Stag Symposium

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.

Stag Symposium ([email protected]) 

Show Notes Season 3, Episode 11. Publication date 1/26/26

Maureen Ritz, Director of Counseling and Guidance, is the Symposium guest. Her near quarter-century of service to DeMatha has seen her lead several safe-school initiatives, counsel hundreds of students, help numerous families, and teach Psychology. A highly respected clinician and diagnostician, Maureen brings a kind of dual expertise that is exceptionally rare in the field of school 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 10. Publication date 1/12/26

Mike and Dan look back at the past semester and look forward to the new. Books and movies get discussed.

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 9. Publication date 12/29/2025

Stag Symposium’s guest is Dave DiLuigi ‘88, former Chair of the Board of Trustees.  Dave is Head of US Markets for Wilmington Trust. He joined M&T Bank in 1992, which acquired Wilmington Trust in 2011. During his more than three decades with the institution, Dave has served as the regional president for the Greater Washington/Central Virginia and Greater Baltimore regions of Wilmington Trust and led M&T’s commercial banking operations in the Washington, DC and Northern Virginia marketplace, which includes the Government Contracting practice. He also managed retail branches, directed the bank’s retirement plan sales team, and worked on integration related projects for some of M&T’s acquisitions.

Dave holds an MBA from The American University (Washington, DC), a bachelor’s degree in business and finance from Mount Saint Mary’s University (Emmitsburg, MD), and completed an executive leadership program at Columbia University. Dave serves as Treasurer of the board of trustees at Mt. St. Mary’s University; is a member of the advisory board for the institution’s Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business; is chairman of the board at Catholic Charities (Archdiocese of Washington, DC); and is a member of the nominating committee at DeMatha Catholic High School. Formerly, Dave chaired the board of directors at DeMatha Catholic High School; was a board member at the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington; served on the advisory board for the Honors College at George Mason University; and as a board member for Sport Changes Life.

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 8. Publication date 12/15/2025

Stag Symposium’s guest is Robert Reeser, senior at DeMatha.  

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 7. Publication date 12/1/2025

Stag Symposium’s guest is Gordon Johnson, senior at DeMatha.

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.