be drawn from the the pressure.

AK: I think there have been a little bit more detentions and reminders from teachers across the board, saying like “Hey, that’s not okay,” or sometimes it’s just a friendly reminder, like “Come on, check your shirt.” And I don’t think that it only comes from the administration. Honestly, most of the time it’s just a genuine “Hey, let’s live our best. Let’s do this right.”

Sophomore Andrew Xuan: I think that [the pressure] comes from parents; although I’ll also say that a lot of this does come from students, too. If you’re involved in competitions, the pressure is on. I think it’s a lot better than most places because you know, at least you’re going to have friends who are going to help you, and they’re gonna support you. So there’s some pressure, but I would say that it’s also a lot better than other places, and most of the pressure comes from outside of school.

Have you noticed an emphasis on rules, uniform, and behavior this year after the pandemic?

AK: Oh, yeah, definitely. This is something I’ve talked to the administration about and I completely agree with them. We had a lot of uncertainty through the pandemic, recovering from the online years and coming back. And our focus has been more on wellness.

MP: I think that a big part of St. Mark’s is our community. During the pandemic, they kind of relaxed and cut down on that side of things. I think that, if they make the rules consistent, and make sure that everybody knows what’s up, I think that will really make a difference.

AADI KHASGIWALA Senior Class President

ANDREW XUAN Community Service Board Chief Operating Officer

Do you think this pressure influences students to cut corners?

MP: Yeah, I do believe that, but I also think that there are definitely other factors including family and personal thoughts that affect people in ways in which they kind of don’t see any other way to get through a situation other than to cut corners.

But, now that it’s kind of been alleviated, there’s more emphasis on holding to that St. Mark’s standard really highly because, at the end of the day, a lot of the stuff that the administration let slide earlier needs to come back. I feel like these things were lost a little during COVID when it was just like, “Hey, are you healthy?” Now it can go to “Let’s be real Marksmen again.”

MP: Especially in orientations, there’s been a lot of emphasis that I’ve noticed this year about just getting back to normal — and maybe even a little more than normal — just to correct what has happened after the past few years and what online schooling did to the integrity of school.

HARRY WANG Student Council Secretary

HW: I think that, specifically, they’ve been reminding students of expected behavior, academic honesty and that kind of thing. I don’t think it’s too much to improve on, but rather just some norms that you should be following as students. It hasn’t been a huge deal.

AX: I know they talk about teamwork and that kind of thing all the time. But I don’t know how much it actually does. Because, whether you like it or not, there’s always going to be competition here, which means that there’s always going to be pressure to cut corners no matter what, even if it’s just a little bit.

Keeping it classic

Of the innumerable books published over the century, few have the quality and longevity required to reach “classic” status. These classics are handed down through the generations, leading to 21st century high schoolers reading stories written in ancient Greece. Nevertheless, great works continue to be published today, raising an unavoidable question: Why are we reading all of these old books,

I

n the world of English education, classic works of literature — older works which have achieved an enduring status of excellence — are a cornerstone.Academics

across the would will give any inquirer myriad reasons for why we study classic works, but others are beginning to question whether forcing students to read the same books written by dead, white men is productive or equitable. These dissidents posit that the classics reinforce a masculine, western European worldview that is unfairly privileged over all others, while others criticize older works for their lack of relevance to modern issues.

Nevertheless, students at our school continue to read the classics all throughout Upper, Middle, and even Lower

So,School.arethe

classics still worth reading? What value is there in incorporating works written by authors with differing cultural perspectives? And how should we balance teaching contemporary, multicultural and classic works?

Though some diminish the value of classic works by

portraying them as dusty relics of a bygone era or by pointing to their culturally homogeneous authors, Victor F. White Master Teaching Chair David Brown contends that the themes presented in the classics are valuable to all because the ideas presented in them transcend both time and cultural divisions.

“Classics are classics presumably because they’re not only well written, but they also deal with themes, topics, characters and situations that are universal,” Brown said. “The classics expose us to the things that we will be facing and have to make decisions about, and with them you’re better prepared to become a fuller human being who thrives in life instead of being diminished by a narrow perspective.”

To Brown, one example of an old, classic work expressing timeless themes is the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible. Despite its status as the oldest work in an already very ancient collection, Brown insists that, whether the reader is religious or not, the message it tells is worth reading and understanding.

“Here, I’ve taught the Book of Job in the Bible,” Brown said. “The Book of Job is important to read because it explores one of the fundamental issues with which any human being — if he wants to be fully human — is going to grapple at some point. That issue is: Why do bad things happen to good people? Is there a God who controls all of this? Or is it up to us to determine what happens and when those bad things happen? What ought to be our response to it?”Nevertheless, the English Department has taken a policy of avoiding curricula consisting solely of books authored by white men. Currently, the selections for books in English are divided into books selected solely by the teacher of the class and agreed-upon “core books” that are required to be taught in every class.

English Department Chair Michael Morris says that core books for the curriculum are chosen based on their cultural merit.

“We decided about seven years ago that we wanted to be very deliberate about having at least one major multicultural text at each grade level,” Morris said. “There really wasn’t one for ninth grade, but it happened that year that Sandra Cisneros spoke at Greenhill. Many of us went to see her speak and realized that The House on Mango Street would be a great addition.”

Morris notes the department’s recent tendency to introduce works written in the past ten years “We tend to err on the side of the classics,

which is pretty typical of English teachers, but I think that there’s something to be said for reading more recent literature, too,” Morris said. “We really want students to leave the school feeling like reading what’s currently being written and talked about in contemporary dialogue is important.”ToBrown,

the reward of reading books written by multicultural authors is the widening of the reader’s perspective to those different from his or her own.

“Diverse perspectives help broaden the mind,” Brown said. “If you have been raised in a bubble by your family, church or school, diverse voices can give you an opportunity to see someone else’s viewpoint and consider looking at it in a different way. I’ve changed a number of my perspectives over the years from what I believed when I was in high school because I read diverse perspectives.”

STRONGER TOGETHER thousands-year-old classical works written by long-dead authors and contemporary works are taught sidein English classes.

MICHAEL

DAVID BROWN

Victor White Master Teaching

STORY Will Spencer

PHOTO Will Spencer

Packing up and moving on

Following the first outbreak of COVID-19, the famed Pecos Wildnerness trip, a ten-day long outdoor adventure that every Marksmen embarks on as a right of passage, was postponed and cancelled multiple times. Other factors, including altitude and wild-fires have interfered with the trip as well. With multiple grades in the Upper School never having gone, what does this mean for the future of this hallowed tradition?

difficult as summers get packed with summer camps, job opportunities and other extracurriculars.

“I feel like that would have to be something I'd have to actually experience to make a decision on,” Zhong said. “But honestly, I'd probably just go with Pecos. Because it's a school thing. It's more like a once in a lifetime thing [as opposed] to the summer camps, [which] you get to experience every summer.”

When COVID hit, the right move was clear according to Wildnerss Program Director Cameron Hillier.

“We didn't know what we were facing,” Hillier said. “We didn't know what precautions we were going to be taking. St. Mark's had just finished eight weeks of remote school that we panicked into [after Spring Break], so at that point there was no question that the right decision was not going on the trip.”

And, after a forest fire burned through much of the east Pecos in 2022, the trip was canceled yet again. Despite the setbacks, Hillier and other faculty are deciding how to make the most of the current situation.

“We usually send nine groups,” Hillier said. “Three of them would probably go through the area that burned. So we would need to re-route three of those groups. The others would be fine. So, some staff went out and took a look at the area. I hiked some trails that I thought were plausible and found out that we could probably reroute some of those groups to more western parts of the Pecos.”

As of now, the plan is to take two groups during the summer of 2023, since neither the current freshman nor the current sophomores have gone on the trip. Head of Upper School John Ashton is committed to giving those grades their Pecos experience.

“Those eight days of the Pecos really are a microcosm of what we hope students get from their time at St. Mark's, and beyond.” Ashton said. “That is a capacity for resilience to respond to whatever comes your way, but also a real sense of obligation, responsibility to care for the others that you're traveling with.”

Ashton knows how important Pecos is to Marksmen, since it is an experience they will remember for years to come.“Iremember, when I first moved back here to Dallas,” Ashton said, “someone from my new neighborhood told me he was from St. Mark's and asked about the Pecos. He then grabbed his journal and started sharing his stories.”

EForReluctance.Anxiety.xcitement.freshmanKayden

Zhong, the thought of venturing into the Pecos wilderness for a week brings a slew of mixed feelings.Hebelieves the leadup to the final pack check is a time for preparation of all kinds.

“They give you a month, and you have time to prepare your gear,” Zhong said. “You get to see if you're missing anything, but it’s also a month of mentally preparing yourself. You're like, ‘Okay, I'm really gonna spend a week out in the wilderness.’”

On past school campouts with his classmates, Zhong found the most satisfaction in enjoying the little things.

“On our eighth grade campout, we had people sort of making a competition,” Zhong said, “‘I have bigger firewood than you,’ or ‘I have more firewood.’ I guess that was fun because we were just [messing around]. It wasn't a life or death situation. It's just guys having fun getting some firewood.”Theseinteractions are what Zhong looks forward to the most on Pecos.

“Camping brings that sense of like a basic community back together because, in a house, you're separated from your peers,” Zhong said. “When you’re camping, you sit in tents, and the only thing separating you from your classmates in the other tent is a thin layer of fabric.”

While the postponing of the annual camping trip caused complications for students and the Pecos planning team alike, Zhong feels the delay may have been a blessing in disguise.“Missing Pecos last year might have been for the better because I feel like it would benefit a lot of people to do the Pecos when they're older than eighth going into ninth grade, because they would be stronger, bigger and more mature,” Zhong said.

The Sophomore Class has missed out on the Pecos for two years now, and if Pecos were to be postponed this year as well, sophomore Akul Mittal would be disappointed.

“I know it's a crucial activity for most people that go to St. Mark's,” Mittal said. “So I hope that the school will find a way to make it up somehow.”

The Sophomore Class has also missed the seventh and eighth grade campouts.

“I feel like our class missed out on a few valuable bonding experiences,” Mittal said. “I hope that we're going to make it up next year with a new Pecos.”

For many current freshmen and sophomores, the question of whether to go on Pecos grows increasingly

Ashton says that Pecos will make a return for everyone because that shared aspect is what makes Pecos unique.

“We all have this collective experience,” Ashton said. “It's important. So I think that's the fundamental reason for why we continue to do it.”

STORY Ian Dalrymple, Linyang Lee

ABANDONED Right first annual Pecos trip have gone on the accompaniedSherpastriphave groups on the Pecos ABOUT THE PECOS

AWE-STRUCK A Pecos group takes a break from the action and gazes at the scenery.

PHOTOS Courtesy Development Office/Dave Carden

PHOTO Charlie Estess classes that have gone on the trip

The gallery

Playing in KOREA

Sophomore Brandon Kim has been practicing the viola since fifth grade. But this year, he decided to take his talents abroad in an act of community service. See coverage, page 22

Why did you choose to photograph this?

Neil Song: For my photography, I generally prefer having commercial or aesthetic themes as my subject. In this case, I chose to photograph a rose, and after that, I focused a lot on setting up a scene to make it look nice.

What was the setup required for this particular photo?

NS: For this photo, the rose is actually fully submerged underwater. So on the rose, you can see what looks to be water droplets — those are actually just air bubbles released from inside the rose as I was taking the photo.

How’d you edit the photo and take it from the “initial photo” stage to the final photo here?

NS: I took a bunch of photos of the rose from different angles and narrowed it down to the good ones. After that, it was just playing around with effects in Photoshop and patching areas as needed.

CULTURE IN BRIEF

TPSMEA HICKS SCHOLARSHIP

The Texas Private School Music Educators Association, or TPSMEA, has recently dedicated a new scholarship, the Tim Hicks Memorial Jazz scholarship, in remembrance of the late band director’s contributions to the TPSMEA band program throughout his time here.

Hicks made his first mark on TPSMEA in 2011 by lobbying for and creating the TPSMEA’s first All-State Jazz Band. He was the band's first coordinator as well. After a decade of service, his legacy will lives on through this prestigious scholarship.

NEW FILM CLUB New film teacher

Mark Scheibmeir is leading a new film club this year, primarily targeted towards interested Upper School

students. The club is planning on meeting after school every week on Tuesdays and will start in a couple of weeks. As of now, they plan on meeting in the Science Lecture Hall. During club meetings, students will watch and discuss notable films in film canon throughout history. Towards the end of the year, there will also be opportunities for interested students to screen their own films with assistance from other club members. Scheibmeir hopes to build networks and relationships among film enthusiasts in the school community.

UPCOMING BAND PERFORMANCE

On Friday, Sept. 30, the Upper School band will be playing music at the Rupe Amphitheater after school starting at 3:30 and lasting

until around 3:50 p.m. They plan on playing a few jazz tunes along with some of their pep tune charts. Songs on the program will include “Land of 1000 Dances,” “Runaway Baby” and “September.” The band hopes the performance will help other students to end the day on a good note as they are getting picked up.

ORCHESTRA AT IBSC Performing to over 300 international delegates from around the world, the MS and US Orchestra members were accompanied by the MS and US choirs for the opening of this year’s International Boys’ School Coalition (IBSC) conference beginning on June 26. The orchestra played many pieces including Copland’s “Hoe Down” from Rodeo and had other joint performances with the choir.

Advice filmmaking.

A summer

A look at the best places for your next Taco

Movement: The

WHEN Sept. 18, 2022 to July 16, 2023

WHEN Sept. 23, 8

What’s going on in this photo?

NS: I started out just photographing a wine glass with some wine being poured into it, but I also wanted to include the aesthetics of the water splashing down on a surface too, so that inspired this idea of having the inverted-gravity part on the bottom of the photo.

WHEN Sept. 24, 6

Hear from the creators of the latest art featured around campus.

PASSION IN MUSICMAKING

VIOLA VIRTUOSO Sophomore Brandon Kim, wearing a red tie, stands in the middle of the orchestra during the community service concert in Korea last summer.

PHOTO Courtesy Brandon Kim

INTERVIEW Aaron Liu

Rose by Neil Song Featured in the Science Building

Flow by Neil Song Featured in the Photo theDirectingfilmPlayinginKoreaThetoptacosaround

From pastime to profession

STORY Aaron Liu

Aaron Liu: If you could sum it up in just a few sentences, how would you describe your film The

MarkSummoned?Scheibmeir:

From a thematic standpoint, it's centered around a Faustian bargain. The plot focuses on a high-profile celebrity couple who attends a self-help retreat center, but the gentleman who runs the self-help retreat center seems to know about something else going on behind the scenes. From there, we get the Faustian bargain, and the rest of story starts to unravel.

AL: How'd you come up with this film idea, and what was the rest production process like?

MS: In short, the whole process involved collaboration with a lot of different people. In the beginning, the screenwriter went to the production team and presented this idea with the Faustian bargain, and that's where the rest of the film came about. After that, my fiancé and I worked as producers on the project with a couple of production companies.

AL: Where is the film being released right now?

MS: Right now, you could either buy or rent it from Amazon, iTunes, Google Play — any those different platforms should have it. Later, in October, it’ll also be available for streaming on Tubi, which is an adsupported platform. Though, for interested viewers, I would like to note — the movie is rated R for language and adult themes.

AL: Do you plan on returining back in the world of filmmaking anytime soon?

MS: Yeah, I do. The company that distributed The Summoned really liked working with us, so we’ve kept in contact and have another project that I'm hoping to be shooting next summer. That company — XYZ films — has done a lot in the genre, so like Nick Cage films and stuff that’s kind of fun and outlandish as well.

AL: What was the journey like coming into professional filmmaking? How did you get into filming in the first place?

MS: It started with a video project with a friend when I was 12 or 13 years old. We didn’t have a film program where I went to school, but I started getting into the arts through that project and started doing a lot of theater. When I went to UT Austin for Radio-Television-Film, I

learned filmmaking and dabbled in other things before getting an advanced degree in theater. From there I started acting, which got me back into film since I was working with commercials and independent films. Then, I made the shift towards directing.

AL: Do you have any favorite directors you look up

MS:to?

I do. Peter Weir is one of my favorite directors as well as Tarkovsky. I also really love a movie called Nostalgia, along with Peter Weir films like Master and Commander and Dead Poets Society.

AL: Sounds like you've watched a lot of films — how often do you watch movies in your free time?

MS: It’s funny, sometimes I try not to since it kind of feels like work now — but yeah, I do love watching movies in my free time. There's something really magical about it. I have a Steven Spielberg quote on my board that says, “Every time I go to a movie, it's magic, no matter what the movie’s about.” I probably don't watch as much as I used to now though.

AL: Do you have any advice for other aspiring MS:filmmakers?

That's a great question. I think filmmaking is the ultimate team sport — you can try making a film by yourself, but it’ll take you a very long time. Just like with journalism, or football or whatever, you need to develop a team to go with you and having collaborators with strong communication and clear expectations is key. You're going to need those other people to go with you

on the journey and to try and make it a joyful journey, so find people that you enjoy working with. It’s going to be the most fun you'll ever have.

BY Oliver Peck

Librarian Elyse Chevallier began revamping the Green Library website throughout 2021 with the goal of making the process of finding books and databases for research much easier.

For Chevallier, one of her key goals was enabling students to easily access the resources available in the school libraries.

“There are collections of books and resources that are meant to be used,” Chevallier said. “And we have so many volumes and resources online. But, it doesn't really matter that we have the most amazing resources if they can't be found and if they can't be accessed.”

Before the revamp, the website was unorganized and confusing. Chevallier realized that finding a book or a research source was a hassle due to the messiness of the “Iwebsite.justthink it was difficult,” Chevallier

said. “It was a little cluttered, and I think it was hard to find things. It had all these tabs at the top and some of them had information on them that was outdated.”

appealing. It makes it a little easier for students, faculty, staff, or anybody who uses our library to find the things that we have here.”

She originally got the idea during the pandemic, when everyone was online and the website was the only way to access the library.

“It was probably in the spring of 2020 that I started thinking about updating the website, but before school started in the fall of 2021 was when I did most of the work. And then as things came up, I just adjusted and addedShethings.”wanted to focus especially on the look of the website.

The aesthetics do matter.”

Chevallier also hopes to improve the website in the future, especially via feedback from students with suggestions after using the new websties.

“As I get feedback, one of the things I want to do later on this year is to make a survey for students to see if they are finding what they need,” Chevallier said. “Because sometimes it's hard to know how it's being used, and if things that I think are easy to find are actually easy to find.”

Chevallier hopes students will be able to take advantage of the improved features after the new revamp.

To fix this, Chevallier completely renovated the home page of the website.

“That was kind of the impetus behind trying to give it a refresh,” Chevallier said. “Just a little bit more, I think visually

“Especially online, so much of it is being able to find things and you might be spending a lot of time on this website,” Chevallier said. “It helps if it looks nice.

“I hope that students get the full benefit of everything that we have here,” Chevallier said. “All the resources we have are here to help you in your research, help you find a book to read, or just to help you follow your own curiosity.”

ENSEMBLE

CONTINUED

Music from all across the world

For many students at school, community service is a requirement to be met. Get five hours done this quarter, and make sure you have time to get them done before the deadline.

For most, finding community service opportunities outside our local bubble can be difficult in the first place, much less dealing with cultural differences and language barriers.

This past summer, however, sophomore Brandon Kim found an opportunity to serve a community far from home — in a completely different country, halfway across the world. With his viola playing skills, honed from six years of practice, Kim was able to contribute to human relief and service efforts both in Ukraine and Korea through music.Kim

first started playing the viola in fifth grade, and his musical journey continued after coming to the school and joining orchestra.

“Before St. Mark's, I played in my school orchestra at Metairie Park Country Day School in Louisiana, and I have been playing the viola for about six years now." Kim said. "I joined the St. Mark’s orchestra when I first attended St. Marks in 7th grade, and I

have been a part of it ever since.”

Kim started volunteering with the Red Cross after receiving an invitation from a friend to help Red Cross service efforts unique to the Korean branch.

“The whole program is part of the Korean Red Cross Youth Orchestra,” Kim said. “I heard about it from my friend last year, and we went to volunteer together. We’ve been volunteering ever since. [The volunteering] was directly through the Korean Red Cross — they have several branches within, and I was volunteering for the Korean Red Cross Youth Orchestra.”Stringperformances for charitable purposes aren't new, and opportunities to play at retirement homes and other service events are commonplace for musicians of all ages. On the other hand, Kim was able to perform in front of a variety of unique audiences due to the nature of the program.

“Sometimes we perform at big centers,” Kim said, “but other times we perform just for small audiences, and they would take donations. We can also perform at jails for the prisoners, and we perform for the community in general.”

In addition to the unique performance venues, Kim recalls the opportunities he had and people he met while visiting Korea as his favorite memories of the

program.“Myfavorite memory from volunteering with the Red Cross definitely has to be the people I met and traveling to places inside of Korea that I had never gone to before," Kim said, "as well as performing in these different places and with varying people of age and standing as our audience.”

The opportunities didn’t come without their fair share of hard work and dedication, and Kim says the work isn’t confined to the events themselves.

“I've volunteered at many events as most of them are single-day events, as well as practices every weekend over the summer." Kim said. "I'd have to say I volunteered at over twenty of these in the past two years.”The orchestra program on campus played a vital role in preparing Kim for large-scale concerts, which he would have to perform in during Red Cross events.

“My first concert in front of a big audience was in seventh grade at SM," Kim said. "And since then the biggest concert I have played in was during last year's all-state orchestra (TPSMEA), where people from all over the state come to see kids perform.”

Kim says that his motivation to volunteer with the Red Cross extends beyond just playing music.

“I definitely supported them raising money for Ukrainian war efforts,” Kim said, “and this year specifically, some of the bigger concerts supported that community. But it’s not only supporting Ukrainians. Even if I didn’t play viola, I think I would do something to volunteer for those efforts. I believe I will keep doing it until senior year, and maybe even further if I decide to.”

BY Joseph Sun

Having played music from a very young age, junior Miller Wendorf has been able to participate in several important concerts and events.

Ever since Wendorf was in kindergarten, he started taking piano lessons. Since then, he’s continued to engage in more music.

“I have been in choir and played cello since 4th grade, on and off some years in middle school,” Wendorf said. “I’m in orchestra at St. Mark’s, and I am in choir for the Greater Dallas Choral Society (GDCS).”Inaddition to school orchestra classes, Wendorf also practices every week at GDCS, with both groups having concerts throughout the year.

“It is not the busiest choir schedule, but it is still pretty substantial,” Wendorf said.

While participating in this much music may seem difficult, Wendorf has perfect pitch, allowing him to

identify musical notes more effectively than an average person.“Most people have relative pitch,” Wendorf said. “That means if someone played a C, they can find every other note. So, if I played a C you can sing a G. People with perfect pitch can sing any note without any reference.”

Wendorf was presented with several fascinating opportunities during his musical career, one of them including international travel.

“I lived overseas from 3rd to 7th grade and went to an international school,” Wendorf said. “When I was in 6th grade, which was around 2017 or 2018, I participated in choir. The choir was called the AMIS Choir, which is the French word for friend and also stands for Assosiation of Music for International Schools.”TheAMIS choir was in Zürich, Geneva. Students would learn over ten choir pieces and perform to a large, international audience.

“It was also interesting meeting so many people, and I have so many fond memories of that concert,” Wendorf said.

In addition to the AMIS choir, Wendorf also participated in Texas Private School Music Educators Association’s All-State orchestra.

“It was three to four days of just practicing pieces,” Wendorf said. “There weren’t a lot of breaks throughout the day. Instead, it was a couple four-hour long sessions where we just practice as a group. It was pretty awesome because it felt really intense, and by the end of it you feel like you have achieved something in it.”

For Wendorf, music has really impacted his life.

“I don’t take piano lessons anymore, but I still quite frequently sit down at the piano and play some songs,” he said. “I feel like music has always been a good way to take a break from academics or social stresses, or whatever is happening in my life. I definitely want music to be part of my life in some way in college and probably beyond. It probably won’t end up being my career, but it will always be a part of my life.”

On top of performances and practice, sophomore Brandon Kim volunteers with the Korean Red Cross Youth Orchestra, which has most recently been contributing to Ukranian war efforts.

STORY Nikhil Dattatreya, Aaron Liu

The

hasRedKoreanCrossYouthOrchestraover70membersworkingtocollectdonationsatavarietyofeventsthroughouttheyear.

PERSISTENT EFFORT Kim began volunteering with the Korean branch of the Red Cross in 2021. Weekly practices led up to events about once a month.

BRANDON KIM Sophomore

Members of Wendorf's GDCS choir in the GDCS Choir

PHOTO Courtesy Brandon Kim

PHOTO Courtesy Brandon Kim

Convenience over quality: Deep Ellum Tacos

If you ever find yourself walking around Deep Ellum with absolutely nowhere else to go, this might be the place for you.

At Deep Ellum Tacos, you order from the small, dark window to then sit on a cramped patio right under the sun and eat, frankly, average tacos.

Despite a limited menu, there will probably be enough to get you through the day. The best option is the $2.85 street tacos filled with cilantro, lime, and onion with your choice of meat.

While Deep Ellum Tacos won’t disappoint on-the-go, it is not worth going out of the way for. The prices are pleasing, but the tacos themselves won’t blow you away.

The service is also unusually slow even with a limited number of customers, so you will need to account for an unexpected wait.

Their basic tacos do not really impress me–they are the kind of tacos you could throw together for a Tuesday dinner.The ingredients are fresh, but not outstanding, and the meat tastes better masked by the flavor of the sauce. There are two sauces to choose from, both decent but not surpassing any expectations.

The sauces just might be the only thing saving this place from being deemed below average, providing just enough flavor and acidity to your plate.

Besides the lack of shade on the patio, the seating would be nicer if the dumpster 20 feet from your seat wasn’t reeking of trash.

However, this taco spot makes up for its flaws with reasonable prices. This place may not provide you with a fine dining experience, but it’s not the worst place you’ll ever go.

So when Texas-OU comes around, and you do find yourself near Fair Park in need of lunch with no crowd, Deep Ellum Tacos might just be the perfect candidate.

Worth every morsel: Mami Coco

H ave you ever been to one of those hole-in-the-wall restaurants that you expect to be a waste of time until you take the first bite of your meal?

Mami Coco is exactly one of those places.

From the outside, it is admittedly not the most appealing place — located on one end of a twostore strip center. A few scattered picnic tables in front of the store is where you’ll likely find yourself sitting as there isn’t much space inside. These initial observations might deter you, but don’t be alarmed.

The friendly staff make the most of their limited room, making you feel right at home. And not just because the restaurant is literally just their kitchen.

The go-tos here are the street tacos.

Why would you drive all the way over to Deep Ellum just to get street tacos?

I’m here to tell you: It’s worth it.

Mami Coco goes with the classic onion and cilantro with either chicken, beef or barbacoa, yet the output is far above any other street taco. The two buttered corn tortillas encasing each taco balance out each bite perfectly, enhancing the flavor.

But the most memorable part of the meal would have to be their hot sauces. For those with a high spice tolerance, the red sauce is right up your alley.

For those on the more mild side, you can opt for the green sauce with a refreshing citrusy yet still spicy kick.Among the restaurants on this list, Mami Coco will get you the most bang for your buck. While the tacos are somewhat small, they will cost you less than two dollarsAll-in-all,apiece.if you have little extra time on your hands, heading out to Mami Coco might be the gift to yourself you didn’t know you needed.

A top-tier taquería: Vidorra Dallas

The one taco spot you must visit in the city is Vidorra Dallas. From the moment you walk in the 12-foot wooden door, you’ll know you have come to the right place.Vibrant colors and art light up the space, drawing you in, yet a few steps away, a plant-filled patio calls to you from outside.

The first question of your outing: where will you sit? Once you make this painstaking decision, you’ll settle down at your table and enjoy the upbeat music matching the upscale vibe.

Unlike the other two restaurants on this list, Vidorra provides you with flavorful chips and salsa before your meal. Centered at the heart of the menu are the classic street taco variations, but a glance around will provide you with something far more memorable.

A unique fried avocado taco will challenge your perception of the well known fruit, definitely worth ordering.Butthe best item on the menu is undoubtedly the birria red tacos. While you may have seen this dish taking over the internet or social media, trying the tacos at Vidorra is well worth your time. The butter-soaked tortillas filled with tender meat and oozing cheese with a crispy exterior will only leave you wanting more. You can also dip your taco in their savory consommé sauce made with the meat broth.

One thing to watch out for might be crowds. Although Vidorra has plenty of seating — upstairs, downstairs, outside, inside — their mouth-watering food draws in so many people that you might run into a wait. The prices might seem a little excessive, but the quality of food and experience is definitely worth it.

Overall, this taco spot centered right in the middle of Deep Ellum has got to be a top-tier restaurant in the city.

An emphatic ‘yes’ to seeing Nope

BY Blake Backes

A nickel falls from a propeller plane and pierces the temple of a nearby horse trainer. A shoe balances on its heel during a violent attack. A chimpanzee fistbumps a man after tearing the face off of his girlfriend and bludgeoning his coworkers to death.

A tight-knit circle of Santa Clarita ranchers is haunted by the lack of any explanation or rationale for these horrificReligionspectacles.oftenportrays

God performing miracles to benefit humanity, so these men rationalize their tragedies as the Divine either punishing them for disobedience or marking them as untouchable by nature.

In Nope, writer and director Jordan Peele asks the question, “What’s a bad miracle?”

In its unique decision to orient a disaster movie on how unexplainable events could change one’s religious viewpoints, the movie’s story is unabashedly

unpredictable.Initscharacter-oriented view of the alien invasion horror subgenre, this is the kind of movie that is rarely made nowadays. In the age of franchise flicks governing the theaters, audience members can often guess the broad strokes of a movie’s story before even watching the trailer.

Surrounded by musty and stale competitors, Nope triumphs because of its fierce originality, even when it teeters the line between introspection and entertainment that Peele’s “Get Out” balanced so perfectly.

Although the protagonist’s quick-witted genius subverts the trope of horror movie characters acting “too dumb to live” in order to progress the narrative, Steven Yeun’s Ricky is undoubtedly Nope’s most compelling character because of how he represses his trauma beneath his showmanist god complex.

At the ripe age of 12, Ricky witnesses his closest friends torn apart limb for limb by a wild animal who, bewilderingly, spares his life.

As an adult, Ricky makes a living by showing his collection of gory props from the event to those willing to pay thousands of dollars to indulge their fascination in the tragedy.

Although the movie settles for a more conventional, Spielberg-blockbuster finale, Ricky’s endlessly fascinating character captures my attention even two months after Nope’s release.

I hope that, in his next film, Peele challenges his storytelling by crafting a show-stopping protagonist instead of having another puzzling side character villain like Ricky steal the show.

Nope is Peele’s third film to earn over $100 million dollars at the box office, so I hope he swings for the fences with an even more subversive and original film, recognizing that his built-in audience ensures he’ll make bank no matter how unconventional his next story is.

BLAKE BACKES

REVIEWS Hilton Sampson

LEED-ing to ensure a better tomorrow

Following the tornado's destruction symbolizing

It’s time we stay true to our Statement of Environmental Policy. As it states, “The School assigns significant priority to integrating environmental awareness, understanding, and stewardship into its academic mission, campus improvements and operations.”

LEED certification — specifically Gold or Platinum — should, without a doubt, be one such priority. LEED provides an outline — a point system — for efficient and sustainable buildings, and certification can be

gained by adhering to certain requirements that address carbon energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality. It’s a globally recognized symbol of environmental leadership.

It’s time we be that leader.

Centennial Hall and Hoffman Center are only two of three buildings on campus that are LEED silver — which is understandable because the majority of buildings on campus are older — built during a time when greater sustainable practices in construction were available, but certainly not a priority if they meant expanding the budget and writing a larger paycheck up front.As

our planet becomes more overpopulated and pollution-ridden, sustainable practices must be a priority for us at 10600 Preston Road.

In the past 10 years, private and public schools in the greater Dallas area and across the country have already received Gold certification for their newly constructed buildings, symbolizing their commitment to the greater good. We were taken aback when we found out that our renowned, state-of-the-art Winn Science Center did, in fact, not attain Gold LEED certification.

Quoting our Statement of Environmental Policy once more, “Respecting the needs of future generations, St. Mark’s School of Texas will provide leadership in environmental sustainability and responsibility.”

It’s time we quit thinking in the short term environmentally and begin thinking about future generations of ConstructionMarksmen.ofthenew gym and athletic center is the perfect place to start.

Let’s strive for LEED Gold.

Because LEED does much more than lowering carbon footprints. By utilizing LED lighting and energy efficient heating and cooling systems, we’ll save significantly in energy and maintenance costs. Furthermore, per the Department of Energy, LEED buildings report using 25 percent less energy and 11 percent less water than non-LEED buildings.

Gold certification will bring all these benefits and more.While Gold certification will undoubtedly necessitate greater costs up front, it’s evident the money will come back over time.

So we reiterate: Think long-term.

Because — barring another tornado — the gym will stand for decades. And what does it say about the school community if we don't take this step to be environmental leaders?It’s time we institute sustainable practices into our new buildings to ensure a sustainable and eco-friendly future.Let’s LEED.

As the administration seeks to emphasize the small things, students have had mixed reactions. The connection between the small things – a tucked-in shirt, a clean shaven face, a belt – and building character is a difficult one. To many young people, the small things are insignificant, and, in many ways, it’s only natural to have thatHowever,opinion. we agree with the administration’s belief that paying attention to the small things can eventually pay dividends.Muchlike a tennis player must practice a forehand on end, with careful attention to the minute details of footwork, stance and racquet speed, the small things add up. After all, a Grand Slam winner is not built in a day. Dedication to the small things, daily, might appear to be a nuisance. But in months and years, it can be transformative.

And a Grand Slam winner is not built in a day. Overlooking the small things is contagious, especially to younger Marksman who constantly look up to the older guys. It takes community-wide buy-in to raise expectations and promote healthy habits. During COVID-19,

community ties weakened, and while they’re strong as ever now, we have become sloppy with the small things, and also the big things. Fueled by an increased amount of online assessments, where cheating may have been easier, academic dishonesty has risen since the pandemic. It’s certainly not an issue exclusive to the school, but our commitment to our values of courage and honor make it incomparably unacceptable. At an environment like 10600 Preston Road, honest and open class work and testing is paramount. It allows us to do what we love, to engage with each other intellectually and passionately. Without academic honesty, that disintegrates.

While we understand that maintaining high standards is critically important, there needs to be a reasonable balance between integrity and convenience, one which the administration has mostly upheld in the first month of school, with a few missteps. For instance, lunch serves as a time of collaboration for students, whose packed schedules often compel them to work on projects while eating. The school day can be long and exhausting, and for many students, a supplemental snack or meal is almost a necessity.

As such, the stringent measures on box lunches and other food outside the cafeteria can be overbearing and reduce productivity.Additionally, school work is usually done on computers.

It’s a sign of society’s increased reliance on technology for utility, something that has been hastened by the pandemic. Many enjoy completing their work outside, surveying the quadrangle as they study. The crackdown on computers in non-designated spaces only makes it harder for students to complete their work. We appreciate the administration’s efforts to improve habits and foster community-wide expectations, but we cannot simply go back to exactly how things were — because everything has changed, including us.

We hope that the student body will continue to increase their awareness of the small things. We hope that Upper School students will continue to set examples for younger Marksmen, setting the tone for the community at large. But above all, as the return to normalcy is nearly complete, we hope that the values of this institution and the integrity and character of its people will continue to shine bright.

THE

wherenearlydevastatingatornadostruckcampusthreeyearsago,alargecraterremainsHicksGymoncestood.Thisspacewillsoonbefilledbyanewathleticcenter.

PHOTO Charlie Estess

The price to pay for passion

For many Americans, college represents an opportunity – a chance for young men and women to change their stars, follow their passions and contribute to society. And for decades, that opportunity has been getting more and more inaccesible with rising tuition costs. With many young people struggling with student debt and Marksmen weighing the economic feasibility of their own college decisions, we analyze the latest executive order forgiving student loan debt.

President Joe Biden’s executive order forgiving $10,000 in student loan debt for those making under $125,000 rang through the headlines with a bang, but for the families about to take on the costs of attending college, it was barely a whimper.

The inflation-adjusted increase in college prices since 2010 has already been over 30 percent. Since 1960, it’s increased over a gargantuan 700 percent. There’s a diversity not only on this editorial board, but in the nation, on how to tackle these increasing costs, but we can all agree: this loan forgiveness does nothing to solve the base problem of rapidly increasing university prices. If anything, it will only hurt future families having to pay for colleges, who now risk borrowing money to pay for college prices now raised even more due to the incentive the federal government is giving universities.

Forgiveness of these loans is a matter of incentive. At some point, it doesn't even matter whether one believes this particular amount of money forgiven was worth the inflation this act will cause. The fact is that all this forgiveness does is encourage universities to charge even more and future college students our age to borrow more with the expectation that the American taxpayers will pick up the debt of the overwhelmingly middle to upper class that makes up college graduates.

As of right now, the pyramid of colleges charging and students borrowing with this expectation is doomed to collapse at some point. Either this will end with a series of ever-expanded student loan forgiveness programs due to popular demand that will eventually foster resentment of those who do not have the massive career advantage of attending university who will be paying for the advancement of students richer than them out of their own money, or it will end with an even larger crisis of graduates weighed down by loans they

never expected to actually pay off.

Although the current debt forgiveness action is only for those making under $125,000 and is still currently being challenged in the courts, it sets the expectation that borrowers in the future will also get clemency on the debt they carry. Even if this action gets struck down in the courts, it sets the precedent for attempted Presidential action to forgive debts in this area that will still be factored into future borrowing and college cost decisions.How do we stop digging ourselves into this hole of debt? A better action would have addressed the root causes, such as using those hundreds of billions to provide for lower tuition costs at public universities, community colleges, or other options that will also drive down the price of private schools through the newfound competition. What we have right now is a moral hazard. Everything the government is doing right now is only making costs worse towards our generation, who at this rate will be footing a much larger bill than even the Millennials.Atapersonal level, Marksmen planning for college would be well-advised to only take out what they are confident they can pay off in the future. Since forgiving student loans is a partisan issue, there is no guarantee that the party in power will forgive their loans when they need it the most. The crisis may continue growing, but those who know what they can pay for can insulate themselves from the fallout before they even turn eighteen.Whatever the solution ends up being, it should not be partisan. Both parties recognize the crushing load of student debt in our country currently spiraling out of control. They differ on what the solution will be, though. At stake is more than $1.6 trillion now that is constantly

REPORT CARD

Campus Cleanliness

While there has been some improvement, widely speaking, in campus cleanliness, certain hightraffic areas still lag behind in being clutter-free and up to our St. Mark's standard.

Lion Pride Night

An expertly organized event saw the student body have plenty of fun, capped off by a dominating Lions win. We thank the Parent's Association for their work.

Upper School Assemblies

The school year started strong with some of the best Upper School Assemblies in recent history, with the rap battle a favorite. We commend the Student Council for their efforts.

Senior Posters

The reversal of the baffling decision to only have football posters and none for the other fall sports is welcome, and all the posters look great.

we do not know will be footed by the taxpayers or those former students who may not be able to pay it off. No matter how the student debt crisis turns out, paying for college remains a massively important financial decision for Marksmen and their families. Now more than ever we need to look at how we will pay for college very carefully, in case the situation takes a turn for the worse. This is one of the few political issues that it is completely possible to personally avoid with enough planning and sacrifices.

VOTER REGISTRATION

Last day to register to voteOct. 11 RegistrationVoterDaySep. 20

Vegetarian Options

We understand that salads and sandwiches are always available, but it should be a priority to provide vegetarian students with a main entree that satisfies their needs.

Unperforming Clubs

Some clubs always seem to fill out their club forms and call it a day. It's dishonest and a disservice to the community to not do anything with them.

Increased displays of student work a phenomenal addition to campus

Students of all ages produce art on campus, dedicating countless hours toward the pursuit of their passions. Whether it’s photography, wood and metal, art or ceramics, the output of their work is aesthetically pleasing, intellectually innovative and exemplifies the pursuit of excellence that characterizes Marksmen. This holds true for all boys, as evidenced by Lower Schoolers’ unceasing commitment to create vivid pieces of pottery and abstract, though perhaps unintentionally abstract, self portraits.

The St. Mark’s campus has always had a distinct character. It’s apparent to first-time visitors to campus who always remark on it. The backpacks scattered across the quadrangle, the Middle School kids out on recess and the sense of anticipation of boys running to

class and preparing for assessments has all contributed to it. The school has always been able to convey its character and strong community to visitors naturally. The increased spaces for the display of student art work, however, make a concrete effort to showcase what makes special. The ReMarker applauds this effort. While checking in at Nearburg Hall, visitors are greeted with wood and metal pieces that illustrate Marksmen’s ability to think outside the box and artwork that shows their attention to detail. For the past couple of years, a senior sculpture installation sits on the north side of the chapel, yet another piece of a senior class’ legacy.

This fall, students returned to find a photography exhibit in the halls of the science building, making one

Centennial Hall. While this new emphasis improves visitors’ experiences here, it also greatly benefits students. Many fine arts don’t have the publicity of a drama production or a newspaper, for that matter, where members of the community view our work. Getting one’s work into a professional gallery or exhibit is also quite difficult for any student, even the most talented. Therefore, displays around campus are sometimes the only opportunity students get to have their work seen and discussed. That is powerful, and we commend the administration for recognizing that.

CRUSHED Tuition, other academic costs such as textbooks and living expenses can place a burden on many students.

As some seniors reach voting age, electing our state's future leaders becomes an important aspect of being a conscious adult. Here are some important dates:

These words are sacred Numbers everythingaren't

I can't wait a second longer. My eyes burn. My head throbs. My world spins.

It’s been four straight hours. Homework. ESPN. YouTube.

I’m gonna do it I slam my MacBook Air shut. Thank God

This is a nightly occurrence for Theme. 13-inch screen consumes me. It’s always beaming ads, suggesting tennis videos and airing strangers’ comments on a random blog post. It’s hard to look away from the blue light. From the everlasting internet.

To say I’m distracted while doing homework is an understatement. The wasted time has surely added up over my high school years. But that’s not even my main concern.

I feel out of touch with my surroundings — even just after reading a short New York Times article on their website.

I don’t feel this way when reading from our hard copy comparative government textbook in class. Or when I’m solving a limits worksheet in calculus.

Believe me — I’m the first to tell you how much I love the tech world. It fascinates me. I’m sure we’re all a little in awe of the internet. A simple Google search is faster than scouring a textbook and will tell you almost everything you need to know.

But I find so much more joy in having a book in my hands. There’s something about flipping each page that’s satisfying. Completing every chapter, every novel, gives me a small sense of accomplishment. Most importantly, a book can have my complete focus. I don’t have another ‘tab’ open. I’m not simultaneously reading text messages.Notto mention, the majority of us better retain information from a hardBycopy.allmeans, I’m not saying to handwrite an essay, to “undigitalize” your work in every endeavor.That’s outdated.

But cut down where you can. Resist the urge to click on the next YouTube video. Instead, find a comfortable place — a bench or couch — to relax with a book in hand.As society becomes increasingly digitized, it’s easy to neglect these healthyEveryhabits.time the newspaper is delivered to campus and I hold that specific edition for the first time, I get a tingly feeling. The crisp pages. The smell of ink enveloping the publications suite.

It’s Pausespecial.reading this for a second and run your fingers across this page.Take in the texture, paper thickness, scent. You’ll find that print engages your senses in a way the internet can never.

What’s on this page, and in any page of a novel or textbook, is sacred. The words are enduring and unchanging. They’re not an Instagram post we can take down a month

Five weeks left.

Five weeks left to figure out who I am. Five weeks to learn what I want to do in my life. Five weeks to know how I will lead my entireAndlife.it all hinges on one school—I’d better choose well.

Or should I?

Last Monday, US News dunked Columbia University’s rank from second to 18th after a math professor revealed the school had submitted false statistics to boost its numbers earlier this year. Especially considering that the school had taken pride in its rise to the country’s second-highest-ranked university last year, it’s safe to say Columbia has lost someIt'scredibility.easyforstudents to believe getting into a high-ranked school guarantees them a future full of success and happiness. But no matter my personal opinion on this perspective, university rank has been too important of a factor in deciding my own application list for it just to be a sham.

I was even planning on applying early to Columbia, so does this mean I’ll have to reconsider my choice?

I say Sure,no.Columbia has lost some credibility. But the same applies to these university ranking systems. How can a single school drop its rank sixteen places in a single year?

Students shouldn’t be responsible for deciding whether choosing universities a few spots higher on the ranking list is worth the extra tens of thousands of dollars added to expenses. The same goes for the countless

AROUND THE QUAD

families and students who approach ranks as a make-or-break deal. And the student who believes his dream school is his key to success.These ranking systems have no independent oversight, so universities are free to report whatever statistics they want— exactly what happened with Columbia. This “scandal” was a long time coming; if not Columbia, then some other top university.

Of course, I did consider rank before deciding to apply to Columbia; it was the second-best school in the country.

But it wasn’t the leading factor in my decision.Theschool’s values and opportunities drew my attention, not where it’s placed on some arbitrary list. That’s why, even after this sudden dip, I’m not backing down on my decision to apply in November.

I know that being able to brag about going to a high-ranked university sounds appealing, but finding a place with friends, stability and happiness is a lot more meaningful. And maybe the highlyprestigious name of one school can open the doors for opportunities later in life, but it matters more how a student uses the resources around them.

REMARKER

It's important but it also depends upon where you can get in as well. You weigh between ranking and ability.

These rankings aren’t going away, so as we get closer to our first application deadlines, I hope my classmates—and the students that come after us—take these “Best National Universities” lists with a grain of salt. Understand that even as ranks change over the years, don’t give any school less consideration because of them. ReMarker is intended for the students, faculty, staff and alumni community of St. Mark’s School of Texas. Press run is 4,000 copies, with more than 2,600 of those mailed out to alumni, courtesy of the school’s offices of External Affairs, Development and Alumni divisions.

OPINIONS AND EDITORIALS

I know people who enjoy their time at smaller places, but I do care about being at a decently well-known school.

It matters a lot, even though there are a lot of like smaller schools that have great programs I would go to if I didn't look at ranking.

Very little. For me, the tier of the school is the most important. Past that certain tier, I could flip a coin.

Editorials represent the views of the Editorial Board and are not necessarily those of the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty or staff. All personal opinion columns, bylined with the writer’s name and photo, represent the views of that writer only and not necessarily those of The ReMarker, Board of Trustees, administration, faculty or staff.

SOCIAL MEDIA online viewing www.smtexas.org/remarker podcast @focalpointpodcast instagram @remarkernewspaper

READER INVOLVEMENT

The ReMarker encourages reader input through guest columns and story ideas. Contact the appropriate editor for suggestions.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the editor are welcome and encouraged. They must be typed, signed and not exceed 300 words. Submissions are not accepted.

ADVERTISING

Contact the business staff at 214.346.8145. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Inclusion of an ad does not represent an endorsement by the school’s administration, faculty, or staff or The ReMarker staff members.

MEMBERSHIP

The ReMarker maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, New York City, NY; National Scholastic Press Association, Minneapolis, MN; and the Interscholastic League Press Conference, Austin.

How much does a university's rank matter in applicationyourtoit?

Q:

ARJUN BADI Senior, prospective Religious Studies and Political Science major

NOAH ASMEROM Senior, prospective Gender Studies major

ISHAAN DEVALLA Senior, prospective History major

LUKE STALLINGS Senior, prospective pre-medical major

I think for me, my fit was always sort of whether or not I was gonna thrive. But rank matters to a certain degree; I try and shoot for a school that is at the level that St. Mark's is at, but the priority is community.

SAL

Mourning a monarch

NOAH CATHEY Guest columnist COLUMN

A t 16, I have lived under four presidents. My father — eight. Marietta Johnson, the longest tenured staff member on campus, has seen 10 different men occupy the Oval Office during her time working at 10600.

Since the Science-Mathematics Quad opened in 1961, the White House has been home to 15 families. Even the youngest of Marksmen have lived through three presidencies.

Yet we all have known only one British monarch: Queen Elizabeth II.

I, as have many Americans, have had a growing interest in the Royal Family since the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May of 2018. This fascination grew exponentially when I watched season one of The Crown

Funnily enough, my attraction to the monarchy is more about the people involved and less about the titular item. I prefer people such as Diana or Princess Margaret; the impartiality and stoic nature of the monarch doesn’t lend itself well to television. And as my appreciation for the royal family has grown, so has my care for the health of its leader.When Prince Phillip died last year, I wondered how long the widowed monarch would continue to reign. And on Sept. 8, I did not expect to be so moved at the news of the 96-year-old’s passing.

During this time of global mourning, much will be made of her longevity. After all, she was the Queen for 70 years. It’s ironic that she had the longest reign of any English monarch, as she wasn’t even born to inherit the crown. She only became the heir apparent after her father George VI, took over for her uncle King Edward VIII, who abdicated to marry an American divorcee.

Her unique path to the throne makes her dedication to it even more remarkable. She ruled with a grace that rivals any monarch. She garnered the respect of those with the

greatest disdain for the institution she leads. Even the most extreme antimonarchists have shown respect for the lateAqueen.candidate for Prime Minister in Australia, whose party is of the belief that the country should be a republic, swore that they would remain under the rule of England as long as Queen Elizabeth was on the throne. She even transcends my indifference for what the Royal Family represents. Despite my dislike for unmerited leadership and impartiality, I have a great amount of respect for her work.

I can only imagine being a royal is overwhelming. That it consumes one’s life. Even the most prominent of royals have broken character once or twice, with some even stepping away from it all.

But Queen Elizabeth never folded. Her popularity grew with each passing decade and into another century and somehow, she remained a subject to the crown. She surrendered to something far bigger than herself: the extraordinary work of being queen. When it was most unpopular, she stayed true to her royal oath. Her life epitomizes the last clause of our school’s statement of purpose: “an appreciation for the lively connection between… privilege and the obligation to serve.”

History will define the second Elizabethan era as one of great change in England and across the world, with cultural advancement and political unrest. It will also be characterized by its monarch — a stabilizing force for more than 70 years. She was a constant in our ever-changing world.

The depth and breadth of her commitment to service is as much a model for her son King Charles III as it is for us across the pond. As Marksmen, it is our duty to lead, respect and serve. That duty may be difficult, unpopular and misunderstood. We must commit ourselves to that noble work and find fulfillment in doing so as Queen Elizabeth II did.

I t follows me everywhere, never leaving for a second.

Yet sometimes — most of the time — it’s a stranger to me.

I’m typically reminded of it only from weekly calls to my grandparents or the couple times a year my family chooses to celebrate a cultural holiday.

Or the rare time I actually pay attention to the Hindu figurines — though I can’t identify them — scattered throughout my home.

This time, it was when a viral video surfaced a few weeks ago of four Indian women being racially targeted and attacked by another woman outside a Plano restaurant in late August.

My culture.

Just one glance at my appearance — and it’s an automatic association.

Most would assume the two are inseparable. But for me, my culture always seems to drift away. It escapes my Surely,appearance.it’snot my fault.

It’sRight?not my fault my family only chooses to celebrate two of the 33 recognized Hindu holidays. Or that my mom only cooks Indian dishes on special occasions (once a month at most). Or that my family’s one shot at visiting India for the first time was halted by the pandemic.

But it is my fault I stopped visiting my temple — complaining it was a waste of time.

It is my fault I feel out of place when surrounded by the thick accents of my own people.

It is my fault that even after those four Indian women were attacked, I still feel like the same couldn’t happen to me.Would the woman responsible for that racially motivated hate crime just 11 miles down the road have gone on her rampage if those women weren’t

Stocks to watch

Fencing hype SLIGHT INCREASE

Between features in Upper School Assembly and The Superfanmen Show, the sport has been receiving some much-deserved love.

speaking in their native tongue? If they didn’t have distinct accents? If she could somehow “tell” those women were born here?

A large part of me says she wouldn’t have. That same part of me says I’m off the hook — because I’m too American.

Is that something to be ashamed of? That I’m prone to receive better treatment just because I was born here — even though I still look Indian?

That’s the thing. It shouldn’t matter I’m less likely to be the victim. Nearly everyone in this country has ancestors who arrived here as foreigners. For me — myWhatgrandparents.iftheywere the ones being attacked? That’s an immediate impact on me. All of a sudden, my family would become the victim.

That’s why embracing your culture matters. We have an obligation to carry on the customs, passions and interests of those who paved the way for us to be here. We cannot dismiss that. We have to relate ourselves to them — so that when they are victimized, we’re not just affected because we happen to share the same skinWe’retone. affected because it’s our culture.

And I, for one, need to do a better job. Because once I leave high school, it’s up to me to choose how much of my culture I’ll retain. Whatever I keep with me will trickle down to my children. And the cycle will continue.

The same goes for you.

It all starts with learning — the history, the religious figures, the customs.Forme, I know that one day, I’ll make it to India. I will do that.

So, what will you do? How will you keep your culture from drifting away?

The bulls and bears of stocks on campus

Spirit parties SPIKE The worksupportandgamethesecompletelyAssociationParents'hasrevampedpost-footballfestivities,studentsshouldallthehardthathasgoneinto

the final product.

Vegetarian food options

STEADY DECLINE

We'd like to see more protein options during lunch for community members who don't eat meat.

Fan attendance

KEEPING STEADY

From home volleyball games to Friday night lights, we love seeing the community come together to support the Lions. Keep it up!

Community health DIP

A bug has been going around campus, forcing many to stay home while they recover.

Mask usage has also gone up around campus. Stay safe!

Don't let this part of you drift away ManagingKHATTIEditor COLUMN

BY Dillon Wyatt

Senior Sammy Larkin traveled to Israel this summer to compete at the Maccabi games for team USA.Unlike other competitions Larkin has played in, the Maccabi games is the secondlargest sporting event in the world, behind the Summer Olympics. This was Larkin’s first time playing against teams from around the world.

“The Maccabi Games is much bigger than the Junior Olympics,” Larkin said. “The Junior Olympics is just U.S. club teams playing with U.S. rules, while the Maccabi games are country vs. country and use international rules which have longer pool and longer games. While I love playing in the Junior Olympics, there was something super special about playing for a U.S. team at the Maccabi Games.”

For Larkin, being 5’5”, playing against fully grown adults from around the world was a challenge for him. However, going from the United States to Israel, he was able to play with a different intensity.“Inthe U.S., the refs are a little bit soft, so when I guard a big guy, I have to beat them to the positions, so I don’t bring refs into the game and give the big guy a call just for being big,” Larkin said. “In Europe, the refs let you play, which was awesome for me. I was able to attack with way more physicality than back in the States. It definitely gave me more confidence as I come home and play the school season and match up against big guys here.”

While the United States fell in the semi-finals, bouncing back in the third place game was big for Larkin, who walked away with hardware.

“While, of course, I would have loved to get gold, I was definitely happy with bronze,” Larkin said. “It would have been a disappointment to have put in so much work and spent so much time away from home to come home with nothing to show for it. The bronze medal game was one of the most intense games I’ve ever been a part of, and to win such a close game felt really experienceOverall,good.”Larkin’splayingfor the United States in a worldwide competition was one he will never“Itforget.wasvery cool to represent the USA in a competition,” Larkin said. “Especially in our bronze medal game, it really hit me that I was playing for more than just myself and my teammates. I may never get a chance to represent my country in that kind of way again, so I really wanted to take full advantage of it.”

NEW JV COACHES The JV volleyball team will have a new coach this year, Middle School math teacher Lauren Logan, who has been coaching volleyball for six years. She has played volleyball since the fifth grade; however, this will be Logan’s first experience coaching high school boys, as she previously coached a middle school girls’ volleyball team. Logan’s goal is to help each player focus on a position that uses their strengths and prepares them for the next level. Logan has joined Associate Athletic Director Joshua Friesen in coaching the Junior Varsity volleyball teams.

NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL COACHES

The Middle School lacrosse and volleyball teams will also have new coaches for the upcoming season. Lacrosse will be coached by Trey Whitty, who has won championships as a collegiate level player, and later as a coach for high school boys. The

volleyball team’s new coach is Greg Bergeron, who teaches 10th grade math and has coached a variety of sports for 23 years.

FOOTBALL UPDATE This summer, the football team had training camp from Aug. 1 to Aug. 20. Every day consisted of team meetings, practices, lifts, watching film, and walkthroughs of the plays to help the team improve. During practices, the team made sure to hydrate and weigh in to make sure they weren’t losing too much water weight. The camp allowed players to revamp after summer for a head start to the season.Thus far, the football team is off to a 2-2 start in nonconference play. The Lions won their first game at home against Ft. Worth Country Day, before dropping the next two games at Cistercian and John Cooper. Last week, they won at home against Legacy Christian

27-14. Friday, they will host Coram Deo in their last game before counter play.

ALUMNI UPDATE This fall season, many alumni are looking to build on their sports performances from last year and make a name for themselves. Paxton Scott ’20 is coming off a very impressive football season last year at Dartmouth, earning All-Ivy League honorable mention and Phil Steele All-Ivy Fourth Team at wide receiver. The Big Green will be taking on the University of Pennsylvania Quakers Sept. 30. Sahil Dodda ’22 is coming off one of the best cross country performances of all time within St. Marks, and has taken his record breaking talents to the college stage for the University of Pennyslvania Quakers. He will be competing in the Notre Dame Invitational Sept. 30 and the Penn State National Open Oct. 14.

New varsity coaches BATON Athletic Director Sean Lissemore stands withnew head coach Ryan Hershner and coach John Turek.

PHOTO

And therethenwere FOUR

With fall sports back in full throttle, the Superfanmen build culture all around campus, keeping spirits high and all Lions at 10600 Preston Road roaring loudly.

What are you most excited about as a Superfanmen this year?

Adam Alfalahi: I’m most excited about being able to represent the school’s energy. I take ideas from other guys and work to channel them.

Logan Johnson: I’m really excited to continue running the social media accounts. I’ve spent a lot of time with Luke Evangelist in the last few months and years, and he’s taught me everything there is to know. It’s been really fun to learn from him, and this is something I want to potentially pursue in the future. It’s what I love to do.

George Genender: We have an interesting opportunity with the four of us. I feel like we have the opportunity to cover everyone. If someone wants to be covered, we got them. That’s our motto. We’re just fans looking to make a lasting difference.

Silas Hosler: I’m also very excited about bringing student sections to some of the less popular events such as Robotics competitions or maybe even a band concert.

GG: I would say maybe change isn’t the right word. Improve. And develop. In our eyes, football, volleyball, water polo, cross country, and fencing are all the same. They’re all fall sports. Obviously, there’s different fandoms for each, but we’re trying to get everyone to be fans of everything. We can’t ask for everyone to come to the football game or volleyball game, but we want to set an example to get everyone else there.

SH: I’m looking to expand. One of my goals this year is to get the Middle School involved. I know some of their sports don’t get the hype as much as they could be getting.

How do you plan on improving the publicity of all AA:sports?

I don’t want to plug our podcast again, but I will. On our show, for example, we’ve brought on a football guy but we’ve also had a guest fencer. So that will be the platform on which we can bring somebody who maybe isn’t as loud. By putting him on our podcast, everyone can hear his voice.

GG: Actions matter. Actually being there changes everything. When I went to the first cross country meet, and it was 7:30 a.m., I’m not gonna lie, I wanted to be in bed. But these guys made it fun for me, and they welcomed me in. The Superfanmen have the unique position to connect and unite. We strive to be the groundwork for what a lot of the St. Mark’s community is.

SH: I would say communication through all grade GroupMe helps publicity, but I think for seniors, there’s going to be a lot of downtime on our hands later in the year. I want it to be that seniors would rather use that time cheering on an event rather than just hanging out at home playing Xbox.

SH: One goal is to encourage as many students as possible to check out an event that they haven’t checked out before, or supporting a community that they haven’t supported before.

What is your favorite thing about being Superfanmen?

LJ: My favorite thing is seeing the entire school coming together.

GG: I always look forward to see all the smiles on the parent’s and players’ faces at the games we attend.

SH: I love shining my Lion pride at assemblies.

AA: I’m always super excited to bring the energy whereever I go, whether it’s at assemblies or at games.

What are you planning to change from other Superfanmen in the past?

LJ: I think we have a nice outreach via social media, which is our main source of coverage. There’s really no reason why we shouldn’t have coverage on every St. Mark’s sport. Yes, football gets shown more, lacrosse gets shown more. They may be more exciting for some, but they’re not everybody’s cup of tea, so why not display the school as a whole and show the well-roundedness of St Mark’s instead of showing what select people want to see?

What’s the Superfanmen’s biggest goal this year?

AA: In my English class, Mr. Brown said that the first assembly was one of the greatest entrances he’s ever seen. We are not going to let up. In May, when others may lose their drive to work hard, we still want to show up to those lacrosse games and tennis matches. We want to be there and support our troops.

GG: Not letting up, senioritis can’t hit this!

S am Acho ’07 was inducted into the Hall of Honor at the University of Texas Sept. 16, joining athletes such as three-time basketball Olympic Gold Medalist Kevin Durant, and B.J.Bedford, 21-time swimming All American.Achoadds this achievement to a long list of awards including a William V. Campbell Trophy for being the nation’s top football student-athlete, a Wuerffel Trophy for overall athletic, academic and community service excellence and former Big 12 sportsperson of the Year.

Though joining the Hall of Honor is an incredible accomplishment, it was never a focal point for Acho in terms of his process.

“I wasn’t expecting it or going for it,” Acho said. “For other awards, you say to yourself if I do XYZ, then I’ll be able to win this award, but for this award, I wasn’t expecting it in the least, which is why I feel it stands out more than some of the other awards I have won.”

Though he didn’t expect the award, Acho certainly put in all the work needed to deserve it. Not only was Acho a powerhouse on the field, but a powerhouse in other important areas as well.

“When thinking back on why I believe I earned this award, a few things come to mind,” Acho said. “Mainly academics, that was something I put a huge emphasis on in my time at St. Mark’s as well as at Texas. Community service definitely played a big role as well, so I feel it wasn’t really one-dimensional, more of a mix with community service, academics and my performance on the field.”

Though Acho worked hard within many different categories to receive these awards, thinking back on all his success, he can only attribute it to one thing: his faith.“It’s only God,” Acho said. “I could try to do the math. But at the end of the day, I have to give all the

glory to God because without him, none of this would haveAchohappened.”alsofeels St. Mark’s played a pivotal role in preparing him for his successful future.

“When I got to college, I felt like I was already a step ahead,” Acho said. “Classes that a lot of people were taking as a freshman or sophomore, I had already earned the credits for in high school. St. Mark’s really taught me how to study and learn. Without St. Mark’s, I believe some of these accomplishments would have been much more difficult to achieve.”

Despite achieving such great success, Acho still feels motivated to increase his knowledge and skill, and this was his advice for students as well.

“Stay focused. Find someone who can push you or be in the trenches with you,” Acho said. “Sometimes you have to be alone, but it is always better to be with someone else. Find someone that motivates you and follow their example to know that you are not alone.”

STORY Nolan Marcus and Eric Yi

FOUR-PEAT Seniors Adam Alfalahi, Silas Hosler, George Genender and Logan Johnson (left to right) hype up the crowd during USA theme pep rally.

BRING IT Genender riles up the community before the Lions football team beat Fort Worth Country Day 47-15.

PHOTO Charlie Estess

PHOTO Sal

MATEU PARKER

Decatha-leaping into stardom

After a season-ending injury last summer, sophomore Mateu Parker came into this year hungry to bounce back.

He didn’t know it was a passion until it presented itself to him. Nor did he know how far it would take him

He thought he was going to be a track and field athlete just like everyone else on the team, but Mateu Parker was greatly mistaken.

His journey began in the spring of his eighth-grade year when head varsity track and field coach John Turek told him about decathlons. That conversation sparked a journey neither could have imagined.

Even before Turek had the chance to work with Parker individually, he observed skills that would make Parker a great decathlete.

“I first observed him when I was his track coach in middle school,” Turek said. “He was very fast and very athletic, and I approached him at the end of his eighthgrade year and told him I thought he would make a good decathlete.”Laterthat summer after months of training, he competed in his first decathlon, the Texas Greatest Athletes Invitational.

“I did pretty well for my first decathlon but I’ve definitely improved since then,” ParkerWhilesaid.Parker certainly had skills he could improve upon, he showed the confidence and composure necessary in a decathlete.

“I probably needed better form and technique in my high jump, long jumps, and throwing events,” Parker said. “I never overreacted, I just ran my race and did what I knew.”

Turek believes there are three main qualities one must possess to be a great decathlete: speed, strength, and a great work ethic. Fortunately, Parker has them.

“You’re talking about training for ten events, and it’s not for everybody,” Turek said. “He has the capacity both structurally and physically. But more importantly, he has what it takes mentally.”

Despite a strong start from Parker in his first meet, he was unable to train for decathlons for almost a year due to an ankle injury and other athletic commitments.

“After I sprained my ankle, I wasn’t able to train anymore for the rest of that summer,” Parker said. “I didn’t do anything during football season, and I didn’t begin training for track until preseason track – but even that wasn’t purely decathlon training.”

Parker resumed his decathlon training after the track season ended and he hit the ground running fueled with new aspirations and goals.

“It felt good to jump right into training because the past summer I wasn’t able to compete in as many decathlons as I wanted to,” Parker said. “This year, I started my summer training with the goal to compete in the Junior Olympics.”

This past summer, Parker competed in the Texas Greatest, AAU Regional, and AAU Junior Olympics meets.

“First, I competed in Texas Greatest Athletes to see how far along I was with my training,” Parker said. “I did pretty well, but I still needed to improve my Javelin and the 1500.”

After measuring his progress and qualifying for the Junior Olympics in his first two meets of the summer, Parker competed in the biggest decathlon of his life – the AAU Junior Olympics.

“In the AAU Junior Olympics meet, he finished sixth out of 42 guys, so I was very proud of him,” Turek said.“It’s a big new world for him, and we’re pretty excited about his future.”

Turek believes the two best decathletes from this school have been Bradley V. Urschel ‘79, and Sean Smith

‘06 – both of whom competed at a collegiate level. Turek believes one day, Parker could reach their level.

“Mateu has those great capabilities to compete not only well while he’s in high school, but at the division one level when he goes off to college,” Turek said.

Parker’s farthest distance throwing a javelin a decathalon 1500m time at the Junior Olympics fastest 100m dash time at a decathalon

BY Nolan Marcus

Junior Raja Mehendale’s league has a reward system where the winner each year gets their name on a plaque. The league,started in first grade, is called St. Mark’s Class of 2024. In a fantasy world that is now obsessed with cruel punishments, this league continues to focus on celebrating sweet victory instead.

Sophomore Matthew Hoffman’s grade-wide league makes the losing team pay for the winning team’s lunch. The group is called the 2025 Advisory League because each “player” is one advisory.

Hoffman’s personal league has the bottom two teams going to couples therapy together for an hour.

Junior Jimmy Francis’ league has each competitor submit a legitimate punishment, and whoever wins the league will have to do whatever they submitted. These punishments range from a Coffeehouse performance to walking to school for a week.

Senior Jack Gordy’s league will make the losing player stay in a Waffle House for 24 hours. Every waffle that is ordered and consumed subtracts one hour from the total time.

Senior Dillon Wyatt’s league will make the losing player retake the ACT or SAT. To prevent this person from sleeping through the test or filling in random answers, he’ll be required to earn a predetermined minimum score.

STORY Nolan Marcus, Ben Adams

CHASING GREATNESS Parker launches himself over the pole for a smooth landing (top.) Parker warms up for the 100 meter-dash at the Texas Greatest Athletes Track Invitational (left.) Parker uses his momentum to propel himself over the bar (right.)

Fantasy football’s back in action, and the punishments just keep getting crazier

DRAFT TIME Sophomore Class President Matthew Hoffman organized a fantasy football draft involving his entire class, with teams set up by advisory.

PHOTO Courtesy Matthew Hoffman

PHOTOS Courtesy Mateu Parker

JOHN TUREK Varisty Track and Field Head Coach

Webb to take over cheerleading team

BY Lawrence Gardner

W hitney Webb, Alumni Relations Coordinator and former Texas cheerleader, has now taken the job as head cheerleading coach.

To Webb, cheerleading has always been more than a hobby, and she is excited to continue her passioin as a coach.

“I love being a cheer coach,” Webb said. “Specifically, because you get to apply what you did and you're helping the future generation experience it. There is something really special about that.”

Working with younger students somethingis Webb has really enjoyed.

Hershner takes baton and runs with it

After seven years as an assistant to long-standing cross country and track and field head coach John Turek, Ryan Hershner is taking over the cross country team with an expectation to put another SPC championship in the books.

STORY Ben Adams

Walking into the headmaster’s office for a meeting, assistant cross country coach Ryan Hershner had no idea what to expect.

Minutes later, Hershner was the new head coach of the varsity cross country team.

Hershner wants to continue the success that Turek had as a coach, but he also has his own plans that he wants to bring to the team.

WHITNEY CheerleadingWEBBheadcoach

“I have a lot of WebbwithmuchofficeDevelopmentthroughwithinteractionsthealumnitheandnotasinteractiontheboys,”said.“This

was the perfect opportunity for me to be involved with students, and it’s really fun to be around kids again.”

As the new coach, Webb has not decided to change the cheerleaders daily routine, but has incorporated fun ideas into their practices. With all the recent rain she has thought up new ideas for how the cheerleaders can practice.

“When it rains, we practice in the wrestling room which is fun,” Webb said. “They haven’t been up there, and the girls really enjoy it.”

Webb also understands that as a coach it is her job to teach the cheerleaders lessons for their future as well.

“The number one thing I learned is to make it more than just cheerleading,” Webb said. “At the end of the day, my job is to make them better women, not just better cheerleaders.”

After 28 years of leading this dominant program, former varsity head cross country coach John Turek is passing the baton to Hershner –literally. During that meeting in the headmaster’s office, Turek handed Hershner a symbolic baton that read “St. Mark's Cross Country Head CoachFollowing5/19/22.”years of mentorship from Turek, Hershner was now ready to take that baton and lead the team.

Hershner first came to St. Mark’s in early 2015, when his wife, third-grade teacher Erica Hershner, told him that a past coach of hers, Turek, was looking for an assistant.

“I moved from my job in Florida into Coach Turek’s house,” Hershner said. “I lived with Coach Turek for the first eight months that I lived in Dallas, and I started coaching here at St. Mark’s right away.”

Although it has been seven years since Hershner lived at Turek’s house as he looked for a job, he will always be grateful to Turek for that act of kindness - and for all the advice he has given since “[Turek]then.has been like an unbelievable resource and unbelievable help since I’ve been here,” Hershner said. “He took me in as a stranger off the street and now that I'm taking over the program with him as my assistant; it's very surreal.”

“There's a lot of things that Turek did that has established success here and I want to continue that, but there are some things that some little things that will be changed with a new coach and the new coaching style he has,” Turek

tryinghereI’vebigoneitwhatlosethat,caught“IfHershnerrecruitment,”andyourthingsofintoeasytrack,countrylikeandperfectionismperspective.theitbest,desiretorunners’appreciateshasWhilesaid.Hershnernoticedandhiswillingnessworkhardandtobethehealsobelievesisimportantforrunnerstokeep“There'salotofhere,withsportscrossandit'sreallytofallthetrapquantitativeliketimecollegesaid.yougetupinyoucansightofmakesfun.That’softhethingsnoticedandI’mtohelp

kids with Despiteit.”the pressure a new position such as a head coach could create, Hershner has taken his role with stride and is looking forward to the new season.“Coach Turek is my assistant coach and I have him to fall back on, but it's gonna be a lot of fun to run the show,”

PHOTO Courtesy Superfanmen

New varsity lacrosse coach plans to leave his mark

BY Neil Yepuri

The final whistles sound out in Theunison.teamrushes the field in jubilation.Thisis the pinnacle of now-lacrosse head coach Trey Whitty’s season. This championship is the ultimate prize — the reason he’s worked so hard.Whitty has experienced this twice now, once as a player at the University of Virginia, and once as a coach at McDonogh School.And now, he’s bringing that championship pedigree to 10600 Preston Road.

Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, Whitty was destined to play lacrosse, because of the significance of the sport in the area and because of his family ties to it.

“The sport there is kind of ingrained in the culture of that area,” Whitty said. “I had a lot of cousins that were playing and so I got involved. Growing up, we all played at a young age.”However, Whitty was not always set on popular“[Lacrosse]lacrosse.wasreallyinBaltimore,but

I would say I grew up as a passionate basketball player. That was really always my focus,” Whitty said. “But lacrosse became the path that was going to take me to the highest level.”

And eventually, he got there. As a senior captain, he was able to help lead the University of Virginia lacrosse team to its third NCAA championship.

“We combined a talented older group with some really talented younger kids who wanted to be led,” Whitty said.

After his college career, Whitty would play professionally for some time, while also beginning his coaching career. This would lead him to McDonogh School, where he would taste glory again as the defensive coordinator.“Wewon the MIAA championship, which is the toughest high school league in the country,” Whitty said. “It reminds me a lot of my college team, with really strong senior leadership, but then a ton of young talent that wanted to be led.”After coaching at McDonogh School, Whitty would return to St. Paul’s

School for Boys, his alma mater, before coming here. One reason he decided to make the move was his relationship with Assistant Head of Upper School Jason

teammatesweandschools,rivalWeyears25eachagainstcompetingfirstprobablyLeneau.“Westartedotheror26ago.wenttohighthenwere

at UVA for three years,” Whitty said. “In terms of my transition to Dallas and our school, having a familiar face — somebody that I have total trust in — is comforting.”

Now, at the helm of his own program, and with a trusted assistant in Leneau, Whitty is ready to build a strong team culture.“Ifwe focus on being great Marksmen, being great students, giving back to our community, loving each other and competing really hard, I think the results will come,” Whitty said.

TREY WHITTY Varsity lacrosse head coach

NEW ERA Hershner looks to lead his squad to another SPC championship win after contributing last year's victory as an assistant coach.

REMARKER

Marksmen donate clothes to communities in need

The annual clothing drive returned this year with megaphone-amplified community service mornings led by Marksmen standing in front of Nearburg Hall. This year, Marksmen aimed to set a record number of clothing donations to St. Vincent de Paul, Genesis Women’s Shelter and North Dallas Shared Ministries. The clothing drive surged forward with enthusiasm and excitement.

CLOTHING DRIVE

CLOTHING COLLECTION From left to right, juniors Ethan Bosita and Ryland Ellis and sophomore Andrew Xuan smile for the camera after another successful morning of collecting clothes for the drive.

MIC’D UP With the iconic megaphones Ethan Bosita Marksmen donate clothes.

DEPOSIT HERE All Song Charlie Estess

THUMBS UP Junior Ryland Ellis poses for the camera after collecting a new batch of donated clothes.