Stories From The Ridge, The Mccallie Podcast

Classes that are fun, flexible and filled with humility is the objective of McCallie’s History Department, say three of the school’s history teachers in the latest podcast series that examines McCallie’s academic disciplines. The podcast is part of McCallie’s Stories from the Ridge growing podcast series and can be found by searching for “McCallie Stories from the Ridge” on major podcast platforms. In the podcast, the teachers let us in on some of their professional secrets they use to keep students engaged. Joining Dean of Faculty and Curriculum Sumner McCallie for the timely discussion are Department Chair Randy Odle, Dr. Duke Richey '86, and Bart Wallin '99.

McCallie’s Stories from the Ridge podcast series that has focused on the academic disciplines continues with a look at the Fine Arts Department. Three of the school’s arts teachers discuss how arts are taught at McCallie, how creativity is nurtured, and how arts are used as a springboard for self-discovery and problem solving for McCallie boys. The podcast, featuring Department Chair Paul Merrion and teachers Suzanne Mortimer and Will Givens, is hosted by Dean of Faculty and Curriculum Sumner McCallie.

Math at McCallie is not an exercise in learning numbers and equations, but instead, it is “a philosophy, a practice of logic” and a “way to think.” And it is fun. That’s the message of four of McCallie’s math teachers as they discuss their academic discipline in the latest edition of McCallie’s podcast series examining the various academic departments at the school. Hosted by Dean of Faculty and Curriculum Sumner McCallie, this podcast features Department Chair Rob Lyons and teachers Cary Hubbard, Andrea Odle and Byron McCague.

As the McCallie community prepares for the Blue Tornado football team’s game Thursday, December 2, for the state championship, Head of School Lee Burns ’87 sits down with Coach Ralph Potter ’81 to discuss the upcoming game, the legacy of football at McCallie, and the prospects for the game against Montgomery Bell Academy. Coach Potter shares his coaching philosophy, and the two stress the importance of the McCallie community cheering the team on as they play for the championship in Chattanooga’s Finley stadium.

A new book (his fourth) by Dr. David Eastman, the Sherril Chair of Bible and head of the Bible Department, is the topic of the latest in a series of podcasts examining the various academic departments of McCallie. In this episode, Dr. Eastman is joined by Dr. Sal Musumeci, one of McCallie’s history teachers, as well as Sumner McCallie, Dean of Faculty and Curriculum, in a discussion of the book, North African Christianity, Turning Points in the Development of the Church. They also talk about the Bible Department, how McCallie teaches Biblical subjects to students of many different faiths, and why teaching about religion, faith, and ethics is an important part of McCallie’s pedagogical philosophy. This is the fourth in a series of podcasts examining the academic departments at McCallie. Other podcasts in this series will be posted throughout the remainder of 2021.

McCallie’s goal is for students to not simply “learn” a second or third language, but to “acquire” it, and by doing so to understand the cultures and personal perspectives of people in other parts of the world. That’s one of the themes touched on in a podcast discussion among four language teachers at McCallie. The discussion is part of McCallie’s Stories from the Ridge podcast series on academic departments. The latest podcast features Dean of Faculty and Curriculum Sumner McCallie talking with the language teachers about their teaching methods and the importance of language proficiency in today’s global world. Joining Mr. McCallie are Frank Watkins, Spanish teacher and chair of the department, Paul Cudd, German teacher, Jason Jones, Latin teacher, and Carson Murphy, Chinese teacher.

The way in which McCallie students learn to write and to appreciate and understand literature has changed over the years, but the objectives remain the same. That’s the message of three of McCallie’s English teachers in this wide-ranging discussion of many themes related to how English is taught. The discussion is hosted by Sumner McCallie, Dean of Faculty and Curriculum, and features Sam Currin ’03, Chair of the Department who is in his 11th year at McCallie, Erin Tocknell, in her 14th year and who teaches sophomore-level courses, and legendary teacher Bill Jamieson, in his 40th year teaching eighth graders. An earlier a podcast featuring the science Department can be found here. Over the next two months, all other academic departments will be featured in this series.

Collaboration, moving around, not expecting teachers to know all the answers, even learning to appreciate failure ... those are some of the characteristics of new methods of teaching science that members of McCallie’s Science Department are using to educate a new generation of scientists and citizens. And they are topics that are discussed in this edition of McCallie’s Stories From the Ridge podcast series. The Science Department podcast is hosted by Sumner McCallie, Dean of Faculty and Curriculum, and features Michael Lowry, in his 28th year on the Ridge, and who serves as department chair, Dr. Karah Nazor, in her 10th year, and Matt Allen, in his third year. It includes lively discussions of how and why science is taught in both the Upper and Middle Schools and conveys the passion that the teachers bring to their profession. This is the first of several podcasts featuring the academic departments at McCallie. Other podcasts will be released throughout the fall of 2021.

Squash, McCallie’s newest varsity sport, is the topic of this edition of Stories from the Ridge. Head of School Lee Burns ’87 introduces the new head varsity squash coach, Dan Sharplin, who discusses his reasons for coming to Chattanooga to lead this growing part of the school’s athletic offerings. Mr. Sharplin, who comes to the Ridge via his native New Zealand and Boston, shares his vision for McCallie’s squash program and how he sees it as a way to introduce squash to other high schools in the Southeast. He and Mr. Burns also share their vision for a squash facility on McCallie’s campus (the squash currently uses a club squash facility in Downtown Chattanooga). For the many McCallie alumni and friends who are unfamiliar with squash, Mr. Sharplin gives a brief explanation on how it is played.

In this podcast, leaders of The Ed Johnson Project, along with a McCallie history teacher, discuss the story of Ed Johnson, who was lynched on Chattanooga’s Walnut Street Bridge more than a century ago, and the five-year effort by community volunteers that has resulted in a memorial being placed near the bridge to commemorate Mr. Johnson and the attorneys who defended him. The podcast also discusses the role the Rev. T.H. McCallie, one of the founders of McCallie, played in trying to prevent the lynching and how he offered shelter on the school’s campus to one of the attorney’s families. And it discusses how McCallie history teachers use the Ed Johnson story to inspire McCallie students to be responsible citizens in their communities. Participating in the podcast are: Donivan Brown, president of the Ed Johnson Project; Eleanor McCallie Cooper, great-granddaughter of the Rev. T.H. McCallie, and a member of the Ed Johnson Project; Mel Cooper, former McCallie Vice President of Development, and a member of the Ed

For the past eight years, students in Dr. Duke Richey’s Advanced Placement U.S. History classes have been collecting stories from family members, friends, and acquaintances about the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. To mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks, the students have launched a website that will be updated weekly throughout the year. That website can be found here: https://www.mccallie.org/911project Four of those students sat down with Dr. Richey to discuss the project and share their perspectives of the tragic attacks on America. The students are Vihaal Vellanki '22, a boarder from Minnetonka, Minn., Luke Gilbert '22, a boarder from Charlotte, N.C., and Nathan Smartt '22, a boarder from Austin, Texas. In addition, Nelson Eiselstein, a 2016 graduate of McCallie who participated in the project when he was a student, joined the discussion. Mr. Eiselstein now teaches math at McCallie.

That’s the sound being heard more across campus often as student anticipation grows for the annual Duck Day, in which students are dismissed from classes to enjoy the campus, the formal opening of the Lake, organized games, and just generally enjoying the springtime. Duck Day, along with another McCallie springtime tradition, the senior prank, are the topics of this edition of Stories from the Ridge. In early April 2021, Assistant Head of School Kenny Sholl sat in the Quadrangle with Upper School Principal Hank Hopping, Vice President of Advancement Steve Hearn ’74, and Dean of Admission Jim Daughdrill ’05 to share stories and laughs about Duck Day and senior pranks over the years. If you have a Duck Day or senior prank story you would like to share, please let us know. We’ll even try to record as many as possible (provided they are fit for a general audience) for a follow-up podcast. All you need to do is give us a call at 423-493-5019, and when prompted, simply record your message, being sure to give your n

How have boys – specifically McCallie boys – fared during the COVID pandemic and all the social and educational changes that have occurred over the past year? Five McCallie teachers and administrators sat down recently to talk about that question, and the discussion was surprisingly upbeat – and it led to a broader discussion of how McCallie boys have changed over the past couple of decades. Boys, they concluded, are resilient, adaptive, and appreciative. They’ve learned to grow in adversity, and have become nicer . . . and taller. Joining Head of School Lee Burns ’87 and Assistant Head of School Kenny Sholl in this enlightening conversation are English teacher, coach and former dorm head Chet LeSourd ’72, Learning Center Director and science teacher Suzie Howick, and Upper School chaplain, counselor, and coach the Rev. Josh Deitrick.

The “super-formative” high school years are challenging to all teenagers, but for those who are also recognizing an emerging identity of being gay or bisexual, the anxiety can be significantly increased. During a Zoom webinar with faculty and staff in late February 2021,  Alumni Alex Hostetler ’09, of New York, Boyd Jackson ‘09 and Scott Woods ’02, both of Washington, discussed their experiences of being gay at McCallie. They shared their struggles to reconcile their sexual identity with their religious faiths, their families, their fellow McCallie students, and their teachers. This panel discussion was part of McCallie’s “Belonging at McCallie” initiative which is designed to ensure that all students, regardless of their sexual orientation, can experience and participate in the fullness of the McCallie brotherhood. They also offer advice to current students on how to live full, happy, and successful lives at McCallie and beyond.

McCallie School has made a lot of progress in fully embracing and including its students of color, but more work remains. That’s one of the assessments delivered by three members of the school’s newly formed Black Alumni Steering Committee who joined Head of School Lee Burns ’87 for a conversation about the school’s Moving Forward Together As Brothers initiative. The alumni – Johnny Graham ‘95, Charles Green ‘06, and Keenan Hale ‘11 – provide focused perspectives on the issues facing the school. The alumni also speak with pride about the new mentoring program that they all participate in which pairs Black alumni with McCallie students. Also included in this podcast is a short segment of an interview of David Chatman ’75, who was the first Black student to enroll and graduate from McCallie.

Heads of three of the nation’s top independent schools – Lee Burns, of McCallie School, Kate Windsor, of Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut, and Greg O’Melia, of The Buckley School in New York City, discuss the challenges they face as they lead their schools through a period of social and political unrest -- as well as a pandemic that forced the closing of their campuses. They share their insights into how school heads must continuously work to express the mission, values, and traditions of their schools while at the same time adjusting to the realities and demands of the modern world.

That seems to be one of the major societal questions today for parents of teenage boys, and it is a question that McCallie teachers and counselors get asked frequently by parents. In this podcast, Headmaster Lee Burns '87 talks with Upper School Counselor Will Honeycutt and Middle School Principal Scotty Jones about this question and other questions that it spawns: how to set limits, how to have difficult conversations, how to “enter into their gaming world,” and how to find moderation and balance.

The late Senator Howard Baker Jr. '43 would tell current Senators to “listen eloquently,” during the upcoming Senate trial of President Trump, Pulitizer Prize historian Jon Meacham '87 says in this timely discussion of Senator Baker. “Baker once said, ‘One of the keys to life is to listen eloquently . . . because it is just possible that the other guy might have something to offer,” Mr. Meacham said. In this discussion, he joins Dr. Duke Richey '86, Senator Howard Baker Jr. Chair of American History at McCallie, and McCallie Headmaster Lee Burns '87. They offer compelling insight into Senator Baker’s role in the Watergate hearings and speculate on what advice Senator Baker would offer Senators today.

Developing a whole new generation of eaters for MoonPie, a nostalgic snack treat from Chattanooga Bakery, is a challenge shared by Dooley Tombras ‘00, President of The Tombras Group and Tory Johnston ‘83, Vice President of Marketing for Chattanooga Bakery. In this podcast they share the storied success of the “Out of This World” marketing campaign that has received national attention with Steve Hearn ‘74, McCallie Vice President for Advancement. Wacky and weird social media, as well as no-permission-needed pop culture sponsorships and memes, have resulted in record-breaking sales for MoonPies and national recognition for The Tombras Group’s branding approach. Dooley and Tory reflect upon the success factors they gained from McCallie as well as the immediate trust in their working relationship born from their common McCallie bond and values. Anyone interested in creating more customer engagement, learning relevant social media strategies, or getting an inside look at a favorite snack treat will enjoy this podc

James Harr '92, McCallie's director of choral programs, talks with former McCallie Music Department Chair Lew Cisto about Candlelight — McCallie's musical celebration of Christmas and the holiday season. McCallie will be celebrating 35 years of Candlelight in 2019 with performances December 6 and 7 in the McCallie Chapel. Lew and James discuss the origins of Candlelight and how it helped spark the growth of the McCallie music program over the next three decades.