March 2017

R

P3 HyperLift team impresses in final stage of competition P5 Alum’s Daily Action spurs political involvement P13 Sounds and styles of the Nineties re–enter mainstream

GRACE SANDERS

Review • St. John’s School • sjsreview.com

2401 Claremont Lane, Houston, TX 77019. Vol. 68. Issue 4 March 8, 2017

Don’t you forget about me How teens see themselves reflected in movies

Photo by | Caroline Ramirez Design by | Prithvi Krishnarao, Stephen Kim Actors | (left to right) Jillian Ticatch, Hank Lasley, Owen Torczon, Matthew Kushwaha, Laura Valderrabano Story on Pages 10-11

N

News 2

Bowl of Briefs

By Eli Maierson

Houston Super Bowl makes history Super Bowl LI made history as the only championship to enter overtime.

The New England Patriots scored 31 unanswered points to overcome a 28-3 deficit with 2:07 left in the third quarter, marking the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.

“It was a very exciting game,” said sophomore Elizabeth McNeely, who attended the game.

“At the beginning, I thought Atlanta would win because of their success in the regular season, but the Patriots comeback made it a great Super Bowl.”

Over 30 team or individual records were broken. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady set records for pass attempts, completions and yards.

“It was such a surreal experience,” McNeely said. “It was a great memory that I won’t soon forget.”

After the game, Brady’s jersey was stolen from the Patriots locker room, leading to an investigation by the Texas Rangers.

Quiz, Ethics Bowl teams continue winning ways The Quiz Bowl team won four consecutive tournaments, including wins over Rice University and the University of Texas at a college tournament.

According to senior captain Andrew Huff, St. John’s is poised to continue its winning streak.

The Quiz Bowl team also includes seniors Aileen Zhang and John Kennedy, junior Kurt Louie and sophomores Shomik Ghose, Ethan Pesikoff and Raunak Kundagrami.

“We are in contention for a national championship this year,” Huff said. “And there’s no reason why that should change.”

The Ethics Bowl team placed second at the Feb. 4 tournament at Rice University. Every team particpates in three rounds, in which teams of five are paired to discuss two cases.

The team consisted of freshmen Mia Murillo, Shelby Wilson and Matthew Yekell, sophomore Julia Hoff and seniors Huff and Marisa Murillo.

Judges base their evaluations on eloquence, civility and validity of ideas.

“We aren’t that competitive and mainly just prepare to have fun,” said Huff. “We had a really good time.”

Review | March 8, 2017

March 13-17 Spring Break

For more coverage of Team HyperLift’s trip to California, check out the Review Online.

franco posa

March 23 Class 9-12 Accepts Visit April 1 Prom Visit sjsreview.com for daily news updates

Committees facilitate diversity discourse By | Claire Furse

In response to recent racially charged incidents and to discuss issues of diversity, the Board of Trustees and the Upper School administration have established two committees, respectively, the Committee on Community, composed of trustees, parents, and faculty, and the Community Engagement Task Force, made up of faculty and administrators.

The administration is also working with several consultants, including Robert Greene of Jones & Associates Consulting and Gene Batiste of Gene Batiste Consulting.

On Feb. 14, the administration arranged for students from Unity Council, SAC, and each of the affinity groups to meet with Mr. Greene to discuss diversity issues at the school. Faculty sponsors were not present, so students could feel free to express their opinions. Mr. Greene explained his intention to act as a mediator between students and administration.

Students felt that there was not enough transparency from the administration, a topic that dominated the meeting.

“This is going to be a very long and deliberate process with big changes from the ground-up, so it’s not going to happen overnight,” Unity Council member Layo Laniyan said. “But students here who have a personal stake in what’s going on deserve some sort of indication that things are happening.”

Based on his meeting with students, along with meetings with administrators, parents, and trustees, Greene will report on his findings and advise the Board committee. This report will not be shared with the school community, but the board committee plans to share their own summary.

The board committee includes about 12 parents, alumni, current and past board members, and faculty.

“We have clear, articulated feedback from the kids on how they’re feeling, and we’re getting an idea of what needs to be done by the time we come back in the fall. Some things that are going to take 3 or 4 years,” board committee member

Kimberly Olan said. “We want some things to “It is really impressive how he is always workbe in place immediately so that students feel that ing to make sure that students at the University they are all part of this school, and that their voic- of Oklahoma have the type of support that they es are heard.” need,” Desjardins said. “We discussed how we can The board committee wants to create a more make sure our students have the cultural compeinclusive community with the help of consultants tencies to engage in these conversations.” such as Greene.

Desjardins feels that the time is right to address “We were becoming aware that many of our diversity at St. John’s. students felt like they were not included in the “We are dealing with the aftermath of exploSt. John’s community for various reasons, so our sive political discourse, and we are all searching vision is to devise strategies on how to create this for the best ways to engage in more productive, sense of community,” Olan said. “We have not constructive and thoughtful conversations,” Desintentionally done this in the hisjardins said. tory of the school, so we are in new Greene notes that St. John’s territory, but many schools and faces similar issues when comOur vision is to universities and corporations have pared to other schools. devise strategies already done this work, and we are “Every community has on how to create reaching out to people who could some very specific things that give us some direction.” tend to resonate, but we also this sense of comIn order to foster diversity and insee some common elements,” munity. clusion efforts among upper school consultant Robert Greene faculty and students, Head of Upsaid. “One of the first things - Kimberly Olan that people continue to wresper School Hollis Amley created the Community Engagement Task tle with are issues of identity, Force, a group of 14 faculty members who volun- how they can develop and practice the skills needteered to be a part of it. The Task Force’s focus is ed to create inclusive experiences with everyone.” on educating faculty, primarily new members, to Unity Council will have a chapel on March ensure everyone is aware of the school’s values and 24, featuring Frank Dobson, the Associate Dean commitment to diversity. of Students at Vanderbilt University. The Unity The Task Force began by reading Claude Steele’s Council will also host a forum about socioeco“Whistling Vivaldi,” which addresses how stereo- nomic status on March 27. types are perpetuated and can influence people’s “In my conversations with Dr. Dobson,” Amresponses and behaviors. ley said, “I have found a lot of hope in the way On Feb.17, the Task Force met with Gene Ba- in which Vanderbilt responded to a communitiste, an independent school consultant specializ- ty-wide controversy when they changed the name ing in diversity, who also led an all-day workshop of a building from Confederate Memorial Hall to for the Upper and Middle School faculty.

Memorial Hall.”

Headmaster Mark Desjardins arranged for a Dobson worked with students, faculty and University of Oklahoma Vice President, Jabar alumni to help them consider ideas about identity Shumate, to speak to the administration and the and to recognize that a campus is stronger when African-American Affinity Group, in January. people and ideas are diverse.

Shumate was hired after incidents of racism at the University of Oklahoma to bring more racial diversity and tolerance to the campus.

“

”

Endowed Chairs program encourages professional development, collaboration By | Christian Maines

(’72) as chair. The committee reviewed the exist- faculty members nominate peers and include a Over the last 18 months, a committee under ing endowed faculty chairs and proposed changes written application and interview with the selecthe supervision of Headmaster Mark Desjardins to the Board. tion committee. has been rebuilding the Endowed Chair program.

“We put together a committee that’s been at According to Desjardins, making St. John’s The Board of Trustees conwork for the last 18 months to more closely resemble its peer schools in terms of vened an ad hoc committee to look at what other schools do, faculty endowments will encourage improvement review the program with the to look at our program,” Desjar- in the quality of teaching. The endowed chair Endowed Chair goal of altering it to more closedins said. “That’s when we made program has also been revised to encourage colly match those implemented by the formal announcement earli- laboration and peer instruction by recipients. peer schools. er this year that our endowed “What most faculty chair groups do is that they Annual stipend of In an email to faculty on Nov. program was going to really re- really reward outstanding teaching, not just in the $10,000 29, Desjardins outlined the ward faculty in the area of pro- classroom, but in acknowledgement that they are plans for the program. fessional development.” going to share their experiences with their peer Held for up to eight This year, three endowed The previous program offered and faculty group,” Desjardins said. chairs will be awarded: Mary financial stipends that were not Desjardins underscores the potential for teachyears Wood Neuhaus Chair in Music, always designated for profes- ers to use the experience that they glean from the Neva and Wesley West Master sional use. The new application Endowed Chair and Master Teacher awards to enTeacher in Foreign Language, process necessitates that teach- courage growth within their departments. and William P. Hobby Chair in Social Science. ers use the annual stipend for professional develAccording to the resolution approved by the “We have had for the last 15 years these en- opment.

Board, the new program will allow for “incremendowed chairs, which really go to support the ad“There was not a component that was really tal appointments and staggered renewals,” while vancement of teaching and learning,” Desjardins connected to advancing teachmeetings between donors and said. “And the way that they were put together ing and learning amongst their recipients may be added, as well was really at odds with what other schools had faculty peer group,” Desjardins as the submission of “an annual done, particularly in the length of tenure which said.

Master Teacher Award report to the donor on the prothe endowed chair went with the faculty memThe Master Teacher award fessional development experibers.” includes a stipend of $7,000 ence.” A total of 12 awards will Annual stipend of Under the old system, teachers were awarded a year for up to five years. The be granted over the next four $7,000 an endowed chair for a period of two years along Endowed Chair is held for eight years. with a stipend of $2500. Past recipients of the years with a stipend of $10,000 According to Desjardins, endowed chairs are on display in the first-floor a year for professional develop- Held for up to five years “What you hope to do with hallway of West Farish. ment. Each represents a drathese professional development The last endowed chair awards utilizing the old matic increase in terms of both opportunities is lighting the fire model were awarded in 2013. length and financial incentive. and giving them the opportuniAn ad hoc committee of the Board of Trustees A further resolution approved by the Board re- ty to pursue a passion and bring back that enthuwas formed in 2014, including Jeremy Radcliffe quires a more thorough application process. siasm, bring back that experience that they can (’92) and Fort Flowers (’79), with K.C. Weiner Both awards feature a nomination process where share with their colleagues.”

News 3

SJSREVIEW.COM | MARCH 8, 2017

Team HyperLift shines at SpaceX competition By | Sophie Gillard The future of transportation is a levitating, structing the pod, and the technical side of the high-speed pod called a Hyperloop so claims project was managed by the students. aerospace company SpaceX. Posa and Harris served as a contact between The concept sounds futuristic, but Team Hy- the school and the team, facilitating the team’s perLift is helping make SpaceX’s idea a reality. activities throughout the competition process.

Consisting of six upperclassmen, Team HyperOn Jan. 27, the team went to California to Lift entered in the SpaceX Hyperloop competi- test their pods on a human-scale track, alongside tion, which is aimed at accelerating the develop- entries from MIT, Virginia Tech and the Delft ment of a Hyperloop.

University of Technology in the Netherlands.

As the only high school team competing against After completing their top-10 finish, the team dozens of colleges from around the world, Team also received an Honorable Mention, along with HyperLift finished ninth out of 29 teams.

Virginia Tech and Purdue, in the category of The members of Team HyperLift were se- Performance and Operations. niors Andrew Awad, Jonathan Bloom and Katie Although they were the only high school Malcolm, and juniors Elizabeth Awad, Robert students in the competition, Team HyperLift Gottschalk and Michael He. was not intimidated by the older competition.

A hyperloop is an energy-efficient transpor- Gottschalk said that the atmosphere in Califortation pod that travels through a tube at high nia was supportive, with people often coming by speeds. In 2012, as new technology made the to ask the team about their design. possibility of a functioning hyperloop more feaTeam HyperLift faced challenges during the sible, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk became interest- first few days of testing. When they went to test ed in the concept. their model on an external In order to create a prosub-track, one of the pod’s totype of the hyperloop, connectors became loose, Our model was SpaceX held a contest for and the pod emitted a burnsuccessful because undergraduate and indeing smell. Gottschalk tried it was an example of pendent teams to present to troubleshoot the pod and and test their designs for the identify the source of the simplicity at its finest. transportation system. problem.

When Andrew Awad disGottschalk turned the -Elizabeth Awad covered the contest in 2015, system back on, examined he gathered a team to coninternal components and struct a hyperloop for the competition. For two turned the system off. He then checked the years, Team HyperLift met several times each components to see if any connectors were touchweek at a downtown facility, constructing and ing. Within 40 minutes, Gottschalk had fixed fine-tuning their model. the problem.

Starting in October 2015 along with 1,200 According to team members, Team Hyperother competitors, Team HyperLift advanced Lift impressed SpaceX with their cohesiveness through several levels of competition to become and ability to solve problems. Gottschalk claims the only high school team of the 30 selected for those two qualities won the team their accolades. the final round of testing at the SpaceX headMusk was impressed by the team’s efforts. Alquarters in Hawthorne, California. though the team did not expect to see him at “Our model was successful because it was an the competition, the CEO made an appearance example of simplicity at its finest,” Elizabeth and briefly congratulated them for their work on Awad said. the project.

Corporate sponsors also took notice of the “We were already feeling good because we had team’s efforts. Eventually seven companies, in- won in so many people’s hearts,” Gottschalk cluding Nickelodeon, Logitech and Air Caster, said. “But it was really cool to have someone like PHOTOS COURTESY OF FRANCO POSA provided financial support that was crucial to Elon Musk tell us that what we accomplished at Team HyperLift, above, includes Elizabeth Awad, Andrew Awad, Michael He, the construction of their model. such a young age was awesome.”

Robert Gottschalk, Jonathan Bloom and Katie Malcolm. Michael He, below, Physics teachers Franco Posa and Nolan HarThe HyperLift pod is currently on display at ris sponsored the team. According to Posa, the the Nickelodeon corporate headquarters in Los shakes hands with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. sponsors did not play a hands-on role in con- Angeles.

“

”

The Best Driver Training.

Convenient Online Course In-Car Experts Highest Trained Instructors Locally Owned & Operated

Avoid the DPS Hassle!

Take the DPS Driving Test with SafeWay!

Step on the accelerator today!

844.DRIVE SAFE safewaydriving.com

F

Features 4

REVIEW | MARCH 8, 2017

Check out the Review Online for full coverage of the Art History class field trip to New York City.

P5 Sophomores step onto coding battleground Online Photo gallery from Senior Fun Day Visit sjsreview.com for daily news updates

The College Campaign: By | Sophia Li

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLIE FARAGUNA

Seniors navigate early admissions

The first time Andy Huff visited the top choice. scholarship somewhere, that would impact cases, we ask students to be thoughtful University of Chicago, he was a sophomore “I didn’t understand a single thing about my choice significantly.” and prudent in their regular decision vacationing in the Windy City for his dad’s college when I began,” Hinrichs said. “I In December, UChicago notified applications.” birthday. He returned during spring break of didn’t apply early decision anywhere because Corpening that he had been deferred, Senior Laura Huang’s top choice was the next year as part of an official college visit I didn’t know enough about the colleges I meaning the admissions Massachusetts Institute trip, which included was applying to.” officers had not reached a of Technology.

Harvard, Yale, MIT Students who are not ready decision on his application “There’s definitely a and Northwestern. to commit to one school and would re-evaluate his stereotype that MIT It was then that Huff have an alternative for early application within the pool kids are nerdy and do realized he had found admissions: early action, a of regular decision applicants. nothing but research his dream college. non-binding plan. Students Over winter break, Corpening and studying,” Huang “The moment still receive responses earlier finished his applications to 17 said, “but when I I stepped foot in but do not have to decide additional schools. visited, that stereotype UChicago, I knew it until May 1.

For athletes, some colleges was the opposite of the was the one,” Huff said.

Ninety-nine percent of require recruited students reality. I felt like I fit “I loved the character SJS students choose some to apply through their early in.” of the college — the form of early applications to plans. Senior Yasmin Toy, who Huang had a fact that it was basically colleges. plays soccer, received verbal preliminary list of 15 the biggest school for Schools such as Tulane offers from Williams, NYU colleges — which she nerds. I was totally sure University and the and Emory. After visiting each later cut down to eight that was the place I University of Virginia use school her junior year, Toy — and finished all of wanted to be, and I was early action. Others, such committed to Emory. her applications before going to do everything as Rice University and “It was a good fit,” Toy said. winter break.

I could to get in.”

Vanderbilt University, use “I liked the Atlanta location After being accepted To maximize early decision. because there are a lot of

by MIT in December, the chance of an To complicate matters opportunities for internships. she withdrew her acceptance, Huff further, Harvard, Yale, Emory’s also Division III, so applications from two applied to UChicago Princeton and Stanford there’s a better balance between other colleges and through its early utilize Restrictive Early academics and soccer.” decided not to apply decision plan, which Action — another nonAfter committing, Toy to any other schools meant if he was binding plan that prevents sent her school transcript regular decision. accepted, he would be students from applying and test scores to the Emory She kept one DATA FROM NOTRE DAME DATA FROM THE COLUMBIA required to enroll. early to other private U.S. soccer coach, who put her UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS additional application: DAILY SPECTATOR For Huff, applying colleges. information into a portfolio Rice, where her mother early decision proved to be profitable. Huff Some schools and forwarded it to the is an administrator, qualifying Huang for was accepted in December. even have multiple admissions office. tuition remission.

According to college counselor Jamie Kim, early admission Over the summer, Toy A weekly newsletter sent by the College There was never a received a “likely letter,” Counseling department to all seniors in early applying early decision can be beneficial plans.

UChicago, for students who have a clear first choice. for example, has t h i s - i s - a - o n e - a n d - an early notification of December stated: “Many of you applied to Some colleges such as the University of four early plans: only school for me. I acceptance given to top ‘reach’ schools early, and thus your most Pennsylvania accept up to half of their Early Action, Early prospective students and ambitious college application decisions are did early action to any athletic recruits. She coming in first. [...] Many SJS students have freshman class through early decision, which Decision I, Early usually consists of fewer applicants than the Decision II and school that I could just applied to Emory early not gotten their desired decisions early but regular decision pool.

Regular Decision. decision in October and found great success with other applications to get it done.

“If you do the math, it can be advantageous Hinrichs applied was officially accepted in — often times for the better.” to apply early decision,” Kim said. early action to December.

Kim considers all colleges with an Kim notes that a student’s application six schools, all of Senior Caroline Witten acceptance rate below 20 percent as a reach -Caroline Witten visited 16 colleges during school. According to her, there are many (including grades, curriculum, test scores which have strong and extracurriculars) still needs to be engineering and her junior year and the factors behind a student’s deferral, one being competitive for the school. linguistic programs, and has heard back following summer. Entering into her senior freshmen over-enrollment in previous years.

“A student can’t make all D’s and then from six. He applied regular decision to year, she still did not “More students assume that they have a better chance at seven additional schools and still does not have a top choice. matriculated to gaining admission in the early decision have a top choice.

“There was never Carleton last year pool,” Kim said.

“If I could redo this process, I would a this-is-a-one-andthan they expected, Some students seek to increase their odds have wanted to be way more informed on only school for me,” so it’s not a surprise of admission through colleges before senior Witten said. “I did that Carleton would demonstrated interest. year,” Hinrichs said. early action to any be more conservative According to Kim, “Maybe just having school that I could with its acceptances demonstrated interest a general sense of 30 just to get it done.” this year,” Kim said. is considered by colleges. It was really Witten applied to Application numbers some colleges when unhelpful coming in two colleges early sometimes increase reviewing a student’s blind.” and was accepted significantly in the application.

UChicago was to both. Because early round, so colleges “There is some also one of senior they were not defer students that correlation,” Kim said.

Bob Corpening’s top her top choices, they believe still have If a student visits choices.

Witten applied to a strong chance in the campus, completes an Instead of applying additional colleges regular pool. College interview, maintains early decision like regular decision. counselors cannot contact with the Huff, Corpening To students who always predict the college representative, decided to apply were admitted to reasons a school defers attends a session early action. their first choice students since those hosted by the college Corpening is seeking through early reasons differ for each in the Houston merit scholarships action, Kim asks admission cycle. area and submits an from prospective them to consider According to Kim, application to that colleges, in particular carefully if they SJS tends to have a DATA FROM THE HOYA school, it is possible UChicago’s Stamps plan on applying to comparable number DATA FROM THE DAILY Scholarship, that that student is which colleges regular decision. of students applying early as in past years.

PENNSYLVANIAN covers four years of more likely to be “For those students who were admitted to That factor has not changed. It is the factors accepted than one who does not show any tuition and fees as well as room and board. their [Restrictive Early Action] schools, it is such as increased app numbers or a school’s demonstrated interest.

“I’m still not sure where I want to be,” likely that those students applied because it strategic plan, the components SJS cannot Senior Campbell Hinrichs did not have a Corpening said. “But if I’m offered a merit was their first choice,” Kim said. “In those control, that do.

Accepted Early Action 24.4%

Accepted Early Decision 15.4%

Increase in Applicant Pool 10%

Increase in Applicant Pool 18.3%

“ ”

Accepted Early Decision 22%

Increase in Applicant Pool 10%

Accepted Early Action 11.9%

Increase in Applicant Pool 11.3%

GRAPHICS BY PRITHVI KRISHNARAO

Features 5

SJSREVIEW.COM | MARCH 8, 2017

Plugged in: MIT competition draws programmers By | Hrishabh Bhosale and Manar Ansari

For sophomore Lily Schueppert, spending time with family usually involves taking apart televisions and printers to learn about what’s inside. What began as a simple curiosity led Schueppert to head a team of six sophomores competing in an MIT-based programming competition.

Schueppert is one of six members of a Battlecode team, an unofficial group of enthusiasts who worked their way through preliminary rounds to finish as one of the top 20 high school teams in the world and top 100 worldwide. This year, over 1,000 teams participated, making it the largest competition in Battlecode history.

“We didn’t expect there to be any success,” Schueppert said. “We didn’t think we were that good.”

Battlecode is an online programming competition run by MIT. Teams submit a program that controls the behavior of bots, which fight in games against another team’s bots on a given map. The graphics and maps already exist; teams simply add their code to spawn and manipulate bots.

The team consists of Schueppert as well as sophomores Matthew Giordano, Ishan Kamat, Dhilan Lahoti, Daniel Poag and Sebastian Varma. While the rest of the team has been programming since they were in Lower School, Schueppert only started programming this year in the Intro to Java class, but she has still found ways to contribute.

“It’s been really fun, and I’ve got a quite a few friends who also are into programming,” Schueppert said. “We decided we should do this together as a team, build our own thing and watch it compete against all these other teams.”

Many team members started programming by playing Minecraft.

“Minecraft resulted in spending lot of time on a computer,” Kamat said. “I wanted to change the way it worked. I found I could do that through programming.”

Schueppert had watched her father participate in the Battlecode competition for four years.

“I’m still learning, but Battlecode is good for applying the concepts of programming,” Schueppert said. “It’s great to go from learning Java in class to actually applying it and figuring out how it works.”

The competition involves puzzle solving and working out how to make the bots work for various maps.

DAVID SEO

Matthew Giordano and Daniel Poag work on a computer program together. They are a part of the Battlecoding team with Lily Schueppert, which placed in the top 20 high school teams in the world.

In order to win a round, the team must either destroy the other team’s bots or get victory points by shaking trees for bullets.

The team has decided that their strategy will be to kill the other team’s bots rather than use trees to collect bullets, since it is possible that the map they play on will not have trees. As participants get familiar with the structure of the game and learn how to improve their strategies, the creators of the game often release new maps.

“The game does change a lot, the objectives change,” Schueppert said. “But it’s the same game at its core.”

Every Sunday, the team met for three hours at Schueppert’s house where they discussed strategy and worked together on improving their bots.

“You have to be good about delegating work, or you’re going to

end up with many systems on your bot that don’t work together,” Poag said.

Team members devoted considerable time to the competition, usually spending eight to 10 hours a week on the project.

“You’re always going to have things that are broken and wrong.

You just have to decide what things you’re going to fix,” Schueppert said. “You can’t just focus on the little problems. You have to focus on the problem that might cause catastrophic failure.”

Schueppert encourages more students to participate.

“It would be fun to make it a club next fall,” Schueppert said.

“It’s a learning curve trying to explain the game to people, to figure out what’s going on. Once you have the experience you can apply the previous year’s knowledge. It would be nice to have more people.”

Alum takes Daily Action to foster political activism via technology

Yao misses Leap Birthday again

By | Dani Yan

English teacher Linda Carswell receives a text from the same number at 10 a.m. every day.

The text comes from Daily Action, developed

by Laura Moser (’95). Each message promotes one action per day to encourage political involvement.

The tasks, such as making a phone call to a local legislator, are small but concrete. Carswell sees the daily texts as an opportunity to assert her opinion.

“I’m so impressed with the simplicity and ease that Daily Action provides.” Carswell said. “It allows me to share my thoughts and have my voice heard. I feel that I’m participating in the democratic process of talking to my elected officials.”

Moser, a freelance writer, started Daily Action after the 2016 election to help assuage her own concerns about the results and to help others do the same.

“I woke up on Nov. 9 stunned and scared and just completely sick. I quickly realized that many, many others felt just as horrified and just as paralyzed as I did,” Moser said. “Once I came up with the idea of Daily Action, I could focus my anxieties into mobilizing the millions of other Americans who felt exactly like me: ready to fight for the country we loved but not sure exactly how to go about doing that.”

SCREENSHOT FROM IRENE VAZQUEZ To create Daily Action, Moser used software from the digital-messaging consulting firm where her husband, a filmmaker who worked as According to senior Alara Burgess, Daily Action a videographer for Barack Obama’s 2007 presi- provides a straightforward method for the calls.

“When you call the number, it doesn’t just dential campaign, is now employed. direct you straight to the office, it also tells you Daily Action has amassed more than 100,000 subscribers. Moser wants busy people to produc- what to say and introduces the problem,” Burgess said. “It’s really helpful if tively resist Trump’s you’re not good at talking on presidency without the phone. It gives you somedramatically altering She saw a problem, found thing to say, so you don’t have their everyday lives. to come up with something on a workable solution and “Daily Action stands out for being so usput her idea into action. theAsspot.” a student, Moser was part er-friendly and simThat’s the model of an SJS of a pro-choice group and the ple,” Moser said. “My environmental program. She graduate. operating assumption avoided addressing current was that we all have events as a writer, so her politjobs and obligations ical involvement was limited.

-Linda Carswell and kids and social “I was always surrounded lives, and we should be by politics growing up, and able to register our opinions and beliefs without certainly among the more liberal people at SJS,” having to rearrange our schedule too much.”

“

Moser said. “So politics have always been part of my identity, but they have never taken the driver’s seat until now.”

Moser recalls a more conservative political climate at SJS during her time as a student but notes that changes in Houston may have affected the school’s political climate.

“In my day, most SJS students were fairly conservative because that’s what their parents had taught them, but Houston has changed a great deal in the intervening two decades,” Moser said. “Of course, Donald Trump is no ordinary middle-of-the-road Republican.”

Moser adds that Trump’s authoritarian tendencies have left people on both sides of the political spectrum fearful of what he might do next.

Moser’s concerns about Trump have not been quelled. She encourages those who feel similarly distressed to remain hopeful and engaged.

“My Jewish grandfather left Germany in late 1938, when it was almost too late to escape. I never thought it could happen here,” Moser said. “But for those upset about the election, don’t lose hope and remember that the future of our country is in your hands, so go out and get involved.”

Burgess says Daily Action has helped her make effective political contributions.

“It’s a daily reminder to stay involved,” Burgess said. “This program has helped me because it makes me feel like I am getting involved and it reminds me to do my part even though I can’t vote.”

Moser’s program has helped thousands of people voice their opinions and apply themselves politically.

“I love that Daily Action was developed by one of our own former students,” Carswell said.

“She saw a problem, found a workable solution and put her idea into action. That’s the model of an SJS graduate.”

”

Scan the QR code to visit dailyaction.org:

Born on Feb. 29, 2000, Katherine Yao celebrated her fourth birthday last year.

JAMES YAO

By | Shani Israel

Junior Katherine Yao only celebrates her birthday once every four years.

In 2000, Yao was the first Leap Baby born in Texas.

“Afterwards, we just got giant stuffed animals and Leap Frog stuff and baby food from the hospital,” Yao said. “We had diapers for the rest of my life.”

Yao’s parents were expecting her to be born on Feb. 27.

“My mom didn’t want me to be born on the 29th because she knew it’s fun to have a birthday every year,” she said.

Yao does not mind that her birthday does not appear on the calendar every year.

Many Leap Day babies claim March 1 as their birthday, but Yao prefers to mark her age on Feb. 28. This year, one of her friends joked that she was almost four-and-a-quarter years old. The odds of being born on Feb. 29 are one in 1,461.

Restaurants and bakeries give Yao free food on Feb. 29. One year, Sprinkles gave her a dozen cupcakes for free.

Having a Leap Day birthday means a large celebration every four years. While every birthday is fun to celebrate, Yao enjoys the attention that comes with Leap Day. “My mom likes to remind me how Feb. 29 was added to the calendar to maintain harmony and balance throughout the year,” she said.

The major downside of a Leap Day birthday is not having a traditional annual celebration, but Yao does not care as much anymore.

“When I was little, I didn’t have a birthday party every year, so I guess that was kind of disappointing,” Yao said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that birthday parties aren’t the most important thing in the world.”

Features 6

REVIEW | MARCH 8, 2017

Alum draws upon time in Russia in debut novel By | Kate Habich

Katherine Arden’s (’06) unconventional journey to publishing her first novel “The Bear and the Nightingale” took her from the Pushkin Institute in Moscow to a tent in Hawaii where she sold roadside smoothies. Along the way, she faced questions from her parents and herself about where she was headed.

Arden has always forged her own path.

In Upper School, Arden, known to her classmates as Katherine Burdine, dabbled in creative writing but did not plan on a career in writing.

“She was always listening to her own drummer and not being influenced by people around her,” said Arden’s advisor Ruth Bellows.

Arden was not the only literary-leaning student in her class.

Fellow advisee Katie McGee also released her debut novel, “The Thousandth Floor,” this year.

After high school, Arden took a gap year and attended the Pushkin Institute to study Russian culture.

Not speaking Russian or having close friends or family to take her in, Arden was thrown headfirst into I always felt akin to the whirlwind of a true study abroad experiVasilisa because she’s ence. She fell in love kind of a free spirit in with the country, espea world that’s not sure cially with the Russian sky. The experience how to deal with that. would later become the inspiration for the -Katherine Arden setting of novel.

In the end, “The Bear and the Nightingale” is a story at the intersection of Russian history and folklore starring the daughter of a minor aristocrat. It explores the complex issues of the Middle Ages and also describes the conflict between Christianity and the beliefs of old Russia.

After her year in Russia, Arden returned to America to attend Middlebury College, where she studied Russian and French.

When she graduated in 2011, she found herself lacking direction in her professional life, so she set off to work on a farm in Hawaii.

Not only did Arden find her path on that macadamia nut farm, she also found her future heroine.

During her time in Hawaii, Arden grew close to a five-year-old Ukrainian girl, Vasilisa, who lived on the farm next door. Vasilisa became Arden’s inspiration for her tale. While Arden picked macadamia nuts, the story took shape.

“I always felt akin to Vasilisa because she’s kind of a free spirit in a world that’s not sure how to deal with that,” Arden said.

When Arden began to write the novel, the drama of the Russian landscape and culture seemed to flow out of her fingers and onto the keyboard.

“My dad read it early on and he was very skeptical of this whole novel-writing process because it was very high in the sky,” Arden said.

Library Club Book Recommendations “Sweetbitter”

by Stephanie Danler “Gone with the Wind”

by Margaret Mitchell “The Thousandth Floor”

by Katherine McGee

“

“A Series of Unfortunate Events”

by Lemony Snicket “Why We Broke Up”

by Daniel Handler

”

“The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle”

by Haruki Murakami Katherine Arden (‘06) wrote “The Bear and the Nightingale,” a novel with elements of Russian history, folklore and culture. The novel was published by Del Rey Books and released Jan. 12.

Arden moved back to Texas for a short time but then returned to Hawaii. This time around she sold roadside smoothies, lived out of a tent and kept writing.

After Hawaii, Arden continued to travel. While living everywhere from a yoga studio to a boarding school in the French Alps, she completed her novel.

Random House signed Arden to a three-book deal.

“I’ve been happily surprised every step of the way,” Arden said.

“I’ve had a great experience with my editor, my agent, my publisher. I’m grateful for it.”

“The Bear and the Nightingale” was released on Jan. 12. Arden is currently embarking on a small book tour through Texas and New England.

“Catch-22”

by Joseph Heller “The Underground Railroad”

by Colson Whitehead “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”

by Robert Pirsig “House of Leaves”

by Mark Z. Danielewski

DISCOVER THE WORLD’S GREATEST CLASSROOMS Grades 8-12

Oxford • Cambridge • St Andrews Montpellier • Paris • Boston Salamanca • Barcelona New York • Los Angeles

Twitter: @oxbridgeprgms Instagram: @oxbridgeprograms Facebook.com/OxbridgeAcademicPrograms

Oxbridge Academic Programs 49 W 45th St, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10036, USA ■ +1-212-932-3049 TEL: ■ +1-800-828-8349 www.oxbridgeprograms.com info@oxbridgeprograms.com

Features 7

SJSReview.com | MARCH 8, 2017

Uber provides option for student mobility

By | Natasha Faruqui

All he wanted was pesto pasta.

Review design editor Stephen Kim was craving La Madeleine, so he ordered an Uber on his phone app and accidentally fell asleep in the car. Next thing he knew, he was in Rosenberg with a driver who spoke no English. In the new generation of travel, adventures like Kim’s are becoming commonplace.

The traditional Upper School experience involves driving your first car and parking in Caven until obtaining a spot in the coveted Senior Lot. But in the age of “ridesharing,” how we get around has changed dramatically. Some students have shifted gears and now prefer a different mode of transport.

Enter Uber, the successful and much-maligned service that has taken over the world and now outnumbers taxi cabs in New York City. Founded in California in 2009, Uber promotes itself as a more convenient alternative to a taxi service due to its userfriendly app. This approach is working on students like Stephen Kim, who is known for being a frequent Uber user.

Kim Ubers almost every other day, mostly to get home from school. His dad moved to Hong Kong in the beginning of his freshman year, and his mom has to take care for his sister, so Uber provides some relief for his family. Through experience, he has learned to take some safety precautions.

“If you know how to judge a driver’s ratings, you should be fine,” Kim said.

Senior Claire Melcher uses Uber once every few weeks for concerts and trips to the airport. She likes the flexibility and ease of the service, yet finds that students are generous about giving her rides, so Uber is not a daily necessity.

“I prefer [Uber] to driving if parking looks like it might be difficult, or if it would be cheaper than it would be to park,” she said.

Many students are now asking whether they should use Uber to get to sports practices or the movies as an alternative to driving or hitching a ride from their parents.

“I use [Uber] when my siblings have to be at school early, and I don’t want to get up,” said freshman Julia Smith, who takes an Uber Usage in the Past Month Never used Uber 38% 1-3 times 44% 4-6 times 8% 7 or more times 10%

Data taken from a poll of 124 subjects on The Review Online.

Ashwini Bandi

Ashwini Bandi

In recent years students have favored the ease and efficiency of Uber. Despite requiring users to be at least 18, Uber is widely used by teens.

Uber at least once a month.

Uber’s Terms and Conditions technically state that users must be at least 18 years old. Although the registration process for Uber does not ask for a birthday, this condition still presents a barrier for younger students. Kim has discovered a loophole to this rule by creating the account under a parent’s name.

As reports of incidents continue, such as the 2016 allegation of a Houston woman being assaulted by Uber driver Qahtan Talib, the question of safety is in the minds of many parents who let their children use Uber. The assaults, all against women, have been reported in Los Angeles, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, Orlando and Houston.

Melcher excercises caution whenever she uses Uber. She recommends the app SafeTrek for people to protect themselves whenever they feel uncomfortable in an Uber.

The SafeTrek app only has one button. If a user feels endangered, they press and hold that button until they feel safe. Once the button is released, they are prompted to enter a PIN. If the PIN number is not entered accurately or promptly, SafeTrek’s emergency call centers contact the police.

“If I’m ever feeling uneasy about an Uber driver, I’ll just hold down the help button on the app,” she said. “It’s comforting to

know that if I let go, police will be sent to my location and start texting me.”

Kim agrees that Uber can sometimes cause uneasiness. He once had an Uber driver who drove recklessly, looking at his phone the entire drive and ignoring the honking and screaming of other drivers.

“He then refused to let me get out of the car until I told him that I’d give him five stars,” Kim said.

Sometimes even the Uber drivers can feel uncomfortable.

Sophomore Emily Feng’s 23-year-old brother drives for Uber on weekend nights in Berkeley, California. He was driving at 3 a.m. on New Year’s Eve when he received a group of visibly drunk passengers.

“By the end of the trip, one of them became carsick and threw up on the backseat,” Feng said. “My brother quickly tried to blot it out with paper towels and sprayed Febreze everywhere so the car would be okay for the next passengers.”

Despite its imperfections, Uber is quickly becoming a major part of daily life for students. Uber may just become the school bus of the future.

“For any student who has a strenuous schedule or lives far away, like me, I would definitely recommend Uber,” Kim said.

Passion for comics, cosplay takes alum to Valiant By | Isabelle Andrews and Natasha Faruqui It was a typical day at New York Comic-Con. Lauren Hitzhusen (’10), dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, manned her booth for Valiant Comics, a leading independent comic publisher where she works as assistant editor.

Her boyfriend stopped by and took her to the Disney photo booth — where he proposed.

“He was dressed as the prince, and we were surrounded by Disney characters, so it was a very magical moment,” she said.

The road to this story book moment was one less traveled. Compared to other SJS graduates, Hitzhusen’s career path is atypical, but her fascination with comics began in English teacher David Nathan’s class. “[He] was constantly recommending comics to students, and it soon became so much a part of my identity that I wanted to make a career out of it,” she said.

Hitzhusen went from reading comic books under her desk at St. John’s to majoring in theater performance at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and attending graduate school at NYU. She then began an internship at Valiant Comics, where she was eventually hired.

Through Valiant, Hitzhusen has been involved in numerous unique projects. Recently, she worked with a man who creates costumes for his cats and turned his photos into issue covers. The covers were released to wide acclaim in the comic book industry, including many writers and artists that Hitzhusen admires.

“I’m just so proud of those covers every time I think about them,” she said.

Outside of her day job, Hitzhusen leads a double life as a cosplayer, or a person who dresses up as fictional characters. At New York

Courtesy of Lauren Hitzhusen

Artwork by Valiant entertainment

Comic-Con, the East Coast’s largest and most famous pop culture convention, attendees can find any costume from Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad to the Thundercats from a Japanese animated series.

Hitzhusen has become a regular at Comic-con, making appearances for the past four years and gaining recognition for her creative costumes.

She has been featured in Cosmopolitan magazine.

“It is such an amazing experience to be at Comic-Con and to be with 300,000 people in a really small space,” she said.

At Comic-Con, Hitzhusen spends about three to four days cosplaying, cycling through costumes. This year, she also worked the booth for Valiant. Because Valiant is less well known than Marvel or D.C., she talks to attendees to familiarize them with the Valiant characters and comic books. She also deals with the chaotic

Lauren Hitzhusen (‘10), dressed as Elle Woods from “Legally Blonde,” is a regular on the Comic-Con circuit. Hitzhusen also works for Valiant Comics, where she helms projects such as the costumed cat variant covers.

nature of Comic-Con, overseeing the lines and organizing the crowds.

Hitzhusen’s daily duties at Valiant include organizing materials, ensuring all materials reach the right people and arranging bubbles and text on pages. As an editor, she also checks for continuity between issues.

Hitzhusen stresses the importance of fact-checking. For Valiant’s new Britannia series, for example, she tracked down experts on different areas of ancient Rome to ensure accuracy.

Hitzhusen feels the pressures of the comic industry’s intense atmosphere on a daily basis.

Sometimes she feels like she has never left high school.

“It’s no different than when you’re taking two AP classes along with all your regular coursework,” she said.

Hitzhusen is one of the seemingly few female employees in the comic book world. The comic industry is notorious for being male-dominated, and women often find the industry hard to break into, but Hitzhusen has not faced this problem.

Hitzhusen emphasizes that she does not devalue the claims of women who do experience sexism in their careers. She claims working in the comic book industry allows her to be herself.

“Everyone is just working hard to put out the absolute best work they can,” she said. “I love my coworkers, and I actually work with many female artists and several female writers.”

Hitzhusen’s wedding is scheduled for November 2018, and she already has her outfit planned — a white wedding dress.

S Sports 8

SPC Shorts

Soccer

Girls’ soccer placed third in SPC, the highest finish in the team’s history.

The Mavericks won 2-0 against Episcopal in the opening game, then lost 3-0 to Episcopal School of Dallas, before finishing with a 2-0 victory over Hockaday.

“We were willing to play for each other more than in previous years,” sophomore Stephanie Sarkar said.

The Mavs finished with a record of 11-6-1.

“The freshmen this year brought a new perspective to the team,” Sarkar said.

Sarkar, fellow sophomore Lilah Gaber and senior Katherine Smith made AllSPC. Boys’ soccer lost in the first round to Greenhill 2-0, then beat St. Stephen’s, 3-1, to place fifth. Freshman Ryan Doughty and Senior Connor Watson made the All-SPC team.

“We didn’t do as well as we would have liked, but it’s nice to end on a win,” junior Brock Cannon said.

The Mavs finished the season with a record of 12-3-2.

“We still had a good season, and we finished second in Southzone,” junior Ian Thakur said.

Swimming

Boys’ swimming placed second at SPC for the second year in the row, but closed the gap behind eventual champion St. Mark’s.

The loss ended a record-setting season.

“We had huge contributions from the freshmen,” senior captain Ethan Wang said. “Even though we didn’t beat St. Mark’s this year, we scored more points than last year and we really closed the gap.” Freshmen Jordan Fullen, Will Sampson and Eric Wang, sophomore Michael Spedale, juniors Paul Schwartz, Michael He and Henry Philpott, and seniors Cooper Lueck and Matthew Fastow made All-SPC. The girls’ team finished fourth, which put the Mavs combined girls and boys score at the top of the standings. Freshmen Sydney Buchman, Betsy Hook and Katie Shelburne, Sophomore Lexi Pickens, and Junior Mary Martha Maclay made All-SPC.

Basketball The girls’ basketball team placed fifth after winning their first game against Episcopal School of Dallas, 42-33, and losing the following two. The team finished the season with a 9-17 record. Freshmen Eliza Holt and Gabby Long made the All-SPC Team.

By Prithvi Krishnarao, Dani Yan and Gracie Blue

REVIEW | MARCH 8, 2017

Mar. 10-14 Girls’ lacrosse travels to SoCal

Spring Sports Highlights

Lacrosse: Kate Copeland scored eight goals against Katy in a 20-10 victory Baseball: Pitcher Joe Gobillot threw 97 mph in front of Major League Baseball scouts Softball: Elysa Tulek slugs one over the fence in pouring rain in Schulenberg Tournament Track and Field: 50th annual Maverick Relays took place March 3-4

Boys’ lacrosse heads to Colorado Springs

MONICA HO

Visit @SJS_Review for breaking sport scores

Back on board: Lone diver soars

By | Maggie Ballard

After a three-year hiatus, the diving program is back on the board.

The Mavericks’ only diver, junior Henry Philpott, began diving in November.

Philpott was pushed by his friends on the swim team to start diving, but his preparation for the sport began many years before, when he participated in competitive gymnastics growing up.

Philpott’s parents put him into gymnastics at the age of three because he was “climbing everywhere.”

He trained for nine years at the Houston Gymnastics Center.

His gymnastic career ended with a series of injuries. He fractured both wrists simultaneously, had knee issues and injured a growth plate in his left elbow.

Philpott was told that if he continued with gymnastics he would have permanent damage. He is allowed to dive because it is a lower-impact sport.

Philpott’s background in gymnastics helps his diving, but he says that gymnastics experience is not necessary for prospective divers.

The last member of the diving team was David Ziemnicki (’14), who previously held the diving record at 137.10 points.

After only a few months of practice, Philpott broke the record at the annual Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association meet with a score of 270.50 points.

In order to train for his meets, Philpott goes to Lamar High School diving practices three times a week and trains with his diving coaches, Danielle Shedd and Gamal Jones.

Philpott’s first day at Lamar was all about learning the basics.

“I didn’t know how to jump off the board. I would just run and jump off,” Philpott said.

Philpott will attend a six-day diving camp at

the University of Texas over the summer to hone his skills.

Although he assures his teammates that he is not a swimmer, Philpott did participate in the 50-yard freestyle for the last meet of the season before SPC. “Everyone got super hype and started yelling,” Philpott said. “It was the loudest race of the entire meet, but it was the slowest heat.”

At SPC, Philpott beat his previous record by 40 points to finish in third place overall.

Philpott treasures his team’s spirit, which he finds inspiring and invigorating.

“The team aspect and everyone really getting into it was just something that I have never really been a part of to that level,” said Philpott.

At the TISCA meet, without knowing that it was not diving meet etiquette, the swimmers jumped to their feet cheering ERIC HANG after Philpott completed his Henry Philpott prepares to forward tuck dive.

He is the first dive of the meet. only diver on the swim team.

Philpott broke David Ziemni“For me to come out of the water and hear [them] yelling cki’s (’14) diving record with a score of 270.50 points. is so motivational in helping Philpott wishes more students will join the diving me out. It’s not pressure, it’s encouragement from team next season. the team,” Philpott said.

“Hopefully next year, I’ll gain a teammate,” he The team was instructed by Coach Raper to clap, not to cheer, but the coach had a smile on his face said. after reprimanding his team.

Small ball strategy pays big dividends

By | Henry Still and Eli Desjardins

In the post-Justise Winslow era, to be a student of the game.” the basketball team has been searchBaber utilizes concepts from the ing for an identity. Their big idea small ball orchestrators themselves, was to go small. the Warriors. He closely watched Without much height on the Curry to help the Mav’s primary team, the Mavericks have turned to offensive threat, junior captain Cliff a smaller lineup with better outside Guidry. shooting ability. This style of play, “I am not saying Cliff is Steph commonly known as “small ball,” Curry, but Curry moves a lot off of has swept across the NBA in recent picks to get open shots,” Baber said. seasons and is now reaching high “I look at that to see how to get school courts. good shots for The Golden Cliff.”

State Warriors, You see something as One play with the best comes straight a coach, you like it, record in the from Davidson you think it would be College, Curry’s NBA, are known for their use of good for your team. I alma mater. a small lineup, Creighton try to be a student of and Michigan led by reigning the game.

MVP Steph State have also Curry. inspired Baber’s The average offense.

-Coach Harold Baber The Mavs NBA center stands at about have bought into 6’11”, but the the small ball Warriors often style. play Draymond Green, who is only Players emphasize the 6’7”, at the position. The Warriors athletic advantages they surround Green with shooters and have over the bigger offensive players, then rely on Green teams, such as Kinkaid, to play physical defense and protect which have helped the basket. them guard quicker The Mavs often use a lineup with players and remain center/forward Sachin Jaggi who competitive. stands 6’2”, two inches shorter than The Mavs the average SPC center. finished the Head coach Harold Baber caught season with on to the new style by watching a 19-15 NBA and college basketball. record, “I will admit it; I am a thief,” totaling Baber said. “You see something as more wins a coach, you like it, you think it than the last would be good for your team. I try two seasons

“

”

combined.

“We can run a lot, and our guys won’t get tired,” captain Jid Ganim said. “We can pressure on defense a lot without getting beat off the dribble.”

Guidry, the leading scorer, expressed his fondness for the innovative style.

“I can get a lot of open shots, and there are more driving lanes for the team,” Guidry said. “I really like small ball and think it helps our team.”

The small ball movement was not always guaranteed to catch on.

The Mavericks experimented with different lineups during the preseason, testing a “big” lineup, which featured three players over 6’2’’ on the court at the same time.

“We have the option to go big if

we need to,” Baber said.

Genson Hooper-Price (6’6”), Peter Buckman (6’6”) and Michael Urdahl (6’8”) offer height to the lineup when needed.

Baber has experience coaching a taller group. In previous seasons, the Mavs utilized lineups that featured more height such as NBA star Justise Winslow (’14), who is 6’6,”and Paul Labanowski (’16), who is 6’8.”

Without as many tall players this season, Baber says small ball is the best approach for his team.

“Being small has way more advantages than disadvantages for us,” Baber said. “When you can put five people out there that can stretch the floor and shoot 3’s, it is very hard to guard.”

Defensively, the Mavericks have been able to check taller opponents with double teams and defensive help near the basket.

With the core group of players returning next season, small ball will be back.

Cliff Guidry (5’9”) and Genson Hooper-Price (6’6”) are at the center of the Mavericks “small ball” lineup. Utilizing shorter, more athletic players resulted in a 19-15 record.

ERIC HANG

SJSREVIEW.COM | MARCH 8, 2017

Sports 9

Wrestlers make sacrifices to win State, SPC By | Irene Vazquez

February might be the shortest month of half of the season in order to maximize his the year, but it held a plethora of victories for strength advantage.

Maverick wrestling.

“Competition-wise, it’s a better weight for The Mavericks nabbed their first ever Prep me, especially when you get to the national State Title, avenging a close loss to rival Bishop level,” Laniyan said. “But it’s not a weight I can Lynch of Dallas at the State Duals Tournaconsistently make for the entire season.” ment two weeks before. The win came on The wrestlers try to maintain their weight the strength of three wrestlers who made the wisely, though some teachers have noted that finals and six others who made the consolation the effects carry over into the classroom, where bracket finals. they see fatigue in their students.

“There’s no feeling quite like winning in the While discussing how he maintained weight, State Finals,” junior captain Layo Laniyan said.

Laniyan admitted that his stomach was “To see the years of work finally pay dividends growling at that moment. To combat hunger, feels amazing.” he snacks throughout the day to sustain his On Feb. 11, the Mavs won their fourth SPC metabolism. According to Laniyan, his biggest title in the last five years. Every wrestler but one problem is maintaining energy to complete his finished in the top three. Laniyan added a first homework. Laniyan eats one small meal when place SPC finish to his first place finish at State. he gets home from practice and does not eat Other SPC champions were freshman anything else for the rest of the night.

William Skinner, junior Peter Chen and senior “I don’t get enough sleep in the first place,” captain Josh Thomas.

Laniyan said. “And it’s hard for me to stay To round out the month, the Mavericks awake and maintain focus on my work.” sent five wrestlers to Prep State Nationals at Junior Frank Willey finished his first season Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, wrestling in the 182-pound weight class for Feb. 24-25. The Mavs placed 44th out of 108 the Mavericks, but in previous years at Trinity schools, the best finish in school history.

School in New York, he wrestled in lower Thomas finished in the Top 12 of heavyweight classes and was faced with dietary weight wrestlers, with a 3-2 record, one win restrictions. short of being named “It felt normal because other an All-American. people were doing it along with Juniors Chen, Laniyan It’s all about balancing me,” Willey said. “My parents and Dani Yan each a little skeptical. They wrestling with growing were went 1-2. Skinner fell were afraid of long-term growth up. It’s a grueling sport. issues, but I got out of it safe.” to the second place finisher in the first round, Though wrestlers admit that You have to be careful. going 0-2. the dietary management seems “We can only go up daunting, it poses little health from here,” Laniyan - Frank Willey risk as long as it is done safely. said. “We have a strong Willey noted that every once class of freshmen coming up, our current wresin a while at Trinity, he would see some wrestlers are only improving.” tlers managing their weight in an unhealthy These victories come with substantial work manner and feeling poorly the morning of a and sacrifice. Many wrestlers devote significant tournament. amounts of time in the off-season to training “It’s a scary thing to see when your teammate with area clubs like Paradigm Wrestling and is in that state,” Willey said. “The coaching staff Alberto’s Wrestling. has to be very aware of that, and I think they Like many of his teammates, Laniyan practic- are.” es almost every day in the off-season.

Although no Maverick wrestler has had In season, wrestlers devote many weekends to significant health problems, the coaching staff all-day tournaments. plans to provide a nutritionist next season.

In order to make weight for these tourna“It’s all about balancing wrestling with growments, some wrestlers modify their diet. ing up,” Willey said. “It’s a grueling sport. You According to head coach Alan Paul, these have to be careful.” strict dietary decisions are a personal choice.

The coaching staff provides support though no formal regulation for nutritional management.

“Our coaching staff has an idea of where performance-wise it’s best,” Laniyan said. “They’re pretty supportive.”

Laniyan started the season in the 145-pound division and Juniors Frank Willey decided to and Dylan May hand wrestle 138 fight during practice.

IRENE VAZQUEZ for the second

“

”

GRACE SANDERS

Middle school wrestler Ben Sanders checks his weight while hydrating. Some wrestlers need to make dietary restrictions in order to wrestle at their ideal weight class.

The sacrifices have paid off ; the Mavs were SPC and State Champions this year.

BALANCE your life An intimate, exclusive spa haven resembling a serene French village nestled away on 200 private acres in northern San Diego County. Complemented by a 5:1 staff-to-guest ratio, the award-winning wellness program is customized to suit your personal fitness and wellness needs and goals resulting in improved health and vitality — physically, mentally and emotionally.

29402 SPA HAVENS WAY VISTA, CA 92084 888-373-8773 CAL-A-VIE.COM www.knowledgeontherun.com

knowledgeontherun@gmail.com

10

REVIEW | MARCH 8, 2017

No Show

Life imita Famous st. john

Story by | Gracie B Design by | Prithvi Kris Caroline Ramirez a

Mean Girls (2004) Photographer Caroline Ramirez Featuring: Caroline Ramirez, Ella Rose Arnold, Olivia Reasoner & Katie Leppert “Mean Girls” depicts the diversity of social cliques that constitute the jungle that is high school. Some students are nerdy, some are athletic, and on Wednesdays, some wear pink. Teenagers can relate to Cady Heron as she navigates North Shore High School; her emotions and experiences resonate with students everywhere, even if they don’t have to deal with The Plastics.

The Fault in Our Stars (2014) Photographer Eric Hang Featuring: Ciela Stark & Ian Thakur Based on John Green’s bestselling novel, “The Fault in Our Stars” embodies the imperfections of high school life. Through trials and tribulations, love and heartbreak, Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters find themselves by finding each other.

Fast Times at Ridg

Photog Caroline

Featuring: Joseph Hlavi Noël Madland, Claire F

A raunchy slice of the 1980s High” created the templat comedy. Intertwining hilariou school moments with relev vignettes from Ridgemont H

SJSREVIEW.COM | MARCH 8, 2017

11

ow wing

ates art: s films, n’s stars

Blue and Dani Yan shnarao, Stephen Kim, and Ashwini Bandi

gemont High (1982)

grapher Ramirez

inka (top), Andrew Wan, Furse & David Hammer

s, “Fast Times at Ridgemont te for the modern teenage us (and super awkward) high vant social commentary, the High remain relevant today.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Photographer Grace Sanders Featuring: Aidan Propst It is easy to empathize with Napoleon Dynamite’s awkward moments. Having the bravery to dance in front of the school, perform with Happy Hands or volunteer as his friend Pedro’s campaign manager, Napoleon Dynamite is a role model for outsiders who seek to make their school a better place.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) Photographer Grace Sanders Featuring: Daniel Poag, Lily Schueppert & Sebastian Varma Stephen Chbosky’s novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is the basis for this quintessential coming-of-age film.

High school students relate to Charlie’s apprehension as he confronts his tumultuous first year of high school alongside two sympathetic seniors.

Charlie gains friends and confidence as he learns to embrace what and who he loves.

Sports 12

REVIEW | MARCH 8, 2017

Faculty reflect on college athletic careers

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK DESJARDINS

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELISA INMAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELEANOR CANNON

Mark Desjardins sprints down the track as a member of the Bates College cross country team. Elisa Inman, who played for the Rice Owls, stands on a basketball court.

Duke University field hockey player Eleanor Cannon poses on the pitch.

By | Gracie Blue Before they joined the Upper School, a handful of faculty and staff members, who are not currently coaches, led lives as varsity college athletes. Because none of them are primarily coaches, students may not realize their collegiate athletic accomplishments.

As a high school basketball player growing up near Akron, Ohio, Dean of Students Elisa Inman spent Sunday nights at the gym with some of the best players in the area, including one talented middle school student named LeBron James.

Inman began receiving college recruiting letters in middle school, and in the fall of 1998, her senior year, she signed a National Letter of Intent with the Purdue Boilermakers, who won the 1999 NCAA Championship the following March. Drawn to the team by her admiration for coach Carolyn Peck, Inman chose Purdue. When Peck left Purdue later that year to coach in the WNBA, Inman realized she had made a mistake in choosing her college solely for its basketball program.

Purdue is generally considered to be an engineering and science school. For Inman, who was interested in studying history, it was not a good fit.

According to Inman, at 18 years old she did not realize that she should have picked a school she would want to attend if her career ended suddenly.

“If one of the best teams in the country wanted you to sign, you signed,” Inman said.

Although the Boilermakers were defending national champions for Inman’s freshman season, she realized she needed to leave West Lafayette, Indiana, for a school that better matched her interests.

Inman decided to transfer to Rice University, where she played basketball for the Owls. Rice proved a better fit for Inman, who was more focused on her degree the second time around. She graduated in 2004 with a B.A. in History and Kinesiology “Rice was the closest I was going to get to what I probably wanted all along,” Inman said. “It was a better life choice, there’s no doubt about it.”

In high school, Headmaster Mark Desjardins thought he would play college basketball, but late in his junior year, he began to receive interest from collegiate running programs. Desjardins

ultimately chose to run cross country and track at Bates College.

“It was a program that I knew, from day one as a freshman, I could come in and contribute,” Desjardins said. “I knew I could have a potentially positive growth trajectory.”

For Desjardins, the philosophy of the Bates coaches was the determining factor that made the school stand out from others that recruited him.

“I had gone to other places, and all they did was talk about how hard we were going to work and train,” Desjardins said.

In contrast, the Bates running coach brought him to the athletic Hall of Fame to point out past Bates runners who are now doctors, lawyers, physicists and CEOs. “We’re not just about producing runners,” the coach told him, “we’re about producing people who are going to go out and make a difference in the world.”

History teacher Eleanor Cannon competed at the Division I collegiate level and chose her school primarily for academics.

Cannon played field hockey for the Duke Blue Devils her freshman year. Although she was not recruited, Cannon applied early decision. After she was accepted, she sent her recruitment tapes to the field hockey coaches. Though they had filled their recruiting class, the coaches allowed her to try out before school started. After a week of grueling workouts, she made the team.

According to Cannon, she did not fully grasp how intense collegiate field hockey truly was when trying out. Duke’s biggest rivalry game against the University of North Carolina Tarheels in Lewiston, Maine, was the first game for Cannon to take the field.

“I got knocked out cold my first three minutes by a member of the Olympic Team,” Cannon said. “The next thing I knew I was on the turf and the trainer asked me the date, but I had no idea where I was.”

Many of Inman’s most vivid memories also came from the hardships she endured. She and her Rice teammates, who continue to maintain their close bond from college, still retell the jokes and reflect on some of the most extreme challenges they struggled through during practices after losses. On one memorable occasion, the team suffered an especially painful loss and had to do nonstop running drills the next day.

Though Inman felt the experience was demoralizing at the time, she considers some of the most painful moments as actually being the best memories.

“Our coach actually told us, ‘If you have plans, go get on your phones and cancel them,’” Inman said. “We always laugh about how ridiculous that day was.”

Though the experience was largely positive for Inman, the Rice community was split regarding the importance of athletics and academics. According to ESPN, in 2004 when Inman was playing at Rice, there was much discussion about the future of Rice athletics. Some faculty members were in favor of entirely eliminating all Rice athletic programs at the time.

Inman felt the unpleasant atmosphere more intensely as a transfer athlete.

“I experienced two different ends of the spectrum. At Purdue, we were like little celebrities; everyone knew who the basketball team was. There was no trouble getting people to come to athletic events,” Inman said. “Rice was different than Purdue. Rice athletes put in just as much time as other Division I athletes and compete at the same level, but they were not supported by the university community in the same way that other school communities tend to rally behind athletic programs.”

Conversely, Desjardins’ experience was filled with support from fellow classmates. The championship indoor track meets in New England drew nearly a thousand spectators, and as one of the top Division III running programs, Bates was more competitive than many Division I schools.

“Our cross-country course actually ran through the middle of campus, so people would come out on Saturdays and line the course, and it was a fun connection to have,” Desjardins said.

Desjardins misses competing the most: “There’s nothing better than race day. You go out and you’re trying to do your best, not for yourself, but for the benefit of the team. There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t have some reflection or memory of what it was like to have competed.”

Open Saturdays 8:00am – 2:30pm During the School Year

School Drop Off is available within a 5-mile radius after morning appointments!

Open Mondays 2:00pm - 5:00pm Tuesdays – Fridays 7:00am – 5:00pm

5335 Edloe St. Houston, TX 77005 / 713-668-6878 / www.speckortho.com

March 12 The Chainsmokers perform at the Rodeo April 3 Kantorei concert April 6-8 ISAS Arts Festival in Oklahoma

“

“Dancing with another person is difficult. You have to be aware of what they’re doing.

”

- Trip George

Caroline Ramirez

90s culture makes a comeback

By | Isabelle Andrews

Pop culture enthusiasts often argue that music fandom skips a couple of decades and then makes a massive comeback. It would make sense, then, that 90s alternative and hard rock would be revived in the 2010s.

As proof, many 90s rock bands are actively on tour in 2017, including Blink-182, Green Day, Guns ‘n’ Roses and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Based on the diversely aged audience at the Chili Peppers’ concert in Houston Jan. 7, it is clear that 90s alternative and hard rock never skipped a decade at all. Between the rocker grandma sitting two rows in front of me, the passionate twenty-something dancing in the aisle, the father-son duos sprinkled throughout the floor and my highschool-aged self, it became clear that all generations share a love for this band and their music.

Most current teenagers were not even born in the 90s. So if nostalgia doesn’t account for our love of 90s rock ‘n’ roll, what does?

As a musician, I have been introduced to many of these 90s rock bands through my music teachers and my bandmates. When I first started taking guitar lessons in 2015, my teacher insisted that I learn “actual” guitar — complicated licks found only in the rock-alternative genre. I began to listen to 90s rock music every week, like my now-beloved Chili Peppers.

Even then, I still leaned towards softer music. The first song I learned was Green Day’s “Good Riddance,”

C

Culture 13

SJSReview.com | MARCH 8, 2017

the most important parts of a song, and I can’t stand the senseless singing about hookups or drugs.

Probably the most popular and convenient ways to access non-radio music are apps or websites like Spotify and Apple Music.

A friend of mine who listens to Top Popular 90s bands like Green Day and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have recent- 40 and Fall Out Boy, for example, ly performed in Houston. Music streaming services make it easier for teens to shoved her phone discover music that was created before they were born. in my face one day but after I joined a band four months wanted to play something fun on his to show me that her later, I began to play many harder instrument, and other rock bands Pandora station had started playing soon followed. I can relate; I only “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls.

Nirvana songs.

I understand my guitar teacher’s listen to songs I can play and sing There are worlds of music availlove for rock. He was a teen when along to. It provides a sort of con- able online, and because of that, old these bands were popular, so his nection for me that simply listening bands like the Goo Goo Dolls can preference for the music is nostalgic. does not. still connect with everyone.

Speaking of connection, the lyrical But my bandmates also pushed me As cultural commentator and auto play 90s rock until I loved it, too. depth of these 90s songs seems to be thor Craig Schuftan wrote in an arThat takes us back to the original light years away from current ones. ticle analyzing 90s rock in the West, question: what makes teens like this It is way too easy to think of a song “[It] presented itself as a reality revolt today with lyrics mainly about going — real people playing real music, as music?

In addition to 90s rock, our guitar- to a club, getting high or some string an alternative to the phony rock and ist loves classic rock from the 70s and of deprecating remarks about the op- pop spectacles of the recent past.”

80s, from Boston and Kansas. He posite gender.

These spectacles seem to have ariscan attribute his love for this music Rock songs convey actual emotion, en again in the present day. I encourto his parents; he grew up listening whether it be anguish, sadness or ex- age you to listen to 90s rock — if not to those bands with them, so he still citement. They often speak of rebel- to appreciate the musical talent, then enjoys them now. lion, something many teenagers can simply to provide a reprieve from toOur bassist loves the Chili Pep- relate to. day’s synthetic, homogenous Top 40. pers because of Flea’s wild basslines.

As a singer and songwriter, I unHe discovered the band because he derstand that messages are one of

Nineties fashion photo booth

Photos by Grace Sanders

Juliette Draper

Josephine Dodd and Sabrina Hu

Tech-heavy ‘Curtains’ celebrates showbiz By | Mia Fares and Sinclair Mott

When math teacher Alice Fogler (’10) was a senior at SJS, she had a star turn as Bambi in the spring production of “Curtains.” This year, she did hair for senior Sophie Clayton, who played Bambi in this year’s production of the show.

“It was kind of like passing the torch, in a way, being able to do her hair and get her ready to perform her role,” Fogler said.

“Curtains,” a comedic murder mystery directed by Bill McDonald, pays homage to the theatre community.

Music director Scott Bonasso has worked on both productions of “Curtains” and was excited to see the musical onstage again this year.

“It is neat when you hear the harmonies come together and hear the planning that you have done come to fruition,” Bonasso said.

“Curtains” centers on a 1950s Boston theatre company whose star is murdered on the opening night of their less-than-stellar show, “Robbin’ Hood.” When Lieutenant Frank Cioffi (played by junior Trip George) is sent to solve the case, he becomes determined to fix the show.

The show within a show provided numerous challenges for the cast and crew. Ensemble members learned to dance in western, traditional Broadway and ballroom styles.

Choreographer Victoria Arizpe ensured that all dancers were challenged but also played to their strengths.

Junior Frank Willey, who played Bobby, the choreographer of “Robbin’ Hood,” and Clayton had several intricate partner dances, the most intense being a pas de deux in the Western “Kansasland” number.

Willey enjoyed the challenge of mastering difficult dance numbers and noted that this was the most dancing he’d ever done in a show.

“Robbin’ Hood,” a Wild West take on the tale of Robin Hood, included a parody of last year’s spring production “Oklahoma!” with numerous references such as spelling the state (K-A-N-S-A-

Josephine Dodd

Caroline Ramirez

Frances Hellums, Ben Cohen (pointing) and ensemble perform “It’s A Business.”

“Curtains” included a “musical within a musical,” combining a 1950s whodunit murder mystery and a Western take on the legend of Robin Hood.

S-U-S-A) and myriad square dance numbers.

Several costume changes were necessary for the actors, who had to quickly transition from western attire to 50s glam. Most ensemble members had three or four costume changes, with dancers and leads changing even more frequently. Clayton had eight costume changes.

During one rehearsal, ensemble member Cooper Lueck could not make the costume change quickly enough between numbers and had to make his entrance for “Kansasland” barefoot. The change garnered so much laughter from the dress rehearsal audience that Lueck left his socks off for the remaining performances, even when he had enough time to make the change.

Since the show is set in Boston, many actors learned accents. Assistant director Kat Cordes coached the cast on the dialect, including Head-

master Mark Desjardins, who spoke in a thick Irish brogue in his two cameos.

The musical also required demanding tech work because of several on-stage deaths, including one fake hanging and several gunshots. The tech crew only had five days to ensure that the technical aspects of the show were rehearsed and ready. The complicated stunts required full attention from each of the techs.

“It was a lot of staying late and getting there early to practice,” stage manager Sophie Worscheh said.

“Everyone knew their jobs and knew that they had 30 seconds or less to complete them.”

For more pictures from “Curtains,” see the photo story on page 20.

Sabrina Hu and Lucy Curtis

Sabrina Hu

O

Opinions 16

REVIEW | MARCH 8, 2017

ON POINT

OFF TARGET

Singing to Dean Inman on her birthday

Casual perjury

Rodeo time

Climate change cancels winter

An open letter to Donald Trump By | Irene Vazquez Dear Mr. Trump, Let’s take a walk down memory lane. The day was June 16, 2015. Your campaign was but a twinkle in Steve Bannon’s eye. It was summer, and I lay in my bed, blissfully unaware of the impending threat. America had a white nationalist problem, but we didn’t talk about it because it wasn’t depressingly relevant.

It was a simpler time.

“I would build a great wall,” you said that fateful day when you announced your candidacy for president. “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall.”

In case anyone doubted your wall-building skills, you kept going: “Nobody builds walls better than me, believe me.”

I’ll admit that I did, in fact, doubt your wall-building skills. I doubted all your skills.

I still do. But at the time, I laughed. I turned the computer off and did whatever it was we did back then before we were glued to the New York Times app waiting to see what your latest fiasco would be. Perhaps I frolicked through a field of daisies or slid down a rainbow with my leprechaun friends.

I miss those days.

Then on Jan. 25, 2017, you signed an executive order that proclaimed we would “secure the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border.”

According to a Homeland Security Department report, you want to build a wall that could cost more than $21 billion. You want to build a wall that costs more than two times NASA’s annual budget. And you want my tax dollars, my meager little tax dollars that I contribute to this country at my little minimum wage job, to pay for it.

You claim that Mexico will pay for the wall.

Twitter’s own official Twitter account (your favorite meth-

od of communication) says it best: “Twitter is built by immigrants of all religions. We stand for and with them, always.”

But the wall is just one part of the plan.

You are locking up my people, Mr. Trump.

According to the New York Times (the enemy of the American people), federal immigration officials arrested over 600 people across at least 11 different states in one week alone.

Sure, the Obama administration deported over 2.5 million undocumented immigrants during his tenure in offices. I have plenty of issues with that. But this is just the beginning.

Your executive order included an expanded definition of who is considered a criminal (people that you plan to target for deportation). Under your plan, a person doesn’t have to be convicted or even charged with a crime in order to face deportation. Authorities are now allowed to deport anyone who has “committed acts that constitute a chargeable crim-

inal offense” even if that person has not been charged with a crime.

Even worse, your order allows immigration officers to target anyone who, in their judgement, poses a risk to either public safety or national security. This means that people like Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz. with known records of detaining people on the basis of “their speech, what they look like, if they look like they came from another country” can just detain whomever they please.

With my brown skin and kinky hair, I look like a foreigner, Mr. Trump. Once I had my hair patted down by the TSA. Sometimes, I wear my hair in cornrows, and people think it makes me look ghetto. I speak Spanish with my family. You and your executive order have made it clear you think that this is not my country.

EMMA SHEA But this is my country. I will keep writing. I will keep calling the offices of Senators Cornyn and Cruz, including the staffer for Sen. Cornyn who probably knows the sound of my voice by now. And I will keep calling you out for discriminatory practices and the repeatedly bad choices that you seem to make.

Maybe you don’t think America is great, Mr. Trump. But I am, and so is the America I represent. The America full of people who will not sit idly by while you challenge our country’s deeply held democratic beliefs and values.

There was no wall to keep the Pilgrims out, Mr. Trump.

Remember that.

Besitos, Irene Vazquez, half-Mexican, half-black and completely fed up

Femininity, feminism are not mutually exclusive By | Lilah Gaber The conflicting messages are everywhere.

“Studies show men like women who wear less makeup.” “Wearing makeup is catering to beauty standards set by men.” I’ve opened up countless magazines and articles that feature statements like these. In both cases, women are expected to bend our lives around what men want.

These opposing views on femininity highlight the schism between contemporary feminism and the older generations. As feminism progresses through its third wave, many ideals of second wave feminism are being challenged, particularly surrounding identity and life choices. Second wave feminists generally reject the stereotypical trappings of femininity.

Third wave feminism champions inclusion. As a feminist, I advocate women supporting each other in their decisions, not tearing each other down for assuming a traditional gender role. If people go around treating each other as lesser for arbitrary reasons, then it becomes okay for other people to do the same, which perpetuates a cycle of hate and negativity.

While second wave feminism kept women’s issues at the political forefront, it left many groups behind.

Its attitude assumes a woman is pressured to look a certain way by some kind of internalized misogyny, denying the notion of choice. It propagates the idea that stereotypical femininity is something to be ashamed of.

Why are women letting others control their self-expression? Isn’t it more progressive to reclaim femininity on their own

terms?

People often assume that a woman’s intelligence and character are based on how she presents herself, but instead of rejecting it completely, I believe it’s more productive to challenge these assumptions entirely.

My choices to wear lipstick but not shave my legs should not be mutually exclusive and should not make me any more or less intelligent. Just because I like mascara and high heels does not mean I’ve succumbed to the patriarchy.

The problem with confusing choice with oppression is that women are reduced to

LILAH GABER

simplistic individuals, rather than complex people capable of making their own decisions.

Shaming traditional femininity also has a significant impact on trans women’s safety and survival.

Trans woman and model Hari Nef spoke on the issue in her talk titled “#FreeTheFemme: The aesthetics of survival.” Nef said, “Passing as a natural woman can decide whether I have a good day or a bad day.”

Trans women face harassment and possible threats to their safety just for existing; passing as a cisgender woman allows trans

women to live their lives publicly, without conflict.

The pressure for trans women to look and act a certain way to even be considered valid in their identity is something that needs to be fixed, but in the meantime, it shouldn’t be too much to ask for feminists to include feminine aesthetics as a progressive mode of expression. It should be noted that not all trans women feel the need to alter aspects of themselves in a feminine way for their gender to be valid, but they should still have the choice to.

Refusing to acknowledge trans women because they present themselves too femininely is perpetuating transphobia, which is just an extension of gender discrimination.

Transphobia therefore undermines the gender equality the second wave feminist movement tried so hard to achieve.

Trans issues are feminist issues. The goals of feminism are changing. Looking or not looking like the “ideal woman” isn’t something to be shamed for, because now we recognize that there is no “right way” to be a woman in the first place.

With all the sexism in the world around us, women should strive to create a space that’s welcoming for women from all walks of life because if we don’t support each other, we can’t rely on anyone else to. I can choose to be effeminate, or I can choose to present myself androgynously, but either way, my appearance should not detract from my credibility as a feminist and a woman.

If our feminism doesn’t include and acknowledge the experiences of those different to us, it’s not feminism.

Culture 14

REVIEW | MARCH 8, 2017

From Roller to Solar Backpacks evolve with the times

Brinkley Morse, left, and William Perdue favor unconventional backpacks over the ubiquitous Jansport or L.L. Bean. Perdue’s solar-powered Voltaic backpack charges his phone during the day, while Brinkley uses a modified suitcase as a rolling backpack.

DAVID SEO

By | Soraya Stude and Louisa Sarofim Almost as integral as the school uniform, backpacks serve as colorful vessels for transporting weighty textbooks, essential notes and technology, creating a hallway like a kaleidoscope.

Backpacks enable students to haul around their belongings with ease by securing countless assignments in one zipper-enclosed compartment. Hallway pandemonium would ensue without them.

Invented in 1967 by Greg Lowe, backpacks have been used to carry one’s vital possessions throughout the day. Backpacks are akin to an appendage of a student’s body, a nylon turtle shell.

Middle school students heave their backpacks from hallways of the Georges Building to cliffsides at Big Bend every year. Director of Experiential Education Marty Thompson favors an Osprey with nooks and crannies, but he urges eighth grade students to bring their school backpacks.

“I find it interesting how students carry their backpacks by wearing the straps very loose, and we show them how they can tighten their straps and hike for hours without hurting their backs,” Thompson said.

Freshman William Perdue minimizes his carbon footprint with his voltaic backpack. His solar-powered pack provides energy for his phone and computer chargers throughout the day.

“I can easily charge in the middle of the day without having to find outlets. My phone ran out of battery a lot in middle school, but now I rarely lose charge,” Perdue said.

The main challenge presented by Perdue’s backpack is finding enough sunlight to power it. Despite the space-consuming solar panels and chargers, his backpack adequately secures his school-

work.

“It doesn’t have any downsides, and it holds all my stuff fantastically,” Perdue said.

Backpacks pervade not only school campuses but also today’s fashion runways. As an emblem of youth, backpacks often bring forth sentimental memories. Designers have capitalized on this appeal. The irony of pairing a hefty price tag with a common item proved successful at New York Fashion Week, with Fendi and Prada showcasing their latest designs.

Lugging around 35 pounds of textbooks can be painful, so some students have resorted to rolling backpacks.

Freshman Brinkley Morse avoids the strain on his back by rolling his schoolwork around. Morse found that the average backpack does not provide sufficient capacity, so he converted an unused suitcase into a backpack five years ago.

“I like my backpack for its carrying capacity, not for its look,” Morse said. “I’ve had it since fourth grade, so it’s pretty banged up by now.”

The only place Morse has to carry his backpack is on stairs, and it often collides with other peoples’ feet, and people sometimes step on it. While the rolling backpack is sufficiently heavier, the wheels make it feel far less cumbersome.

“If I’m in a clear hallway, I can just run close to full speed to a class,” Morse said. “But when the hallway is crowded, things can become pretty slow.”

CLARA BROTZEN-SMITH

Data taken from a poll of 100 subjects on The Review Online.

Teaching Drivers Ed in Houston/Bellaire Since 2002 • Teen Third Party D.P.S. Road Testing • Teen Drivers Education Onsite At St. John'ss • Teen Driving Tutoring Lessons Schedule of Teen Drivers Ed. Classes @ St. Johns 2016-2017 * Fall 2016 Class Starts Nov. 7, 2016 to Dec. 8, 2016 4-6pm Mon.-Thurs. * Spring 2017 Class Starts January 9, 2017 to February 6, 2017 4-6pm Mon.-Thurs. * Summer 2017 Class Starts June 5, 2017 to June 26, 2017

10am-12noon Mon.-Fri.

www.houstonareadrivingschools.com

Phone:713.349.9888 Office Address: 5959 West Loop South Ste. 190, Bellaire, Texas 77401 T.D.L.R. License #C1715

Culture 15

SJSREVIEW.COM | MARCH 8, 2017

Order up!

Teahouse popularity bubbles over

By | Sophia Kontos

Some might say that a typical St. John’s uniform includes a Sue Mills combo and a cup of bubble tea from Teahouse.

“Bubble tea is good — really good,” sophomore Alexis DePinho said. “As in, if the Teahouse sold bleach, I’d probably drink it.”

Sometimes running into classmates at Teahouse sparks conversations between people who otherwise might not talk to each other.

“Every time I’m there and get some tea, this group of boys is always there,” DePinho said. “I don’t talk to any of them usually, but the only conversations I have with them are about Teahouse.”

Teahouse primarily serves bubble tea, an Asian drink in which balls of tapioca are added to a variety of cold, milk-based teas.

“I like bubble tea because it reminds me of being a little kid. It’s kind of like candy,” DePinho said. “But liquid candy.”

Teahouse offers a wide variety of teas.

“I don’t think I’ve had the same drink twice,” freshman Denise Pan said. “I try something new because there are a lot of options.”

The campaign Rethink Your Asian Drink warns that bubble tea may have the same health effects as candy. Due to its high caloric and sugar content (over 30 grams for a typical milk tea), a large consumption of the drink has been linked to obesity and diabetes.

Health concerns have not diminished the popularity of the drink.

With its origins in Taiwan in the 1980s, bubble tea was introduced in the U.S. through communities with large Asian-American populations in the early 2000s. Today, there is a bubble tea resurgence as new chains have introduced the drink to a larger demographic.

“When I used to go to Chinatown for violin lessons, we would always stop at the teahouses,” sophomore Elizabeth McNeely said.

Over the past few years, bubble tea has steadily grown in popularity with new chains like Teahouse popping up outside of Chinatown, with locations on Shepherd and in the Galleria.

Part of the popularity comes from the uniqueness of the drink.

Bubble tea is easily customizable with different flavors and a variety of toppings.

“It’s fun to pick what to drink, and you can get something different each time,” sophomore Sabrina Hu said.

Teahouse also offers free popcorn, board games and tables where patrons can drink tea and study.

CAROLINE RAMIREZ

Juniors Cara Wolff and Trip George sip Teahouse bubble teas as they study for the ACT. Teahouse is popular among students because of its eclectic flavored drinks and chewy, flavorful balls of tapioca.

“There’s a lot of room because in the back there are places to study,” junior Katy Shafer said. “I can stay at Teahouse for two hours to do homework.”

Along with being a place to drink tea and study, Teahouse is a place where students can relax and hang out.

DePinho Favors Teahouse at least once a week and goes to the restaurant every other week.

It’s relatively easy to get tea, given the multiple locations in and

around Houston.

“Teahouse is the most convenient place to get bubble tea because it’s close to the school, so it’s easier to get to than Chinatown,” Hu said.

Teahouse Locations 2089 Westheimer - Montrose 2518 Rice - The Village

NYLA JENNINGS

Trendy juiceries amass youth following, fuel fitness fad

By | Sophia Lima

NYLA JENNINGS

Juices have become increasingly popular for students seeking a health cleanse or a sweet snack. Sustain, at 4061 Bellaire, and River Oaks’ Bebidas, at 2606 Edloe, are local favorites. For those who are not willing to pay for pricey drinks at juiceries, homemade juices are also an option.

Freshman Taylor Britton spent the first three days of the spring semester drinking nothing but turmeric tonics and kale smoothies.

Her New Year’s resolution was to eat healthier, so she decided to begin the year with a juice cleanse.

Like many people, Britton wanted to detoxify her body and get a clean start to her diet.

Britton prefers to purchase her juices at Snap Kitchen because she can customize her juice schedule.

One popular option is cold press juice, which is made by blending fresh produce, like spinach, kale and ginger, without using any heat.

Students have tried the pure liquid diet, a regimen popularized by fashion models and celebrities, including the Kardashians, Gigi Hadid and Blake Lively. Juiceries and smoothie bars have flourished over the past decade amid the juice craze.

Britton started her day with a super green juice, followed by a mid-morning chia seed juice, a super green juice at lunch, an afternoon cashew smoothie and a turmeric tonic juice for dinner.

Although she felt healthy and refreshed, Britton admits that she was hungry almost all the time.

“I had to sneak in a few granola bars throughout the day,” she said.

After three days, Britton returned to a normal diet.

“I am glad I did it, but next time I might want to have juice for just breakfast and lunch, but then have a real dinner because the full juice cleanse is too difficult,” Britton said.

Sustain is one of the most popular juiceries among students. Located in Bellaire, Sustain offers a diverse menu, including detoxifying juices, whole fruit smoothies, açaí and pitaya bowls and smaller “power shot” juices.

Sustain is a favorite of senior Katherine Smith because the juicery offers many gluten-free options.

Açaí and pitaya bowls are popular because customers can tailor them to their taste. The fruits serve as the base and are blended with a variety of other fresh fruits and vegetables, then topped with a choice of fruits and granola.

Senior Emma Boehme, once a regular customer of Sustain, liked it so much that she became an employee.

According to Boehme, juicery customers are mainly teenagers and fit adults.

Boehme initially became an employee for the discounts. She respects that her customers want to live healthier, but she says that juiceries are mainly for people who have money.

Healthy living comes with a price, with specialty juices ranging from $9 to $10.

Juice cleanse packages cost more than $370.

For those who want to make drinks themselves, juicing machines can cost between $50 and $400.

Besides price, many people shy away from the juice trend because cold press juices have questionable health benefits.

Juices can be high in sugar and calories, and fruit juices usually contain even more calories than vegetable juices. Cleanses can ultimately have a negative effect because people tend to binge-eat at the end of their

cleanse.

As an alternative, people like senior Sarah VanLoh choose to make their own juices and smoothies at home.

Hearing about the juice trend from a relative in California, VanLoh started making homemade juices and smoothies two years ago because her favorite juicery, Nourish, was too far away to visit regularly.

VanLoh purchases her ingredients at Whole Foods and then creates her own concoctions. She prefers making smoothies and juices at home because of the convenience and enjoyment of making her own drinks.

Bebidas, located closer to St. John’s than Whataburger, makes getting juice even easier.

Senior Mary Ann Enerson frequently uses sign-out time to pick up a juice from Bebidas in between classes.

“I really enjoyed Bebidas because all the items are very health-conscious, and my order comes out super quickly,” Enerson said.

Roberta Anding, an assistant professor at the Baylor College of Medicine and nutritionist for the Houston Astros, spoke to the Upper School during the wellness assembly on Feb. 1.

Anding says that the juice trend is simply an example of great marketing.

“All fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants that support the normal function of the liver, and your liver detoxifies 24 hours per day and does this without an $8 bottle of juice,” Anding said. “Cleanses are silly and represent all consumers’ lack of understanding of physiology.”

SJSREVIEW.COM | MARCH 8, 2017

R

Opinions 17

Review St. John’s School 2401 Claremont Lane Houston, TX 77019 sjsreview.com Facebook SJS Review Twitter @SJS_Review Instagram @_thereview Snapchat sjsreview

Member Columbia Scholastic Press Assn.: Crown Finalist 2017: Gold Crown 2015, Silver Crown 2014, 2016

Member National Scholastic Press Assn.

4th Place Best of Show 2016, All-American 2012-2016 Pacemaker 2015

PRO | CON

AILEEN ZHANG

Should frisbee be banned on the Great Lawn?

By | Sadde Mohamed Speaking as someone who has been victimized by a flyaway frisbee, I can say that frisbee is indeed a dangerous sport and should at least be partially banned on the Great Lawn.

When the Great Lawn debuted, my original thought was rainbows and sunshine and cute picnics with friends. It was glorious.

Instead I avoid the Great Lawn for fear of being knocked unconscious or running into one of the sweatier fellows out there.

It’s unfair to the rest of the student body.

The Great Lawn is a space intended for all. Not for eight to 10 individuals to hog for themselves and their unholy circle of despair. Even if the space is big enough for other concurrent activities, the terror of getting hit in the head will force students to avoid the lawn all together and stick to the pavement.

Why do we feel compelled to entertain the desires of these ruffians to romp around the Great Lawn, gallivanting and launching their destructo-disk of terror? How many Bobbie Oldfields have to be struck by a frisbee for us to realize how dangerous the pastime is? At what cost will frisbee’s reign of terror on the Great Lawn’s continue?

Let’s get to the thing we actually care about: property damage.

I’ve seen way too many kids throw a frisbee that hits a window a little too hard or gets stuck on the roof, which gets scratched up by the same hooligans when they try to get it down by throwing objects at it or scraping a pole on it.

No windows are broken yet, but is that something we really want to wait for? The day someone gets a black eye from a frisbee at St. John’s is the day I will laugh until the end of time.

“If only we had listened to Sadde,” they’ll say. “Now we must suffer,” they’ll say.

Balls and kickable objects have already been banned from the Great Lawn for similar concerns, and while I’d like to see them gone altogether, I realize that someone might think I’m anti-fun.

It’s more complex than that.

While I am excellent at complaining, it wouldn’t do anyone any good if I were to just keep complaining about everything. So, I propose a rotating system of days allotting specific purposes for the Great Lawn.

I think Monday, Wednesday and Friday should be free-for-all frisbee days. Tuesday and Thursday should be for other, less perilous activities, specifically not frisbee.

Just think of all the things the Great Lawn could be with an absence of frisbee — more space for other clubs to meet, slip n’ slides on a sunny day, communual hot tubs in December to destress from finals, maybe.

Even if these activities seem a bit farfetched, my imagination can run wild now that I can picture a frisbee-less Great Lawn. I don’t have to look at the Great Lawn and think to myself, “Wow where did all the frisbee players go?” There can be so much more to it.

I’d hate to completely disband an activity that fosters community within St. John’s. That goal is the impetus behind most, if not all, of the things I do at school: Student Affairs Council, the Unity Council, The Review, African-American Affinity Group and my peer leadership, to name a few.

We should allow everyone to have a shot at the common space, and everyone should get to have as much fun on the Great Lawn as those frisbee-throwing rabble-rousers. They truly look like they’re always having such a blast. I’d like to have a blast as well.

By | Prithvi Krishnarao Life. Liberty. The pursuit of frisbees.

During almost every lunch or Da Vinci period, anyone who seeks to find me instinctively heads to the Great Lawn, expecting to see the Frisbee Club running around frantically in pursuit of a frisbee.

The central reason why we play frisbee is simple: it is fun.

Students who are stuck in classrooms all day need a respite from their rigid schedules, and every student has his or her own way of relaxing.

Some seniors go to Senior Country and play FIFA, while freshmen might play Clash Royale or stand around in freshman hallway. Students from all grades and backgrounds can join together in playing frisbee.

Frisbee provides not only an escape from our somewhat tumultuous lives, but it also provides students with a way to exercise.

The Great Lawn is a space for students to relax and have fun with their classmates, and banning frisbee on the Great Lawn would contradict its purpose.

Frisbee also allows students who would otherwise not be acquainted to develop friendships. Some members of Ultimate Frisbee Club have developed great relationships with students they normally would not hang out with. The environment fosters close friendships.

Frisbee generates many laughs and enjoyable moments, and our experience at St. John’s has been considerably improved thanks to the memories we make on the Great Lawn.

On occasion, we host scrimmages of Ultimate Frisbee on the Great Lawn, and on some weekends, we even play organized games against other schools.

Frisbee on the Great Lawn allows students to learn the basics of the game: catching and throwing. These skills are pivotal if we want to continue to play other schools.

An unintended consequence of playing frisbee in one of the most populated areas of the school is inevitable of frisbee strikes.

We certainly do not seek to injure people by hitting them with frisbees; all frisbee strikes are completely accidental.

We are cautious before throwing and to judge whether it is safe or not to throw the frisbee. Oftentimes, people walk in the middle of a frisbee game looking the opposite way, and we cannot do anything about a frisbee hitting them.

Other times frisbee strikes are out of our control, whether as a result of a sudden gust of wind or a novice learning how to throw.

The goal of Ultimate Frisbee Club is to allow students to have fun during the school day. Many members are still learning how to throw, and their throws occasionally end up either on the roof or hitting someone.

When we play frisbee, we always try to share the field as much as possible. We frequently share space with other students playing football, or with people who use the Great Lawn to socialize and eat. Frisbee does not take up the whole lawn, and when someone wants to use a portion of the Great Lawn, we always try to accommodate their needs.

Frisbee allows students to relax and meet other people, so removing it from the Great Lawn would be a significant step back from creating a stress-free atmosphere for students.

Editors-in-Chief Christian Maines & Irene Vazquez Managing Editor Sophia Li Creative Director Jared Margolis Senior Assignments Editor Sadde Mohamed Assignments Editors Gracie Blue, Claire Furse, Dani Yan Design Editor Ashwini Bandi Assistant Design Editors Stephen Kim, Prithvi Krishnarao Photography Editor Nyla Jennings Copy Editors Sophie Caldwell, Iris Chen, Alexander Kim Business Manager Grace Amandes Assistant Business Manager Sukul Mittal Online Editor-in-Chief Amy Liu Online Editor Emily Chen Video Editor Max Westmark Social Media Editor Emma Shea Online Copy Editor Ryan Chang Staff

Izzy Andrews, Manar Ansari, Maggie Ballard, Hrishabh Bhosale, Gwendelyn Butler, Eli Desjardins, Andrew Duong, Mia Fares, Natasha Faruqui, Sam Foshee, Lilah Gaber, Sophie Gillard, Thomas Grannen, Mia Guien, Kate Habich, Eric Hang, Shani Israel, Reygan Jones, Sophia Kontos, Sophia Lima, Eli Maierson, Will McKone, Sinclair Mott, Saswat Pati, Robert Rae, Caroline Ramirez, Grace Sanders, Louisa Sarofim, David Seo, Jack Shea, Henry Still, Soraya Stude, Alex Tinkham, Aileen Zhang

Advisers David Nathan, Shelley Stein (‘88), Chuy Benitez Mission Statement The Review strives to report on issues with integrity, 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 six times during the school year.

We distribute at least 1,000 copies of each issue, most of which are given for free to the Upper School community of 631 students and 80 faculty members.

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 columns are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and taste. On occasion, we will publish letters anonymously. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received. Letters and guest columns can be emailed to review.sjs@gmail.com or hand-delivered to an editor or adviser in the Review room (Q210).

Opinions 18

REVIEW | MARCH 8, 2017

Staff Editorial

Practice what you preach... before it’s too late One hundred years ago, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law a bill that made it illegal to criticize the conduct of the United States during the Great War. This bill was used to put anti-war socialists Eugene V. Debs and Charles Schenck behind bars for what they wrote.

Debs and Schenck have come to represent a cause that rises above the politics of their time.

Free speech is a fundamental American right.

We believe the presidency of Donald Trump is the greatest threat to the First Amendment in recent history.

In a vote of 6-0, the Editorial Board affirms the integrity of the news media and condemns President Trump’s deceptive, unfounded attacks on journalists across the nation.

On Feb. 17, Trump stated on Twitter that the “FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @ CNN, @NBCNews and many more) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American people!”

As cool as it would be to put “enemy of the American people” on our résumés, the President’s incessant, immature use of Twitter to assail his political opponents speaks volumes about his inability to handle criticism. Even more worrisome is his track record of demonizing one of our most important institutions.

In a Jan. 21 speech to the Central Intelligence Agency, Trump stated that he is in “a running war with the media,” and that reporters are “among the most dishonest human beings on earth.”

Trump has made the mainstream media his enemy, and the media must accept that challenge and fight back in every way possible.

The mainstream media exists for a reason, and each president has dealt with it as a referee of sorts, holding the executive branch accountable.

Trump has made it clear that he does not think the rules apply to him.

Budding journalists have heard the story of

Woodward and Bernstein, the young Washington Post reporters who took down President Nixon by tirelessly investigating the Watergate scandal.

Nixon tried to discredit the press, which he also called the enemy, in the same way that Trump is doing now.

Donald Trump is fiercely nationalistic, and so are many of his supporters. The leaders of the

Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China are nationalists as well.

What differentiates our nation from authoritarian countries is that we can be simultaneously proud and reflective, that we tolerate all forms of dissent and promise nobody immunity from criticism.

It is the responsibility of the press, at all levels, to hold those in power accountable. The press is

a part of a political tradition that predates even the beginnings of the United States, and its integrity is sacred.

Conservatives should be worried about the precedent that Trump is setting because, when the leadership inevitably changes — perhaps sooner than expected — the importance of a free press will become apparent.

Accusations of dishonesty in the media are dangerous. Protecting voices that are different is the only way to ensure that a variety of opinions will be heard. Free speech is the foundation of American democracy.

St. John’s is a politically divided school. That much was evident the day after the election. We even have a political organization with clubs for liberals and conservatives. The beauty of our school, though, is that it permits the free expression of opinion.

Through clubs like Junior State of America and Young Political Organization, there is a vibrant political discourse at St. John’s.

This microcosm of national politics demonstrates the importance of free speech, and what a shame it would be to lose sight of that tradition. We would encourage students to sit in on a meeting of JSA or YPO, where one can see what discourse looks like in action. These clubs foster a diversity of opinions and a breadth of discussion.

The Washington Post recently adopted a new motto: “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” Those who cry “fake news” whenever they hear something that does not fit within their worldview may one day wind up just like the boy who cried “wolf.”

And for those who cry “fake news,” the media might not be around when they need its protection the most.

STEPHEN KIM

Letter From the Editor

Learning on your own terms Dear Reader, Idle hands are the devil’s playthings. At least, that’s what we have always said. Between the two of us, we captain a varsity sport, help lead eight different clubs, sing in two choirs, and participated in three theatrical productions this year alone. The Review is a busy place composed of busy people.

But it’s the second semester of our senior year, and we’d be lying if we said that senioritis hasn’t set in. Instead of staying up late to frantically write college supplements or APUSH papers, we while away the hours watching Netflix and having existential crises.

To counter this intellectual decay, we’d like to make a modest proposal to all students, especially seniors, to take an active approach to the lightening of academic responsibilities.

Take this time to pursue learning on your own terms. Pick up a book that you have always been dying to read (but never had the time). Actually read a newspaper; the New York Times does a morning briefing where you can get the top stories of the last 24 hours delivered straight to your inbox.

Listen to a podcast when you’re getting ready for bed — “Pod Save America” and “Still Processing” are good picks.

Go for a walk. Don’t take your phone, don’t take a book, just

walk around your neighborhood and work through whatever’s on your mind. The Houston sky at dusk is even more beautiful when you’re not looking at it on someone’s Snapchat story.

For those of you who aren’t quite as near to the finish line, find a way to make academic tedium interesting. Find the drama in US History (listening to the “Hamilton” soundtrack counts). Search for the beauty of a well-turned phrase in “Romeo and Juliet.” St. John’s is a special place full of people who are dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge (we had to get a little nostalgic — after all, our time is running out), and everyone should take advantage.

Now more than ever it is important to be a well-informed citizen of our school and the nation. Take the time to dig a little deeper and search for the truth. We promise it’s worth it.

At the very least, we promise that we are not a source of fake news.

This issue is rich with articles that can enlighten and inspire.

Take a cue from the HyperLift team and take a hands-on approach to learning. The group is really impressive — we can hardly believe we go to the same school.

Follow in the footsteps of alumnae Katherine Arden and Lauren Hitzhusen (both ‘10) and live a creative life without bounds —

JOSE VAZQUEZ

you never know where it’s going to take you.

Explore the trends in day-to-day SJS life: Backpacks transcend practicality and can be a form of expression. Students flock to juiceries and tea houses before and after school.

And take a load off and read Aileen Zhang’s witticisms in the Odds and Ends pages.

We hope you like this issue as much as we liked putting it together. À la prochaine,

Christian Besitos,

Irene

O &E

SJSREVIEW.COM | MARCH 8, 2017

Art School Rejects

Odds & Ends 19

By | Aileen Zhang

60 Seconds with Will Rippeto

grade 11 state of mind Just getting by known for Singing when nobody wants me to be singing color Of the wind (Pocahontas) hate to love Legally Blonde (the musical) love to hate The Texas Longhorns happiness Musical theater misery The time in between audition and cast list sports team Oklahoma Sooners Football olympic sport Swimming dream date Lupe Tortilla cafeteria food PB&J all day comfort food Fajitas and Queso place to live New York City

Charted

By | Aileen Zhang

I wish To go to the festival (Into the Woods) treasured possession Hamilton playbill (with the original cast) spirit animal Sea lion hero Lin Manuel Miranda fictional character Christopher Belling book The Great Gatsby tv show How I Met Your Mother movie Clue or Christmas Vacation video game Mario Kart motto I’m just like Tinker Bell, I need applause to live sing in the shower?

Who doesn’t? phobia FOMO I’d rather be Blue thinking of you (Funny Girl)

College Decision Day 2017

Word for Word “ ”

“

I always get Black Friday & Good Friday confused.

French is just like Spanish but with Nutella in your mouth.

- Senior Lauren Biegel

- Senior John Kennedy

“

”

“

I want to go from being the bamboozled to being the bamboozler.

I did not realize that your son’s brother... would also be your son.

- Sophomore Morgan Self

- Senior Julian Peavy explaining the lineage of Saudi Arabian kings

”

”

Photostory 20

Review | MARCH 8, 2017

Behind the ‘Curtains’

1 For the cast and crew of “Curtains,” the lyrics in the show are close to their heart: “they can’t picture being anything but show people.”

Rousing numbers like “It’s a Business” led by producer Carmen Bernstein (senior Frances Hellums) celebrate the glory of theatre. (1).

Members of the cast of “Robbin’ Hood” gather around Lieutenant Frank Cioffi (junior Trip George) as he uncovers clues in the investigation. (2).

“I’m actually performing too,”

3

Music Director Scott Bonasso says about conducting the pit orchestra. “In a way, I’m feeling those pre-show nerves that the cast is.” (3).

At the end of the second act, the murderer — theatre critic Daryl Grady (junior Sean Paul Gras) — is unveiled. (4).

Lyricist Georgia Hendricks (senior Abigail Moorhead) takes on the star role in “Robbin’ Hood,” leading the show towards a comeback. (5).

2

4

5

Story by Irene Vazquez | Photos by Caroline Ramirez