Coeducation - Baylor School

Winter 2005
for alumni and friends of Baylor School
Coeducation
&
Student Leadership
Serving as leaders in student activities is a powerful part
of a Baylor education. Such experiences are loaded with
life lessons, especially in a coeducational environment.
Jack Parker
From the Headmaster
The First 100 Days
Thank you for the wonderful welcome to Baylor. Sue and I
have really appreciated the cordiality and helpfulness from
every element of the Baylor family. Students, families, the
Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Baylor
have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome – and to
teach us the essence of Baylor.
You have given me much to observe over my first 100 days.
First, it is abundantly clear that Baylor provides very strong
academic, physical, emotional, ethical, and competitive preparation for leadership. Our students embrace the mission of
the school to make a positive difference in the world. That
takes leadership. The Baylor family, whether on campus daily
or engaged periodically, knows our students must prepare not
just to go along with the drift of things but to lead from
intellectual and ethical insights. Leaders require physical,
emotional, and competitive stamina to give their ideas a chance
to make a positive difference.
With a bit of caution urged by a recent business bestseller
in which Jim Collins warned that “good” is sometimes the
enemy of “great,” it has been easy to find what all of you
knew. Baylor is a good school. In very many ways, Baylor is
a great school. Our first challenge may well be to make sure
we know what is good about Baylor and be sure we do not
let it slip. The better challenge, however, is to find what is
already great or could be great.
I have noticed Baylor fares very well in several categories
benchmarked against other excellent prep schools. Baylor
ranks well academically in such areas as the number of
Advanced Placement courses offered, sufficient student body
enrollment, extracurricular opportunities, square feet of
academic space, campus size, and facilities.
I have noticed the dedication of a faculty and student body
and, even more importantly, a willingness to extend from
good to great where planning and resources lead.
During the spring, continued evaluation, planning, and
resource allocation might focus on such topics as faculty
development and graduate degrees, a Leadership Baylor student
initiative, the campus landscape, student-faculty ratio, national
test proficiency, college choices and successful matriculation,
and program reviews. It is our intention to seek continuous
quality improvement and improved access to each program
and service at Baylor.
I join our trustees in a commitment to improve our endowment to enable our top 10 expectations across the school. For
example, we need to offer the outstanding boarding school
opportunity at Baylor to more students, with a probable target
of 180 students next year.
Faculty, alumni, students, and others have made me curious
about the opportunity to consider learning styles and learning
center programs. What might happen as Baylor continues its
migration from a teaching organization to a learning organization? What is one aspect of Baylor that we might do better
than anyone in the country?
During the spring, we will be asking those who love Baylor
best – and assessing critiques and national benchmarks – to
assist in defining a new level of greatness for Baylor. I am
delighted to have the chance to work with you toward that
end. Fortunately, Board Chair Jon Kinsey ’72 has asked
Chattem CEO Zan Guerry ’67 to bring his business acumen
to the task of chairing a new trustee Committee on Strategic
Planning and Action to assist in this effort.
Working together, I am excited about the opportunities
Baylor can continue to offer.
by Dr. Bill W. Stacy, President and Headmaster
for alumni and friends of Baylor School
Jack Parker
volume fifteen • number two
2 Around Campus
News and perspectives from Baylor School and beyond.
5 Coeducation and Student Leadership
Student activities and the leadership opportunities they present introduce
Baylor students early and effectively to valuable life lessons, even more so
due to the real-world setting that a coeducational environment affords.
Meet some remarkable students who bear this out.
by Julie J. Van Valkenburg
9 Alumni Profiles
Paul Winkel, Jr. ’50, Rob Healy ’69, Rob Headrick ’82, Ashley Randolph
McMahon ’88, and Rachael Miller ’98 have gone in very different directions
since their Baylor days. While it may appear that a surgeon who flies planes
in his spare time and a graduate student in theater don’t have much in
common, what they took away from Baylor is remarkably similar.
by Rachel Schulson
15 Raider Report
A roundup of class notes, kudos, athletics, and more.
25 Final Thoughts
There is nothing that can renew one’s faith in humanity more quickly or
more completely than witnessing students from all walks of life and all
corners of the globe coming together over a common issue. Destination: the
International Round Square Conference.
by Emma Williams
Cover Photo
Baylor’s coeducational environment provides ample
opportunity and life lessons for student leaders. (Cover photo
by Jack Parker)
Editor
Julie J. Van Valkenburg
Designer
Angela Rich
Writers & Contributors
Eddie Davis
Barbara Kennedy
Rachel Schulson
Dr. Bill W. Stacy
Julie J. Van Valkenburg
Emma Williams
Photography
Eddie Davis
Barbara Kennedy
Jack Parker
Julie J. Van Valkenburg
Acknowledgements
Susan Collins
Bill Cushman ’59
Susan Miller
Velda Price
President and Headmaster
Dr. Bill W. Stacy
Associate Head/Vice President for Advancement & External Affairs
Kathleen Hanson
Vice President of Finance and Operations
Dallas Joseph
Associate Head for Academic Affairs
Jim Stover
Associate Head for Student Affairs
Michael McBrien
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Jon Kinsey ’72
President, Alumni Association
Greg Wright ’64
Jack Parker
Chairman, Parent Alliance
Ken Conner
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.
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
P.O. Box 1337; Chattanooga, TN 37401
Phone: (423) 267-8505 | Fax: (423) 757-2878
www.baylorschool.org | pr@baylor.chattanooga.net
Around Campus
News & Perspectives from Baylor School
Baylor Dedicates New Aquatic Center and Wrestling Arena
top boarding schools such as Baylor have recognized that
quality athletic facilities and aquatic centers also matter to
student preparation. These new facilities round out six years
of overall campus improvements that include the Weeks Science
and Technology Building, Ireland Arts Studio, Roddy Performing Arts Center, and Riverfront Dorm. Together they will help
us attract those top students who are interested in developing
the full range of their talents,” he said.
De Verona agreed. “If I were a young person looking for
a great facility and a wonderful program that would maybe
help me get into the college of my choice – I’d be looking at
this institution,” she said.
For more photos and information visit the Baylor School
website at www.baylorschool.org
Michael Locke
Two former Olympic swimmers and a member of the Pro
Football Hall of Fame were on campus for the formal dedication
of Baylor’s new athletic facilities in December.
The $9 million project was completed in just nine months and
has put the school’s aquatic center on the map as the area’s only
indoor 50-meter pool. Additional improvements include an
expanded wrestling facility with a new lobby and entrance named
in honor of legendary coach Major Luke Worsham.
Donna de Verona, a 1964 Olympic gold medalist, addressed
a student assembly and participated in the ribbon cutting
ceremony for the new aquatic center. She was joined by
Olympic gold medalist Geoff Gaberino ’80, who said the pool
brought back “some good memories.” Gaberino also praised
school leaders for their vision. “Building this pool is not about
one person. Certainly, you have to recognize the board
of directors because they had a lot to do with it. But
this building is about a team, it’s about the community
of Baylor, and it’s about the vision of Baylor.”
A large group of former and current wrestlers
gathered for an emotional dedication of the Luke
Worsham Memorial Wrestling Arena. “When people
discuss accomplishments I can trace all of mine to
Major Luke Worsham,” said John Hannah ’69. “He
decided to turn me into something.” Hannah wrestled
for Baylor and later played football for the University
of Alabama. He was a first-round draft choice by the
New England Patriots in 1973 and was the first Patriot
inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Baylor Headmaster Dr. Bill Stacy said the facilities will
energize the school’s efforts to increase boarding enrollment.
“One of our strategic objectives is to invite more students to
our boarding program. While quality academics and a diverse
mix of extracurricular and service activities are first priorities,
Artist Cessna Decosimo created a bronze bust of Major Luke
Worsham that will remain in the new wrestling lobby as a
reminder of his legacy to countless students. Pictured above from
left are: Dotty Worsham Lowe, Bob Bullard ’81 (trustee), Betty
Flo Worsham, Cessna Decosimo, and Myra Worsham Martin.
Baylor Almanac Significant events in the history of Baylor School
1914.15.16.1917.18.19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.30.31.32.33.34.35.36.37.38.39.40.41.42.43.44.45.46.47.48.49.50.51.52.53.1954.55.56.57.58.59.60.61.62
90 years ago
87 years ago
50 years ago
Planning gets under way to purchase a 35-acre site at
Williams Island Station, where the school will relocate
from its Palmetto Street home. The school would later
expand to include 670 acres.
Ground is broken for the Academic Building, which will
house classrooms, a laboratory, the study hall, and
dormitory housing. A new wing is later added, and the
building is renamed Hunter Hall in memory of alumnus
and trustee George T. Hunter ’07.
Portions of the Walt Disney movie “Davy Crockett” are
shot on campus, with Baylor students included in the
footage. The popular film was released in 1955.
Go Big Red Oak! Science Students Attempt to Clone Historic Tree
Barbara Kennedy
Students hope that a cloning project that is now under way
will help preserve the heritage of Baylor’s oldest landmark –
a giant Southern red oak that has stood well over a century
on the banks of the Tennessee River.
The exact age of the tree is unknown, but according to
Baylor science teacher Bill Tatum, a recent measurement of
the tree indicates that it is 18 feet, 4 inches in circumference
and 107 feet tall, with an average crown spread of 20 feet.
These measurements were applied to a champion tree formula
provided by the Tennessee Forestry Department, and the tree
earns the distinction of being the largest red oak in Hamilton
Faculty member Bill Tatum looks on as senior Maggie Horn
gives careful attention to the cloning project.
County and the second largest in the state.
Located between the Roddy Performing Arts Center and
the Studio Arts Center, the tree has been infected with crown
gall for several years and is slowly dying. Thanks to Bill and
his students, however, cloned copies will be produced containing
an exact replica of the tree’s genome. Using a process called
micropropagation, students in Bill’s genetics class this fall
placed terminal and lateral buds from the tree in a special
medium that stimulates growth.
“The cloning has to be done under precise and sterile
conditions,” said Bill, who consulted with scientists from
Texas A&M and the University of Edinburgh in preparing
for the project.
Baylor officials have speculated that the tree was already
large at the time of the Civil War. Archeological records
provided by Alexander Archeological Consultants in Chattanooga note that the Federal Calvary Brigade was camped in
the vicinity of the tree in October 1863 after the Battle of
Chickamauga. A regiment was also camped at the site to
defend a potential Confederate advance across Williams Island.
The records state that “… the location of the William’s Island
Ferry crossing has not been specified in the Civil War documents. However, we can reasonably conclude that it was
located on the Baylor campus near the Big Oak.”
Further evidence came in 1991 and 1992, when Bill and
a group of students conducted a two-year archaeological dig
beneath the tree. A variety of Civil War era artifacts were
unearthed, including shell casings, glass bottles, a bridle ring,
and a soapstone die.
Bill concludes that the tree must have very advantageous
genes because it has outlived almost every Southern red oak
in the state.
“We hope to plant the cloned offspring at various places
around campus so that the tree’s genes can be perpetuated in
other red oak trees by the natural reproductive process,” he said.
63.64.65.66.67.68.69.70.71.72.73.74.75.76.77.78.79.80.81.82.83.84.85.86.87.88.1989.90.91.92.93.1994.95.96.97.98.99.00.01.02.03.04.05
50 years ago
15 years ago
10 years ago
Baylor is the only school in the South invited to participate
in the national experiment known as the “School and
College Study of Admissions with Advanced Standing,”
now known as the Advanced Placement program. Baylor
now offers more than 20 AP courses.
Following the admission of the first female day students
four years before, the first female boarding students
are admitted and a new girls’ dormitory, Lowrance Hall,
opens to accommodate them.
Baylor becomes the first secondary school to undertake
a complete building project, from raising the funds to
providing the labor, for a Habitat for Humanity house.
Source: Jim Hitt’s It Never Rains After Three O’Clock, John Longwith’s Castle on a Cliff, and Baylor’s Office of Communications.
ENJOYING BAYLOR’S GREAT OUTDOORS
Baylor is opening its doors – and its outdoors – to Chattanooga
with broader thinking about its popular summer camps.
Recognizing the many benefits of making its 670-acre campus
available to the community, the school’s newly formed Outreach
and Auxiliary Programs initiative is reshaping the summer
camp experience and adding year-round programs as well.
Outreach and Auxiliary Programs director Thad Lepcio
says the school has underutilized the campus and its state-ofthe-art facilities. Now, Baylor will be offering numerous
enrichment opportunities throughout the year.
“We have the best facilities, the best teachers, and the best
coaches, and we need to show more people that,” Thad said.
Programs in the works include a “legacy” weekend of
activities for children of Baylor alumni and a package of morning
athletic clinics and afternoon art camps. The school will also
host the middle school portion of UTC’s popular basketball
camp, bringing some 300 middle schoolers from throughout
the region to campus next summer. In December, a half-day
“summer preview” camp appealing to families with young
children on holiday break from school debuted at full capacity.
“It’s all about getting kids and their families on campus,”
says Thad, who came to Baylor last year as a sixth grade
teacher after serving as the
associate athletic director at
Wofford College in Spartanburg,
S.C. “We want to give people a
chance to experience Baylor before
they start considering sixth grade admission for their children.
“We’ve had some kids who have had a good time at our
summer camps and want to be considered for admission as a
result. We need to create more of those opportunities. We
want to provide enough programming to whet people’s appetites
about Baylor.”
Meanwhile, Baylor’s long-standing summer programs will
take a new approach as well. The popular day camps for
youngsters ages 5-13 have been renamed “Raider Days” and,
as outgrowths of those successful camps, two new camps have
been established. Team Baylor, an all-sports camp, will be
open to first through seventh graders. Summer Prep, a threeweek academic enrichment camp, will be offered to seventh
through ninth graders as a day or boarding camp.
Raider Days and Team Baylor:
June 13 – 24 and June 27 – July 8
Summer Prep: July 3-23
423.757.2616 ! www.baylorschool.org
EXPERIENCE!BAYLOR
Maximum fun
By the Numbers
The National Association of Independent
Schools (NAIS) and the Higher Education
Research Institute recently released the annual
Freshmen Survey Trends Report, a study that
charts characteristics of students attending
colleges and universities as first-time, full-time
freshmen. From their high educational
aspirations to their level of engagement in
civic life, the findings noted key differences
between independent school graduates
(“NAIS students”) and their larger peer group
(“all students”). These findings offer insights
into the ways independent schools like Baylor
help their students succeed.
86
Percentage of NAIS students who
planned to pursue a master’s or other
postgraduate degree. (All students: 74%)
85
Percentage of NAIS students who
went on to attend “very high” or “highly
selective” colleges and universities.
85 Percentage of NAIS students who had
visited an art gallery or museum in the last
year. (All students: 60%)
46 Percentage of NAIS students who had
asked a teacher for advice after class within
the previous year. (All students: 25%)
46
Percentage of NAIS students who
consider keeping up to date with political
affairs essential. (All students: 31%)
41
Percentage of NAIS students who
said they expect to participate in volunteer
or community activities in college. (All
students: 24%)
Coeducation
&
Student Leadership
Serving as leaders in an array of student activities is a powerful
part of a Baylor education. Such experiences are loaded with
life lessons, even more so due to the real-world setting that
a coeducational environment affords.
Kate Enzenauer and Carl Schow are president and vice president,
respectively, of the Round Table literary discussion group.
text and photos by
Julie J. Van Valkenburg
“In order to become good leaders, both males and
females need to become comfortable with behaving in ways that may not come easily to them,
that run counter to gender stereotypes.”
M
embers of the Round Table, Baylor School’s prestigious
literary discussion group, are gathered on a November
evening in the Alumni Chapel board room, debating the
leadership merits of Henry V as exemplified in Shakespeare’s
epic play. He’s courageous, they agree. Charismatic. Eloquent
and inspirational. Yet the conflict in Shakespeare’s Henry V
– the topic of this latest gathering of one of the school’s oldest
organizations – comes from the ambiguity of a powerful leader
who heroically rallies his “band of brothers” on the battlefield
but whose ruthlessness leaves him a less than perfect man.
There’s no ambiguity, however, in the ideal of leadership
that these students emulate at Baylor. To be selected to
participate in the Round Table is among the school’s highest
honors. By virtue of their achievements in the classroom, in
the athletic arena, and through extracurricular activities such
as this, the dozen students debating King Henry’s attributes
embody qualities of good leadership themselves. Six girls and
six boys, they also represent the strengths of a coeducational
school, with their literary discussions enriched by the diversity
of their points of view.
The Round Table, which since its founding in 1942 has
emphasized independent thought and lively debate, is a prime
example of how Baylor boys and girls learn, grow, and thrive
in one another’s presence.
“These students commit to reading and to engaging in
conversation outside the boundaries of their regular course
work, demonstrating their dedication to learning and to the
life of the mind,” says faculty sponsor Heather Ott, a Baylor
English teacher.
The students, all seniors chosen through an application
process, are joined by select faculty members, including Bill
Cushman ’59. Bill, who saw the Round Table – and the school
– function as an all-male entity as a one-time student member
of the group, says the female presence has been strong among
the membership since the school went coed in 1985 and the
first girls became eligible for membership as seniors in 1988.
Artificial stereotypes of girls who fall silent in the company
of boys certainly prove inaccurate in Round Table discussions.
“Girls who are serious readers maybe by definition are
confident women, so if anyone is not going to speak up, it’s
not going to be them,” Bill says. “I’ve never been aware of
any disinclination of girls to speak up. You’ve got reticent
girls and reticent boys, and you’ve got talkative boys and
talkative girls.”
Two students selected by their peers to lead the group –
president Kate Enzenauer and vice president Carl Schow –
feel a responsibility to keep the discussion moving at Round
Table gatherings.
“The biggest thing is to come prepared, and to come
prepared to speak but also to listen,” Carl says. “If I’m listening
to myself talk a lot, I’m not going to learn very much from
the others in the group. That’s the beauty of literature;
everybody gets something different out of it.”
Carl, whose extensive list of activities includes serving as
co-editor-in-chief of The Baylor Notes student newspaper, as
a member of the Honor Council, as a Community Service site
leader, and as a member of the jazz, concert, and pep bands,
feels that coeducation brings valuable diversity to the classroom
and school activities.
“Certainly, girls come from a different perspective than
guys. That’s how we are,” he says. “If we were all alike, it
would be boring.”
Kate, whose activities include serving as a Peer Tutor, a
Tower yearbook editor, and as a member of the National
Honor Society and the varsity crew team, appreciates the
balance that the presence of boys and girls brings to conversations such as those of the Round Table. “Guys are generally
very straightforward,” she says. “Girls are less direct. I think
there needs to be that balance.”
T
here is certainly a balance at Baylor, where boys represent
55 percent and girls 45 percent of the student body of more
than 1,000. Studies show that such a balance, in the form of
coeducation, advances the development of student leadership.
“Successful leaders are those who have the flexibility to
adapt their style to the demands of the situation and the knowhow to identify what style best fits the situation therein,”
writes Anne Chapman in her book A Great Balancing Act:
Equitable Education for Girls and Boys, a publication of the
National Association of Independent Schools. “In order to
become good leaders, both males and females need to become
comfortable with behaving in ways that may not come easily
to them, that run counter to gender stereotypes.”
The author considers extracurricular activities part of a
school’s “informal curriculum,” that is, educational tools in
themselves. And by working side by side in activities, students
gain important lessons in group dynamics, team building,
leadership styles, and more that develop their emerging leadership skills.
Exposure to new skills and ideas through extracurricular
activities is a valued part of the Baylor program, and there is
ample opportunity through 50 clubs, organizations, and
publications. And in a coeducational setting, students experience
these activities in a real-world environment in which both
genders are represented, in which no one gender dominates
the leadership positions.
S
even boys and eight girls share the elected positions of
the Student Council, with David Marks in the top spot
as president.
“A balanced Student Council is a better Student Council,”
David says. “It’s what you’re going to get in the real world.
David Marks is president of the Student Council.
You’re not going to be with all girls or all guys your whole
life; you’re going to be with a diversity of people.”
And whether addressing a school dance or the dress code,
the diversity of the Student Council invites a variety of perspectives to the deliberations, better allowing the officers to represent
the student body’s wishes. “We all have pretty much the same
focus, although not the same viewpoints,” David says.
Although he is also a captain of the varsity football team
and a member of Red Circle, the group of student ambassadors
who serve the Admissions Office, David says his Student
Council participation has given him an incomparable opportunity to get deeply involved in the school community. And,
he adds, it has provided a valuable learning opportunity.
“I’ve gotten better at public speaking and working with a
group to get things done,” he says. “I know I’ll be able to
look back at this and see that I learned something.”
volunteer,” says Albernie, whose numerous activities include
serving as a Student Council representative, a Peer Tutor, a
Writing Center tutor, a Tower editor, a Baylor Notes contributor,
and a member of Red Circle, the Healthy Communities/Healthy
Youth initiative, and the Committee to Promote an Inclusive
Community. But her most prominent leadership role is as
president of Harambee, an organization that works to promote
appreciation of diversity in the Baylor community.
“I like to be in leadership positions,” Albernie says. “I like
being in charge. I don’t like not knowing what’s going on.”
She is well acquainted with what’s going on with Harambee
due to the extent of her previous involvement in the organization, which has helped her take a critical look at the group in
order to identify how she wanted to make an impact as
president. “I saw issues that needed to be developed, and I
knew I could do it,” she says.
Among her actions has been to restore “issues meetings”
to the ongoing agenda, in which one of the two monthly
meetings is dedicated to discussion of a relevant, sometimes
provocative topic. A vocal group turns out for these meetings,
and having both genders voicing their opinions clearly contributes to the liveliness of the dialogue.
“A girl’s perspective can be very different from a guy’s,”
says Albernie. “That’s what Harambee is all about, embracing
our differences.”
Jesse Bertke and Porter Durham are chair and vice chair,
respectively, of the Honor Council.
S
Albernie Ferguson is president of Harambee, a cultural
understanding organization.
A
lbernie Ferguson developed her community ethic at a
tender age, working pledge drives at public television
station WTCI-Channel 45 since the age of 11.
“My mom has always encouraged me to be involved and
tudents elected to the Honor Council embrace a different
challenge, and that is the difficult task of passing judgment
on their peers. Founded in 1916 to uphold the Honor Code
and to support honesty and integrity among the student body,
the council is called upon to seek just solutions in the event
of violations.
“You have to be judicious,” says vice chairman Porter
Durham. “You have to ignore who is in front of you and
focus on what’s in front of you and deal with the circumstances
of the case.”
Porter serves alongside chairperson Jesse Bertke, a boarding
student from Anchorage, Alaska, who acknowledges the intense
nature of the council’s work. “We’ve had six-hour trials where
“Our mission is to instill the desire and
the ability to make a positive difference
in the world. That’s accomplished
through leadership. You make a difference through leadership.”
we’re making decisions that affect people’s
lives,” she says. “The toughest thing about
Honor Council is when you have to look
someone in the eye and talk about something
they already feel guilty about. Most people are
very honest with us.”
Jesse and Porter are among the most active
leaders in the student body. Jesse is vice president
of the Dorm Council, a Walkabout instructor,
a Tower editor, captain of the varsity crew
team, and head prefect in Lowrance Hall. Porter is a member
of Round Table, Red Circle, the Chapel Advisory Committee,
and the varsity football team, and he serves as a Peer Tutor
and as a National Honor Society officer.
The two have seniority in terms of their years of service on
the 14-member Honor Council, which factored into Jesse’s
desire to hold a leadership position. “I enjoy being in charge,”
she says. “Even though it’s hard work, that’s how I feel
involved and feel I’m making a difference.”
Although both appreciate the balanced perspectives that
come with girls and boys working together, Jesse says that’s
not in the forefront of her mind when she immerses herself in
activities. “I don’t generally make that connection,” she says.
“I don’t walk into a room and think, ‘Whoa! I need to get
another girl in here!’”
But, she maintains, being in a coed setting is important as
she looks ahead to the world of work. “I don’t think there’s
going to be any environment in my life that’s all women,” she
says. “I don’t think that would be good, either. I don’t see
how you’d learn to compete with men.”
Porter also appreciates what’s gained from the experience.
“Girls give you a fresh perspective,” he says. “It doesn’t work
well in a learning environment when everyone thinks the same.”
Steve Margio ’91, Dean of Student Life
S
tudent activities and the leadership opportunities they
present introduce Baylor students early and effectively to
valuable life lessons in social interaction and achievement. And
they’re gaining these experiences in a real-world setting: where
both the fun and responsibility that such opportunities afford
are carried out in balance with classroom and other responsi-
Michael McBrien, Associate Head of Student Affairs
bilities; where goals are pursued within groups of common
interests; where a coeducational environment provides the
authentic setting that students will experience beyond Baylor.
“The value is they’re seeing their actions and their decisions
affecting a group of people,” says Steve Margio ’91, whose
newly appointed role as Dean of Student Life underscores the
foundation the school is committing to these important activities. “That lesson alone is such an important part of life.
When you’re in a leadership position, it can affect a lot of
people, and you get those opportunities through athletic teams,
clubs, and organizations.”
Grounded in positive youth development values, these
leadership experiences uphold the principle that gender equity
supports a quality education.
“A coed school lets men appreciate the leadership style of
women and women appreciate the leadership style of men,”
says Michael McBrien, Associate Head for Student Affairs.
“There are some subtle differences between us, but I don’t
mean any of the unfortunate media stereotypes. A coed school
breaks those stereotypes down.”
And that permits students to focus on what really matters.
“Our mission is to instill the desire and the ability to make
a positive difference in the world,” Michael says. “That’s
accomplished through leadership. You make a difference
through leadership. Our students are working with a wide
variety of people, which coeducation supports, in a community
where they feel supported. Any students who have held
leadership positions walk away knowing they’ve brought the
mission to life.”
Philosophy
A Common
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The alumni profiled here — Paul Winkel, Jr. ’50, Rob
Healy ’69, Rob Headrick ’82, Ashley Randolph McMahon ’88, and Rachael Miller ’98 — have gone in
very different directions since their Baylor days. While
at first glance it may appear that they do not have
much in common, what they took away from Baylor
is remarkably similar. To a person, they fondly remember Baylor teachers, recall experiences that have shaped
who they are today, and talk about how they strive
to make a difference in the world. It would be impossible to isolate all the factors that made the Baylor
experience so meaningful in their lives, but the school’s
diverse resources and nurturing environment inspired
them to try things they wouldn’t have otherwise. The
philosophy that we are here to enrich our community
helped channel their innate desire to give back.
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By Rachel Schulson
Rachel Schulson is Communications Director
of the Jewish Federation and author of the
children’s book, Guns: What You Should Know.
She and her husband, Henry, are the parents of
two Baylor students, Michael ’08 and Leah ’10.
Possibilities
A Boost to
“Baylor provided me with guidance, along with the fortitude and drive that I needed, [it]
also gave me the academic boost, a chance to study, and the good solid fellowship from
guys of good character that I needed to win.”
By the time Paul Winkel, Jr. ’50
arrived at Baylor School from
Vienna, Austria, in 1949, he
had lived in five U.S. states and
had attended 12 schools. His
father was in the Army and,
from the time he was in fifth
grade, Paul was determined to
attend the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point, N.Y.
Although Paul had graduated from Vienna’s U.S. Dependents High School, attending so many schools had
taken its toll and he wanted to
improve his academics before
applying to West Point. Paul
heard about Baylor through a
friend of his father and entered
as a “post-graduate” to boost
his academics.
Paul found what he was
looking for at Baylor. Among his
memories of the school are the
guidance of then-Headmaster Herbert
Barks, Sr., on seeking a West Point appointment, and Mr. Barks’ prediction
in his 1950 commencement address that
America would be at war within 30
days. “Sure enough, on June 30, the war
in Korea broke out,” Paul remembers.
Following Luke Worsham’s “sound
counsel to never quit on a matter of
importance,” Paul worked tirelessly
after graduation, petitioning members
of Congress to take examinations that
would permit him to join the Army
and become eligible to attend the Army’s West Point Preparatory School.
When he became an Army Private in
January 1951, Paul began in earnest
to compete for an appointment to the
military academy. In July 1952, with
a principal appointment from Senator
Everett Dirksen of Illinois, he realized
his dream and entered West Point.
“Baylor provided me with guid-
Paul Winkel, Jr. ’50
ance, along with the fortitude and
drive that I needed – even sitting on
the bench in football and in basketball
when quitting would have been so
easy,” says Paul. “Baylor also gave
me the academic boost, a chance to
study, and the good solid fellowship
from guys of good character that I
needed to win.”
Paul entered West Point right in
the middle of the Korean War, “so I
had incentive to study and not fail,”
he observes. Paul graduated as a Second Lieutenant in 1956.
During his 31-year Army career,
Paul served in Korea, two tours in
Vietnam, in Germany, and with
NATO. He was a member of the 82nd
Airborne Division and also the 1st
Cavalry Division (Airmobile). He served
in the Pentagon on four Army staffs
and with the Organization of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. During his last year of
service, Paul wrote a study on
command, control, communications, and information
warfare as a force multiplier.
Some parts of the study were
put into operation in 1991
during Desert Storm and in
2003 during the Iraqi war.
Paul also found the time
to earn two master’s degrees,
the first in personnel administration from George
Washington University in
1967 and the second in international studies from
American University in 1973.
After retiring from the Army as a Colonel in 1986, Paul
worked as a consultant. He
now lives near Leesburg, Va.,
where he devotes his time to
his two children, two stepchildren, and four grandchildren as well as to volleyball,
travel, and writing. He met his wife,
Rita, on the volleyball court in 1989
and both compete at the national
championship level. Between them,
since 1997, they have amassed nine
bronze, three silver, and three gold
medals in their respective age brackets.
Paul is writing a book about the
helicopter crews of the 1965 Battle of
Landing Zone X-ray where he was a
flight leader of four helicopters, losing
two to enemy fire. This battle — one
of the most vicious of the Vietnam
War — was depicted in the 1992 book
We Were Soldiers Once, and Young;
and in Mel Gibson’s 2003 movie We
Were Soldiers. In May 2004, based
on information that had recently surfaced, Senator John Warner of Virginia
endorsed Paul for the Medal of Honor.
Paul should know by 2006 whether
his is the one out of every 75 endorsements that is successful.
Outdoors
The Great
Rob credits Baylor, along with church, family, and business, for giving him the desire
to give back to his community. “To have people look outside themselves and see how
they can make a contribution to the world is very important.”
Rob Healy’s professional career
has been an unusual blend of
non-profit leadership and
success in the for-profit sector.
His interest in both should
serve him well in his role as
director of Chattanooga’s new
outdoor initiative to promote
outdoor activity and to market
the city as a healthy place to
work, live, and play.
“The outdoor initiative
came out of a series of meetings with people in the community who were interested in
the outdoors, recreation,
conservation, and all aspects
of outdoor living,” explains
Rob, a member of Baylor’s
graduating class of 1969.
“After attending the meetings,
I felt energy and enthusiasm
for the initiative. I wanted to be
part of something where I can
make a difference in this community.”
Rob will actually be striving to
make more of a difference, already
having produced miracles at the Makea-Wish Foundation. Before Rob became its first executive director in
1999, the Chattanooga chapter had
little presence in the area. A struggling
entity, they granted about 15 wishes
a year and had a budget of $75,000.
“With the help of a great board and
staff,” Rob says, Make-a-Wish granted
60 wishes annually and grew its budget
to $500,000 under Rob’s leadership.
“Non-profit is an interesting challenge,” notes Rob. “People try to separate them, but I think the non-profit
world should operate like a for-profit
business where the business happens
to be granting wishes to sick children
or encouraging people to get outdoors.”
Rob personally doesn’t need any
encouragement to get outdoors — he
is a skilled tennis player, fly fisherman,
Rob Healy ’69
and jogger — and he has made it his
goal to try every activity the outdoor
initiative promotes. He enjoyed a Biketo-Work Day, has already started rowing lessons, and has hang gliding next
on his list.
Rob will have plenty do on the
ground with an ambitious agenda for
the outdoor initiative. He plans to
focus on three main goals, the first of
which is to encourage people who
aren’t already active to get out and
walk. The organization is working
with county representatives, healthcare
professionals, and corporations to
plan activities that engage the community and will be active in promoting
use of the city’s completed riverwalk.
The second objective is to develop
events and programs that enhance the
experience of an activity for those who
are already involved. Those who already
take advantage of outdoor opportunities will also be encouraged to involve
others through special events such
as “bring-your-buddy” and
family activity days.
“I was drawn to the outdoor initiative because I love
Chattanooga and the outdoors,” Rob says. “When
children and adults learn
about the environment, they
become more sensitive to it
and want to take care of it.”
Outdoor education will,
therefore, be an important
component of the initiative.
As a business person, Rob
appreciates that a city which
respects its environment and
encourages an active lifestyle
can better attract economic
and business development.
“I’d like Chattanooga to be a
city where people want to live
and work because of the healthy
lifestyle,” he says. “I want the
outdoor initiative to be one of the two
or three reasons companies hold conventions here or tourists want to visit.”
Rob credits Baylor, along with
church, family, and business, for giving
him the desire to give back to his community. He calls Baylor’s mission statement “wonderful” and adds, “To have
people look outside themselves and see
how they can make a contribution to
the world is very important.”
Rob has made his contribution
through his service on the boards of
Manker Patten Tennis Club, United
Way, Fairyland Club, and Lookout
Mountain recreation and schools. He
also served on the vestry of Church
of the Good Shepherd , was a founding
member of St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, and was a member of
the steering committee of the Anglican
Fellowship of Chattanooga. He and
his wife, Betsy, have three sons.
Medicine
Destined for
“Vanderbilt helped me get into medical school, but what I did in medical school was based
on what I learned at Baylor.”
Rob Headrick’s father was a
cardiothoracic surgeon living
in Chattanooga, and growing
up, Rob was determined to
choose a different path from
his father’s on both counts.
As set as he was on
avoiding a medical career, the
1982 Baylor graduate studied
biomedical engineering — an
ideal major for a pre-med
student — as an undergraduate
at Vanderbilt University. Still
fighting his innate love of
medicine, Rob took a year off
after graduation to explore his
options. A licensed pilot, he
considered a career in aviation
but quickly realized that, while
it was a great hobby, it just
wasn’t for him. After a year,
Rob succumbed and enrolled
in the University of Tennessee’s
medical school, but, he says, “I
promised myself I wouldn’t choose
the same area of medicine as my father.” Rob wanted a specialty with
set hours.
But Rob discovered that he was a
natural for surgery and, after six years
of general surgery, he gave up his
stubborn battle and decided to specialize in heart surgery. He was accepted
to the Mayo Clinic, and he and his
Mississippi-born wife, Anita, moved
to Rochester, Minnesota.
“We spent three years there, and I
convinced myself that’s where I would
stay and practice,” he says. When Rob
ended up matching for a general surgery spot in Chattanooga, he had to
make a tough decision.
“My Dad didn’t push me but let
me flounder,” Rob says. “We finally
did choose Chattanooga, and he and
I got to work together before his retirement. He ended up dying shortly
afterwards, and it was neat that he
got to see that after all my stubborn-
Rob Headrick ’82
ness I ended up in his field.”
One of the first places Rob took
Anita on her first visit to Chattanooga
was Baylor School.
“If it weren’t for Baylor, I know I
wouldn’t have made it through medical school,” says Rob. “I almost
flunked out my first year at Baylor. I
didn’t know how to study, take notes,
or do homework. The Lower School
dean assured my parents that I would
be okay and convinced them just to
give it some time.”
Rob proved the dean right and
learned the discipline necessary to
experience much of what Baylor offered while still maintaining A’s in
class. “When I started college, I was
so well prepared,” he says. “Vanderbilt
helped me get into medical school,
but what I did in medical school was
based on what I learned at Baylor.”
Rob has fond memories of his Baylor teachers. Football coach and social
studies teacher Fred Hubbs evolved
from a teacher to friend. Science
teacher George Taylor ’54
taught Rob the importance of
applying what he already
knew when approaching
problems. Schaack Van
Deusen ’61 directed him in a
memorable play.
In spite of his love for Baylor, the decision to return to
Chattanooga was not an easy
one for Rob. In his work at
the Mayo Clinic, Rob had
treated princes and foreign
dignitaries. He counted former
Beatles member George
Harrison among his patients.
“But it is so much harder
to take care of people you see
every day or who know your
family,” says Rob. ”A fair
number of people will die in
the business I am in. It is an
incredible honor that people who
knew me as a little kid now put their
life in my hands.”
Rob says he received the ultimate
compliment when Baylor legend Luke
Worsham requested that he perform
his surgical biopsy. “The role reversal
helped me see that the residents I teach
now will be the ones who take care
of me later,” Rob says.
Back in Chattanooga for four years,
Rob is now in a six-person practice
of cardiac, thoracic, and vascular surgeons. He still enjoys flying and calls
it an ideal way to relieve the stress of
his work. He does not have children
yet, but Rob feels that Chattanooga
would be a great place to raise them.
He cites the sense of involvement
and pride in the city as the biggest
change since he lived here.
He concludes, “It is exciting that
I am comfortable enough in my practice that I can now look at how I can
make a difference in the community.”
Challenge
Rising to the
“Baylor’s athletics and academics speak for themselves, but the nurturing environment
is so incredible. My teachers pushed me to do things I wouldn’t have if they hadn’t given
me a pep talk. Because of them, I learned life lessons and gained confidence in myself.”
Ashley Randolph McMahon ’88
majored in international business.
entered Baylor in 1985 as one
“I was so well prepared
of the “Fabulous Forty” — the
for college, particularly in the
first 40 girls, all freshman and
area of writing,” she says.
sophomores, to attend the
“Most of the other students
school when it returned to its
were accustomed to multiplecoeducational roots. Ironically,
choice examinations and, for
when she was 5 years old and
them, writing papers was a
Baylor was an all-boys school,
struggle. I had written so
Ashley had told Bruce High,
many papers at Baylor in so
her brother’s adviser, that she
many subjects, and most of
planned to attend Baylor.
my exams were open-ended,
“He laughed when I said
opinion type questions. Colit, but at my interview, he said
lege term papers were just an
I must have known something
extension of what I had alnobody else did,” says Ashley.
ready learned.”
Ashley transferred to BayAfter college, Ashley relor from a large public high
turned to Baylor and worked
school in Cleveland and imfor three years in the school’s
mediately took to its small
Admissions Office. She felt
class sizes and teaching style.
that she could really speak to
“We were able to do so
the Baylor experience and
much more in our classes and, Ashley Randolph McMahon ’88 shared with prospective stubecause the teachers became so
dents’ families what she felt was
involved in our lives, I felt I could
in her voice. “Baylor’s athletics and the school’s main selling point — that
communicate openly with them,” Ashacademics speak for themselves, but students are challenged in classrooms
ley says. She was surprised to find that
the nurturing environment is so incred- and in their personal lives. She also
she enjoyed eating lunch with her
ible. My teachers pushed me to do loved having advisees as part of her
teachers and looked forward to being
things I wouldn’t have if they hadn’t job, and some of her advisees were
with them during extra help time.
given me a pep talk. Because of them, involved in her wedding when she
Although girls were in the minority
I learned life lessons and gained con- married Joel McMahon in 1995.
— there were 16 girls and 100 boys
fidence in myself.”
Now living in Birmingham, Ashley
in her grade — Ashley never felt outAshley’s memories of Baylor are is taking her first year off from teachnumbered. The school went out of its
very much about its teachers. She ing pre-school French since 1995 to
way to include the girls, immediately
didn’t care for history but took AP be home with her 3- and 6-year-old
creating a spot for a female on the
European History just to be taught by sons. She is active in the Birmingham
Honor Council. After more girls enJon Chew, whom she called “a fantas- Red Raider Club and joined Baylor’s
tered the following year, Baylor quicktic role model.” She minored in French Board of Trustees a few months ago.
ly formed girls’ soccer, track, and
at the University of Alabama because
On a recent visit to campus for Dr.
dance teams. “We had all the opporMadame Scheni got her so excited Bill Stacy’s installation as headmaster,
tunities the boys had and, in spite of
about the language. “Whenever I Ashley was reminded of what she had
our numbers, still had a strong voice,”
write, the words of Schaack Van Deus- loved most about being a Baylor stusays Ashley.
en and the grammar lessons from Jim dent. “I kept wishing I could drop in
Shy as a child, Ashley credits Baylor
Stover’s homemade textbook come to on one of Dr. Dan Kennedy’s classes,”
with having helped her to push herself
mind,” she says.
she says. “The way he taught math,
socially and physically. “I can’t believe
Ashley attended Lynchburg College he just pushed us to our limits.”
I’ve rock climbed or rafted,” she says
in Lynchburg, Virginia, for a year before
with the pride of accomplishment still
transferring to Alabama, where she
Interests
Combining
“I am healthy now because of Baylor’s emphasis on the importance of physical activity.
It made me try things like Walkabout. And, like so much of what I learned at Baylor,
it has stayed with me for life.”
Anyone who knows Rachael
Miller ’98 would not be surprised that she is pursuing a
Master of Fine Arts degree in
drama and theatre for youth.
Finding a field that combines
two of her defining interests
and then doing what was
necessary to be accepted into
one of the finest programs in
the country is consistent with
Rachael’s approach to life.
Rachael is in her first year of
a three-year program at the
University of Texas, Austin. In
addition to her MFA, she will
receive certification to teach
kindergarten through 12th
grade. She began studying theatre and education as an undergraduate at Brown University.
“I was interested in the arts,
but I wasn’t sure about theatre
education until my senior year,
when it all came together,” she says.
Rachael spent the summer at a professional theatre festival in Williamstown,
Massachusetts. “I decided that summer
that I couldn’t be all that useful to the
world as an actor,” she says. ”I wanted
to find a way to combine my interest
in the arts with a way to give back,
and that’s when I came to teaching.”
Rachael traces to Baylor her desire
to make a contribution because of the
school’s emphasis on giving back to
society. She also credits Baylor’s teachers and its “really solid” college counseling program with helping her to get
into Brown, a school that accepts only
16 percent of its applicants.
One of four Baylor students accepted in 1998, Rachael’s concentration
at Brown was religious studies. “Joe
Gawrys was just one of many excellent
teachers I had at Baylor,” she says.
“Taking religious studies with him in
high school sustained my interest into
Rachael Miller ’98
college and throughout my time there.”
Rachael also cites her involvement
in the Round Table, Baylor’s literary
group, as excellent preparation for
college. “It really is like a college seminar, with a high level of critical analysis,” she says.
At Brown, Rachael got involved in
“a good bit of everything.” In addition
to “doing a ton of theater,” she sang
in an a cappella ensemble that performed at parties and had a memorable Christmas tour of Nantucket. “I
just delved into what I loved,” she
says. “I studied Spanish and then tried
Hebrew and Japanese.”
Rachael’s interest in Japan grew
out of her exposure to Japanese culture
in the religious studies class that had
made such an impression at Baylor.
After graduating from Brown, Rachael
went to Japan with the Japan Exchange and Teaching program (JET).
Paired with a Japanese teacher of En-
glish, she taught English as a
Foreign Language to middle
school students.
When she returned from
Japan, Rachael taught for another year, in Princeton, N.J.,
at the regional McCarter
Theater Center for the Performing Arts. As an education
teaching artist intern, she taught
after-school classes, in-school
residencies, and workshops.
“The education department at this theatre was an
excellent place to learn,” she
says. “I went there to find out
whether I was truly interested
in my career choice and also
to get some experience.” The
internship helped Rachael get
into the MFA program at
Texas, where she was one of
only five students accepted of
the 30 who applied.
Rachael’s love of drama started
with her first Baylor Lower School
play. She was then tapped for a role
in an Upper School play in eighth
grade and was permanently hooked.
She was in a play every semester after,
was active in the Chattanooga Theatre
Centre, and took all the performance
classes that Baylor offered.
One aspect of Baylor that Rachael
still appreciates is having had to engage
in physical activity. “I am not a very
athletic person, and having to take
sports taught me that exercise and
health are important,” she says. To
fulfill the physical activity requirement,
Rachael took dance, which she says
has helped her as a performer.
“I am healthy now because of Baylor’s emphasis on the importance of
physical activity,” she concludes. “It
made me try things like Walkabout.
And, like so much of what I learned at
Baylor, it has stayed with me for life.”
Final Thoughts
Our Mission in Action
Bombarded daily by images of
fighting in Iraq, strife in Afghanistan, unrest in Palestine,
hunger in the Third World (and,
more to the point, in our own
back yard), it is all too easy these
days to become disillusioned, to
become disenchanted with what
I at least used to envision as a
world capable of far better.
You can imagine then, that
attending the annual International
Round Square Conference, hosted
in September by Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, was an
event I approached both with
excitement and more than a little
apprehension. After all, the United
States’ participation in recent
world affairs has made it the target
of some international controversy.
Fortunately, I forgot one
essential thing: that uniting students from around the world
is nothing short of magic: there is nothing – and I mean nothing
– that can renew one’s faith in humanity more quickly or more
completely than witnessing students from all walks of life and
all corners of the globe coming together over a common issue.
Sitting in on the student “rikka” discussion groups at the
conference, I experienced this magic first hand, as Baylor’s
own conference delegates – John Pollock ’04, Leah Hartman
’05, and Tiffany Williams ’06 – joined with students from as
far away as India, Peru, Thailand, New Zealand, Japan, and
Australia to discuss potential solutions for problems as farreaching (and as close to home) as water supplies, hunger, the
ethics of genetic engineering, and approaches to deterring
terrorism. I also witnessed the beginnings of friendships that
will, I hope, transcend distance, time, and politics in the way
that no text book ever could.
I’m sure Oprah would have referred to it as an “ah-ha”
moment, but as a result of watching those discussions I suddenly
realized that we cannot tell or even really teach students how
to make a difference, but we can certainly show them how,
and we can provide the tools necessary for them to discover
this for themselves and, hopefully, teach each other along the
way. That’s where Round Square comes in.
The ideals upon which Round Square is based – internationalism, democracy, environmentalism, adventure, leadership,
and service – align perfectly with the ideals that Baylor set
forth in our mission statement, and our active involvement in
the organization has already opened up an entirely new – and
global – realm of possibility for each of our students. From
Children in Thailand photographed by senior Sam Singer.
the five exchange students we have already hosted to the
students from Baylor attending conferences, taking part in
exchanges, and venturing out on international service trips,
the potential for us to “test” and experience these ideals
firsthand is all but limitless.
The annual conference daily reminded me of these possibilities. It’s hard to articulate just how it felt to see our delegates
flow into the crowd, making friends, learning a traditional
Indian dance, sharing a joke with a couple of Australians, or
discussing community service practices with Peruvian and South
African students. Suffice to say that it seemed to me the very
essence of our mission statement at work: students discovering
the myriad ways they can make a positive difference in the
world. What better way to renew one’s faith in human potential.
by Emma Williams
Emma joined the Baylor faculty in 2001 and teaches English
and serves as the school’s International Student Support
Coordinator.