The QuadPod

On this episode, we go behind the scenes of "Legally Blonde," the newest upper school theater production. We speak with many members of the cast and crew, as well as director of upper school theater, Beth Gumnick, and set design guru and technical director Garrett Walsh. Students who helped produce this episode and/or conducted interviews include Owen McDaniel ('23), Abagail Bailey ('23), Hannah Winchester ('23), and Justin Todd ('23).

On this episode, we will be looking at some of the basic needs that our Baylor family provides us every day, services that are so embedded in our daily experience that we fail to register their full significance. First, we join Nathan Andreotti ('23) and Allen Cox ('09), Baylor’s sports equipment manager, who keeps Baylor teams both looking and feeling good. Next, Miller Robinson ('23) polls students on their favorite meals served at Baylor. Then, Owen McDaniel ('23) and Mr. Kelly speak with head chef, Katie Williams, and Baylor general manager for food service, Joe Flippen, to learn more about the behind the scenes preparations in the dining hall. Finally, we join Justin Todd ('23) and head maintenance foreman, Howard Johnson, to learn about the complexities of maintaining and preserving our historic campus buildings from adversarial forces. This episode is hosted by Owen McDaniel ('23).

On this episode, we are highlighting three Baylor couples who not only live together but work together as well.  Three dynamic duos that prove that Love is not just a holiday but a way of life.   First, senior Owen McDaniel sits down with Penny and Jack Batt to hear their relationship origin story and what they love about one another.  Next, senior Justin Todd takes to the quad to bring us a special Valentine’s Day “short list” that you don’t want to miss.  Then, senior Hannah Winchester brings us the story behind one of the most iconic couples on campus, Kitty Wadley and Ricky Miles.  Finally, Justin returns to the studio to interview Liz and Jesse Young about what brings joy to their lives.  This episode is hosted by Abagail Bailey ('23) and Spencer Chinery ('23).

On this episode, we are featuring four conversations with four coaches who brought home TSSAA state championship titles in 2022.  First, junior Nelson McKnight sits down with head football coach, Erik Kimrey, to discuss his first season at Baylor and how he led the team to its first state title in 50 years.  Next, senior Morgan Sharpe discusses the softball team’s incredible run of state titles, including 2022, with coach Kelli Smith.  Then, senior Mac Hickman relives the boys’ soccer title run with head coach Curtis Blair.  And finally, senior Justin Todd discusses the winning formula behind the boys’ wrestling team with head coach Rex Kendle.  A quick note of clarification, the first three of these interviews were final projects for students in the audio journalism elective.  This episode is hosted by Nathan Andreotti (’23).

In this last episode of 2022, we are featuring an inside look at Baylor's community service program, also known as RESPECT. First, we give you a broad overview of the program with assistant director, Keelah Jackson. Then, we focus our attention on the annual holiday party put on by RESPECT, a beyond-belief feel-good shindig that we are bringing right to your doorstep. Owen McDaniel ('23) starts us off by covering the party preparations and what the party means to the many student volunteers who help bring it to light. Next, we crash the party itself with Justin Todd ('23). Finally, we catch up with student leaders of the program, Lucy Sutter ('23) and Marshall McGahey ('23), in the party’s afterglow. Along the way, we’ll learn about the inner workings of the RESPECT program and the value the relationship has for the young community scholars and Baylor partners alike.

On this episode, we look at some Baylor clubs and programs that are actively working to raise awareness about our changing environment and, following the Baylor mission, striving to make a positive difference in the world.  First, Owen McDaniel ('23) sits down with president of the Baylor sustainability club, Nora Redding ('23), to discuss the club’s various efforts on campus to model responsible and sustainable living practices.  Next, Mr. Kelly joins Ben Holt, lead scientist for the Baylor Environmental research program, and three students in the program--John Schepens ('23), Maggie Smith ('23), and Laken Coppinger ('24)--to get an inside look at some of the intriguing conservation projects happening on campus.  Following this, Nathan Andreotti ('23) sits down with David Wang ('24) and Shriyaa Shahari ('23) to discuss “planet number 2,” a new club founded by a group of Baylor boarding students representing four different continents, and how they are turning to social media to spread awareness and action among the members of their generation.  And finally, Justin Todd ('23) speaks with Baylor faculty member Erin Woodrow about her role advising a group of Baylor students in the engineering and racing of electric vehicles in the annual green prix race held here in Chattanooga.  This episode is hosted by Abagail Bailey ('23) and Cecilia Yuan ('24).

On this episode, we take a closer look at Hedges library and, in general, reading culture on campus.  First, we join Mr. Kelly, Priscilla Birdsall, and four young middle schoolers (Anton Pruenster ’28, Elizabeth Agner ’28, Ananya Chakraborty ’27, and Caroline Young ‘28) to discuss reading clubs on campus and how a shared love of reading brought two new clubs into being.  Next, senior Owen McDaniel sits down with library director, Lauren Callihan, and reading librarian Rhonda Sixto, to learn about various programs the library has recently initiated to foster a love for books in our community.  Following this, we join senior Justin Todd and research librarian Lee Howick to discuss navigating the numerous sources, both physical and digital, offered by the library.  Finally, Taryn Harris (’26) catches up with veteran Baylor faculty member Chris Watkins about his time in the English department, influential books, and how he approaches teaching literature to his upper school students in the 21st century.  This episode is hosted by Abagail Bailey (’23) and Nathan Andreotti (’23).  Additional “vox pops” provided by Spencer Chinery (’23) and Cecilia Yuan (’24).

Join us as we kick off season three by learning some things we didn’t know about Baylor faculty.  First, we journey through the academic halls to uncover the surprises hiding in plain sight.  Then, we join band director Mae Weiss way up in the clouds, her new home away from home on the weekends.  Next, we hear how history teacher James Scott’s passion for his Scottish heritage makes him a regular at weddings and funerals.  And finally, we follow digital photography and walkabout instructor Bruno Poco to a location he’d rather not disclose for a little lesson in zen.  Audio production credits for this episode go to Justin Todd ('23), Owen McDaniel ('23), and Caleb Hampton ('23).  Narration by Abagail Bailey ('23) and Spencer Chinery ('23).

The final episode of season two highlights six "personal projects" from the audio journalism elective at Baylor.  First, we hear from Nathan Andreotti ('23).  Nathan interviews his parents, Marcio Andreotti and Marcia Ulinski, about their decision to leave Brazil for the US and begin a new life right here in Chattanooga, TN.  Next, we join Halden Williams ('22), Vivi Christopoulos ('23), and Autumn Phillips ('24) to discuss the evolution of the girls wrestling team at Baylor.  Next, Gaston Carmichael ('22) interviews his father, Alan Carmichael ('82), about following his childhood passion for baseball all the way to the pros.  Then, Weston Carico ('22) interviews his father, Trey Carico ('91), about their shared love of rafting and paddling the southeast’s great rivers and what being on the water has taught them along the way.  Next, Abagail Bailey ('23) brings us a unique audio drama about the final eight minutes before the end of the world.  Finally, Alexis Janosz ('22) delivers the story of Kevin Murphey, a family friend whose world came crashing down at an early age.  Escaping a rough childhood of abuse and neglect, Kevin learned to fight off the demons in his life with a steadfast faith and a sense of gratitude for even the hardest lessons.  In between these stories, we hear excerpts from several peer interviews conducted in the audio journalism class.  These conversations feature Owen Trainor ('23), Bridger Knee ('22), Sheldon McKnight ('22), Jasper Bulley ('22), Alexis Janosz ('22), and William Duncan ('22).  We conclude the episode with a special outro dedicated to the senior class of 2022.  This episode is hosted by Mike Kelly and was recorded at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, TN.

On this episode, we explore the Baylor boarding experience, both from the perspective of several current boarding students and from the dorm parents, past and present, who care for them.  First, we go through a typical day as a boarder with Jasper Bulley ('22).  Then, we sit down with English faculty member and dean of 9th and 10th-grade residential life, Takisha Haynie, and her son, Evan Haynie ('23), to discuss what it’s been like to call Baylor home for over 20 years.  Next, we join Bridger Knee ('22) as he walks the halls of Lupton during the evening to see what students are up to during the nighttime hours.  Then, we visit the dining hall to catch up with a group of current faculty children about what they like about growing up on campus and what their dining hall favorites are.  Following that, we sit down with former legendary Baylor basketball coach and current assistant dean of students, Austin Clark, and his son, Jordan Clark ('09), to talk about Jordan’s formative years growing up on campus and how they shaped who he is today.  Then, we spend a Saturday in Lupton with Henry Doering ('22) and his dorm “parent” Jesse Young to discover what weekends are like on campus.  Finally, we head out to the quad with William Duncan ('22) and Emma Thompson ('22) for a final word on what boarders like best about calling Baylor home.  This episode is hosted by Alexis Janosz ('22) and Nathan Andreotti ('23) with studio recording by Sheldon McKnight ('22).  You can find additional interviews with boarding students in our "Boarding Life" playlist on soundcloud: soundcloud.com/baylorschool.