The day was May 17th; the morning saw the underclassmen convocation and with it the slew of awards and competition among classmates. The evening also saw awards, but of a different kind.
The 3rd annual The Roundup Banquet took place in the very same building as the convocation that occurred just hours before, and with the recognition of hard-working writers came the advent of a new award and its recipient: The Durham Family Award and first recipient, Jack Durham ’16.
The banquet also featured Robert Uhl ’11, the first Editor-in-Chief of the digital version of The Roundup. Â A graduate of Notre Dame and a law student at SMU, Uhl presented a keynote address, sharing his experience of writing during his undergraduate career and writing as a law school student–skills his honed as a student at Jesuit. Â He encouraged The Roundup staff to recognize the gift before them: the superior writing instruction that shapes both their academic work and their work on the newspaper.
Outgoing Editor-in-Chief Alex Motter mused, “I thought that the presentation was a really
great way to commemorate my time at the Roundup. The banquet provided an intersection of senior leadership both past with Robert Uhl ’11, Justin Rubenstein ’14, Dom Ianelli ’15, and Michael Lanham ’15 and present with the juniors prepared to tackle senior editing positions next year. There hasn’t been a family thus far who has contributed as much to the newspaper as the Durhams, and giving their last son an award in their name is a great way to ensure their legacy of excellence is remembered for years to come. I anticipate the day when my brother ascends to his rightful throne of EIC and completes the Motter dynasty!”
English teacher and school archivist Mrs. Sheryl Row, remarked, “Because Robert Uhl was giving the banquet keynote, Dr. Degen invited me to attend, as I no longer have the time to contribute to the paper. Robert stressed how important the English department had been to his development as a writer, and the school newspaper was a part of that.”
Newly appointed Editor-in-Chief Martin Flores ’17 added, “Robert’s speech had two fascinating elements to it: his lessons that he had learned from the paper and his application to his career path of law, a career path that interests me currently. I hope to be able to have the lasting impact he had on the online paper and be able to take lessons into the world after high school.”
“Robert Uhl serves as an example of how elements of The Roundup and AP English program can continue to resonate with a student beyond his time at Jesuit, giving him invaluable experience writing,” added managing editor Will Aberger ’17.
Dr. Michael Degen explained the significance of the Durham family involvement in the newspaper. Â “The Durhams have been part of the growth of The Roundup from day one. The excitement of their three sons, their commitment to producing outstanding content and Suzanne and Clark’s steadfast support helped to create a publication unparalleled in Jesuit’s history. Â I am so grateful and the establishment of this award is but a meager attempt to say ‘thank you.'”
“I was so surprised when I received this award. Obviously, it feels good to outdo my brothers, but then again I have all my life. It truly means so much that Dr. Degen and The Roundup took the time out to dedicate this award to our family,” said the recipient Jack Durham ’16.
And Mrs. Suzanne Durham expressed equal delight: Â “It was such a surprise an honor to have this award named after us. We truly are so fortunate to have three sons all have The Roundup as an integral part of their formation at Jesuit. We are forever grateful for all Dr. Degen has done for us and the rest of the organization.”
The stats, provided by moderator Mr. Joe Nava, demonstrate impressive involvement: “Ever since The Roundup went digital in the Fall of 2010, The Durham Family represented only 1% of all our writers, but they  contributed to 7% of the 2200 total published articles on our site. Clark, Pierce, and Jack are among the top 5 overall contributors to The Roundup. Their legacy is impressive and invaluable and it speaks to their talent, work ethic, and example which has formed and shaped the voice of the site and the leadership of our staff over the years.”
Row underscored the Durham legacy: “When I learned that Dr. Degen was planning to move The Roundup to an online program, I knew I wanted to be in on this. As the school’s archivist, I understood immediately that The Roundup could be the best source of school history, and it is. The first years were exciting and hectic. Fortunately, we had many great supporters like Clark and Suzanne Durham.
The Durhams contributed three sons to the program as writers and editors. In addition, they stepped in whenever needed, as with the delightful banquet Tuesday evening. They have been strong supporters of the newspaper program from its inception, and I thank them.”
“When I first joined The Roundup as a sophomore, Jack helped me right from the start, coming up with interview questions to ask and looking over my first draft of the article. Overall, Jack has been an integral part of the newspaper throughout his time at Jesuit, this award adding another piece to the legacy he will leave behind,” added Aberger.
Flores remembers that Jack “was one of the first members I met when I was a freshman. My first piece on Jesuit baseball was made possible by Jack’s assistance. Additionally, the Durham family has been instrumental in the paper’s success and always willing to assist it in whatever capacity. I owe them all a lot of gratitude for that.”
Ryan Shaffler’s opening prayer proved particularly apt–
Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost…
It was a night to celebrate the generosity of the Durham family and the service of Robert Uhl. Â We are grateful.
