SMBAA began as a conversation. In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, we came together to talk. Since then the conversation has grown a lot! We spent the summer of 2020 meeting with Black faculty, parents, and a whole bunch of alumni who were excited to cultivate the Black St. Mark’s community - who were excited to improve the experience of Black Marksmen now and for the future.
Though SMBAA is an autonomous organization whose members’ point of connection to one another is their own, unique SM experience, our alliances extend beyond our organizational walls. We are a proud ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and firm supporters of Mental Health, particularly in minority communities.
The Print Shop held a unique place in the life of St. Mark’s. It wasn’t a sanctioned student lounge or an officially recognized gathering spot. In fact, the administration never fully endorsed the idea of boys hanging out there between classes or after school. But they tolerated it—quietly, deliberately—because something rare happened within those walls.
Students who might never have crossed paths in the hallways found themselves shoulder‑to‑shoulder around the press. Freshmen and seniors, athletes and artists, students from every racial and socioeconomic background—boys who lived in different worlds off campus—discovered common ground in the hum of the machines, the very-low volume radio, dominoes, spades and the easy presence of Ron Turner.
In a school known for its rigor and its pressure, the Print Shop became one of the few places where hierarchy softened. It was a room where the usual social lines blurred, where boys talked, laughed, argued, and learned from one another. Lifelong friendships were formed there—friendships that might never have existed without this unofficial refuge.
Why It Mattered in a High‑Pressure Environment
St. Mark’s demanded excellence, and that demand weighed heavily on students. The academic expectations were intense, the competition constant, and the social pressures—especially for minority students—were real and often unspoken. Many boys carried burdens they didn’t have language for yet.
The Print Shop offered something the curriculum couldn’t:
A place to breathe when the pressure felt overwhelming.
A place to belong when the school’s culture felt isolating.
A place to be seen when race or background made visibility complicated.
It wasn’t polished or curated. It wasn’t part of any strategic plan. But it worked—because it was human.
Ron Turner’s Role in Holding the Space Together
Ron Turner understood the boys who gravitated to the Print Shop. He saw their stress, their bravado, their insecurities, and their potential. He didn’t lecture or judge. He listened. He guided. He created an atmosphere where respect was expected, but perfection was not.
His presence made the Print Shop feel safe—safe to talk, safe to make mistakes, safe to be imperfect in a school that often demanded the opposite. That safety allowed boys from different backgrounds to connect in ways that shaped their character long after graduation.
The Legacy of an Unofficial Sanctuary
The Print Shop’s legacy isn’t found in yearbooks or official school records. It lives in the memories of alumni who found friendship, mentorship, and acceptance there. It lives in the stories of boys who walked in feeling overwhelmed and walked out feeling understood. And it lives in the quiet truth that sometimes the most meaningful parts of an education happen in the spaces that aren’t planned, approved, or polished.
The administration may not have formally endorsed the Print Shop as a hangout, but they recognized its value. They saw that it brought students together in ways the institution itself struggled to achieve. And so they let it be—because they knew that what happened there mattered. The Print Shop was a different experience for each unique young man that faced the St. Mark's Challenge.
SMBAA will be organizing the alumni contributions and stories as we update the site and honor Ron Turner's mentorship and as we prepare for his retirement from SMTX. Please email support@smbaa.info or ( insert malcolm's email)