St Thomas Military Academy - Kaydet Yearbook (Mendota Heights, MN)

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Left: Wonderfully Wally. beloved yearbook moderator, reacts to the appointment of Tom Clements as Faculty Section Editor with the immortal words “You've got to be kidding! Below: You want to go to college?! NATION )ably fills the demanding position of Director of idents. Despite being the “Bad Guy” who has to orce the rules, regulations and appearance code, ulby” remains friends with the overwhelming major- of the student body. VIr. Walter Kurtz, Director of Development, Alum- and Public Relations, is the man to whom the ademy owes its favorable reputation. He is also the derator of the Academy's superb, prize-winning irbook. -ather John Seifert, Director of Guidance, adrnin- :rs the Academy's excellent testing program and insels seniors as to college choices in addition to ching Religion. Why can't I go to MacDonald's for lunch?

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 Right: Our friendly Dean of Students, always ready to lend a helping hand. Be- low: While Mr. Ridley reminisces about the last four years, a tear comes to his eye. as he contemplates the difficulty of replacing the illustrious class of grad- uating seniors. ADMIN One of the many factors contributing to the sue St. Thomas has enjoyed in the last few years is an ceptionally able Administration. The immense amc of work that these devoted men expend to ensure smooth, efficient running of the school is vital to continued existence of S.T.A. In his second year as Headmaster, Mr. Will Ridley has continued to exhibit the tact and int gence that made him eligible to become the first Headmaster in the Academy’s history. From his d witty announcements at morning formation to enthusiastic support of all extra-curricular activi “Rids is an integral part of life at St. Thomas. Mr. William Culbertson, besides his duties as te; er, coach and moderator of the Student Coui The student body at a typical morning formation. 8

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FACULTY AND ACADEMICS An institution of higher education can no more survive without a competent, dedicated faculty than it can without students. Fortunately, St. Thomas is in little danger of disappearing for this reason. One of the best-qualified groups of teachers in the state makes the Academy a widely respected secondary school which places 97% of its grad- uates in various colleges. This can be said about few other schools, but there is something that makes St. Thomas faculty unique: their willingness to help. From assisting a student with a difficult math problem to coaching ath- letic teams to chaperoning bus trips, or simply talking to students in the halls, the faculty is always readily acces- sible and enthusiastically involved in all aspects of life at the Academy. During a time when the “generation gap” is supposedly widening, the ties between teachers and stu- dents at S.T.A. are instead growing stronger. There is probably no senior who has been here four years who can truthfully claim not to have been deeply influenced by at least one member of the faculty. It is this bond between students and faculty, almost unheard of on the high school level, and none too common in the colleges, that is the sin- gle most important factor in making St. Thomas what it is. Although the yearbook is dedicated to a specific indi- vidual each year, it is in a larger sense dedicated to the entire faculty, for they have made the student body what it is. 10