April Issue 2015

ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER 2401 CLAREMONT LANE · HOUSTON, TX 77019

SJSREVIEW.COM VOLUME 66 · ISSUE 7 · APRIL 20, 2015

DARKEST

HOUR:

FACE TO FACE WITH DESPAIR

During the winter of her freshman year, Shirley (not her real name) suffered a personal breakdown. She missed a week and a half of school, although she had never taken mental health days before because she could not afford the makeup work. She was diagnosed with depression.

“There are the classic cliché examples, like where there’s a dark cloud hanging over your head. They’re kind of true,” said Shirley, who is now a junior. “Depression is kind of like being sad all the time, but not always.”

School administrators were accommodating with adjusting her schedule.

“Having that flexibility was very nice, and necessary coming back,” she said.

Shirley was advised to leave school for a semester and come back in the fall. She did not consider that option until late February when her depression and anxiety reached a boiling point. She then decided to leave.

“If I hadn’t left, I don’t even want to think about what could have happened.”

See Page S1 for full story

Photo by Philip Kensinger Design by Jessica Lee Story by Rebecca Chen and Brooke Kushwaha

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THE REVIEW I APRIL 20, 2015

NEWS

Competitors amass accolades at French Symposium

SHELLEY STEIN

C’est la Vie Juniors Richard Appel and Sarah Bland talk to an accordian player while roaming the halls of Klein Forest High School at the Texas French Symposium. Bland ranked 6th overall out of the nearly 900 student participants, while Appel placed second in Level 4 Dictée and helped the quiz bowl-style Baccalaureat team clinch a second-place finish.

by Irene Vazquez

French students sang, spoke and recited their way to a second-place finish at the Texas French Symposium. Immersed in this year’s theme of “Les Impressionnistes,” students brought home two second-place trophies, and junior Sarah Bland placed in the top 10 overall.

Nearly 900 students participated in the competition, held at Klein Forest High School in northwest Houston on March 28.

All students take tests in vocabulary, grammar, civilization and listening comprehension and compete in cultural events like poetry recitation and instrumental group.

“Our students don’t often have a lot of time to prepare for a lot of the vocal group or instrumental group or recitations,” French teacher and Review advisor Shelley Stein (‘88) said. “But we often do quite well on the academic tests.”

SJS brought 26 students. Bland nabbed first place finishes in Level 5 and 6 grammar, civilization and listening comprehension.

News Briefs

According to Stein, symposium board member Amanda Crépin, who teaches French at the Woodlands Preparatory School, described SJS as a “point-winning powerhouse.”

SJS has competed in the Texas French Symposium since 2011, placing in the top five in each competition. The Class of 2015 was the first freshman class to attend Symposium.

“Symposium has been an important tradition that other seniors and I have looked forward to for the past four years,” senior Elizabeth Elrod said. “I will miss it.”

Elrod, along with juniors Saul Malek and Sarah Bland and seniors Mady Beckner, Iris Cronin, Brandon Alston and Priyanka Jain, performed in a scene from Moliere’s “L’Avare” in the advanced drama group, which took second place.

“This year was in some ways our least-prepared year to compete,” Elrod said. “Our advanced drama group in particular was very unprepared and, to be frank, not very good going into the preliminary round of judging. By some miracle, we made it to the second round of judging and really got our act together.

We ended up putting on a fantastic play at the last minute once we finally put the work in.”

“Garçon,” a short film that Cronin wrote her sophomore year, placed fourth.

“We tried to do it once before, but we didn’t really have the right amount of time,” Cronin said. “It was nice to go back and do it right this time. We definitely won in spirit and public opinion.”

The film starred senior Gabe Bennett-Brandt as a socially inept French youth named Antoine and Elrod as his next-door neighbor, Louisette.

Senior Priyanka Jain directed, filmed and edited the video.

“Seeing the film come together was really satisfying,” Bennett-Brandt said. “It’s always cool to watch the little clips you rehearse and redo amount to something.”

This year, the ISAS Arts Festival in Fort Worth conflicted with the dates of French Symposium.

Freshman Mary Shannon Tompson left ISAS after her performances and made the four-hour-long drive back to Klein Forest. Yet several students were unable to compete at Symposium, which the team

shorthanded and rushed leading up to the competition.

“Every year we think that French Symposium might fail because we aren’t prepared enough,” Elrod said. “But as always, we pulled it off in the end.”

Amid long-established groups of string quartets and accomplished performers, juniors Renee Roberts and Claire Gorman played the ukulele, melodica and slide whistle for their instrumental group performance of “Gentil Coquelicot,” a traditional French children’s songs.

“I’m sure the judges thought we were crazy,” Gorman said. “We left in tears of laughter, but we’ll be back next year with bagpipes in tow.”

Mavericks placed first in several categories: junior Mia Mirkovic in Level 4 vocabulary and listening comprehension, senior Henry Paradise in Level 2 dramatic monologue and listening comprehension and sophomore Irene Vazquez in Level 3 sight reading and civilization.

Many of the students who performed at Symposium will be presenting their work in the French Symposium Showcase, May 15, in the VST lobby.

dents who will learn in these new spaces,” Amley said.

Assisteens serves commmunity

their ideas about issues including race, religion and gender.

The Unity Council executive board (junior Suman Atluri, senior Isabel Wallace-Green and sophomore Matthew Fastow) sat in the center of a circle of chairs and introduced the prompt: What does it feel like to be ____ at SJS? “While Unity Council is definitely open to talking about diversity in the world around us today, we are really devoted to discussing it specifically within the SJS community,” Atluri said.

Students were reluctant to speak at first.

But soon the room’s silence turned into a constant flow of speech.

Unity Council plans to present during freshmen skills classes and Chapel next year.

“The more I’ve learned about diversity, the more I’ve realized that diversity is something anyone can talk about,” Fastow said. “I used to think that because I was white and male, I wouldn’t have anything to say, and that I had leave that topic to other people.”

New rooms foster innovation

Students walking into some classrooms next year might find swiveling chairs and windows that double as writing surfaces.

Head of Upper School Hollis Amley is directing the implementation of six innovation rooms next year. She hopes that teachers will utilize the classroom designs to encourage collaborative thinking.

“As an art history instructor, I have always been interested in the way that architectural space can help create or influence culture,” Amley said.

History teachers Eleanor Cannon and Barbara DiPaolo, language teachers Aline Means and Shelley Stein, English teachers Kimberley Olan and Rachel Weissenstein and math teacher Dwight Raulston will be teaching in these rooms.

Teachers are encouraged to discuss smaller details of their rooms with the architects. If successful, more of these rooms may be built.

“It’s a work in progress, so I am looking forward to hearing back from both the teachers who are participating and the stu-

COURTESY PHOTO

Art History travels to NYC

Head of Upper School Hollis Amley’s art history class traveled to New York City, April 9-12.

The purpose of this trip was to view the art the class has studied in person.

“We have been looking at different works this whole year, and it was so cool to actually see them in person,” senior Martha Jamail said.

Museums visited included The Frick Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters and the Museum of Modern Art. “Our class is kind of dorky, and we have these favorite works of art that we were excited to see. We were pretty devastated when we couldn’t see ‘Heroic Gallus’ because he was on tour,” Jamail said.

Assisteens, a branch of the Assistance League of Houston, is looking for volunteers.

Operation School Bell and Birthday in a Bag are just a couple of projects led by senior Frank Spence.

Assisteens collaborates with local philanthropic organizations with which they want to volunteer.

“When someone proposes an idea, we will take it to the whole group at the beginning of one of our monthly meetings,” Spence said.

Operation School Bell provides uniforms and other school supplies to many young Houston students who cannot afford these items.

Assisteens runs Birthday in a Bag at Pugh Elementary. Assisteens packages birthday supplies into bags. Children receive the bags on their birthday.

“The kids are always really excited about it because a lot of them can’t afford to have a birthday celebration,” Spence said.

Unity Council explores diversity The Unity Council forum, April 2, provided an opportunity for students to share

Briefs by Inaara Malick, Sukul Mittal and Amy Liu

NEWS

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SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 20, 2015

E-cigarette possession, use spreads among teens

by Brooke Kushwaha

Editor’s Note: The Review staff in no way condones the use of electronic cigarettes especially as it is illegal for minors to purchase these goods. Several middle school students were willing to speak to us about e-cigs, and to preserve their anonymity we have changed their names in this article.

P

arents have always complained that their kids are addicted to technology, except they’re usually referring to smartphones, not electronic cigarettes.

According to a new survey released by the Center for Disease Control, electronic cigarette use among teens has tripled in the past three years.

The latest statistics, compiled by the CDC’s National Youth Tobacco Survey, show that usage among middle school students nationwide has grown to 3.9 percent from 1.1 percent in 2013. Similarly, 13.4 percent of high school students use e-cigarettes, up from 4.5 percent.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2014 that more than 263,000 teenagers who have never smoked a cigarette now smoke electronic cigarettes, now known as e-cigs.

E-cigs have become a popular method for adult smokers to wean themselves off tobacco in lieu of vaporized nicotine. The trouble arises when students as young as 13 use e-cigs as an introduction to smoking.

“Once you smoke e-cigs, other things don’t seem as bad,” eighth grade student Courtney Plum said.

Director of Wellness Jennifer Welch spoke to 8th graders in March about e-cigs in middle school skills class.

“I worry that teenagers will be less wary of trying e-cigs because they believe the health risks are lower than with cigarettes,” Welch said. “It seems plausible that for those teenagers who end up continuing to use e-cigs on a regular basis, transitioning to cigarettes or other substances might seem like less of a leap than for teens who do not use e-cigs.”

The Middle School does not currently have any e-cig policy in writing, but according to the Head of Middle School Eric Lombardi, the school enforces a zero-tolerance stance on e-cig possession at school or at school-sponsored events. The Upper School handbook censures e-cigs under the same parameters as tobacco and other nicotine products.

Many students reportedly get e-cigs from students at other schools or older siblings. Students say that fewer girls own and use e-cigs than boys.

“There are a few girls in the grade that will tell everyone if you smoke or drink, so the other girls are scared to,” Plum said.

“Guys aren’t judgmental like the girls are.”

Peer pressure is the most significant factor in e-cig use.

“It’s trendy. Everyone wants to be like

Photo designed by Philip Kensinger | Infographic designed by Tiffany Yue

Smoke and Mirrors E-cigarettes have become a trend among teens. Because e-cig vapor vanishes without leaving a noticeable smell, teens have been able to smoke in their homes without their parents detecting it. While e-cig use has increased threefold, the increase coincides with a marked decrease in cigarette use.

their friends and try new things all the time,” eighth grade student Brittany Greene said.

Students claim that both peer pressure and e-cig use are a more significant problem at other schools.

“People at St. John’s tend to be curious about things, so they researched the subject and made an educated decision,” eighth grade student Timothy Mauve said.

“People I know at other schools use them purely because it’s popular.”

The medical claim that e-cigs are a less harmful alternative to smoking has garnered them more popularity among younger smokers.

Blu, one of the largest manufacturers of e-cigs, peddles its product as “a new kind of satisfaction — without the guilt.”

“People started using them because they were told by media and other people that it was safer than smoking actual cigarettes, so they weren’t afraid of the physical consequences as much as they would be for tobacco or alcohol,” Mauve said.

Although e-cigarettes are tobacco-free, some contain nicotine levels that can still create adverse health effects. According to the National Institute of Health, regular nicotine use can cause increased blood pressure and heart rate, as well as nausea.

Most brands offer varying levels of nicotine in their flavor packages. The e-cig manufacturer VaperFi labels their highest levels of nicotine as “Bold” and “Full Flavor”, while calling lower levels “Light.”

Nicotine has no effect on the strength of the flavor.

Flavor packages range from green tea to dragonberry, and unlike marijuana or cigarette smoke, the vapor dissipates without leaving a smell. The manufacturers of e-cigs do little to discourage youth appeal.

The wide variety of colors and flavors makes e-cigs especially kid-friendly.

“The one time that I smoked, it tasted terrible, but other people love the flavors.

Everyone who smokes has their own favorite,” eighth grade student Keith Grey said.

“The vapor also smells like a fruity gum, which allows people to smoke in their homes without their parents liable to come in. The smoke of a regular cigarette would tip anyone off.”

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, kids who have smoked e-cigs are more likely to start smoking real cigarettes.

E-cig use is not limited to the middle school. In a poll of 128 students taken by the Review Online, eight percent of students reportedly own e-cigs and 19

percent have tried e-cigs at least once.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse also reported that in 2013, 8.7 percent of eighth graders use e-cigs. Yet, the national rate of cigarette use among teens is at an all-time low. In the same survey, only 1.4 percent of eighth graders smoke traditional cigarettes, compared to 2.7 percent in 2011.

E-cig regulation varies by state, with most laws mirroring age limits for tobacco use (at least 18 years). The current age limit for tobacco in Texas is 18 years. Because e-cigs have only been on the market for eight years, few regulations have been implemented, and even fewer enforced.

While e-cig manufacturers like Blu defend their product as an anti-smoking aid, not one e-cigarette manufacturer has applied to the FDA to be considered a smoking-cessation product, like nicotine patches, lozenges, and chewing gum -none of which have any recreational use.

The FDA is looking to reclassify e-cigarettes as a tobacco product in order to more strictly regulate their purchase.

According to the FDA, new products under their proposed rule would include “electronic cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, certain dissolvables that are not ‘smokeless tobacco’, gels and waterpipe tobacco.”

e-cigs

Results taken from a Review Online poll of 143 students

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THE REVIEW I APRIL 20, 2015

FEATURES

PACKING A PUNCH

Physics teacher finds solace in mixed martial arts

AUSTIN ZHANG

Let’s Get Physical Physics teacher Erol Turk prepares to step back in the ring after a 12-year break. Turk began karate at age seven and began competing in tournaments two years later. This summer, Turk traveled to Thailand to train in Muay Thai, a combat sport referred to as the “art of eight limbs” due to its combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins.

fter a 12-year hiatus in his competitive fighting career because of a severe shoulder injury to his left rotator cuff, physics teacher Erol Turk is back in the ring.

“I actually hurt my shoulder before a fight, but I had been training, running in the snow at 5 a.m.,” Turk said. “There was no way I wasn’t going to fight, but I didn’t get proper treatment afterwards.”

Later, he injured his right rotator cuff after years of overcompensating for the left.

After Turk joined a new gym last year, his coach prodded him to step back into the ring. As he began to watch the other fighters, he finally made the decision to return to competition.

“When I watched all the guys [at my new gym] fight, I saw that I could do this, so I started to get in the ring all over again,” he said.

Turk’s martial arts journey began at age seven. He attended his first karate class at the recommendation of his father, George Turk, a Turkish national boxer, and fell in

love with the sport.

“The real pull for me after the first couple of lessons was the instructor,” Turk said. “I was very ADD and he taught me to meditate and calm the thousand jumping monkeys in my head.”

Two years after his first karate class, Turk was motivated by his instructor to begin competing in tournaments. Initially, Turk’s challenge was getting over fear.

“The first time I got into the ring, I was scared out of my mind. I was eventually able to get out of survival mode and started to think, ‘I’m trying to win this fight,’ not just try not to get killed.” Turk said.

Physical prowess learned from the usual drills and practice sessions were not enough to win fights; he had to envision success as well.

“I would let everyone go home, only turn on the spotlight in the ring, not put on any music, and just got used to owning that space. That made a big difference.”

Turk said.

Just six years after his first fights, Turk ran a karate school and trained students, with significant success at tournaments.

“We would go with around five people and come back with nine trophies.” Turk said.

During high school, Turk spent weekends competing in tournaments. By age eighteen, he turned his attention toward boxing and kickboxing.

“I got into boxing and kickboxing, because I didn’t like the politics of point karate,” Turk said. “I could hit a guy 15 times and get no points, and then the other guy could hit me once and get a point because the judge was from his school.”

This past summer, Turk traveled to Thailand to immerse himself in the world of professional fighters.

“I trained for a week at a famous Muay Thai gym in Bangkok, Thailand [Fairtex Gym] and that was a lot of fun to watch real fighters,” Turk said.

Once a trembling boy in the ring, Turk has become a comfortable fighter.

“I was going against guys who were good physically but who didn’t know how to deal with the mentality, so I was able to psych them out and fake that I wasn’t as tired as they were,” Turk said. “That made a huge difference.”

Turk has integrated his combat expertise into his life as a teacher.

He has been teaching the kickboxing unit in P.E. for 10 years and occasionally shares his self-defense knowledge with students and faculty.

“His contributions are great because he not only tells us what to look out for but also shows how to fend for ourselves if something actually goes wrong,” said junior WHEE member Amy Dong.

Beyond teaching kickboxing and

self-defense to students, Turk uses fighting to provide real-world examples of principles in action to his physics students.

“I use it occasionally to demonstrate topics like action/reaction and rotational dynamics,” Turk said.

With martial arts playing such a significant role in his life since adolescence, Turk has been heavily influenced by his fighting experiences. He claims that martial arts have made him mellower.

“It’s made me a much nicer person, because I don’t feel that I need to show off to anyone,” Turk said. “If someone is a jerk to me, I can walk away and not feel the need to prove myself.”

Get in the Zone Mr. Turk imparts his knowledge of fighting to students in physics, P.E. and Women Helping Empower Each Other

EMILY RAGAUSS

A

by Dani Yan

FEATURES

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SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 20, 2015

Junior copes with injury, recovers from car wreck

COURTESY PHOTO

On the Road to Recovery On June 19, junior Isabelle Draper drove a white Lexus home from her driver’s license test in Rosenberg. She sustained a broken right leg, leaving her on crutches for several weeks. While she underwent physical therapy, Draper managed the girls’ cross country team this year and plans to run cross country her senior year.

by Irene Vazquez

Isabelle Draper will never forget the day she got her driver’s license.

On June 19, Draper was on the way home from the Department of Public Safety in Rosenberg. Draper drove her grandmother’s car, a small Lexus, down the feeder road on Interstate 59. A middle-aged woman driving a pickup truck passed out behind the wheel and crossed the median and collided with Draper’s car head-on.

“The glass shattered, and we spun,” Draper said. “I couldn’t feel anything.

When I woke up, I was convinced that I was in an episode of ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ and I was dreaming.”

Draper’s passenger, Julie Munguia, a colleague of her mother’s who drove her to the test, was taken by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital because she was having trouble breathing.

Draper was trapped in the car for 45 minutes while rescue workers attempted to free her. Her right leg was broken and caught under the dashboard.

“It was really embarrassing because I was cursing a lot, and I actually stopped and apologized a couple of times,” Draper said.

Firefighters eventually extracted Draper from the car, and she was transported by ambulance to Memorial Hermann. Draper made the ambulance driver wipe the blood off of her face so her mom would not be scared.

In the Emergency Room, Draper underwent a battery of scans, which revealed a brain hemorrhage and a tibial plateau fracture.

The next morning, Draper underwent the first of two surgeries to put pins in her leg, which would hold the knee in place until the swelling subsided.

Draper was released from the hospital June 22, but she wound up back in the ER by the end of the week because one of the pins became infected.

On July 1, Draper had Open Reduction and Internal Fixation surgery, in which eight pins and a plate were fixed in her leg.

Following surgery, Draper worked with a physical therapist in the hospital who taught her how to use a walker.

“I was so proud of myself for walking around the nurses’ station and back to my

room,” Draper said. “It was hard. Right after the accident, I was just beat up with a lot of bruises and cuts.”

In the weeks after the accident, Draper learned to appreciate taking showers again.

“It was the best day ever,” Draper said.

“You forget how nice a little personal hygiene is.”

Later that summer, Draper attended the community service tutoring project at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School.

“Isabelle worked incredibly hard at Cristo Rey and didn’t let her walker inhibit her at all,” said senior project leader Luke Kramer said. “Isabelle and Sarah Bland did such a good job tutoring that the room they were assigned to was empty after just a few days. All the students had passed.”

Before the accident, Draper had planned to run cross country and audition for the musical, but her leg injury precluded her from actively participating in these activities.

Unable to run, Draper became manager for the girls’ cross-country team and went on their retreat to the University of Oregon. Senior Jennifer Melcher broke the navicular bone in her right foot during the second half of the retreat.

“There was this one day that we toured the Nike campus, and the guide was walking pretty fast and we were covering a lot of area, and Isabelle was on her walker the whole time keeping up,” Melcher said.

“One day while the group was hiking, Isabelle and I sat in the back of one of the cars for a few hours. I was pretty bitter about not being able to go on the hike, and Isabelle just kept reiterating that she was so happy that she was able to come on the trip.”

Draper faced challenges adapting to the school routine. Walking on crutches or even using a cane made getting to classes more difficult, especially long walks to the far reaches of the Quad or third-floor Mewbourne.

“People don’t often realize this about crutches and walkers, but when your mobility is limited, everything is a struggle,” Melcher said. “It’s not just stairs or uneven surfaces. You learn to judge every distance differently and calculate the shortest route to wherever you have to go, even if it’s just a few steps different.”

Draper drove for the first time since her

accident on Oct. 26.

In a Facebook status Draper posted shortly after her first drive, she described the experience as “completely terrifying and totally awesome.”

“Even now sometimes, when I’m really nervous in the car, I’ll say Hail Mary’s over and over again,” Draper said.

After months of rehab, Draper has begun

to return to normal physical activity. and has been running again. She plans to return to cross country her senior year.

“Anyone would be furious if something like that accident happened to them,” Melcher said. “I can’t imagine anyone handling it better or with more patience than Isabelle.”

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THE REVIEW I APRIL 20, 2015

FEATURES

Faculty daughters sell cookies, learn business skills

COURTESY PHOTO

Cookie Crew Second grade student Emmie Kuhl delivers boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to administrative assistant Becky Leakey. During her first year selling, Kuhl learned proper cookie sale procedure and how to deliver a sales pitch. Emmie helped her troop sell 3,634 packages of cookies. The most popular type, Thin Mints, entered the line-up in 1951.

O

by Sophia Li

ver the years, history teacher Joseph Soliman has taken his daughter Isabel’s Girl Scout Cookie selling to a new level. When Soliman refrained from posting a sign-up list in the faculty lounge this year, several teachers were disappointed.

“I was really disappointed when I didn’t see the order form in the faculty lounge.

I did not pursue the matter any further with Mr. Soliman,” Librarian Peg Patrick said. “Fortunately my husband was able to procure some cookies for me.”

Soliman used to put the placard in the teacher’s lounge, but he soon felt that increased number of orders was overwhelming.

“We would sell so many cookies, I’d have to hunt everyone down and give them all these cookies and thank-you notes. The first year we sold more than 200 boxes here; the second year, it was nearly 300,” Soliman said.

This year, Soliman advertised only in his classroom. Kids who wanted Girl Scout Cookies came and signed up.

Soliman still takes pride in his daughter’s cookie selling operation.

“My family operates a first-class service,” said Soliman, whose daughter Isabel is in fourth grade. “My wife loves to work with crafts, so when people buy Girl Scout Cookies from us, she packages them in cute little Sephora or J. Crew bags.”

Isabel also writes note cards to every customer, thanking them for their business.

According to Soliman, selling Girl Scout Cookies teaches Isabel important life lessons.

“If you want to teach young kids the lesson of burgeoning capitalism, I think you have to let them work hard,” Soliman said. “Of course, hard work always ends up being mom and dad doing it.”

Assistant Academic Dean Jennifer Kuhl prefers that her daughter Emmie interact personally with customers.

“The idea behind Girl Scouts is to empower girls to take leadership and responsibility. By having the cookie selling activity, they want to enable the girls do the same thing,” said Kuhl, who is the leader of her daughter’s second grade troop. “They want the girls to take ownership of the process and, through the leadership component, go out and have a conversation with a customer but also learn things about the financial aspect. They want the girls to set goals.”

Although Girl Scout Cookies are only sold seasonally, business flourishes. According to USA Today, Girl Scout Cookies are the top-selling cookies between the months of January and April, beating out a perennial favorite, Oreos.

Since 2015 was the troop’s first year selling cookies, Kuhl became the troop’s “cookie manager” and attended meetings on protocol and proper procedure for cookie sales.

“I had no idea prior to the meetings what it meant to sell Girl Scout Cookies,” Kuhl said. “I now have a degree in cookie managing. I’d like to add that to my re-

sume. It’s something I’m quite proud of.”

In total, Kuhl’s troop sold 3,634 packSelling cookies is not as straightforward ages this year. Thin Mints were the most as it may seem. popular cookie, amassing 1,080 orders.

“The entire troop went through the The troop pulled through with a clean process: how to safely sell, how to use the cookie sale, meaning no cookies were cookie order form, how to collect money, damaged or lost during the process. how to have a conversation with a custom“Younger siblings have been noted to er,” Kuhl said. accidentally grab a box by accident,” Kuhl Even after creating their own sales pitch, said. troop members soon discovered that shrewd advertising was not essential in today’s market.

What is your favorite Girl “We practiced the ‘Hello, my name is’ routine, but as soon as they Scout Cookie? showed up with the brown vest (Results taken from Review Online poll of 121) and order card, everyone knew Other what they were doing,” Kuhl said.

(Peanut Butter Sandwiches, “It made for a very easy selling Shortbreads, etc.) process.”

9% Girl Scouts also offer Lemonades customers the option 7% of ordering “virtual” Thin Mints cookies, a portion 45% of which are sent to U.S. Armed Forces. Thanks-a-lots 8% “If I were to sell a box of cookies to someone, and they said, ‘You know what, I would rather send Peanut this box of cookies Butter Patties to the military, then 11% Girls Scouts would take all those cookie boxes and send them to Caramel various military organizations, DeLights just to brighten up a soldier’s day,” 20% Kuhl said.

MATTHEW NEAL

SPORTS

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 20, 2015

7

RENEE ROBERTS

Senior sprints toward finish of record track career

Fast and Furious Senior Lee Hampton gets set at the starting blocks for sprint drills at the start of his daily track practice. Hampton won the 100-meter dash in SPC last year and leads this season’s SPC rankings in the 200meter dash and triple jump. Hampton will compete at the SPC Championships in Fort Worth.

by Christian Maines

L

ee Hampton’s bumpy road to success has been defined by his encounters with his teammates and coaches as he has stormed through school records time and time again.

This year, Hampton, a senior captain, has broken the school’s 100-meter, 200-meter and triple jump records, but according to Hampton, his breaking the 4x100 record last year was his proudest accomplishment.

“That may surprise a lot of people because it’s not my individual record, but as a team and as a relay we decided to do more and work a little harder,” Hampton said.

The beginning of Hampton’s career was characterized by stubbornness, including one instance in which Hampton refused to run in the 4x400 relay.

“For the most part, I didn’t really have the team’s best interests in mind,” Hampton said. “For example, all sophomore season, Coach Mercado was trying to get me to run the 4x400 because he thought I would be a very good 400-meter runner, which I turned out to be.”

Track coach Richie Mercado noted that Hampton has developed in a variety of ways throughout his years in track.

“Lee has come a long way over the past two years in terms of development of posture and technique, growth in strength and power and speed and most importantly in emotional ways,” Mercado said. “His confidence and preparation and outlook have allowed him to be very successful.”

Over the course of his track career, Hampton also faced a number of injuries that challenged his ability to train.

“The summer going into my junior year

I broke my wrist, and I was pretty much given Hampton a way to help others when eliminated from physical activity until the he is not on the track. season started,” Hampton said.

“A lot of people are just beginners and After spraining his leg earlier this year, amateurs, and this could be their first year Hampton considered running with more doing the sport or their first year being discipline. introduced to what it’s like to be on the “I was very frustrated. No one wants to track team,” Hampton said. “Taking time be injured, and no one wants a lingering out of your practice to give someone words injury,” Hampton said. “I’m running so of encouragement to hold onto, and the much. I’m asking a lot of my body. I need support and encouragement we give as to learn some self-control and how to keep teammates, it’s very important.” my body healthy.”

Hampton’s teammates appreciate his Hampton began to apply himself during enthusiasm. his junior year.

“It’s really awesome for young sprinters “Last year was my breakthrough year, to get a chance to work with an athlete of when I actually started trying,” Hampton his caliber,” senior track captain Akshay said. “I actually did the weights and evJaggi said. “He’s really stepped up to that erything, and I listened to the coaches and teaching position. He’s doing more than realized that I don’t know everything.” just breaking records; he’s pushing the Hampton whole team to succompetes in ceed.” the 100-meHampton ter dash and also stands out 200-meter to the long-disdash as well as tance runners on the 4x100, the the team.

4x400, the triple “It’s a common jump and the long stereotype that jump. sprinters do less Hampton handled work than distance all six events skillfully runners,” Jaggi said. last year at SPC, single“Lee totally breaks that handedly scoring half of stereotype. Although he the boys’ team’s points. does walk by and make Lee Hampton “He’s really stepped up the fun of distance for our School Records intensity of his workouts, long workouts, I’ll find and that’s been clearly him in the weight room 100 meter - 10.84 s reflected in his fantastic doing equally challeng200 meter - 21.94 s meet performances,” juing routines.”

Triple Jump - 45’ 8.5” nior long-distance runner Support from Joe Faraguna said.

Mercado has helped Offering encouragebuild Hampton’s ment to his teammates has confidence.

MATTHEW NEAL

Hampton values Mercado’s passion.

“One of the things that I appreciate about Coach Mercado is that he loves what he does,” Hampton said. “He’s an emotional guy, and he invests a lot of time in us, so if you skip practice for no reason, he can get emotional, especially if you’re a leader on the team.”

Mercado hopes his runners succeed athletically and academically.

“He knows that we’re athletes and students, and he wants to see us grow and to see the maturation of his athletes as they go through high school,” Hampton said.

According to Jaggi, Hampton’s opening introduction at the first track team dinner initially displayed his ambition.

When Hampton was asked at the dinner about his season goals, he said, “First, I want to win SPC. I want to beat the 100-meter, the 200-meter, the long jump and the triple jump records.”

Hampton didn’t always have the same motivation he has as an upperclassman.

“Freshman year, I honestly didn’t try very hard,” Hampton said.

Hampton’s drive has propelled him to more success.

“He’s good, and he knows he’s good,” Faraguna said.

Even though he may be confident, Hampton understands the importance of hard work. According to Hampton, track has shaped his work ethic more than anything else.

“The biggest thing that I’ve overcome is this mindset that my way is the only way and that the whole team revolves around me,” Hampton said. “I can’t just sit on my talents: I have to go out and do something with them.”

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THE REVIEW I APRIL 20, 2015

FORMAL GAMES

Photos by Philip Kensinger Design by Jessica Lee Story by Cara Maines and Chris Zimmerman

The best night of your life. From “Pretty in Pink” to “High School Musical,” prom has come to represent the classic high school experience. Between limos, tuxedos and a formal dinner, prom is a chance for students to play dress-up for the night and celebrate one last time before graduation.

But in the weeks leading up to prom, tensions can run high. In one of the last vestiges of traditional teen dating rituals, boys worry about making a special “promposal,” while girls stress about having dates.

Traditional gender roles are reversed for Cotillion, a non-school-sanctioned event starting sophomore year. Girls ask their dates months in advance, forming groups and planning in the fall for a dance in February.

With only a few formals during high school, the pressure to do it right can be intense. And as the hype about prom has grown, so have the expectations.

Do you wanna dance?

Junior Renee Roberts walked anxiously up to the library, a stack of letters clutched in her hand. Each note contained clues that led her to her next class

— a day-long scavenger hunt. She turned the corner of the library to see a crowd of people surrounding junior Joseph Hanson who was holding a poster that read, “You found me! Prom?”

“I wanted my promposal to be fun and exciting,” Hanson said. “It took a lot of effort, but it was worth it in the end to see the shock and excitement.”

While some boys ask dates through elaborate “promposals,” others view the tradition of boys asking girls to prom as sexist or outdated.

“Overall, the whole concept of gender roles when thinking about prom is overrated and outdated,” junior Yousef Gaber said. “People need to be free to ask whom they please and say no to people when they want.”

Most students agree that girls asking boys to Cotillion provides both genders an opportunity. Organized by the Junior League, starting sophomore year Cotillion invites all girls from SJS, Episcopal and Kinkaid and requires them to bring dates if they attend.

“I definitely feel like boys taking girls to prom is equalized by Cotillion, but if we didn’t have Cotillion it would be a different story,” junior Julia Boyce said.

Though SJS does not require that stu-

dents attend prom with dates, many recognize the pressure to attend as a couple.

“There’s certainly a pressure on boys to ask girls,” senior Elizabeth Elrod said. “You don’t hear about guys waiting around to be asked by a girl. Oftentimes, the pressure is so great that guys will end up asking girls that they’re not really good friends with just so that they can have a date.”

Girls rarely ask boys in their own grade to prom.

“I feel like girls can’t really ask guys unless they don’t get asked, and if they don’t get asked I feel like socially it’s better to ask someone else from a different school than to ask an underclassman,” junior E Robins said.

Senior Sophie Gershenwald will take her boyfriend who does not attend SJS. “It doesn’t feel too different from taking somebody from school because we have been dating for a while,” Gershenwald said. “He knows all of my friends, so I don’t feel like it is too different from going with someone from SJS.” Junior Alex Hammerman argues that girls should give boys an opportunity to ask girls to prom before making a move.

“I’m not against girls asking guys, but because girls have their specific own-

choice dance, it is nice to let guys have the first crack at asking,” Hammerman said. “But if a girl has not been asked later on and she wants to go with a date, I’m all for her asking somebody that is available.”

Beyond feeling pressure to ask girls to prom, boys may feel that they are expected to ask in an unusual or special way.

“I do think there is some pressure about asking in a creative way,” Hammerman said. “If you are totally out of ideas, you can always just go with food and a poster and nobody will fault you for that. People generally like to be asked in a clever way, especially one that uses an inside joke or some sort of connection between the two of you.”

You say ‘yes’ I say ‘no’

While asking a girl to prom requires some amount of courage, saying “no” can be even more nerve-wracking.

“Guys saying ‘no’ for Cotillion is ten times easier than girls doing the same at prom,” Gaber said. “Someone might call [a guy] a jerk for a day, but it goes away quickly. It sticks with the girls for a long time.”

A majority of students go to formals

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SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 20, 2015

with platonic dates.

“For the most part, people are glad to be asked to either event, but in a case where someone is unhappy about being asked, I think there’s more pressure on girls to say ‘yes’,” senior Emily Sherron said. “I’ve heard of guys saying ‘no’ to a Cotillion date usually because of conflicts, but I don’t remember a case where a girl said ‘no’ to a prom date.”

The acceptability of rejecting an invitation elicits a variety of responses.

“I do not think it is acceptable to reject someone unless you are just physically uncomfortable around that person or if you have a significant other,” senior Juan Philippe said. “The thought behind rejections comes with the idea that prom is a date, but for many people, especially in today’s culture, prom can be a very friend-oriented deal, so it seems pretty unreasonable to reject somebody who is asking you platonically.”

According to junior Mia Mirkovic, the pressure to say “yes” is equal for Cotillion and prom.

“There’s definitely a feeling that saying ‘no’ in either case — if you haven’t been asked — makes you at best inconsiderate and at worst haughty or mean,” Mirkovic said.

Even though he was asked, junior Alex Hammerman did not attend Cotillion last year due to all-state band.

“I have yet to see a rejection for either dance unless the person already had a prior commitment,” Hammerman said.

“From what I have heard, there have been slightly more prom rejections than Cotillion rejections, which is somewhat of a double standard, but I really just think people should accept and be appreciative for an invitation to either dance, regardless of who it is from.”

Even though some see a rejection as insignificant, others feel the social pressures behind saying “no.”

“It’s so socially unacceptable to reject a Cotillion invitation, but it is not even close to the same level of unacceptableness to reject a prom invite,” junior Alex Daichman said.

The consensus is that, when asked to a formal, one should always accept.

“It will be fun no matter what,” senior Cameron Crain said. “Obviously, if you have a significant other, you can say ‘no,’ but otherwise you should just be flattered and say ‘yes.’”

DANCING WITH MYSELF The quintessential formal photo — the boy in his ill-fitting rented tuxedo, his hand hovering nervously an inch away from his date’s waist, the girl smiling, feet slipping out of her high heels — inun-

dates social media the day after the event.

While this photo is the classic prom image, people increasingly feel less pressure to fit the model.

Though prom is open to all upperclassmen, some students detect a stigma for girls attending without dates.

“You’ll hear people talking about that group that all went stag (without a date).

People will say things like ‘Oh, that group just went alone because they couldn’t find dates,’ so there’s a stigma associated with not having a date,” Elrod said.

Girls who attend prom stag often attend in groups, either with other girls or couples.

For girls left without dates, forming a group can be difficult.

“Sometimes there is a group of girls who didn’t get asked,” Robins said. “But those people aren’t always friends, so I think it’s better if you go by yourself or with just one other friend.”

Senior Alexandra Baskin attended prom in a group of girls last year. They enjoyed the experience so much that they are staying together this year, though some of the girls are bringing dates.

“Nobody got asked, so we all went together, but we had all had a great time,” Baskin said. “We had a sleepover.”

Other girls going stag come with groups of couples.

“If you’re friends, people will definitely let you in their group if you don’t have a date,” Robins said. “It might be awkward for you. I’ve heard some people saying ‘I don’t want to be in a group if I don’t have a date’.”

Regardless of the initial arrangement, most students agree that dates are not important after photographs have been taken.

“If you don’t get asked to prom, you can just take advantage of the fact that all upperclassmen are invited, and you can still go with a group of friends,” Hammerman said. “People can still have a great time, and prom isn’t something you should miss.”

2015 PromposalS

Sophomore Lauren Childers and junior Hunter Kowalski

Seniors Priyanka Jain and Luke Kramer

Juniors Winnie Branfield-Harvey and Suman Atluri

CAN’T BUY ME LOVE The first week back from summer break, the frenzy begins. The first girl asks her date, and the rest of the girls fall like dominoes. Six months before the actual dance, the preparation begins.

For most groups, Cotillion planning starts months in advance; prom planning begins much later.

Prom invitations are sent out much closer to the formal than Cotillion invitations are. Sophomore Cotillion invitations went out in late July for the February dance. Prom invitations were released one month before the deadline.

Seniors Vasia Pobedinski and Kendall Bernard

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“I think there is a much bigger push to get the date for Cotillion,” junior Suman Atluri said. “But for prom, I don’t think there is a similar push to reserve your date and then wait three months.”

Others see the gender roles as the reason for different planning schedules.

Boys typically plan prom while girls plan Cotillion.

“For prom, it’s often a lot less organized just because the guys are doing that,” Elrod said. “I’m not saying I believe guys are less capable of planning things, but in the past, things have gotten planned later because the guys are planning it instead of the girls.”

Each group typically plans transportation to and from the formal, dinner and after party.

“For some groups, it is really simple and easy, but other groups wait until the last minute,” Atluri said. “Also, prom falls on the same weekend as a lot of other school’s proms, so it can be kind of hard to reserve your limo and restaurant, but it just depends on who is in your group and how organized you are.”

The school also has to put considerable effort and time into planning for prom.

According to Dean of Students Stephen Popp, the school spends around $45,000 on the event, and planning begins over a year in advance.

“You’re looking at rental of the venue — and oftentimes the venue comes with, in our case, triceratops, but they don’t come with tables — so we have to rent tables,” Popp said. “There is food, a photo booth, a band, a DJ, decorations. When you start putting it all together, it adds up.”

The administration is not the only group that has to consider the cost of formals. Boys typically pay for dinner and transportation for themselves and their dates for prom, and girls do the same for Cotillion.

“Usually the parents handle the payments,” Philippe said. “In my group there are parents who are very economically conscious and parents who want to spend impressive quantities of money.”

People are aware of the stereotypes and expectations of formals while making plans.

“Prom has been romanticized by the media for decades, but I don’t really feel pressured to create a perfect evening,” Hanson said. “Prom is more of a fun event than the pinnacle of someone’s high school career. It is sort of what you make of it, but as long as you are having fun with friends, it is successful.”

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DESIGN BY JESSICA LEE | PHOTO BY CHRIS ZIMMERMAN

therapist.”

A few weeks after her diagnosis, Shirley enrolled at an alternative high Editor’s Note: We recognize that school in Houston. She left without depression is a difficult topic to discuss, saying goodbye. not only for students who have suffered “At that point I was so detached from it but also for their friends and from everyone that there weren’t family. Four students were willing to many people I would have told anyshare their stories. We appreciate their way,” Shirley said. “A few days later, EXPERIENCE when I went to clean out my locker honesty and have changed their names DEPRESSION AT and people asked why I was going, I to protect their privacy. We encourage you to speak to family, friends, or adults just said it was for personal reasons.” you trust if you are going through simiLilly, a junior, said her friendship lar experiences. with Shirley became closer after Shirley left.

THE RATE OF “I wasn’t accustomed to talking Diagnosis about feelings at all, so I think she Shirley initially became depressed helped me become a better friend and in the winter of eighth grade but did listener,” Lilly said.

Source: ADAA not seek help or a formal diagnosis Although friends may provide the until over a year later. support needed during tumultuous “Depression has this stigma of betimes, some people struggling with ing weak, especially at our age when depression find it difficult to confide people think it’s just being attention in others. seeking or overly dramatic,” Shirley “I wasn’t comfortable talking about said. [my depression] for a while and The American Psychiatric Associit’s still a hard thing for me to talk ation classifies depressive disorders about,” said Rose, a senior. as disorders that cause sad, empty, The symptoms of depression can or irritable mood accompanied by also place a strain on relationships. behavioral changes that may signifi“You don’t enjoy something that cantly affect an individual’s normal you normally enjoy doing, and if you activity. Major depressive disorder is go out with friends you’re there with the most common of all depressive them but you can’t have fun,” Rose disorders. said. “You feel like sleeping all the “Once you do get confirmation time. You don’t feel good; you feel from a doctor, it actually makes you really empty.” feel better because you’re not just At first, Rose thought she had a overreacting for no reason,” Shirley stomach problem. She visited her said. “It’s an actual medical problem.” adolescents psychiatrist, whom she had been When her depression worsened ages 13-18 seeing since second grade for ADHD, halfway through freshman year, Shirand was diagnosed with depression have reported ley decided to seek professional help. and anxiety. at least one “My parents took me to a doctor “A lot of people struggle with this, depressive way more than you think,” Rose said. and a therapist,” she said. “I like therapists better because they under- episode Some people are aware of their constand the emotional aspect. Doctors dition before the diagnoses but never specialize in medicine and the brain think to take action.

Source: NIMH as a physical entity. It became more Brenda, a junior, discovered she Graphics by Jessica Lee had depression before her freshman personal and credible to me with a Story by Rebecca Chen and Brooke Kushwaha

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year, during one of her biannual visits with her doctor, who brought in a psychologist to meet with her for the first time. The appointment was only meant to be informal, but a few days later Brenda got a call from the psychologist asking to meet with her.

“I went in and they told me that they thought I was ‘a little bit depressed’ and that they could help me,” Brenda said.

“I was cognizant of what was going on, but I couldn’t put it into words.

Even my parents knew I was acting differently, ” Brenda said. “So then once a week I would talk to this lady, but it didn’t help. It was all coloring book children’s stuff, so we stopped.”

After that experience, Brenda ceased any form of professional help.

Her depression slowly deteriorated until she cut off virtually all social interaction.

“It was like someone threw a wet blanket over my life. I slept every weekend all day; I couldn’t do my homework. Looking back, it just looked so dark and damp,” Brenda said. “I didn’t talk to anyone about it because I was stuck in a cycle where no one would believe me because I don’t have any reason to be depressed.”

Even when Brenda made an effort to reach out, she became discouraged.

“I tried to be social, but every person I talked to seemed to turn away from me. I began to think that maybe it’s just me. They obviously didn’t know what I was going through,” Brenda said.

Although she still has not sought medication or formal therapy, Brenda now visits Jennifer Welch, Director of All-School Wellness, and has found a support system among her friends.

“It’s a lot easier to connect with people now. I have a core group, and because I can talk with them, I’m more social with other people. It’s

not scary anymore. My insecurity still comes out sometimes, but it’s something I suppress as long as I can.”

Causes AND tRIGGERS

Teen depression, anxiety and issues like eating disorders are on the rise according to Welch.

“The statistics are frightening and I believe they indicate the importance of evaluating what we can change to help teenagers be more emotionally healthy,” Welch said.

Depression can stem from a variety of factors and can be triggered by one’s environment.

Brenda does not attribute her depression to academic rigors, but at times she has felt less than welcomed by her classmates.

“Sometimes I feel like people are not genuine, asking how are you and getting scared or upset when you actually answer,” Brenda said. “A lot of people say, ‘If you want to talk, I’m here,’ but then when you want to talk, they have a million other things to do.”

Rose says her condition is exacerbated by her perception of perfection in her classmates.

“I feel like everybody else is perfect and can do everything, and I feel like I can’t because I have this illness,” Rose said.

An anonymous parent of an SJS student says that a stressful atmosphere can exacerbate emotional distress.

“When you think that you don’t have friends, you just have competitors, you can end up with a pretty poisonous atmosphere,” he said.

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THE REVIEW I APRIL 20, 2015

dark heavy shell. What makes it worse is knowing all that in the back of your mind, adding even more anxiety.”

Jennifer Norten, a psychologist in Counseling and DisStudents may overlook some triggers for depression and ability Services at the University of St. Thomas and an SJS instead regard them as part of everyday school life. Welch parent, notes that students’ expectations of themselves may cites not getting enough sleep, pressure to perform consistrigger depression just as much as their environment. tently at the top level and feeling trapped into participation “When self-worth is too tightly wrapped up in achievein extracurriculars as potential risk factors. ment or social status, you may become Rose encourages people depressed or anxious when you with depression to don’t achieve the desired work on breakacademic or social ing out of that “I know how miserable it is to feel depressed. goals,” Norten said. mindset.

It’s horrible and impossible to get through “Students come to “We normalSJS with their own ize so many alone, and I want to be that person WHO helps unique vulnerabilithings like sleep people in my position reach out. If you don’t, ties, which may stem and stress level, the possibility of getting better is from family history, so I try to play nonexistent. It takes a lot of guts to reach genetic predisposition, that down,” Rose out, but you absolutely have to do it.” perfectionistic personsaid. “My doctor ality structure or other has helped me open up factors.” about this, and it has been Pressures created by the academicalreally good for me.” ly intense environment can worsen depression.

“There’s so much competition in high school, for grades, Treatment for colleges; that’s a self-esteem killer,” said Katarina, who was diagnosed with depression in seventh grade.

“Medicine and my doctor’s help do not make things Shirley attributes part of the stress of her mental illness magically better, but there’s a considerable difference,” Rose to her pre-existing learning disorders, which already made said. “I still have depression and anxiety, but I’m better able schoolwork challenging. to cope, and I don’t feel so bad all the time.”

“Not only am I not all mentally there, but I have ADHD One type of treatment for depression that shows promise and dyslexia. I already have to work more than other people, is cognitive behavioral therapy. The National Alliance on so that on top of that, the anxiety and depression doesn’t Mental Illness describes it as a treatment focusing on the really help,” Shirley said. connections between thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

“Often, feelings of depression can be linked to how we Competition among students may aggravate feelings of talk to ourselves or think about the obstacles we encounter. inferiority and depression.

Treatment can help people develop new and more pro“It’s a cycle,” Shirley said. “You want to get great grades ductive ways of thinking about and responding to difficult but half the time you can’t because you’re brain dead. You’re situations,” Norten said. just a body that’s not able to process or work at all, like a

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Yet treatments for depression are not a one-and-done cure.

“Meds help you tone down your illness, but you know it’s still there,” Shirley said.

Her depressive emotions are as extreme when she is taking medicine.

Just as depression manifests itself in varying ways, treatment for depression impacts people differently.

“Some people deal with a chronic low level of depressed mood for much of their life. For others, depression can be episodic with periods of feeling quite depressed interspersed with normal mood,” Norten said. “There are people who get treatment and go on to full recovery, but having one episode puts you at risk for additional episodes.”

Even on medication, symptoms of depression such as listlessness can be hard to overcome. Shirley encourages those with depression not to lose touch with their past hobbies.

“Try to do the things that you once enjoyed,” Shirley said. “You might get back into the swing of things. It’s hard because you don’t want to; you just want to sit there and be miserable. But try to make things better for yourself.”

Some turn hobbies into coping mechanisms during especially hard depressive episodes.

“One thing I love to do is write, so whenever I get into a bad situation I turn that into a story. It helps other people to read that story and understand what I’m going through,” Brenda said.

Creative writing has been cathartic for Katarina. She discourages people from bottling up their emotions and instead believes in writing poems to relieve the pressure.

Norten says all students should seek refuge in activities other than school.

“Life for many students is tightly scheduled and regimented; this may be particularly true for students in a competitive school culture,” Norten said. “Habits like eating well, exercising and socializing with friends, all of which contribute to mental health, are just not a priority.”

Even though no cure for depression exists, professionals like Norten stress the importance of identifying depression

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PHILIP KENSINGER

and attempting treatment.

“Take symptoms, signs, and complaints seriously because this is a disorder with significant risk if it goes unchecked,” Norten said.

Symptoms of depression include loss of interest in activiif there is trouble.” ties previously enjoyed, appetite changes, sleep disruption, Friends, although easy confidantes, should be aware that short attention span, lethargy, listlessness and feelings of teenagers cannot provide the aid that medical professionals worthlessness. can.

Welch says that “When you have a friend How to Help although struggles or even a best friend PSYCHOTHERAPY with peers who struggles with “When you think that you don’t have Talking about depression can benefit people and family are symptoms of depresPsychotherapy treats indifriends, you just have competitors, who are dealing with it. normal, when sion, it is okay that viduals with mental disorders by helping them understand “We should be talking openly about depresissues like you don’t know what you can end up with a pretty their illnesses, according sion as well as other mental illnesses,” said conflict with to do,” Welch said. poisonous atmosphere.” to the National Institute on Shelley Huff, a Licensed Marriage and Family others become “Trust your instincts ANONYMOUS pARENT Mental Health.

Therapist Associate and an SJS parent. “It severe, students if you are concerned.

Although many types of should be a conversation so no one feels embarshould seek profesListen and be supportive. psychotherapies are used rassed or ashamed about what’s going on with sional help.

Never promise your friend that you them. In schools, we talk about numerous ways to treat depression, the two Friends and family should be won’t tell others about something that is concerning, even if for the students to stay safe, and these conversa- main types are cognitive-beaware of the signs of depression instead your friend says that would be a betrayal.” havioral therapy (CBT) and tions should include the signs and treatment of of treating them as temporary lapses in interpersonal therapy (IPT). depression and other mental illness as well.” behavior. support system CBT focuses on negative Recognizing that depression is a disorder “My parents got really defensive thought patterns while IPT and not a weakness can also help those with when I tried to talk to them,” Brenda St. John’s is taking steps to address the issue of depression centers around negative reladepression. said. “I tell them that when I’m thinkmore openly. The school was selected as one of 13 national tionships with others.

“In general, society avoids the subject of ing about self-harm, it doesn’t help that finalists to compete for a Edward E. Ford Foundation grant, Psychotherapy has proven mental illness. There’s a lot of pressure to always to be an effective option for they’re yelling at me about washing which would go to sustaining and promoting programs be perfect and achieve — be the best that you the dishes.

They just tell me I’m being related to wellness, including emotional health. mild to moderate depression. can,” Rose said. “It feels like a weakness, but it’s The NIMH-funded Treatment overdramatic or sensitive. It made me Both faculty and administrators are aware of the signs of weird because if you had a lifelong heart condiso mad I saw red.

At the one place I depression and willing to help, according to Academic Dean of Adolescents with Deprestion, you might not want to tell people, but if should be accepted they were too worJudy Edwards. sion Study (TADS) found that you did, people wouldn’t doubt you.” ried about themselves and how they “Whenever I work with a student to devise a make-up CBT, when combined with Peers should be concerned when their friends would look as parents with a depressive schedule for work missed, I always know that this amazing antidepressant medication, start acting out of character, such as if an daughter.” faculty will follow it,” Edwards said. “That is not about me was the most effective shortoutgoing person starts acting introverted or vice term treatment for teens with Parents should seek professional help but rather about the graciousness of our faculty. They are versa. if they notice signs of depression and willing to do anything to help our students.” major depression.

Dr. Oscar Bukstein, the Medical Director of can start by consulting Welch.

Parents who have experience with children with depression DePelchin Children’s Center, said in an email “For a parent, recognizing when your appreciate the school’s steps to educate students and parents. that the most important sign of depression is impairment in child is in trouble and seeking immediate help is of ultimate functioning, including “deterioration in academic perforimportance,” the parent said. “Welch was hired to help mance, social problems and/or individual distress.” parents understand what trouble looks like and be a resource Continued on S4

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by Jennifer Welch Director of Wellness

TIFFANY YUE

Faculty at Andover Phillips Academy, a prestigious college preparatory boarding school in Massachusetts, recently approved “There is not an intellectual deficit at a new wellness curriculum in response to SJS but there may well be an emotional increased visits to their on-campus counwellness deficit,” the parent said. “There seling center. This curriculum will include is a growing realization among students, classes on stress and time-management, parents and faculty that spiritual growth leadership, mindfulness and coping skills. and emotional growth are important comThe resources at school are a good place ponents of maturing.” to start to seeking help.

Administrators encourWelch can refer students to age students not to overlook psychologists outside “Meds help you tune out of school for weekly the support sessions or a more system that is your illness, but you intensive course. already place know it’s still there. I’m Students may also for them. never ‘over it.’” take a break from SJS. “The well-beOne option is the ing of the child is Menninger Clinic (12301 always put first, but Main St.), which offers both inpatient this is not always known unless you have services and outpatient programs for those been through the process personally,” Edwards said. “Parents who have received the with mental illnesses, including depresassistance of teachers to help their child sion. After an assessment at Menninger, re-enter school after illness are so grateful recommendations may include treatment and a bit surprised given what they have that allows a student to return to school. heard about the perceived impossibility to Other options such as a wilderness proget caught up if you are absent.” gram or a therapeutic boarding school are Other academically rigorous institutions also common. In many cases, the parents are assisted by an educational consultant, are also putting a focus on mental health.

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usually a psychologist expert in the out-ofhome placement referral process.

“Recovery from significant depression can be a long process and should deal with the factors causing the illness,” the parent said. “A wilderness program is often recommended as a first step on this journey.”

For teenagers and adults interested in educating themselves about depression, Johns Hopkins’ Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP) offers a threehour long curriculum. Since 1999, ADAP has aimed to increase awareness about depression in young adults and to stress the need for evaluation and treatment.

Shirley hopes that sharing her experience will help people in similar situations find sympathy as well as the confidence to seek help.

“I know how miserable it is to feel depressed. It’s horrible and impossible to get through alone, and I want to be that person that helps people in my position reach out,” Shirley said. “If you don’t, the possibility of getting better is nonexistent.

It takes a lot of guts to reach out, but you absolutely have to do it.”

Additional reporting by Irene Vazquez

As the writers of this special section have done a tremendous job of highlighting, depression can manifest itself in many different ways.

Moreover, depression in teenagers can be even more complicated than depression in adults.

No surprise, given that teenagers brains and bodies are still actively changing and growing.

Not that many years ago, teenagers who struggled with depression were often dismissed as being “moody” or “difficult.”

Perhaps this is because depression in teenagers often manifests itself as negativity, grouchiness, expressions of feeling misunderstood, complaints of boredom, excessive sleeping, somatic complaints, hopelessness, eating disturbances, rebelliousness, or difficulty in/avoidance of school and extracurriculars.

We now know that teen depression is real; that it is not a weakness; that it is not something one can “snap out of;” and that the earlier depression is recognized and treated, the more likely the depression will abate.

As The Review editors have so wisely pointed out, thinking and talking about depression is tough. In general, recognizing and understanding our emotions is complicated and complex.

However, as psychologist Daniel Goleman and many other researchers have pointed out, emotional intelligence or EQ (the ability to identify emotions, monitor emotions, and use information about emotions to guide thinking and behaving) is a vital life skill.

It is impossible to navigate life without experiencing distressing emotions.

Therefore, learning how to recognize and identify your emotions and then react in positive ways, even when the feelings are unpleasant, enhances your ability to feel good about yourself and your relationships with others.

All of us experience feelings that we do not like. Shifting our thinking towards understanding our feelings as ones that make us comfortable or uncomfortable, rather than good feelings or bad feelings, empowers us to react in positive ways to all of our emotions instead of being ashamed or embarrassed.

I am thankful that The Review and SJS students recognize the importance of addressing issues related to our emotions like depression.

Pay attention to your emotional life. Practice expressing your emotions in ways that are healthy for you and not harmful to others.

You all are brave and resilient.

Keep speaking up. Keep asking questions and asking for help.

Keep working on improving your EQ.

10

SPORTS

THE REVIEW I APRIL 20, 2015

Juniors create baseball website, break down data

by Gabe Malek

Alex Hammerman did not expect to spend time during winter break scrolling through an Australian real estate website template, but for him and five other junior boys this unlikely source would be the foundation for their startup fantasy baseball website, Baseball Breakdown.

The guys decided in early January that they wanted to apply their baseball knowledge beyond spectating. Everyone writes articles for the site, and Matthew Neal handles design while Arden Onanian handles business.

“I heard of a guy named Chris Cotillo who led the Daily Dish, one of the biggest baseball websites in the country, as a senior in high school,” Hammerman said. “I thought we could make our own site, not necessarily to have the same goal as the Daily Dish, but just to make something fun for all of us to do as a group and to be more interactive with the game.”

On Jan. 5, they purchased a website domain, email account and a website builder.

“The website builder was a great part of the sale package because I was able to choose a basic template to modify to create the actual Baseball Breakdown site,” Neal said. “I used an Australian real estate template because the design was so intuitive, and then I altered it to somewhat resemble ESPN’s.”

While the website helps Neal (also a Review design editor) develop his graphic design skills, for others it provides an opportunity to improve their analytical sports writing.

“The site teaches me how to

get my writing out there and how to interact with others and respond to criticism,” Saul Malek said. “I’d like to pursue baseball journalism, and now I better understand how to write and apply knowledge and stats.

After publishing one of my articles, I was asked to write for another website, Fantasy Team Advice, so I’ve expanded my profile.”

The Baseball Breakdown staff relies heavily on the website Reddit to advertise content.

They have their own site Reddit account and post frequently to baseball subreddits.

“Reddit has helped expand our viewership to approximately 700 unique guests, and we have received positive responses from other Reddit users,” Hammerman said. “At the same time, it’s been helpful because we’ve also received advice on how we can improve both our content and graphic design.”

Although the staff members are pleased with obtaining so many viewers early on, they recognize that they lack the publicity of other fantasy baseball websites.

“We’re still trying to figure out how to gain recognition and get more people to our site,” Onanian said. “The term for this expansion is search engine optimization. That’s how websites get their rankings up in Google.

However, instead of trying to gain rankings and then build the site, we are trying to come out with articles first.”

According to the founders, Baseball Breakdown can improve its prominence by developing more original content.

“With hundreds of other sites

doing what we’re doing, we want to focus on creating and offering something unique,” Onanian said. “We’ve thought about developing a new stat or providing personalized fantasy baseball advice in a timely fashion so that people will associate our site with something special.”

Onanian also helps with the site’s finances. Early in the site’s development, he used Google AdSense to secure randomized advertisements on the site’s page.

The Baseball Breakdown team has not made much money yet, so they recently added a button for donations in hopes of defraying costs.

“The site is somewhat slow financially right now, but when we start making a profit, we decided that all the money would go towards covering the costs of the site and then go into expanding the site and buying ads,” Onanian said. “We’re trying to put our money back into the site.”

As much as the group would like to expand, its members are wary of adding personnel.

“We don’t want to add a lot of random analysts to the staff,” Malek said. “We can have other people become guest writers, but we still want to keep our core friends because we originally planned to make the website to help us become closer as a group.”

Because all the members of the Baseball Breakdown team are friends, assigning strict deadlines can be challenging.

“Everyone has so much going on already with extracurricular activities, sports and school work that sometimes it’s hard to produce content consistently,”

Alex Daichman said. “We want to applaud good content and enforce strict deadlines, but we don’t want to let a harsh structure ruin our friendship.”

Due to the focus on interaction between staff members, few founders foresee a future for the site once everyone parts ways for college.

“We’ll play it by ear and see how much the site grows over the next year,” Jake Chotiner said. “Right now it’s too small to continue unless we’re in close proximity.”

For some, Baseball Breakdown allows them to prepare for opportunities colleges may offer.

“I’m not really that interested in going into journalism, but I know I’m considering going into the business or economic side of baseball,” Hammerman said. “This site is a way to build up a portfolio. Now I have something to legitimize myself if an internship presents itself.”

For now, the staff is trying to prove to the online baseball community that they can live up to their motto by helping visitors “stay ahead of the count” with their analysis.

“When people come to our site, they will enjoy what we have to say,” Hammerman said. “We just need to convince others that even though we’re teenagers our writing is legitimate.”

TOP HITTERS ACCORDING TO BASEBALL-BREAKDOWN.COM 1. MIKE TROUT

Reigning AL MVP, Mike Trout slashed a .287/.377/.561 line last year with 36 HR and 16 SB - and that may have been his worst season to date. With his consistently outstanding play, Mike Trout deserves to be at the top of our list as he looks to continue to be the best hitter in baseball in 2015.

2. GIANCARLO STANTON

A young stud at 25 years old, Stanton will continue to improve. He slashed an elite .288/.395/.555 line last year. Stanton has immense power, hitting 37 HR last year, and he also improved his speed last year, stealing 13 bases. The $325 million contract that he signed this offseason should take away any distractions in what could be an MVP year for Stanton.

3. aNDREW MCCUTCHEN

All evidence leads to McCutchen remaining a premier player in the MLB. Cutch slashed a .314/.410/.542 line with 25 HR and 18 SB last year. In each of his last three seasons, McCutchen has hit over .300 with at least 20 HR. Look for McCutchen to remain around a 20/20 guy and a NL MVP candidate in 2015.

4. MIGUEL CABRERA

A former Triple Crown winner, Cabrera slashed a .313/.371/.524 line while hitting 25 HR and driving in 109 RBI last year. Cabrera should remain a top hitter in the game where he should continue the trend of hitting over .300 with 20 HR and 100 RBI as he has done for the last 6 years; however, his lingering injuries could sideline into the early weeks of the season.

5. PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT

Although he was injured for a small stretch of 2014, Goldschmidt should return to being a powerhouse in the MLB. He slashed a .300/.396/.542 line in 109 games last year, adding 19 HR and 9 SB in that stretch. Goldschmidt will reclaim his title as the top power-speed threat at first base and could be the 2015 NL MVP if he is able to stay healthy throughout the year.

Sophomore juggles two sports in one SPC season

by Sadde Mohamed

For most students, making one varsity team is a tremendous accomplishment. Sophomore Alex Jones competes in two varsity sports in one season.

Jones simultaneously participates in track and field and softball. Jones throws shot put and discus, and on the diamond, she plays first base, third base and catcher.

“I’ve been wanting to do track and throw since middle school, and since I had the chance to do so this year, I took advantage of it,” Jones said.

Even though Jones has a long-standing commitment to softball, she wanted to branch out and experience track events while still maintaining her softball obligations.

While students are not discouraged from participating in two varsity sports in one season, it happens infrequently.

Softball coach Isis Barron-Hutchinson and Jones established a strong coach-player connection when Jones was in sixth grade and Barron-Hutchinson coached P.E. “What I ask of her is in her best interest and in the best interest of the

team, and her confidence in the field only adds more to our relationship,” Barron-Hutchinson said.

Complications often arise, especially in Jones’ schedule. According to Jones, the key to success is proper time management.

“It’s a little bit of a struggle, but it’s not too terrible. I just use my study halls wisely,” Jones said. “I try to work ahead when I know have two softball games and a track meet in the same week.”

Jones isn’t the only one who feels the effects of a complicated schedule.

“She is a softball player first, so we work around that schedule,” track coach Richie Mercado said. “That leaves limited time and even prohibits her from some meets.”

According to Barron-Hutchinson, Jones’ success can be found in her character and not just her time-management abilities.

“Alex’s double-sporting is definitely attributed to her blend of hard work and talent,” Barron-Hutchinson said.

“You could have talent and not do two sports, and she works so hard and balances her sports and her academics so well. Only a certain number of people could do that.”

Jones maintains a strong work ethic to improve her performance on either field.

“As far as practicing goes, she does it on her own, on the weekends and after school,” Barron-Hutchinson said. “If we get out early, she is in the weightroom with the track team. I am in awe of what she does.”

Jones set personal records in both shotput (27 feet 10 inches) and discus (81 feet 3 inches). She has qualified for SPC in both events.

Jones attributes her success to her coaches.

“My coaches are super supportive of my double-sporting, and they are always there if I’m struggling or I need some extra practice,” Jones said.

“They always make time for me when I need them, especially because of how complex my schedule is.”

Her coaches recognize that Jones’ progress is a group effort and that her happiness is a priority.

“Considering academics in and out of itself, it’s pretty challenging to implement two sports,” Barron-Hutchinson said. “I love that she does it, actually, and I’m very proud of her.”

NYLA JENNINGS

Multitasking Alex Jones plays catcher, first base and third base for the softball team while throwing shot put and discus for the track and field team.

CULTURE

11

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 20, 2015

Senior discovers artistic niche, wins Scholastic award

COURTESY PHOTOS

Dreamscape Senior Tiffany Yue adds finishing touches to her award-winning oil painting, “Slipping.” Yue has won Scholastic awards in past years, including a Regional Gold Key for her work “Doll House,” center. Yue’s art, along with pieces from several other high school contributors, will be shown at Art Junction on April 26 at Texas Art Supply.

by Ashwini Bandi

Senior Tiffany Yue’s portfolio consisted of eight pieces of artwork, totaling over 600 hours of work.

Yue won Scholastic’s 2015 Women in the Visual and Literary Arts award, an honor given to two seniors in Harris County with the highest portfolio scores.

She learned that she had received the award on Jan. 29.

Yue did not expect to win any special awards.

“I remember seeing Elaine Dong (‘13) stand on the stage two years ago as she got the award, and I just stared at her in awe.

When I got it, I freaked out. It was kind of incredible.”

Though he did not teach Yue, art teacher Dan Havel is excited for her achievements.

“It was a great honor for her, and she deserves it,” Havel said. “She’s put so much work into her art for four or more years that it reflects her talent and dedication.”

Yue started art classes in elementary

school. Every Saturday, Yue and her fellow students would try to re-create their teacher’s paintings.

“I don’t think he was trying to teach us how to imitate artwork, but since his painting style was very stylized, you could see a lot of color theory in action,” Yue said.

In middle and early high school, Yue had an on-and-off relationship with her art.

“Freshman year, I kind of waffled around because I didn’t know what my art niche was,” Yue said. “Sophomore year was nice because I found my niche in art, which was when I submitted my first original oil painting.”

Yue won her first Scholastic Gold Key that year for her painting “Doll House.”

“It was kind of a validation of being an artist because everything I had done up to that point wasn’t original work,” Yue said.

Yue also took classes focusing on the human body at Wang Xin Sheng Art School, where students made charcoal sketches of a live model.

“I found it so interesting that you could show the human form in so many different ways,” Yue said. “On my left, there might be a guy whose drawings are very intricate, where each line is carefully placed. But on my right side, there was a girl whose strokes were so bold that every time she finished her drawing it would be an incredible mass of lines and shapes. No matter how long you looked at it, it was never boring.”

Yue created “Slipping,” a painting in her senior portfolio, while she was at the 2013 Oxbow Summer Art Camp, an art-immersion program. It was inspired by her homesickness.

“I would dream about going home,” Yue said. “I was fascinated with how when I woke up in the morning, I’d be half awake and half in a dream state. I wanted to paint about that and get the feeling of someone falling out of a dream or being torn between two realities.”

Yue tries to involve art into other aspects of her life as well. Last year, she started a

community service project with fellow senior Kate Bomar called Art Junction. High school students and professional artists create small original pieces of artwork to be sold at a one-night show. The money is then donated to a non-profit organization.

“Last year we donated to the Art League because they had a project called The Esplanade Project that was focused on placing more public art in Houston. They had a project called the Funnel Tunnel, which is now disassembled. It was a huge funnel made from colored pieces of wood, and I thought that was really cool, so that’s why we donated to them,” Yue said.

Yue hopes to incorporate art into her future.

“I really want to take some art classes in college,” Yue said. “I’m interested in engineering and architecture, so I’m hoping I can combine the two to do something cool.”

‘Furious 7’ pays thoughtful homage to Walker’s legacy

by Michael VerMeulen

An entertaining but convoluted thrill ride, “Furious 7” is a slick action movie that is best enjoyed without thinking too much.

Directed by James Wan (“The Conjuring”), Furious 7 features Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and the rest of the crew on a globe-trotting adventure in order to defeat Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), who is out for revenge after his brother was beaten by the gang in Furious 6.

The movie features nonstop action scenes that are well-choreographed and expertly handled. Many of the film’s stunts are done without CGI, which adds greater intensity than computer-generated stunts.

Completely over the top in its scale and abandonment of realism, the action is unbelievable but executed well enough for audiences to appreciate. One entertaining scene, which involves cars jumping out of an airplane, highlights the filmmakers’ approach to the action.

The tone of this film is perfect for the type of experience that the audience expects. Tongue-in-cheek and aware of its ridiculousness, “Furious 7” moves at a brisk pace despite its relatively long 140 minutes due to the naturally upbeat feeling to the

scenes.

The movie certainly is not perfect.

The biggest issue is its story progression.

Certain scenes work individually, but the journey towards the film’s bombastic conclusion becomes stilted and thrown together to make the action scenes work.

Another negative is the film’s brief attempts at serious drama, including a laughable subplot with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) as she suffers PTSD and depression following her amnesia from the previous film. Thankfully, the playful nature of the rest of the scenes make these terrible ones more tolerable.

The cast portray their characters well, with series star Diesel effectively demonstrating his toughness while retaining his affection for his friends and family.

Dwayne Johnson is comical and intense in the few scenes that he appears in, while newcomer Kurt Russell adds gravitas to the proceedings as the shady government agent Mr. Nobody.

Even with all of the crazy action and characters, the best aspect of the film is its treatment of the late Paul Walker’s character Brian O’Conner. Walker, who died midway during filming, is believably present through the use of state-of-the art CGI. His character is given a logical and deftly handled send-off, with an ending

that inspires great emotion from fans and casual viewers alike.

“Furious 7” is an exciting, well-handled blockbuster that falls victim to some logistical and storytelling issues but retains quality due to its irreverence and great handling of the tragedy of star Paul Walker’s passing.

‘FURIOUS 7’ SHORTLIST MPAA Rating: PG-13 for frenetic violence and suggestive content Rotten tomatoes: 82% Director: James Wan Main actors: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez Run time: 140 minutes

12

BEYOND

THE REVIEW I APRIL 20, 2015

Sweet Briar alums up in arms over school closing

JARED MARGOLIS

Smells Like School Spirit Latin teacher Mindy Wolfrom displays loyalty to her alma mater, Sweet Briar College. Recently, the school announced it would close in August, citing declining enrollment and an inadequate endowment. Wolfrom and other Sweet Briar alumna plan to attend the final class reunion, May 29-30.

by Emily Chen

When she graduated from Sweet Briar College in 2005, Latin teacher Mindy Wolfrom never thought she would have to fight to keep her school afloat ten years later.

After 119 years, the Sweet Briar Board announced that the private, all-women’s liberal arts school in Virginia would be closing its doors this August.

“The president of the school sent out an email, and I immediately checked Facebook to see the explosion that was to come of everybody posting, just outraged about this closing,” said Wolfrom, who still has a poster with her senior honors thesis hanging in the philosophy department. “I’m still really upset about it. It’s amazing how much it’s taken over my life.”

On March 3, the president of Sweet Briar, James F. Jones, announced the impending closure of the school due to financial difficulties. A trial opened this week to rule whether the board was inappropriately using funds needed to keep the college running to close it down, and an injunction was filed to prevent the school from spending any more money on closing activities.

“It was heartbreaking. It’s tragic that this place where you spent formative, wonderful years of your life is no longer going to

exist the way you knew it, and others will not be able to experience it,” Sweet Briar graduate Laura Jane Wolcott (SJS ’07) said.

The Board claimed that the financial difficulties affecting Sweet Briar were a result of diminishing interest in a rural women’s college that is “30 minutes from Starbucks,” as Jones remarked.

The college’s enrollment began its decline after the economic crisis in 2008 and hit a six-year low during the 2014-2015 school year, with only 561 students enrolling.

“There are professors from Sweet Briar who are posting facts daily about why Sweet Briar actually doesn’t need to close,” Wolfram said. “I suspect some corruption in there, or just lack of imagination; they saw some numbers that were dwindling and decided to close the college. It’s just bad management.”

The yield of Sweet Briar College, or the proportion of admitted applicants who enrolled in the college, was 33.3 percent for the 2009-2010 school year and dropped to 20.9 percent in 2014-2015. According to Business Insider, enrollment has also been declining since the financial crisis in 2008.

“Something should have been done a long time ago. I don’t know how it got to this point,” Wolcott said. “There are still many small, single-sex schools in rural areas. I think people will still be interested

in that type of experience.”

According to Wolfrom, one of Sweet Briar’s unique features is its focus on women.

“When I went to Boston College for graduate school, I noticed that in my grad classes, I was more vocal than most of the women in my classes, and I knew that it was a direct result of being in a women’s college,” Wolfrom said.

Alumna appreciated the small class size, which led to an intimate community feel.

Many professors lived on campus.

“When we were walking to class we would see them, and we would walk with them to class. Sometimes they even had their dogs with them. It was a very family feel,” Wolcott said. “You knew and recognized everyone, just like SJS.” The school is also known for its equestrian program and was ranked the sixth most beautiful campus according to the 2014 Princeton Review.

“I remember I’d have to wake up very early to go to the barn and bring my horse in to get ready for riding lessons,” Wolcott said. “It was 6 a.m., it was cold and foggy, the horses were frisky, and it was just such a beautiful place with acres of rolling fields.”

After the announcement of the intended closure, Sweet Briar students, faculty and alumni rose up to prevent the closing of the school.

In three weeks, Saving Sweet Briar, Inc. raised over $3 million in donations from alumni and businesses. The goal is to raise $20 million.

Alumni also organized a legal team to force the Board to resign and replace them with a board chosen by alumni. On March 30, the Commonwealth of Virginia filed a lawsuit that may help keep the college open.

“We’re trying to fulfill the mission of the college, which is to keep it open to educate women, whereas the current board is just interested in closing it,” Wolfrom said.

“A special thing about Sweet Briar is that it’s one of two women’s colleges that has an engineering program, so the faculty has proposed to make a special engineering STEM-related program that would make Sweet Briar distinct in that respect. There needs to be some kind of revitalization to make it more attractive, whereas we don’t feel like there was any effort to reconfigure the college and keep it viable.”

Alumni are cautiously optimistic about the college’s chance at survival. Wolcott and Wolfrom both plan to attend their reunions this year, which they hope will not be the final one.

“Our alumni base is very devoted and working hard to change this decision,” Wolcott said.

Catching up with

former Terpsichore dancers

Sam Burkett (’13)

Camilla Manca (’14)

Kristen Santiago (’14)

I am a second year studying politics at the University of Edinburgh. I’m currently in the National Youth Dance Company of Scotland with whom I will be touring across the UK and Belgium. I’m also on the committee for the Edinburgh University Modern Dance Society, and I am starting a choreography mentorship with Scottish Ballet in Glasgow. I choreograph for the University Dance Society, and I help to run contemporary dance workshops.

After university, I am hoping to attend dance school either in the UK or in France. Dancing is a huge part of my life, and being a part of Terpsichore has definitely helped me as a dancer and choreographer.

I absolutely loved dancing with Terpsichore, and I met some of my best friends in Terps. Dancing in Terpsichore really taught me a lot about working in a team.

This past year at Trinity University, I have taken a break from dancing, but I am definitely ready to start again. Trinity doesn’t offer the quality of dance classes that I’m looking for, so next year, I plan on looking for dance studios in the nearby area of San Antonio.

Terpsichore was one of my favorite extracurriculars that I did St. John’s. It was my release after a long, stressful day at school. Out of all of the dance teachers that I have ever had, Ms. Arizpe was by far my favorite. She pushed me past my limits every single class and taught me that I was capable of much more than I thought I was. She emphasized the importance of portraying the emotion and vulnerability in every dance piece. Terpsichore has given me a lot of performing experience, which has really helped my confidence on stage in college.

Terpsichore definitely prepared me for the dance classes I take towards my dance major. Not only did I encounter many different dance styles in Terpsichore, but I also focused on the quality of my movement, rather than the mechanics — two things that are necessary in college.

Beyond dance, however, the community that Terpsichore fosters is so unique, and in looking for a dance community at Columbia University, Terpsichore set the standard very high.

I am extremely lucky to have found two wonderful dance groups on campus: Orchesis and The MaMa Project. Both groups foster the same tight-knit community with a carefree environment, and I would have not been able to meet some of my best friends had I not worked on honing the quality of my movement in Terpsichore with Ms. Arizpe and Mr. Martin.

OPINIONS

13

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 20, 2015

Colonial Williamsburg offers gilded look at the past

by Brooke Kushwaha

I wasn’t especially happy to find out that I would be spending spring break in Colonial Williamsburg. After all, I’m above the age of 10 and the under the age of 65. But surprisingly, the cherry on top of my otherwise “meh” college trip turned out to be the three days in the quaint colonial town.

Williamsburg is one of the last living time capsules in the U.S., the only place where you can see three-corner hats and not think you stumbled into a Tea Party rally. Much like the Republican Party’s rowdy cousin, Colonial Williamsburg was created in an attempt to harken back to our revolutionary roots. It struck me as funny that on a college trip so fixated on my future I would be visiting the distant past.

And then I started thinking: Maybe those Tea Partiers have a point. No, not their political views, but the idea that if the future is uncertain and scary, whether it’s college apps or Obamacare, you can always retreat into the past.

You can’t control the future, but Colonial Williamsburg proves that you can control the past. You can scrub it down, sanitize and glorify it until you can’t even remember that Virginians held slaves back

in the day.

Glorifying the past is what older generations do every day, and I’m inviting the millennials in on their secret.

We’ve already started romanticizing the ‘90s, and it won’t be long until we start referring to the 2010’s as “The Golden Years.” Forget about college, because according to your selective memory, you already peaked in elementary school. The past is the perfect way to avoid your impending adulthood.

So go on, whether you don a bonnet and petticoat or you pursue your ex-girlfriend by building a mansion across the bay from her, try to repeat the past. But make it better.

Do you live in constant regret about that one time in kindergarten you called your teacher ‘mom’? Not anymore. It never hap-

pened because you were too busy looking fly in your light-up Sketchers.

You may think that living your life in the past might lead to some negative repercussions. You won’t get into a good college or become a properly functioning member of society. But if my parents have taught me anything, it’s that living in the past is a completely viable lifestyle choice.

Pretty soon

go to college, you’ll be scared of technology’s role in our daily lives. Everything was better back in the day. When men were men and women were paid less. Just kidding, that’s still true today. Another reason to ignore the future.

The true moral of “The Great Gatsby” is obviously lost on the English department.

If it weren’t for that whole car wreck, Gatsby would be an amazing role model. In the words of Mr. Soliman, Jay Gatsby “pulled himself up by the bootstraps” to achieve the American Dream. That’s something we can all admire.

Even seniors who have already made their college decisions can heed my advice. Soon, your A H top concern will be A HW US K navigating a new school and KE OO BR making new friends. Once you learn to glorify the past, you can convince everyone you’ll at your new college that you were actually be complaining cool in high school. about the moral

And so we beat on, boats against the cur decay of the rent, borne back ceaselessly into the past. next generation and pretending that selfies Take a page from the Tories in Virginia and cling to the status quo. Your brightest are somehow worse than bothering comfuture is the one behind you. plete strangers to take a photo of you.

Instead of being scared of where you’ll

Indiana bill should engender discussion of sexuality Before the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) on March 26, I didn’t really know much about Indiana. I pass through a small portion of what seemed to be a lovely state on my way home from camp in Michigan every summer.

When I heard about the RFRA, my opinion of the Hoosier state changed considerably.

Many of the law’s defenders cite its similarities to an existing federal RFRA, passed in 1990. Several states have similar laws in place (including Texas), and most assert the basic idea that the government cannot burden a person’s exercise of religion. The federal law essentially upholds one’s First Amendment religious freedoms. This doesn’t seem like a problem. Who doesn’t love more freedoms?

But the Indiana RFRA contains language that the federal law does not. This bill explicitly recognizes that a for-profit company has religious freedoms matching those of individuals. Secondly, the Indiana law also allows this religious freedom to be used as a defense against a private lawsuit by another person (not just the government). This is where things start to get tricky.

The specific language with which the law was written certainly seems fishy. It hints that the bill was written with the exclusion of the gay community in mind.

Even the language wouldn’t be a problem if an amendment were passed saying that it specifically did not allow businesses to discriminate (as many states’ religious protection laws do). This option was offered to the Republican majority that passed the Indiana RFRA, but it was voted down.

These measures seem to contradict Indiana Governor Mike Pence’s claims that the law is not about discrimination.

Whatever the intent may have been with the passage of this law, there is no doubt that it can be used by businesses to discriminate against gay customers.

When a reporter asked Indiana Speaker

BROOKE KUSHWAHA

by Irene Vazquez

Dark Side of Indiana Hoosiers recently passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which has the potential to allow discrimination based on sexuality. The RFRA has unleashed a firestorm of controversy across the nation.

of the House Brian Bosma whether it would be against the law for a business to put up a “no gays allowed” sign, he stated that “it would depend” on whether the business was in “a community that had a human rights ordinance.” While the language itself does not provide the right to discriminate, it provides a defense for a company that refused to sell flowers to a gay couple for prom, for example.

While I like being filled with righteous indignation as much as the next person, all the talk about the RFRA should serve a purpose in the SJS community.

The Unity Council Forum on April 2 was a great way to bring diversity to the forefront. But who goes to a diversity forum? Those who support diversity. There needs to be a way to discuss national issues and how they affect us locally with those who may not share our opinions.

PRISM has failed to take up the mantle

of leadership on this and other issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. There have been two meetings held this entire school year. The Junior States of America had a meeting April 14 to discuss the bill from a legal perspective: the way the RFRA has changed from the national to state level and its involvement in recent Supreme Court cases. There needs to be a space where issues like the RFRA can be discussed on a personal level, dealing more specifically with how they affect people on an individual level. I know that it’s hard being the safe space for the entire Upper School to discuss issues of sexuality. But if not PRISM, then who?

Election season looms, with presidential candidates throwing their names in the ring every day. Issues like the RFRA will come to influence voters in 2016, an election in which some current sophomores may be able to vote.

On March 29, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who has declared his candidacy for president, said in a Senate floor speech that with the signing of the RFRA, Governor Pence was “giving voice to millions of courageous conservatives across this country who are deeply concerned about the ongoing attacks upon our personal liberties.”

Hillary Clinton, who just announced her candidacy April 12, came out in opposition to the bill, noting that it’s “sad this new Indiana law can happen in America today.”

Gay rights, among other social issues, will be a leading topic of discussion for all candidates. The RFRA can serve as a catalyst for discussion of other important political issues, and we should seize this opportunity to enliven community discourse.

14

OPINIONS

THE REVIEW I APRIL 20, 2015

STAFF EDITORIAL

College T-Shirt Day diminishes students’ efforts Although College T-shirt Day exists to celebrate the accomplishments of each senior class, it inevitably reduces students to little more than a brand name.

T-Shirt Day apologists argue that the occasion itself is not mean-spirited, but rather tainted by a few hyper-competitive or over-sensitive students. Some say if everyone could just be content with their own accomplishments and happy for the successes of their peers, T-Shirt Day would be a rosy, celebratory occasion.

But right now, this kind of self-assuredness and generosity is nearly impossible to muster, especially in the face of the toxic college culture that seniors wade through.

Sources such as U.S. News & World Report rank colleges publicly and with an unfounded air of authority. These rankings contribute to the tunnel vision afflicting students and parents. The definition of success within the admissions process grows ever narrower, with most applicants now focused on a cluster of super-elite schools whose notoriety has perhaps begun to outstrip their offerings, and which,

despite their celebrity, are certainly not flawless institutions.

Just as SJS is not a perfect fit for every student in Houston, highly-selective schools are often not the best choice for students. General prestige does not indicate superiority in all fields of study. For example, students interested in accounting might be better off attending The University of Texas or Brigham Young University, both of which outrank Ivy League and other elite schools in this field.

Besides the question of fit, a tradition

notions of what constitutes “success” are distorted by comparisons to our peers and to previous classmates.

Both observers of, and participants in, T-Shirt Day may forget that the context of St. John’s is rather extraordinary. In a country in which 80 percent of students graduate high school at all, our 100 percent graduation rate is remarkable enough, and our college matriculation statistics are even loftier.

But after years in the same achievement-oriented environment, self-doubt and comparison to peers is inevitable, and most students, regardless of their BROOKE KUSHWAHA resumes, will find something lacking in themselves on T-Shirt Day. like T-Shirt day cannot possibly reflect the T-Shirt Day further perpetuates the idea financial concerns of someone’s college decision process. In our culture of Ivy League that attending only certain colleges constitute success. obsession, rarely do we acknowledge that And is that really a fair reward for our just because someone is qualified for a school does not mean it is feasible for them seniors? After four years of hard work and worthwhile contributions to the school to attend. Thus the name a student wears community, their last day disappears into on T-Shirt Day reflects an outcome witha construct designed to satisfy the curiosout context. Any judgments made based ity of others. As such, a day supposedly on that shirt are essentially unfounded. set aside for celebration and recognition The weight of college choice is especialneither adequately recognizes nor fully ly heavy at SJS due to high acceptance celebrates a graduating class. rates to highly-selective universities. Our

From the editor

Find personal coping mechanisms The Pursuit of Integrity

PHILIP KENSINGER

Dear Reader, For once, I was happy to be running. The fresh air surging through my lungs as I jogged through Charlottesville provided a welcome break from the Houston humidity.

I watched daffodils bend in the breeze and heard trees rustle above me as I passed chattering undergraduates lunching on The Corner, the bustling seven-block college town adjacent to The University of Virginia. I was already beginning to imagine myself as a student there, content amidst the scene that was simultaneously collegiate and pastoral. I made a left turn.

And suddenly I found myself on Rugby Road.

My stomach lurched. In the light of a sunny Saturday afternoon, the fraternity row looked pleasing and innocuous. Students milled around, jumping on bouncy castles and sashaying to the beats of a student DJ. But with a blink, I was transported to the Rugby Road written about in Sabrina Erdely’s “A Rape on Campus,” the November 2014 article published by Rolling Stone detailing the brutal sexual assault of a woman, identified only as Jackie, at the hands of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.

Ederly’s article presented an image of UVA as a place

where aggressive boys preyed on girls to the tune of profane songs on sludgy fraternity house floors while administrators turned a blind eye, antithetical to the welcoming environment that lay before me.

On April 5, Rolling Stone formally retracted “A Rape on Campus,” admitting full culpability in the errors of the story. It turned out that Jackie was an unreliable source, the counter-angle had not been researched, and that individuals had been vilified without being given an opportunity to tell their side of the story. Ederly’s article was recently included in The Columbia Journalism Review’s “The Worst Journalism of 2014.” The ordeal was an embarrassing failure for Stone and a major setback in the cause of ending rape on college campuses.

We at The Review have taken the fiasco as a cautionary tale. Throughout my four years on this paper, I’ve seen hard-hitting stories published with the objective of making a difference. Last year, we wrote a similar pullout on drunk driving to raise awareness of this dangerous behavior’s prevalence. And this year, we decided to tackle depression.

But to do this, we had to be meticulous. My fellow

Editor-in-Chief and partner in crime, Rebecca Chen, had to work tirelessly beside Brooke Kushwaha to vet every source and cross-reference statistics in order to bring this article to you. As you read, I hope that you will gain new perspective about depression and reach out to anyone that may be struggling. And I hope you remember that we pursued truth and integrity above all else as we crafted it, trying to shed fair, balanced and productive light on this somber topic.

Whether writing for a national publication or simply talking in the locker room, remember to remain completely honest and diligent in what you say. I believe in nothing if not in free speech, but take into account that the First Amendment is not an excuse for complacency. It is your right to speak but not to slander. False information, even when rescinded, has a lasting impact. As you pursue your objectives and try to change the world, prioritize total honesty above all else.

Best wishes, Megan Routbort

The Review · St. John’s School · 2401 Claremont, Houston, TX 77019 · review.sjs@gmail.com · 713-850-0222 sjsreview.com · Facebook SJS Review · Twitter @SJS_Review · Instagram @_thereview Member Columbia Scholastic Press Assn.– Gold Crown 2015, Silver 2014, Gold Medalist 2012 & 2013 · National Scholastic Press Assn.– 4th Place Best of Show, All-American 2014 Editors-in-Chief Rebecca Chen, Megan Routbort Senior Design Editor Jessica Lee Online Editor Cara Maines Assignment Editors Brooke Kushwaha, Oliver Ruhl, Megan Shen Design Editors Matthew Neal, Tiffany Yue, Christopher Zimmerman Photography Editor Jared Margolis Video Editor Emma Gobillot Copy Editors Gabe Malek, Matthew Neal, Irene Vazquez Deputy Editor Iris Cronin Asst. Online Editor Amy Liu Social Media Editor Inaara Malick

Business Manager Gabe Malek Asst. Business Manager Lucy Elkins Staff Grace Amandes, Ashwini Bandi, Emily Chen, Lin Guo, Philip Kensinger, Alexander Kim, Sophia Li, Christian Maines, Sukul Mittal, Sadde Mohamed, Marisa Murillo, Emily Ragauss, Renee Roberts, Michael Steiner, Michael VerMeulen, Max Westmark, Dani Yan, Collins Yeates, Austin Zhang, Olivia Zhang Advisers David Nathan, Shelley Stein (‘88)

Mission Statement The Review strives to report on issues with honor, to recognize the assiduous efforts of all, and to serve as an engine of discourse within the St. John’s community.

Publication Info The Review is published eight times a school year. We distribute 1,000 copies each issue, most of which are given for free to the Upper School community of 583 students and 80 faculty.

Policies The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions and staff editorials contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Headmaster or the Board of Trustees of St. John’s School. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the entire

editorial board unless otherwise noted. Writers and photographers are credited with a byline.

Corrections, when necessary, can be found on the editorial pages. Running an advertisement does not imply endorsement by the school.

Submission Guidelines Letters to the editor and guest columnists are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and good taste. On occasion, we will publish letters anonymously, provided the editor knows the author’s identity. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received. Either email letters and guest columns to review. sjs@gmail.com; give them to David Nathan in the Review Room (Q-210); or mail letters to The Review, 2401 Claremont, Houston, TX 77019.

ODDS & ENDS

15

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 20, 2015

word Word for If you haven’t learned this from Nixon, learn it from Emerson – if you ever get famous, burn all the tapes and notes you’ve ever recorded.

Dr. Raulston letting his Philosophy class in on the tricks of being (in)famous

Mr. Quillen: Those of you who got negative distances can probably time travel too.

Will Pfeiffer: I can!

Mr. Quillen: You can?

Will: I told you that next week!

AB Calculus explores the boundaries of space and time

Snarknado

!

By Brooke Kushwaha

Sixty Seconds with Cooper Lueck NAME GRADE STATE OF MIND

COOPER LUECK 10 Meta

KNOWN FOR

Swimming

COLOR

Navy blue

HATE TO LOVE

Procrastination

LOVE TO HATE

Traffic

HAPPINESS

Food

MISERY OLYMPIC SPORT DREAM DATE RELATIONSHIP STATUS COMFORT FOOD GUILTY PLEASURE PLACE TO LIVE THE BEST THING SPIRIT ANIMAL ZOO ANIMAL HERO

‘White Noise’ Swimming My bae cru Taken Chicken parmigiana Video games Houston Driving Fish or something idk Zorse Cam Cook

PHOBIA

Sharing drinks

MOTTO

Wow

SING IN THE SHOWER? I AM I’D RATHER BE FOLLOW US?

AUSTIN ZHANG

Soundbytes around campus

Why not?

Hella rad Cam Cook FOLLOW US?

Eco-marathon by the numbers 12 students traveled to Detroit for the competition, April 10-12

24

SJS placed th in Gasoline Prototype category

3

For days, the team underwent inspection and raced their car

113

teams competed in Detroit, site of the Americas competition COURTESY PHOTO

16

REARVIEW

Spring INTO SPORTS

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When the winter weather goes away, the Maverick athletes come out to play.

Although the beginning of the spring sports season was fraught with cold winds and frightening lightning, the advent of warmer temperatures has helped Mavericks surge towards a strong finish.

Track and Field continues racing towards the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC), where the boys’ team finished second in 2014. Junior Toby Emiola (1), who runs the 100-meter and 200-meter races, gives it all in hopes of helping cinch the championship this year.

While SPC still looms for most teams, boys’ lacrosse has already competed in their championship, which was held in Austin, April 10-11. The Mavericks lost to Episcopal School of Dallas in the championship game after defeating Greenhill and St. Marks. Displaying the runner-up trophy are Charles Rogers, Philip Kensinger, Charles Dorfman and Stephen Wang (2).

Baseball players soak up the Houston sun on the diamond. Towering above most of his classmates at six-feet, six-inches, sophomore pitcher Joe Gobillot throws a fastball 85 to 87 miles per hour (3).

Junior Natasha Gonzalez practices her volley (4). The girls’ tennis team splits practice between Pumpkin Park and River Oaks Country Club while the boys’ team practices at Rice University.

On April 6, the Upper School held a Duke spirit day to show support for Justise Winslow (‘14) in the NCAA basketball championship game against Wisconsin. Students and teachers dressed in blue and gathered for a picture on the plaza to send our favorite Blue Devil (5). That night, Duke defeated Wisconsin, 68-63, to claim the title.

3.

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Photos by Jared Margolis (1,3), Courtesy Photo (2), and Emily Ragauss (4, 5) | Story by Rebecca Chen and Megan Routbort

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