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Faculty & Student News

Faculty-Student News Winter 2021

Baylor Players Present All the World’s a Stage

Maxing out creative options and making the most of outdoor spaces surrounding Roddy – as well as rehearsal and stage spaces within Roddy – the Baylor Players presented a collection of scenes and original student work Oct. 25-26.

Watch a video of the performance here.

Publicized as a “progressive performance,” the production took place outdoors, tickets were limited for social distancing, and masks were required of all attendees. It was unmistakably a pandemic-appropriate show, but it also gave students who are passionate about drama the opportunity to perform for a live audience and to showcase their talents in creating original work.

“Their talent and commitment to this production were on full display,” said fine arts instructor and director Beth Gumnick. “What consistently impressed me was the self-motivation and dedication of both the cast and the tech crew. Their care for each other and the work was outstanding.”

All the World’s a Stage opened with Hamlet’s “Advice to the Players” monologue, delivered by Baylor Player officer and senior Nick Skonberg. Audiences then moved through a variety of spaces in small groups as the actors presented several scenes and monologues from classic theater including William Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Anton Chekhov, and Molière, as well as original pieces written and conceived by members of the company. In addition to Skonberg, other members of the company included juniors May Bankston, Colby Hawk, Adelle Pritchard, Patrick Russell, Jack Smith, Kara Anne Smith, and stage manager Olivia Hankins; sophomores Abbey Cate Bailey and Nathaniel Smart; and freshman Mary Margaret Bender.

Members of the tech crew, rarely seen in a typical live theater production, were front and center as hosts guiding audience groups to various locations. They were also tasked with filming and editing various pieces and creating a final video of the production for a virtual Parents’ Day on Oct. 30. They were led by camera operators and editing supervisors junior Kye Hamilton and senior Karina Quinn. Technicians were seniors Catherine Bryant, Frankie Chamberlain, Carson Steele, Ryne Williams, and distance learning assistants Zoe Hardnett and Barry Yang; junior Jack Minehan; and freshmen Natalie Hankins, Crawford Higdon, and Sid Sullivan.

In addition to directing, Gumnick also provided costume design. Garrett Walsh provided set and technical direction.


 

Art Finds a Way

Even with strict safety protocols and restrictions due to COVID-19, the fine arts program at Baylor continues to endure and inspire. “The arts have always been an essential pathway for allowing student expression, connection, collaboration, creativity, and strengthening their sense of community,” said Vic Oakes, fine arts department chair and choir director.“The last several months have highlighted the vital importance of the arts, and I am proud of how Baylor has committed to supporting them going forward so that they may take place in a safe and supportive manner.”

Baylor’s student musicians have made significant adaptations as they continue perfecting their craft under the circumstances brought about by the pandemic. “Instrument covers, singing while masked, and rehearsing outside are visible reminders that they are making music differently than they were before. What hasn’t changed, however, is the zeal and enthusiasm with which they have approached their music-making,” said Oakes.

Oakes says the Upper School orchestra has recorded music for the live-streaming of chapel programs and, in doing so, has highlighted works by underrepresented composers. The Baylor ensembles have utilized FlipGrid, SmartMusic, and other online learning and recording platforms to teach lessons and to evaluate student progress for students learning at home or unable to rehearse on campus.

While adapting to outdoor rehearsals and special recording projects, Baylor band members are also participating in online master classes from professional musicians. The Baylor choir and orchestra have combined to record a virtual recording of “We Can Dream,” which premiered on Parents’ Day 2020. Baylor commissioned acclaimed composer J. Reese Norris to write a new work for the choir and Baylor singers are already working with the composer on text and musical ideas for the piece that will be premiered in spring 2021.

Middle and Upper School Dance Showcase Choreography

Utilizing Baylor’s magnificent outdoor spaces, the Middle School and Upper School dance programs presented three performances in the Bullard Quad last fall, featuring 28 dancers and highlighting a wide range of dance styles and choreography.

The Middle School Dance Spotlight showcased choreography by Margaret Harman ’14 and Elizabeth Roemer ’05, directors of Baylor’s dance program. The Upper School hosted two dance previews featuring choreography by Mary Alex Bachus ’21, Megha Chanamolu ’21, Rachel Chen ’24, and Harman.

Maximizing the opportunity to create virtual experiences, the dance department released two dance films in January in place of the traditional Vervé concert. Both films included choreography by Harman and Roemer, as well as movement contributions from the Middle and Upper School dancers.

Middle School Players Go Retro with Radio Broadcast

The Middle School play took on a new twist in the form of an old-fashioned radio broadcast that was streamed for audiences Dec. 16-19. In creating It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play, students learned about Foley sound effects, a technique of adding sound to film that began with live broadcasts of radio plays in the 1920s. The most famous of the early radio sound artists was Jack Foley, who later moved into the film industry and developed techniques that are still used in modern film production.

“Some of the students were cast as our Foley artists, and the play was recorded live and edited before streaming to the public,” said fine arts instructor and Middle School play director Allison Lamb. “I decided to go this route this year for two reasons. It’s a genre that is rarely talked about and performed anymore, and I always like to find something new to work on that is a learning experience for all of us.”


Sixteen Named to 79th Round Table 

Sixteen members of Baylor’s Class of 2021 have been selected for the school’s 79th Round Table. Founded in 1942, the prestigious literary discussion group emphasizes independent thought and lively debate. Selection to Round Table is among Baylor’s highest honors. Round Table members for 2020-21 are (left to right, top to bottom) Rosa Anderson Barrera, Creighton Arrington (secretary), Orly Berke, Caroline Chapman, Ava Echard (co-vice-president), Dylan Edwards, Julia Flack, Ashleigh Huang, Alyssa Kim, Evelyn Ludwick, Dana Mays, Janie Pippenger (co-vice-president), Marina Rosenlund, Paige Ryan, Molly Stanfield (president), and Steven Yao (joining from China via Zoom). English instructor Heather Ott serves as the group’s faculty adviser.


School’s 105th Honor Council Seated

In May 1916, the Baylor student body unanimously adopted the Honor Code and established the Honor Council. Members of Baylor’s 105th Honor Council, pictured above, are (front row, left to right) junior Margaret Dowling, sophomores Zach Ubamadu and Marguerite Pippenger, freshman Carter Garrett, sophomore Mallory Alling, freshman Thomas Tipps, and senior Nick Skonberg; (back row) seniors Callie West (secretary) and Emrick Garrett (vice-chair), junior Spratt Allison (clerk), senior Eli Bowen (chair), junior Nick McKenney, and senior Sam Christensen. Not pictured is junior Brett Cooper.


2020-21 Student Leadership Board Named

Congratulations to the 2020-21 Student Leadership Board. Members include (bottom row, left to right) freshmen Addie Margio, Kaylee Snyder, Hamilton Edelen, and Wade Edelen; (second row) sophomores KD Hill, Jeb Martin, Lee Dozier, Ava James, and Helen Webb; (third row) juniors Sara Grace Snead, Georgia Wilson, and Caroline Renegar; and (top row) seniors Haley Rice, Lydia Bohannon, Camilla Zavala, Frances Brantley, and Sierra Haberhern. Members not available for the photo are senior Barry Yang and juniors Caleb Nunes and Couriyah Stegall.


New Health Advisory Council Named

A new student-run health council has been created to work with the Health and Wellness office in programming activities and initiatives that address the needs of the student body. The Baylor Student Health Council will allow students to be more involved in their own health and wellness journey by giving the student leaders the ability to communicate and collaborate with the Health and Wellness department, as well as the Baylor Health Center and Counseling office. Members are juniors Fatima Sohani, Lola Esho, Connie Ni, Ashleigh Huang, Sophia Baleeiro, Caleb Nunes, and Maddie Kim. Faculty sponsors are Health and Wellness director Jenny Green and Upper School health and wellness instructor and program co-coordinator Rachelle Parman.


Six Seniors Earn National Merit Honors

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced that Baylor seniors (pictured, top row, left to right) Creighton Arrington, Alyssa Kim, and Sophie Peirano are semifinalists in the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. In addition, two Baylor boarding students, (bottom row, left to right) Matthew An and Dake Peng, and one former Baylor boarder, Erica Wu, qualified as semifinalists but, as international students, are not eligible for the scholarship competition.

Over 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. 


Ten Seniors Named National Merit Commended Students

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) named (pictured, left to right, top to bottom) seniors Caroline Chapman, Ada Cruikshank, William Hamn, Evelyn Ludwick, Paige Ryan, Avery Santin, Daniel Snyder, Gracie Tomisek, Margaret Webb, and Christopher Young Commended Students. They are among some 34,000 students throughout the nation being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2021 competition for NMSC awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT.


Abshire Fellows Enjoy Virtual Leadership Course

Fourteen seniors chosen last spring as Abshire Leadership Fellows enjoyed a virtual day of speakers, leadership activities, and presentations from alumni on politics, leadership, medicine, and business on Oct. 26. Fellows would normally have embarked last summer on the David M. Abshire Civic Leadership trip, an eight-day experiential course of study on similar topics; however, the trip was cancelled due to pandemic restrictions. The program was created in partnership with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and in honor of the late Dr. David Abshire ’44, who served as president and CEO of that organization. Abshire Leadership Fellows are pictured above: (front row, left to right) Alexa McCarren, Orly Berke, Margaret Webb, Rosa Anderson Barrera, Frances Brantley, Ashleigh Huang; (back row) Harrison Williams, Eli Bowen, Lydia Bohannon, Creighton Arrington, Sophie Peirano, Janie Pippenger, and Callie West. Not pictured is Grant Burks.


Middle School Advisory Council Named

Congratulations to the 2020-21 Middle School Advisory Council representatives who were elected by their peers in October. Sixth graders are Reese Finlay, Matilda Joels, Sarah Johnson, Avery Levin, Eva O’Kelley, Riley Swinford, Mary Handly Templeton-Phillips, Frank Treadwell, and Katie Grace Tuder. Seventh grade representatives are Lily Bernard, Mason Finlay, Calen Hawk, Kate Henry, James McCorkle, Braylee Newell, Brandon Oakes, David Sabou, and George Stowe. Eighth grade representatives are Drake Alling, Franny Brooksbank, Julia Gardner, Reife Hawkins, Edie Herndon, Max Hickman, Grey Kelley, Reed Martin, Reyna Park, Aly Sohani, and Caroline Stickley.

The Baylor Middle School Advisory Council (MSAC) was founded to provide Middle School students meaningful leadership development opportunities. Up to 30 students are selected by their peers to represent their advisories and take on leadership roles in shaping their class’ community service and class bonding initiatives. Students selected to the MSAC build leadership skills through learning how to solicit feedback and form a consensus with their peers, as well as through advocating on behalf of their classmates to Baylor Middle School faculty and administration.


Student Entrepreneurs Launch Spirit Shieldz

Baylor freshman Lily Simpson and her brother, sixth grader George, have built a business that is filling a need in the community and, perhaps, making a little money for themselves. Seeing that face coverings would be crucial for the community as the pandemic unfolded and noticing the general shortage of available masks in retail stores, the Simpsons founded Spirit Shieldz. Their product is a lightweight, breathable, and washable face mask that has been used by Baylor students, faculty, staff, and athletic teams. They are available, although often sold out, in the Baylor Spirit Store. They have also found an element of community service in the venture, donating masks to several businesses and ministries including Mustard Tree Ministries, which battles homelessness and poverty in Chattanooga.
 

Faculty-Student Sidebar Winter 2021

Dr. Forrester and Dr. Richards Receive Champions of Health Award

The Baylor Esoteric and Molecular Laboratory and its founders, Baylor science instructors and research scientists Dr. Elizabeth Forrester (above left) and Dr. Dawn Richards (right), were recipients of the Champions of Health Care Award for Innovation by an Organization. Watch the video of the ceremony below.

The award was presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield at a ceremony hosted by the Chattanooga Times Free Press and Edge magazine on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The award went to Baylor and Drs. Forrester and Richards for the work done in the lab that was created in March 2020 out of a need for faster turnaround times for COVID-19 testing in Hamilton County. The testing facility that began in the Weeks science center on the Baylor campus last March is now housed adjacent to campus on the first floor of the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute (TNACI) and is serving the region with continued COVID-19 testing.


Summer Programs 2021 Team Named

Sam Green ’08 (third from left) has been named director of auxiliary programs following a national search that attracted over 80 applicants. She has been a valuable member of the summer programs team for many years and will oversee campus facility rentals and manage a successful summer camp program.

Bett Adams ’02 (far right) will continue to serve as director of Baylor’s successful Camp Walkabout. Adams has run the Walkabout summer program for the past six years, growing the camp significantly and hitting record high enrollment in 2020.

Carlton Stewart (second from left) has been named summer programs director. Stewart came to Baylor in 2017 from Oak Hill School in Nashville, where he taught math and was the director of athletics.

Dexter Cantelou (far left) will continue to provide logistic and registration support for camp operations as an admission associate.


Dallas Joseph to Chair National EMA

Vice President of Finance and Operations Dallas Joseph has been named board chairman for the National Enrollment Management
Association. With nearly 25 years of professional experience in various roles in private colleges and K-12 schools, Joseph brings a valuable perspective to the organization, which provides professional support, advocacy, and strategic enrollment tools to the enrollment offices of more than 1,300 independent schools.


Faculty and Staff Celebrate Career Milestones 

Congratulations to history instructor and coach Bill Cox (right) and to communications specialist and former athletic trainer Eddie Davis (left), both of whom marked 40 years of service at Baylor this fall.

Other career milestones include:

30 YEARS
Priscilla Birdsall
Don Curtis
Abby Franklin
Howard Johnson
Grant Wood

25 YEARS
Joli Anderson
Charlie Brown
Steve Margio ’91

20 YEARS
Linda Cooke
Jan Gautier
Karl Kaisner
Tom Watson
Titus Wilson

15 YEARS
Curtis Blair
Bubba Burr
Jennifer Cookston
Dan Flack
Brian Gill
Stephen Jackson
Nicole Kosch
Tim Laramore ’99
Phil Massey
Vic Oakes
Emmie Treadwell
Eric Westmoreland

10 YEARS
Ted Biedler
Kathy Fraley
Ruth Ann Graham
Rex Kendle
Jaime Melton ’94
Nancy Seiters
Ashley Shuford ’00
Carlene West

5 YEARS
Lauren Callihan
Jordan Clark ’09
Kelly Eller
Elizabeth Forrester
Tom Kates
Kelly O’Mara
Carrie Rice
Scotty Smith ’89
Hillary Spiller
Libby Thoni
Chiann Tsui
Garrett Walsh
Erin Woodrow


Elizabeth Fogo Sexton ’05 Joins Alumni

Elizabeth Fogo Sexton ’05 was named an advancement office assistant in September, providing support for the annual giving and alumni programs. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and lives on Signal Mountain with her son, Jack.

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Volume 33
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