Stag Symposium ([email protected]) 

Show Notes Season 3, Episode 21. Publication date 6/15/26

The 3rd season of Stag Symposium wraps up with a discussion of summer plans and projects and highlights from the year. We expect to return for a new season on September 7, 2026. 

Music: Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” as played by the DeMatha Wind Ensemble.

The thumbnail icon was designed by Rob Landini ‘00.

Host Biographies: Mr. Michael Ptomey is in his 21st year teaching. A DeMatha grad, class of ’98, he has taught English, Social Studies, and is currently the Chair of the Theology department. Mike has coached lacrosse and moderated clubs; he has won numerous awards for his teaching.

Dr. Daniel McMahon is in his 45th year of teaching and serves as principal at DeMatha. Dan teaches World Literature and has coached basketball and softball and has moderated numerous clubs. He is a DeMatha grad, class of ’76

Stag Symposium ([email protected]) 

Show Notes Season 3, Episode 20. Publication date 6/1/26

Andrew Bright ‘03 joins the podcast to talk about his varied career in teaching, coaching, and college counseling. 

Music: Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” as played by the DeMatha Wind Ensemble.

The thumbnail icon was designed by Rob Landini ‘00.

Host Biographies: Mr. Michael Ptomey is in his 21st year teaching. A DeMatha grad, class of ’98, he has taught English, Social Studies, and is currently the Chair of the Theology department. Mike has coached lacrosse and moderated clubs; he has won numerous awards for his teaching.

Dr. Daniel McMahon is in his 45th year of teaching and serves as principal at DeMatha. Dan teaches World Literature and has coached basketball and softball and has moderated numerous clubs. He is a DeMatha grad, class of ’76

Stag Symposium ([email protected]) 

Show Notes Season 3, Episode 19. Publication date 5/18/26

Mike and Dan talk about “coverage” vs.”mastery”; the impact of technology; and which texts are the first ones into your heart and mind. 

Music: Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” as played by the DeMatha Wind Ensemble.

The thumbnail icon was designed by Rob Landini ‘00.

Host Biographies: Mr. Michael Ptomey is in his 21st year teaching. A DeMatha grad, class of ’98, he has taught English, Social Studies, and is currently the Chair of the Theology department. Mike has coached lacrosse and moderated clubs; he has won numerous awards for his teaching.

Dr. Daniel McMahon is in his 45th year of teaching and serves as principal at DeMatha. Dan teaches World Literature and has coached basketball and softball and has moderated numerous clubs. He is a DeMatha grad, class of ’76

Stag Symposium ([email protected]) 

Show Notes Season 3, Episode 18. Publication date 5/4/26

Mike G. Jones joins the podcast to talk about his journey to DeMatha from Oklahoma, from TCU, from overseas, from the NBA, from st. Stephens St. Agnes. The discipline of the many and the one, teaching team concepts, and evaluating players and teams are all part of a coach’s job.

Music: Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” as played by the DeMatha Wind Ensemble.

The thumbnail icon was designed by Rob Landini ‘00.

Host Biographies: Mr. Michael Ptomey is in his 21st year teaching. A DeMatha grad, class of ’98, he has taught English, Social Studies, and is currently the Chair of the Theology department. Mike has coached lacrosse and moderated clubs; he has won numerous awards for his teaching.

Dr. Daniel McMahon is in his 45th year of teaching and serves as principal at DeMatha. Dan teaches World Literature and has coached basketball and softball and has moderated numerous clubs. He is a DeMatha grad, class of ’76

Stag Symposium ([email protected]) 

Show Notes Season 3, Episode 17. Publication date 4/20/26

Rich Blorstad ‘10 joins the podcast to talk about his work in Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Math–and crew. 

Music: Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” as played by the DeMatha Wind Ensemble.

The thumbnail icon was designed by Rob Landini ‘00.

Host Biographies: Mr. Michael Ptomey is in his 21st year teaching. A DeMatha grad, class of ’98, he has taught English, Social Studies, and is currently the Chair of the Theology department. Mike has coached lacrosse and moderated clubs; he has won numerous awards for his teaching.

Dr. Daniel McMahon is in his 45th year of teaching and serves as principal at DeMatha. Dan teaches World Literature and has coached basketball and softball and has moderated numerous clubs. He is a DeMatha grad, class of ’76

Stag Symposium ([email protected]) 

Show Notes Season 3, Episode 16. Publication date 4/6/26

Mike and Dan look back at 50 episodes of Stag Symposium over 3 years. They use a series of questions that ask, “What was the best thing? What was the most surprising or interesting thing? "And what did you work hardest at–or what was the hardest part of the job?” The discussion ranges across teaching, Stoicism, family, and gratitude.

Music: Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” as played by the DeMatha Wind Ensemble.

The thumbnail icon was designed by Rob Landini ‘00.

Host Biographies: Mr. Michael Ptomey is in his 21st year teaching. A DeMatha grad, class of ’98, he has taught English, Social Studies, and is currently the Chair of the Theology department. Mike has coached lacrosse and moderated clubs; he has won numerous awards for his teaching.

Dr. Daniel McMahon is in his 45th year of teaching and serves as principal at DeMatha. Dan teaches World Literature and has coached basketball and softball and has moderated numerous clubs. He is a DeMatha grad, class of ’76

Stag Symposium ([email protected]) 

Show Notes Season 3, Episode 15. Publication date 3/23/26

Michael Johnson ‘80 joins Mike and Dan to talk about his work at DeMatha as “the campus architect.” Mike has designed the Trinitarian Heritage Plaza, The Cross Center, the cafeteria expansion, the Hanley Science Wing, and he is responsible for the refurbishment of St. John de Matha Hall. You will enjoy his stories about the process of how he thinks, about the role of DeMatha in his life, and about how he forced a compromise between Virginia Tech’s Bill Dooley and the chair of the architecture department by making himself (in his mother’s words) “invaluable to both.”

Music: Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” as played by the DeMatha Wind Ensemble.

The thumbnail icon was designed by Rob Landini ‘00.

Host Biographies: Mr. Michael Ptomey is in his 21st year teaching. A DeMatha grad, class of ’98, he has taught English, Social Studies, and is currently the Chair of the Theology department. Mike has coached lacrosse and moderated clubs; he has won numerous awards for his teaching.

Dr. Daniel McMahon is in his 45th year of teaching and serves as principal at DeMatha. Dan teaches World Literature and has coached basketball and softball and has moderated numerous clubs. He is a DeMatha grad, class of ’76

Stag Symposium ([email protected]) 

Show Notes Season 3, Episode 14. Publication date 3/9/26

Pete Strickland ‘75 and current DeMatha Way Teacher and English Department member joins Mike and Dan to talk about his journey in teaching and coaching. In particular, Pete is interested in the intersection of teaching, parenting, coaching and on the nature of performance (he acts in local theater productions).

Music: Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” as played by the DeMatha Wind Ensemble.

The thumbnail icon was designed by Rob Landini ‘00.

Host Biographies: Mr. Michael Ptomey is in his 21st year teaching. A DeMatha grad, class of ’98, he has taught English, Social Studies, and is currently the Chair of the Theology department. Mike has coached lacrosse and moderated clubs; he has won numerous awards for his teaching.

Dr. Daniel McMahon is in his 45th year of teaching and serves as principal at DeMatha. Dan teaches World Literature and has coached basketball and softball and has moderated numerous clubs. He is a DeMatha grad, class of ’76.

Stag Symposium ([email protected]) 

Show Notes Season 3, Episode 13. Publication date 2/23/26

The snow and ice and other obligations interrupted Stag Symposium’s opportunity to interview a guest. This episode Mike and Dan talk a bit about poetry and the movies and what Mike is teaching.

Music: Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” as played by the DeMatha Wind Ensemble.

The thumbnail icon was designed by Rob Landini ‘00.

Host Biographies: Mr. Michael Ptomey is in his 21st year teaching. A DeMatha grad, class of ’98, he has taught English, Social Studies, and is currently the Chair of the Theology department. Mike has coached lacrosse and moderated clubs; he has won numerous awards for his teaching.

Dr. Daniel McMahon is in his 45th year of teaching and serves as principal at DeMatha. Dan teaches World Literature and has coached basketball and softball and has moderated numerous clubs. He is a DeMatha grad, class of ’76.

Stag Symposium ([email protected]) 

Show Notes Season 3, Episode 12. Publication date 2/9/26

Sarah Stockton, joined DeMatha as a mid-year replacement and has never looked back. Her expertise in managing special projects (DeMatha Leadership Institute, Sophomore Conversations, relationship mapping, and more) have had an enormous impact on the school. Sarah brings her sense of service and her awareness of what parents are going through (Sarah’s son in a junior) to her work in ways that benefit everyone.

Music: Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” as played by the DeMatha Wind Ensemble.

The thumbnail icon was designed by Rob Landini ‘00.

Host Biographies: Mr. Michael Ptomey is in his 21st year teaching. A DeMatha grad, class of ’98, he has taught English, Social Studies, and is currently the Chair of the Theology department. Mike has coached lacrosse and moderated clubs; he has won numerous awards for his teaching.

Dr. Daniel McMahon is in his 45th year of teaching and serves as principal at DeMatha. Dan teaches World Literature and has coached basketball and softball and has moderated numerous clubs. He is a DeMatha grad, class of ’76.