FEATURES 3///GQ
08 12 18 LEDOUX STORY
Over the summer, Debbie Ledoux suffered a stroke which resulted in severe medical complications. Throughout her painful recovery, the family (including sophomore Sam Ledoux) demonstrated incredible perseverance through this terrible incident. Their story is an inspirational and heartwarming one, and exemplifies true faith in Christ in the face of hardship.
11-MAN FOOTBALL
The Geneva School of Boerne’s sports program is quickly growing. The Logic School team has already moved up to 11-man and it will soon be time for the Rhetoric School team to do the same. Staff member Hunter Hamon uses his personal experience and investigation of 11man football to write about the pros and cons of this change.
TAKING IT TO THE STREETS Even though one person cannot end global hunger, there are some organizations that strive to improve lives of poverty and bring people to Christ, no matter what their financial or social standing may be. Junior Mary Claire Brock interviewed the directors of one of these organizations and discovered the many ways that God is using “Taking It to The Streets” to help the impoverished citizens of the Boerne-San Antonio area.
DEAR GENEVA,
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With the advent of a new school year comes the little perks of the fall season: brand new Moleskines, cooler mornings and Friday night lights--but the perk I look forward to most of all is the process of transforming a collection of blank pages into a beautiful masterpiece of words and artwork, otherwise known as the first edition of the Geneva Quarterly. All of the pinteresthunting and magazine-flipping, searching for ideas and themes to make our magazine even better is an arduous process that brings great rewards. After compiling every idea and story into one place, all the stories and photos bleed together to paint an incredible picture. After a long summer of preparation and anticipation, we are finally able to introduce all of you to the first edition of the 2014-2015 Geneva Quarterly! We have been so busy since the first week of school putting together this edition that only just now, as I sit down to write my letter, have I realized what an honor it is for me and my staff to be part of this endeavor. When we set out to collaborate on this year’s magazine, we agreed right away that we wanted to create a publication that brought a creative base to our school by showcasing the talent of our student body. In the pages of the Geneva Quarterly, you’ll find a collection of inspired stories written by an incredigifted staff. They work hard to accomplish goals but are not afraid to admit struggles or problems we face. I am honored to introduce and share with our readers the artwork of so many committed and thoughtful people. So, on behalf of the Geneva Quarterly staff, I present to you the first edition of our four-part masterpiece.
BEHIND THE COVER
GQ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: sofia pedraza CHIEF-EDITOR OF DESIGN: emma ingram CHIEF-EDITOR OF CONTENT: mary claire brock INDESIGN EDITOR: hattie atkins EDITORIAL EDITOR: delaney young PHOTOSHOP EDITOR: summer stolle PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: reynolds walker INDESIGN: hunter hamon skylar tippetts carissa georgelos jessica wheeler EDITORIAL: corey bates katherine anderson emme owens arianna flores PHOTOSHOP: karlie daniels sara beth stolle ruth wacker PHOTOGRAPHY: ian comuzzi sean hollinshead sam ledoux To buy a subscription, contact, rryden@genevaschooltx.org To advertise, contact, sofiapedraza.gq@gmail.com This is a publication for the Geneva School of Boerne. 113 Cascade Caverns Road Boerne, TX 78015
For this quarter’s cover, Pam Akin shot a picture of Geneva’s Friday Night Lights on Friday October 11th, at Geneva’s fifth annual Homecoming game.
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{sub stories}
06
Editorial: ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Opposing views of participation in this current trend.
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Photo Story: Homecoming
24
Viva La Vida: The Story of the Crosslands
A guy and girl perspective on all the preparations for homecoming.
Victoria and David Crossland give anecdotal stories of life in Brazil.
Put Your Guard Up
with the guard gate are 27 Mishaps recounted
29 34
Tick Tock 15 More on the Clock
What students are doing with the extra 15 minutes each morning with a later school start time.
Breaking Back
How outdoor lockers are changing the students of Geneva, literally.
You Know About 36 Do the Bromance
A quiz for how much you know about Mr. Tye, Mr. Harrild and Mr. Johnson.
The Geneva Quarterly is proud to announce the winners of the national Columbia Scholastic Press Gold Circle Awards for 2013/2014:
{in every issue}
26
Interview: Dr. Chalres McCurley, Geneva’s Sports Doc
28
A Day in the Life: Lauren Peterson (Lewis)
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AlumNews Music Column: A review of the “One Direction” concert
38
Humans of Geneva
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The Personal Survival Rate: Arizpe and Lloyd
40
The Talon
41
Geneagle Gazette
42
Creative Writing: A sonnet by Alexandra Grote
Overall Magazine Design
Second Place Photoshop: Sean Hollinshead Second Place Body of Work: Summer Stolle Honorable Mention
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AL
Taking the Ice Bucket C
Con By Ruth Wacker
Freshman Ruth Wacker explains the internet sensation that is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and how something as silly as dumping a bucket of ice water on someone created awareness for something much bigger.
Now why would someone dump a bucket of ice cold water on his head? Seems a little silly and pointless at first sight but when one digs deeper he discovers a very important purpose to this sudden trend. When nominated to perform this challenge one must either donate $100 to ALS Association or dump a bucket of ice water on themselves. ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which means a disease of the brain. It is a slow process that kills motor neurons in your brain and eventually leads to that person becoming totally paralyzed. This terrible disease has affected many peoples’ lives. However, if one has to kill fetuses to obtain the cure of this disease, is it worth it? Among other types of research, the ALS Association uses embryonic stem cell research. This research requires killing a one week old human fetus to perform lab tests on it. This raises an ethical question: should Christians allow the death of these fetuses? Many Christians argue that this is considered murder and is not permitted by the Bible. Although only one week developed, the fetus can already have around 150 cells. If a baby was killed it would be considered murder. How is this different? The ASL Association should not be supported if a percentage of their money goes to this type of research. Each of those fetuses could have become individual children who became an adult. How can one justify taking that chance of life away from a helpless child? No one should have the authority to take a fetuses’ life except God. Although some of the money goes to harmless research, the ALS ice bucket challenge should not be fully supported. The fact that fetuses are dying should not be ignored. These fetuses cannot speak for themselves so some else must speak for them. As Christians, God calls us to protect and defend the helpless. We should listen to this call and stand for what is true and right.
LS
t Challenge: Is it Worth it? Pro By Nick Patti
As a kid, freshman Nick Patti had a personal experience with ALS that left a major impact on his life and worldview. He argues for the research and study of ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
May, 2012, the 69-year old Bonnie Patti died in her sleep. Who is she? She was my grandmother. Every single time I visited her at her house, she would be outside just waiting for my brother and me. Inside, there’d be cookies and pie sitting on the table made just for us. I loved her so much that when my dad told me that she had a disease, I almost didn’t believe him; I thought it was cruel of him to look at the situation so pessimistically. When he said she was going to die for sure, we started to visit her all the time. She slowly disintegrated, losing her hair, then movement, then speech. After seeing my grandma struggle with this process, I resolved that Christians should help fund the ALS research to find a cure. An easy way to contribute to this cause is to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. There are three main reasons to fund ALS research: world solidarity, ending embryonic cell research, and inspiring hope. World solidarity is shown through thousands of people unified under one cause: finding a cure. Solidarity is crucial for our world because it decreases violence and increases a sense of peace and togetherness in our community. Another good thing about this organization is that embryonic cell stem research is not supported by the ALS Association. According to this association, “This research is funded by one specific donor, who is committed to this area of research, This project (Embryonic Stem Cell Research) is in its final phase and will come to an end very soon.” Dr. Shinya Yamanaka of Japan has been able to reprogram adult cells to replicate the embryo. James A. Thompson of the University of Wisconsin has done it as well. Ronald Patti, the husband of Bonnie Patti, says, “I hope a cure is found so that no one has to go through what I went through.” Bonnie died one week after her 50th anniversary. The researchers and victims have seen hope and that hope has conquered their fear of death. It would be immoral for Christians not to show support to save lives.
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By Sofia Pedraza Editor-in-Chief
D
ebbie Ledoux’s Miracle
More than a Stroke of Luck: Seeing GOD through Debbie Ledoux’s Miracle
“He was so good and so trustworthy that the natural response is just, “WHATEVER!” It was that long anticipated summer vacation. After a year of school projects, sports games, long work days, and stressful hospital cases, it was finally time for the Ledoux family vacation. Bags were packed and July 5th could not come soon enough. Mayakoba is where Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula meets the beautiful Caribbean Sea, the perfect escape for a family of six, Dr. Pete and Mrs. Debbie Ledoux and their children Sam, Sarah, Hannah and Ellie. Two days after the Ledoux’s arrival to Mayakoba, Mrs. Ledoux awoke to a five minute nightmare that seemed unending at the time. As she opened her eyes, she oddly saw what seemed to be an arm laying on the edge of her bed. This was not her husband’s arm; immediately she knew it belonged to a woman. “I noticed this arm was right against my body, I thought ‘Wait a minute, that’s not my husband’s arm, that’s a female arm.’ Finally it registered that this arm was my
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The Ledoux family at their home in the Dominion: Dr. Pete Ledoux, Mrs. Debbie Ledoux, Sam (10th grade) , Sarah (7th), Hannah (6th) and Ellie (4th).
arm and I had no association with it at all!” At this moment, Mrs. Ledoux realized that something really bad was happening. Thoughts were not being processed correctly, there was no sensation in her right arm, words were impossible to piece together and only noises were forcefully released. A feeling of entrapment crept through her body. Realizing that she could not feel her arm was bad enough, but not being able to think and cognate was even worse. Being a physician, Dr. Ledoux knew what was going on: these were classic stroke symptoms, yet his first immediate response was to pray hard for the healing of his wife. Mrs. Ledoux explains that what she felt next, as a result of her husband’s prayers, was the disappearance of her surroundings and a sense of peace. “And suddenly I felt God like I’d never felt Him before.” She recalls feeling a light all around her like a sunrise, an overwhelming sense of goodness. Her detailed and emotional recollection of this calmness is almost like an invitation to try to attempt to share in that glorious moment that she will never forget. The transition of the initial panic quickly transformed into a full realization of peace. “At this point, I came up with this word, it was the only thing I could come up with. I said “WHATEVER.” It was almost as a surrender to the most powerful force that exists. M oments after this surrender, there was a sud-
den halt of peace and a fast hit of reality. At this point, Mrs. Ledoux was beginning to put words together in her head and the only two words she could articulate were “Help Jesus!” Although her words continued to be slurred and not clear, she began repeatedly crying out, “Oh Jesus, You are good. You are so good, Jesus!” It was here that Mrs. Ledoux cried uncontrollably as she realized she had been healed. What happened next was nothing shy of the human body being in survival mode and fighting back. Dr. Ledoux sent Sarah, their 13-yearold daughter to the hotel gift shop to buy Bayer Aspirin which works as a blood thinner. As the minutes went by, Mrs. Ledoux’s speech began to clear up and within five minutes, she was perfectly normal. She was quickly transported to a hospital in Playa del Carmen by ambulance. As the kids accompanied her alongside the stretcher, Mrs. Ledoux reassured them that she was not in distress by jokingly saying, “Getting in an ambulance was NOT on my bucket list!” Deep down inside, Mrs. Ledoux knew it was all going to be okay for she had already felt God’s presence when she needed Him the most and He had already healed her. Now it was time for the medical doctors to put their vast knowledge to work. Aside from the fact that Spanish was predominantly spoken at the hospital, Mrs. Ledoux recalls it being very
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The summer of 2014 will be a summer that will never be forgotten by the Ledoux’s. Many prayers were answered. “I think that when God works, he accomplishes 1,000 things. One thing He was doing was getting my attention because Mrs. Debbie Ledoux at home after her recovery.
Photo by Sam Ledoux
inviting, there was kindness all around her. The I had been working too much and not tending doctor confirmed what they initially suspected: to my family the way I needed to.” Along with it was a TIA. According to the National Stroke answered prayers in refocusing her attention on Association, a TIA is short for transient ischemic her family, Mrs. Ledoux also realized how much attack. It is medically caused by a clot but it is she had been praying to God to lead her closer defined as being transient or temporary. These to Him and to allow her to experience Him in a symptoms usually last for a very short period of deeper, fuller way. “This was no accident. I had time, anywhere from one minute to five minutes the encounter with Him, which was, I know, His with no permanent injuries to the brain. More way of saying look what I am doing.” In addisevere strokes are tion, Dr. Ledoux had sometimes prefbeen asking God aced with these to answer his own “I THINK THAT WHEN GOD WORKS so-called “miniprayers of being strokes.” Although part of a supernatHE ACCOMPLISHES 1,000 THINGS.” they are milder, ural healing aside they should never from his healing by be taken lightly. occupation. He had Mrs. Ledoux realways dreamed of calls that “God in His goodness allowed us to being part of something greater and as Mrs. Lebelieve it was just a TIA (a mini stroke) because doux states, “God answered that prayer with me, the next day we had to catch a plane.” When the his own wife. The bottom line is that my husLedoux’s landed safely back home, they went band and I can bear testimony to His glory. This directly to the hospital because something con- is a story that I can say, “Look how good He is, tinued not to feel right. The doctor’s found a look how big He is.” lesion in the brain indicating Mrs. Ledoux had suffered an actual stroke, not just a TIA. Follow-up studies showed that Mrs. Ledoux had two holes in her heart creating an 8mm opening between the upper chambers of the heart. “When the body has a clot, it usually goes through the chamber and feeds the lungs. In most cases, the lungs can dissolve the clot and get rid of it. However, if it gets diverted somewhere to the upper chamber, it feeds the brain. The hole allowed it to go to the brain and not the lungs, causing the stroke. The only way to avoid this happening again was to surgically close up the hole,” Mrs. Ledoux explained. This is exactly the complicated procedure she had to undergo last August. With an entire community coming together in prayer, the procedure was successful and the holes in the heart were closed.
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Featuring Kendall Taha and Hayes O’Quinn
5 More Men:
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11-man comes to Geneva By Hunter Hamon Staff
O
n cold October Friday evnings under the bright lights, fierce competition of rivals fight for a win. There is raging ambition of both teams while the adrenaline pumps throughout their bodies. There is nothing else that compares to American Football, a sport that has taken the spotlight of entertainment in America. Football is a spotlight in America and Geneva is taking the next step to improve the football program. As the Geneva School of Boerne grows in student attendance, its sports grow along with it, approaching a mark where the school will graduate from a 6-man football program to an 11-man program. This is a huge leap for Geneva’s sports program, but certainly an achievable one. This fall Geneva football is going into its seventh year of being active. Even though Geneva football has always played 6-man football, the school is eager to take this new step in their athletic program. Scott Stolle, Geneva’s Athletic Director, said, “The main positive is that an 11man team requires more players on its roster and therefore provides playing opportunities for more students. An 11-man program will better accommodate the growth Geneva has had in the Logic and Rhetoric schools.” This year the Logic football team has already started playing 11-man football as they prepare for the switch over in Rhetoric school in 2016. The inaugural team is made up of thirty-six 7th and 8th grade boys coached by Coach Herbort, who has had experience coaching other teams such as Fredericksburg, and has become an influential figure in the process of building the 11-man program. Herbort is assisted by Coach Champion, who played football for Hampden-Sydney in Virginia and coached alongside the coaches there after suffering multiple injuries throughout his career. The Logic School has shown great success under the leadership of the new coaches. The boys have played teams such as TMI and St. Mary’s Hall and have shown thier skill, prowess, and athleticism as they have experienced victory over on a number of levels. They are setting forth a tremendous stepping stone for the future of Geneva football. The team is 5-2 with many hard fought victories over worthy opponents. “Coaches Herbort, Champion, and Miller have done a great job getting the Logic School program off the ground and it appears we will have six or seven strong local or private middle schools to compete with for several years to come,” Stolle said. “I believe we will need to do with the 11-man program many of the things we did with the 6-man program. We will need to keep the Logic School program strong and create a competitive league for our teams.” Geneva’s Rhetoric football program has done very well the last two seasons, with state appearances and back-to-back 13-1 records. Currently Geneva is ranked first in state in TAPPS, and is working towards their third championship appearance. The success of the program has taken years of growth and a lot of hard work from both the coaching staff and the players. Stolle said, “I have been involved with the 6-man program for six years, and the success we are having now certainly did not happen overnight. It took several years to develop the Logic School program and the league in which we played. It then took a few more years to get buy-in from the kids to work in the off season and condition and weight train to the level of our elite competition.” Geneva’s 11-man Logic football team lines up at the start. Photo by Pam Akin
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Photo by Pam Akin
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The Logic football team running out for their first game of the year and first 11-man game for Geneva.
Geneva will be able to take their 6-man speed and aggression to the 11-man block. Geneva’s 11-man future is extremely bright, especially under Coach Matt Arrufat, who is in his third year of coaching Geneva Eagles football. Coach Arrufat teaches winning and working as a team. He takes a lot of his plays and ideas from 11-man football and translates them to his 6-man team, becoming 11-man football just takes a step
Facing the Giants: Laying the Foundation For Football at Geneva By Delaney Young Editorial Editor
In the fall of 2009, the Geneva School of Boerne was in the middle of its first capital campaign. Unlike the 2014-15 capital campaign that is aimed toward funding classrooms to be built on concrete foundation, the 2009 capital campaign was laying a different kind of base. The success of the 2009 campaign was not due to the usual anonymous donors and generous grandparents, but to seven brave high school boys. Five years ago, this group of students was asked to join the first ever Geneva high school football team. Without a professional coach, a locker room, a field, or hardly any experience, this group of freshmen and sophomores would be charting totally new territory. Of course, they had played YMCA football as kids and some had played middle school football, but none had experience with the Friday Night Lights kind of teams that most other schools had. Despite all of these obstacles, Stephen
out of the equation. Arrufat has a winning record of 26-2 in his first two seasons of being a head coach and currently he is 7-1. Under his leadership, the Geneva football team will succeed in the future and continue to keep its winning reputation. Arrufat said, “I am sad to see 6-man go, as it has been such a blast to coach... but we really don’t have a choice at this point, we’ve grown Avila, Cody Daniels, Nathan Evans, Hunter Townsend, James Zara, James Grover and Ryan Travis accepted the challenge and broke new ground in the fall of 2009. Even more than blazing a trail for their own sake, the team made a huge sacrifice for the sake of the school’s future. Only two or three of them even wanted to play football in high school and every one of them could predict the rough uphill battle ahead. A six-man football team with seven players is not exactly a recipe for success. But the team worked hard and played harder, painting a vivid image of dedication for the Geneva School of Boerne. These underdogs applied every lesson Geneva had taught them and put into action the words, “service and leadership to the glory of God.” Though the boys’ response to this call of duty was valiant and sacrificial, the success of their season was not quite as heroic. The team lost every game of the season, most by 45 points or more. At some point in the season one of the boys had been injured, leaving the six-man team with no room to mess up. Geneva played their final game against Fredericksburg Heritage, the 2009 state champions. As if this added pressure wasn’t enough to unravel our boys, the 27 players on the Heritage team had brought with them a stadium full of fans and cheerleaders. Although the
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out of it.” The size of Geneva is demanding the and level of play significantly if we hope to have growth of the program along with it. However, a chance after the transition.” Coach Arrufat is sure of success, stating, “I think Many supporters of 11-man football the success will carry on. It will take time though. believe that 6-man players cannot compete at Our players, families and fans will have to be pa- the level that 11-man requires to succeed. 6-man tient. I think everyone around here football requires everyhas grown pretty used to winning thing an 11-man team reevery single game. From a numquires other than the size “The fundamentals bers and talent standpoint, we are of the roster and the size of the game won’t no longer going to be a big fish in of the player, but it is way change. You still have a small pond. We will have to conmore demanding in areas to block, tackle, run, tinue to develop our strength and such as open field tackand catch. Experience conditioning programs to keep up ling and coverage. with our competition.” Garret Rodgis great regardless of Football is football though, ers, a standout among what type of football and even though the change is imthe freshman class this they are playing.” minent, the game will not change. season had this to say “The fundamentals of the game about the change to 11won’t change. You still have to man: “It’s a little scary block, tackle, run, and catch. Expeto think about. It will be rience is great regardless of what type of foot- more work and very different to understand evball they are playing,”Arrufat said. 11-man still erything in 11-man compared to 6-man. Also, demands more in some positions than 6-man there’s more chance for the defense to make a does in others. Coach had this to say about the play now so I’ll have to strive to get better.” demands of certain positions: “There are certain Tyler Navarro, an impressive sophopositions that we will have to improve our depth more talent, said, “I think change is a good thing.
12 Geneva parents in attendance cheered and hollered, their noise was swallowed by the rowdy Heritage crowd. The game ended unceremoniously (and fairly predictably) when another Geneva player got hurt and the team had to forfeit the game. The players didn’t have superhuman strength or speed and, in most respects, had an unconventional and anticlimactic story. They weren’t spectacularly talented, just brave. They stepped up for something bigger than themselves and sacrificed for the sake of the school. Looking in retrospect at how far we’ve come, the Geneva high school football program owes everything to the original seven players that left behind both a life-lesson and a legacy. The First Six-man Geneva football team with Coach Bill Wheehunt and (back row) James Grover, Ryan Travis, James Zara and (front row) Nathan Evans, Hunter Townsend, Stephen Avila, and Cody Daniels
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through the season, even having to forfeit some games because of lack of players. These humble beginnings brought forth one of the top 6-man power houses in the state, a team that has become known for its strength, skill and the coaching staff that has taken the team to the next level. Stolle and the rest of the football program are ready to begin working toward the goal of 11-man football and are excited to see the results and great players that will come out of it. This process has been in the works for years now and is really a monumental thing to see happen at Geneva. “I think our off-season and summer programming will continue to grow and improve such that our football players will be able to compete in their first year of 11-man varsity play,” Stolle said. “And I am confident God will continue to bring quality coaches to Geneva who can lead the program in the right direction.” Football and sports in general are not only about winning and becoming the best, it is more focused towards making the athletes better people, teaching them how to work as a unit, to socialize and to succeed in life. It is good to see the multitude of athletes touch the field, and to help teach them the sport and the benefits in character that come along with physical competition. The growth in character as well as the growth of our school are two of the many reasons the switch to 11-man football will bring good change for the future.
Photo by Pam Akin
It shows growth in Geneva and it’ll add a new, fun, and exciting chapter in the history of Geneva sports.” Not a lot of people understand that in 6-man if you miss one tackle on a defensive play, more than likely that is going to be a very big play for the offense, hence the high scoring games of 6-man football. 6-man requires the defense to give perfect effort and form to ensure a victory. 11-man football, on the other hand, has more of an offensive requirement which is to make every block to have an open play, or to protect the quarterback so he has enough time to wait for the receiver to get out into coverage. The more people that are on the field, then the less room there is for a big play. Offense is more of a rigorous task in 11-man than in 6-man. These are reasons why Geneva will do well in 11-man if they maintain their defensive values from 6-man. “Ultimately, I believe the success we have had in 6-man will carry over to the 11-man program,” Stolle said. “Sure, there will be a learning curve that might be a little more difficult for those who have not played 11-man football; but on the other hand, the assignments and reads required in the 11-man game are much more specific than in the 6-man game. We have always benefited from the intelligence of our 6-man players and I think they will take to 11-man football.” In the fall of 2007 Geneva began its first football season, with a team that consisted of seven players: Stephen Avila, Cody Daniels, Nathan Evans, Hunter Townsend, James Zara, James Grover and Ryan Travis. Coached by Bill Weehunt, the team struggled
CoColton Brehm takes the ball to the endzone in a game against Feast this year.
6-Man Football Characteristics
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11-Man Football Characteristics Quarterback cannot run under direct snap
Quarterback can run under direct snap 2 Point Conversion for Kicking 2 Point Conversion for Running/Throwing
80 Yard Field 100 Yard Field Field is 40 Yards Wide Field is 50 Yards Wide Field Goals worth four points Field Goals worth three points Goal posts are wider Goal posts more narrow First down is 15 yards First down is 10 yards At halftime, with 45 point lead, game is over
Game will go until the clock expires
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S
Taking it to the
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Streets By Mary Claire Brock Chief Editor of Content
Even though one person cannot end global hunger, there are some organizations that strive to improve lives of poverty and bring people to Christ, no matter what their financial or social standing may be. Junior Mary Claire Brock interviewed the directors of one of these organizations and discovered the many ways that God is using Taking It to The Streets to help the impoverished citizens of the Boerne-San Antonio area.
A
s rain poured on the streets of downtown San Antonio, people from a number of places flooded into an old church building. Though the crowd was restless and looking to satisfy a basic human need of hunger, a sense of peace swarmed the cafeteria as plate after plate of burgers, bagels and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were served by a number of volunteers. They interacted with the people who are considered the least of San Antonio: the homeless. Taking it to the Streets an organization rooted in Boerne, Texas, is based on reaching the homeless by building lasting relationships with their brothers and sisters and meeting their immediate needs week after week. Katie Fickey, programming director for Taking it to the Streets and Boerne mom, fell in love with the organization because “[My family] could serve together and I could teach my kids that not everyone lives like we live in Boerne because we live in a very privileged town. The more I served down there, the more I realized the needs in the ministry itself and the needs of the people.” Unlike many ministries, Taking it to the Streets focuses on relationships with the people themselves by creating a bridge to show Christ’s love to them. “Typically, their attitude toward the church, not God, but the church, is that they have been mistreated or judged. So our goal is to show them that we value them and to mend relationships” Fickey said. Volunteers join the team with arms wide open to work either serving food, engaging with the people or lending a hand where needed.
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“We believe that we are all broken people and dignity and identity, living down there on the that we all live in some sort of poverty whether streets...It’s not necessarily that they have made it is physical poverty, financial poverty or spiri- choices that have put them in that situation and tual poverty,” Fickey said, “and that we all need it’s not because they chose to live there, but it’s Jesus. So our goal is to just walk and do life with because circumstances have gone beyond their these people and know that we are not there to control.” save them, that’s not our job, that’s Christ’s job, Fickey explains the cycle which Taking it but our job is to love them and to walk this life to the Streets attempts to break. The majority of together.” the homeless or impoverished who attend Friday Every Friday night, rain or shine, Taking it night dinners is eager to find a job, but if they do to the Streets volunteers unload trucks of picnic not have a home, it is hard for them to maintain tables, food and even barber stations to provide one. And even if they are able to keep a job, it for about 300 people. The masses create a dining most likely is a minimum wage job which cannot room out of a grassy field on Chestnut Street in finance a home. The cycle then continues. the downtown area. Taking it to the Streets allows impoverished “As a part of our celebration down there in men and women to connect in small groups and the evenings, we involve our friends, not only establish a personal relationship with the Lord. in the serving, but The ministry also in the setting provides proup...It’s amazing to grams, begin“We believe that we are all broken see the ownership ning with a people and that we all live in some they take for their new believers sort of poverty whether it is physical setting and new class. After poverty, financial poverty or spiritual dining room and a six week the responsibility rotation, the poverty, and that we all need Jesus.” of maintaining homeless are their tables. Getting moved to a involved is lighting discipleship the spark of their dignity again.” program in which they walk through life with For one man, a trash bag with cut out arms mentors and are strengthened by other believers. provides some shelter from the storm. Another “Bridged” was established by Taking it to woman, around 70 years old, faces the storm the Streets in order that homeless men, women, with her basket of belongings and an appetite. or families could build one on one relationships They both come together at the same table with with other volunteer families. The outcome, a variety of troubles. Fickey said, has impacted not only the recipients “A typical homeless person faces a day that but also the mentors. does not have a schedule, it does not have events, With joy in her voice, Fickey describes a it does not have obligations of some place to go. man by the name of John Kavulu, whom she It is more filled with desperation and the need to met while serving downtown: “He was a refugee try to find the resources to accommodate them- from Uganda. His father was killed in a prison selves to what they need immediately,” Mike camp and his mother was tortured for years. He James, advisor and board member of Taking it was an educated engineer and pilot in Uganda to the Streets, said. but wanted to move to America to escape the James has served the ministry for six years awful wars. He came here to change his outcome and addresses the agonies which accompany a and ended up on the streets.” life on the streets: “It is right before losing your Through the programs offered by Taking
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it to the Streets, Fickey and her husband were able to buy and furnish an apartment for Kavulu, but most importantly, they formed a lasting relationship. Kavulu eventually began working for Apple, using his background in engineering. When equipped, “it’s amazing to see the ownership they take,” James commented. Taking it to the Streets actively executes Jesus’ words “Whatever you do for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do for me.” The volunteers give countless hours in an effort to reach the hungry, the impoverished, the hurt, the healing and the homeless. Rebecca Harris, who has been involved with Taking it to the Streets for four years and serves as the executive assistant, intimately engages with 300 homeless men and women every week and encourages them wherever they are. “It all begins with building relationships and speaking truth into our friends. People need to belong before they believe. They need to know that Jesus will meet them right where they are and He will be the strength in their weaknesses,” Harris said. Personally, I have seen people released from addiction, accept Jesus as their Savior, find jobs, apartments, get an education and be completely rehabilitated. I have seen the lost become pastors. I have seen tears become a smile. I have had a guest say ‘Thank you for helping me today, I was going to make a very bad decision, but now I know I don’t have to and that God has a plan for me.’ Every week I hear testimonies of how God has helped them and how this ministry has provided hope and encouragement.” With his face buried in his Bible, Utah, a man who lives under the bridges of San Antonio, proclaims Jesus as his Lord and attributes a lot of his faith to the ministry. “Read this! Read this!” Utah continued to say to passer byers. His marked up Bible was opened to Romans and his primary job was to tell everyone of the Good News. The charismatic man began to pack up his belongings for the night, but before he left the church he said, “Jesus has saved me and he will take care of
“I had lost faith in God because some people in church act like they get to judge others and decide who comes in and who stays out.” me. I know this because God’s Word is true.” The mass of volunteers continues to grow, which impacts the lives of hundreds of homeless people in the San Antonio area. “The beauty of the ministry is our volunteers. The volunteers are our biggest asset,” Mark Johnson, President of Taking it to the Streets, said. Many volunteers attest that serving with this ministry has altered their mindset and perspective on these people, in the same way it has brought life into the men and women living in unfortunate circumstances. “This ministry has shown me more of my brokenness than our guests. It has shown me that I have a lot in common with the people who come down here,” Loren Fredrickson, a regular volunteer, said. Harris, like the other leaders of Taking it to the Streets, challenges people of all walks of life to join the ministry on Friday and Saturday nights to make a difference by simply making a new friend, setting up picnic tables or lending a hand. “Different groups and denominations come together to be the Church. People are able to come and utilize their talents and gifts to serve others. Broken people find joy again. People find their calling in ministry. People young and old feel a purpose and they should because they ARE making a BIG difference.”
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The Hassle of Homecoming
Homecoming is one of the most popular and cherished southern high school traditions. Each homecoming game is a success and each dance makes more memories than the last. The thoughts of a girl and a guy, however, are different throughout the entire HoCo process. Here are the thoughts of Freshmen Abbey Giddens and Marshall Shults from the start to the finish of their first homecoming experience. Interviews by Arianna Flores
He Said... Step 1: Just ask her, plain and simple.
I knew I wanted to ask Abbey. I didn’t know how I was going to ask her, but I didn’t stress about it.
Step 2: Nice Job, Man!
I was sort of nervous. She didn’t say “no” so I guess that means she’s excited. Who doesn’t get excited about chocolate and my baby pictures?
Step 3:
It’s GAMEDAY.
I didn’t pay attention to what she was up to, just the game. We talked and stuff afterwards. It wasn’t awkward.
Step 4:
I should probably take a shower.
Not a new outfit. Same hair as always. I thought about a wig though.
Step 5:
I’m Smooth.
She looked pretty, but I wasn’t nervous. I danced with her a lot, by I also danced with other girls a lot. I was stress free the whole process, so it was worth it.
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She Said... Step 1: Boys can be annoyingly unpredictable!
I had no idea Marshall was going to ask me. He tricked me into thinking he wasn’t going to. I was a little stressed, but mostly confused. I’m really gullible.
Step 2: That. Just. Happened.
When he asked, I just stood there in shock. I was oblivious. It was cute. He made a cake. I like food. I’m happy.
Step 3:
It’s MUM-DAY.
I watched the game when I wasn’t playing in band. I didn’t cheer because he can’t hear me and it’s sort of embarrassing… Nevermind. Just pretend I did. You didn’t hear that. Oh wait you did, it was me cheering. Yay. Go team.
Step 4:
Gettin’ ready!
Pinterest is always the answer to anything that involves hair. I was also super excited to wear my dress. I went with my friends’ opinions on most things, so I didn’t put an unhealthy amount of thought into the whole appearance thing (I think). I should’ve practiced dancing.
Step 5:
Two-Step the Night Away.
We went to the Freshman dinner before the dance. He is a really good dancer (only tripped me four times), and I definitely danced with him the most. All the confusion and shock was worth it. He was a fun friend to go with.
Viva La 24///GQ
By Katherine Anderson Staff
david
Living in Brazil was pretty cool. Visiting the orphanage and helping the kids out there was nice. We couldn't speak Portuguese at first, so I couldn’t understand what anyone was saying. I was even sent to the principal’s office on the first day of school because I didn’t know what my teacher was saying so I didn’t pay attention. I didn’t really like the food at first, either. Brazil can be pretty dangerous. Everyone is an awful driver. There would be twelve cars next to each other in a three lane road. Also, I was almost attacked by thirty or so monkeys one time, and there was that one rattlesnake that jumped in the air and tried to bite me. Other than that, the animals were pretty cool. There were these baby toucans learning how to fly in our backyard that looked like pterodactyls because their beaks were too big for their bodies and they had really little wings. The whole experience in Brazil was pretty great, but nothing compared to playing basketball there.
Vida victoria
GQ///25
Victoria and David Crossland spent two years in Brazil. They learned the language and experienced the culture in a way they could not if they just went there for vacation. Even though they both lived in the same place, they had different experiences and memories. Here are their unfiltered thoughts on their time spent abroad.
Two summers ago my family and I returned from Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, where we had been living for two years. One of the reasons we moved to Brazil was to learn how to speak Portuguese, which would have really come in handy when our neighbor’s house was burning down a month into the trip and no one could speak the same language. They were just yelling at us but we didn’t know what they were saying so we all just kind of smiled and nodded. It was pretty crazy. My favorite thing we did in Brazil was visit orphanages and bring gifts and food to the kids there. They were so cute! I wanted to adopt all of them. We didn’t go to Brazil with an organization, but we did a lot of mission work. We even built a church. Living in Brazil taught me that sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone and experience new things. When you do, you make lifelong memories, meet new friends, and sometimes have an opportunity to help people that really need it.
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Interview Dr Charles McCurley: Helping Boerne Athletes Stay Healthy
Dr. Charles Mccurley, Geneva’s on-site sports doctor, is one of Boerne’s finest sports medicine doctors. He and his wife, Dr. Wendy McCurley own a sports and family medicine clinic in Boerne. He is a proud husband and father of three who has a passion for helping young Boerne athletes recover from injuries and come back even stronger. His faith and willingness to help a local high school brought him to Geneva. By Sam Ledoux Staff
Q: What brought you to the Geneva commu-
nity? A: I wanted to take care of a local high school. I heard great things about Geneva. Q: Why did you choose the medical profession? A: My father in-law was a family doctor and he seemed to have a fun job. Q: Why did you choose to practice in Boerne A: My wife and I went to medical school in San Antonio and identified Boerne as a great place to raise kids. Q: How has your faith affected your work? A: Immensely, I feel very lucky to have found Curry Creek which has helped shaped my decision making. In medicine, there are lots of opportunities to positively affect the kingdom. Q: What are some hobbies outside of work? A: I spend as much time as I can with my kids
and my wife. When not with my family, I also enjoy hunting and fishing. Q: Why did you choose to specialize in sports medicine? A: I grew up playing team sports which sparked my interest. I also just enjoy helping athletes recover faster from injuries. Q: What were your first impressions of Geneva when you came? A: A very impressive group of people. Q: What is the craziest injury that you have had to treat? A: A big defensive lineman dislocated his shoulder while diving for a fumble. I had to pop it back in on the field, it was pretty crazy. Q: What are the most common injuries and how can they be prevented? A: Knee pain … there’s lots of things you can do to prevent this, you just need the right conservative treatment.
GQ///27
Put Your GUARD Up
Last year, Geneva added a new security system to the campus, complete with gates and a guard booth at the entrance to the school. The problem is that the gates don’t have motion sensors. Most Rhetoric School students and teachers don’t have to walk directly underneath them, but a couple of parents and Grammar school teachers have learned the hard way to avoid the gates or risk their own safety. By Delaney Young
A
Editorial Editor
s if indoor-turned-outdoor lockers and more than 10 new teachers haven’t been enough of a culture shock for the school, Geneva recently added a guard booth and several security gates to the campus. Even though the system has been installed for a year, stories about guard gate malfunctions and mishaps are just now beginning to surface. Most of the Geneva community would agree that added campus security is a good idea in theory, but a couple of these guinea pigs, namely Shelly Vaughn and Maridee Bruner, believe otherwise (and have scars to prove their point). “We were coming back from the field, playing baseball… and my mind was somewhere else, just talking, and I walked right under it and it came down at that exact moment,” fifth grade teacher, Shelly Vaughn, says. Last spring, as she was walking her students back to class, the exit gate (closest to the Grammar School Administration Office) came down on Vaughn’s face, leaving a big cut near her right eye. “It knocked my sunglasses off my face, cut me… and it left its paint on my face. I had white paint on my face!” She told an almost unbelievable story, laughing as she explained, “Like, it’s gonna take you out when it goes down. It physically hit me! It didn’t stop, it didn’t pop back up, it didn’t do anything. It just kept going.” Vaughn knows from firsthand experience that there are no motion sensors installed to trigger the gates to stop.
Maridee Bruner, a Geneva mom and another victim of a guard gate glitch, looked into the possibility of installing motion sensors for the gates after having her own personal experience with the unrelenting gate. She has a story very similar to Vaughn’s. On Friday, September 19, Bruner and a friend were leaving the MPB after the Grammar School Assembly. The grass surrounding the gym, usually a dry and convenient shortcut to the back parking lot, was muddy that Friday, so Bruner decided to walk the seemingly safe road to her car. Then, out of the blue, “It was almost like I didn’t know what hit me. It came down so fast and with so much force… It really hurt and, you know, I have a really high pain threshold.” Not only did it shock and injure Bruner, it left her wondering why this had happened and what was being done to change it. “The gates were put in for the kids’ safety,” she said, but Bruner wonders whether the solution has now become just another problem. These close encounters of the Geneva kind are just two of so many crazy coincidences involving the new security system. Although the gates serve their purpose well and have so far succeeded in protecting students, these stories are a warning to all who dare to walk underneath. Geneva’s security gates aren’t quite the entrance to Dante’s Inferno, but they should at least have written on them: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter [underneath] here.”
‘ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER (UNDERNEATH) HERE.’
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A Day in the Life of... 6:00 amWake up – FLAWLESS 6:01 am – Realize I am not Beyoncé and cry myself back to sleep. 6:15 am – Actually wake up, not so flawless. 6:18 am - Get some coffee so maybe I can start functioning properly. Eat some vanilla yogurt with homemade granola. 7:00 am – Sadly realize that as usual, this is as good as it is going to get, and leave for school. Mourn the fact that I live too far away for it to be reasonable for my mom and I to drive separately to school every day. 8:30 am – Look for Jess and Albert to tell them what to do in the assembly that they are running. 9:35 am – Smile and nod as I pretend to know what I am doing in Calculus. 10:45 am - Cry in the admin while trying to do Calculus homework. 11:00 am – Try to avoid Mr. Tye or Mr. Johnson throwing all of my stuff on the ground on my way to class. #saynotobullying 11:30 am – Secret president’s meeting with Mr. Shelton. 11:32 am – Arrange strategic “accidents” for people on Mr. Shelton’s hit list. He’s not a huge fan of the volleyball team right now… 12:00 pm – Go to Taylor’s for lunch. Coach Rodgers is the best person in the whole wide world. 1:15 pm - Go talk to Mrs. Evans about Lewis things that need to get done. 1:55 – Make fat jokes with (or at) Southwick in Creative Writing, then try to write some poetry. 2:45 pm – Pretend like I know things in Philosophy, or just disagree with Davis for kicks and let him take it away. 3:45 – Basketball practice 6:30 – Get home and try to work on college applications. 7:30 pm – Eat dinner while watching TV, scrolling through Pinterest, or reading. 8:00 pm – Send out text to Lewis house trying to get things that need to get done done, knowing no one will actually show up. 8:05 pm –Tell myself that I am going to do thesis research. Somehow end up on Pinterest instead. 10:00 pm – Realize I have not gotten anything done in the last two hours and actually start thesis research. 11:00 pm – Go to bed
Lauren
Peterson By Ian Commuzzi Staff
GQ///29
Rhetoric school students at The Geneva School of Boerne consider an extra 15 minutes in morning a miraculous gift from Mr. Shelton. In the 2013-2014 school year, Geneva students were required to begin class at 8:15. However, this year, school starts at 8:30, Monday through Friday. This convenient change in time provides students with “15 more minutes” before starting the school day. Every student uses their extra time differently, and they can be super helpful depending on what they are used for. The following is a list of all the different ways students can choose to use their extra 15 minutes. By Skylar Tippetts Staff
1.
Wakey Wakey:
If you’re not a morning person, odds are that waking up early every day to go to school doesn’t exactly float your boat. Most students choose to spend their extra 15 minutes leisurely laying in bed, waiting for their 12th alarm to go off, which is somewhat affordable considering the extra minutes. We all know that 15 minutes spent sleeping can feel more like 60, and the benefit of waking up late is appreciated by the majority of students.
2. Slackers:
allows you to perfect your “natural beach hair” look, and try out that eyeliner tutorial you saw on pinterest. These extra minutes give you valuable time that can be used for primping and preparing your face for your 8 hour school day.
4. The Most Important Meal of the Day:
If you attend Geneva, you know that there are occasions when your procrastination catches up to you. You are forced to cram for tests and finish your 40-page essay, along with all your other homework that was assigned that day. Oh! One more thing! It all happens to be due the next day. In a situation like this, you have two options: either you can stay up until 2am or wake up at 4am in order to complete your work. Regardless of your decision, an extra fifteen minutes in the morning allows more time for studying and finishing homework.
On a rushed morning, the last thing you’re thinking about is food. However, once you make it to third period, that seems to be all that you and your stomach can think about (no matter how important the quadratic formula squared to the negative twenty millionth may be.) With fifteen more minutes, you’ll have time to make breakfast, dine and then make your way to the lovely stressfree and now hunger-free place we call school.
3. This one’s for the ladies
Some students at Geneva either come to school early because A. They participate in a sport that requires you to be there before the sun comes up. Or B. because they were blessed with adorable, perfect, little grammar school siblings who are required to be at school 30 minutes earlier than the time they have to be there. Unfortunately for these people, the extra minutes probably don’t affect them very much. If you wake up early enough, fifteen minutes won’t seem to make a difference.
#flawless:
Being easy, breezy and beautiful takes time, even for a covergirl. A morning beauty routine can be stressful, and not many girls find it particularly enjoyable to run out the door with half a face of makeup and frizzy hair that feels like it hasn’t been washed since the 4th of July. 15 minutes
5. Early Birds:
30///GQ
alumNews
Jake Bomgaars ‘14
Brad Blackburn ‘13 I am currently a sophomore Songwriting Major at Belmont! I love Nashville and have been meeting with several publishers on Music Row. I am recording an album and it should be done in a month. I won the country songwriting contest this semester. I’d like to give a shoutout to Mr. Luis Arizpe and any one else with a passion like his for music. Rock on.
I’m at UTSA right now. I’m working on my business major, graduating (hopefully) in 2017. The greatest thing I’ve done so far this year is having absolutely no social life on campus… shout out to Matt Blackburn and Eliot Veron because they’re the only guys I hang out with. (No joke)
Saunders Drukker ‘13 I’m going to college at Sewanee: The University of the South, majoring in environmental studies: ecology and biodiversity. I made it on the Order of the Gownsmen (honor roll sort of thing) and am currently doing an independent research on the effects of leaf litter traps on stream ecology and salamander distribution. My favorite teacher is probably Dr. Kristen Cecala.
Rebekah Grover ‘13 I am in my Sophomore year at King’s College, NYC. I was nominated to be a member of The King’s Honor Council. I am also involved in my house of Margret Thatcher. Later this fall I plan to help with the costume design and makeup in the King’s play. Outside of classes this year I have been to “Les Miserables” on Broadway, a Yankees game, Central Park Zoo, The Met, the U.S. Open and the DUMBO Art Festival. Also I watched the filming of a scene from a new movie with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg one street over from my apartment building. Tell Mrs. Stricker to keep making learning Spanish so much fun.
I T i a d o v A G T m e t
t
r
. p
k
d t t
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Emma Rudkin ‘14
Natalie Perez ‘13 I’m in the class of 2017 at Trinity University, majoring in urban studies with a concentration in urban design. I’m also a member of the Trinity University volleyball team, SCAC All-Academic team and Gamma Chi Delta sorority. Trinity’s Volleyball team maintains the highest average GPA of any sports team at Trinity. Go Tigers!
Mary Layne Strieber ‘14 I’m going to THE University of Texas, majoring in Journalism expecting to graduate with the class of 2018. I’m now a member of Chi Omega sorority (it’s only the first semester, give me a break). To all the cheerleaders: don’t take for granted how great of shape you’re in while cheerleading. I know I did! #FreshmanFifteen
I am currently attending the UTSA Honors College. Previously a CAP student into UT, but I decided to stay in SA because I love the people, culture and diversity of the school and city. I am a Communications major and on track to graduate on time in 2018. I am interested in getting into a Master’s program for Deaf Education called “Listening and the Spoken Language” at UT Health and Science Center. I am completing Young Life Leadership Training, running the Boerne YL social media team, leading at Boerne Young Life, on Freshmen Team for UTSA Young Life, preforming local gigs and for Young Life retreat weekends, started up a Freshmen Geneva Girl’s Bible Study called “GCBs”- Gospel Centered Babes. Starplex Theater in Boerne has installed personal closed-captioning systems for the deaf and hard-of-hearing…Thesis accomplished! A shoutout to Jesse Beaux Rudkin: carry on the good name and have fun!
Sam Tippetts ‘14 I am a Freshman at TCU studying Business.....eventually. I joined the rowing club, the yoga club, involved in TCU YL, I’m apart of a rockclimbing group, I’m in crew and hall crew which put on events around campus and in my hall. A shoutout to my lil sister Skylar: love you!
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alumNews
Whitney Young ‘13 I’m still at Pepperdine but I’ve changed locations a bit and am studying on their campus in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the year. I’m majoring in Public Relations and I’m almost done with my Spanish minor, graduating in 2017! I’m tutoring a 6th grader once a week in a poorer town called Tigre. I skied in the Andes Mountains, hiked in Patagonia, saw penguins in Antarctic waters, pet a tiger and walked with a lion. Pretty cool stuff. God has been super good and I feel really blessed to be having the most amazing year here! Shoutout to my sister and best friend: miss you like crazy, D! Super grateful for the way Geneva prepared me for all these rad adventures! Shoutout to all of the rhetoric teachers: y’all are bomb!
Jonathan Wacker ‘14 I am a Freshman at Gordon College studying Marine Biology and Outdoor Education/Ministries. I have been in the “golden goose” stage show, joined wind ensemble, and attended a class designed for sophomores and juniors. A shoutout to professor Marv Wilson for being the best old man teacher this side of Dr. Lloyd. Example: “Oh, you have Marv for Old Testament? He taught that class to me when I attended 34 years ago.”
Zack Ward ‘14
James Wilks ‘11 I am still attending Southwestern University. I am studying Psychology and I will graduate this December with a B.A. I went on a mission trip to Honduras this past summer and saw people embrace Christ; I am a member at the church I attend in Georgetown and I teach regularly; I took part in an internship this past summer working with adults with disabilities (Brookwood in Georgetown), which has shown me that there is a great need for helping individuals with disabilities. To Mr. Paul Johnson: we should try to go to SXSW, but we’ll have to convince Cody to let us crash at his place.
I’m at the McNally Smith College of Music right now, majoring in Music Performance minoring in music business. I expect to graduate in the spring of 2018. So far I am in 4 different bands: a blues group called Camille and the Cats, an acoustic duo called Wooden Bones, a rock group called Expecting Patronum, and Caleb Hakala’s jazz-rap backing band. Wooden Bones and Expecting Patronum are both slotted to release albums before the end of the year. Shoutout has got to be to my main man Mr. Luis Arizpe. Keep on keepin’ on. Rock and roll is a way of life and some people just don’t understand. Everything is better with a guitarist in the mix.
Boybands Are Back
Boybands have always had their place in music, but none have been as successfull as One Direction. Some of their success is rubbing off on their opening act 5 Seconds of Summer. Both bands were in San Antonio this past September and the results were amazing. By Corey Bates
O Staff
n September 21, 2014 the Alamodome traded sports fans for hoards of screaming girls. The world’s biggest boy band, One Direction, and their supporting act, 5 Seconds of Summer, sold out the show with 55,000 fans ranging from toddlers to women old enough to be their mothers filling the stands. In case you do not know who One Direction is or how they got their start, here is a brief overview. In 2010, five young men--Harry Style, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan--auditioned for a British singing competition, The X Factor. They all failed to make it through as solo acts, but the judges decided to put them into a group. One Direction finished third on their season, but that has not hindered their success in the slightest. Their hit single “What Makes You Beautiful” was listed for 502 weeks on 19 different charts in the world and got up to number four on the US Singles 100 chart. Fast forward a few years when Louis Tomlinson discovered 5 Seconds of Summer, a pop punk band out of Australia, on YouTube and asked them to go on a worldwide tour with him and his band. The two groups are currently finishing up their second world tour together and neither of them show any sign of slowing down. 5 Seconds of Summer is made up of Luke Hemmings (guitar and vocals), Calum Hood (bass and vocals), Michael Clifford (guitar and vocals) and Ashton Irwin (drums and vocals). Irwin, the oldest of the band at twenty years old, opened the show with a few theatrical hits on his drum set
as the other three came running out. Hemmings, Hood and Clifford are all eighteen and certainly act like it as they run around the stage and make constant jabs at each other. The young Aussies did a good job at riling up the crowd with their popular song “She Looks So Perfect” but the real screaming did not start until the main act hit the stage. The roar was deafening as One Direction ran onto the stage. They started the show with the up beat “Midnight Memories” and spent the next 100 minutes switching between well known songs such as “Little Things” and “What Makes You Beautiful” and lesser known songs like “Little White Lies” and “Alive”. There was little to no choreography as they ran around the stage. Styles was the most animated, blowing kisses with both hands and waving to fans whenever he had the chance. Payne was a close second for energy as he switched between wearing a sombrero and multiple cowboy hats that had all been thrown on stage. The splint on his arm did not slow him down in the slightest as he danced solo and with Horan who spent most of the concert with a guitar in hand. Malik and Tomlinson hung back for the most part and only spoke to thank the fans for all of their support throughout the years. All of the boys thanked the crowd more than once and gushed about how happy they were to be able to do the thing they loved most. They closed the set with a loud sing along of “Best Song Ever” which was a fitting way to end what some might call the Best Night Ever.
GQ///33
34///GQ
Breaking Back: The De-Evolution of Man in A World Of
Outdoor Lockers By Carissa Georgelos Staff
I
f you’ve walked anywhere on the Rhetoric School boardwalk this year, you will have certainly noticed the outdoor lockers. These “new” lockers aren’t really new; they are just relocated. According to Mr. Shelton, Rhetoric School needed another science lab and, without funds for a new building, the school decided to use the existing space for something better. The locker room seemed to be the most logical choice. While not all students like this new arrangement, Mr. Shelton says the teachers are pleased by it. They no longer need to sign up for locker room duty and students are easier to monitor in the open outdoors. “It also makes it easier for me to steal things,” jokes Mr. Shelton. This is not to say that this new situation is problem-free. One of the biggest problems that it creates is the amount of heavy textbooks that students have to lug around in a backpack all day.
Graphic by Ruth Wacker
There has been an immediate and shocking rise in back problems. Since the beginning of this year, Geneva has witnessed an unbelievable 157% increase in complaints about back pain. On the surface, adding a science lab doesn’t seem like it would cause any bodily harm. But here’s the play-by-play of events that has now spiraled into a major problem on campus. First, several more students were welcomed into ninth grade and onto the Rhetoric campus. Geneva sees the need for more classroom space and transforms the locker room into a science lab. The old indoor lockers are transported outdoors. Nobody seems to care that these lockers have slots in them that basically invite in rain, wind, snow and all other bizarre weather that is fair game in Texas. Rhetoric school students are assigned lockers and several massive textbooks, but forewarned to use these lockers at their own risk. Students then realize with horror the only option that allows for dry and protected
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textbooks, passing grades and, consequentially, broken backs: an overflowing, ripping-at-theseams backpack. To minimize the amount of books students must carry, some teachers issued two textbooks this year--one to keep at home, and one to keep in the classroom. Additional books are also available in the office to be checked out during study halls. This isn’t nearly enough to prevent the Rhetoric School students from being hunchbacked in their early 20s, though. When asked, most students seem to miss having a locker room, but like that the area around the outdoor lockers is not as crowded as the locker room. Most students say they do not even use their lockers at all, preferring to use their backpacks or cars to store their belongings. These responses are obviously from students looking at the situation optimistically,
which, although an unarguably good outlook on life, is unrealistic considering the situation at hand. The school is not sure whether another locker room will be built or coverings for the existing outdoor lockers will be installed. Who knows, we may be close to the point of completely getting rid of lockers. Regardless, it is clear that in the meantime, students should make the best use of what has been provided for them. Of course, this is a first-world problem and you can always choose not to use your locker. As Mr. Shelton joked about the locker dilemma, “If this is your problem, then it is a good life.” On behalf of the Rhetoric School student body, the Geneva Quarterly staff is concerned about just how good a future of hunched and textbook-shaped backs can be.
1000-Page textbook used for one week
Anatomy of A Backpack
Graphic by Summer Stolle
Spiral for Expert Doodling Toxic Water Bottle
Printed Essay Crammed Between Books
Spilled Pencil Bag
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Do You Know About the
Bromance?
It is fairly normal for teachers to be friends; however, Mr. Tye, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Harrild’s friendship is far from normal. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Tye have been friends for a long time and Mr. Harrild is the new kid who somehow found his way into the Tye/Johnson bromance. Mr. Johnson is the Regina George while Mr. Tye is his Gretchen Weiner and Mr. Harrild is the Karen Smith of the three. They are a clique made up of grown men who hold a Science Fiction club on Wednesdays instead of wearing pink. By Emma Ingram
Chief Editor of Design
YOU CAN’T SIT WITH US
Graphic by Summer Stolle
The
Answers on page 41
G
Quiz
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Who said that? Write a “J” if Mr. Johnson said the quote, a “T” if Mr. Tye said it, or an “H” if Mr. Harrild said it. 1. ____ “Wait, you don’t remember our Manniversary date?” 2. ____ “My favorite memory together is smiting our enemies on the battlefield in a classroom on the projector after finals week.” 3. ____ “I do love T-Swift.” 4. ____ “Have you ever played Robot Unicorn Attack?” 5. ____ “We’re basically frenemies.” 6. ____ “I was at Bible Study while they were celebrating their manniversary.” Multiple choice. Circle the correct answer. 7. Which song do Mrs. Tye, Mrs. Harrild, and Mrs. Johnson associate with their husbands’ bromance? A. “Fancy” by Iggy Izalea B. “Baby” by Justin Bieber C. “Always” by Erasure 8. Which two men celebrated their “Manniversary”? A. Mr. Tye and Mr. Harrild B. Mr. Harrild and Mr. Johnson C. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Tye 9. What was the theme of the “Manniversary”? A. P.S. I Love You B. Titanic C. Lady and the Tramp C. High School Musical 10. How did Mr. Johnson and Mr. Harrild meet? A. At Comic Con B. Cleaning toilets at church C. Buying a latte at Starbucks D. Buying manly tools at Home Depot 11. How did Mr. Tye and Mr. Johnson meet? A. Playing basketball B. Shopping with their wives C. At Build-a-Bear D. At church camp Matching. Match the teachers to the correct answer. Write a “J” if Mr. Johnson said the quote, a “T” if Mr. Tye said it, or an “H” if Mr. Harrild said it. 12. Match each teacher with his “spirit character” from Star Wars. 1. R2-D2 ____ 2. C-3PO ____ 3. A Droid ____ 13. Match each teacher to the song he picked to associate with their bromance. 1. “Jesse’s Girl” by Rick Springfield ____ 2. “All the Single Ladies” by Beyonce ____ 3. “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen ____ 14. Match each teacher to his description of their bromance. 1. “An unfortunate series of unavoidable annoyances.” ____ 2. “Trying to catch up.” –––– 3. “Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh soft and fluffy.” ____
huMANs of GENEVA
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The Geneva Quarterly staff is a huge fan of the Humans of New York Instagram account and website created by photographer Brandon Stanton. In an attempt to imitate his pictures and short stories with our own twist, we photographed and interviewed Geneva students living everyday life.
Ian Comuzzi : ACL concert
Skylar Tippetts : On Campus
“I think the sun has killed me and sucked all the life out of me. This is me at the ACL (Austin City Limits) the first weekend. We are waiting for the Head and the Heart concert. There are gross hairy legs all around. I would not have been able to stand it, except for the fact that we all have one great thing in common. We LOVE music...”
“Like most students, lunch is my favorite part of the day. In this picture, I’m super duper happy because I’m on my way to eat food and talk with friends. My lunch usually consists of a turkey and cheese sandwich, ranch chips, some kind of fruit and a thirst quenching beverage. When I finish my lunch I usually take a nap or do homework. In this case, I’m studying Spanish to prepare for a Spanish quiz. Adios!”
-Ian Comuzzi, Sophomore at ACL
-Skylar Tippetts, Sophomore at lunch
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The Personal Survival Rate of
Arizpe-Lloyd This quarter survivalists have been chosen through an intensive and highly intricate process of decision making to be sent to none other than the homeland of Mrs. Daniels, deep in the cold tundra of unforgiving Minnesota. The staff members chosen for the survival evaluation this quarter are Dr. Rodney Lloyd, an obvious favorite among students at Geneva, known for his expertise in chemistry, and Mr. Luis Arizpe, the wildly skilled guitar teacher at Geneva. For this survival test he will have his trademark pony-tail.
By Hunter Hamon (with Elliot Veron) Day 1: Dr. Lloyd creates drinkable water by melting the snow with fire; meanwhile, Arizpe begins to harvest berries while singing back and forth with birds to the tune of Nirvana. Lloyd notices night is upon them with only a few hours of light left; he then turns to Arizpe saying they need to collect wood for shelter. Arizpe grabs some foliage while Lloyd uses the techniques he learned in Winter, Texas to find lumber hidden beneath the deepest snow. Day 2: Arizpe and Lloyd wake up to the sound of a fearsome bobcat that has quite the appetitie for the berries Arizpe collected. Arizpe notices this and sets a trap with berries to lure the large feline in. Lloyd follows Arizpe’s lead and tackles the bobcat with all his might and breaks the bobcat’s skeletal structure, ultimately killing it. Now the two are exhausted from the day of trapping. They return to their shelter with the bobcat and more berries. Day 3: The two are still exhausted and decide to take the day off and prepare a feast. The bobcat will more than provide for the two on their week long journey. Day 4: Lloyd and Arizpe, having gained the necessities for their days ahead, pack up camp and begin to move toward Mrs. Daniels at their meeting point, which is miles away from where they are. No journey is a hard journey when you have Arizpe singing along the way. Just picture “The Wizard of Ox” (only better), and a frozen wasteland instead of a yellow brick road (much worse, even with the trees throwing apples on the latter). Graphic by Sean Hollinsead
Day 5-6: The journey is mainly just trudging through the snow on their way. They have finally closed in at the end of the sixth day; only a few miles off. They decide to pack up and make camp. Day 7: The two wake up to an eerie feeling, but go on with making their breakfast and preparing to have their last day of travel and end the journey. Only a half mile off. after an hour of walking, they see their destination. As the two jog down the stretch they begin to see grey figures in the trees running beside them. A pack of wolves has been tracking them and finally has caught up. It is only the will to survive driving them now, completely exhausted from the week.The wolves are right behind them now and will most definitely catch them before they get to the end. Sharp thinking by Arizpe causes him to drop his bags, stopping some of the wolves while they eat the stored food. They see the helicopter now; the Alpha wolf attacks and begins to get its desire. Then a sudden yelp is heard and the Alpha falls over, the other wolves run away. Mrs. Daniels saves the day by stopping them in their tracks telling them to “go back to the crick” where they came from. Arizpe and Lloyd have done exceptionally well, despite the very rough climate. Elliot and I both deem them a solid 7 on their PSR’s (Personal Safety Record). Well done gentlemen.
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The Talon A publication of the School of Rhetoric The Geneva School of Boerne
I wish I was still inside. I miss seeing everyone’s text messages.
Geneva Quarterly Edition
We at The Talon know that students have a tendency to ignore the Bald Eagle’s Nest emails and not read the white board for timely annoucements. That’s a shame, because here are quarter one white board announcements that many of you missed:
Obscure Latin Phrase of the Quarter
[Talon Disclaimer: Reading The Talon can lead to faecetiousness, sarcasm, satire, acne, red hair, knee ligament tears, time with Mr. Johnson, tooth decay, “Shelton head,” uncontrollable feelings of averageness, drop jaw, fish lip, chicken leg, time displacement, and/or boardwalk vision.]
Braccae illae virides cum subucula rosea et tunica Caledonia-quam elenganter concinnatur! “Those green pants go so well with that pink shirt and the plaid jacket!”
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The Geneagle Gazette Who Wore It Best? This quarter, Brooke Leeder was chosen as the best dressed for JEAN-eva Friday. Her mum and riding boots really catch the eye for a cute twist on the “casual and comfy” look.
666
Brooke Leeder
The number of students the school year has started with and the number of the beast.
By: Karlie Daniels
Answers to Quiz on page 41: 1. H 2. T 3. T 4. J 5. J 6. H 7. C 8. C 9. A (The “P” and “S” stand for “Paul” and “Steve”) 10. B 11. D 12. J, T, H 13. T, J, H 14. J, H, T
That Should be a Word
The Poll
By: Summer Stolle
Assignamalactic Shock
Samsung vs. Apple
41% 59%
The shock caused by the overwhelming number of assignments a student has to complete. Experienced mainly by students during the last week of a quarter.
Oct 17
Oct 10
Oct 3
Sept 26
Sept 18
Sept 11
ew.
Sept 5
By: Sara Beth Stolle
Backwash
10,000 9000 7000
By: Ruth Wacker
5000 3000 1000
How Sayers Won House of the Quarter
By: Trevor Clifford
Creative Writing:
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It is the rookie season of a new elective class at Geneva, taught by Mr. Aaron Southwick. Whether you are aware of it or not, twelve students have already been writing, shaping, reshaping, and work-shopping a series of interesting poems for their Creative Writing class. The purpose of this new elective is to foster a love for creative writing and a desire to become a published writer some day. Below, Alexandra Grote has already accomplished this second task with her published sonnet.
Traces of Eden I long for gardens, meadows, countryside, Untouched, unseen, secret, safe, and sacred, In which I’d ramble and happ’ly abide. If the tug on my heart is true, I’m led To dwell in wilderness that isn’t wild. A memory of Eden stirs within, A place of sweet serenity: calm and mild, From thence I was torn by her monstrous sin, Yet if I long, always, for such a place I know my longing cannot be in vain, And when I’ve finally finished the race, That’s where I’ll be, that is what I have gained A flower, autumn leaves remind me in part, Traces of Eden, hints of truth in my heart
By Alexandra Grote
Alexandra Grote is a newly published author with aspirations pretaining to world donomination. She lives with her parents, younger brother, 4 dogs, 7 sheep, 5 cats, and 9 chickens on a random patch of wilderness outside of Boerne, where she writes, reads, and streams Netflix.
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