THE PRIDE St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 Volume 19, Issue 3 St. Mark’s School of Texas Alumni Magazine Also in this issue: Alumni Weekend: Marksmen honor the Holtbergs Spotlight on Philanthropy: Legacies recognized on campus Successful Passing of the Torch: David Dini sets his sights on a bright future
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THE
PRIDE
St. M
ar
k’s Sc
ho
ol o
f Tex
as
Summer 2014Volume 19, Issue 3St. Mark’s School of TexasAlumni Magazine
Also in this issue:
Alumni Weekend: Marksmen honor the Holtbergs
Spotlight on Philanthropy: Legacies recognized on campus
Successful Passing of the Torch: David Dini sets his sights on a
bright future
Save the Dates2014 ALUMNI CALENDAR OF EVENTS
October 6–9 East Coast Alumni Events
October 17 Homecoming Kick-Off Party
November 9–11 West Coast Alumni Events
November 26 Young Alumni Holiday Party
December 11 Alumni Holiday Luncheon
December 18 College-Age Alumni Holiday Lunch
January 3, 2015 Alumni Soccer & Basketball Games
February 12–13 Austin & Houston Alumni Events
April 23–25 Alumni Weekend 2015
May 22 Commencement and
Senior-Alumni Luncheon
See the full Calendar of Events at www.smtexas.org/AlumniEvents
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | Contents 1
60
58
48
30
12ON CAMPUS 2 | In Retrospect 3 | Letter From the Editor 4 | College Matriculation 6 | Student Art 8 | Sports News 12 | St. Mark’s Armed Forces Club 14 | 25 Years in the Wild 16 | Student Accolades 22 | Distinguished Speakers 26 | Holiday Traditions 30 | Baccalaureate and Commencement 36 | Retiring Faculty 38 | Retiring Trustees ALUMNI NEWS 40 | Alumni Board Report 44 | Alumni in the News 48 | Alumni Weekend
SPOTLIGHT ON PHILANTHROPY 58 | Cementing New Legacies
FEATURES 60 | The Eighteenth Headmaster NOTES AND REMARKS 66 | Class Notes 77 | Faculty Notes 78 | In Memoriam 80 | Endnotes
ABOUT OUR COVERNewly appointed Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini
and Headmaster Emeritus Arnie Holtberg walk through campus.
ContentsSt. Mark’s School of Texas Alumni Magazine
Volume 19, Issue 3 • Summer 2014
THE
PRIDE
St. Mark’s School of Texas2 On Campus | THE PRIDE
in retrospect
A Time for FunThe 1965 Marksmen yearbook contains this photo of boys and girls twisting
and shouting at the 1964 Homecoming Dance. The caption below the photo
reads “A Time For Fun.” If you can help identify or have a good story about
this group of students, please let us know. Send information to Katy Rubarth,
St. Mark’s School of Texas, 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, TX 75230–4047 or
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 3
Letters
from the editor
B
St. Mark’s School of Texas4 On Campus | THE PRIDE
2010–2014 college matriculation
On Campus
Ten or More:
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Harvard University
New York University
Princeton University
Rice University
Southern Methodist University
Stanford University
Texas A&M University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Southern California
University of Texas at Austin
Vanderbilt University
Washington University in St. Louis
FIVe To nIne:
Columbia University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Northwestern University
Texas Christian University
University of Chicago
University of Miami
University of Missouri—Columbia
University of Virginia
Yale University
FoUr:
Boston University
Brown University
Northeastern University
Texas Tech University
University of Michigan
University of Texas at Austin—Plan II
THree:
Baylor University
Colgate University
Davidson College
Emory University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Pomona College
Purdue University
St. Edward’s University
Trinity University
United States Naval Academy
University of Notre Dame
University of Texas at Dallas
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
TWo:
Carnegie Mellon University
Cornell University
Haverford College
Hendrix College
Indiana University
Rhodes College
Trinity College
University of Georgia
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Oklahoma
University of Texas at Arlington
one:
Amherst College
Arizona State University
Auburn University
Bates College
Bowdoin College
Bowling Green State University
Bucknell University
California Institute of Technology
Chapman University
Clemson University
Colby College
College of William and Mary
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University
Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin Olin College of Engineering
Furman University
George Washington University
Gettysburg College
Hampshire College
Houston Baptist University
Howard University
Johns Hopkins University
Lehigh University
Marion Military Institute
Middlebury College
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Occidental College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design
Rollins College
Schreiner University
St. John’s University
St. Lawrence University
Swarthmore College
Tulane University
United States Air Force Academy
United States Military Academy
University of Alabama
University of California—Berkeley
University of California—Santa Barbara
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Kansas
University of Minnesota
University of Oregon
University of Pittsburgh
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of South Carolina
University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Wisconsin
Villanova University
Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Williams College
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 5
On Campus
class of 2014 college matriculation
Southern Methodist ....................... Anthony Garcia University Paul Herz
Michael Murphy
William Nelson
Joshua Perkins
Chase Squires
Brandon Sung
University of Texas at Austin ......... Ali Ahmed
Cole Gerthoffer
Kellam Hall
Daniel McNamara
Blake Robins
Aarohan Burma (Plan II)
Kobi Naseck (Plan II)
Dartmouth College ......................... Yima Asom
Robert He
Harrison Perkins
Michael Perkins
Benjamin Wilson
Princeton University ...................... Thomas Addy
Dylan Altschuler
Samuel Perkins
Vincent Shia
Victor Zhou
Duke University .............................. John Caldwell
Nikhil Jain
Carson Pate
Jeffrey Wu
Harvard University ......................... Dylan Clark
Aidan Dewar
Alexander Munoz
Ryan O’Meara
Stanford University ........................ Creed Lowry
Matthew Mahowald
Jack Pigott
Maxwell Wolens
new York University........................ Vincent Chen
Samuel Khoshbin
Johnathan Kim
northwestern University ............... Malcolm Bowman
Nabeel Muscatwalla
Phillip Osborn
rice University ................................ Andrew Gatherer
Vishal Gokani
Harrison Lin
Vanderbilt University ..................... Conner Gregory
Clayton Roberts
John Webb
Washington University ................... Juan Chavez in St. Louis Bradley Mankoff
Woo Jae Shin
St. edward’s University ................... Jassiel Roman Israel Soto
Texas A&M University .................... Victor Calvillo
Mac Labhart
Texas Christian University ............ Matthew Brown
Jack Mallick
University of Chicago ..................... Tabish Dayani
Charles Marshall
University of Pennsylvania ............ Halbert Bai Charles Golden
University of Southern ................... Nicholas Brodsky California Martin Tirmenstein
University of Virginia ..................... James Diamond
Lucas Williams
Auburn University .......................... David Bentley
Baylor University ............................ Mark Burton
Brown University ............................ Jacob Wilner
northeastern University ................ Oliver Ness
Pomona College .............................. Luke Munson
St. Lawrence University ................. Alexander McKenna
Trinity College ................................. Winston Brewer
Trinity University ............................ Daniel Solis
United States naval Academy ........ Cameron Baxley
University of Georgia ..................... Ford Robinson
University of Kansas ....................... Reid Stein
University of Miami ........................ Richard McCants
University of Missouri— ................ Andrew Hatfield Columbia
University of north Carolina ......... Riley Graham at Chapel Hill
University of notre Dame .............. Teddy Edwards
University of oklahoma ................. John Garnsey
University of oregon ...................... Andrew Balog
Villanova University ....................... Dean Addy
Wake Forest University .................. Richard Eiseman
Washington and Lee University .... Zachary Papin
Yale University ................................ Jonathan Ng
(above)George Lin ’15
(above right)Arno Goetz ’16
(right)Adam Merchant ’15
St. Mark’s School of Texas6 On Campus | THE PRIDE
On Campus
Award-Winning Student Art
state of the arts
(above)Wesley Cha ’15
St. Mark’s School of Texas8 On Campus | THE PRIDE
On Campus
sports news
Cross CountryThe weather at Ft. Worth Trinity Valley was
perfect for the SPC Cross Country Championship
race. Led by team captain Matthew Brown ’14,
six Marksmen placed in the top 20 and were
named All-SPC. Matthew finished sixth, followed
by JT Graass ’16 (seventh), Nick Buckenham ’15
(ninth), Daniel Cope ’17 (thirteenth), Harrison
Perkins ’14 (fourteenth), and Rishi Kshatriya ’15
(eighteenth). The team scored a conference best
of 49 points and won the SPC Championship,
its first since 2007.
Volleyball Returning to SPC as defending champions,
the varsity volleyball team beat both Houston
Kinkaid and Greenhill 3–0 in early matches.
Those victories set the Lions up for a showdown
with the Casady Cyclones. St. Mark’s gained an
early 2–0 lead thanks to captain Carson Pate ’14
and the powerful hitting of Timothy Simenc ’15,
Teddy Edwards ’14, Harrison Lin ’14, and Parker
Dixon ’16. Despite winning set three, the
Cyclones fell to blockers Tabish Dayani ’14 and
Blake Spangler ’15, and the Lions successfully
defended their title as SPC Champions.
(above)Coach John Turek with
the 2013 SPC Champion cross country team.
(right)The cross country
team hoists its SPC Championship trophy.
(far right)Varsity Captain
Teddy Edwards ’14 spikes a ball during the
volleyball team’s SPC Championship run.
(opposite top)Swimmers Jack Pigott ’14
and Eric Li ’16 stand on the medal podium.
(opposite bottom)Swimmers celebrate their
Championship by throwing coach Mihai
Oprea into the pool.
Crew Hull Dedication
On Tuesday, January 7, 2014, members of the varsity
crew gathered alongside faculty, staff, and friends of the
crew program to officially christen the newest addition
to the St. Mark’s fleet of crew shells. The quad is named
2013 in honor of the 2013 varsity crew team, and is
the generous gift of the Quarls family: Harry, Karen,
and Harrison ’13.
Varsity crew coach Pitts Yandell and Eugene McDermott
Headmaster Arnie Holtberg both spoke, praising the
dedication of the boys, celebrating the team’s decorated
history at St. Mark’s, and thanking the Quarls family.
Then the members of the varsity crew officially
christened their new vessel, pouring the traditional
bottle of “champagne” over its hull.
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 9
SwimmingVarsity swimming took home SPC gold in one
of its most impressive showings in the School’s
swimming history. The Lion swimmers held
more than three-fourths of the best times in the
championship meet. The team won all of the
relays, and also placed first in the 50m freestyle,
100m butterfly, and 100m breaststroke. The team
broke both School and SPC records in the
200m free relay (Jack Pigott ’14, Richard Jiang ’15,
Eric Li ’16, and Kevin Kim ’16) and the 400
Free Relay (Jack Pigott ’14, Mason Smith ’15,
Kevin Kim ’16, and Eric Li ’16). At the end of the
day, the Lions got out of the water with 187.5
points, more than any SPC Championship to date.
St. Mark’s School of Texas10 On Campus | THE PRIDE
On Campus
Water PoloThe water polo team finished off an incredible
season by clinching the Texas State Water Polo
Championship. Having won the north region for
the thirteenth year in a row, the “Sea Lions”
were poised to compete at the state level. In a
tense championship game against defending
state champions Clear Creek, the Lions fell
behind early but pulled ahead in the second
quarter and never looked back, winning 12–5.
Timothy Simenc ’15 was selected as the State
Tournament MVP, the top honor in the sport of
water polo, making him the second consecutive
Marksman to win MVP (after Warren Smith ’13).
Jack Mallick ’14 and Nathan Ondracek ’15 were
named First Team All-State. Matt Mahowald ’14,
Bradley Mankoff ’14, and Mason Smith ’15 were
named Honorable Mention All-State. Coach
Mihai Oprea was also named the Texas State
Water Polo Coach of the Year.
(above) The State Championship
water polo team celebrates with head
coach Mihai Oprea.
Class of 2014 College Signing
Yima Asom
Soccer – Dartmouth College
Cameron Baxley
Crew – United States Naval Academy
Malcolm Bowman
Football – Northwestern University
Winston Brewer
Wrestling – Trinity College
Matthew Brown
Cross Country/Track – Texas Christian University
John Caldwell
Football – Duke University
Sam Khoshbin
Tennis – New York University
Zach Papin
Wrestling – Washington & Lee University
Jacob Wilner
Football – Brown UniversityCross Country 1st Football 2nd Volleyball 1stSwimming 1stWrestling 2nd Soccer 5thBasketball 6th
Overall SPC Rankings
Water Polo (State) 1stTrack & Field 4thTennis 5thBaseball 4thGolf 3rdLacrosse 2nd
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/smtexas
Do you St. Mark’s?
For a school whose motto is “Courage and Honor,” it should come as no surprise
that numerous Marksmen choose to dedicate their lives to serving our country
both at home and abroad.
St. Mark’s School of Texas12 On Campus | THE PRIDE
With so many alumni enlisting in every branch
of the military, students Jake Holder ’15 and
Travis Nadalini ’15 wanted to do something to
honor those serving the United States while
simultaneously educating current students
about military culture, ethics, and leadership.
In the fall of 2012, the boys formed the St. Mark’s
Armed Forces Club with a little help from Scott
Hunt, Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching
Chair, photography instructor, and Texas Army
National Guard 2nd Lieutenant.
To fulfill the first half of their mission, the
club adopted a Texas Army National Guard
unit in Afghanistan and began raising money
to send supplies. Through fundraisers and
donations, the club was able to assemble care
packages containing ordinary, though vitally
important, supplies like coffee, games, hand
warmers, toiletries, clothing items for the troop’s
interpreters, and boxes of magazines donated
by the St. Mark’s library. The club then boxed up
all of the supplies and shipped them overseas to
the troops. The final item in their care package
was a blue and white St. Mark’s flag. According to
club co-founder Travis Nadalini, the troops were
so excited to receive the supplies, that the club
decided to sponsor them again the following year.
Courage & Honor
As for the flag, the unit members hung it in their
forward operating base, but when the unit
rotated home, the flag was placed in a shipping
container with many of their other supplies
and essentially lost. Imagine Jake’s and Travis’s
surprise when, this past fall, Scott Hunt came
to school with the flag, signed by the unit.
“Getting the flag back from them was awesome,”
said Travis. “The most rewarding part of the club
is seeing the positive impact of our efforts to
support our troops. It made us feel
very appreciated.”
Scott Hunt hopes to have the flag framed and
displayed on campus.
“The club’s motto ‘Courage, Honor, Duty’ builds
upon the foundation set forth by the St. Mark’s
motto,” Scott said. “Helping boys to accept duty
and responsibility for something bigger than
themselves is what the club seeks to instill and
demonstrate amongst its members and
in the community.”
On Campus
(opposite page)The Armed Forces Club poses with its care packages before sending them overseas.
(above) The Texas Army National Guard Unit that received the care packages sent this photo back with the signed flag.
This past summer marked the twenty-fifth year that Frank Jordan
(Mr. J) has organized and led rising fifth-grade boys and their
parents on the St. Mark’s Wyoming Trip to Yellowstone National
Park and Grand Teton National Park.
St. Mark’s School of Texas14 On Campus | THE PRIDE
Not only was this year’s trip historic due to
Mr. J’s quarter century of leadership, it was also
the largest group that he has ever taken:
24 rising fifth-graders, plus staff and parents,
including eight dads who themselves are
Marksmen. It is hard to explain how truly
memorable the experience is unless one spends
the week together with the entire group. As
fantastic an adventure as we all experienced,
what stood out was how truly committed
Mr. J was to ensuring that each and every boy
and his parent had the time of their lives.
As a former student of Mr. J from 38 short years
ago, I never forgot the persona of Mr. J’s
third-grade class. He is the epitome of a master
teacher and a master father figure to his
students. He is ever present to guide and teach
the boys about wildlife, nature, working
together as a group, and just plain life in general.
His unwavering loyalty to St. Mark’s, the boys,
and their parents is undeniable. He seemed to
never tire and to never lose his patience and
yet Mr. J always appeared to push the boys just
a little bit more, so we could see a few more
animals or get that perfect view of a snow-covered
mountain. I am truly grateful for having had Mr. J
as a teacher many years ago and for experiencing
the overwhelming beauty of the Tetons and
Yellowstone with Mr. J as our leader and guide.
by Lawrence Piccagli ’85
On Campus
The trip also teaches the boys how to live together
and depend on one another. Mr. J ensured that
he would keep us on a tight schedule throughout
the trip. But the boys had to look to one another
to stay organized and “with it” even if things got
tough. This is where relationships are strengthened,
and this is why, for so many years, the Wyoming
trip has been a mainstay at the School. Where
the Pecos trip is the “official” rite of passage for
Upper School boys to become young men, the
Wyoming trip is a similar accomplishment for
many of our boys moving into middle school.
Living among wildlife, sleeping in tent cabins,
and hiking long days across many miles truly
gives the boys a sense of accomplishment.
On the Wyoming trip, Mr. J builds multiple
attributes that are cornerstones at St. Mark’s for
boys becoming young men.
To read additional reflections on the
Wyoming trip from other Marksmen dads,
visit smtexas.org/wyoming.
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 15
St. Mark’s School of Texas16 On Campus | THE PRIDE
On Campus
Marksmen Making News On Campus
student accolades
Publications Win Triple CrownFor the second year in a row, all three of the
School’s major Upper School publications
received a prestigious Gold Crown Award from
the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
The ReMarker student newspaper, The Marque
literary magazine, and the Marksmen yearbook
were among the 66 publications awarded Gold
Crowns out of more than 1,200 nationwide
submissions for the 2012–2013 school year.
Publications were judged by a panel of industry
experts, and the final awards were announced
at the Association’s annual convention at
Columbia University on March 21, 2014. These
awards continued the winning streaks for each
publication, marking the sixth straight Gold
Crown for the Marksmen, the second for
The Marque, and the eleventh for The ReMarker,
the longest successive streak by a secondary
school in the 89-year history of the organization.
Earlier in the school year, The ReMarker also
received its fourth Pacemaker award in nine
years, the highest honor awarded by the National
Scholastic Press Association.
The ReMarker and Marksmen are sponsored by
Ray Westbrook, Gene and Alice Oltrogge Master
Teaching Chair, and The Marque is sponsored
by Lynne Weber, Trustee Master Teaching Chair
in Humanities.
Senior Named Journalist of the YearRyan O’Meara ’14 was named the 2014 Texas
High School Journalist of the Year by the Texas
Association of Journalism Educators. His win
elevated him to the National Scholastic Press
Association’s nationwide competition, in which
he placed second. For the competition, Ryan
prepared a 50-page portfolio, highlighting his
work in writing, design, photography, and
multi-media projects over the three years he
served on The ReMarker newspaper staff. Ryan
is the second consecutive St. Mark’s journalist to
win the state title. Last year, Daniel Hersh ’13,
now a student at the Medill School of Journalism
at Northwestern University, was named Texas
High School Journalist of the Year and went
on to place third in the national competition.
Additionally, Sam Khoshbin ’14 placed second
in the statewide competition.
New Cum Laude Members InductedOn Wednesday, April 23, 2014, St. Mark’s inducted
nine members of the Class of 2014 and ten
members of the Class of 2015 into the Cum Laude
Society. The students were inducted based
on academic achievement and selected by a
committee of student and faculty Cum Laude
members. As per the society’s constitution, up to
one-fifth of the senior class and one-tenth of the
junior class can be inducted.
(above) Riley Graham ’14, Sam Perkins ’14,
Matt Mahowald ’14 and Carrington Kyle ’15 with the Gold Crown plaque
awarded to the 2013 Marksmen yearbook.
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 17
On Campus
This year’s inductees included seniors Nicholas
Brodsky, Aidan Dewar, Harrison Lin, Jackson
Lowry, Matthew Mahowald, Charles Marshall,
Luke Munson, Kobi Naseck, and David Perkins;
and juniors Case Brabham, Christopher Carter,
Raymond Guo, James Kyle, George Lin, Nathan
Ondracek, Vikram Pattabi, Mason Smith, William
Sydney, and Darwin Yang.
After the new members were inducted, Lee S.
Smith, J.D. ’65 addressed the students, faculty,
and parents, recounting his experience as the
first black student enrolled at St. Mark’s.
Six Seniors Named YoungArts WinnersThe National YoungArts Foundation named six
St. Mark’s seniors as winners for its 2014 season:
Thomas Addy (visual arts), Cameron Baxley
(visual arts), Wesley Cha (visual arts), Andrew
Gatherer (photography), Harrison Lin (visual
arts), and Blake Robins (photography).
These seniors were selected from a pool of more
than 10,000 applicants nationwide to be among
the 687 winners honored for their work in
the arts. At the request of The Commission on
Presidential Scholars, which is appointed by
the president of the United States, YoungArts is
also the exclusive path to the U.S. Presidential
Scholars in the Arts awards.
(above)The 2013–2014 St. Mark’s Cum Laude members.
(left)Lee S. Smith, J.D. ’65
St. Mark’s School of Texas18 On Campus | THE PRIDE
On Campus
National Merit Students HonoredNineteen Marksmen from the Class of 2014 were
recognized as Semifinalists in the 2013 National
Merit Scholarship program: Dylan Altschuler,
John Caldwell, Dylan Clark,Tabish Dayani, Aidan
Dewar, Cole Gerthoffer, Vishal Gokani, Charles
Golden, Robert He, Samuel Khoshbin, Creed
Lowry, Charles Marshall, Alexander Muñoz, Luke
Munson, Jonathan Ng, Ryan O’Meara, Samuel
Perkins, Vincent Shia, and Victor Zhou.
Twenty-nine seniors were also recognized as
Commended Students. Congratulations to:
Halbert Bai, Cameron Baxley, David Bentley,
Aarohan Burma, Mark Burton, James Diamond,
Charles Edwards, Richard Eiseman, Andrew
Gatherer, Kellam Hall, Harrison Lin, Nikhil Jain,
Johnathan Kim, Matthew Mahowald, Bradley
Mankoff, Michael Murphy, Nabeel Muscatwalla,
Kobi Naseck, Norman Ness, Phillip Osborn,
Carson Pate, Joshua Perkins, Michael Perkins,
Jack Pigott, Laurence Roberts, Woo Jae Shin,
Nicholas Squires, Lucas Williams, and Jeffrey Wu.
National Organizations Honor SeniorsSix Upper School students were recognized
for their academic achievements by the
College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition
Program and the National Merit Scholarship
Corporation’s National Achievement
Scholarship Program.
Alexander Muñoz ’14 and Aidan Dewar ’14
were named Scholars by the National Hispanic
Recognition Program, which recognizes the
top 2 percent of Hispanic/Latino students who
take the PSAT/NMSQT in their junior year.
Additionally, Jassiel Roman ’14, Victor Calvillo ’14,
and Anthony Garcia ’14 were awarded
Honorable Mention by the organization.
Lucas Williams ’14 was named a semifinalist for
the National Achievement Scholarship Program,
an academic competition organized by the
National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which
recognizes academic achievement among Black
American students. As a semifinalist, Lucas
placed in the top 1 percent of applicants.
(above) The nineteen seniors
named National Merit Semifinalists.
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 19
On Campus
Photography Program Named Best in TexasSt. Mark’s photography program has been
named “Top Program” for the eighth consecutive
year by the Association of Texas Photography
Instructors (ATPI). Students submitted ten-image
portfolios in Landscape, Still Life, Architecture,
and Thematic categories, winning first place in
every category for the first time.
(above)Photo by Alden James ’16
(above left)Photo by Mason Smith ’15
(left)Film studies students Cole Gerthoffer ’14 and Harrison Chen ’16 attend the South by Southwest Film Festival.
Additionally, four students were named to the
ATPI Texas Imagemaker Team: Halbert Bai ’14,
Mason Smith ’15, Arno Goetz ’16, and Alden
James ’16. The Texas Imagemakers are the top
ten photography students in the state based
on awards received in state and national photo
contests during the school year.
Student Films Selected for SXSW Two film studies students screened their short
films at this year’s South By Southwest Film
Festival. Cages by Harrison Chen ’16 and Spark
by Kunal Dixit ’15 were shown as part of the
festival’s Texas High School Short Film category.
Several film students attended the premieres at
SXSW in Austin this March, where they had a
chance to answer questions from the audience
after screening their films. This marks the
School’s second appearance at SXSW. In 2012,
the student film Drawings by Christian Larrave ’11
and Alex McKenna ’14 was screened.
St. Mark’s School of Texas20 On Campus | THE PRIDE
On Campus
Woodworking Students Receive National AwardsSeveral Marksmen were recognized at the 2014
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards at both the
national and regional levels. Three woodworking
students received national medals: Drew Balog ’14
and Ben Wilson ’14 each won a Gold Key, and
Conner Olson ’15 was awarded a Silver Key.
The national winners were among 1,800 young
artists chosen from more than 255,000 submitted
works of art and writing. These students join
the ranks of prestigious past winners, including
Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote,
Robert Redford, Ken Burns, Zac Posen, and
many others.
National medalists were honored at the 2014
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National
Ceremony in New York City on June 6, 2014.
Their work was displayed at the Art.Write.Now.
National Exhibition at the Sheila C. Johnson
Design Center at Parsons The New School for
Design and Pratt Institute’s Pratt Manhattan Gallery.
Sixth-Grader Helps Create First-Responder AppFor the civilian first responders of Plano’s
Community Emergency Response Team, finding
one another and communicating during a crisis
can be difficult. But now, thanks to a team of
ingenious sixth-graders, there’s an app for that.
Sahitya Senapathy ’20 and a team of students
from area schools worked together to create
a smartphone app aimed at supporting Plano
CERT. Once signed in, CERT members can keep
track of one another’s location and contact
information, making it easier to coordinate
during an emergency.
(right) Woodworking project
by Drew Balog ’14
(far right) Woodworking project
by Conner Olson ’15
(bottom right)Sahitya Senapathy ’20 stands with his team.
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 21
On Campus
The team decided to help Plano CERT while
researching first responders, and entered the
app into two science fair competitions: the
Christopher Columbus Science Awards and
the eCybermission Student Competition. “The
fact that this app, which is an excellent product
with real-world potential, has been developed
by sixth-graders is mind boggling to many of us
who will actually benefit from this technology,”
said Ron Moore, Plano CERT coordinator, in an
interview with the Plano Star Courier.
Middle School Students Awarded U.S. PatentOn October 15, 2013, a device created by the
Middle School robotics team was granted Patent
No. US 8,558,702 B2 by the United States Patent
and Trademark Office. The team members were
in fifth grade when they applied for a patent on
their device, which is described as an “apparatus
and method for preventing pressure injuries and
circulatory problems in sedentary patients.” The
idea stemmed from a project the team created
for the First Lego League Robotics competition,
which focused on health and wellness.
(above)Choir Director Tinsley Silcox stands with the Upper School Choir moments before they sing the national anthem at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
The seventh-grade robotics team consists of
Kyle Smith, Ruoming Fan, Sahit Dendekuri,
Kamal Mamdani, and new members Jack Katz
and Harrison Lee. Eighth-grader Dalton Glenn
and former student Joseph Vetoretti ’19 also
worked on the patented project.
Choir Performs Anthem at Rangers GameThe Upper School Choir sang the national
anthem to open the Texas Rangers game on
April 19, 2014. No doubt inspired by the Choir’s
performance, the Rangers then took the field
and defeated the Chicago White Sox, 6–3.
This is the second time that the Upper School
Choir has opened a national sports game. In
2012, the choristers sang the anthem at a Dallas
Mavericks game, which also resulted in a victory
for the home team.
St. Mark’s School of Texas22 On Campus | THE PRIDE
On Campus
distinguished speakers
Every year, St. Mark’s hosts dozens of
extraordinary guest speakers, from astronauts
and soldiers to authors and professors.
This year was no exception as students had
the opportunity to hear from a wide range
of guest speakers, brought to St. Mark’s by
four unique programs.
STEM FestivalOn October 25, 2013, St. Mark’s hosted its first
annual STEM Festival, which highlights the
fields of science, technology, engineering, and
math. By inviting professionals in these fields
to visit St. Mark’s, the festival seeks to broaden a
greater understanding of these topics and ignite
passion for careers in the STEM disciplines.
The inaugural festival welcomed guest speakers
Dr. Brett Giroir, biomedical researcher;
Dr. Michael Gould, agricultural engineer;
Dr. David Genecov ’82, craniofacial and
cosmetic surgeon; and Dr. Alan Stern ’75,
planetary scientist.
The scholars conducted a panel session at
Upper School Assembly, sharing their wisdom
about the sciences, and encouraging students to
keep an open mind and pursue their interests.
Each of them also visited various Upper School
science classes throughout the day, where they
spoke on topics ranging from growing stem cells
and optimizing world food production, to deep-
space exploration and robotics design.
The STEM Festival was chaired by Andrew
Gatherer ’14 and Jonathan Ng ’14 and sponsored
by Fletcher Carron, Stephen M. Seay ’68 Science
Department Chair.
Literary FestivalOn Friday, January 10, 2014, St. Mark’s held its
seventh annual Literary Festival, welcoming
visiting writers from a diverse range of
backgrounds. Upper School students had the
opportunity to hear from Ron Koertge, young
adult novelist and poet; Jill Sobule, acclaimed
(above) Dr. Alan Stern ’75,
Dr. Brett Giroir, Dr. Michael Gould, and Dr. David Genecov ’82
field questions at Upper School Assembly.
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 23
On Campus
singer-songwriter; Jim Holt, mathematician
and nonfiction contributor to The New Yorker;
Lev Grossman, best-selling novelist and TIME
magazine writer; and Evan Daugherty ’00,
blockbuster Hollywood screenwriter.
On Friday, the five writers spoke at a special
assembly, sharing their own experiences and
advice with the students. Each writer then
spent the day visiting classrooms, talking with
students in a more intimate atmosphere, and
answering specific questions.
At the end of the day, the writers gathered with
students and teachers for a special reception
in the Green Library, where they announced
the winners of the annual writing contest.
Numerous student entries were judged by a
panel of Upper School teachers and the five
visiting writers. Cole Gerthoffer ’14 won first
in fiction, Michael Perkins ’14 won first in
nonfiction, and Gopal Raman ’17 won first
in poetry.
The Literary Festival was run by student chair
William Sydney ’15, vice-chair Will Garden ’16,
and faculty sponsor David Brown, Victor F. White
Master Teaching Chair in English.
Robert E. Dennard Visiting ScholarOn October 9–10, 2013, Dr. Robert M. Sapolsky,
biologist, neuroscientist, writer, and stress
expert, took a break from his fieldwork and
neurological research to educate Upper
School students about the biology of stress,
individuality, memory, and mental disease.
Dr. Sapolsky shared a unique mixture of
anecdotes and research data through a
combination of storytelling and humor that
was perfectly suited to his St. Mark’s audience.
Sapolsky conducted five small Q&A sessions
with students in AP Biology, Sociobiology, and
AP Psychology, as well as with alumni.
(above)Dr. Robert Sapolsky discusses neuroscience with AP Biology students.
(above left)Jill Sobule serenades students with songs and stories from her career.
(lower left)Author Jim Holt signs a copy of his book for Nabeel Muscatwalla ’14.
During these sessions, he imparted his
knowledge of the evolution of the human brain,
neurobiology, individuality, the relationship
between age and openness to novelty, and
human behavior with respect to brains, genes,
and hormones. Speaking in his concluding
session, Sapolsky’s humor, humanity, and
rapid-fire delivery made the weightiest topics
accessible to all and allowed students to engage
with him concerning stress in their lives.
Dr. Sapolsky is a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow,
professor of biology and neurology at Stanford
University, and research associate with the
Institute of Primate Research at The National
Museum of Kenya.
Willard E. Walker, Jr. ’66 Visiting ScholarDuring their visit on February 26–27, 2014,
The Celebration Jazz Orchestra dazzled students
with musical selections and explained the
structure of jazz music. Working intensively
with the St. Mark’s Studio Band, The Celebration
Jazz Orchestra conducted two full days of
small-group sectionals, large-group rehearsals,
and demonstrations. Comprising former high
school and college musicians, music educators,
and professional musicians, the 17-member
Celebration Jazz Orchestra plays for the love of
music. Their love of music, especially big-band
jazz, easily spread to St. Mark’s students, faculty,
parents, and staff.
Taking a break from their busy schedules, The
Celebration Jazz Orchestra spent two days on
campus and, after intense sectional rehearsals
during the first day, Studio Band members
immediately recognized the impact of their visit.
On their final evening, the intense sectionals,
rehearsals, and Q&A sessions culminated in a
joint concert with the St. Mark’s Studio Band.
The Band impressed the audience with songs
featuring soloists Jack Pigott ’14 and
Nick Buckenham ’15.
Afterward, The Celebration Jazz Orchestra
took the stage, offering selections dear to the
hearts of jazz purists.
In addition to being a member, St. Mark’s band
director Tim Hicks co-founded The Celebration
Jazz Orchestra in 1985.
(above) Members of The Celebration Jazz
Orchestra perform for Upper School
Assembly.
(right)St. Mark’s band
director Tim Hicks performs with
The Celebration Jazz Orchestra, which he
co-founded.
St. Mark’s School of Texas24 On Campus | THE PRIDE
On Campus
Lead | Inspire | Be Counted
Thank You from the students, faculty, and staff of St. Mark’s School of Texas for making a gift to the 2013–2014 St. Mark’s Fund. Together with more than 2,600 alumni, parents, and friends of the School, you helped us raise a record $3.16 million for current Marksmen and their teachers. These gifts are critical in providing our faculty and students with the necessary support to sustain excellence at 10600 Preston Road. 54% of all alumni contributed a record $1.7 million to the St. Mark’s Fund, exceeding 50%
participation for the sixth consecutive year. The 10 Reunion classes raised more than $651,000 of the total and broke five Reunion giving records.
90% of current parents contributed $1.56 million to the Fund, setting new records for giving, with three classes reaching 100% participation.
100% of the Class of 2014 participated in their Legacy Gift to support the St. Mark’s Fund, the Jan and Arnold Holtberg Family Scholarship Fund, and recognition items on campus.
Thank you for being part of an extraordinary year of support at St. Mark’s.
Thank You!
St. Mark’s School of Texas26 On Campus | THE PRIDE
holiday traditions
Community ServiceIn the season of giving, Marksmen made a concerted effort to give back.
In November, Marksmen and Hockadaisies packed the McDonald’s
parking lot at Preston/Royal to raise money for Austin Street Center.
In December, the Community Service Gift Drive collected gifts for
children all across the Dallas area.
(clockwise from top left) Marksmen and
Hockadaisies come together to support Austin Street Center.
Students organize gift drive donations.
Upper School elves greet children before their visit with Santa.
Santa (Jack Mallick ’14) hands out gifts at
Jubilee Center.
Students compete in an epic dance-off during
McDonald’s Week.
On Campus
(clockwise from top left)Carrington Kyle ’15 and Canyon Kyle ’18 stand with their grandparents.
Students and grandparents attend Lower School Chapel.
Lower School Music Teacher Mary Ann Livengood leads her students in a song and dance for their grandparents.
Middle Schooler Albert Luo ’19 with his grandparents.
A Lower Schooler and his grandfather peruse the library book fair.
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 27
Grandparents’ DaySt. Mark’s welcomed more than 500 grandparents and guests to campus
for Grandparents’ Day. Boys brought their special guests along for the day
to experience life as a Marksman.
On Campus
St. Mark’s School of Texas28 On Campus | THE PRIDE
Lessons & CarolsThe St. Mark’s community came together to celebrate A Service of Nine
Lessons & Carols on Tuesday, December 17, 2013. The St. Mark’s Choir has
sung this candlelit service since 1951.
(clockwise from top left)The Choir sings A Service
of Lessons & Carols.
Ken Hersh ’81 reads a lesson.
Verger Cameron Baxley ’14 and crucifer
Cameron Hillier ’13 lead the recessional.
On Campus
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 29
On Campus
All-School Christmas PartyHours before the start of Christmas Break, the entire school packed into
the A. Earl Cullum, Jr., Alumni Commons for the All-School Christmas
Party. In what has become an iconic tradition, the senior class entered
the Great Hall carrying their Lower School buddies on their shoulders to
decorate the Christmas tree. Afterward, Student Council President
Charlie Golden ’14 announced that the Community Service gift drive had
broken its previous record, collecting 3,304 gifts.
(clockwise from top left)Jacob Wilner ’14 carries his Lower School buddy into the All-School Christmas Party
Victor Calvillo ’14 with his Lower School buddy.
A Lower Schooler places his ornament on the Christmas tree.
Baccalaureate & Commencement
On Campus
The Class of 2014 finished their
student careers at St. Mark’s with
a week full of bittersweet tradition.
As the sun set on Tuesday, May 20,
the senior class gathered to attend
the Baccalaureate service and their
final chapel as students.
For many seniors, this experience is a deeply
emotional and rewarding conclusion to years
of hard work. The small Baccalaureate service,
attended only by seniors, their parents, the
faculty, and the choir, featured several choral
performances and remarks from Arnie Holtberg,
Eugene McDermott Headmaster, whom the
class chose, and Cole Gerthoffer ’14, whom the
faculty chose.
Class President Harrison Perkins ’14 gave a
heartfelt introduction to Mr. Holtberg in which
he called him “the epitome of an accomplished
and respected Marksman and champion of the
St. Mark’s community.”
The retiring headmaster exhorted the seniors to
“consider doing what you feel you have to do, not
just what you want to do.” Arnie’s speech ended
with the words, “Remember that we love you;
that I love you.”
After he finished speaking, Arnie was given a
standing ovation honoring him for his 21 years
of service as Eugene McDermott Headmaster.
Baccalaureate was bookended with a show of
mutual respect between the seniors and faculty.
Before the service, the Class of 2014 lined the
hallway to the Chapel and applauded the faculty
as they processed in. As the service concluded,
the faculty returned the favor, lining the
walkway outside the chapel and applauding the
seniors as they recessed.
St. Mark’s School of Texas30 On Campus | THE PRIDE
Seniors share a laugh at their last chapel service
as students.
St. Mark’s School of Texas
(above)John Webb ’14 walks to the Commencement Stage.
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 33
Three days later, the Class of 2014 returned to
campus, this time donning the traditional white
dinner jackets. The Class marched down the
Perot Family Quadrangle to the Ida M. & Cecil H.
Green Commencement Theater and graduation.
Class President Harrison Perkins ’14 and
Valedictorian Halbert Bai ’14 spoke for the class.
“All 86 of us put the Class of 2014 first,” Harrison
said. “By putting our class first we also put the
needs of the entire St. Mark’s community before
our own.”
Halbert spoke of the emotional journey he
and his father took, from learning English to
enrolling at St. Mark’s in sixth grade.
“I stand here today knowing that my story is
only one of the many that make up the larger
St. Mark’s story, knowing that whatever
successes we have achieved have been made
on the shoulders of others, and convinced that
St. Mark’s is one of the few institutions where
building not just a community but a family is
essential to its mission,” Bai said. “Our collective
stories make up the St. Mark’s family.”
Navy SEAL Commander Rorke Denver then
delivered the Commencement address. Denver
starred in the hit film Act of Valor and has
overseen all stages of SEAL training. The Class
of 2014 requested Denver to be their speaker
after he visited the campus more than a year ago
and gave a memorable speech about leadership
and life lessons to students.
In his Commencement speech, Denver gave the
graduates advice for the future with a focus on
the choices they will make. “Find what moves
you, throw your hat in the ring, and pursue it,”
Denver said. “The school of hard knocks still
exists, and it is a degree you absolutely want in
your quiver. Challenge the world and those in it.
Most folks are bystanders. They never enter the
arena, and you need to get in the fight. Be kind
and just and, please, stand for something.”
On Campus
(clockwise from top)Seniors take a selfie before Commencement.
Friends and family listen to the address by Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg.
Class President Harrison Perkins ’14 speaks at Commencement.
St. Mark’s School of Texas34 On Campus | THE PRIDE
Cole Gerthoffer ’14:Response of the Class
The following excerpts were taken from Cole Gerthoffer’s Response
of the Class at Baccalaureate and Halbert Bai’s Valedictorian
Address at Commencement. View their full speeches and more
from both events at www.smtexas.org/classof2014.
Every day we step onto this campus to learn.
We sit in chairs and learn how to differentiate
exponential functions, and how to appreciate
Melville, and how to say “I forgot to do the
reading” in Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, and
Latin. But I think I speak for all of us when
I say the most important lessons we learned
were never part of a curriculum or given to us
on a test.
We learned empathy. We learned self-confidence.
We learned that procrastination will kill you if
you let it. We learned how to care about the things
that matter and how to not worry about the
things that don’t.
And for that we have to thank the amazing,
dedicated, inspiring community at this haven
of a school. For I’ve found teachers in the actual
brilliant minds who run our classrooms,
I’ve found teachers in cafeteria staff members,
and I’ve found teachers in fellow students.
Tonight, tomorrow, or whenever the graduation
adrenaline leaves your system long enough to
find some temporary peace, take a second to
really think about the things you’ve learned here.
Really learned.
Deep down, some part of me doesn’t want to
cross that stage on Friday, but rather float quietly
past any and all sense of finality. I want to begin
another stage of this amazing life, but ending this
stage is more than a little crushing.
By accepting that diploma, we all cut the cord
once and for all. Why can’t the warm glow of
comfort and youth linger just a little longer?
Because that’s not how real life works. We move
on. But we never, ever forget.
Mr. Holtberg, when you graduate with us,
you will no longer be our headmaster. You will
instead be just a dear, dear friend.
We all move on. Don’t resent that. Time rockets
forward and, as some have said, it keeps on
slippin’ slippin’ slippin’ into the future. But don’t
let it slip on past you.
“I’ve found teachers in the actual brilliant minds who run our classrooms, I’ve found teachers in cafeteria staff members, and I’ve found teachers in fellow students.”
On Campus
St. Mark’s School of Texas Summer 2014 | On Campus 35
Halbert Bai ’14:Valedictorian Address
Tonight is a particular honor for me because my
presence on this stage is unlikely.
From the time I was eighteen months old, my dad
raised me. A single father with one boy. At first, we
had no furniture and no car. The only things we
had were a mortgage on our house, a refrigerator,
a stove, and a lone mattress. Barely making ends
meet, my dad worked fifty to sixty hours a week
in his small medical clinic. In the evenings, he
made our meals and washed our clothes. During
the nights, I remember how I rested my head
against his shoulder as he walked me around our
house, comforting me.
There were times when I did not know who I
was and where I belonged. But my dad was
always there for me; he took me up in his arms
and carried me forward, looking back only to
appreciate how far we had come.
My dad often said that I was a late bloomer.
When I entered the first grade at Plano’s Daffron
Elementary school, my English was so bad that
my teacher sent me to ESL class. Late into the
night, my dad would teach me the alphabet and
eventually how to read.
Despite these early hurdles, I reached fifth grade
and entered the advanced English class. It was
then that my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Irving,
encouraged me to apply to St. Mark’s. That winter,
our class learned that she had breast cancer.
On her deathbed, she wrote the recommendation
letter that got me into St. Mark’s. She opened
the seemingly bolted gates of opportunity and
gave me a place at this hallowed institution.
In the spring, we learned that she had passed
away. A few days later, I received my acceptance
into St. Mark’s.
This is my story. But I stand here today knowing
that my story is only one of the many that make
up the larger St. Mark’s story, knowing that
whatever successes we have achieved have been
made on the shoulders of others, and convinced
that St. Mark’s is one of the few institutions where
building not just a community but a family is
essential to its mission.
As we embark on our next great adventure,
let’s set sail with the spirit of Marksmen
inside us, those who have preceded us and
those yet to come.
“This is my story. But I stand here today knowing that my story is only one of the many that make up the larger St. Mark’s story.”
On Campus
St. Mark’s School of Texas36 On Campus | THE PRIDE
Attn. Alex Eshelbrenner, 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, TX 75230-4047
Submissions received after July 1, 2013, will appear in the next issue of The Pride.
THE PRIDE is published twice annually by St. Mark’s School of Texas, Office of Development & Alumni Relations, 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75230-4047, and is distributed to alumni, parents, and friends of the School.
In producing this magazine, every effort has been made to ensure that it is accurate. Please report any errors, or receipt of multiple copies, to the Office of Development & Alumni Relations, and accept our sincerest apologies.
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 national or ethnic origin.