Summer - Baylor School

Summer 2008
for alumni and friends of Baylor School
Baylor’s Class of 2008 is
poised to make a positive
difference in the world.
Barbara Kennedy
Dr. Stacy is pictured above with three members of the Class of 2008: (from left to right)
Joseph Yantis, Elyse Higley, and Skye Anfield.
From the Headmaster
The Most Important Thing We Do
This issue of Baylor magazine marks the end of the school year.
On the National French Exams, Baylor students ranked
“The most important thing we do at Baylor School is prepare
first or second in Tennessee and second to fourth in the nation
students academically while developing the character and
in French I, French III, and French IV. Three Baylor students
leadership skills that enable them to make a positive difference
received Gold Medals for earning perfect or nearly perfect
in the world. We get students ready for college and for life.”
scores on the National Latin Exam for four consecutive years.
Of our l87 graduates, l89 are
admitted and ready to enroll in the
college of their choice. One of our “The most important thing we do at Baylor School is prepare
seniors will defer his studies for a
students academically while developing the character and
while as a professional dancer. One
of our students has delayed college
leadership skills that enable them to make a positive difference
while she serves an enlistment in the
in the world. We get students ready for college and for life.”
U.S. Navy. Our students continue
to prefer the Southeast, with three
quarters headed for higher education in the region. The school
Eighty faculty members engaged in off-campus professional
to which most of our students are going is the University of
development this past year. More have scheduled work this
Tennessee, which gets 27 Baylor grads. Alabama gets 11;
summer.
Auburn, 10; and UTC, nine. Baylor students were also admitted
The main thing for us at Baylor is to provide an excellent
to Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Yale, Princeton,
learning environment. We will continue to provide rigor in
Boston University, UNC-Chapel Hill, the University of South
every expectation – yet in a warm and nurturing environment
Carolina, Northwestern, University of Southern California,
that, rather than pushing kids into distress and fear, will
New York University, Johns Hopkins, Washington University
encourage, support, and even elicit a smile.
in St. Louis, the University of Chicago, Samford, Georgia Tech,
We think Baylor looks great today. The Class of 2008
Duke, Vanderbilt, MIT, and several other of the nation’s fine
includes the first students who have been here since sixth
universities, both large and small.
grade. Their success reassures us of the value of planning and
This year’s seniors have taken full advantage of the good efforts
the wisdom of the decision to invite students to begin Baylor
of faculty members to prepare them well. Baylor students have
in the sixth grade.
scored well on national tests, including a perfect ACT and a nearly
Enjoy the summer. We thank Baylor parents for trusting
similar score on the SAT. We have a Siemens Award winner from
their kids and school to us. We are already looking forward
Tennessee, recognized for her outstanding efforts in science and
to their return in the fall.
math. We have the state’s only male Presidential Scholar.
by Dr. Bill W. Stacy, President and Headmaster
Headmaster’s Message
Highlights from the year, including college choices, student accomplishments,
and a milestone for our first sixth grade class.
by Dr. Bill Stacy
2 Around Campus
News and perspectives from Baylor School and beyond.
4 Summer Reading
Baylor faculty and administrators recommend books to enjoy this summer.
6 A New Chapter
A farewell to June Tant, Jerry Harris, Bob Fazio, and Katie Piper, who
retired this spring after 51, 29, 28, and 20 years of service, respectively.
by Barbara Kennedy
8 What They Took With Them
Alums Francis Fesmire ’78 and Mary Louise Roberts ’99 talk about the
ways in which Baylor prepared them for college and instilled a lifelong
commitment to learning.
by Rachel Schulson
10 Examining the Roots
Baylor students create an organic garden under the leadership of Dr. Robin
Fazio ’92. John Shearer ’78 remembers when Herb Barks Sr. and Humpy
Heywood inspired Baylor cadets to plant Victory Gardens.
by John Shearer ’78
12 Scene & Heard
The Class of 2008 was the first to join the Baylor community as sixth
graders. Teachers and students look back on their first year on campus.
by Rachel Schulson
14 Senior Profiles
Meet eight students from the Class of 2008 who distinguished themselves
within the Baylor community and beyond.
by Rachel Schulson
19 Raider Report
A roundup of class notes, kudos, athletics, and more.
37 Final Thoughts
Sixth grade teacher Amy Cohen remembers her first class of sixth graders
and the magical moments she and her students still cherish.
by Amy Cohen
Baylor School admits students of any race, sex, color, religion, national or ethnic
origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made
available to students at the school. Baylor does not discriminate on the basis of sex,
race, color, religion or national origin in the administration of its educational policies,
admission policies, financial aid programs, athletic programs, and other school
administered programs.
Paul O’Mara
for alumni and friends of Baylor School
Pictured above and on the cover are: (back row) Virginia
Parkman, Michael Schulson, Caitlin Cundiff, and Jared
Gumbs, (front row) Morgan Kinsey, Margaret Matlock, and
Angela Kim. Anton Fleissner, who appears on the cover in a
Duke sweatshirt, has since decided to attend Princeton. (Cover
photo by Paul O’Mara)
Editors
Barbara Kennedy
Rachel Schulson
Designer
Angela Rich
Writers & Contributors
Amy Cohen
Eddie Davis
Barbara Kennedy
Rachel Schulson
John Shearer ’78
Dr. Bill W. Stacy
Photography
Eddie Davis
Barbara Kennedy
Ted Lord
Patty Watson
Paul O’Mara
Jack Parker
Rachel Schulson
Acknowledgements
Susan Collins
Eddie Davis
Susan Miller
Velda Price
Jim Stover
President and Headmaster
Dr. Bill W. Stacy
Head of School
Michael McBrien
Associate Head/Vice President for Advancement
and External Affairs
Kathleen Hanson
Vice President of Finance and Operations
Dallas Joseph
Associate Head for Academic Affairs
Jim Stover
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Zan Guerry ’67
President, Alumni Association
Franklin Daniels ’87
Chairman, Parent Alliance
Virginia Anne Sharber
The mission of Baylor School, a coeducational day and
boarding college preparatory school, is to instill in its
students both the desire and the ability to make a positive
difference in the world.
Baylor School
171 Baylor School Road; Chattanooga, TN 37405
Phone: (423) 267-8505 | Fax: (423) 757-2878
www.baylorschool.org | pr@baylorschool.org
Around Campus
News & Perspectives from Baylor School
Baylor Gets Green Light for LEED Certified Dorm
The construction of a new 15,000 sq.- ft. dormitory
on Baylor’s campus puts the school on track to be
the first academic institution in the area to build a
LEED certified building.
Construction of the new dorm is underway with
a goal to open in August of 2009.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design, is a voluntary, national standard established
by the U.S. Green Building Council. The USGBC
certifies buildings in four categories, including Certified,
Silver, Gold and Platinum, based on the number of
LEED credits achieved through the project’s design
and construction. The LEED rating system is rapidly
being adopted by many progressive schools and universities throughout the country.To help with the
project, the school has hired Franklin & Associates
Architects and general contractor Schaerer Contracting
Co. “By incorporating environmentally friendly
elements such as low emitting materials, high-efficiency
lighting and controls, and a construction recycling
plan, Baylor is creating a building that will become a model
of sustainability. In addition to the obvious benefits to the
environment, it is an excellent example of how a school or
business demonstrates a commitment not only to its stakeholders
but to the broader community it serves,” said Matt Brown, a
LEED accredited architect with Franklin & Associates.
Green is the New Red
In our continued efforts to become a more
environmentally friendly campus, Baylor magazine is
now printed on chlorine-free, recycled paper.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of providing a
sustainable facility in an academic setting is the
opportunity to interact with the students. Baylor
students are incredibly bright, and their desire to
play a role in improving the campus is truly inspirational. The knowledge and determination
these students take out into the world will
be a benefit to us all.” ~ Matt Brown
Baylor 2008
the year in review
Ten students qualify as
semifinalists in the
53rd annual National
Merit Scholarship
Program.
Pat Conroy, author of Prince of
Tides, The Great Santini, The
Lords of Discipline and numerous
other best-selling novels is
keynote chapel speaker.
The prestigious
literary Round Table
group marks its 65th
anniversary.
The College Board recognizes
Baylor senior Haelie Chung as a
state winner of the Siemens
Award for Advanced Placement.
Construction of a new LEED
certified dormitory begins.
Class of 2008 Merit Scholarship Offers Exceed $8 Million
Some of the academic scholarships valued at over $50,000 that
have been offered to the Class of 2008 include Agnes Scott
The Class of 2008 earned more than $8 million in merit based
aid, with 133 students receiving 272 different merit scholarship
offers. Twenty students received scholarship offers of at least
$100,000 each, totaling more than $4.3 million.
82 of 122 Tennessee residents applied to and were admitted
to a college in the state of Tennessee along with attaining
specific test scores or a 3.00 GPA which qualified them to
receive $1,382,000 in Tennessee HOPE Scholarship funds.
11 of 23 Georgia residents applied to and were admitted to
a college in the state of Georgia and earned a 3.00 GPA qualifying
them to receive $246,888 in Georgia HOPE Scholarship funds.
12 students will play college sports, with scholarships totaling
$474,377.
57% of the class will matriculate at institutions in the Most
Competitive, Highly Competitive, and Very Competitive
categories (according to Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges).
Specifically, 18% will attend institutions ranked in the Most
Competitive category, 17% will attend institutions in the
Highly Competitive category, and 22% will attend institutions
in the Very Competitive category.
187 members of the class will scatter among 77 colleges in
26 states and one foreign country. A total of 78% will attend
Southern institutions, 12% will attend Northeastern/MidAtlantic schools, 4% will venture to the Midwest, 5% will
attend Southwestern and Western schools combined, and one
student will attend college in South Africa. One student will
take a gap year before college, and one is joining the U.S. Navy.
Baylor’s swim team
breaks seven
independent school
national records; boys
win the Eastern
Independent School
Swim and Dive
Championship title.
College Founders Scholarship, American University Presidential
Scholarship, Auburn University Spirit of Auburn Founders
Scholarship, Berry College Academic Scholarship, Birmingham
Southern College Presidential Scholarship, Boston University
Scholar, Boston University Trustees Scholarship, DePauw
University Faculty Distinguished Scholar, Duke University
Scholars Program, Emory University Emory Scholars,
Greensboro College Presidential Scholarship, Hofstra University
Presidential Scholarship, Iowa State University George
Washington Carver Scholarship, Kenyon College Science
Scholarship, Maryville College Presidential Scholarship, Oberlin
College John F. Oberlin Scholarship, University of Notre Dame
Questbridge Scholarship, Rhodes College University Fellowship,
Rice University Trustee Distinguished Scholarship, Sewanee
University of the South Merit Scholarship, Stetson University
Dean’s Scholarship, United States Naval Academy, University
of Dayton Presidential Merit Scholarship, University of Georgia
Foundation Fellows, University of Miami University Scholarship,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Carolina Scholars,
University of San Diego Achievement Award, University of
South Carolina McKissick Scholarship, University of Tennessee,
Knoxville ECE Min Kao Scholarship, Vanderbilt University
Top-Tenn Scholarship, Washington & Lee University Johnson
Scholars, Washington University in St. Louis Danforth Scholars.
Four New Distinguished Scholars Named
Four rising ninth graders have been selected to receive meritbased boarding scholarships through the Distinguished Scholars
Program. The program seeks boarding candidates who are
among the top 10 percent in national standardized testing,
have grade point averages of 3.7 or higher, have proven
leadership in their schools or organizations, and demonstrate
involvement in their schools and communities.
The Distingushed Scholars for 2008 are Christian Carbone,
Brentwood, Tenn.; David Fisher, Greenville, Miss.; Jamila
Pegues, Macon, Ga.; and Claudia Wharton, Greensboro, N.C.
Jamaica trippers raise a record
$64,000 for the Jamaica
Education Fund, which helps
provide an education for children
Michael Schulson ’08 is named
a Presidential Scholar.
Baylor’s concert
choir is awarded
“grand champion”
honors at the recent
2008 All-Star Music
Festival in Florida.
Class of 2008 receives
$8 million in merit
scholarship offers.
SUMMER READING
At the end of each academic year, Baylor faculty members
share some of their favorite book titles, which we in turn pass
on to students and others who may be interested. Although
it’s not required, we thought you would enjoy this list for
your own summer reading!
to the Cold War, the postal service, and rock n’ roll, all set
in the surreal landscape of Southern California. I read this
book my first year in college and loved it. I still do. Pynchon
himself is a shadowy character who never gives interviews.
His whereabouts have been unknown since the 1960s.
Fontaine Allison, English instructor
Martha Campbell, English instructor
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Like the circus that is its setting, this book has a little something
for everyone. Animal lovers will identify with the main character, a Cornell-educated vet who finds himself working for
a second-rate traveling circus during the Great Depression.
The cast of characters includes crooks, freaks, rubes, and
floozies, along with the lovely Marlena. The action-packed
plot includes at least one chase scene as the train speeds along.
However, it is more than a predictable story of clichéd characters. The tale is told in flashback by 93-year-old Jake
Jankowski, now a feisty nursing home resident. Through his
experience as a “First of May,” a newcomer to the troupe, we
learn all the details of circus lore and come to see a human
side of this odd assortment of folks.
Unaccustomed Earth by Jumpa Lahiri
Having soaked up every word of Jumpa Lahiri’s first collection
of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, I rushed to order
Unaccustomed Earth before it was released. This second short
story collection presents second-generation Bengalis who
wrestle with the orthodox values of their parents and the
modern ways of their American peers. With rich yet beguilingly
simple prose, Lahiri’s emotionally nuanced characters explore
the universal themes of alienation and heartache. Rich with
details of the Bengali culture, Unaccustomed Earth is that
often sought, but seldom found, treasure.
Elijah Anderson-Barrera, EFL and Spanish instructor
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
This is a fantastic postmodern book full of conspiracies and
secret societies, literary, scientific, and logical puzzles, and
tragicomic characters. There are lots of historical references
Amy Cohen, sixth grade instructor
Petropolis by Anya Ulinich
Sasha Goldberg lives with her mother in the bleak town of
Asbestos 2, Siberia. She is clumsy and useless, but possessing
artistic talents, and Sasha’s mother enrolls her in an impoverished art school, the only pastime that saves her sanity. Sasha
meets a man living in a sewer pipe, falls in love, and finds
trouble. Sasha becomes a mail-order bride to escape her pitiful
life, fleeing to America at age 17 in search of the long-lost
father who immigrated when she was young, never to be heard
from again. Sasha’s story of discovering American life while
searching for her father is a beautifully written saga. It juxtaposes Sasha’s Siberian voice with American liberties while
discovering an unexpected friendship that saves her.
Ward Fleissner, sixth grade instructor
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The specter of war looms over the nation. An incompetent
president is unable to cope with the rising crisis. A one-term
congressman from Illinois runs for president with no executive
experience and no particular political distinction.... Abraham
Lincoln (uh, who did you think I meant?) comes to life vividly
as an ego-less hero who patriotically puts the welfare of the
nation above his own dignity by creating a cabinet of his
talented arch rivals.
Joe Gawrys, history instructor
Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America
and American in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni
Moaveni grew up Iranian-American, and the first part of this
memoir concerns her search for identity in California as a selfprofessed Persian. The book gets even more interesting when
she moves to Tehran in 2000 as a reporter for Time magazine.
Because she’s in her 20’s and speaks fluent Farsi, she moves
easily around in the world of young Iranian adults, and we
get some fascinating insights into ayatollahs and mullahs and
Shia and Iranian reformers, 9/11, and more.
Jason Oswald, computer science instructor
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Steven King
A blend of the Faustian elements and the story of Pontius Pilate
set to a Russian beat, The Master and Margarita is both
whimsical – the story features a chess-playing cat – and serious
– it is also a scathing commentary on censorship and Soviet
life in the 1930s – and a cornerstone of Russian literature. It
offers a unique glimpse into their history, and one would be
wise to get an annotated version.
For anyone interested in learning how to write better, at
any level, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft offers a ton of
lessons while simultaneously being an entertaining read. King
talks about his own experiences as an unsuccessful writer, and
many of the lessons he learned early. The stories themselves
are worth the price of admission, and the advice about writing
is a valuable bonus.
Sue Ramsey, ninth and tenth grade dean
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
The Eyre Affair is a very clever blend of science fiction and
the classics. When the original manuscript of Jane Eyre is
stolen, the literary equivalent of England’s CIA goes up against
its most clever and devious arch-enemy. If the manuscript isn’t
returned, the story can be modified for all time, as has already
happened with a Dickens novel. The character names are
clever, the allusions to various literary classics test your
knowledge, and the characters can travel in time.
See the entire summer reading list: www.baylorschool.org
Milly Rawlings, librarian
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Teachers have much wisdom to impart to their students on a
myriad of topics, and Randy Pausch is no exception. When
diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, Randy, a highly
respected and much loved professor of engineering at Carnegie
Melon University in Pittsburgh, decided to give his “last
lecture.” To a packed room of hundreds of his present and
former students, Randy Pausch shared his philosophy on living
and dying. Pausch gathered these remarks together in this
witty, funny and poignant book. Pausch says that he wanted
to give his “last lecture” for his three young children; he also
gave it to all of us. (Watch and listen to Randy Pausch’s “Last
Lecture” at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo.)
Kathy Rupe, middle school literature specialist
Standing Tall: A Memoir of Tragedy and Triumph
by C. Vivian Stringer and Laura Tucker
Leaders understand adversity – and they work to overcome
it. Standing Tall: A Memoir of Tragedy and Triumph isn’t
just for fans of women’s basketball; it is a moving tribute to
one woman’s amazing strength and principles in the face of
overwhelming odds – personal and professional. C. Vivian
Stringer is more than the face of Rutgers University women’s
basketball. She is a daughter, wife, mother, sister, coach, and
mentor whose determination and grace have inspired countless
young people to believe in themselves and their dreams.
Jim Stover, Associate Head for Academic Affairs, English instructor
The Water is Wide, My Losing Season, and Beach Music by
Pat Conroy
In preparation for Pat Conroy’s visit to Baylor last fall, I read
three of his major works, all of which I heartily recommend.
The Water is Wide is a memoir about Pat’s first year teaching
in a nearly impossible situation. My Losing Season tells the
story of his senior year on the Citadel basketball team. Beach
Music is a big, poignant family novel set in South Carolina and
Italy. On the page and in person, Pat is a gracious, lively, and
sharp-witted raconteur who makes readers laugh as well as cry.
Brenda Waddell, administrative assistant
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a beautiful story of
human relationships. The themes are universal: the longing
for acceptance, the guilt of betrayal, the need for redemption
and the triumph of love. The story takes place in Afghanistan,
revealing the tumultuous political climate over the past several
decades and reminding the reader of the human tragedies and
struggles that take place all over the world.
Chris Watkins, English instructor
The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the
Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs
From A to Z, this fast-paced and hilarious romp makes for
excellent reading. Jacobs determines to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, much to the chagrin and ridicule of
everyone around him. Along the way, as we learn perhaps too
much — really, just the funny parts — about Jacobs’s life, the
world’s knowledge is offered up in manageable chunks, so
that we, too, can have as much useless trivia as is necessary
to negotiate any cocktail party.
A New Chapter...
by Barbara Kennedy
Barbara Kennedy
Baylor bids farewell to four
dedicated faculty and staff members,
who collectively represent 128 years
of service to the school.
Jerry Harris...
In high school, Jerry Harris was a four-year letterman in four sports, but it was ultimately a football
scholarship that proved to be his ticket out of
Demopolis, Ala.“Football is what I knew and what I had
confidence in, and I was highly motivated to get an education.
I was red-shirted my freshman year but went on to become
an All-American defensive halfback and team captain, which
was a feat for my size. Getting a college diploma and making
All-American were among the two things I’m most proud of.”
After graduate school, Harris joined the staff at Notre
Dame, where he eventually became an assistant principal. He
was also an assistant principal at Rossville High before coming
to Baylor in 1979 to teach biology and coach.
Weary of the time commitment and pressures of varsity
coaching, Jerry says he was content to serve as an assistant
coach, and he helped with the seventh and eighth grade football,
golf, and baseball teams throughout his tenure. “I liked the
connection with the kids and working with them in an environment that is different than the classroom.”
“I think the thing that distinguishes Harris is his ‘old school’
mixture of firmness and compassion that has made him revered
by students, teachers, coaches, and parents,” adds science
department head Scott Dering.
In addition to teaching biology, Harris developed a new
forensics course four years ago. In this extremely popular
elective, students use their knowledge of chemistry and biology
to investigate a crime scene, which Harris meticulously sets
up each semester.
Reflecting on his years at Baylor, Harris says he is grateful
for the ongoing support of his colleagues. “From the first day
I have always been so very impressed with the talent my
colleagues have. They are incredible teachers, and they are
professional about everything they do. I’ve been so blessed to
be with people who do their jobs so well,” he says. “With me
it started with Luke Worsham. On my first day he said, ‘I’ll
show you what you need to know.’ He gave me notes, old
tests, and specimens. It started with Luke and has been the
same ever since.
“Baylor has been good to me and I’ve been fortunate to
spend most of my teaching career here. It’s been fun, and I’ve
enjoyed the kids and my colleagues. I really couldn’t have
asked for anything better. If someone is going to be in this
business, they need to be at a place like this.”
Bob Fazio...
Art instructor Bob Fazio sums up his pending
retirement in two words: delayed gratification.
“I graduated from The University of Chattanooga
in 1968 and got a teaching deferment to avoid the Vietnam
draft. Now, 40 years later, I get to be just an artist,” says
Fazio, who taught for 11 years in Catholic schools and one
year in a public school before coming to Baylor in 1980.
In his 28 years of teaching at Baylor, including serving as
department head from 1987 – 1992, Fazio has witnessed a huge
expansion in art offerings and facilities. “I taught art in the
basement of Hunter Hall, drove the bus to the Perry Center –
which was a refurbished barn without heat or air conditioning
– taught pottery there, and drove the students back. I did just
about anything to make the program work.”
As the program began to take root and more art teachers
were hired, Fazio eventually moved full-time to the middle school.
“It has been a good fit for me because I’m good at teaching the
basics. My students are still children, yet they are discovering
and blooming. I love seeing kids surprise themselves, and that
world of discovery is really the treasure of the Middle School.”
In 1997, Fazio set up shop in the new Ireland Studio Arts
building overlooking the river, a stark contrast to the program’s
early days. “To build a cluster of buildings specifically for fine
arts instruction was a huge breakthrough for this school. I am
most proud of building the department. It’s all linked to administrative leadership and a desire by students and parents to have
art as an important part of their lives.”
Fellow art instructor Laura Yann ’92 says Fazio is the
reason she ended up at Baylor as both a student and a teacher.
“He suggested to my mother that I’d be a good fit for the first
class of seventh grade girls. He then inspired me and encouraged
me to become an artist, and he later encouraged me to become
a teacher at Baylor,” says Yann. “He has become a mentor
for me – I can’t begin to talk about how helpful he’s been. I’ve
relied on him for support, but I’ve learned a lot by his example
and the respect he has for teachers and students alike.”
Although he’ll miss the interaction with his students and
colleagues, Fazio is looking forward to devoting time to his
BlueBerry Hills Farm, a cottage industry in Soddy Daisy,
Tenn., that he shares with his wife, Bev. “She grows organic
fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and I bake and sell bread.”
And of course, there is his life-long devotion to art and the
anticipated joy of finally having more time in his home studio
to create paintings, pottery, and sculptures full-time – after a
mere four decades of teaching.
Katie Piper...
In her 20 years at Baylor, Katie Piper has developed
a deep appreciation of the friendships with faculty
and staff members that she has established over the
years. “The students come and go, but not necessarily the faculty.”
One example of this is the “breakfast group” that began
about six years ago. During the early morning hours before
classes, a table in the dining hall is populated with a group of
colleagues who gather each day for breakfast or a cup of coffee
and, more importantly, conversation that ranges from serious
to hilarious. “It wasn’t organized or formal in any way; we
just kind of found each other. We gather around 7 a.m., and
there are the regulars, and then there are a few drop-ins from
time to time. It’s just a part of my daily routine.”
As an assistant to Jim Stover, Associate Head for Academic
Affairs, Piper has a tremendous amount of interaction with
faculty. “Among a host of tasks, Piper schedules meetings,
tracks faculty applications, reminds teachers to turn in absentees,
processes faculty requests for professional development funds,
and updates faculty professional development records and
files,” says Stover. “She has been an extraordinary help to me,
and the M&Ms and peppermints on her desk, her unfailingly
cheerful and helpful responses to a myriad of questions, and
her kind and unflappable demeanor have made Baylor a
warmer place to work. We shall all miss her.”
As for the M&M’s strategically located on her desk just
inside the entrance of Hunter Hall, Piper jokes that she can
gauge the stress levels on campus by how full (or empty) the
bowl is. Certain people stop by each day, and some fly in
desperate for chocolate, she says, while others manage to find
a minute to drop by for candy and a quick hello if they happen
to be in the building. “I’ve really loved this position, and I
think it’s because I’ve gotten close to the faculty. You can’t
ask for better colleagues.”
Having just moved from the Nashville area to Chattanooga,
Piper first worked in the college counseling office. “Our first
year together was spent creating an efficient operation, and
although it was a while before we had a computer, what we
lacked in technology we made up for with enthusiasm,” says
Piper. She later worked in the Upper School deans’ office for
eight years before moving into her current position.
In addition to her commitment to work, Piper and her
husband, Woody, raised three boys and were volunteer FABS
parents for all four of the Reddick children (Daniel ’02, Laura
’03, Gordon ’05, and Meredith ’06,) who boarded at Baylor
from 1998-2006. She says they continue to be part of her
extended family.
“I thought I’d only be here six years. I know I’m going to
have withdrawal because after 20 years, you’ve made some
pretty lasting friendships. I’ve really been fortunate that I’ve
worked with good people.”
June Tant...
June Tant began her Baylor career in 1957 as an
assistant to business manager Humpy Heywood at
a time when there were no female faculty members
and only four other women on the staff. It would be impossible
to calculate the number of times she has driven through Baylor’s
entrance since her first day on the job, but like the river that
runs along the edge of campus, Tant has been a steady presence
for the past 51 years.
“When Mr. Heywood interviewed me, he had three questions: did I smoke, did I go to Sunday school, and where had
I gone to high school,” says Tant, noting that she had gone
to Central High School, a fierce rival of Baylor’s at the time,
and was told by Heywood not to mention “the Central High
School part” on campus. “I was the new kid on the block. In
those days we had post-graduates here, and I was as young
as some of them. There were no female faculty – Madame
Scheni was the first, and she came in 1961.”
In March Tant celebrated her 51st year at Baylor – the
second longest tenure of a faculty or staff member in the
school’s history (Charlie Franklin, dining hall supervisor,
retired in 2001 after 54 years). She has worked with six
different headmasters and served the school in a number of
different roles – as bookkeeper, assistant controller, and, most
recently as human resources director. Baylor has also been an
important part of the lives of other family members – her
daughter Brenda Waddell works with her in the business office
as payroll manager; and two of her grandchildren, Blair
Waddell ’05 and Blake Waddell ’00, are Baylor alums.
Linda Steele worked with Tant in the business office for
more than 24 years and recalls her first week of employment
at Baylor in 1984. “June was on vacation the week I was
hired. Hugh Huddleston had told me about this lady who had
worked as the office manager since she was 19, and I imagined
this little old bookish manager with a grey bun and glasses
who was probably territorial about her job. All that week I
was dreading meeting her – and when she came in, she was
this nice, young, and vibrant person who just lit up the place
and eased all my fears,” says Linda.
Over the years Tant has observed dramatic changes in
technology, witnessed significant changes in the physical
campus, and seen an increase in both student enrollment and
faculty size. She was present when the military program was
discontinued in 1971 and joined others on campus to welcome
the first girls in 1985 and the first sixth grade class in 2001.
Reflecting on milestones that have been marked along the
way, Tant says her experience at Baylor has been personally
fulfilling and that she can hardly believe how quickly the years
added up. “It has always been a good place to work. I just
woke up one morning last spring, and it had been 50 years.
Up until this year I didn’t want to leave. I’m very appreciative
of the time I have had here, but now it’s time, and I’m ready
to enjoy my retirement and to spend more time with my
husband, Jess.”
alumni profiles
It is fitting that at a school where relationships play such a key role, the alums
profiled on these pages share a link. Among the many teachers Francis
Fesmire ’78 remembers fondly from his Baylor years is Larry Roberts ’65,
whose daughter, Mary Louise Roberts ’99, also shares her Baylor
memories here. Although they are separated by many years, these alums
both remember a school that prepared them for the world beyond its gates.
by Rachel Schulson
Baylor encouraged
me to be a multi-faceted person. I left Baylor enjoying school and
“I love that
learning, and I still do.”
~Mary Louise Roberts ’99
ary Louise Roberts has a long
list of Baylor teachers who
have influenced her. But her father, Baylor
science instructor Larry Roberts ’65,
tops the list. “My dad has done a lot to
keep me interested in science throughout
my life. He has always been a great
teacher to me, and he makes science
exciting and understandable.”
Her love of science helped Roberts
attain one of four Barnes Scholarships
for full tuition to The Colorado College,
where she earned her B.A. in chemistry.
“Baylor prepared me very well for college
academics,” said Roberts. “Baylor did a
good job of developing my writing skills,
and this was a big help throughout college.
And academics at Baylor were very rigorous, so the amount of work that my college courses demanded was not a shock.”
Roberts also earned a double minor,
almost unintentionally — one in women’s
studies and another in environmental
science. Because she had taken so many
AP courses at Baylor, Roberts started
college with a number of credits already
completed. “This allowed me to take
whatever classes seemed interesting to
me, and I ended up taking a lot that were
listed as women’s studies and also a lot
in the environmental science department.
I am really glad that I had the freedom
to take classes in so many fields of study.”
Sampling as much as possible goes
back to Roberts’s Baylor years. She ran
cross country, serving as captain in her
senior year, and was a Walkabout student
instructor. She was on the Earth Day
planning committee for several years,
was a member of Sod the Quad, an environmental group that advocated for green
space on campus, and worked to reinstate
Earth Day activities on campus. “I love
that Baylor encouraged me to be a multifaceted person. I left Baylor enjoying
school and learning, and I still do.
Roberts credits Baylor’s outstanding
teachers with nurturing her innate love
of learning. “I think often of Liz Aplin.
I took her art history class my junior
year, and I absolutely loved it. Ron Stewart was the best math teacher that I have
ever had, in high school or college.” She
found the material in Tim Williams’s
Eastern Religions class fascinating and
appreciated the way in which he facilitated discussion. She was equally taken with
Heather Ott’s English class.
The Baylor that Roberts attended did
not have as many international students
as it does today, and Roberts regrets not
having had that opportunity. She was,
however, influenced by Baylor’s Joli
Anderson through community service,
and Anderson had a strong impact on the
way Roberts viewed her role in the world.
After stints as an environmental education teacher in California and as an
intern at Sequatchie Cove Farm in Tennessee, Roberts joined the Peace Corps.
She spent two years as a health education
volunteer in Madagascar teaching about
infant and maternal health, family planning, and HIV/AIDS.
When she returned to Chattanooga,
Roberts worked as a tutor and as a substitute teacher in various Baylor science
classes. During that time, she also served
as assistant manager at Rock Point Books
and as an intern at Bridge Refugee &
Sponsorship Services. In January of this
year, Roberts once again boarded a plane
to Africa, this time for a paid position in
Accra, Ghana.
As a case worker for OPE (Overseas
Processing Entity), Roberts prepares files
for refugees who have been referred to
the United States Refugee Resettlement
Program. “I hope that, by accurately
recording their stories, I will help eligible
refugees to be able to start a new life in
the United States,” she explains. “I am
drawn to working with refugees because
I think that the places where cultures
intersect and overlap are fascinating."
Roberts and two co-workers share a
Western-style house in Accra, where they
usually have running water and electricity.
Whether she stays in Ghana will depend
on whether Roberts continues in the field
of refugee work. If she did return to the
U.S., she’d likely pursue a degree in either
international studies or in public health.
Asked what advice she’d give to Baylor
students, Roberts the reader recommends
three books for students considering life
abroad: Mountains Beyond Mountains
by Tracy Kidder, My Traitor’s Heart by
Rian Malan, and The Invisible Cure by
Helen Epstein.
Advice for students from Roberts the
traveler is to seriously consider studying
abroad in college, especially for those
interested in international work. She also
recommends participation in volunteer
programs abroad. “The perspective that
you will gain from living in a different
culture and speaking another language
is invaluable.”
alumni profiles
“Of course Baylor prepared me academically. There were incredible offerings
even then with APs, but the most important thing is the way in which Baylor
fosters independence.”
~Francis Fesmire ’78
t’s a good thing Francis Fesmire has
a great sense of humor. After 20 years
of research and with more than 50
published papers to his credit, it was his
uncommon cure for hiccups that brought
him international acclaim in 2006. Fesmire, director of Erlanger’s Emergency
Heart Center and an associate professor
of medicine with UT’s College of Medicine, had never heard of the Ig Nobel
Award for Medicine until he was tapped
to receive one.
Organized by the scientific humor
magazine Annals of Improbable Research
(AIR), the awards recognize serious, albeit
unusual, applications of genuine science.
Examples range from the discovery that
the presence of humans tends to sexually
arouse ostriches, to research on the “fivesecond rule,” for ascertaining the edibleness of food dropped on a dirty floor.
Fesmire’s contribution was a 1988 case
report entitled “Termination of Intractable Hiccups with Digital Rectal Massage.”
Ig Nobel Awards are presented by genuine
Nobel Laureates at a ceremony that attracts more than 1200 attendees.
Perhaps Fesmire’s favorite thing about
having been singled out for the Ig Nobel
Award was that the ceremony was held
at his beloved Harvard University, which
he attended as an undergraduate.
Fesmire knew as a sophomore that he
wanted to study at Harvard, and he was
confident that Baylor could help him get
there. “Of course Baylor prepared me
academically. But the most important
thing is the way in which Baylor fosters
independence.”
Fesmire remembers classics teacher
Jim Freeman who, at the request of
Fesmire and five classmates, taught the
group Ancient Greek and then took them
backpacking in Greece the following sum-
mer. “I also took an independent course
in Southern Literature under the mentoring of Bill Cushman ’59 (though Baylor
did not technically offer independent
study courses at the time), which taught
me that education comes from within.”
One of Fesmire’s greatest pleasures as
a parent of two current Baylor students,
Forrest ’11 and Hunter ’14, is that his
sons have the opportunity to be taught
by some of the same teachers he remembers so fondly. In seventh grade, Forrest
was taught by both Larry Roberts ’65,
in whose classroom the elder Fesmire felt
great comfort, and by Fred Hubbs. “I
doubt I would have been valedictorian of
my Baylor class or gone to Harvard if it
were not for the discipline that Fred Hubbs
taught me.”
Fesmire has great respect for Jim Stover and calls Bill Cushman “the greatest
educator I have encountered in my journeys from high school to college to medical school to residency.” He credits Dr.
Dan Kennedy with teaching him the
beauty of math and computer science.
“As a result of his inspiration, I have
embarked into research on the creation
of computerized Artificial Intelligence
Networks to diagnose heart attacks in
emergency room patients with chest pain.”
Biology instructor Bill Tatum and
physics teacher George “Doc” Taylor
’54 taught Fesmire to love research. It
was in the social studies class David
Harris ’66 that Fesmire discovered just
how fun learning could be. From Latin
teacher and golf coach Herbert Anderson, Fesmire came to appreciate the beauty
of an ancient language. “Mr. Anderson
also taught me that one can lead both as
a teacher and as a coach with calmness
and patience.”
Fesmire’s passions extended beyond
the classroom, and he explored Baylor’s
many extracurricular options. He was —
and still is — a golfer, and he played
basketball until his junior year, when he
gave it up to concentrate on his studies
and non-athletic extracurricular activities,
a decision he still bemoans. He was one
of the directors of the film club, Inner
Circle, led by Doc Miller, a yearbook
editor, president of the literary society,
Round Table, headed by Bill Cushman,
and president of the Latin club, Literati.
Although he was well prepared by
Baylor for study at Harvard, Fesmire was
“scared to death” when he arrived on
campus. “I thought I wouldn’t be able
to keep up with students from Andover
and Exeter, the big guns of the academic
world.” But soon after his first day—
when he threw up his breakfast on the
steps of Harvard’s famous Widener Library — Fesmire concluded that his Baylor education put him ahead of the pack.
Based in part on his having been exposed to so much at Baylor, Fesmire’s
course selections included literature, classics, and filmmaking; classmates were
often surprised to discover that he was
pre-med. A brilliant student, Fesmire
completed his biochemistry degree in
three years. He then enrolled in Vanderbilt Medical School and completed a
residency in emergency medicine at the
University of Florida in Jacksonville.
Fesmire loved Boston and surprised
even himself by moving back to Chattanooga when he completed his residency.
His father, who died when Fesmire was
17, had been a pathologist at Erlanger,
and Fesmire found himself drawn to the
institution, where he has served since
1991. Fesmire loves Chattanooga and
has enjoyed great success here. He recently became director of research of
Erlanger’s newly established residency in
emergency medicine, and he brought the
medical center international acclaim with
his development of the Erlanger Chest
Pain Protocol, a rapid way to diagnose
heart attack patients.
It is only fair that this dedicated researcher — a scholar who wrote eight papers
when he was still a resident — should be
recognized for more than the successful
use of rectal massage to cure hiccups.
AL
k
c
a
B
ook
S
’
R
O Y
L
Y
BA TOR
VICRDEN
A
G
by John Shearer ’78
he late Humphrey “Humpy” Heywood is well remembered for the
coaching that inspired countless football players to give their best effort for
the Big Red and for his managerial skills
that kept Baylor in the black financially.
Perhaps not as well known is that he
also helped make Baylor “green” decades
before good environmental and land stewardship was in vogue.
As a group of Baylor students have
made working in the school’s organic
garden their after-school activity, a look
at Baylor’s history shows that the school,
under the direction of headmaster Herb
Barks Sr. and Heywood, turned much of
the campus into a food garden during
World War II.
As the late English teacher James E. Hitt
recounted in his Baylor history, It Never
Rains After Three O’Clock, “Three days
after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,
the administration at Baylor decided that
Members of the Victory Corps from the Class of 1943 work in Baylor’s garden.
one of the best contributions the school
could make to the cause of victory would
be to grow as much of its own food supply
as possible. So in the spring of 1942, the
school entered upon a somewhat ambitious
experiment of farming.”
Not only did Baylor plant multiple
gardens; it also raised numerous farm
animals. Hitt wrote that the project had
three goals. The first was to cooperate
with the federal government in helping
the country avoid a wartime food shortage,
as countless other Americans were doing
with “victory gardens” in their yards.
The other reasons were that Baylor –
then an all-male military school – could
save money by providing its own food
and also provide a constructive activity
for the boys. Baylor was able to accomplish the latter by becoming involved in
Victory Corps, a multi-faceted federal
program of which agriculture was a part.
Remembering the program well is
John “Buddy” Fisher ’46. “It was voluntary,” he recalled. “It encompassed several
things. You wore a patch or ribbon on
your lower right sleeve. It was red and
blue and round and had a V.”
Hitt wrote that a vegetable garden sat
near the current one, approximately
where the older tennis courts were before
the newer field house and swimming
facility were built. There was also a potato
patch in the lower fields.
Although school employees helped
take care of the gardens, so did the students in the Victory Corps.
“We would work weeding and tilling,”
remembered Fisher, whose father, John
T. Fisher, served as commandant and
assistant headmaster at Baylor during
part of his time as a student. “Probably
half the students were members of the
Victory Corps. The boarding students
probably participated percentage wise to
a larger degree because they did not have
to go home and were there on weekends.”
Bill Close ’48, who attended Baylor
as a day student beginning in eighth
grade, also remembers taking part. “We
all kind of wanted to get into it because
you got to wear a nice patch,” the retired
developer and builder recalled.
Longtime Baylor caretaker and maintenance employee Almeda Belcher served
as immediate supervisor and made sure
the garden and farm operated to the same
high standards that Barks expected from
students and faculty and that Heywood
required of the football team.
ORGANIC GARDEN TAKES ROOT
pictures and text by Barbara Kennedy
The Victory Corps raised chickens, pigs,
cattle and sheep as well as vegetables.
Robin Fazio and Bryan McMahon work in Baylor’s new organic garden.
Charlene Mendiola (right) washes a harvest of organic lettuce.
As a result, outsiders began to take
notice. After a radio program based in
New York praised Baylor in early 1943
for having the most outstanding school
Victory Corps in the entire country, W.G.
Foster of the Chattanooga News-Free
Press visited the school and was very
impressed.
“What I saw literally amazed me beyond expression,” he wrote in his article
about the program. “Using Coach Heywood as a guide, I viewed 3,000 chickens
of various stages of development, 65 pigs
and hogs, a herd of purebred beef cattle,
a herd of sheep already producing food
for the Baylor table, a large garden, where
various vegetables already are peeping
above the surface, and fields dedicated
to the growing of sweet potatoes, Irish
potatoes, corn and hay.”
Besides food and praise, the animals
also provided Baylor students with a
unique experience.
Fisher, a standout athlete at Baylor
and Vanderbilt, who went on to enjoy
several successful careers in business and
government, remembers a cow accidentally falling off the bluff by Lupton Hall.
Close, meanwhile, remembers a goat,
“Bucky,” that Coach Jim Rike had
trained to give a slight push to his young
football players when they did not perform adequately during practice.
The entire program no doubt gave
Baylor a boost at a time when the whole
country needed one.
hen Dr. Robin Fazio ’92 returned to campus last fall as a Spanish
instructor, he decided to combine his love of farming and background in sustainable agriculture to create an organic gardening
experience for students.
Working in the brutally hot September sun, Dr. Fazio and a group of students
began transforming an area of Bermuda grass and drought-baked soil into a
garden that produced broccoli, kale, and other fall crops, and spring and summer
crops consisting of onions, garlic, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, melons, corn,
squash, okra, herbs, and flowers. The industrious group also constructed a
garden fence and a storage building using recycled lumber as much as possible.
The project is offered as an afternoon activity for Upper School students,
who meet each day at the garden located on Baylor School Road. While the
students are busy with various tasks, Dr. Fazio is patiently guiding them in
making decisions about turning and maintaining the soil, crop layout, and
crop rotation. “In organic farming you are trying to mimic nature,” says Dr.
Fazio. Pointing to tidy rows of vegetables, he explains how rotating the crops
into different beds each season naturally helps break the cycles of weeds,
insects, and diseases and keeps the soil from becoming depleted of key
nutrients. Raised beds enable the roots to thrive, and pest control is done
manually. “They get to see what it’s like to grow their own food without
exploiting the planet while they are doing it. They are using their hands and
their brains at the same time,” says Dr. Fazio.
Charlene Mendiola, a ninth grader, says she has learned that gardening
is “a lot of hard work” and the importance of teamwork. “In the winter
season, we had trouble with animals getting to the plants. In the spring, there
were bugs that could harm the plants. But whenever we faced a challenge,
we overcame it.”
To date, some of the harvest has been sold to faculty, and in May the dining
hall featured fresh lettuce from the garden. In addition, vegetable and fruit
waste from the dining hall is converted into compost for the garden. Dr. Fazio
says he would eventually like to see more students and even faculty involved
and would also like to see more garden areas on campus producing food for
the dining hall and the Chattanooga community. But looking back over the
first year, he is pleased with the progress. “Seeing the plants grow and thrive
is personally enjoyable, but it makes it even more enjoyable to see the students
learning. They’ve been incredibly hard workers.”
Campus Scene
(... and heard)
Students from Baylor’s first
sixth grade class were asked:
“What do you remember best
about sixth grade at Baylor?”
by Rachel Schulson
Rachel Schulson
Currant Scruggs
Dale Hanson, former sixth grade dean, with the Class of 2008
when they arrived on campus in 2001.
Evan Joseph
Jack Parker
Rachel Schulson
Katy Burke
“I remember how excited I was to meet
new people and to make friends other
than those I had grown up with in elementary school. I also remember teachers
and parents constantly telling me how
fast my Baylor experience would pass
by, and I never believed them until now.”
“What I remember best about the sixth
grade was when Mrs. Watson, my
homeroom teacher, took a group of us
on a caving trip one weekend. It was a
great bonding experience, and we all
had a blast! Even to this day, we still
talk about taking a caving reunion trip
with that sixth grade class.”
“I remember being very nervous because
it was a new environment and new people.
We had an orientation with a cookout;
I met kids, and that helped. I remember
Latin, computer class, art, the experiments we did in science class, and my
homeroom teacher, Ms. Cohen, singing
and playing guitar. I look back on sixth grade as a good
experience.”
Rachel Schulson
Skye Anfield
“What really stood out to me when I
entered Baylor was the dedication and
availability of the teachers. In public
schools, teachers weren’t nearly as concerned with my progress. I found that
Baylor teachers would actually go out
of their way to make sure that I understood the material. This student-teacher relationship is the
heart of Baylor academics, and I still enjoy this privilege my
senior year.”
Rachel Schulson
Robyn Baxter
“My friends and I used to visit Ms. Libby
almost every day during lunch. All the
teachers and staff were so wonderful to
us, and I’ve built lasting relationships
with them. It seems surreal to talk to
Ms. Libby now about what colleges I’ve
applied to. Time has gone by so fast!”
Alice Evans and Baylor students.
Teachers and administrators
from the original sixth grade
team were asked:
Jack Parker
“What do you like best about
working with sixth graders?”
(pictured above right with members of
Baylor’s Class of 2014)
There are many “There are many things
I like about sixth graders, but my favorite
is their true innate love of and excitement
for life.”
Rachel Schulson
Rachel Schulson
Tammy Burns
“Incoming sixth graders know who they
are. The evidence is in the backpacks
they buy, the summer books they pick,
their socks, their ties, the way they label
their notebooks, the way they choose
their performing arts, and the causes
about which they’re passionate. They
know their values, and they want to talk about the word ‘honor’
when first presented with the code that unifies Baylor. Friends
are loyal and will still build forts in the woods on Saturdays.
I especially love teaching them to write memoir. By excavating the core of who they are at this age, they discover what
makes each of them unique. Discovering what they value, they
discover their own worth.”
Leroy Guy
“Each year starts with new faces of eager
students entering Baylor for the first
time. I think that the sixth grade teachers
have a gift of seeing young men and
women develop from their first steps
onto the campus. I love the sixth grade
for this reason above all other. We witness change faster than in any other grade at this school.
Sixth graders are very interested in learning, in pleasing
their teachers, and becoming independent all at the same time.
They know how to have fun at school without worrying about
what others think. I wish more students could think this way
as they move through their years at Baylor. I have not grown
tired of teaching students of this age. They take a lot of energy,
but they give it as well.”
Alice Krug
Rachel Schulson
Barbara Kennedy
Ward Fleissner
“At the start of the year, Baylor sixth
graders are so happy to be at Baylor
they will strive to be one of the flock
no matter what it takes. They will try
anything, believing they can succeed, if
they’re convinced that nobody’s going
to ridicule them or make them feel bad
if they fail or look silly. They will forgive a teacher’s mistakes
and shortcomings if they see that you’re willing to forgive
them. They believe that school and learning can be enjoyable
if both teacher and students have the right attitude. They come
in every day hoping to have just as good a day, or maybe
better, than the day before.”
“The thing I enjoy most about working
with sixth graders is the enthusiasm and
excitement for learning they bring into
the classroom. Sixth graders are inquisitive
and eager to learn. Sixth graders aren’t
afraid of asking questions, and they’re
willing to share their ideas without much
of the self-consciousness of being correct all the time. They
enjoy making observations and are delighted by the unexpected.
Experiencing the thrill of discovery with them is one of the
most rewarding parts of working with sixth graders.”
Jan Gautier
Rachel Schulson
Rachel Schulson
Libby Miller-Rogers
“When they enter sixth grade here, they
are very excited to be a part of Baylor,
something that many of them have
looked forward to for years, particularly
as they finished their elementary school
education. They get here and proudly
wear red and join in the chant “We Are
Baylor!” They also love their after-school athletics and extracurricular activities.”
Rachel Schulson
Class of 2008: Eight Notable Seniors
here is a reason that the students profiled here have all cited time management as one of the many
skills they learned at Baylor. They have had to work efficiently in order to carry a heavy load of courses
while pursuing their varied interests. These outstanding students, with the support of their teachers,
coaches, and school administrators, have built upon their innate skills, challenged themselves in
new ways, and taken risks in order to reach their potential.
by Rachel Schulson
Class of 2008: Eight Notable Seniors
HAELIE CHUNG
State winner, 2007-08
Siemens Award for
Advanced Placement
Environmental
Community Service
National Honor Society
Habitat for Humanity
Prefect (Riverfront Dorm)
International Student
Association
Track and Field
Cross Country
aelie Chung joined the effort to ensure that Baylor’s new dormitory would be LEED
certified (meeting the standards for environmentally sustainable construction) because
“my moment had come.” Chung has recognized and seized many other moments at
Baylor, pushing herself to try new experiences such as track and cross country.
Chung, who never considered herself an athlete before coming to Baylor, often drew
on what she learned from track when she felt overwhelmed by her schoolwork and many
activities. “I told myself that if I could run that much, I could also do my schoolwork.”
Apparently it worked; Chung was one of two students from Tennessee honored by
the Siemens Foundation for exceptional performance in AP math and science. Cornell
University also recognized Chung’s achievement with an early acceptance to their school
of engineering.
VAL HANSEN
Helping the Hungry (President)
Cross Country (Co-captain)
Habitat for Humanity (Secretary, Co-president)
Jim Pearce Leadership Trip
Round Table (Secretary)
Tower (Student Life Editor)
Peer Tutor/Writing Center/Peer Support Network
Track and Field
Red Circle
National Honor Society (Co-president)
iven her role in the Baylor community, it is no wonder that salutatorian Val Hansen
has been named a Carolina Scholar at UNC. The scholarship recognizes “superior
academic achievement, self-direction, and motivation for learning,” qualities that Hansen
has demonstrated for the past seven years on campus.
Hansen was drawn to Baylor because of the many activities offered, and she acknowledges
that, at times, it’s been a challenge to balance school and her many extracurriculars. She
has learned to make time for what she wanted to do most, including cross country and
Helping the Hungry. “Baylor has been good preparation for the entire college experience,
not just academics,” said Hansen, who plans to attend medical school after UNC.
What has surprised Hansen most about Baylor is how well she has gotten to know
her teachers and the extent to which they’ve befriended her. “Baylor has meant more
to me than I ever would have thought a school would.”
Class of 2008: Eight Notable Seniors
CHRIS HUNTER
Dorm Council
Head Prefect (Lupton 2)
Peer Tutor
Harambee
Ultimate Frisbee (Captain)
Football
Track & Field
Wrestling
Lacrosse
Cheerleading
t was an association with former Baylor admissions counselor Scott Smith that brought
Chris Hunter to tour Baylor when he was in eighth grade. But it was the beauty of the
campus and the friendliness of the people that made Hunter want to board.
At first Hunter found Baylor a bit overwhelming, but with encouragement from
administrator Linda Cooke, dorm parent Tom Schow, and others in the Baylor community,
Hunter worked harder and “has been loving it ever since.” What has struck Hunter most
about the school is the pervasiveness of Baylor pride. “It explains how people are supposed
to conduct themselves in school, outside of school, and towards people in the community.
The characteristics instilled at Baylor will help me wherever I go.”
The next place Hunter will go is to Paul Smith College in upstate New York, where
he will major in culinary arts.
HANNAH JONES
Lacrosse (captain)
Templeton Scholarship
Winner
National Honor Society
Jim Pearce Leadership
Trip
Walkabout (Student
Instructor; Freshman
Trip Instructor)
Liz Aplin Memorial Trip
Round Table
Tower (sports editor)
Soccer
Track and Field
Helping the Hungry
Williams Island Project
Red Circle
Peer Tutor
hen she was a rising sixth grader, Hannah Jones thought the most exciting thing
about Baylor was that she’d get to go outside between classes. An enthusiastic hiker,
climber, and athlete, Jones still relishes Baylor’s many opportunities for outdoor activity.
She has also filled her days with some of the school’s toughest courses, immersed
herself in art, and enrolled in a belly dancing class taught by a Baylor alum. “I learned
time management because I had to. I’ve become more efficient and streamlined.”
That efficiency has enabled Jones to balance her love of track and her commitment
to Walkabout with her more recent involvement in lacrosse. The school’s first-ever team
has steadily improved, ending this season with 10 wins and four losses.
Jones will seek even more outlets for her considerable energy at Bowdoin College this
fall, where she is considering a major in biology.
Class of 2008: Eight Notable Seniors
RADHIKA PATEL
Vervé Dance
Baylor Players
Round Table (Vice
President)
National Honor Society
Freshman Trip Instructor
Spanish Club (President)
Model Congress/
Model UN
Red Circle
Tower
Habitat for Humanity
Peer Tutor
Writing Center Tutor
Helping the Hungry
Choir
Salsa Club/Swing Club
Ultimate Frisbee
Harambee
High Energy
n last year’s freshman trip, student instructor Radhika Patel, along with her freshman
group, watched the rain pour steadily for a second day. But rather than join the group
as they complained, Patel inspired them to join her as she frolicked in the deep puddles.
“If you don’t take every opportunity you’re given, then you don’t know what you’ve
missed,” says Patel.
Patel appreciates that her Baylor teachers share her enthusiasm. She loved that Dr.
Dering used mirrors to show how focal points work and that Dr. Kennedy brought a
homemade cake to class to help students learn about integrating 3D shapes. “You can
tell at Baylor how much your teachers really want you to succeed.”
Patel plans to study international relations, business, politics, or communication when
she enters Boston University this fall.
JUSTIN KNIGHT
Tower (Editor in Chief)
Baylor Players
(Co-President)
Tech Crew (Baylor Players
and Vervé)
Jim Pearce Leadership
Trip
Dean’s Advisory Council
Chapel Advisory
Committee
Senior Grant Committee
Red Circle
hen Baylor purchased a state-of-the-art lighting board and automation system for Roddy
Theater, Justin Knight sat in on meetings between Baylor staff and representatives of Strand
Lighting. Production electrician for all theater events, Knight helped make the purchasing
decision and then installed the equipment. Knight’s interest in tech crew dates back to sixth
grade when he worked with drama teacher Beth Gumnick and then-senior Matt Farr. “I
want to do what he’s doing,” thought Knight, who recently realized, “Wow, that’s me now.”
Knight shows the same dedication to his work as editor-in-chief of the Tower, a position
he took on after a year each as photographer, photography editor, and managing editor.
Knight never considered Baylor until his parents showed him a viewbook. “I looked at
pictures of this wonderful, magical place and thought, ‘I’ll give it a shot.’ I’m really glad I did.”
Knight plans to major in information technology at Georgia Southern and is considering
a minor in technology education or technical theater.
Class of 2008: Eight Notable Seniors
BAILEY WHITAKER
Junior Class President
Student Body President
Wrestling (Captain)
NHSCA Academic All American
Best of Preps 2008
Jim Pearce Leadership Trip
Red Circle
Peer Tutor
National Honor Society
fourth generation Baylor student, Bailey Whitaker has early memories of watching
wrestling matches on campus. Whitaker didn’t enjoy the sport himself until he started
winning matches in seventh grade.
Named the top wrestler in the city by the Chattanooga Times Free Press this year,
Whitaker is only the second four-time state champion in Baylor’s history. “Wrestling has
taught me that the harder you work, the higher the probability you’ll win. (Coaches)
Schaack and Morgan have taught me to come to each match with my head up, win or
lose. They stress good sportsmanship and a good work ethic.”
Whitaker’s dedication to doing his best in wrestling, in student government, and in the
classroom helped him secure a place in the U.S. Naval Academy’s freshman class. He plans
to study either mechanical or electrical engineering as he trains to become a marine or a pilot.
en Yang wasn’t sure when he first considered Baylor if he’d be comfortable at the
school. As a person who aims to defy stereotypes, he still had a few of his own and
worried that he might not be accepted by Southerners. He is pleased to have made many
friends and counts his teachers among them. “They are very interesting people. I’ve gotten
a great education at Baylor, and I will miss all my friends when I graduate.”
While Yang’s studies have taken center stage — he knew early that he wanted to attend
the University of Chicago — he has juggled other activities. “Many mornings, I’ve had
crew practice at 7, gone to jazz rehearsal in sweats at 7:30, and then had extra help at
8:15. You just have to deal with it.”
Yang’s dedication has paid off, and he will study economics at Chicago this fall with
the goal of a career in either banking or consulting.
Rachel Schulson
BEN YANG
Jim Pearce Leadership Trip
Concert, Jazz, and Pep Bands
National Honor Society
Crew
Prefect (Probasco Hall)
Round Table
Student Council
International Club (President)
Earth Advocates
Final Thoughts
I remember walking through the gravel across
the roadway as I approached Academic Hall
for my first official school function. It would
be dishonest not to admit that I was filled with
trepidation. I proceeded through the bleak lobby,
continued down a dark hall, and seated myself
in the only illuminated room in the building.
Seven other teachers, all new to Baylor, our
dean and Ms. Libby (Miller-Rogers) joined me.
The first sixth grade faculty meeting commenced.
I gazed around the room at all the new faces,
and I wondered how we would create the space,
the curriculum, the creative, high-level program
Baylor wanted for its first class of sixth graders…in just a few short months.
Later I was introduced to my classroom,
a square empty space devoid of anything except
shelves, cabinets, and 14 desks with red chairs.
I was immediately drawn to the windows
overlooking the grassy banks of the Tennessee
River, where I gazed out upon the leafy trees, Pictured with Amy Cohen are members of the first sixth grade class and recent
the barge rippling down the river, and the blue graduates: (standing) Justin Knight, Radhika Patel and (seated) Bailey Whitaker,
mountains beyond its waters. This space was Val Hansen, and Hannah Jones.
to become my second home; yet I wondered
how I would ever manage to create a haven for my students
discuss a novel under the trees, to journal while perched against
— a classroom that was a refuge, a happy place for hard work,
the trunk of a towering tree, simultaneously daydreaming about
knowledge, and exciting beginnings.
the tugboat floating downstream? Mary Shelton Bryant rememI never could have imagined the conversation that occurred
bers the time John Stout tried to scare us with tales of the snake
after three short weeks of school that fall. My advisees and I
he spied on the riverbank. None of us believed his joking until
sat huddled in our cozy circle in the back of the classroom,
we spotted the copperhead slithering furtively through the tall
by now filled with complicated world maps, colorful wall
grass. Justin Knight recalls sunny spring days of reading on
hangings, famous sayings, books, and student work. I was
the patio of the library as a treat. Our advisees had saved him
attempting to field the queries thrown at me from every
the “special chair” as he arrived late. As he plopped happily
direction: “How many people work in the World Trade Center?
into his chair, he suddenly found himself looking skyward
What happened to the Pentagon? Ms. Cohen, what does
amidst the hysterical laughter of his classmates. There seemed
‘hijack’ mean?”
to be a hole just large enough in the seat of the chair for a sixth
It was the afternoon of September 11, 2001. I had not
grader’s backside to fall directly onto the pavement.
comprehended that an important part of being a Baylor teacher
Reflecting on conversations with former students and
was to be ready to face the painful questions that erupt in our
current sixth grade colleagues, what we remember most are
world, to be able both to open dialogue amongst our students
those magical moments outside the formality of the classroom.
and to attempt to reassure them about the world in which
I marvel when I walk across campus and see my former sixth
they will grow up.
graders, now seniors, taller than I ever will be, laughing with
Still, there were many more joyous times than sad ones that
friends while juggling hefty backpacks, musical instruments,
first year. Through our humanities-based program, we enjoyed
and sports equipment. I will miss our first graduating class of
weaving literature, history, writing, Latin, and the arts. Tyler
sixth graders when they depart Baylor this year, even as I
Brasfield asks, “Who could forget Africa Day?” This was an
relish the day that they will return to visit as young professionals.
entire day of cultural festivities culminating our studies of
I dream of the day that one of them slips into my classroom
ancient Africa, with teachers dressed in the exquisite fabrics
to meet my students, ready to share who he or she has become
of the continent, serving native foods, playing African games,
in the big world beyond Baylor School.
and speaking Swahili. What senior wouldn’t now long for
those snippets of time to read a great book on the riverbank,
by Amy Cohen, sixth grade instructor
Paul O’Mara
Looking Back at the First Sixth Grade Class
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3
Alumni Golf Tournament at Black Creek
Welcome Home Tailgate Party
Baylor vs. McCallie Football Game
at Finley Stadium
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4
Ruckus on Rike Field
A day of fun and games for the kids!
Saturday School
Reminisce with Baylor teachers and alums.
Headmaster’s Luncheon and
Alumni Awards Presentation
Saturday Evening Class Reunions
’58, ’63, ’68, ’73, ‘78, ’83, ’88, ’93, ‘98, ’03
Half Century Club Dinner
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5
Alumni Memorial Service
Alumni Brunch
For more information please check
online at www.baylorschool.org
Baylor School
171 Baylor School Road
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37405
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
BAYLOR
REUNION HIGHLIGHTS