The Pride | Spring 2023

THE ATHLETIC COMPLEX PROJECT

Plans are in place to totally revolutionize the northeast quadrant of campus with state-of-the art athletic facilities for basketball, swimming, tennis, volleyball and water polo. SEE PAGE 26.

ACRES TOTALLY TRANSFORMED

ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF ST. MARK’S SCHOOL OF TEXAS Spring 2023

TUESDAY MORNING, DEC. 6, 2022: Seniors meet their Lower School buddies for hot chocolate and donuts in the A. Earl Cullum, Jr., Alumni Commons.

UP CLOSE

Ties that bind

My little buddy had just learned to tie his own shoes, so he (hilariously) took a gamble at mine. He wanted to practice his technique and did a great job!

— BIJAAN NOORMOHAMED ’23

Features

34

ALUMNI AROUND THE WORLD

For some alums, their life’s journey has taken them far beyond 10600 Preston Rd. to fascinating places across the globe.

38 YEARBOOK DEDICATION

A closer look into the process of choosing a yearbook dedicatee.

42

SENIOR EXHIBITIONS

This graduation requirement provides seniors a way to express themselves and to further strengthen the community.

ACRES TOTALLY TRANSFORMED

8

Cover Story

THE NEW ATHLETIC COMPLEX

26

The space will be home to a new gymnasium, natatorium and tennis center while providing opportunities for greater interpersonal connection for all Marksmen.

The Pride is a publication of St. Mark’s School of Texas and is produced by the School’s Office of Development & Alumni Relations. Inquiries should be directed to Ray Westbrook, director of Communications (westbrookr@smtexas.org), 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, TX. 75230.

From the editor

Welcome to the newly reimagined Pride. What you are reading is the culmination of nine months of creative work by the talented members of the Communications team and other members of the office of Development & Alumni Relations.

In a powerpoint preview we gave to Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini before the Christmas break, one of the points we made to him was: We didn’t just choose a new typeface and call it a re-design. We asked ourselves St. Mark’scentric questions: What does a visitor feel when they first arrive on campus?

THOUGHTFUL. Members of the Communications team spent nine months researching, envisioning and creating new content offerings for this edition of The Pride, the first re-imagining of the magazine in more than 14 years.

What words best embody the school’s culture and history? What stories are we not telling? What colors are dominant in our architecture? The end result is a totally re-imagined publication. Not just re-designed, but totally, well, re-imagined. There is a fresh, new look, certainly, but there is much more:

STRUCTURE. The magazine’s structure has been re-thought so we can tell those stories that matter to alums, parents and anyone invested in life at 10600 Preston Road. Iconic campus images will guide you through the re-structured content:

• Agenda will set the tone for the magazine. Along with the table of contents, you’ll find a listing of campus events that you would be welcome to attend.

• Around The Quad is a summary of all-things St. Mark’s: student and athletic achievements and accolades, social media interactions, visual arts — content which will let the reader know about the pulse of what’s going on in the classrooms and playing fields of St. Mark’s.

• Conversations is a new section which will offer insights into what the people of St. Mark’s are thinking: profiles of faculty members, roundtable discussions with students on

issues and events.

• Cover story and features will have a dedicated space and will offer insights into a wide variety of stories that we hope will be of interest to our readers. Each of these stories will have a distinctive design, reflecting the content and tone of each story being told.

• Community replaces the traditional “Class notes” section, which, while still containing those personal connections that we enjoy, will also offer a note from the Alumni Association president along with a new feature, “Through the decades,” which will provide a look at notable events as told by ReMarker reporters through the years.

COLORS. We’re also making The Pride more intentional. Certainly, blue and gold will be found on our pages, but we wanted to pay homage to the beautiful architecture of our campus, so Communications members roamed campus with their cameras and came back with more distinctive hues that can be found at 10600 Preston Road — coppers, taupes and mossy browns, steely greys — all of which you may see on these pages from time to time.

TYPOGRAPHY. In choosing the typography for the magazine title, we wanted a font that reflects the School: classic and traditional, for sure. We also wanted type that brings a boldness to the magazine — something that typifies the attitudes and personalities of so many Marksmen, past and present. The type we chose is Magnat, which, with its extreme angles and broad stroke variations, mirrors the many angular forms — windows, roof lines and

magazine

columns — found on buildings across campus.

So, please...go slowly through these pages. We hope you enjoy your re-imagined Pride. For the entire Communications team, it’s been a labor of love — and we’re excited to share it with you!

SPEAKING OF the re-imagined Pride, one other mention of note is the intentionality of each issue’s cover story, which will be referenced in the table of contents separately and will be given extensive coverage within the magazine’s pages. It should be fairly obvious why this magazine’s cover was selected. The new Athletic Complex, which was revealed to the community in an email on Oct. 28, 2022 will bring a major addition to the landscape and community life of all of us at 10600 Preston Road.

Ray Westbrook, director of Communications, is in his 22nd year at the School. Previously, he held the Gene and Alice Oltrogge Master Teaching Chair and served as journalism instructor and adviser to The ReMarker newspaper, Marksmen yearbook and Focus magazine.

Creative Director Dave Carden’s coverage goes deeper than just providing information on the facilities themselves. It’s a look at the impact these new facilities will have on athletes, past and present.

The new gymnasium, meeting spaces, tennis center and offices for maintenance and security will also bring a solid anchor — and world class facilities — to the northeast quadrant of campus. The latest renderings from the architectural firm should give you a hint into what the amazing new facility will look like.

It’s an exciting time to be at St. Mark’s. Great things continue to happen at 10600 Preston Road!

It’s not just new... it’s a totally re-imagined Pride

Around the Quad

What’s ahead...

Stay connected with 10600 Preston Road...here’s how

March 23

April 19, 26

The next installment of the Alumni Leadership Speaker Series will feature world-renowned golfer Lee Trevino. Royal Oaks Country Club, 6 p.m.

Enjoy the musical talents of Marksmen at the annual Choir Spring Concert or the Band Spring Concert. St. Mark’s campus; Choir Concert, Wednesday, April 19, 7 p.m.; Band Concert, Wednesday, April 26, 7 p.m.

April 20-22

OUTDOORS.

Enjoying a crisp spring day, alums from across the decades enjoy a hamburger cookout during the 2022 Alumni Weekend.

May 25

ACCLAIMED.

Lee Trevino’s professional highlights include two PGA championships, two U.S. Open championships and two British Open championships. The World Golf Hall of Fame member is the father of Daniel Trevino ’11.

Join more than 1,100 alumni through the years at Alumni Weekend 2023. Events ranging from the annual golf tournament to the Spring Alumni Dinner will be offered to welcome alums from all across the world. St. Mark’s School of Texas; hours vary daily by event. www.smtexas.org/alumni/alumniweekend-2023.

May 25

Honoring the academic and extra-curricular successes of the year, the annual Upper School Final Assembly will recognize students who have excelled in all aspects of school life. Spencer Gymnasium, 11 a.m.

Help celebrate and recognize the accomplishments of the 100 students of the Class of 2023 at the School’s annual Commencement ceremony. The Ida M. and Cecil H. Green Commencement Theater, 8 p.m.

June 16

If you’d like to contribute to some fulfilling community service work, join young alumni at the annual Young Alumni Community Service Event

SOURCE: SCHOOL CALENDAR AND SMTEXAS.ORG

Making their mark

Student accolades and athletic achievements over the past few months.

Water polo takes state

The varsity water polo team won the first ever 2022 Fall TISCA State Championship — a competition that up until this point had been held in the spring. The Lions won their eighth TISCA state championship in ten years, outscoring their opponents 37 – 8 in the tournament.

5TH GRADE STOCK MARKET TEAM RALLIES A WIN

Fifth graders in the Stock Market Club placed first in a semester-long competition out of 87 other middle school teams in the region.

The young investors took an (imaginary) investment of $100,000 and placed virtual stock market trades throughout the fall. The team posted an impressive return in a volatile market, ending the game with a balance of $107,195.04.

Student

publications earn more national recognition

The 2022 ReMarker newspaper, edited by Austin Williams ’22, and the 2022 Focus magazine, edited by Morgan Chow ’23 and Ian Dalrymple ’23, have been named as winners of the Pacemaker award, the organization’s highest recognition, by the National Scholastic Press Association. The ReMarker newspaper and Focus magazine continued their winning streaks of the Pacemaker award — the highest recognition given by the National Scholastic Press Association.

Artist of the year — 1st place: Morgan Chow ’23, a series of illustrations throughout the 2022 school year in both Focus and The ReMarker

Editorial of the year — 4th place: Axel Icazbalceta ’22, “Show decency for trans kids,” ReMarker, April 2022

Feature writing — 4th place: Toby Barrett ’22, Keshav Krishna ’23, Peter Orsak ’22, Austin Williams ’22, Jonathan Yin ’22, “Call me Olive,” ReMarker, April 2022

Yearbook page design — 2nd place: Jack Cohen ’23, “First pep rally” 2022 Marksmen

Yearbook theme package — 2nd place: Camden Reeves ’22, Thomas Philip ’22, “You never really leave,” 2022 Marksmen.

FOCUSED. (right) Ten

Failures by Neil Song ’23. (far right) Liquid Gold by Charlie Estess ’23.

Around the Quad

MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY RACES TO CHAMPIONSHIP

The Middle School cross country team earned first place at the Garmin Milesplit Texas Invitational at South Lakes Park in Denton Sept. 24. This was the first weekend competition the team had participated in for nearly three years, due to the global pandemic.

National Young Arts finalists

Charlie Estess ’23 and Neil Song ’23 have been named finalists in photography for the National YoungArts Competition, the exclusive nominating body for the Presidential Scholars in the Arts. Only 150 finalists were selected nationwide, and of those, only ten were selected in the category of photography.

In addition, Jake Bond ’23 and Hayward Metcalf ’23 were named merit winners in photography, placing them among the top 20 high school photographers in the nation.

Fall and Winter SPC results

FALL SPC

Cross Country

The varsity cross country team won the SPC North Zone meet with Trey Stager ’23, Noah Roby ’25, Raja Mehendale ’24, Parker Steinbrueck ’24 and Clark Cooper ’24 earning All-North Zone honors Steinbrueck, Stager and Cooper also received All-SPC honors. The team finished fifth in the SPC 4A.

Fencing

Five Marksmen competed at North American Cup National Tournaments. Six Marksmen competed at Regional tournaments in the southwest and eight Marksmen medaled in the St. Mark’s Tournament.

Football

Varsity football finished the season 4-6 besting Fort Worth Country Day, Legacy Christian Academy, Coram Deo Academy and a shutout of SPC North Zone rival Greenhill.

Volleyball

The varsity volleyball team secured the top spot in the SPC North, closing the season 10-5 with a fourth place finish in the SPC 4A.

WINTER SPC

Basketball

Varsity basketball closed the season 15-8 with a third place finish in the SPC 4A.

Water Polo

The varsity water polo team won the first ever 2022 Fall TISCA State Championship. The Lions closed the season with a trip to the Steve Pal Memorial Tournament in Orange County, CA winning the final game of their season on a last second shot.

Soccer

Varsity soccer completed the season 12-9-5 and entered the SPC championship as the sixth seed. They took on Greenhill in the SPC 4A third place game winning 4-0.

Swimming

Swimming won the division 4A SPC championship. Swimmers earning All-SPC honors are: Adam Kappelman ’24 (x3), George Hoverman ’25 (x2), Sebastian Illum ’25 (x2), Adrian Lutgen ’24 (x2), Miller Martin ’26 (x2) and Dawson Yao ’24.

Wrestling

The varsity wrestling team took fifth place at the SPC tournament, with Quina Perkison ’24, Beau Bacon ’26 and Wyatt Loehr ’25 earning state titles and Hayward Metcalf ’23 earning runner-up and a bronze went to Jackson Barnes ’26. All five qualified for Prep Nationals later this year.

Making their mark

Marksmen earn academic recognition

Thirty members of the Class of 2023 have been named as National Merit Scholarship Program commended students.

Twenty-four members of the Class of 2023 have been named as National Merit Scholarship Program semi-finalists.

Nine members of the Class of 2023 received honors from the College Board National Recognition Program as National African American Recognition Award or National Hispanic Recognition Award recipients.

National Merit Program

Semi-finalists

Sam Adams

Arjun Badi

Henry Baxter

Roome Becker

Morgan Chow

Nikhil Dattatreya

Michael Gao

William Grable

Radford Green

Aaron Greenberg

Renil Gupta

Svanik Jaikumar

Keshav Krishna

Aaron Liu

Stice Neuhoff

Sky Park

Murphy Paul

Akash Raghunathan

Neil Song

Will Spencer

James Thomson

Miles Thornburg

Alexander Wang

Tommy Zheng

College Board National Recognition Program

National African American Recognition Award

Noah Asmerom

Jack Jackson

Zane Wallace

National Hispanic Recognition Award

Matthias Canon

Anthony Martinez

Pierre Martinez

Rapha Mitterer-Claudet

Jonah Perez

Miles Thornburg

LIONS BECOME EAGLES

Ten Marksmen received their Eagle Scout ranking at the Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony Sept. 11 in the St. Mark’s Chapel. New Eagle Scouts include Maddox Canham ’25, William Clark ’24, Nikhil Dattatreya ’23, Henry Dobbs ’23, Lawrence Gardener ’25, John Householder ’25, Andrew Jin ’25, Nathan Meyer ’24, William Morrow ’25 and Rishab Siddamshetty ’23.

“Expendable” by Noah Norton

National awards for ceramicists

Several St. Mark’s ceramicists recently earned national recognition for their incredible artwork.

The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts accepted six works by Marksmen to its Annual K-12 Exhibition. Of the 1317 entries submitted nationwide, only 152 pieces were accepted to the Exhibition in Cincinnati, OH.

QUIZ BOWL TEAMS TRIUMPHANT

Upper School Academic teams competed at the St. Mark’s Quiz Bowl Tournament, with the A team claiming first place, the B team seventh and the C team winning second place in the novice division Oct. 15.

The Middle School Academic A team took first place in the St. Mark’s Middle School Invitational Quiz Bowl Tournament Dec. 3.

Swimming races to top spot in SPC

Lion swimmers took to the pool for the winter sport SPC championships this February claiming first place for 4A schools.

Marksmen placed in the top three spots for the 200 yd. freestyle, 500 yd. freestyle, 100 yd. freestyle, 50 yd. freestyle and 200 medley relay.

George Hoverman ’25, Sebastian Illum ’25, Adam Kappelman ’24, Adrian Lutgen ’24, Miller Martin ’26 and Dawson Yao ’24 earned all-SPC honors.

“Investi-gator” by Henry Baxter ’23.

“Entangled” by Burke Gordon ’25.

“The One That Got Away” by Leo Scheiner ’25.

“Black and White Peony Vase” by Tyler Tang ’24.

’23

Robotics Team engineers a victory at state

The Upper School Robotics team members won first place in their division at the B.E.S.T. Robotics State Championship held, Dec. 2-3, at the Comerica Center in Frisco. The team also won the “Most Elegant Robot Award” and a special judges award. Students who participated in the event include seniors Thomas Goglia, Renil Gupta, Will Spencer, James Thomson and Alex Wang; juniors Bennett Alger, William Clarke, Vivek Patel, Baxter Perry-Miller and Arav Rawat; sophomore Aaron Schildkraut; and freshmen William Loftus and Ronen Verma.

Senior vies for future Olympic opportunity

Christian Youst ’23 recently placed in the top 15 at the Olympic trials in Chicago for a new obstacle racing event that may premier at a future Olympic Games. Youst has been competing at Ninja Warrior events for several years. He qualified and was featured on seasons 13 and 14 of American Ninja Warrior on NBC.

JUNIORS DEBATE TO THE TOP

Sid Bidare and Anish Guddati qualified for the octafinals in the Greenhill Classic Debate Tournament putting them in the running to be among the top 20 teams in the country.

MIDDLE SCHOOLER EARNS TITLE

Caleb Cathey ’27 won the title of Mr. National Congeniality 2022 in a recitation competition sponsored by the National Youth Conference, an organization that serves to bring youth of common faith together through wholesome activities and workshops.

MARKSMEN COMPETE ABROAD

Sammy Larkin ’23 joined Team USA Water Polo (U18) in the 21st Maccabiah Games in Israel, the third-largest international sporting event in the world. The team claimed 3rd place after besting South Africa.

David Hu ’26, Joseph Sun ’25, Anthony Wang ’23 and Andrew Ye ’26 recently competed in robotics as part of Team USA at the FIRST Global Challenge in Geneva, Switzerland.

SOPHOMORE

COMPETES IN CHINA

Hilton Sampson ’25 placed in the top 15 in the International Chinese Bridge competition. The International Bridge Competition is an annual large-scale worldwide Chinese speaking and performance competition. The contents of the competition include Chinese language proficiency, knowledge about China and Chinese cultural talents.

This year more than 43,500 Chinese learners from 78 countries entered this competition. Hilton won first place in the DFW area and then represented the USA in this worldwide competition.

Photo story

Winter holiday traditions bring the spirit of giving and good cheer to campus.

11.18

GRANDPARENTS’ DAY

Students share a slice of campus life with family and friends on Grandparents’ Day.

11.15

Marksmen gather for games and treats to support McDonald’s Week.

12.5

get in the holiday spirit while collecting donations for the annual gift drive.

Upper

GIFT DRIVE

schoolers

MCDONALD’S WEEK

Around the Quad

12.12

HANUKKAH CHAPEL

Students and community members celebrate Hanukkah together.

12.13

LESSONS & CAROLS

Choristers sing nine traditional carols during the evening’s candlelit service.

12.16

ALL-SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PARTY

Seniors and their buddies make memories together as they place ornaments on the school tree.

Screenshots

10.24.22

Celebrating Diwali in the chapel. Wonderful to learn more about the Hindu Festival of Lights Diwali.

—@SHAMBHAVIBADI

11.8.22

Great show, thoroughly enjoyed it! Brought my 82 year old mom, this was her first play ever… got all the performers autographs, she was thrilled! Thank you so much!

—@DANEMOMOF2

11.1.22

Furry, feathered and scaly friends alike joined their Marksmen for the annual Blessing of the Animals event.

Time to sing the Lower School hymn to go along with “all creatures great and small”.

2.2.23

Security and physical plant teams prepare campus for Marksmen to return after several days of freezing rain and ice.

Some of the finest. I will forever be grateful to them for keeping our sons safe throughout their years at St. Mark’s.

12.27.22

Toby Hyun ’29 made his TV debut as a contestant on the 11th season of Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship There may have been some fist pumping and shouting of “Let’s go!” in our living room. Nicely done, Toby!

—@MSSUN1127

Upper School drama program on its production of The Return of Edwin Drood.

—@REGINA MOOERS OCKELMANN

A collection of posts and comments from St. Mark’s social media.

—@DEBBIE GARCIA SANCHEZ

10.27.22

For Spirit Week’s Throwback Thursday, Joseph Neuhoff ’28 dressed like an 80’s Marksman –complete with the letter jacket worn by his father Joey ’89. Awesome! I think I’ve got one of those in my parents attic somewhere! Lol love it!

—@JAMES WHITE

9.19.22

The first Evensong of the year began with the return of a welcome sound: the Roosevelt Family Pipe Organ. I’ll never forget my years in the Choir. 1988 England trip.

—@CWDFW

1.20.23

St. Mark’s teams up with The Stewpot to donate about 250 lbs. of unused food a week to those in need. My son just started at St. Mark’s this year and I have been absolutely blown away by the cafeteria workers and their service to the boys. It makes my heart so happy to know that they are working with The Stewpot.

@FAYE DIECKHAUS

2.21.23

Seniors and their little buddies decorated masks to celebrate Mardi Gras.

All you need now is king cake! Happy Mardi Gras from St. Mark’s grandparents in NOLA.

—@DMCLEMENT

Day by day

THURSDAY, APRIL 20

Alumni Golf tournament

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

Headmaster’s Welcome

Alumni Chapel

Alumni classes

Golden Lions Reunion

Luncheon

Campus walkabout

Alumni Quiz Bowl

Open classes for alumni

Spring Alumni Dinner

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

Family Cookout, campus tours

Planetarium shows

Makerspace demonstrations

Reunion class dinners

Alumni Weekend offers 3 days of visiting, re-connecting

Join alumni and community members in a return to campus over the weekend of April 20-22 to celebrate Alumni Weekend 2023. Over the course of three days, reconnect with classmates and your alma mater while rekindling fond memories of your time at St. Mark’s and making new memories with fellow classmates and former teachers.

MARKSMEN ALL.

Scenes from the 2022 Alumni Weekend show the connections through the years — from luncheons, class reunions, family visits and more, Alumni Weekend gives Marksmen from all decades an opportunity to renew friendships, old and new.

MISSION.

In the aftermath of the earthquake that devasted the entire country of Haiti in 2010, Vanderpool shifted his focus to help citizens of the ravaged country. His organization, LiveBeyond, has a medical clinic, school maternal health program, child nutrition program and demonstrator farm — all offering medical and educational opportunities for citizens of the island nation.

Vanderpool to receive first Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage and Honor Award

Anew signature award will be presented at the Spring Alumni Dinner on Friday, April 21; The Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award. The award recognizes an alumnus of the St. Mark’s community who demonstrates courage, honor, perseverance and justice, in the communities to which they belong by using his voice and actions to affect measurable change to elevate humanity

The award is named after Lee S. Smith ’65, who in 1964 was the first Black student to become a Marksman.

After reviewing countless nominations of Marksmen spanning generations, the Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award committee is pleased to announce that Dr. David Vanderpool ’78 has been named its first recipient.

Vanderpool is the CEO and founder of LiveBeyond, an international humanitarian organization based in Haiti providing healthcare, nutrition and education to communities in need.

Vanderpool had led a successful private medical practice in Tennessee, but, following the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti, he decided to uproot his entire family and move to the Caribbean.

Soon after the earthquake, Vanderpool established LiveBeyond and now operates a large base in Thomazeau, Haiti, which includes a school, medical clinic, demonstration farm and more. In the decade since its founding, LiveBeyond has succeeded in dramatically increasing the local population’s access to clean water, food and education, while also decreasing the infant and maternal mortality rate. Today, LiveBeyond provides more than 7,000 meals and 900,000 gallons of fresh water each day.

“He’s a remarkable individual who embodies everything we are looking to recognize in this award,” Michael Flanagan ’90, chair of the Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award committee said. “This is really his life’s mission. The impact that he has had on thousands of individuals over his time in Haiti is just truly incredible.”

Lee S. Smith ’65

Please join us in hearing from Vanderpool on April 21, 2023, as he addresses students, faculty and alumni at a special Upper School assembly at 1 p.m. and again later that evening as we formally recognize and celebrate him at the Spring Alumni Dinner.

CAMARADERIE.

Alumni Weekend brings many opportunities for connecting – golf, reunions and campus visits – for community members of all ages.

He’s a remarkable individual who embodies everything we are looking to recognize in this award.

—MICHAEL FLANAGAN ’90,

chair of the selection committee

Made by a Marksman

A collection of student creations across campus.

Each year, Marksmen foster these skills by designing, building and programming their own robot to compete in the BEST Robotics competition.

This year, the Lions team won a hard-earned victory at the B.E.S.T Robotics State Championship in Frisco, after qualifying three weeks prior at a local tournament. The team won first-place in its division and was also awarded a Most Elegant Robot Award and a Judges Award.

But the road to success was not easy. When their robot was unexpectedly crushed after the first day of competition, the boys’ creativity, ingenuity and perseverance were put to the ultimate test as they worked together to rebuild it.

2022–2023

ROBOTICS TEAM

Bennett Alger ’24

William Clarke ’24

Thomas Goglia ’23

Renil Gupta ’23

William Loftus ’26

Vivek Patel ’24

Baxter Perry-Miller ’24

Arav Rawat ’24

Aaron Schildkraut ’25

Will Spencer ’23

James Thomson ’23

Ronen Verma ’26

Alex Wang ’23

TEAM SPONSORS

Stewart Mayer, Makerspace director

Fletch Carron, Stephen M. Seay ’68 Science Department Chair, physics instructor

Will Ferenc ’09, principal hardware development engineer at SpaceX

Creativity, problem-solving, and perseverance—these qualities are requirements for the St. Mark’s Robotics Team members.

HARD-EARNED VICTORY. Members of the Robotics Team celebrate their win at the BEST Robotics competition in Frisco.

1.

2.

CORTEX: Used for programming the robot and running motors based on controller input

3.

WHEEL DROPPER: gate that opens on command, allowing cylindrical “wheels” to fall out

4.

RACK AND PINION: linear slider used to actuate PVC levers on the field “control box”

Around

Quad

5. STRUCTURE: large plywood base with blocks mounted vertically to provide rigid support for subsystems

6.

DRIVETRAIN: two large motors connected to knobby wheels for better traction on carpet

7.

BOX GRABBER: servo-powered claw that clamps field “order boxes” against the inner plate

‘Nothing works on the first try— eventual success depends on constant iteration.’

Conversations

Two world-renowned intellectuals have made it their mission to demonstrate civil discourse.

Professors Cornel West and Robert George are famously opposite on the political spectrum but consider each other close friends and are respected colleagues. In their talk, the duo discussed the importance of respecting others and learning to listen. In October 2021, they spent several hours on campus, meeting with students and presenting a special Upper School Assembly on “Truth-Seeking, Democracy and Freedom of Thought and Expression.”

Around the Harkness table

Students and faculty make a point to discuss complex political issues in the classroom. With respect and empathy, boys discover new perspectives and share their own.

For Owen Simon ’22, there are few issues more deeply embedded in his identity than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For him and his family, it’s a conflict that is inexorably intertwined with their lineage.

“As a Jew, I was raised to believe that in that region there were clear good guys and clear bad guys,” Simon said. “As the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, understanding the other side of the issue of Zionism felt completely foreign.”

That was, at least, until Simon attended Dr. David Fisher’s AP comparative government and politics class. Discussions in this class regularly flow across the globe, covering issues and policies that weave together politics, religion, culture, military power and more. Like many St. Mark’s teachers, Fisher challenges boys to approach each discussion with an open mind.

“Republican government requires that citizens see each other as citizens when they disagree, not just when they agree,” George said. “Let’s get back to fundamentals here: virtues like openness of mind, willingness to acknowledge one’s own fallibility and the recognition that one could be wrong, even about deep, important things. For a republic to flourish, you need those.”

This was the third visit to St. Mark’s for West and George. Before presenting at assembly, they visited Lower School classrooms and ate lunch with members of the Senior Class.

“Each time I come here to St. Mark’s, I feel a certain kind of spirit,” said West. “This is a place where people are serious about caring for each other. You’re not coming in here to get skills to end up being ‘smart.’ You want to be wise, even as young lads. You’re on your Path to Manhood.”

George serves as the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. West is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy & Christian Practice at Columbia University’s Union Theological Seminary. He has also held professorships and fellowships at institutions including Harvard University, Yale University and Dartmouth College.

CORNEL WEST & ROBERT GEORGE

I’m not in the business of converting boys to this or that belief, philosophy or ideology,” Fisher said. “But I do want boys to understand how and why different value systems arise and how each contributes to the tapestry of human thought.”

One day, the classroom conversation dove into modern conflicts. Eventually, the long-simmering dispute between Israel and Palestine was mentioned.

Soon, boys began voicing viewpoints in support of both sides, largely informed by each student’s personal background and upbringing. The diverse nature of the student body resulted in a more diverse and ultimately more robust discussion, where multiple sides of this very nuanced issue could be shared and examined.

“Before entering that class, I thought the issue was very black and white,” Simon said. “This conversation definitely made me think about the subject in a different light. I walked out of that class with a much more open mind and that is something I am very thankful for.”

THE MISSION of civil discourse can be found directly in St. Mark’s own Statement of Purpose, which espouses “the responsibility of defending one’s own ideas and of respecting the views of others.”

“St. Mark’s really encourages open discussion, as long as it’s respectful,” Simon said. “Discussions over heavy subjects can always stoke emotions, I know they often would with me but, I’d like to think there was an ability for us in the class to disagree with each other while still respecting our, sometimes, opposing beliefs.”

In Fisher’s classroom, Simon encountered friends on the far side of the Israeli-Palestinian debate. But despite these firmly entrenched beliefs, the Marksmen were able to share their thoughts openly and learn about the other side in ways they never had before.

“Maintaining courtesy and respect when arguing a hot topic issue can be tricky, but I think at St. Mark’s we learn how to debate and discuss in a way where we can separate things like political beliefs from day-to-day friendship,” Simon said.

“Some of my St. Mark’s classmates have fundamentally different views on the Israel-Palestine conflict, but we can still have lunch and talk about other things while having a great time.”

This willingness to amicably accept another student’s opposing view is perhaps more important than any history lesson Marksmen can learn.

“We can only have discussions of other beliefs and value systems if, from the start, we’re willing to acknowledge that we have something to learn from them,” Fisher said. “We need to appreciate how we fit into a bigger picture and see ourselves how others see us.”

Continued, next page

‘I walked out of that class with a much more open mind...’

‘Discussions over heavy topics can always stoke emotions...’

‘There was an ability for us in the class to disagree while still respecting our, sometimes, opposing, beliefs.’

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Gun control. Reproductive rights. Elections.

Continued from previous page

Just the mention of these topics is enough to silence many polite conversations. And yet these are among the most closely regarded personal issues. These are complex topics that must be approached with great care and sincere regard for the multitude of viewpoints represented in society.

Around the Harkness tables and in every classroom, teachers encourage Marksmen to approach difficult topics with respect and understanding. Every student has his own unique identity and background, which can inform a wide spectrum of beliefs. Rather than letting these beliefs divide the community, St. Mark’s leads boys to explore their differences. In the end, most boys likely won’t change their viewpoint on a particular topic, but that’s not the point.

“A boy may wrestle with a difficult idea and confirm his previously held opinion,” English instructor GayMarie Vaughan said. “And if he does, he adds a level of understanding about an issue that he hadn’t previously considered.”

Vaughan dives right into difficult discussions in her senior elective, literature of human rights. Boys read books and watch documentaries exploring topics of human rights, from torture to free expression.

“My goal is to expose them to a wide variety of opinions on difficult topics so that they learn to back up their opinions with facts while also respectfully considering facts that challenge their opinions,” Vaughan said. “Our democracy requires civil discourse to survive.”

STUDENTS LEAD THE CONVERSATION

Perhaps the most prominent civil discourse exercise on campus can be found between the pages of St. Mark’s student publications. While The ReMarker student newspaper covers a wide range of topics, each issue of its sister publication Focus delves into a single – and at times controversial – subject.

Even before the 2022-2023 school year began, The ReMarker staff knew what the first magazine would address. The national conversation around gun control had surged following the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde in May 2022. In September, the new Focus magazine arrived on campus, featuring 32 pages that covered every angle of the debate.

“We are in complete disagreement about how to prevent gun violence,” Focus editor-in-chief Myles Lowenberg ’23 wrote in the magazine’s introduction. “And worse, we can’t agree on how to prevent it without infringing on the liberties and sensitivities of others. That’s why investigating the causes of and solutions to the shootings plaguing our nation should be proactive. Let’s do the work of investigating and debating now so that one day, there may not be any more circular and repetitive debates after another disaster.”

Throughout the magazine, students examined the debate through the lenses of mental health, legislative action, international comparisons and even personal experiences. Rather than championing one viewpoint over another, the magazine collectively urged readers to educate themselves and then respectfully consider the views of others.

“We must find common ground,” the magazine’s editorial page implored. “Though politicians may default to extreme solutions, by understanding the other side of the gun debate, Americans can transcend

RECENT FOCUS MAGAZINE AND REMARKER NEWSPAPER TOPICS

America in the postGeorge Floyd era (September 2020)

A look at racial viewpoints in America after the killing of George Floyd in late May of 2020.

Preserving Democracy (April 2021)

A combined civics lesson and editorial on the current state of government and democracy in America.

Environmental Change (February 2022)

A look at the causes and possible solutions to humanity’s effect on the climate and the environment.

Gun Violence (September 2022)

A multi-angle examination of the gun control debate in response to the May 2022 school shooting in Uvalde.

Religious Identity (The ReMarker) (December 2022)

A discussion of religion among the student body and the School’s Chapel program.

the ideological divide.”

For journalism instructor Jenny Creech, the idea of civil discourse is crucial not only in the student publications she advises but also in her classroom.

“We should be able to have open conversations and discussions,” Creech said. “If the students in my room are afraid to speak up, our stories will lack depth and perspective. We are a stronger program when we are open to all views, beliefs and perspectives.”

FROM BOYS TO CITIZENS

Upper School Marksmen are well equipped to discuss tough topics with civility, in part because these lessons begin at an early age. Respect is one of the key tenants of the Lower School, stressed in all aspects of a young Lion’s education. In fact, it’s on display the moment you walk into the building.

In the lobby of the Fojtasek Lower School is a wall of portraits featuring many notable figures, including Harriet Tubman, Malala Yousafzai, Norman Borlaug and George Washington. But the Lower School Leadership Wall is more than just a gallery of individuals who exemplify character and leadership; it is also an opportunity for boys to put into practice the lessons of independent thoughts and civil discourse.

Each year, boys nominate new historical leaders for the wall and the entire Lower School votes for the final selection. Invariably, boys will all have their preferred candidate, leading to robust debate in class.

“Respect is key here. The way they express opposing views is important,” Sherri Darver, head of Lower School, said. “They learn to be upstanders, and they must be able to qualify their thoughts and opinions with facts and reasoning. Everyone’s opinion is welcomed and encouraged, and though there may be opposing viewpoints, all substantiated thoughts and comments must be respected.”

At their first meeting of the year, Board of Trustees members invited student leaders to share some thoughts on their St. Mark’s experience. One of

LEADERSHIP WALL HONOREES

2008 – George Washington American founding father; first president of the United States.

2009 – Abraham Lincoln 16th president of the United States; played key role in abolishing slavery.

2010 – Martin Luther King, Jr. civil rights leader; Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

2011 – Harriet Tubman American abolitionist and social activist.

2012 – John F. Kennedy American politician; 35th president of the United States.

2013 – Mahatma Gandhi leader of India; proponent of non-violent resistance.

2014 – Nelson Mandela South African anti-apartheid activist; first president of South Africa.

2015 – Dr. Norman Borlaug Father of the green revolution, Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

2016 – Mother Teresa Roman Catholic nun, Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

2017 – Malala Yousafzai advocate for girls’ education, youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

2018 – Jackie Robinson first Black athlete to play Major League baseball in the modern era; Baseball Hall of Fame member.

2019 – Rosa Parks

American activist in the civil rights movement; known for the Montgomery bus boycott.

2020 – Alexander Hamilton American founding father; first secretary of the United States Treasury.

2021 – Barack Obama 44th president of the United States; Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

2022 – Neil Armstrong American astronaut; first person to walk on the moon.

these Marksmen was Student Council President Sal Hussain ’23, who spoke on a subject he cares passionately about: diversity. But beyond diversity of race or skin color, Hussain stressed the importance of a student body that represents diverse perspectives, cultures and backgrounds.

“We are certainly a diverse community but I feel we should always keep striving toward becoming that cultural melting pot, where both teachers and students are learning from each other,” Hussain said. “Every day, students put on the uniform, travel from all different zip codes and learn together on this campus. And more importantly, we learn from each other.”

This is the essence of what makes the St. Mark’s experience so valuable. Faculty members strive to give the boys an outstanding academic education, but it is the St. Mark’s community itself that provides an equally important education in life. The lessons Marksmen learn are as equally important to how they learn them: with open minds, positive respect and boundless curiosity.

Conversations

RESPECTFUL DISCUSSION.

Lower School students practice expressing their views while respecting others’ opinions.

‘Everyone’s opinion is welcomed and encouraged.’

—SHERRI DARVER

First person

Lower School Head Sherri Darver is retiring at the end of this school year. Here are her thoughts as she concludes a decades-long career in education.

The parents that we have in Lower School right now are some of the loveliest, kindest and most generous people I’ve ever known. And when I leave here, I hope that I continue to have their friendship in my back pocket for the rest of my life. It was hard at first because when I came back, some of the parents didn’t know me at all. So it was really like having to prove myself.

Now I think that I’m a little more comfortable in my own shoes in this position. It’s just nice to sit down with parents and talk about their sons and share their son’s great times and their sons struggles and help them grow in their path to manhood — as a team.

The support teachers get here is one of the many contributors to the success of the boys.

It’s pretty hard to find a greener pasture than this place, that’s for sure. I encourage my faculty to visit other schools and visit other classrooms, because it really helps them appreciate what they have here. We used to have a very strong networking team in Dallas before COVID.

I think the hope is to bring that back for our grade level teachers to get together with the other teachers in the area and just compare notes. Because it always, always, always, always 100% points to St. Mark’s.

A strong curriculum, coupled with critical thinking skills, provides a solid foundation for lower schoolers.

I love that the boys are truly genuine and they’re just a gift. It’s a blessing to be here. I am so grateful that David Dini gave me this opportunity. So grateful.

Having retired once before, Sherri returned to St. Mark’s as interim head of Lower School in 2016. She was named to that position permanently later that year.

Well, to be very honest, I was never really comfortable in retirement. At that point, I had been subbing. I would go home and just feel like I was trying to find myself. It was very important for me to be with my daughter when my granddaughter was born. But once they got settled, I realized I was still too young and too active to truly retire.

So when I heard that Barb [York, former head of Lower School] had announced her retirement, David [Dini]

and John [Ashton] and I chatted and I thought, well, I think I could come back and help out. I knew how the Lower School ran. I knew what was expected and what direction we were heading. It just made sense to come in and I really didn’t intend to throw my name in the hat initially, but these boys just grab a hold of your heart and it felt like the most natural thing for me to be here.

The specialness of the School is unique to 10600 Preston Road. I have worked in many other institutions over my entire career. But, there’s something about the community here that makes it such a special place.

We have a really strong curriculum. Math, for example, is requiring boys to write written responses and tell how they get their answers as opposed to just spitting out computation. So they’re really problem solving and using critical thinking skills that are going all the way down to first grade and it’s a much stronger program than it was years ago.

I think our reading and writing workshop program is fabulous. Now with our new schedule, we have morning meeting time and time at the end of the day for the boys to have closure with their homeroom teachers. It’s really important to help them learn those executive functioning skills of not forgetting their work here in the classroom and getting everything home and getting everything returned to their teachers.

So all of those things are strongly in place with this faculty and this is such

Lower School Head Sherri Darver

‘These boys just grab a hold of your heart.’

a seasoned veteran group of people. Even our brand new people came with experience and have just jumped right in with both feet and are shining.

Lower schoolers here are provided all the tools to be successful in Middle and Upper School.

I think that developmentally they have to be at a certain level to be able to make that jump and apply those skills and make those connections in the critical thinking area.

What our teachers are able to do is to take them where they are and stretch those minds and push them and allow them to move. They’re very rarely at their seats doing their work. They’re moving around and so their brains are constantly functioning. We know so much more about brain development in our little guys and when you put all those pieces of the puzzle together, it supports their learning so much.

I love to go to a fourth grade math class and listen to how the boys solve the problems because one problem might be solved five different ways and to hear their explanations and how well they

translates all the way up through Middle and Upper School.

I think we embrace compassion starting in first grade to care for one another. That trait you just don’t get everywhere.

Our teachers do a great job of implementing all of our character and leadership pieces into their classrooms in every single discipline. It’s so evident with our first graders making their Lion Pride necklaces and being so proud of the badges that they earn and doing random acts of kindness for people across the community.

Every day at 10600 Preston Road is a ‘best day.’

I get up here about quarter to seven and I make the coffee and I start the day but when I open that door and those little faces start coming in and just look me right in the eye and say Good morning Mrs. Darver Have a good day. they mean it. Just watching that growth is wonderful.

Every day is a good day because every day is so different in Lower School. There’s nothing predictable about it. And I love that the boys are truly genuine and they’re just a gift. It’s a blessing to be here. I am so grateful that David Dini gave me this opportunity. So grateful.

A new head of Lower School will soon be named.

that’s what makes us such a special place. And you don’t learn that overnight, no matter where you’ve come from.

We embrace compassion starting in first grade to care for one another. That trait you just don’t get everywhere.

articulate how they solved the problem is just fascinating. The same is true as they analyze literature. They are digging so deep.

They’re not just looking at the literal comprehension, but they’re really thinking, Why did the author write it this way? and What was the purpose of this?

It’s just fascinating to watch. What they’re doing now in fourth grade is maybe what I did in eighth or ninth grade when I was going to school. It’s just rewarding to see the growth that

I’d encourage my successor to really analyze, understand and appreciate the mission statement of the School because every decision that I make starts with the boys. There’s going to be some unpopular decisions sometimes. But when the bottom line is about the boys, you can follow your heart and know that you’re doing the right thing. And you’re going to get the support from above.

Keep it always about the boys and then you can sleep at night knowing the decision was made on that premise.

She encourages first-year teachers to embrace the culture of St. Mark’s.

Just take it slow and and soak it all in and learn the culture of the School. When I came here, I had been teaching a long time and I thought I knew everything about St. Mark’s — but I knew almost nothing about St. Mark’s. It takes a couple of years, and you have to give yourself the grace to really learn and understand the culture here. Because

A final message for all of ‘her boys’. Thank you. Thank you for the gift of being a part of my life. I am so blessed. I’ll never forget that yearbook evening [Darver was dedicatee of the 2019 Marksmen yearbook]. It will be hard to walk out these doors. It’s going to be the hardest day of my life.

But it’s my life and I’ve got to live it and it’s just…it’s scary. I could turn around and just stay here in my comfort zone forever. But then I like to see my grandchildren…and you kind of know when it’s time.

I have not looked back with any regret that I’ve made this decision. I know it’s going to be hard. But I know that the next however many years I’m blessed with are going to be full of my children and grandchildren.

But it still doesn’t make it any easier.

‘

Thank you. Thank you for the gift of being a part of my life.

300 Words Get to know some folks around campus — in exactly 300 words.

Teresa Katsulos, technical services librarian, had no idea the person she was about to interview would end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

While a student reporter at the University of Florida, Katsulos was set to interview an incoming freshman attracting a lot of hype.

Life changed for everyone during the global pandemic; however, Donna Mullett, Middle School humanities instructor, turned her talents into a source of joy for others.

It started with a book that provided prompts to inspire drawing one picture a day.

Passion took hold.

“After a lot of work with colored pencils, I switched to watercolor,” Mullett said “I had a background in painting in oils and acrylics, but watercolor was new for me. I needed new things to paint, so I started asking friends for photos of pets. I have painted over 125 pet portraits. It has reconnected me with art, and I can’t imagine life without it.” Mullett grew up in Florida, MA, a tiny mountain town near the Vermont border. Her familial roots run deep

“Emmitt Smith was the nicest, most polite, patient and agreeable interview of my short career,” Katsulos said. “But the most surprising part is years later, when he was a Dallas Cowboy, I randomly ran into him at Love Field and spoke with him again. He was still that nice, polite, patient and agreeable person that he was when he was a teenager. And true to form, he remembered our interview and we had a good laugh about it. To this day, my kids refer to him as ‘Mom’s friend, Emmitt Smith.’”

Born and raised in South Florida, she eventually moved to Texas establishing herself as a sports journalist with The Dallas Morning News. Katsulos ultimately decided to change careers and attend library school, a deep interest of hers since she was eight.

“The exact moment I knew was when my mom had dropped me off at the public library after school, then completely forgot to pick me up until my family sat down to dinner five hours later and realized one kid was missing,” Katsulos said. “She raced back to get me, but I was in no hurry to get home. I was surrounded by books and librarians and I felt completely safe.”

After earning her master’s in library science, with a daughter at Hockaday and looking at schools for her son, Katsulos heard about an opening for a librarian at St. Mark’s.

“I got hired; he (Theo Katsulos ’20) was admitted, and we’ve been a St. Mark’s family ever since,” Katsulos said.

there, having had the same third-grade and high school teachers as her father.

“The town had a Baptist church, a grammar school, one package store and one blinking caution light by the volunteer fire station,” Mullett said.

In 1986, Mullett decided to teach English in Japan after studying Japanese in college. It was an opportunity to improve her Japanese and connect with her Japanese roots. “I was going to Japan originally for one year; however, I ended up extending it to three because I fell in love with karate,” Mullett said. “I still practice and am a 6-degree black belt.”

After earning her master’s at Yale University in 1991, Mullett started her career at St. Mark’s as a Japanese teacher. In 2010 the School began phasing out Japanese, and Mullett found an unexpected opportunity again.

“I was given an opportunity to switch to humanities based on my teaching experience and education,” she said. “Turns out I love teaching reading, writing and social studies just as much, if not more, than a foreign language.”

The Kentucky Derby is part of the ‘triple crown’ of horse racing, but James Coulter, executive chef for SAGE Dining Services, served a true monarch that day.

Coulter was part of the culinary team selected and specially trained to prepare high tea for Queen Elizabeth II when she attended the Kentucky Derby in 2007.

What first motivated third-grade teacher Tracey McKenzie to a career in education was American icon Mary McLeod Bethune.

Growing up, I had always heard of her, but as I researched more, I realized what an amazing trailblazer and American hero she was,” McKenzie said. “I decided to also devote my life to educating children so that her dream would not be in vain.”

“We were instructed not to use garlic or onion in any of our preparation and were strictly forbidden to use fish or shellfish,” Coulter said. “We had everything covered, including the type of beer Prince Philip liked to drink, should he ask.”

Coulter started his professional culinary journey by attending LeCordon Bleu after an unrelated career. This new path led him to cook at resorts, sporting events and entertainment venues before focusing on the academic sector, which offered a better work-life balance. He traces his initial interest in cuisine back to his childhood in Long Beach, CA.

“I may have always been destined to be a chef,” Coulter said. “I was inspired by my maternal grandmother, who was a private caterer. Growing up, my family was always together for the holidays, and food was at the center of our celebrations.”

Just before arriving at St. Mark’s in November 2021, Coulter was an instructor at LeCordon Bleu and an adjunct professor at Collin College. With a rich culinary background to draw inspiration from, Coulter also looks close to home when creating the menu at 10600 Preston Rd.

“I have two boys, Angus and Ian,” Coulter said. “I ask them a lot of questions. I can get some good feedback on kid-friendly options. I also enjoy being out in the Great Hall during lunch and talking with our faculty and staff. I put all this together with my experience and resources from SAGE to offer a diverse menu.”

TERESA KATSULOS

Year Appointed: 2007

DONNA MULLETT

Year Appointed: 1991

JAMES COULTER

Year Appointed: 2021

TRACEY MCKENZIE

Year Appointed: 2021

Born in Pittsburgh, PA, she moved to Dallas at age four. In high school, McKenzie was a passenger in a car that a drunk driver struck. Her injuries were so severe she had to learn how to walk and talk again.

“I’m so t hankful for the life that I have,” McKenzie told The ReMarker newspaper in Dec. 2021. “I want to continue spreading the news about drunk driving, but I also want to focus on things like being grateful and present, because I’m a living witness that it can all be taken away in the blink of an eye.”

During her academic career as a college teacher, McKenzie had the opportunity to interview another American icon.

“Oprah Winfrey was promoting her movie, Beloved,” McKenzie said. “My student who was supposed to interview her got sick, and I was asked to fill in. I was nervous. However, after I met her, I realized she was a regular wonderful woman who just happened to be famous!”

McKen zie taught at Greenhill for 19 years before friend and first-grade teacher Teri Broom told her about an opening at St. Mark’s.

“After some prayer and discussion with my husband, I decided to put my name in the hat for the position,” McKenzie said. “It was one of the best decisions I have made. St. Mark’s is such a wonderful place, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Lion family!”

“ Running backs, water coloring, the Queen and Mary McLeod Bethune.

Playing at your own school is so special because you’re able to finally showcase your hard work,” Khasgiwala, a varsity water polo and swim team member, said. “When I go to games on campus, the environment is electric. Students, parents, faculty and more all gather to support the Lions.”

But it is an experience that two of St. Mark’s most successful athletic programs have never enjoyed. Due to the limitations of its pool, the varsity water polo team has never hosted a home game on campus. And the swim team can only host smaller meets, with room for just a handful of spectators.

“It would be awesome to get the energy of all our classmates, teachers and parents at a water polo game or swim meet,” Khasgiwala said. “That motivation goes a long way when you’re swimming a 200- or 500-meter freestyle.”

Despite the limitations of their facilities, the boys and their coaches have built one of the most successful aquatics programs in the state. In the past decade, the St. Mark’s water polo team has won seven state championships and the swim team has won seven SPC championships.

77,000

As a multi-sport athlete, Aadi Khasgiwala ’23 knows the reality of the ‘home field advantage.’

square-foot facility will totally transform athletic opportunities.

“These young men come out every day, ready to grind, ready to work, even though we’re effectively working in a third of a pool,” said Trent Calder, aquatics director. “Our practices have to get creative since part of the pool is too shallow for water polo. And this one pool has to facilitate Middle School, junior varsity and varsity rosters that are as full as they’ve ever been.”

Now, St. Mark’s has unveiled the next generation of its campus facilities – an Athletic Complex that includes a gymnasium, tennis center, support facilities – and a 12-lane, 30 meter by 25 yard pool that will allow the aquatics program to host games, meets and even tournaments for the first time in school history.

“Water polo isn’t the most popular sport at our school, largely because we are the only sport that isn’t able to have a ‘home” game,’” Doan Nguyen ’26 said. As a current freshman water polo player, Nguyen will be among the first varsity athletes to play a full season in the new Athletic Complex when it opens in early 2025.

Nguyen and Khasgiwala readily admit that water polo doesn’t draw large crowds like other sports, simply because all games are away. And since water polo is not an SPC sport, the St. Mark’s team sometimes has to travel far and wide across the Metroplex.

Continued from previous page INVITING. Connecting the gymnasium and natatorium will be a two-story atrium (right) filled with natural light for Marksmen to congregate, learn from one another and strengthen friendships. Much like the Alumni Commons and Winn Science Center atrium, the new Athletic Complex will provide many areas for student-athletes, coaches, parents, alumni and other community members to come together for games, meetings, events and other important gatherings.

“Playing against teams at home, in a pool that we are familiar with, with our friends and family rooting for us in the stands, is something our whole team hasn’t experienced before,” Nguyen said. “I’m ready for the 2025-2026 school year and what it has in store for our aquatics season.”

And while he won’t get to compete in the new facility, Khasgiwala knows how meaningful the experience will be for future water polo players.

“With one of the biggest freshman classes in the history of St. Mark’s water polo, the guys are incredibly excited about the possibility of having games at home as upperclassmen,” said Khasgiwala. “It’s every one of their dreams to finally score that game-winning goal alongside a pride of lions cheering them on in their home stands—or even singing the Alma Mater in the pool at the end of a game.”

More than just rebuilding Hicks Gym

Over the next few years, the northeast quadrant of campus will undergo a massive transformation – as will the experience for athletes and all students in the St. Mark’s community. But this is a project whose scope goes far beyond the empty ground where Hicks Athletic Center once stood. The need for expanded athletic facilities has long been apparent, but the tornado that struck campus in October 2019 added new urgency to this project.

St. Mark’s fields 46 teams in 16 sports, with boys in grades 7-12. Between practices, games and tournaments, finding a place for everyone can be a logistical challenge.

“We constantly have a bottleneck of teams needing to use all available spaces,” Athletic Director Sean Lissemore said. “We’ve tried to look at where our program is headed, projecting future needs. I’d call it a happy problem that a new facility like this is only going to drive interest and energy in the programs and so we’re trying to plan for that.”

And beyond the obvious benefits to athletics, this new complex will serve all Marksmen. The Athletic Complex Planning Committee took note of how the new Winn Science Center has become a popular gathering place for boys, as well as a space for hosting community events and large meetings.

“It’s very apparent that the boys love the gathering spaces in Winn, so we made a very deliberate effort to create those same types of spaces in the Athletic Complex,” Jeff Hillier ’76, president of the Board of Trustees, said. “It’s all about the boys. Throughout these meetings, whether it’s about budget, design or architecture, all of that comes back to what’s best for them.”

HOME COURT.

A new state-of-the-art competition gymnasium will serve as the home court for the varsity Lions, carrying forward the legacy of the Hicks Athletic Center. The 850-seat venue will also provide multi-use space for large gatherings and community events, in addition to supporting physical education programs for Marksmen across all three divisions of the School.

LOCKER ROOM.

Lion student-athletes and coaches will prepare for competition in state-of-the-art locker rooms for all indoor and outdoor varsity sports, leveraging the most advanced technology to support high performance. The new building will also include improved meeting spaces for teams, coaches, guests and other members of the School community. The second floor will feature offices for the director and associate director of Athletics, a multipurpose team meeting room, several conference rooms, and a large alumni room with a terrace overlooking Hunt Stadium.

Varsity teams will use the new competition areas and locker rooms; space for community gatherings is offered throughout.

A 12-lane pool will provide aquatic athletes the opportunity to gain ‘home field advantage’ for the first time in school history.

PLANNED. All spaces in the Athletic Complex project (above left) are designed to intentionally compliment the School’s existing architecture; a grand entrance, landscaped walkways and optimum viewing areas. In the new complex viewing space for football, soccer and lacrosse outdoors will be offered when the project is complete.

HOME COURT. Viewed from above, the new Al G. Hill, Sr., Tennis Center (above right) will offer collegiate-level competition courts for Lion athletes along with a covered viewing area. The tennis center will be due north of the 77,000 square foot gymnasium/natatorium building.

MAKING A SPLASH. Lion swimmers and water polo players will have a new natatorium (left) for practices, workouts and, for the first time in school history, the capacity to host meets and competitions at home. The pool will have 12 lanes and will measure 30 meters by 25 yards.

Continued from previous page

Natatorium

Amodern natatorium will feature a 30-meter by 25-yard swimming pool, significantly strengthening St. Mark’s aquatics programs.

The collegiate-level pool will enable the Lions to host local, regional and national competitions for both swimming and water polo, with large second-floor spectator seating, carrying forward a longstanding history of excellence.

From idea to reality

Immediately following the October 2019 tornado, St. Mark’s quickly took steps to support its athletic teams. Spencer Gym was completely renovated and now serves as the School’s primary (and only) competition gymnasium.

But some programs were more difficult to support than others.The tennis team was forced to practice off-campus, although the inconvenience did nothing to hinder their success (varsity tennis won the 2021 SPC championship). Eventually, five of the School’s courts were refurbished, but still lacked spectator seating.

The new Athletic Complex aims to address these limitations and set the athletic program up for success for decades to come. Such a project is inherently complex — and costly. But that cost is also an investment in thousands of Marksmen who will use this facility in the coming years.

“I really believe in the power of sports and athletics and how it shapes young men,” said Carl Sewell III ’02, chair of the Athletic Complex Committee. “We expect Marksmen to aim for excellence in all that they do, and that was a driving principle behind this project. The level of investment in this facility will mirror our investment in athletics as a foundational part of our mission.”

As the committee and architects continue refining the building, the School is also pursuing an ambitious fundraising goal with the same urgency. The Board is committed to maintaining a longstanding policy of beginning new construction only after all funds have been committed. And, thanks to generous and dedicated leadership in the community, St. Mark’s is well on its way to meeting this goal.

Continued from previous page

Al G. Hill, Sr. Family Tennis Center

Located at the far northeastern edge of the campus and immediately adjacent to the new indoor facility, the Al G. Hill, Sr. Family Tennis Center will be home to six courts, enabling the Lions to continue their longstanding tradition of excellence. This modern competition facility will also include a new covered spectator pavillion.

Community life

In addition to a major investment in the sports programs, the Athletic Complex Project will support a number of other important priorities, including expanded resources for campus safety, security and long-term maintenance. Additional infrastructure improvements will feature an integrated storm shelter, revisions to campus parking, new pedestrian walkways and further investments in campus landscaping.

St. Mark’s student-athletes and coaches will prepare for competition in new state-of-the-art locker rooms for indoor and outdoor varsity sports, leveraging the most advanced technology to support high performance. The new building will also include improved meeting spaces for teams, coaches, guests and other members of the School community. For the first time, the physical plant division will have a dedicated shop along with new office space for facilties and security personnel. The second floor will feature offices for the director and associate director of Athletics, a multipurpose team meeting room, conference rooms and a large alumni room with a terrace overlooking Hunt Stadium.

The path ahead

With work proceeding in fundraising and architectural design, the School plans to break ground on the Athletic Complex later this year.

“Years of work by the Board of Trustees and administration are coming to fruition as plans for the Athletic Complex are finalized,” said Eugene McDermott Headmaster David W. Dini. “While the new gymnasium, natatorium and tennis center are among the highlights, this facility will fill needs across campus and elevate the experience for every Marksman.”

ALUMNI ROOM.

The new alumni room (right) will be a designated space for alumni meetings and events. The attached terrace will provide a birds’-eye view of football, lacrosse, soccer and track and field events.

CONNECTION.

The new complex will serve all Marksmen. New pedestrian walkways, campus landscaping, and intentional gathering spaces (above right) will create opportunities for connection between boys. Additional spaces for hosting community events and meetings will integrate the complex with the rest of campus and provide additional areas to connect.

COMPETITION.

The tennis team will continue its longstanding tradition of excellence in a six-court center (right) that will allow the team to host tournaments and games at home. This competitionlevel facility will also provide comfortable shaded seating for spectators to support their athletes.

Courts of the newly rebuilt Al G. Hill, Sr. Family Tennis Center carry forward a proud legacy of success.

Features

Making their mark

A Ao b d r

After leaving 10600 Preston Road, Marksmen can be found literally all over the globe.

Do you remember the first time you stepped on to the St. Mark’s campus? Did it feel foreign? Maybe with a mixture of trepidation and excitement?

For some alums, their life’s journey has taken them far beyond 10600 Preston Rd. to fascinating places across the globe. From Singapore to Israel, Afghanistan to the United Kingdom and everywhere in between, the first steps they took years before have led them to living abroad. Here are three Marksmen whose professional careers have taken them to all corners of the world.

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A MISSION OF BREAKING BREAD

As an Army officer, the past 20 years have kept Colonel Cedric G. Lee ’96 especially busy with overseas missions and assignments. But, his experience abroad started with the opportunity to study in the United Kingdom and Spain while attending St. Mark’s. This initiated a lifelong journey of developing his emotional intelligence and ability to effectively work alongside people outside our borders.

“These experiences shaped my love for travel and, more importantly, a passion for connecting deeply with cultures and people beyond my comfort zone,” Lee said.

Lee graduated from West Point in 2000 earning a commission in the Air Defense Artillery. His military service has taken him across the globe, including Korea, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Germany, Belgium, Israel, Poland, Turkey, Singapore and Afghanistan. The experiences across a broad range of cultures and people have shaped his perspective on living in a world that’s becoming more interdependent.

“In an increasingly globalized and technologically advanced world, it is imperative to develop and master the soft skills of personal and strategic empathy,” Lee said. “Shaking someone’s hand, breaking bread and having tea often produced better mission outcomes than any electronic correspondence or more kinetic means of influencing.”

While Lee’s military career offered him opportunities around the globe, one Marksmen’s passion for medicine prompted his return to the British Commonwealth.

A CLEARER VIEW

Dr. Anthony M. O’Driscoll ’78 already had an international perspective when arriving at St. Mark’s in the 11th grade, being born and raised in South Africa. His family had hosted an American student the year before, which sparked his interest in the experience. O’Driscoll was paired with St. Mark’s as part of a student-exchange program.

“St. Mark ’s had won the water polo state championships the previous year and with my water polo and swimming interests that was a lucky pairing for me, offering me a chance to maintain my swimming ambitions and to promote St. Mark’s in local and national meets,” O’Driscoll said.

He fondly remembers meeting his classmates for the first time and being treated like an adult by then-headmaster Ted Whatley and teachers.

After St. Mark’s, O’Driscoll attended college and medical training in South Africa and England, then worked in Canada before ultimately specializing as a retinal surgeon near Birmingham, England.

“I remember being introduced to the concept of ‘delayed gratification’ at St. Mark’s, such that efforts now bring rewards later,” O’Driscoll said. “Medical school required long hours, internship took over one’s life and specializing as a retinal surgeon all required focus and delayed gratification, an ally of resilience I feel I gained from my time at St. Mark’s.”

O’Driscoll maintains regular contact with classmates via email and a group Facebook page. He has plans to attend the 45th reunion for the Class of 1978 this April during Alumni Weekend.

For some, the reason for working internationally can be more about the opportunity than the destination. One Marksman has lived in several Asian countries while establishing his career.

‘These experiences shaped my love for travel and, more importantly, a passion for connecting deeply with cultures and people beyond my comfort zone.’

SCOTLAND. O’Driscoll with Peter Kraus ’78, St Andrews, Scotland.

AFGHANISTAN. Lee in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2013.

Country tags indicate alumni abroad as of Jan. 6, 2023.

COL. CEDRIC G. LEE ’96

NAVIGATING WITH CONFIDENCE

The summer after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, Tim Zee ’84 found himself in Hong Kong with a goal.

“I packed up and moved that summer with the hopes, dreams and ambitions of starting my career in finance,” Zee said. “After a couple of months, numerous applications and almost an equal number of rejection letters, I found my first job in corporate finance with Bank of America. St. Mark’s instilled the confidence to do all this on my own.”

With an eye on graduate school, Zee’s journey abroad was highly strategic.

“It gave me something extraordinary and different to write on my business school application than simply following the herd, for example, to New York,” Zee said. “It enhanced and broadened my experience by working overseas on my own initiative, which ultimately helped me secure a seat at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston.”

After graduating from Northwestern, Zee took a position with GE Capital back in Hong Kong.

“One of the more remarkable aspects of this experience was the fact that there were several St. Mark’s alumni from various classes such as Jim Bass ’77, Rick Waechter ’80 and Chip Kaye ’82, who were all working together 8,107 miles away from our amazing 40 acres at 10600.”

After several more career moves back to the states and overseas, Zee ended up in

Singapore in 2011 for familial reasons and an opportunity in private equity. In 2022 Zee opened his own private investment firm TZ Equity Partners.

“It has been a remarkable 39 years since my jour ney from St. Mark’s to Singapore,” Zee said. “I fully credit St. Mark’s for preparing me to work hard and more importantly, to persevere through career and life challenges with integrity, fortitude and unquestionable character.”

‘St. Mark’s instilled the confidence to do all this on my own.’

SINGAPORE.

The Zee family; Wen Li, Prescott, Madison, Tim, Averell and Morgan in Singapore.

ENGLAND.

O’Driscoll with Eric Bradford ’78 in Warwickshire, England.

TIM ZEE ’84

‘ Me? Why me? ’

Their names are the stuff of legends here. They include beloved teachers, headmasters, philanthropists, administrators, cafeteria workers, Board of Trustees presidents, first grade teachers, senior masters. And more.

Educators all — people who have given significant parts of their lives in service to St. Mark’s. And their reward? All have been named as recipient of the dedication of the Marksmen yearbook.

The only faculty award given by students, the yearbook dedication — a 73 year tradition — is one of the most singular and treasured honors that can be bestowed on a faculty or staff member here.

“Without a doubt, the greatest gift I’ve been given in my 45-year career by the students was hearing my name announced as the yearbook dedicatee,” Julie Doerge, school nurse, said of being named the recipient in 2021.

Yet, when the night of the Marksmen Ball comes, and when the yearbook editor reveals that year’s dedicatee, most people don’t know the process that went on to determine the winner.

67 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED THE DEDICATION AWARD FROM THE MARKSMEN YEARBOOK. BUT VERY FEW KNOW HOW THIS PERSON IS SELECTED. HERE’S AN INSIDE LOOK AT HOW ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS FACULTY AWARDS AT 10600 PRESTON ROAD IS DETERMINED.

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dedication.

Ninety-nine Marksmen in formal attire, their dates looking lovely in cocktail dresses and evening gowns, accompanied by their parents at an evening that would be one of the highlights of their years at St. Mark’s.

The setting: The Fairmont Hotel in

That choice, Dwight Phillips, longtime coach and physical education teacher, proved to be exceedingly popular, bringing forth a standing ovation from the crowd.

Ironically, Phillips was unable to attend due to surgery a few weeks earlier. But yearbook staffers surprised Phillips earlier that week at his home and recorded a celebration video which was shown at the Ball upon the announcement.

PHILLIPS’ SELECTION was the end result of a deliberate process, coordinated by yearbook staff members. It’s a process that has been in place for more than 20 years.

“The dedication selection process is very structured,” explained Ray Westbrook, who advised the Marksmen yearbook for 21 years. “When I began here, there was no specified procedure and, because there had been some misinterpretations of the process in previous years, I felt we needed to have a written plan for selecting this award.”

known, I made sure to give the names to the yearbook seniors in alphabetical order,” Westbrook said. “They were never told who was the highest preliminary vote-getter.”

Final selection is made in a private meeting of yearbook leaders.

“The yearbook guys always took their job very seriously once it came down to the three final names,” Westbrook said. “Usually there is rigorous discussion, with boys passionately advocating for their choices. Once the discussions were over, the yearbook seniors voted, just as the Senior Class members had done, ranking their choices for first, second and third. The person with the most votes would then be named the dedicatee.”

Only Westbrook, the editor and a photographer would know who the recipient was.

FIRST LOOK. Because he was home recuperating from major achilles surgery, yearbook staff members surprised Dwight Phillips at his home in Mesquite where yearbook editor Camden Reeves gave the beloved coach the news that he was the 2022 Marksmen dedicatee. Here, Phillips is overcome as he looks at his book.

downtown Dallas. Pictures were taken. A steak dinner was enjoyed, with personalized “SM” desserts. Then, the speeches — first, from the Senior Class president, then the yearbook adviser who introduced the senior members of the yearbook staff.

Then the editor, who would make the presentation of one of the highlights of the evening, the announcement of the 2022 Marksmen dedicatee, ascended the stage.

Editor Camden Reeves ’22 began his remarks by explaining how staff members chose the theme, “You never really leave,” and described some of its designs — color choices, typography, essentially, the overall “vibe.” Then, he smartly segued into revealing who would be the 67th member of the community to receive the yearbook’s

Because it was felt that both the Senior Class and yearbook staff members should be involved, both of these groups ultimately play a role in determining the dedicatee.

“Each fall, the yearbook editor and I would meet with the entire Senior Class and explain the process and, most importantly, the significance of the award,” Westbrook said. “Then, there would be a vote. Each senior could vote for three teachers or staff members, but we emphasized that their choices should be people who have made significant contributions to the whole of the School, not just the Senior Class.”

ONCE THOSE ballots were tabulated, the three top vote-getters’ names were given to senior members of the Marksmen yearbook staff. Ultimately, the final choice is made by these seniors.

“Once the three finalists were

“It was hard to keep a secret,” 2021 Marksmen editor Josh Mysore said. “We knew our choice (school nurse Julie Doerge) would be a popular one, and it was so fun to see Nurse Julie’s shocked expression when her name was called.”

MOST YEARS, the editor and photographer had to tell a “white lie” to the recipient in order to arrange a photo shoot. For Phillips, boys told him they were profiling a series of coaches for the sports section of the yearbook. He readily agreed to an interview and a few staged photos, never knowing — until he saw the images on the dedication pages of the yearbook — that he was receiving the dedication.

Certainly, Phillips embodies all those who have been so honored, showing true shock and disbelief upon hearing he was the 2022 yearbook dedicatee.

“Me? Why me?” he exclaimed, but then added, “I’m very proud to be a part of your lives. It’s been an honor and a privilege.”

The 2023 Marksmen yearbook dedicatee will be revealed at the Marksmen Ball for the Class of 2023 on May 13.

The evening was as close to perfect as it could be.

DELIGHTED. Staffers who worked on the 2022 yearbook (Luke Martin, Lars Ochs, Camden Reeves, Thomas Philip and Tate Lackowski) surround a happy and surprised Dwight Phillips.

Through the years…67 different honorees of the yearbook dedication

1950 Frank Akin 1951 Leonard “Doc” Nelson

1952 Dr. Robert Boyle 1953 Leonard “Doc” Nelson 1954 John R. Caldow 1955 Frank E. Mosher 1956 Robert Iglehart

John Patrick Nevelle

HONORED. Recipients of the yearbook dedication have come from all walks of campus life. From food service employees to department heads, from coaches to headmasters, books have honored a wide variety of people who have made a difference in the life and times of Marksmen of all ages.

Most dedicatees by job and course specializations

18

12 8 6 6

5

English History Science Mathematics Headmasters US Head

SOURCE: Archival yearbooks collected by the Office of Development & Alumni Relations.

The fifth graders acted the way they did at every assembly: chatty, distracted and taking forever to find their seats, likely wondering, why are we here today?

T he question was quickly answered when senior Arjun Badi ’23 strode to the center of Decherd Performance Hall’s hardwood stage after being introduced. A hush came over the boys, mixed with a few snickers. Wait! Is he in a skirt?

Badi had ditched the blue oxford shirt and gray shorts of a senior for that of a Wallace Clan kilt and traditional piper’s garb. It only made sense because he was about to begin one of the most timehonored rites of passage at St. Mark’s: the senior exhibition, or senior ex.

THE IDEAL MARKSMEN

Since 1994, the graduation requirement has seniors create and implement a ten-minute presentation to younger students about a subject of personal significance: the importance of athletics, building your own computer, playing the bagpipes, etc.

The senior exhibition program was the brainchild of former headmaster Arnie Holtberg. He came to St. Mark’s in 1993 with the idea to provide seniors a way to express themselves and further strengthen our community.

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TRADITION. Badi playing traditional Scottish bagpipe songs for his senior exhibition.

“I felt very strongly that each boy needed to reveal who he is at his core and that we needed to embrace, respect and even love that,” Holtberg said.

Seniors were just one group Holtberg wanted to impact with this project. By presenting to Middle and Lower School students, seniors would model the ‘ideal Marksman.’ Seeing older boys speak thoughtfully and passionately challenges younger boys’ preconceptions about what the ideal is, beyond star athletes or valedictorians, to broader definitions. Boys could see themselves in others, building confidence in who they naturally are and nurturing respect across campus.

“Let’s find out who everybody is, and then we become the ideal Marksmen, plural,” Holtberg said.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

The senior ex program starts at the beginning of the school year. Seniors fill out a form to help better define their topic and audience and to find a faculty sponsor who will help guide them throughout the process. Dates are selected, and the creation of their exhibition begins.

“About a month from their actual presentation date we have them pick and rank their top three or four choices,” said Jason Leneau, Assistant Head of Upper School, who helps manage the program. “They can organize their thoughts and materials, sit with their advisor and run through their presentation. They prepare for their audience to better understand what potential questions they may field or anything else that may arise, like audiovisual needs, so they can be as best prepared as possible.”

Individual presentations are preferred, but sometimes it makes more sense for Marksmen to team up.

“Some boys have the same passion in the sport or the same passion for an

activity, whether it’s chess or golf or many different topics,” Leneau said. “There are parameters that we expect the boys to contribute to. It’s not just one person putting on the show, it’s a collective or partnership that they all own.”

Knowing students will need presentation skills in their lives and careers beyond 10600 Preston Rd. is an important driver for the program. Seniors are graded on a pass-or-fail basis. The rubric assesses their appearance, organization, delivery and how they field questions.

STAY CALM AND SLOW DOWN

John Charest ’23 looked over his notes and began his presentation to an audience of one: Mr. Leneau. The senior was running through his presentation a few more times before delivering it to fourth graders the next day.

“What I’m nervous about is being able to talk about all the things that I want to talk about and not forgetting certain things,” Charest said. “I need to remind myself to stay calm and slow down. It will be good for me to speak to an audience because I wouldn’t have that experience otherwise.”

The following day Charest delivered his presentation about the importance of sports in his life to 50 fourth graders in the Science Lecture Hall, along with a small contingent of his closest friends sitting in the back rows. After a brief introduction by Mr. Leneau, Charest began his presentation, talking about the positive impact athletics has played throughout his life, the bonds he has made, the lessons he has learned and how his audience may benefit from it. Then, he opened the floor up to questions. Several hands immediately shot up: What is your favorite sport? What number is on your jersey? Do you hope to play in the NFL?

PREPARED.

Upper School Assistant Head Jason Leneau and Charest (top) go over final details the day before presenting. Charest answers questions from fourth graders (right) at the conclusion of his presentation.

JOE MILLIET Retired teacher and former senior advisor.

‘Great senior exhibitions are followed by every guy in the room raising their hand at the end and willing to be late to lunch until they get their question answered.’

“I thought it went very well,” Charest said afterward. “It went much better than I expected. I mean, my legs were shaking before I started. But, as I went on, I got into my groove and became more comfortable.”

WHO I AM

Retired teacher Joe Milliet served as a senior ex advisor for many years. He was always impressed with boys who chose unique subject matter and took the time to craft engaging presentations.

“Alex Brooks ’05 delivered a senior exhibition on legal card counting. It was fascinating and no one had ever seen anything like it,” Milliet recalled. “Audiences are quiet by nature, but students were silent during this one because they were mesmerized. Great senior exhibitions are followed by every guy in the room raising their hand at the end and willing to be late to lunch until they get their question answered. Alex held the floor with a devilish grin and an enticing sense of purpose, knowing he had won the day.”

For Arjun Badi the topic was an easy choice.

“I’ve been playing the bagpipes since around sixth grade,” Badi said. “It’s just been a very integral part of who I am. When I applied to St. Mark’s as an eighth grader, most of my interview was about bagpipes.”

Badi found the ten minutes harder to fill with content than initially expected and difficult to adjust to a younger audience.

“It’s a good exercise to rack your brain and focus on the things that are important to you and sit down to discern what people would want to hear about,” Badi said. “I was in front of an audience that wasn’t just my peers. It was younger kids, which made me work a little more to figure out how to connect with them.”

Sometimes the process of developing the presentation informs the presenter

as well. Henry Schechter ’22 delivered his presentation on being a ‘generalist,’ focusing life’s pursuits on varied subjects rather than just one interest or talent.

“Life is more interesting if you’re not focused in one area, and you can see the full picture of things,” Schechter said. “I think the senior ex helped me realize that I do live my life that way. It was a good exercise to think through everything I’ve done and find a common thread.”

Since its inception, the senior exhibition program has prepared boys with practical life skills. It sets a stage to understand the individual within our community better, allowing the presenter and his audience to be transformed. Younger Marksmen get to see and possibly idolize seniors for who they truly are, kilts and all.

WELL PLAYED. Badi taking questions from his audience after playing several songs.

ARNIE HOLTBERG Former headmaster.

‘Let’s find out who everybody is, and then we become the ideal Marksmen, plural.’

From the alumni president

Alumni Board this year has been to encourage our members to also embrace and act upon one of the Alumni Association’s core values: “Service to Others.” This year Dallas area alumni and those affiliated with our Regional Clubs took part in the National Day of Service held in late January. Alumni and current students donned their hard hats and tool belts to help Habitat for Humanity provide housing for those in need. The Alumni Board will continue to emphasize this core value and look forward to the National Day of Service becoming a flagship alumni event in the years ahead.

It has been an honor to serve as your Alumni Association president for the past two years. My love for our great School and admiration for the faculty, administration and staff that guide our young Marksmen along the path to manhood have only grown stronger during my tenure. I have had the privilege of working first-hand with fellow alumni who give selflessly of their time, energy and resources to support St. Mark’s and strengthen our alumni community. The bond we share as alumni is unbreakable and forms the backbone of what I sincerely believe is one of finest Alumni Associations in the country. I am humbled to have the opportunity to be a part of such a special School and the remarkable graduates who form such an important part of its legacy.

In addition to the many on-campus highlights from the first semester, I am pleased to share that regional alumni events were successfully held this fall throughout the country. Alumni living in Central Texas and on the East and West Coasts gathered to reconnect with old friends, interact with faculty members, and learn more about ambitious plans for a new Athletic Complex.

Our alumni have always gone above and beyond in their service to our School and the St. Mark’s community. A priority for the

The Alumni Board continues to work closely with the Office of Development & Alumni Relations to provide meaningful, engaging and exciting programs for our over 4,000 alums. I look forward to moderating what will no doubt be a highly-entertaining fireside chat with golf legend and St. Mark’s parent, Lee Trevino, as a part of the Alumni Association’s Alumni Leadership Speaker Series on March 23.

PLEASE ALSO JOIN us for Alumni Weekend 2023 to be held from April 20-22 in Dallas. You won’t want to miss the beginning of what I know will become one of the most significant and meaningful honors a member of the St. Mark’s community can receive when the inaugural Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award is presented at the Spring Alumni Dinner to an alumnus who has displayed exceptional courage and honor in a life dedicated to serving others, Dr. David Vanderpool ’78.

We all have a lot to be thankful for as members of the St. Mark’s community and over the past two years I have had the good fortune to work alongside alumni and members of the faculty, administration and staff who without exception care deeply and profoundly about our School, our boys, our alums and our community. I cannot give enough thanks to Alex Eshelbrenner ’04, our Ahlberg & Ribman Family Director of Alumni Relations, and his incomparable team for all of their support and for being the engine that drives

the Alumni Association and keeps us all engaged and connected.

I also want to express my sincere thanks to the members of the Alumni Board who set the tone for the entire alumni community through their willingness to give of their time, talent and resources without ever asking anything in return and special thanks to the members of the 2022-2023 Executive Committee of the Board who have all served with distinction and continue to raise the bar for future leaders of the Board.

We are stronger together, and I encourage each of you to continue to be an engaged member of the St. Mark’s community and the other communities to which you belong. Whether it’s through mentorship of current Marksmen or by participating in important alumni programs such as the National Day of Service, thank you for investing your time and talents through servant leadership.

Keep riding for the brand and I’ll see you on campus soon.

Warmly and with gratitude,

Sandy Campbell ’76 Alumni Association President

READINGS. One of the longstanding traditions for the Alumni Association president is speaking at the annual Lessons and Carols service. Campbell read from Isaiah 11:1-9 this past December.

2022-2023 Alumni Board

Executive Committee

President

Sandy Campbell ’76

Vice President

Jamie Rogers ’85

Secretary

Lowell Ku ‘89

St. Mark’s Fund

Jon Myhre ‘96 & B.A. Cullum ‘99

Activities & Alumni Weekend

Mark Butler ‘08

Alumni Golf Tournament

Nick Cassavechia ‘04

Ralph B. Rogers

Alumni Award

Collin Lensing ‘01

Mentor & Networking

Akhil Kara ‘02

Alumni Awards

Scott McElhaney ‘85

Lee S. Smith ‘65 Courage & Honor Award

Michael Flanagan ’90

Young Alumni Chair

Drew Nicholas ‘09

‘Embracing our longstanding traditions and communitywide celebrations’

Through the decades

Looking at key events — locally and nationally — through the pages of archived ReMarker newspapers 1958

Board of Trustees members, voting in April 1958, decided to discontinue the School’s boarding program, effective June 1, 1958. More than 80 boys attended St. Mark’s through the boarding opportunities offered by the two dorms on campus. 1963

FRAMED. Archival patches and badges, representing images from years long ago, show designs and logos of past school iconography and historical relics. This framed document was found in the Archives Room in Nearburg Hall.

The December 1963 ReMarker newspaper, coming out three weeks after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, had one mention of this seminal event in its coverage, a short article reporting the reaction to the event from its four foreign exchange students. 1974

A dedication ceremony for the new Ben H. Decherd Fine Arts Center was held Oct. 15 and featured keynote remarks by Bartlett Hayes, director of the American Academy of Rome. Other speakers included Board of Trustees President Dr. P. O’B. Montgomery ’38 and then-headmaster Ted Whatley.

A ReMarker review of newest album, Thriller,” called Michael Jackson, “a small, delicate man-child with one glove and an almost disgustingly high voice.” Thriller went on to become the best-selling pop album of all time, with more than 70 million copies sold worldwide.

Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, accompanied by talk show host Bob Ray Sanders, spoke to a group of students addressing “societal factions” in discussing racial problems plaguing the country. Today, Price is the senior member of the Dallas County Commisioners’ Court, first taking office Jan. 1, 1985.

An emergency Chapel session was hastily called on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, when news reached campus of the attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Center and on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Throughout the day, students and faculty flocked to television sets around campus for updates of the event.

To commemorate the School’s Centennial, ReMarker staff members dedicated an issue to the “Top Five Events” in St. Mark’s history. The number one pick: the opening of the McDermott-Green Math-Science Quadrangle, which put St. Mark’s on the map nationally in science and mathematics education. 2013

Faculty members heard longtime Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg announce his retirement from the school he had led for 21 years. A national search was soon begun, and the Board of Trustees announced six months later Assistant Headmaster David Dini as Holtberg’s successor.

Spotlight on philanthropy

The investment by four families shows, once again, the deep commitment

WAN KIM

Member, Board of Trustees, 2021 to present

MY COMMITMENT towards the St. Mark’s Athletic Complex is driven by a simple but powerful message that I learned from my father: give back, be active in your community and help others build a better life.

As a child, my father was raised in poverty. When he was eight years old, his father was lost in the Korean war. Although he was faced with overwhelming challenges as a child, he spent his life focused on building a better life for himself and for his family. During my own childhood, he taught me to try and make the world a better place and taught me to never give up.

As owner and CEO of Smoothie King, I have built a strategy focused on our brand mission to “inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle.” I really believe that we can change the world. A lot of people might scoff at that, but it is truly what motivates me every day. When the opportunity was presented to support the Athletic Complex at St. Mark’s, I viewed it as an opportunity for me to bring my passion for living an active lifestyle to support not only my own son but all the students of St. Mark’s.

Parents are essential to helping their kids view health, nutrition and fitness as a normal part of life.

It may not seem like an easy time to make health a priority, but doing so can help ensure that healthy behaviors become a way of life.

KATHY CROW

President of the Board of Trustees at the beginning of the Athletic Complex planning efforts

Member, Board of Trustees, 2003 to present

SO MANY INSTITUTIONS have become performative rather than formative. They have given up the need to prioritize the teaching of intrinsic and inherent values — honor, integrity, decency — and restore a sense of community and common good.

As an institution and community, St. Mark’s has always pushed to the forefront a character-forming, values-forming approach to everything we have done over the past century. So, with this project too, our aim was to build a building that would be formative in making good men, athletic leaders, successful teams, and strong coaches while unifying a supportive and encouraging community.

We wanted to emphasize the characterbuilding aspects of athletics that transcend the athletics program itself.

We all felt deeply resigned to the fact that athletics and its programmatic resources are among the most fertile ground for cultivating so many of the core tenets of the St. Mark’s character and leadership program to teaching and reinforcing rich student experiences around the values of perseverance, resilience, teamwork, collaboration, facing adversity and learning how to compete with grace both in winning and in losing.

We envisioned a facility that would elevate these character traits and we used this inspiration as the foundation for motivating the design of this new Athletics Center. This building was to be a focal point in an athletics program that helped students to develop a sense of confidence, self-esteem, sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership, and cooperation that will prepare them to meet the challenges both on and off the field as Marksmen.

We were committed to planning for spaces and facilities that exceed the national standards for function, performance, aesthetics and environmental responsibility that is grounded in our values and

captures our aspirations. While focusing on creating a comprehensive and interactive facility that would foster the competitive athletics talents of our Marksmen and give our teams unique, state-of-theart programmatic resources that would cultivate athletic success, we also were determined to create a space that was both inviting, inclusive and fostered the growth and development of all of our boys – from our youngest athletes to our varsity superstars.

This brought with it unique program requirements with a diverse portfolio of uses we needed to address: competitive, training, recreational, wellness, performance, and large assembly needs.

We strategized to build the best competitive spaces for our athletes yet never lost sight that these facilities needed to support the development of a range of ages and athletic skill levels.

We wanted to create open spaces that promoted social interaction and participation together and the ability for students, parents, and alums to gather and enjoy each other’s company. We took time to examine how the students and the greater community were going to be there to participate in and support St. Mark’s athletics and to galvanize our community around athletic culture that not only promotes the means to athletic championships but also offer unique and innovative opportunities to foster school spirit and community connectedness.

Education-based athletics is often the fabric that endears students, families, faculty & staff, alums, and an entire community to a school. Athletic programs are uniquely positioned to touch and bring together a wide number and diversity of community members which can bring about connections between divisions, parents, faculty & staff, coaches, and the wider St. Mark’s community. To compel this supportive engagement and build spirit, enthusiasm and a strong pride in our athletics we worked hard to build a space for student spectators, parents, alums and all St. Mark’s supporters to participate in sporting events with a great opportunity to interact together to build strong community.

CARL SEWELL III ‘02

Chair, Athletic Complex Committee

Board of Trustees member, 2015 to present and Executive Committee member, 2016 to present

SERVING ON THE BOARD of St. Mark’s has been one of the most rewarding things in my life, and after the tornado and through the pandemic as I began to see the Athletic Complex plan come together, I became inspired to do my part and support the project. I really believe athletics make a major impact on a young man’s life. Learning how to compete with grit and determination, learning how to work as a team, and learning how to win the right way are all incredibly important life skills. This project demonstrates our community’s strong commitment to athletics.

I believe this project represents a really important investment in the future of the school.

After something like the tornado, it may have been easier just to build a new gymnasium, but at St. Mark’s we don’t make one or two year decisions, we make 50 year decisions. We take the time to look over the horizon to ensure we serve all of our programmatic needs at the highest possible level. The new Athletic Complex shows our commitment to this critical aspect of our mission and ensures our continued focus on the whole boy at St. Mark’s.

I have always believed that athletics are a cornerstone of the whole boy mission of St. Mark’s, and with each passing year the positive impact of athletics in my life becomes more and more clear. I am honored to serve as chair of this committee and to do my part in advancing the school’s mission through this amazing project.

When I reflect on my athletics journey as a student at St. Mark’s, there are so many amazing memories but more importantly so many inspiring people that I met along the way. Whether it is Coach Turek, Coach Phillips, Tom Adams or so many others; all of these individuals were role models as good men and great leaders for all of us. In the business world, you essentially suit up every day to compete within your industry. That sense of strong motivation and the desire to compete and win the right way is learned largely through athletics. It has been very impactful in my life.

We live in a world that needs significantly more leaders, and my time in and around St. Mark’s always leaves me feeling optimistic for our future. Our commitment to the whole boy, through an unwavering standard of excellence in academics, fine arts, and athletics, continues to set St. Mark’s apart in an increasingly complicated world.

I am so proud of the work the school is doing in so many areas such as Character and Leadership and this new Athletics Center. If we stick to our mission, the future for our school is brighter than ever.

PAUL GENENDER ‘87

Secretary and Executive Committee member, Board of Trustees, 2019 to present Alumni Board, former president

We live in a world that needs significantly more leaders, and my time in and around St. Mark’s always leaves me feeling optimistic for our future.

— CARL SEWELL III ‘02

MY WIFE, WENDY, and I are inspired to contribute towards the Athletic Center for two main reasons. First, the new Athletic Center will further the School’s mission to educate the whole boy and benefit Marksmen for decades to come, recognizing that lifelong lessons are learned not only in the classroom but also on the court or in the water. Second, given that our family was affected by the October 2019 tornado and St. Mark’s is not only our neighbor but an extension of our family, it is important to us to support the rebuild and enhancement of the part of campus most damaged.

Jack ’20 had meaningful experiences on several team sports, and athletics has been a major part of my younger son’s (George ’23) time at St. Mark’s. His experiences on the varsity basketball and track and field teams have been impactful to him and provided him meaningful leadership opportunities. Both of my sons have experienced and benefitted from the community building aspects of St. Mark’s athletics and enjoyed their classmates successes alongside their own.

St. Mark’s has always been about the long term and planning for the future. This Athletic Complex is consistent with those priorities.

While the immediate need was prompted by the tornado, the complex is being built for the long term and will further the School’s mission alongside state of the art classrooms, technology and fine arts spaces. Simply stated, the Athletic Center is an investment in the boys.

I support St. Mark’s for three reasons. First, because I know it is deeply committed to developing boys into fine men who will make the world better. Secondly, because I am grateful for the education my brothers, sons and I received at St. Mark’s and this is a way to pay it forward. And finally, in furtherance of my late Dad’s love of and respect for St. Mark’s (he thought St. Mark’s was special not because it was easy but rather because it was hard) as he and I share a father’s pride in his Marksmen sons.

members of the community have for St. Mark’s and the new Athletic Complex.

Leading the pack

A perfect fit

When her sons Michael ’23 and Ethan ’24 entered St. Mark’s in 2017, Mei Mei Zhao wanted to deepen her connection with the School. She started volunteering on campus to stay involved in her sons’ lives and learn about their new school.

‘Volunteering took me into different parts of the School, and gave me opportunities to meet teachers, other parents and students,” Zhao said.

She has served in a variety of positions over the years, and each gave new insight into her sons’ experience. Eventually, she found her calling serving in the Lions’ Closet. Located on campus near the library, the Lions’ Closet sells donated uniforms and student store overstock at a reduced price.

STUDENT STORE HOURS

The store is open school days from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. or shop online at smtexasstore.com.

LIONS’ CLOSET HOURS

Mark your calendars to shop the Lions’ Closet.

April 6

Opens at 7:30 a.m.

April 20

Opens at 3 p.m.

May 4

Opens at 7:30 a.m.

“All year round, we receive used clothing items from the parents and students,” Zhao explained. “The five Lions’ Closet chairs, parent volunteers and the school’s security and maintenance crew regularly volunteer their time washing clothes and organizing the store.”

The Lions’ Closet is open twice a month on Thursdays, and volunteers host additional sale events a few times a year.

“My favorite part of volunteering there is to meet and befriend people from different backgrounds.” Over time, Zhao said, “we became life-long friends both inside and outside of the store.”

In addition to forming personal relationships, the Lions’ Closet saves money for parents and allows students to give their outgrown uniforms a second life.

“I’d like to think that the operations of the Lions’ Closet together with the lost and found encourage the St. Mark’s Lions to be mindful of environmental conservation and to treat their privilege with care and respect,” Zhao said, who serves as Lions’ Closet co-chair along with Natalie Sorrell, mother of Michael ’28.

Since the store is managed by volunteers, it has few expenses. Profits are donated back to the Parents’ Association.

“[The volunteers] are constantly washing, organizing and labeling all of the clothes,” Parents’ Association President Julie Clark said. “They spend so much time doing a service that benefits the entire community.”

Through the hard work of volunteers, the School can be more sustainable and save money for parents. For Zhao, the lifelong friendships were an unexpected bonus.

Initially, I just wanted to be involved in my sons’ lives, to understand the School and to get informed with what was happening. Now, I volunteer to be part of the family.’

“Initially, I just wanted to be involved in my sons’ lives, to understand the School and to get informed with what was happening,” Zhao said. “Now, I volunteer to be part of the family.”

Parents, alumni and friends give back to the school they love.

—MEI MEI ZHAO

New trustees

Please welcome the following new members to the Board of Trustees.

Cindy Hanson is the presidentelect of the Parents’ Association, where she previously served as vice president of communications. She earned her BBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and has volunteered with DCAC Save Jane Society, Junior League, Meals on Wheels, KidneyTexas, Inc and Highland Park United Methodist Church. She also served as treasurer of Young Men’s Service League Park Cities. She and her husband Brian ’95 are the parents of two Marksmen, Owen ’26 and Wyatt ’27.

Alenda Omonije joined the St. Mark’s community in 2009 when her son Seun ’18 entered fourth grade. She soon began volunteering, and has helped with the choir program, chapel program, athletics program and open house events. She earned her BA in education and interdisciplinary studies from UT Dallas, and works for Frisco ISD. Omonije and her husband Femi are the parents of two Marksmen, Seun ’18 and Fisayo ’22.

Victor Vescovo ’84 is an explorer, managing partner and co-founder at Insight Equity and a former US Navy intelligence officer. He graduated from Stanford University in 1987, and earned master’s degrees from MIT and Harvard in 1989 and 1994, respectively. He was the St. Mark’s Commencement speaker in 2019 and received the 2020 Distinguished Alumnus Award. He has facilitated student projects that engaged boys in realworld exploration expeditions.

Jake Wagner ’00 is co-CEO of Republic Property Group and received his BA from UT-Austin in 2004. A longtime member of the Alumni Board, Wagner has chaired the Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award, Activities and Alumni Weekend Committee and as both a class agent and reunion chair. He also served as St. Mark’s Fund class agent for the Class of 2032. He has served on the Trustee Facilities Committee. Wagner and his wife Caroline are the parents of Hudson ’32, Luke ’34 and Plum.

William Wolcott ’02 is a managing director of credit portfolio trading at Goldman Sachs. After graduating from St. Mark’s, he attended Duke University, where he played lacrosse and earned his BA in the markets and management program in 2006. In addition to volunteering for St. Mark’s, Wolcott has served with The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea and the Innocence Project. He and his wife Liz live in Florida and are the parents of Hale.

Alenda Omonije

Cindy Hanson

Jake Wagner ’00

Victor Vescovo ’84

William Wolcott ’02

Class notes

1964

Sixteen members of the CLASS OF 1964 welcomed the holiday season with their Annual Holiday Lunch. Special guests were Eugene McDermott Headmaster DAVID DINI, Director of Athletics SEAN LISSEMORE and Director of Development TIM CROUCH.

JOHN BROMBERG ’64 recently retired from the practice of law on Jan. 1, 2023. John resides in Spicewood with his wife Beth. John and Beth have 19 grandchildren.

1970

In 2022, HAWKINS GOLDEN II ’70 was voted one of the top 100 football players in Vanderbilt’s history. He was an All-SEC place kicker in 1973 who kicked four field goals in a victory over Georgia, led the nation in field goal percentage (85.7%) and kicked a 55-yard field goal, all of which are still school records.

1975

ROBERT EDSEL ’75, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Monuments Men , presented as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series of the Shepperd Leadership Institute at The University of Texas Permian Basin.

1976

Several members of the CLASS OF 1976 gathered on Nov.19, 2022, to celebrate the wedding of CAMERON HILLIER ’13, the son of JEFF HILLIER ’76. Pictured are WILL MONTGOMERY ’76, TOM JONES ’76, JEFF HILLIER ’76, JACK FOXWORTH ’76, LARRY PULS ’76 and CHUCK HELMS ’76.

DAVID MALDONADO ’76 was appointed and sworn in as associate municipal judge for the city of Houston on Nov. 16, 2022.

1978

PETER KRAUS ’78 was named the 2022 recipient of the Larry Schoenbrun Jurisprudence Award, which is awarded annually by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of Texoma. The award is presented to a member of the legal community for outstanding leadership, exemplary contributions to the community and a commitment to the ideals of ADL, the leading antihate organization in the world. Kraus is a founding and managing partner of Waters & Kraus, LLP.

STUART NANCE ’78 organized a “Welcome-to-Houston” gathering at his home in September 2022. The fellowship was enjoyed by Rice University students Charlie Zhang ’21, Abhi Jain ’22 and Ian Lin ’22.

1979

On July 10, 2022, CRAIG CHAPMAN ’79 and his wife Dru Heinzelmann (Hockaday ’78) were blessed with their first grandchild, Cullom “Cully” Walker V.

1981

In September 2022, MICHAEL MEADOWS ’81 was named interim CEO of the Dallas County Heritage Society, the nonprofit organization that manages Old City Park, Dallas’ first public park and one of the largest green spaces near downtown Dallas. In his interim role, Meadows will lead the effort to transform Old City Park from a living history museum to a free public park that celebrates the history of North Texas.

1983

DAVID HUDGINS ’83 wrote the screenplay Gigi and Nate , a film that opened in theaters nationwide in September 2022 and is based on a true story about a quadriplegic and his service animal, a capuchin monkey.

1989

JON LASSER ’89 was named a University Distinguished Professor at Texas State University and a Regents’ Professor by the Texas State University System

(cont’d.)

Board of Regents. He recently completed his 20th year as a faculty member in the school’s Psychology Department.

KEEP IN TOUCH. Class Notes are the best way to share major life milestones with friends, faculty, and the St. Mark’s community. Keep the school and your classmates updated with major life events, like marriages, births, graduations, and career advancements.

Submit your note at smtexas.org/ClassNotes

1993

On Aug. 5, 2022, MATT FORRESTER ’93 married Elizabeth Tosh in a ceremony at the Art & History Museum of Maitland, FL. Matt recently earned his doctorate in business administration from the University of South Florida and Elizabeth is an attorney. The couple lives in Valrico, FL.

This fall, WILLIAM TAYLOR ’93 and his collegiate wrestling teammates were inducted into the Howard University Athletics Hall of Fame, recognizing their conference championship in 1995.

1996

Emeritus Trustee CHRIS LEE ’96 connected with Memphis Grizzlies head coach and fellow Marksman Taylor Jenkins ’03 at Madison Square Garden prior to a KnicksGrizzlies game.

Realtor and attorney JASON

GLAST ’89 represented DR. JEFFREY ROSENBLOOM ’84 and his wife, Lisa, in the sale of their home in the Alamo Heightsarea of San Antonio. Jason and Jeffrey met through their sons who both attend Saint Mary’s Hall.

1995

FRY WERNICK ’95, his wife Lea and their three sons (Jacob, Jonathan and Wick) recently moved back to Dallas after 17 years in Washington, DC. Fry is a partner in the government investigations and white-collar defense practice group at Vinson & Elkins LLP, where he now splits his time between the Washington, D.C. and Dallas offices.

1990

LUKE WILSON ’90 was named the recipient of the 2023 Texas Medal of Art Award in the Film/Actor category for his performances in film and television.

1998

Catey and KEVIN MEYERS ’98 welcomed the arrival of their daughter Margaret Maren Meyers, born on Dec. 14 at 4:55 p.m. joining big sister Clara. Margaret was 6 lbs, 2 oz. and 19.5 in. long.

2001

In the fall of 2022, EVAN BURK ’01 partnered with SMU’s Life After Ball program to prepare Mustang student-athletes for life after graduation. Burk is the author of Finding Intangibles, the host of The Highest-Level Podcast and the performance coach for the professional esports organization, the Sentinels.

Continued, next page

RHETT MILLER ’89 returned to campus and performed at an Upper School assembly on Oct. 26, 2022.

Class notes

Continued from previous page

NICK ORENSTEIN ’01 began his new role as co-founder and chief of human spaceflight at HStar Space Transport. Guided by global cooperation, HStar produces fully reusable heavy-class spaceships to launch satellite, passenger and cargo transportation services around the world. Several St. Mark’s classmates have joined the team as early investors.

2002

ROBBIE BATY ’02 was part of the team that developed the new headquarters of the PGA of America in Frisco. Baty is a vice chairman and the Dallas office tenant representation leader at Cushman & Wakefield.

2003

JOEY BECKMAN ’03 was part of the team that received the National Aeronautic Association Collier Trophy for the development of the Mars helicopter “Ingenuity,” the first powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet. Joey has been working as a program manager at AeroVironment for four years and is now leading the effort to send helicopters back for the Mars Sample Return mission.

BEN HUGHES ’03, his wife Danielle and son William (3) announced the birth of their second son, Charlie, on May 2, 2022. Ben and his family live in Dallas where he is a partner and co-founder of Blue Ridge Construction Capital, a building products focused private equity firm investing in family and founder owned businesses.

On May 17, 2022, Jill and BRYAN MONIER ’02 welcomed their second girl into their family, Chloe Florence Monier, who joined her big sister, Maddy. The Monier family resides in Stowe, VT.

Cooper Clinic recently announced the addition of DR. RYAN HARRIS ’03 as a preventive medicine physician in Dallas. Ryan joins Cooper Clinic from Crossroads Medical Group in White House, TN, where he worked as a family medicine physician specializing in chronic disease management, mental wellness, in-office procedures, preventive medicine and urgent care. His father is DR. SCOTT HARRIS ’75

Jessica and COLE LINBURG ’03 were married on July 7, 2022, in the Sawtooth mountains of Idaho. Cole serves as a pilot and resides with his wife in Dallas.

2004

Jessie and DR. STEPHEN UNTERBERG ’04 welcomed son Finley (Finn) Lionel Unterburg to their family on Sept. 7, 2022. The Unterberg family lives in San Diego, CA where Stephen is a urologist at Genesis Health Partners.

2005

Brittani and DREW LASSITER ’05 welcomed their fourth child, Carson, into the world on Nov. 2, 2022. The Lassiter family resides in Dallas.

Megan and JOHN STATHAS ’05 welcomed their first child, Odessa Penelope Stathas into the world on Aug. 24, 2022. The Stathas family lives in Denver, CO.

2006

Lauren and BARRETT JOHNSON ’06 welcomed James Cooper into their family on Oct. 20, 2022, weighing 7 lbs. and 8 oz. The Johnson family resides in Salt Lake City, UT.

2007

On Aug. 3, 2022, SAM ACHO ’07, his wife Ngozi, son Caleb and daughter Sophie welcomed a baby boy, Daniel Akachi Acho, into their family. Acho was recently inducted into the University of Texas 2022 Athletic Hall of Honor recognizing his distinct contributions to Texas Athletics.

2008

EMMANUEL ACHO ’08 of a new program on Fox Sports 1 called “Speak,” a show focused on the biggest stories in sports.

Stephanie and SHAWN SCHMIDT ’06 welcomed their first child, George Alexander on July 15, 2022. The Schmidt family resides in Houston where Stephanie works in dermatology and Shawn works in investment banking.

Hannah Collings and HOUSTON GOLDEN ’08 welcomed Willa Love Golden into their family on March 19, 2022. They live in Los Angeles, CA where Houston is the founder and CEO of BAMF media.

Continued, next page

ANDREW SMITH ’06 was joined by fellow Marksmen to celebrate the first birthday of his son, Cambrian Rex Smith, in Houston with Scott Schubert ’06, Shawn Schmidt ’06, Jason Sanford ’06 and Warren Smith ’13.

Class notes

JB SHARP ’08 and Jordan

Lewandowski married on Sept. 17, 2022, at The Rookery in Chicago, IL. The wedding party included four Marksmen: MARK BUTLER ’08, BRIAN BANKS ’08, STEVE SHULMAN ’08 and JACQUES BARJON ’08. The couple lives in Lincoln Park, where JB is a senior product director at a data company and Jordan is a mergers and acquisitions attorney.

2009

Lisa and BEAU FALGOUT ’09 were married on April 2, 2022, in Miami, FL at the Perez Art Museum. Many St. Mark’s community members were in attendance including groomsmen CHRIS EUBANK ’09, STEPHEN FRIEDBERG ’09, RYAN CONSTANTINE ’09, AUSTIN HAM ’09 and MARK KANE ’09. Beau also recently co-founded a strategic communications firm called August. The firm is located in Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City, and Beau serves as the firm’s COO and healthcare practice leader.

ADAM GENECOV ’09 wed Breanna Lee Stein in Belmont, CA on July 30, 2022. Marksmen in attendance were ANDREW PANSICK ’09, MICHAEL GENECOV ’07, MAX GENECOV ’11, MATTHEW GENECOV ’13, JEFFREY GENECOV ’77, DAVID GENECOV ’82, WILL FERENC ’09 and DAVID SABETI ’07. The bride and groom live in California where Adam is a lead mechanical engineer at Elroy Air and Breanna is vice president at Makena Capital.

2011

JOHNATHAN CHEN ’11 was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 List for 2023 in the field of Marketing and Advertising. Chen co-founded and is the Chief Strategist at Tijoh, a multi-disciplinary company focused on developing and growing brands within the digital space.

HANK WILLIAMS ’11 started a new position as chief operating officer at AT LAST! Urban Boarding Experience. The organization strives to uplift the community by focusing on the time that elementary-age scholars are not in school.

2012

Katherine Heyne and TULLY CAMPBELL ’12 married in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico on Dec. 18, 2022. The couple lives in Dallas where Tully is finishing his final year at SMU Dedman School of Law and Katherine works as a solution consultant for Oracle.

ROSS CRAWFORD ’12 married Sarah Welter on Sept. 17, 2022 in Houston. Marksmen joining the celebration included PETER MONTGOMERY ’12, RYAN PETTY ’12, WILLIAM MCGEE ’12, JOHN CRAWFORD ’17, JACK LINDSLEY ’12, DYLAN KIRKSEY ’13, MAX MARSHALL ’12, JOE BUSH ’12 and HOLDEN ALLEN ’33. Ross is in real estate development with CLX Ventures.

JACK LINDSLEY ’12 was promoted to vice president at DalFort Capital Partners, an industrials-focused investment firm based in Dallas.

ROLAND SALATINO ’12 and AARAV CHAVA ’13 were named to the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. They are co-founders of Inversa Leathers, making environmentally regenerative leathers from invasive species, including Lionfish, Dragonfin and Burmese python. They took the two-year-old company through Harvard’s startup accelerator and raised $2 million in funding.

HARRISON PERKINS ’14. Mallick is the assistant director of alumni relations at St. Mark’s.

2017

ETHAN SHAH ’17 started a new position as a launch engineer at SpaceX.

2013

Maggie and CAMERON HILLIER ’13 married at Highland Park Presbyterian Church Nov. 19, 2022. Hillier is the director of the Wilderness Program, head tennis coach and teaches Upper School English at St. Mark’s.

2020

Dartmouth College junior PAXTON SCOTT ’20 recently completed the football season at Dartmouth College supported by several Marksmen including RANDALL FOJTASEK ’20, COLIN CAMPBELL ’20, WILLIAM HOLTBY ’20, CARR URSCHEL ’20, ANTHONY ANDREWS ’20 and KIT COLSON ’21.

DANNY KOUDELKA ’13 and his wife Ali (Hockaday ’13) welcomed their son Boswell “Bo” Purnell Koudelka on Nov. 15, 2022.

2014

JACK MALLICK ’14 married Cate O’Brien on Sept. 17, 2022 in Dallas, TX. Several Marksmen were groomsmen, including CARSON PATE ’14, WARREN SMITH ’13, BEN WILSON ’14, VICTOR CALVILLO ’14, SAM MALLICK ’10, JOE MALLICK ’11, WILL MALLICK ’20 and (cont’d.)

Marksmen LUKE ROGERS ’17, ALEX NADALINI ’22, TRAVIS NADALINI ’15, AUSTIN NADALINI ’19, MATTHEW POLLOCK ’19 and BLAKE ROGERS ’19 reunited for a holiday dinner.

2022

The Environmental Protection Agency selected SPENCER BURKE ’22 to receive the President’s Environmental Youth Award for his leadership in a multi-year conservation project to help native solitary bee species. Spencer was also named the top youth environmentalist in the State of Texas and the recipient of the 2022 Texas Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award.

Continued, next page

2019

BILLY STALDER ’19 graduated early on May 12, 2022 with a bachelor of business administration in management with an emphasis on entrepreneurial leadership from Texas A&M University in College Station.

Cross country runner SETH WEPRIN ’19 was named academic All-Ivy team after a strong season on the course and in the classroom at Dartmouth College.

Faculty notes

Headmaster DAVID DINI and his wife Nancy became grandparents on Nov. 11, 2022 when their daughter and son-in-law Megan and Elliott Fish welcomed a baby boy, James Walker Fish.

Former Head of Upper School, COLIN IGOE and his wife Molly, welcomed Angus Daniel to their family on July 9, 2022. Angus joins siblings Mac and Harry at their home in Dorset, VT. where Igoe is head of school at Long Trail School.

RON TURNER recently received the Booker Kilgore Award recognizing him as the nation’s top high school equipment manager.

Harry Edward Flaherty III, at 7 lbs., 9 oz. and 21.5 in., was born on Nov. 7, 2022 to Leigh and HARRY FLAHERTY. Flaherty is the head varsity football coach and history teacher at St. Mark’s.

Faculty member SETH MAGILL, his wife Anastasia, their son Marlow and daughter Tara welcomed Willa Lark Muñoz-Magill into the world on Sept. 30, 2022 at 9 lbs. and 4 oz. Magill is the Middle School drama teacher at St. Mark’s.

WHITNEY WEBB completed her first marathon on Dec. 11, 2022, in 4 hours and 14 minutes. Whitney is the alumni relations coordinator and head cheerleading coach at St. Mark’s.

Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair SCOTT HUNT married Sarah Freele in Terlingua on Nov. 22, 2022.

KATELYN (HALL) MUÑOZ married Alex Muñoz at SMU’s Perkins Chapel on Aug. 6. Katelyn is the director of the St. Mark’s Fund.

In memoriam

Alumni

JOHN A. ALEXANDER ’60, Dec. 5, 2022.

Husband of emeritus trustee Jennifer Alexander, father of Fontaine Alexander ’93 and brother-in-law of Bart B. Brown ’59.

JOE D. ALFORD ’70, Nov. 14, 2022.

Survived by his wife, Joyce Alford and son.

CHARLES W. DOOLIN ’63, Feb. 25, 2021.

Survived by his wife, Rosemary Doolin.

DAVID P. LAWRENCE ’65, June 25, 2022.

Survived by his wife, Judy Lawrence.

GEORGE C. OLSON ’66, Aug. 30, 2022.

Survived by his son Jake Olson and daughter Amy Olson.

JOHNATHAN D. TJARKS ’05, Sept. 10, 2022.

Survived by his wife Melissa Tjarks and son Jackson Tjarks.

FRED B. VANDERWOUDE ’68, Jan. 16, 2023.

Survived by his wife Donna Adams Vanderwoude and children Blake, Brian, and Allison Vanderwoude.

CALVERT K. GARRETT ’74, Jan. 10, 2023.

Survived by his daughter, Alyssa Garrett Wilson.

Community

COLTON H. BIRCH, Oct. 8, 2022.

Son of Hunter B. Birch ’06.

VETA FULLER BOSWELL, Jan. 16, 2023.

Grandmother of Robert B. Koudelka ’11, Daniel E. Koudelka ’13 and Theodore J. Koudelka ’17.

VIRGINIA ANNE PONDER BOYD, Aug. 14, 2022.

Mother of Robert K. Dickson ’87.

GARY C. ESHELBRENNER, Nov. 24, 2022.

Father of Matthew D. Eshelbrenner ’01 and Alex B. Eshelbrenner ’04.

JODY INGRAM GARZA, Sept. 13, 2022.

Mother of Richard Burke Garza ’15.

SRINIVAS R. GUNUKULA, Dec. 7, 2022.

Father of Rahul R. Gunukula ’22.

GWEN M. JOHNSON, Dec. 12, 2022.

Mother of the late Brent P. Johnson ’89.

HAROLD F. KLEINMAN, Sept. 2, 2022.

Father of Lee M. Kleinman ’77.

ANGELITA “HELEN” MALDONADO, Aug. 31, 2022.

Mother of David J. Maldonado ’76.

HELEN-MARIE MCKENZIE, Nov. 8, 2022.

Mother of William Michael “Mac” McKenzie ’22 and wife of Peter ’79.

DAVID LEO PHILLIPS, JR., July 15, 2022.

Brother of faculty member Dwight L. Phillips.

DONALD H. SCHMITMEYER, Nov. 29, 2022. Grandfather of the late Matthew A. Schmitmeyer ’10.

TILLIE SELINGER, July 27, 2022.

Grandmother of Anderson L. Selinger ’24.

SARA F. SHIPPER, Sept. 3, 2022. Mother of Jeffrey R. Shipper ’79.

DR. CAROLYN SCHLAK, Former faculty member and mother of Gregory A. Schlak ’85.

BLAINE E. SHOEMAKER, Dec. 6, 2022. Grandfather of Miller P. Martin ’26.

SALLY M. STEPHENS, Sept. 9, 2022. Longtime food services director and mother of Benjamin K. Stephens ’02.

KAY F. WALKER, Jan. 12, 2023.

Grandmother of Mitchell P. Walker ’27.

CORRECTION

The previous issue of The Pride misidentified the grandfather of Kevon A. Mostafavipour ’24 and Mateen G. Mostafavipour ’26 who passed away in June 2022. He was Mohammad Ali Naficy, not Hassan Mostafavipour.

Submissions not included in this edition will appear in the next issue of The Pride.

Continued, next page

In memoriam

Ella Banks

Emeritus trustee ELLA BANKS passed away on June 2, 2022.

She graduated from Kilgore High School in 1957 and continued her education at the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her B.A. in English.

After graduation, she moved to Dallas to work for the stock brokerage firm Rauscher, Pierce and Co., where she met her future husband, George Y. Banks II.

She later opened a successful business, McKinney Avenue Antique Market, in 1989, and a second location on Lovers Lane in 1993. Banks was a member of the Auxiliary of the Nexus Recovery Center for Women and the Advisory Board, as well as the Dallas Woman’s Club and Marianne Scruggs Garden Club.

As a St. Mark’s parent, Banks served as Parents’ Association president and on the Board of Trustees from 1989–1990.

Banks was the wife of the late George Y. Banks II, and is survived by her son, George Y. Banks III ’90, and daughter Kim Banks Cody, and several grandchildren.

Dr. David Genecov ’82

DR. DAVID GENECOV ’82, longtime trustee, passed away on Nov. 12, 2022.

A ten-year Marksman, Genecov graduated from the University of Texas Plan II honors program and then pursued medical training at the University of Texas Health Science Center. He completed general surgery residency at West Virginia University and plastic surgery residency at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Genecov was a leader in craniofacial and reconstructive surgery. He was the director of the International Craniofacial Institute, and the medical director of the craniofacial program at Children’s Medical Center Plano. Genecov also co-founded Dialectic, a clinicalstage biotechnology company that worked on cancer treatment technologies.

A devoted member of the St. Mark’s community, Genecov served as a trustee on the Facilities Committee, Finance Committee, Development Committee and the Education Committee, of which he was chair from 2017–2020. He also served as a class agent and reunion volunteer. David and his wife Lisa established the Sally and Edward Genecov Master Teaching Chair to honor his parents.

Genecov is survived by his wife Lisa W. Genecov, their children Michael ’07, Max ’11, Matthew ’13 and Megan, his brother Dr. Jeffrey S. Genecov ’77 and nephew Adam M. Genecov ’09.

Thomas Lively ’65

Emeritus trustee THOMAS W. LIVELY ’65 passed away on Aug. 2, 2022.

After graduating from St. Mark’s, Lively continued his education at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He later attended California Western School of Law in San Diego, where he earned his J.D. and became passionate about criminal law.

As a criminal defense attorney, he handled state and federal criminal cases, made arguments before the Fifth Circuit and filed a case with the U.S. Supreme Court. He also regularly took on pro bono work.

Lively was a deeply committed member of the St. Mark’s community in his roles as alumnus, parent and trustee. He served as a Reunion volunteer for the Class of 1965, as well as on the Board of Trustees from 1984–1989 as the Alumni Association representative.

Lively is survived by his wife Eleshea Lively, his son Christopher Angarola ’89, his daughter Laura Lively and his brother Donald B. Lively ’62.

Margaret ‘Bette’ B. Perot

Emeritus trustee MARGARET “BETTE” B. PEROT passed away on Jan. 3, 2023.

As vice-president of the Perot Foundation, she touched countless lives through relationships formed with a variety of non-profit organizations.

She served on the St. Mark’s Board of Trustees, as well as on the board of the North Texas Food Bank, St. Phillip’s School and Community Center, the Board of Governors at Southern Methodist University, the Saint Michael’s School Board, the Visiting Nurses Association and the C.C. Young Community Board.

Perot was the sister of the late Henry R. Perot, Sr., and is survived by her sister-in-law Margot Perot, her nephews Patrick K. McGee, Ross Mulford, H.R. Perot ’77 and life trustee Ross Perot, Jr. ’77; nieces Nancy Perot and Carolyn Rathjen; and grandnephews Henry R. “Hill” Perot ’05, Peter Hunter Perot ’06, Patrick P. McGee ’11, William W. McGee ’12, Ross C. Mulford ’08 and Price P. Mulford ’11.

Shannon Schnaible

Faculty member SHANNON SCHNAIBLE passed away on Sept. 27, 2022.

As Lower School drama teacher, Shannon was a wonderfully creative and inspiring teacher for our youngest Marksmen. She directed many shows, from Shipwrecked with Shakespeare and Romeo Thou Aren’t to You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Squirm and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, inspiring the boys to discover their own creativity through dialogue, music, dancing and choreography.

Throughout her very difficult illness, Shannon exemplified grace, determination and positivity. Even in the midst of heavy treatments and serious pain, she did everything possible to be on campus in order to care for and support our littlest Lions.

A beloved member of our community, Shannon is survived by her husband Daniel and daughter Daenerys.

Endnotes

Online giving

The St. Mark’s Fund is the School’s most important, ongoing fundraising priority, providing more than 10 percent of the annual operating budget. You may give online through our secure server at: www.smtexas.org/smfund. Every gift makes a difference.

Archives

From the Terrill School all the way to St. Mark’s School of Texas, ours is a school with a long and rich history. If you have school memorabilia that you would like to donate to St. Mark’s to be preserved in our school archives, contact the Office of Development & Alumni Relations, 214-346-8800.

Submissions

Do you have a great story you’d like to share with your fellow alumni? Have you made any changes in your life such as a new job, new degree, marriage, children or other announcement? Please send your stories, along with any photos to the Office of Development & Alumni Relations so we can include them in our next issue. Submissions not included in this edition will appear in the next issue of The Pride. Submissions may be made in any of three ways:

• Send digitally to: www.smtexas.org/alumni/class-notes

• Use our online form to send in your “Remarks.” All information, including high resolution photos are welcome. Send to:

eshelbrennera@smtexas.org

• Use U.S. mail Send to St. Mark’s School of Texas, Attn: Alex Eshelbrenner, 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, TX. 75230

THE Office of Development & Alumni Relations

ASSISTANT HEADMASTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Scott Jolly

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Tim Crouch

AHLBERG & RIBMAN FAMILY DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

Alex Eshelbrenner ’04

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Jan Forrester

DIRECTOR OF THE ST. MARK’S FUND

Katelyn Muñoz

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Ray Westbrook

Jeanette Bovenzi, data specialist; Dave Carden, creative director; Dansby Erwin, project manager; Alex Hughes, Communications coordinator; Sam Insel, database manager; Jack Mallick ’14, assistant director of Alumni Relations; Scott Moore, associate director of Communications; Anna Morris, Development coordinator; Virginia Puckett, St. Mark’s Fund coordinator; Raeann Robertson, Development assistant; Whitney Webb, Alumni Relations coordinator.

DELIBERATION.

Communications team members including creative director Dave Carden, associate director Scott Moore and creative coordinator Alex Hughes use printouts to consider reformatting and structuring possibilities for the re-imagined magazine. Communications team members considered a myriad of structural possibilities and section titles before deciding on the organization style of the magazine you are reading now.

Cover photograph — The architectural rendering of the front of the main building which is the centerpiece of the Athletic Complex project is shown in a colorized version created by Communications Associate Director Scott Moore. The 77,000 square foot facility, along with a new tennis center, will offer venues for basketball, tennis, swimming, volleyball and water polo — along with a new Alumni Room, coaches offices, locker rooms, spectator viewing areas and offices for the security and physical plant divisions of the School.

Inside front cover photograph — Communications team associate director Scott Moore’s photograph of a Lower School buddy assisting his senior buddy tie his shoes represents beautifully the concept of Marksmen supporting other Marksmen.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

David W. Dini, Eugene McDermott headmaster 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, TX. 75230-4047 • 214-346-8800

The Pride Editorial Staff EDITOR

Ray Westbrook

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Scott Moore

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

David Carden

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Alex Hughes

The Pride is published twice annually by the Office of Development & Alumni Relations, and is distributed to alumni, parents and friends of the School.

In producing this magazine, every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. Please report any errors or receipt of multiple copies to the Office of Development & Alumni Relations.

St. Mark’s School of Texas does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation or ethnic origin.

Provided to the alumni and greater School community of St. Mark’s School of Texas

The Broom family

Topher Broom ’87 attended St. Mark’s along with his brothers, John ’79 and Andrew ’90, and then returned as both an active member of the Alumni Association and the parent of two Marksmen, Kent ’16 and Blake ’21.

His wife Teri is equally “all in,” now in her sixteenth year teaching in Lower School. Their deep bonds with the School give Teri and Topher a unique vantage point to see the full benefit of a St. Mark’s education.

“For the past 50 years, St. Mark’s has made a difference in the life of our family,” Topher said. “The School taught Kent, Blake and me tangible and intangible skills that have benefitted me and will benefit the boys throughout their lives.”

In her Lower School classroom, Teri has the opportunity to instill in her first graders the lessons her husband cherishes. It also gives her the chance to see firsthand the impact of the community’s ongoing support of St. Mark’s.

“The support of the community allows me to dream big in the classroom!” Teri said. “St. Mark’s encourages me to grow professionally and gives me the necessary tools to ensure the success of the boys in my classes.”

In recognition of this support and of St. Mark’s impact on their family, the Brooms decided to join the Menter B. Terrill Society — the School’s society for legacy giving —to honor St. Mark’s in their long-term estate planning.

Legacy gifts allow the School to provide resources necessary to sustain a long tradition of exceptional educational and unique personal growth opportunities.

To learn more or join the Terrill Society, please visit smtexas.org/plannedgiving, or contact Tim Crouch in the Office of Development & Alumni Relations at 214.346.8809 or croucht@smtexas.org.

“We know that an investment in St. Mark’s will make a difference in the lives of others and trust that it will be used in the most impactful ways,” Topher said. “We believe that education is the most important way to change lives, and by supporting St. Mark’s, we can play a small part in that for others going forward.”

The Broom family’s involvement with St. Mark’s goes back more than five decades and touches nearly every corner of the community.

‘We know that an investment in St. Mark’s will make a difference in the lives of others and trust that it will be used in the most impactful ways.’

St. Mark’s School of Texas 10600 Preston Road Dallas, TX. 75230-4047

214-346-8800 • www.smtexas.org

The long and short of it.

WHY DON’T MARKSMEN WEAR LONG PANTS IN THE WINTER?

Wearing shorts has become sort of a tradition. If everybody’s cold then nobody’s really suffering alone.

— NATHAN MEYER ’24

I do fantasy football and I had to wear pants to school for a month for losing.

— JACOB GAIL ’29