Alumni Come Home

More than 1,000 graduates and community members gathered on campus over the weekend of October 21-23 to celebrate Homecoming & Alumni Weekend 2021. Throughout the three-day event, graduates reconnected with their classmates, former teachers, and alma mater, rekindling fond memories of their time at St. Mark’s while making new memories together.

 

“I thank you for returning home to St. Mark’s to celebrate our shared history, the School’s current progress, and our plans for the future,” said Sandy Campbell ’76, President of the Alumni Association. “This year is particularly exciting given it is our first opportunity to be together on campus in nearly two years.”

Alumni Weekend began on Thursday, October 21, with the Alumni Golf Tournament held at the Texas Rangers Golf Club. The foursome of Joe Hay ’68, Tim Weymouth ’68, Scott Heape ’68, and Austin Heape shot the lowest score, winning the Ivan Irwin, Jr. ’50 Cup. On Friday, Marksmen representing eight decades returned to 10600 Preston Road to experience daily life on campus. As Alumni Weekend coincided with Homecoming Weekend, the graduates were able to attend the Homecoming Pep Rally. Students welcomed their fellow Marksmen from across the generations and got the community hyped for the evening’s games. Then, graduates returned to the classroom for Alumni Classes with Dan Northcut ’81, Director of Environmental Studies; Dr. Jerusha Westbury, Upper School History Teacher; and Curtis Smith, a 43-year veteran of the St. Mark’s English classroom, who retired in 2020.

 

On Friday night, St. Mark’s celebrated the Homecoming Kick-Off Party for alumni, parents, faculty, and guests. Then, the entire community cheered on the varsity football team in a hard-fought game against Houston Episcopal High School. It was a fierce back-and-forth night that came down to the final play. Though the Lions came up short 21-28, the home crowd kept spirits high.

 

Saturday morning provided the perfect weather for a Family Cookout, where alumni and their families enjoyed campus tours, BBQ, games, and live music from the student Blues Club. In the Winn Science Center, families toured the Addy Family Makerspace and Mosle Family Engineering Shop with Makerspace Director Stewart Mayer, who provided freshly-laser-cut St. Mark’s mementos. Upstairs, guests reclined in the planetarium for a spectacular cosmic tour by Paul Hoehn, Leonard M. “Doc” Nelson Master Teaching Chair.

 

 “Seeing graduates return to campus 40, 50, and even 60 years after they graduated is yet another reminder of the importance of relationships formed while at St. Mark’s,” said Alex Eshelbrenner ’04, Ahlberg & Ribman Family Director of Alumni Relations. “Being a Marksman means that you are a lifelong member of the St. Mark’s family and returning home is an important part of Alumni Weekend.”

 

Homecoming Weekend was especially exciting for the current students, who have not experienced a traditional Homecoming in three years. This year’s Spirit Week marked the second anniversary of a tornado that struck St. Mark’s campus just days before Homecoming 2019, which was followed shortly after by the onset of the pandemic. The weekend culminated for Upper School students at the “Roaring Twenties” Homecoming Dance at the House of Blues, where Fisayo Omonije ’22 and Abby Ruble were crowned Homecoming King and Queen.