Tips for New Faculty

Dear New Faculty,

Welcome to St. Mark’s!

We know how difficult it can sometimes be to come to a new school, and so the St. Marker staff have put together a list to help you get to know our student culture a little better. We hope your year is off to a good start! Here are some things you should know about us and about life at St. Mark’s.

One of my favorite parts of St. Mark’s is being close to several faculty members. Get to know the students, whether you teach them or not. -Paige LaMalva, VI Form 

Please enjoy having informal conversations with the students! We love talking about more topics besides academics with the faculty and building stronger relationships with our teachers. - Amy Kim VI Form

Students definitely love the donuts you bring to class or the cookies you bake in the dorms! - Sam Wang V Form

Have conversations about philosophy even if you teach science; and about the big bang theory even if you teach languages--conversations on what seems to be random, crazy topics are oftentimes the most fun at SM. - Clara Hua V From

If you teach a class during Orange, consider changing up the classroom a little bit on Wednesdays so that you and your students could enjoy some sunshine in the dining hall and a delicious second breakfast while having great discussions about the course material. —Cathy Zhou, V Form

If you are looking for ways to become that teacher everyone loves, breakfast classes or out-to-lunch early class. There is no better way to earn love from hungry teens. Also, try signing up for many different weekend activities, there are all kinds of cool activities and places you can visit! –Suha Choi, IV Form

Brown is a really hard color block to teach. If your students are tired or abnormally quiet, it is not you, it’s the color block. -- Anni Zhang, V Form

Enjoy your time here! Take some time to appreciate the campus, to walk to nearby stores, and to soak in the close-knit community. -Sunny Li IV Form

You have to pace yourself. I received this advice from a veteran teacher my first year at a boarding school and it has proven extremely helpful. - Dr. Harwood

Phone Parking Policy: Is it Necessary?

—KATIE PARK ‘21

When I opened Mr. Waters’ email to check the schedule on the first day of school, I was puzzled. It was not because of the schedule, which has been the same since my third form year. Rather, it was because of the “Cell Phone Parking.” The short description of the new policy stated that students are now expected to leave or “park” phones on the rack in the center of the classroom. 

So many thoughts instantly came to my mind. I did not like the way how the school was taking too much control over the usage of our phones. As young adults, it is our responsibility to take care of our learning, and we should also learn the consequences of the misuse of our phones. However, it has been a few weeks since we had the Phone Parking Policy, and the experience so far has been drastically different from my expectations.

The premise behind this new policy is to create an environment in which students can be most focused during class. It was based on a research about the effects of cell phones on learning. In a study published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research titled, “Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity,” a group of students was given three options: phones on the desk facing down, phones in their bags, or the phones kept in a separate room. The result was that students who chose the third option learned the best and paid more attention during class because they were free from the temptations to use phones. After reading and discussing this research, the Academics Office decided to enforce the Phone Parking Policy. 

I see many positive changes in the classroom climate. For instance, some of my teachers let us take a short break during the long block. In the past, my peers and I stayed on our phones until the end of the break. With our phones “parked,” we are more present to one another and have conversations during breaks. This atmosphere is also carried out during class discussions. Also, the school recognizes that phones can be a learning tool, so teachers allow students to grab their phones when needed.  

It has only been a couple of weeks since the enforcement of the new policy, so there are mixed feelings regarding the policy. However, the main purpose of the new policy is to help students to learn better, so we should give it a shot and see how it slowly transforms our learning environment.

Tips for New Students

—PAIGE LAMALVA ‘20

Being a new student at a new school can often be difficult. If you are a new student coming to St. Mark’s, you probably will not know a lot of people, if any. You will be in a whole new setting, figuring out how to make friends, managing your academic workload,  fitting in your athletic team and trying to get some minutes. And on top of all of that, you probably should join some clubs and organizations while you’re here. I came in as a freshman at St. Mark’s, and I wish I had a list of tips that someone gave me when I stepped foot on campus. So here they are: 

1. Take Advantage of Deans Sponsored Events

Does Deans Sponsored really mean the Dean's Office is going to pay for you? The answer to this question is yes! If you want to go out but don’t want to spend any money, this opportunity is perfect for you! Whether it be a trip to Starbucks on Route 9 or AMC Dine-In Theatre in Framingham, all of these events will be well worth it! This opportunity is a great way to get away from studying for a few hours and to just get off of campus… for FREE!

2. Meet Your Teachers Outside of Class

One of the best things about St. Mark’s is that you have teachers who are available when they are on dorm duty! After all, about 90% of the faculty live on campus! I have found out that the students who meet with their teachers on a regular basis are some of the most successful students at St. Mark’s. Take advantage of this opportunity— you are not able to meet with your teachers this frequently at most schools! 

3. Join A New Club

There are SO many clubs at St. Mark’s, and most students are usually involved in two or three. Even if you were not able to sign up for a club during the Club Fair, that doesn’t mean you can’t sign up! You can pick from the SM Cornhole club to the French Club to the Photography Club! Personally, I think you should join the Haiti Partnership and Women in STEM, but I am being biased because I am one of the heads for both of those clubs. You can also talk about how often clubs usually meet.

4. Go On At Least One Trip

Believe it or not, students have opportunities to travel to almost every continent at St. Mark’s. Some of the trips that are offered include trips to Paris, Namibia, and Belize. The trips are usually at spring and summer breaks. If you want to learn more about the details, ask Dr. Warren or the global ambassadors.

A Letter to the Future Advanced BC Calculus Students

—Jane Dubrova ‘20

Dear Future BC Calc Students,

You are a little masochistic, aren’t you?

Well, if you have already come this far, I’m sure you are going to do fine. Math might not always come easily to most of us, but you’ll be amazed to see what hard work and dedication can do in a short amount of time. Homework deadlines and fear before an upcoming assessment can do even greater wonders. Remember that the prize always awaits you at the end of the journey. In this case, you would be able to brag to your friends that you are now able to write Taylor polynomials. Exciting!

At some point in this course, you might feel stuck and helpless. It might even seem that you are starting to develop anger issues, but don’t worry. It happens to the best of us. I recommend signing up for yoga classes in advance.

In order to succeed in BC Calculus, you have to learn to pay attention in the classroom. Without a solid conceptual understanding, you won’t be able to solve most of the problems, so don’t ignore your teacher and Mr. Sal Khan. Yes, Sal might become your best friend from now on. He and your yoga instructor.

Don’t forget everything you learned in your Pre-Calc or AB Calc class. In case you have been wondering when were you going to use that knowledge, here’s your show time. Also, it might be useful to decide whether you are going to take an AP exam at the beginning of the year and actually start preparing beforehand. I know it sounds crazy, but you have to trust me on this one.

Have fun and enjoy your journey!

P.S. When you get to the topic of Solids of Revolution, remember, I warned you to take Statistics.

Best wishes, Jane

So Long, Class of 2019

—Suha Choi ’22

High school graduation is often a time when a great mix of feelings exists. It is a time of exhaustion, joy, regret, pride, and almost everything in between. As new changes lie ahead, our seniors had countless things to say about their feelings on the topic of graduation and their future journeys: “I’m really excited to move on to bigger and better things, but I am also really sad to leave the people with whom I have made amazing connections. Although I often complained about being here, I am so thankful for everything this place had given me,” said Taylor Yanchuk ’19. In particular, she wished to thank Jocelyn Cote ’22, Ainsley DuBose ’19, Jake Lengel ’19, Ms. Maddock, Ms. Collins, Mr. Corazzini, and many more for making her time at St. Mark’s memorable.

Gift Paekul ’19, a graduating senior from Thailand, also expressed her mixed emotions about the upcoming graduation. She feels both nervous and excited about moving on to college. Gift mentioned that a close-knit community at St. Mark’s was always very welcoming, and she felt as if she got to know everyone, even the people she never had classes with. She also noted that every St. Marker smiled or waved while walking past her in the hallways. Due to all these comforts and greetings from students at St. Mark's, Gift feels that moving into a bigger community will give her a different experience. While she is nervous about this change, she also looks forward to meeting new people and visiting new places at her college.

While the shift from high school to a new place is already a big change for young adults, they often find the change even more difficult because of the many things lost during this change. A few seniors around the campus were asked what they would miss the most about St. Mark’s. Out of the many great things that out school carries, a very popular response to this question was the personal relationships they have built in the community. St. Mark’s is more than just a school with classes; it is a place where people live, discuss, and sleep. Therefore, it is not a very big surprise that the relationships built at St. Mark’s are often very deep and strong. Kennedy Petties ‘19 responded that she would miss the close-knit relationships she had fostered with the faculty members, who had almost become her 'second family.’ Kennedy describes that "it feels really different to go out to the real world where some people may be nice to you for a purpose or in order to get something out of you unlike the faculties here who are nice to you because they simply love you and wish the best for you.” Relationships with peers and classmates are also a very strong aspect of life at St. Mark’s. Leo Xie ’19 expressed gratitude for the friends and connections he made at the school, in particular, with Rwick Sakar ’19 and Luc Cote ’19. They have been exceptional friends to Leo, and he had never felt the need to hide his true feelings from them. He feels that it would be extremely hard to find such a strong personal connection in any other place: “We did not know each other very well at first, but we became closer and closer throughout the course of the four years. I am very grateful for the friends I have made,” Leo added.

As the end of the academic year approaches, the class of 2019 will soon be headed off to different cities, states, and countries. Whether that new journey would happen at a new college, during a gap year, or at a workplace, the St. Marker team wishes each and every one of them the best of luck.

Thoughts and Reflections from 2018-19 Pathways Prefects

—Sam Wang 21’

As St. Mark’s School seeks the best way to support students on campus, in addition to advisors, dorm parents, teachers, and coaches, the school also developed the Pathways program to promote community and equity. Our Pathways program promotes awareness around cultural differences and provides affinity opportunities for students whose social or identity needs do not belong to the mainstream at St. Mark’s. This program is the umbrella under which all student affinity groups are housed. In the 2018-19 academic year, we had 11 affinity groups listed below.  

• Asian Student Alliance

• Men are Not Born; They are Made

• Gender and Sexuality Alliance

• Southborough Society

• Christian Fellowship Group

• J-Team

• Black Lions Union

• white.space

• #OpenlySecular

• SWIRL

• Los Leones

One to three student leaders of each group organize monthly meetings, all-school activities, and Pathways Pizza -- the joint meeting with other groups. They serve as an active support structure for students who do not fit into the dominant culture at St. Mark’s.

Pathways Prefects this year were Connor Browder 19’, Jenny Tang 20’, June Seong 19’, and Kennedy Petties 19’. They are the student voice for C&E and the friendly faces to talk to about issues and questions of community and equity at St. Mark's. They host the weekly C&E Minute during school meetings and assist the C&E Director on group-related logistics. As C&E programs made great progress this year -- more pathways activities were designed and more students became involved -- our prefects reflect on their experience and give advice to future pathways leaders:

Uploaded by Jing (Samantha) Wang on 2019-05-31.

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Jenny Tang 20’:

“I really enjoy being a Pathways Prefect because I love learning about different people and bringing them together. I think it's fascinating how different individuals are in our cultures and backgrounds but also how similar we are in our shared humanity. Also, being an immigrant and straddling the lines between two cultures, the mission of helping people understand our differences to unite communities feels quite personal to me. I think our school's C&E program has come a long way since I have been here. I am very grateful for Ms. Adams’s and Ms. Starry's leadership and mentorship, and I love the progress we made this year in making C&E Day more student-led and engaging a greater part of the school community in Pathways meetings and activities. There are still a lot more to be done, but that's why I look forward to being a Pathways Prefect again next year.”

Connor Browder 19’:

“What makes me really proud is how I worked as a team with other prefects. Being the only boy in the team, I felt a little outcasted at first. I got to know them as I worked with them on different problems in community and equity affairs. We weren’t able to find a compromise among our ideas until I improved my teamwork skills. I believe that all pathways leaders need to learn how to work as a team; you want to make sure you all contribute to your affinity group equally and participate in the pathways meetings. One thing I wish I could have fulfilled is to integrate the males in our school more into the pathways program. The men’s group has done an awesome job this year, and their discussions were truly beneficial to the St.Mark’s community. But I still think the males at our school are just not as involved as most females are. I wish boys in our community would have more passion for promoting community and equity. I wish I facilitated that a little better this year.”

Kennedy Petties 19’:

“Since my freshman year, there is a really big shift in how we view C&E work -- it is no longer something that is painful for people to do. There are more people who truly devote themselves to this, and the whole community becomes more willing to sit down and have hard conversations. Besides C&E Day, cultural fairs, and other events that allow students to freely express their identities, there are now at least 35 student leaders and tons of faculty putting up all the affinity groups and spaces that students work together on issues of intersectionality. I think what makes me really proud is the development of the C&E program at St. Mark’s and the way we look at it. It is no longer hard, it is something that we want. Therefore, I would tell every single pathways leader to do C&E work because they love it. If you are really passionate about C&E, speak up and do something different, and don’t complain but give advice.  If you don’t like the way the affinity group meeting is run, go talk to the head and seek new changes. Do [C&E] because you love it, not because someone requires you.”

Thanks for all the hard work the prefects have done in the past year! They all did an amazing job in promoting St. Mark’s to be a safer and more diverse place. Next year, the new pathways prefects are Jenny Tang 20’, Naila Strong 20’, Felicity Keyzer-Pollard 21’, and Sam Wang 21’. Congratulations to the new prefects and let’s look forward to a better C&E program in the future!

(One of the 2018-19 pathways prefect, June Seong, isn’t involved in the interview part because she left early to Lions Roars in Spain.)

What is Love?

By Samantha Wang 21’

Last month, Rev. Talcott gave a chapel talk to the whole St. Mark’s community about relationships between individuals. Rev. Talcott introduced two ways of how we connect with others: the I-Thou and I-It relationship. These relationship models are proposed by Martin Buber, an Austrian born Jewish philosopher. In the I-Thou encounter, we relate to each other as authentic beings, without judgment, qualification, or objectification. We are open-minded and truthful towards each other, and our authentic heart and mind make this relationship truly valuable. The I-It encounter, however, is the opposite, in which one would treat another person as an object, which completely deviates from our good morals. This kind of profit-driven relationship is usually harmful and transient. The founder of this idea, Martin Buber, once stated that “I believe that the key to creating society that is nourishing, empowering and healing for everyone lies in how we relate to one another.” This displays Buber’s love and hope for humanity and society, where people are bonded together through the I-Thou relationship.

We just celebrated Valentine’s Day. All the high school romance around us—— the love like pure space filled with bright lights, or the bud’s unveiled scent in the early spring—— is so unrequited and desirable. As you are wondering how you could better implement the positive and loving I-Thou relationships in your daily lives with our families, lovers, and friends, the following two models can help you see your love more clearly and rationally. These models introduce two mainstream psychological theories and expand on the composition and mechanism of love from the emotional and physiological perspective.

1. The Triangular Theory of Love （see picture below)

According to Robert Sternberg, a professor from the Psychology department at Yale University, love consists of three components: passion, intimacy, and commitment. Among these elements, passion is the emotional component of love, which refers to an emotional fascination. This mainly includes deep emotions and sexual desire. Intimacy is the motive of love, referring to the psychological feeling of “like”. It mainly includes the senses of connection, tightness, and love. Commitment is the cognitive component of love that refers to verbal or imaginative expectations. Commitment is also crucial for an individual in whether or not to establish a long-term relationship with another person. The combination of these three components constitutes eight types of love, ranging from Non-Love to Consummate Love.

• No Love is when intimacy, passion, and commitment are all missing. This relationship might be arbitrary, superficial, and unconstrained.

• Liking, such as friendship, is a relationship that is mainly intimate but lacks passion and commitment. However, if a friend evoked your passion when you first meet him or her and left you a profound impression, then the relationship between the two of you is transcends “liking”.

• Infatuation is a relationship that includes mainly passion but lacks intimacy and commitment. For example, many first-love relationships are infatuations.

• Empty Love is a relationship with commitment to responsibility but lacks intimacy and passion. In this relationship, there is neither warmth nor passion; most of the time, two individuals just live together.

• Romantic Love is passionate and intimate but lacks commitment. This describes the relationships in which individuals only value relishing the moment.

• Companionate Love includes intimacy and commitment ut lacks passion. They have a deep emotional attachment, which is warm and interdependent.

• Fatuous Love is a relationship involving passion and commitment but lacks intimacy. For instance, when two individuals fell in love at first sight, their relationship is often accompanied by a whirlwind of courtship and a lightning-like marriage.

• Finally, Consummate Love is the most valuable relationship in which passion, commitment, and intimacy are all present.

Passion, intimacy, and commitment together make up love. Without any of these elements, we cannot attain the perfect consummate love. This is like how necessary every point is for establishing a plane; otherwise, this unique plane would collapse easily.

2. Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love

In the view presented by Helen Fisher, love is composed of three components that are controlled by interconnected but distinct biological systems, and these components have evolutionary significance.

The first is Lust, or a sexual desire, which is regulated by sex hormones. It motivates people to interact with others and encourages people to reproduce for an eternality of life.

Second, Attraction, which is regulated by dopamine and serotonin, motivates people to form stable relationships with their lover. When we fall in love, our dopamine levels rise, causing excitement and joy. Also, our serotonin levels drop, giving us enough energy to tirelessly love our sweetheart.

The last is Attachment, which is regulated by the neuropeptide oxytocin. This refers to the comfortable and safe feelings that are brought up by long-term relationships. This emotion allows couples to stay together, protect, and support each other for years, which also enables them to take great care of the next generation. The longer the time that two people are attached, the higher their oxytocin levels could be.

Therefore, humans are born with three different physiological systems that have evolved over time, each of which promotes the process of successful reproduction. It also shows that passion, intimacy, and commitment are independent of each other and can change individually. However, the emotional experiences of passion, intimacy, and commitment are clearly related to each other in other love relationships. A typical example is the excitement transfer process, in which an emotional excitement induced by stimuli can be transferred to the object of love. In short, high arousal, or strong feelings, amplifies the emotional response. What’s also interesting is that the effect of arousal on attraction does not depend on the type of arousals—— both positive and negative arousal can enhance attractiveness. Perhaps the effect of high arousal explains why in the movie, male and female protagonists often fall in love after bungee jumping.

Which point of view do you agree with? What are your interpretations of love?

The Triangular Theory of Love

West Campus: First Home Away

By Lina Zhang ‘21

After an exhausting school day, you walk out of the STEM building and head toward the dorms. You cross the street quickly, waving at the friends you meet along the way. Parts of the lake are already covered by floating ice, so you walk briskly, not wanting to stay in the cold for too long. The five-minute walk draws to an end as the red bricks of Maple-Elm come into view. “West is Best”, the bulletin board across the Ritz proudly proclaims.

Built in the early 1980s, West Campus has taken on many roles since its construction.  Originally one of the first girl’s dormitories, it now contains the welcoming dorms for all new students. Though no solid decision has been reached about West Campus’ future  since Dr. Warren’s announcement last spring, having new dorms away West will be a big change for both the school and students. Despite, and sometimes because of the long and sometimes cold walk to Main Building, many students have actually become quite attached to West Campus.

“I became a prefect on West as a way to give back. In my freshman year, it was very important to have a system of support with prefects, so when I became a prefect, it was a way to offer support all the time,” says Laura Sabino, one of the prefects in Pine-Oak. As the annual recipient of new students, West Campus has become a secure place for them to adjust to life at St. Mark’s. Because they are surrounded by students who can be just as lost and confused, it is easier for new students to come out of their comfort zone. “Most people here are new too, so that helps with adjusting a lot,” says Grace Li, a new fourth former living in Elm.

Dr. Harwood, the former house head of Elm, also speaks of West with clear fondness. “There was so much snow my first winter here. The students would have snowball fights, throw each other into snow banks,” she laughs. House head from 2012-2016, she recalls activities that the house used to do together, such as Halloween parties, spooky stories, and simple things like riding bikes and climbing trees. Even now, dormitories still hold activities that facilitate bonding among students. Brownies, in particular, have lured more than one frantically working Elm student into the Ritz for a short break. These memories of first friendships and life away from home lend West sentimental value as a place to be fondly remembered.

Since its construction, West Campus has grown on the St. Marker’s. From the three small dormitories that Alys Scott, one of the first female students to attend St. Mark’s lived in, West Campus has grown and expanded with the school. Since we may have to bid farewell to these six buildings in a few years, it is all the more important to appreciate them and the memories they contain. West is not only a long, infuriating walk; it is also the place where we find our first homes away from home at St. Mark’s.

What Do You Miss From Home?

By Lukas Hanenberger ‘19