April 2016 by The Review

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Flying Colors

PRISM revives presence on campus through cultural, community outreach

Ace in the Hole

Star pitcher Joe Gobillot talks injuries, recruitment and his pitching arsenal

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ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER | SJSREVIEW.COM | 2401 CLAREMONT LANE · HOUSTON, TX 77019 | VOLUME 67 · ISSUE 5 · APRIL 6, 2016

Sticky Situation How the oil meltdown Impacts our community

GRAPHIC BY BROOKE KUSHWAHA

N E WS

THE REVIEW I APRIL 6, 2016

Debate added to 2016-17 schedule

April 12 Prefect elections Videos of Online artists at ISAS

News Briefs Writers garner national acclaim Winners of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were announced on March 14, and two SJS students received national recognition. Junior Sophia Li won her third Scholastic Award and first National Gold Medal for her short story “Winter,” a dramatic tale told in second-person about a terrible person who, according to Li, wants to be a good person. Senior Amy Dong won a National Gold Medal for her critical essay “Hoping for Disaster,” which explores the post-modern American obsession with disaster and speculates on the reasons for this interest. “I came up with the idea that we look for disaster in hopes of improving ourselves. Out of every disaster that we are seemingly entranced by, there is a response to move away from that, to better ourselves either through reform or self-reflection,” Dong said. “It was a fun piece, and it was the one I felt most confident about. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter whether I win or not, but for me and for many other students, Scholastic does so much to inspire us.” Li also received a regional American Voices award for her personal memoir “Expat Shanghai.” Students receiving national recognition have been invited to Carnegie Hall in New York City, June 1- 3.

Prom to light up the (Sunday) night This year’s Prom will be held on Sunday, April 10 at La Colombe d’Or. The event will be held on a Sunday because all Saturdays in April presented scheduling conflicts. Due to the unorthodox scheduling situation, prom attendees will be excused from school the following Monday. Having Prom on a Sunday poses some challenges because many hair salons and florists are closed. “I actually really like having prom on a Sunday because of the extra day off,” senior Isabelle Draper said. “I booked my hair appointment in advance and I do my makeup myself, so those don’t pose a challenge.” This year’s theme is “Light Up the Night.” Senior Julia Boyce said, “I’m very excited for Prom because it kind of makes senior year a little more real.”

Briefs by Emily Chen and Cara Maines

CAROLINE RAMIREZ

Seniors advance in math contest

PRACTICING POLEMICS Debate partners Robert Corpening and Matthew Fastow prepare their public forum case for the Texas Forensic Association State Tournament in March. The duo went 4-2 over the two-day event, just missing the finals. Both will be taking the debate class offered next year.

by Ryan Chang The debate team successfully made its case for inclusion in the new schedule next year. Taught by English teacher Clay Guinn (‘92), debate will become institutionally protected time during ensemble and da Vinci periods. “When I was a student at St. John’s, our debate program was just a small team,” Guinn said. “It’s very exciting to finally have a consistent meeting time for debate.” Guinn primarily attributes the push for a regularly scheduled debate period to student interest. “Several freshmen have shown a lot of interest in debate, and that’s helped some of the older students who have been passionate about the subject,” Guinn said. “It’s really a testament to how dedicated our students are to the program.” Having a full-time debate coach has also facilitated debate’s placement in the schedule. In previous years, the school hired debate coaches who had jobs outside of SJS, which led to inconsistent meetings with students. “Since Mr. Guinn works full time at St. John’s, the debate team has been able to meet on a much more regular basis,” English Department chair Angela Flowers said. “He’s been able to dedicate more time to the team than coaches in previous years, and with a new rotation-based schedule, the time was ripe to implement a class period for debate.” Junior Matthew Fastow has been involved in debate since seventh grade, participating in several debate tournaments in both middle and upper school. Fastow plans to use his added freedom as a senior to dedicate more time to debate. “Since most of my academics won’t be as stressful next year, I’ll be able to spend more time on tournaments and research,” Fastow said. “I hope debate will develop into a larger presence at the school. As a senior, I’ll try to make debate better known among other students.” Sophomore Andrew Wan has debated both at SJS and outside of school for the past four years and sees the need for debate to have space in the schedule. “One of the biggest problems with our previous program was that it was difficult for rising freshmen to learn the essentials of debate,” Wan said. “Since debate has only been meeting during lunch, and on an inconsistent basis, students interested in learning debate haven’t been able to hone the skills they need.” Freshman Lincoln Dow looks forward to attending the debate period next year. “Debate has been on and off at St. John’s, so having a class period is a big step in making debate a bigger part of the school,” Dow said. Guinn plans to focus on the practical applications of debate in the scheduled period. “Things like public speech, research skills and critical thinking will help students to prepare for college and real life,” Guinn said. “It’s also a great opportunity to apply the skills they learn in other classes.” In addition to the instruction provided in the period, Guinn hopes to offer several opportunities for his students to practice their skills in a competitive setting. “We’ll be having at least monthly tournaments

to debate with other schools,” Guinn said. The debate tournaments follow several different formats. “I’m very excited for the chance to participate in more tournaments outside of school,” Dow said. “I prefer public forum and current event debates, but it will still be interesting to compete in other formats.” Fastow, Wan and junior Robert Corpening attended the Texas Forensic Association State Tournament, March 10 -12. Wan participated in a Lincoln-Douglas debate, which focused on philosophy, ethics, and morals, while Fastow and Corpening competed in a public forum debate focused on current events. “These tournaments are a great opportunity for students to apply what they’ve learned in the club and what they will learn next year,” Guinn said. Wan broke even in his debates, going 3-3. Fastow and Corpening went 4-2 over the two-day event. Fastow and Corpening debated about whether or not the U.S. should withdraw forces from the Japanese island of Okinawa. For each debate, they

were randomly assigned a stance on the topic. “We had to prepare arguments for both sides,” Fastow said. “It helped us anticipate and prepare for our opponents’ counterarguments.” Guinn cites student participation as the main reason for the team’s advance to the state competition. “The students who went to State did so because of their drive and passion for debate,” Guinn said. “I’m just using my knowledge and experience to support that dedication.” Although neither team advanced to the finals, Guinn sees promise in their performance. “The students who competed in the State tournament still did very well, seeing as it was their first time attending this particular competition,” Guinn said. According to Guinn, the additional focus and instruction provided by having a scheduled meeting time will improve the team’s performance in next year’s tournaments.

NEWS

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

Students throw prom for retirement community Seniors hectically decorated an empty living room while an orchestral rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’” played in the background. They had one hour left to finish transforming the space into a dance floor. For their senior class community service project, more than 30 students hosted a prom for senior citizens living in Belmont Village, an assisted living facility, on March 28. The theme was Casino Night, so students covered the common area with giant playing cards as well as red-and-black streamers and balloons. Student volunteers planned the project, set up decorations and partied alongside the senior citizens. According to community service officer Sarah Bland, the prom exceeded the expectations of the officers and the senior citizens. “We spent a lot of time interacting with the senior citizens, listening to them and hearing their stories. It was a lot of fun,” Bland said. Some Belmont attendees told students that they could not attend their own prom over 60 years ago. “A couple of the residents shared with us that they grew up in the 1940’s, and because of the World War, they didn’t get to have their own prom,” said Community Service Coordinator Marci Bahr. “That’s pretty amazing, between the ages of 80 and 90, to have your first prom.” Several students performed music, including a string quartet that played renditions of recent popular hits. Daniel Shebib also served as DJ for the dance. Joseph Hanson, the master of ceremonies for the prom, announced awards for senior citizens selected by the Belmont staff. “We gave superlatives to the guests, such as Most Likely To Be Famous,” community service officer Maddie Tufts said. Finally, the students crowned the prom King and Queen.

KARA WOLLMERS

by Prithvi Krishnarao

“The recipients of the awards were thrilled,” Bahr said. “What pleased me the most was that all of the other residents at Belmont Village were so joyful for the person who won. It was such a cool, supportive atmosphere.” Sophomore Molly Isaac and senior Lillian Chen coordinate an ongoing arts and crafts project at Belmont Village and coordinated with community service officers to plan the prom. “It was a very happy moment because seeing them at the prom, it felt like the happiness and joy in their eyes tripled from what I saw during the crafts projects,” Chen said. After the awards ceremony, students gave the senior citizens gift bags with photos

taken during the event. The whole prom was an event that students and senior citizens both enjoyed. “It’s always great to say ‘Hi’ to the people you are serving, but a lot of the senior citizens really wanted someone to talk to,” Bland said. “They told me about the sports that they had played, about their interests. Forming these relationships with them was great.” Several residents asked community service officers if the prom was going to become an annual event. “It’s a really great way to have a larger project,” Bland said. “Because you can have a lot of volunteers, and there are so many residents, you can have that oneon-one contact with the people that you

are serving. It’s also a lot of fun for all the volunteers involved and especially for the residents.” Senior community service officers agree that the prom was worth the effort. “Talking to the guests was inspiring because they each had such great words of wisdom to give us, especially with us going into college,” Tufts said. “They really emphasized how important education is, and some of them had a really good education while others didn’t, but everyone still prioritized education. They also said that time is limited, and you don’t realize how fast it goes by. They told us, most importantly, to live our lives.”

MAY I HAVE THIS DANCE Senior Maya Bhandari, left, decorates Belmont Village, and senior Matthew Brown dances with a resident of the retirement home during the final senior class project, March 28.

by Kara Wollmers Sitting on the third floor of senior Margaret Trautner’s house, five seniors worked on one mathematical modeling problem for 14 hours straight. On Feb. 28 at 8 am, the team began the Moody’s Mega Math Challenge. Their problem was to calculate how automakers should invest in new technologies that would allow consumers to reap the benefits of using a private car more efficiently. Out of over 1,000 entries, the SJS team was selected as one of six finalists. Students will have the chance to compete for up to $20,000 in scholarship money. “The fact that these students made it to the second round of judging — let alone the finals — speaks to the incredible mathematical ability of these kids,” said math teacher Dwight Raulston, who coached the team. Consisting of Trautner and seniors Nancy Cheng, Daniel Shebib, Eric Gao and Anirudh Suresh, the team used applied mathematics to evaluate car-sharing options by constructing mathematical models and functions to evaluate real data. “One of the hardest parts of the competition was the time restraint,” Gao said. “You had to always be watching the time, making sure you didn’t spend too much time on one part.” In addition to finding mathematical solutions, the team had to write a 20-page paper presenting and analyzing their procedures, data and analysis. “Every now and then we had to take a break because being in the same room with the same five people trying to work together for 14 hours is hard,” Trautner said. “Daniel literally walked out of my house and just went for a walk.” Suresh, Gao and Shebib mostly worked on the

first part while Trautner and Cheng worked on the second and third parts. “Each member of our team played a key role in the overall success of the team,” Cheng said. “No one person carried the team.” The team converted Trautner’s ping pong table into a conference table for a workspace. They finished with 30 minutes to spare, which provided time to edit their paper. “Afterwards we went to Whataburger, because what else would SJS students do after a good game?” Trautner said. The team was notified in mid-March that they had been selected to fly to New York and present the solution to a panel of applied mathematics judges on April 25 at the Moody’s TO THE FIFTH POWER Seniors Daniel Shebib, Anirudh Suresh, Nancy Cheng and Margaret Trautner work Corporation headquarters. through a math problem for Moody’s Mega Math Challenge. Along with senior Eric Gao, the four others “We already have our solu- will be traveling to New York on April 25 for the final stage of the competition. tion, so now we just have to “It would take a really long time to go through Raulston has taught some level of mathematics convince the judges ours is the and actually work entire problems from start to to each member of the team. best,” Cheng said. “Dr. Raulston really knows our mathematiThe team can be asked any type of question, so finish, let alone a single problem,” Shebib said. Most team members are currently enrolled in cal strengths and weaknesses, so he’s going to be they must be ready for anything. able to help us prepare really well for New York,” “I’m going to bring in some fellow math asso- Partial Differential Equations. “This kind of competition was new to each Trautner said. ciates to have a mock final round for the team so Raulston is concentrated on helping the stuthey can be prepared for the types of questions one of us, so we really had to rely on our previous mathematical knowledge,” Gao said. dents prepare for the final round of judging. they’ll face,” Raulston said. The other members agreed their math courses “We can do this,” Suresh said. “I’m confident No team member had ever taken part in an in our work and think the judges will find our applied mathematics contest similar to the M3 prepared them well for the contest. “The bulk of our preparation came not from solution to be the best.” challenge, so the team spent most of their preparation time looking at questions and answers preparing for this specific contest, but over years of math courses,” Shebib said. from past years.

BARBARA TRAUTNER

Mathletes divide, conquer M3 Challenge

College programs entice budding musicians by Sadde Mohamed

Labyrinth inspires community, spirituality

PRISM reﬂects diverse student body Students react to the new SAT

NYLA JENNINGS

FINE TUNING Senior Olivia Havel practices for an audition as a part of her music school application process. Havel will attend the University of North Texas College of Music to study music education.

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

For most graduating seniors, pursuing childhood dreams of music or theater in college is not considered a viable option. Senior Olivia Havel, who began her music career in fourth grade choir, could not imagine a future without it. “During All-State Choir last year, I had such an emotional experience.” Havel said. “It deeply moved me, and I realized that I really need to have music as a big part of my life.” In 2009, approximately 65 percent of all bachelor’s degrees were earned in business, science, technology, engineering and math fields. Only four percent were earned in visual and performing arts, and an even fewer came from musical programs. Quincy Cotton (‘15) is a freshman at the Berklee College of Music, the alma mater of esteemed musicians Quincy Jones, John Mayer and St. Vincent. “A music degree is a traditional college education, just for an untraditional profession. A lot of times people see ‘music school’ and just assume we prance around with our instruments and lackadaisically breeze through these four years with no sweat or worries,” Cotton said. “We have midterms and finals, and we stress just like what my friends are doing at their universities.” Berklee, like Juilliard, the Curtis Institute of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, is a musical conservatory and performance arts-centric school that offers high-level instruction in music. “It’s a college, so people are always talking about assignments, their workload, how tired they are and all that stuff,” Cotton said. “Instead of talking about math or English, we’re talking about our music theory projects, the songs we have to learn for our ensembles and rehearsals for studio sessions.” Over the years, several SJS students have sought the counsel of choral director Scott Bonasso to help figure out how to incorporate music into their futures. “I’m extremely proud of my students who choose to do this because it tells me that they’re following a passion – their heart,” Bonasso said. “I tell them about possible career paths, but I also tell them that they have got to love music because there are very few of us that go onto fame and fortune.” Conservatories like Berklee are considered excellent places to network. “Hopefully my experience going forward involves a lot of live shows and making bigtime connections. Arguably the key to making it as a performer in the music business is knowing all the right people and being in the right place in the right time,” Cotton said. “How good you are is only half the battle.” Rice University is home to the Shepherd School of Music, a preeminent musical program. Other universities with noteworthy music studies include

JARED MARGOLIS

TURE S A E

GUITAR HERO Quincy Cotton (right) performs at ISAS coffeehouse with classmates Ty Boone (middle) and Robert Kempner (all ‘15). Cotton, who plays everything from clarinet to guitar, is attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston. the University of Michigan, Northwestern and Yale. Havel will be attending the University of North Texas College of Music in the fall. “I decided on music education because I like working with kids, and I really do like choir more than I like singing by myself, so I’d like to conduct a choir in a high school or middle school,” Havel said. Music-specific programs have an application process that includes an audition for each individual school. “I didn’t realize how rigorous the audition process would be for a music education major, but I’ve had five auditions already, and at one point I had one every weekend,” Havel said. “We would just drive and stay overnight and audition the next morning. It’s a very intense process, and it’s very challenging.” Music programs are not limited to those who are working towards music degrees or attending conservatories. “I’m going to be involved with music no matter what I major in, but I also want a chance to see more of what college in general has to offer,” choir president Matthew Brown said. Senior Daniel Shebib considers music composition an option for his future. “I did a summer camp where all we did was music for two weeks, and I talked to people who

were music majors and even music graduates. It just showed me that music is a serious path.” Liberal arts colleges or liberal arts programs such as Plan II at the University of Texas incorporate musical education into their curriculum. “At a large school, you’re expected to spend so much of your time doing music if you’re a music major. Oberlin, for example, has a conservatory on campus in addition to being a liberal arts college, and you’re doing two-thirds of your work in music,” Brown said. The rigor of these music programs is immense and, at times, daunting. “It’s hard to figure everything out in the application process alone, but my college counselor, Ms. Lord, has been great and knows a lot about the opportunities,” Brown said. “Eventually you will find a program that fits you because they are all very specialized and very different.” Music programs can help prepare students for a plethora of job opportunities like music production and engineering, electronic production and design, film scoring, contemporary writing and production, music business, music education and much more. Cotton said, “A music degree is far more than just a piece of paper saying you can play really well.”

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FEATURES

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

Seniors construct labyrinth in Freedmen’s Town by Iris Chen

tures,” Farris said. “But what’s interesting is that labyrinths aren’t attached to a specific culture or Seniors Francesca Farris and Amina Matin religion. I like that because my parents are of began 2016 by mulling over their New Year’s different religions. My mom is Jewish and my resolutions as they walked the winding path of dad is Catholic. I have been practicing Judaism, a newly-built labyrinth in the Freedmen’s Town but not in a very informed way, so interfaith and mixing cultures influenced my decision to get historic district. involved.” Students from all across Houston The SSQ volunteers modified the helped built the labyrinth as a Freedmen Town labyrinth’s design part of Sacred Sites Quest, a to fit mosaic benches — called Rice University program that “Heart of Serenity” seats — We didn’t have provides opportunities for so visitors could rest while students to visit and build a construction team. walking the path. sacred sites around town. “We wanted to build We were the The New Year’s Resosomething new, so we took lution Walk was held to construction team. the traditional, round labraise money for SSQ’s yrinth and molded it into a trip to Ecuador to build more square structure,” Maa labyrinth on the equator. tin said. “We brought in a lot of The labyrinth sits in Mt. Carpeople from the community, mel Missionary Baptist Church’s a lot of local artists and teachers, former prayer garden. The church was to decorate and make a day out of it,” demolished in 2008 due to structural issues. Matin said. After pressure from land developers, leaders The Freedmen’s Town labyrinth is not the only labyrinth built by SSQ in Houston, but it holds of Mt. Carmel reached out to leaders of SSQ for help in preserving the sacred site. Soon, the special significance for SJS students. “Growing up in such a diverse place, there’s team began designing and building the labyalways been a mix of cultural and religious be- rinth with bricks remaining from the original

“

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Amina Matin

liefs,” Matin said. “A project like this that digs deeper into the city’s diversity is the natural next step to exploring Houston’s cultural diversity.” After building the labyrinth in January, SSQ is still active in helping build labyrinths all over the world, including Lyon, France, and Houston’s Sixth Ward. “I was inspired to build more labyrinths,” Farris said. Farris and Matin visited the medieval labyrinth found on the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France, the source of inspiration for the Freedmen’s Town labyrinth. “Labyrinths have been around for thousands of years. They’re some of the oldest religious struc-

Mt. Carmel Church. “I used to go every Saturday, and it was basically just three or four hours of manual labor for five or six weeks,” Matin said. “We didn’t have a construction team. We were the construction team.” The program helped volunteers meet people with similar interests. “We interacted a lot with local artists because there’s a mural and mosaic benches in the labyrinth,” Matin said. “It’s definitely a lot of people I hadn’t interacted with, and I wouldn’t have, if not for this project.” The team consisted of around 20 people, but volunteers weren’t required to be present every week. “It was an unofficial system; it was just whoever wanted to help was welcome to show up and grab a shovel and start digging,” Matin said. Volunteers were from many ethnic and religious backgrounds. “The people participating in the program were from many different schools. We had roughly 10 to 15 people regularly working on the labyrinth, but there were St. John’s volunteers who came out when they could,” Farris said. “It was kind of a community project.” Volunteers still visit the labyrinth occasionally. “I’d go and walk after school when I’m stressed

out,” Farris said. “On my eighteenth birthday, I went and reflected on how old I am.” Director of Spiritual Life Ned Mulligan says labyrinths help people seeking spiritual awareness. “The labyrinth itself is not spiritual, but entering into it presents a great opportunity to engage in self-reflection and with something in your life that is more important than you are,” Mulligan said. According to Matin, the labyrinth is meant to mimic the path of life and provide peace and harmony to its pilgrims. “It looks like a maze, but there’s only one path. It leads you to where you’re going sooner or later,” Matin said. “The labyrinth means different things to different people.” Farris described the experience as calming and thought-provoking. “Walking the labyrinth draws out what’s on the back of your mind. It’s a great way to de-stress.” Matin and Farris agree that building the labyrinth has been a valuable experience. “I don’t think the physical structure has inspired me as much as the process,” Matin said. “I never thought that you could just walk into an area and want to build something. It opened my eyes to a lot more possibilities.”

MAZE RUNNER The Freedmen’s Town labyrinth, built by Houston students, is located on the remains of Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in Houston’s historic Fourth Ward.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FRANCESCA FARRIS

Students buck stereotypes, maintain Texas pride by Emma Shea If you’ve ever ventured outside of Texas, you have probably answered silly, often inane questions about the Lone Star State. For a state that has intense geographic, ethnic and regional diversity, Texans face an alarming number of stereotypes. On a visit to Iowa a few years ago, I was asked repeatedly about my preferred mode of transportation (“Do you ride a pig, horse, or cow to school?”) and my accent (or lack thereof ). People asked me more about Texas and its ridiculous stereotypes than when I was anywhere else, even abroad. Iowa — fondly known as the corn state — has its own less-than-flattering stereotypes, yet its residents seem to have their own preconceived notions of other states (namely, Texas). I don’t consider myself a born-and-raised Texan because I only moved here a couple years ago. Still, I took offense. To the rest of the world, everyone in Texas (regardless of whether you’re from Houston, Dallas or Waco) has an accent. Everyone rides horses and hunts. Everyone dons a cowboy hat and votes Republican. Sure, some Texans fall into these categories, but the sweeping generalizations are frustrating when you hear them 10 times in a row. We’ve all been somewhere and had people ask us questions about our home state that made us want to roll our eyes and shake that person by the shoulders, asking them, “How could you possibly think that’s true?!” But I digress. Students like junior Matthew Walsh love Texas but agree that we face a lot of misconceptions. “Whether I’m talking to my own extended family from the East Coast or family friends in Canada, no one seems to understand what living in Texas, and specifically living in Houston, is

like,” Walsh said. Many of my classmates expressed similar sentiments. They said people from the northern states (aka Yankees) understand Texas the least. “Unless they’re also from the South, people usually ask me what it’s like to live in Texas. But it’s just not that different from living anywhere else,” sophomore Michael Meaux said. If you’ve ever been to Midtown, the Museum of Fine Arts or one of Houston’s many music festivals, you know that Houston — and Texas as a whole — contains culture and diversity. Houstonians participate in many activities other than roping cattle. According to Meaux, Houston is far more metropolitan than Texan stereotypes would suggest. “People think that we live in the Wild West, like we’re in the 1800s still. But Houston is beginning to look more like New York. We’re building high rises. We have nice restaurants. There’s more apartment buildings, more traffic.” Students like freshman Sam Faraguna brush off the silly Texas stereotypes. “People like to poke fun at me, but it’s usually lighthearted. I play along for the most part.” During my brief time in Iowa, I quickly learned to specify that I was not from Texas, but Houston. If I made it apparent that I was not simply some country bumpkin, people tended to take me more seriously and ask me fewer ridiculous questions. Still, I felt like a traitor to Texas by naming my city instead of my state. Senior Daniel Shebib takes the opposite approach when introducing himself. “I make sure to try to include both Houston and Texas when I introduce myself. But I definitely say I’m a Texan. Texas is the best.” For those who think Texas is a rural farmland, our college decisions may come as a surprise. Many of us choose to go to school in-state because many Texas schools offer a fantastic ed-

PHILIP KENSINGER

DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS Senior Hunter Kowalski dons his Texan garb. Kowalski is renowned for his love of big trucks and bigger burgers. ucation, and we’re surrounded by people who understand our perspectives and often share our opinions. “Originally I was scared that if I went to school in-state, it would be with the conservative, stereotypical Texans, so I wanted to get out and be somewhere new,” said senior Gage Williams, who will attend Trinity University in San Antonio in the fall. “Other people’s misconceptions warped my view on southern schools because I was scared that they would all have Bible-beating conservative Republicans, which obviously isn’t the case.” As many students can attest, Texan stereotypes are something we have all felt, faced or

even perpetuated ourselves. Even though some students are less affected by their peers’ narrow perceptions of Texas, the misconceptions are not beneficial for our beloved state. Often, we aren’t taken seriously because of the preconceived notions held by others. After all is said and done, I am proud to be a Texan. I’ve only lived here for six years, but, unexpectedly, this place has become my true home. I have found that other students share my love for the state, even if we don’t like the stereotypes associated with it. So don’t mess with Texas or judge a book by its cover — or a Texan by her cowgirl boots.

THE REVIEW I APRIL 6, 2016

FEATURES

JARED MARGOLIS

RAINBOW CONNECTION The PRISM board, comprised of both LGBT+ students and allies, has sponsored cultural events as well as initiatives to foster communication across grade levels. Six of the eight board members are shown here.

PRISM colors community with greater participation by Cara Maines By hosting a variety of cultural and informative events, PRISM has established itself as one of the more active campus organizations this year. In the words of its mission statement, PRISM intends to “provide community and support for LGBT+ students” while addressing issues of importance to the LGBT+ community within an inclusive, welcoming environment. According to junior Nina Lahoti, PRISM held few club meetings and fewer events until this year. “The most active part of the club was the Facebook page,” Lahoti said, “and even that wasn’t super active.” PRISM members cite increased support from faculty and students as the driving force behind the increased activity of the LGBT+ students and allies. According to faculty sponsor Kem Kemp, this year’s activity is largely due to the initiative and drive of the eight student board members, comprised of both LGBT+ students and allies. English teachers Kemp and Clay Guinn and

Head of Upper School Hollis Amley sponsor the club. “The active students were so patient and so passionate and gave ideas to us,” Kemp said. “They really were on top of it.” Board members brainstormed topics to address in meetings and organize events such as the August ice cream social. Amley has provided support by helping to create a mission statement and pushing the club to build on its structure. “I have been very thankful of the transition that Ms. Amley has helped,” Kemp said. “In the past, there wasn’t an agenda. The structure that Ms. Amley is helping with has really been incredible.” Guinn recalls that there was less support for LGBT+ students and allies when he graduated from SJS in 1992. “I’m very happy to see a more welcoming environment than the one I experienced when I was a student here,” Guinn said. “That’s one of the things that I wanted to see when I came back.” Rather than creating a hierarchy of leadership positions, the more active members in PRISM

decided to create a leadership board so that everyone would have an equal voice. “As a board, we worked together and made a concerted effort to make sure that the group met more consistently,” junior board member Jason Souvaliotis said. “We also collaborated with our faculty sponsors to plan meetings such as the ‘Billy Elliot’ screening.” Many club members are involved in small groups that have propelled bonding and discussion. Each small group of five to seven members for outings and has its own group text. “The groups provide support for the LGBT+ community and allies and keep the club more active even when there aren’t necessarily any meetings going on,” said Lahoti, who spearheaded the small groups. PRISM members have also met for socials and movie nights. “My favorite was our first out-of-school meeting,” junior board member Alex Jones said. “We all got together and watched ‘Steven Universe’ and ate dinner. It was just a really fun way to get to know everyone.” At the movie night on March 10 in the Chao

Assembly Room, PRISM partnered with Unity Council to screen “Billy Elliot,” a film about a young British boy learning to dance. Since the film addressed gender stereotypes, the two clubs held a follow-up discussion forum to revisit the movie’s themes. “What we’re recently celebrating is this partnership with the Unity Council and showing “Billy Elliot” and bringing up the conversation of gender as a spectrum rather than just thinking about it dichotomously,” Amley said. The Unity Council/PRISM forum was one of the “most thoughtful student endeavors that I’ve seen since I’ve been here.” Kemp agrees that the conversations among PRISM members have been particularly important. She recalled an impactful discussion about media representations of the LGBT+ community at the beginning of the year. “Those are the kinds of conversations that students are facilitating that are at a higher level than when we began,” Kemp said. “We’re really having some academic conversations, and I’m sitting there thinking, ‘man, I’m learning a lot by listening to you guys.’ They’re very savvy.”

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FEATURES

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

Revisions revisited: Test-takers tackle new SAT Anxious test-takers arrived in droves to high schools around the city March 5 to take the first crack at the new SAT. The College Board website notes that the test was updated to measure “the essential ingredients for college and career readiness and success, as shown by research” and to have a stronger connection to classroom learning. “It was kind of like a mix between the old SAT and the current ACT,” junior Keshav Krishnan said. The updated test features a 1600-point-scoring scale, no penalty for guessing and an optional 50-minute analytical essay. The multiple-choice feature an increased emphasis on interpreting evidence, such as graphs, charts and passages. “It was what I expected because it was pretty similar to the PSAT,” junior Nina Lahoti said. The redesigned PSAT/NMSQT exam, also administered by College Board, was introduced in October and included multiple-choice questions similar to the ones offered in the new SAT. Unlike the PSAT, the SAT features an extended passage-based essay. “The essay was pretty much the best part because it’s what we do in our AP English class,” junior JaDa Johnson said. Before the redesign, the essay portion that asked test-takers to respond to an open-ended prompt with evidence from literature, history or current events. The new essay requires readers to respond to an excerpt with an analytical argument. “I felt like the essay wasn’t too bad,” Krishnan said. “But the prompt kind of threw me off.” According to the College Board, the essay tests “reading, analysis and writing skills” while “students produce a written analysis of a provided source text.” In addition, the new SAT requires outside evidence to be factually accurate. “The prompt asked test-takers to make their own arguments and use small excerpts from the passages to support your argument,” Krishnan said. “My essay portion was based on three different perspectives.” Other students questioned the amount and quality of the evidence presented for analysis. “I thought the essay prompt itself was pretty straightforward,” junior Austin Schultz said. “It was a rhetoric prompt similar to what we see in English. The actual passage was extremely lacking in evidence though, so it was a little harder to write than normal.” Not all colleges require or even review scores from the essay portion of the test. However, the multiple-choice scores are reviewed universally by schools that accept the test as part of a student’s application. “The math really forces you to dust off all the stuff that you put in the back of your mind after middle school,” Johnson said.

EMILY RAGAUSS

by Christian Maines

“And the reading comprehension is pretty straightforward.” Aside from the removal of the penalty for incorrect answers on multiple-choice questions, those portions of the test now have, according to College Board, a “greater emphasis on the meaning of words in extended contexts and on how word choice shapes meaning, tone and impact.” “The multiple-choice sections were not too hard, but you have to be careful for careless errors in math and science,” Krishnan said. Complaints about the old SAT’s reading and writing sections focused on the difficulty of the passages and vocabulary tested. The creators of the new SAT attempted

to make questions more straightforward, with varying degrees of success. “The reading and writing sections were pretty straightforward,” Schultz said. “The reading was pretty long though, definitely longer than ACT. The questions weren’t too tricky, although some could have benefitted from better wording.” Reactions to these efforts were generally positive among students who took both the old and new SAT. “I took the old one last November,” Lahoti said. “I like the new SAT essay a lot more.” The math section of the revised SAT remained essentially similar to the way it was before.

“The math questions were pretty simple,” Schultz said. “They didn’t get as advanced as the ACT, which goes a little into trigonometry.” The College Board entered into a partnership with Khan Academy to offer students free online test preparation, but most students either did not participate in or had never heard of it. Reactions to the new SAT were generally positive. “Overall, it’s a good test,” Johnson said. ‘It’s not great, and it has its flaws, but I would definitely recommend it.”

out with the old The new SAT offers an optional analytical essay instead of an openended prompt and removes penalties for incorrect multiple-choice answers.

OR TS P S

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

Gobillot towers over opposition by Dani Yan

P12

Field athletes take their best shot (put)

P13

April Baseball plays Kinkaid at Minute Maid Park

Sports Shorts SOFTBALL

Vlasek socks 3 home runs in 18-0 rout Senior shortstop Jessica Vlasek hit three home runs in an 18-0 win over St. Mary’s Hall, April 2. Vlasek has hit 10 home runs this season, breaking her career high of nine. Coaches were impressed with her performance, but according to Vlasek, her teammates were not surprised. Vlasek was so locked in that she only saw four pitches the entire game, three of which she deposited over the outfield fence. Her final swing was a grand slam. She finished the game with seven runs batted in. “Softball is a mental game, and it’s crucial that players don’t break their concentration.” Vlasek said. Vlasek will be playing for the University of Texas at Dallas Lady Crusaders next year. The Mavs are 16-6 this season. They will play Seven Lakes High School away on April 12.

LACROSSE

Boys look to peak in postseason The Maverick Spring Break Trip allowed the team an opportunity to face higher level competition than they would find in SPC and garner a better understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. “While we didn’t win any of our games, we showed that we can contend with better teams,” sophomore Brock Cannon said. Lacrosse (4-11, 3-4 in SPC) lost all three games on their trip to Washington & Lee and Durham, North Carolina, but showed resolve against strong competition. “The spring break trip has always been a turning point and this trip to Washington and Lee and Durham gave us a boost in our preparation for the upcoming counters,” coach Sam Chambers said. “The trip is extreme experiential learning. Stress and excitement of travel, new venues and unfamiliar opponents force us to find out what works and what needs to be shored up.”

Briefs by Stephen Kim and Dani Yan

PHILIP KENSINGER

Akiyama leads wrestling to third SPC victory

Joe Gobillot stands 6-foot-6. His height allows him to be a top pitcher, but it also makes him more susceptible to back injuries: Gobillot’s greatest strength is also his greatest vulnerability. Gobillot plays competitive baseball all year and has won the Senior League World Series with his West University Little League team two years in a row, but back injuries have prevented him from fulfilling his role as the Mavericks’ ace this season. “It’s been really tough just watching and not being able to do anything,” Gobillot said. “But I hope I can return and lead us to SPC.” Gobillot is currently in rehab and receives soft tissue therapy in order to be back in time for upcoming counter games. The Mavs first SPC competition was a 5-3 loss to Episcopal on April 1. “When I initially got the back injury, I thought it wouldn’t be very bad, maybe a week or two to get better, but it turned out to be more serious.” Gobillot said. “But I’ve been doing everything I can to get back.” The Mavericks (5-13) have felt the impact of their star junior pitcher’s absence. “His injury has made our pitching staff much shorter because we had to cope by putting people at different positions because Joe isn’t there to be the ace or play his other positions,” catcher Michael Meaux said. The team remains optimistic for Gobillot’s return. “We’ll have more energy because we won’t be using extra pitchers to replace Joe,” Meaux said. Gobillot may not have played yet this season, but he is still being heavily recruited by colleges. “He has made significant steps every year physically, mentally, and on the mound as a player,” Coach Timothy Riley said. “He has put a lot of time in since before he was at St. John’s, and he has really stepped up his game on the field.” Riley also notes Gobillot’s additional efforts like lifting, training and managing nutrition. Gobillot’s physical skills also entice colleges. “There aren’t many lefties who can throw 92 miles per hour their junior year,” Meaux said. “His raw power makes him eye candy for colleges.” Gobillot has received attention from many Division I programs, including Vanderbilt, Texas and Rice. He enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere many of the universities provided. “I was taken around campus and got to hang out

with the guys who are on the teams now,” Gobillot said. Throughout the recruitment process, Riley has served as a liaison, but most interaction has been directly between Gobillot and the college coaches. “I was involved in a limited role, more of a support role, just to help Joe throughout the recruiting process,” Riley said. “Joe did a great job in terms of interacting with coaches and communication throughout the process.” Gobillot has set well-defined goals for his college career and wants to find the right place to achieve those goals. “I want to have fun playing and win a College World Series,” Gobillot said. Gobillot looks forward to college, but he still has two seasons as a Maverick before he departs for the NCAA. Teammates recognize Gobillot’s skill as well as his work ethic and his impact as a leader. “Besides being the best player on our team, he also works the hardest,” first baseman Prentiss Havens said. “His work ethic pushes everyone to play and train their best and he never acts above the rest of the team despite his amazing talents.” Gobillot was slated be the starting pitcher. When he’s not on the mound, he typically plays first base or outfield. “Any time we’re matched up against an opponent and we need our best pitcher out there, he’ll be that guy,” Riley said. Gobillot has an arsenal of pitches, but his fastball is his main weapon. “His fastball moves a lot and my hand gets hurt if I don’t catch him right the right way, if I don’t slow it down enough,” Meaux said. “His curveball is probably his best pitch though.” Gobillot has set lofty goals this year. He wants to have an earned run average below 1.00, a strikeout-to-walk ratio about 4-to-1, and a batting average of .375. For the summer, Gobillot’s goal is to make the Area Code Team, where the best incoming seniors in the nation play for a weekend in August in Long Beach, California. Regardless of his statistical accomplishments, Gobillot’s top goal is to win SPC. His teammates appreciate the skill and camaraderie he brings to the team. “I know he will do great in college, and I would have no trouble picturing him playing professional baseball someday,” Havens said.

Gobillot’s Arsenal Two-Seam Fastball “My ground ball pitch”

Four-Seam Fastball “My go-to pitch”

Changeup “For when I need to keep the hitter off-balance”

Curveball “My put-away pitch for strikeouts” JARED MARGOLIS

“Any Time we’re matched up against an opponent and we need our best pitcher out there, he’ll be our guy.” -Coach T Riley PHILIP KENSINGER

SPORTS

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

Star tennis trio serves up victory on the court nating as much. I like to look at tennis like that,” Johnston said. “Because I play tennis every day, This year’s girls’ tennis team is the best team I can’t decide to watch a TV show or hang out the school has seen in 15 years, according to with my friends. It’s some sacrifice, but it’s worth it.” coach Sandy McLanahan. Gonzalez and Johnston also faced physical setAccording to McLanahan, the strength of the current team comes largely from the four fresh- backs. Gonzalez experienced a string of injuries men players and the number of players who par- beginning the summer before eighth grade. She has had a muscle spasm in her back, tendonticipate in tennis year-round. The hard work of the team is aided by several itis in her hip, a shoulder sprain and two stress standout players, namely senior Natasha Gonza- fractures in her elbow and one in her left wrist. lez, sophomore Hannah Johnston and freshman She has also had tendonitis in her knees for four years. Sophia Huynh. “They always tell you that sitting out is the “Natasha Gonzalez is awfully tough, and if you have someone really good at No. 1 singles, hard part, but really, coming back is the hard it helps the rest of the team a lot,” McLanahan part. You’re out of shape, and everything is off,” said. “Everybody loves playing with them. Prac- Gonzalez said. “Continuing to play after all these ticing with them and playing against them is injuries is probably my greatest achievement. It’s been really tough to have to keep coming back great practice for everyone else.” Gonzalez and Johnston, who were introduced at the bottom.” Although Johnston broke her wrist in 2012, to the sport by their tennis-playing families, have been playing since the age of three. Huynh has she has had more trouble with the emotional asbeen playing since she was eight and is ranked at pect of tennis rather than the physical. “‘Sleepers’ are people who are really good and 30 in the 14-year old division in Texas. According to the Tennis Recruiting Network, technically capable, but, when they play tourGonzalez is currently ranked No. 160 in the naments, they emotionally psych themselves out U.S. and No. 15 in Texas among senior players. so they lose a lot,” Johnston said. “I did that in Johnston is ranked at No. 71 in Texas among lower levels, but once I got to Supers it leveled itself out. I really had trouble emotionally getsophomores. “When I was little, my family used to play fam- ting over this hump. I knew I was capable but I would lose. It was horrible.” ily doubles together, so it’s been a fun The mental strength required extra bond between us,” Gonof tennis players proves difzalez said. “I really like how ficult. tennis is not all physical; “On the court, you there’s also a mental ashave to be very tough pect of the game. You “Outside of school, you’re mentally. It’s hard need to be constantly thinking. A lot of by yourself. On the team, for me when I get distracted or I get mental strength is you have people there cheer- upset with myself,” involved.” Johnston and ing you on, and practice is Huynh said. “You have to stay mentally Huynh have both in the game.” been Super Champs more fun.” Both Gonzalez for two years, while and Johnston have big Gonzalez has been a plans. Next year, GonzaSuper Champ for six lez will play for the Harvard years. Super Champ deunder coach Traci Green, who notes the highest level of comGonzalez met when she played a petition for youth regional play. showcase tournament. “People who do sports selectively say “Tennis is a very individual sport outside of they are their best selves during that season because they’re working harder and not procrasti- school. It can be pretty ruthless,” Gonzalez said.

“

”

Sophia Huynh

ELIZABETH AWAD

by Emily Chen

COURTLY LOVE Hannah Johnston returns a serve in a singles match against Episcopal on April 1. Johnston, who has been a Super Champ for two years, will be touring across Europe this summer. “I’m really excited for college tennis because it’s going to be so different. Right now, everything is so rigidly individual, but in college, everything is going to become so team focused.” Johnston will be joining a touring team over the summer. Every year, John Newcombe Tennis Ranch invites top players to try out for a spot on a touring team, which spends three weeks in Europe over the summer. They choose eight girls and eight boys out of a pool of 200 to join the tour. The decision is based on moral character and sportsmanship in addition to talent. “Normally they take juniors and seniors they know pretty well. This was only my second time going, so I definitely didn’t think I would make it. I felt so upset when they didn’t call me,” Johnston said. “Then they called me as an alternate, which made me so excited because I knew I would definitely make it next year. When I found out I was going this year, I literally screamed. I couldn’t believe it.”

Despite the time dedicated to tennis, Huynh, Johnston and Gonzalez value the time they spend playing on the school team. “The team is not separated between seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen. We’re all very close,” Huynh said. “Outside of school, you’re by yourself and you have to do everything on your own. On the team, you have people there cheering you on, and practice is more fun.” Players describe Huynh, Johnston and Gonzalez as valuable additions to the team, both because of their skill level and because of their willingness to help other players. “They always give me tips on how I can improve,” said senior co-captain Nancy Cheng. “You would think that playing with someone above your level is kind of stressful, but they’re always really willing to help. It’s good for everyone on the team when they’re at practice.”

College athletics come under ﬁre for payments by Matthew Neal Shaquille O’Neal once said of his time playing basketball at LSU, “They paid very well.” For years, the college athletics system has come under fire for countless scandals involving athletes receiving illicit benefits (see Newton, Cam and Bush, Reggie). These incidents always reignite the debate about whether student-athletes should be paid. The short answer to this question is that paying college athletes in the current NCAA is simply not feasible. For progress to be made in either reducing the number of scandals or actually paying the athletes, outside groups and organizations would need to step in to change themselves and the NCAA. Currently, student-athletes receive scholarships, which many critics argue is payment enough. Yet with practices and training every day, college athletics is more of a job than a hobby. Those in favor of paying student-athletes will point to the massive profits earned by both the NCAA itself and the television networks broadcasting the games. However, few of the schools themselves earn money from the athletic departments, with nearly all revenue coming from football and men’s basketball. Most of the other varsity sports end up losing money for athletic departments. A New York Times article published on Jan. 8 suggested the NCAA adopt a salary cap model in which schools must pay all athletes a minimum salary and can pay even more for prized recruits. While I can see the benefits of this system,

it’s basically a scaled-down version of professional sports and would make the NCAA toxic and hostile. The Times only describes this system in relation to the two money-making sports, so it seems unlikely that schools could afford this system for the other varsity sports. Nearly all the scandals about athletes receiving pay revolves around those few players who have the talent to go pro. Looking at some of these problems caused by the system and the proposed solutions, it seems that some of the fault lies with the professional leagues. The NBA and NFL require athletes to attend college before entering the draft, which leads to many of the top players spending only one year at the school, including Justise Winslow (’14). Critics of college basketball’s one-and-done system need only point towards this year’s top prospect, LSU’s Ben Simmons, who is ineligible for the Wooden Award (Player of the Year) for failing to maintain a 2.0 GPA. “My position is a young man or woman shouldn’t have to go to college to become a professional athlete,” NCAA Pres-

ident Mark Emmert said in a press conference. But NBA Commissioner Adam Silver contends that the NBA would be better served with older, more experienced players. In looking out for his league and its owners, Silver is hurting both the athletes that want to compete straight out of high school and the NCAA. This year, many of the top players in college basketball are upperclassmen including Buddy Hield (Oklahoma, Sr.), Denzel Valentine (Michigan State, Sr.) and Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia, Sr.). These players are outliers to the trend of younger players leaving for the draft and not encourage the NBA to increase its age minimum even more. If the professional leagues change to allow athletes to enter straight out of high school, the number of future pro athletes “stuck” in college will decrease. The players will earn paychecks immediately without having to wait the required number of years in the current system; thus, there will be fewer incidents of college players receiving benefits. BROOKE KUSHWAHA

Without this amendment to allow star athletes to bypass college, there are other proposed solutions that allow them to earn money over the table. In a Sept. 16, 2015 Grantland article, Andrew Sharp suggests a different strategy to pay college athletes: sponsorships. Rather than the schools themselves paying every varsity athlete, companies such as Nike or Adidas would pay athletes to be in commercials, make local appearances or license their name. The current obstacle set in place by the NCAA to prevent sponsorships is that college athletes are amateurs. The NCAA says that the amateur status is in place to “bring about national uniformity and fairness.” While this new system would definitely be unfair, the system is already unfair. At top programs, the sponsors could pay each player by renegotiating the licensing fees they already pay the schools. These powerhouses would continue to dominate in recruiting players Until the 1980s, Olympic athletes were also governed by a code of amateurism. Once the athletes were allowed to earn money from sponsorships, the Games became stronger than ever. College athletics could benefit similarly, and the athletes themselves would not be sworn to poverty. Having sponsors pay college athletes makes the most sense for all parties involved. The athletes can earn money from their name and image; the schools would not have to provide salaries to all of the athletes; the sponsors would be able to retain the future professional athletes under their brand.

THE REVIEW I APRIL 6, 2016

Bottom of the Barrel

How Houston’s oil and gas industry is coping with the recent downturn written by Sophia Li design by matthew neal

paradise lost In the fall, Charlotte Amandes (‘13), a University of Texas sophomore studying Petroleum Engineering, was recruited by Devon Energy, a natural gas and petroleum producer focused on onshore drilling and production. Amandes was offered a summer internship in mid-September, but in March, while she was on spring break with her family in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, a Human Resources representative from Devon called to inform her that her internship had been rescinded due to company cutbacks. Devon Energy laid off an estimated 1,000 fulltime employees in February. Amandes, who will graduate in 2018, decided to study Petroleum Engineering because the oil and gas industry seemed like a dynamic and interesting field. Even with the recent oil slump, she remains optimistic. “This first-hand experience with the volatility of the oil and gas industry isn’t fun or ideal, but I’m glad that I’m being exposed to the realities of it now, while I still have a certain degree of flexibility versus when I’m 35 and have a mortgage or a family,” Amandes said. With crude oil (West Texas Intermediate) currently at $36 per barrel, (up from $29.85 in January), there are limited opportunities for Amandes and other college students wanting to enter the energy industry. The Petroleum and Geosystems Department at Texas has responded by providing summer classes and research opportunities to undergraduates. “They want to make sure that we aren’t wasting a summer when we don’t have internships,” Amandes said.

world oil glut floods market Others in the SJS community have been affected by the oil downturn. With major energy companies including ExxonMobil, Halliburton, Royal Dutch Shell and British Petroleum (BP) either headquartered or having major subsidiaries in the city, Houston is the center of the world’s energy industry. Many of these companies, especially those in oilfield service such as Schlumberger and Cameron International, have been laying off employees due to corporate cutbacks. Much of this decline is attributed to China, which is currently the largest importer of oil and gas. At the end of 2014, China’s economy began slowing down, causing global demand to decrease significantly. At the same time, increased domestic production, aided by fracking, and OPEC’s refusal to limit exports caused supply to increase in the global market. In October, BP announced it was cutting $10 billion from its operations, including 4,000 layoffs. According to the Department of Labor, Houston’s unemployment rate rose to 4.8 percent in January and is slowly approaching the national average of 4.9. Much of this increase is attributed to financial issues in the energy industry.

waiting for the call For English teacher Janette Hendrix, the oil and gas downturn is a source of anxiety for her family. Her husband, is a Subsea Installation Engineer for the Houston branch of a multinational service provider for the energy industry.

PHILIP KENSINGER

In July, his company announced that it would be laying off around 6,000 employees worldwide. “There have been several rounds of layoffs, which has included close colleagues and persons of the same skill set, so we don’t know if he’ll be the next person because there’s no warning,” Hendrix said. “Someone just gets asked to see their manager and then asked to pack up their things and leave.” Her husband’s biggest concern is that his job is dependent on the contracts the company can pick up with other companies. “Being a service provider, if another company is not contracting them, then the company is not making money from the many personnel working for it, which becomes costly for the company and difficult to justify a large workforce,” Hendrix said. The oil recession has impacted the couple deeply. For almost three years, the they have lived in a rented apartment in the energy corridor. “We’ve talked about buying a home, but the fear of losing his job means that we are hesitant about seriously looking at the prospect of purchasing a home and committing to this location,” Hendrix said. “I can’t afford to pay a mortgage because I have student loan debt, so that’s where most of my money is going now. ” The couple faces a legal issue. Hendrix’s husband is a citizen of the United Kingdom and lives in the U.S. on a working visa. Should he lose his job, his visa would be nullified, and he would have to return to his home in Scotland. The two are currently looking into the green card application. “Once you begin the application process, there’s less risk of needing to leave the U.S, but I feel like we’re in this limbo because we’re just waiting to see,” Hendrix said. “At this point, when I talk to him, he always has another deadline in mind. It might be that we’re living month to month.” Her husband has discussed switching professions.

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

sign of the times

GAS 2016 2012 2008

low gas prices delight drivers, distress oil industry

$2.05 $3.66 $4.45

source: AAA (per gallon of regular gas)

price per Barrel of crude oil

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10

b to

r Ap

b to

r Ap

JARED MARGOLIS

MATTHEW NEAL

“We’ve talked about it, but my husband has specialized himself to this particular type of engineering to the point that I don’t know what else he would do, and a different industry would more than likely mean a change of location,” Hendrix said. “It’s the equivalent of someone saying to me, what would you do if you weren’t a teacher? And I have no idea. It’s sad that you invest so much in yourself in order to pursue a particular career path, but there’s always a level of uncertainty. You just never think that it might not work out.”

banking on oil Jonathan Sloan (‘03) is the co-founder and former Director of Catalyst Energy Advisors, a firm that offers advisory financial services for companies in the oil and gas industry. In August, Catalyst Energy Advisors was acquired by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., one of the Big Four U.S. banks (along with Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo). Sloan joined J.P. Morgan as an Executive Director in the Houston-based oil and gas banking group. Many of Sloan’s clients are upstream and midstream companies in the oil and gas industry that have been affected by the recent downturn. “As people that serve energy clients in general, we feel the pain in the same way energy companies feel the pain,” Sloan said. “From a professional standpoint, it can be challenging when it is difficult to offer constructive solutions or when there are not a lot of opportunities for clients to consider to improve their situation.” The downturn has provided J.P. Morgan with an opportunity to expand and acquire smaller companies. “At a large, well-capitalized investment banking

and commercial bank, you’re somewhat insulated because energy is a relatively small portion of the bank’s portfolio, so we see this as an opportunity to capture market share,” Sloan said. “It’s an opportunity for us to be increasingly helpful to our clients when others are more limited in their capacity to serve the energy sector.” According to Sloan, the downturn has affected individual banks differently. “Distress in the banking sector largely depends on the breadth of services offered and the ability to drive revenues from a variety of sources,” Sloan said. Sloan and others in the industry were surprised by severity of the downturn. “It was well understood that we were heading towards an oversupply situation, but no one expected that OPEC would act the way they did,” Sloan said. “Most people thought the Saudis and OPEC were going to mitigate their production.”

forseeing the downfall Xiaojun Huang is a senior manager at ExxonMobil and parent of sixth grade student Richard Zheng. For most oil companies, during times of economic decline, entry-level jobs are the first to be eliminated. According to Huang, the exact opposite occurs at ExxonMobil, the fifth-largest oil and gas company in the world. “Salaries for entry-level jobs are not really significant enough to make a substantial difference in a company’s spending” Huang said. “Usually, we look at low performances across the board, or if someone is eligible for retirement, they’ll take an early retirement.” ExxonMobil is one of only a few oil and gas

companies who have yet to lay off any employees. “Starting in 2013, when oil was over $100 per barrel, ExxonMobil foresaw the downfall of oil price because we knew it was not sustainable,” Huang said. “So while other companies were spending money on new ventures, we started cutting spending because we knew the bubble was going to collapse. That’s why when oil came down, we were in much better financial shape than many others.” Maddie McZeal’s mother Cassandra is a computational methods research supervisor for ExxonMobil’s upstream research company. “We are all more cost-conscious than we were before. This is a cycle, this happens, this is a commodity,” McZeal said. “We’ll go into this recession and we’ll come out. The company has weathered the storm before.”

the waiting is the hardest part Meanwhile, Amandes is still trying to find another internship in the oil and gas industry — a difficult goal since most companies recruit summer interns in September and October. Should she not find a job, she will take classes over the summer at UT. Like Amandes, Sloan is optimistic about the future. “Despite the current market downturn, in the long run, the technologies that have brought about the surge in production in the U.S. from unconventional sources will prove to be a huge positive to the energy sector and to the city of Houston which houses a vast majority of the skilled workers required in the industry.

SPORTS

THE REVIEW I APRIL 6, 2016

Akiyama pins opponents, leads Mavs to third SPC title by Irene Vazquez

the example Akiyama set. “Yo was the trailblazer for the team. I followed the way he would run practice and help people. He was the example for everyone else, especially towards the end of the season when it got harder. Everyone looked to Yo for leadership.” Akiyama’s leadership has largely translated to the team’s victory. At the SPC tournament, all but one wrestler placed in the top three. “He’s such a good teacher,” Laniyan said. “He’s always open, any time of day. It helped a lot of people get better, even if he doesn’t realize it.” Coach Paul cites Akiyama’s success as the model many on the team aspire to. “The other boys have all seen the blueprint that Yo has laid out,” Paul said. The start of Akiyama’s career ushered in a winning era. Prior to his freshman year, St. Mark’s had won every single wrestling title in the history of the tournament. “One of the greatest milestones we had to overcome was making people believe that we could win,” Paul said. “Everyone thought beating St. Mark’s was impossible. They actually said that. There was this

AZ EV

HEADLOCKED AND LOADED Senior Yo Akiyama, right, stares down Episcopal freshman Chase Gray. The reigning SPC champ will compete for Williams College next year.

perception that no one could beat them.” On the inside of his first championship ring, Paul had the phrase “You can’t win” engraved, as a reminder of the uphill battle the team face. “Whenever I take it off I remember what we had to overcome.” Coach Paul hopes to build on Akiyama’s success. “We have one Yo. Now we have four or five sophomores that are following him,” Paul said. “Then if they each seek out someone to mentor, we’ll have eight, and from there it just snowballs.” The history of winning has transferred to the rest of the program, beginning in middle school. “The middle school boys don’t remember SJS wrestling like it was 10 years ago,” Paul said. “All they’ve seen is success. The new expectation is winning.” Coach Paul looks forward to the continued success of the wrestling program. “Winning SPC isn’t a goal for us, it’s our expectation. We want to win state, then be one of the top 25 private schools in the nation. Yo has made it clear that we can.” As his career as a Maverick comes to a close, Akiyama will begin a new chapter of his athletic life in college, going on to wrestle at Williams College.

As halftime wound down at the Maverick boys’ soccer championship game, wrestler Yo Akiyama led his team onto the bleachers, trophy in hand. Wrestling clinched its third SPC win in four years on Feb. 13. While it was a big win for the team, it was an especially sweet victory for senior captain Yo Akiyama, who placed first in his weight class. Akiyama, a four-year varsity starter, is the only wrestler who has contributed to all three SPC titles. Akiyama has wrestled since the seventh grade, but baseball used to be his main sport. “He started wrestling in PE, and we never thought he would continue,” Yuko Mori-Akiyama, his mother said. “I was even hoping that the unit would be over because he was so into it; all he ever talked about was wrestling.” Wrestling coach Alan Paul has enjoyed aiding Akiyama’s progress. “Watching Yo has been one of the most amazing transitions I’ve ever seen,” Paul said. “He’s been a pioneer for our wrestling program.” Even when he still played baseball, Akiyama devoted time to wrestling. “When he was playing baseball, he still wanted to improve his wrestling, so after baseball practice, he would go to the gym and wrestle,” Mori-Akiyama said. “He’d change his clothes in the car, and he wouldn’t get home until 9 or 9:30.” After sophomore year, with two wrestling SPC titles under his belt, Akiyama decided to drop baseball. “I grew out of baseball,” Akiyama said. “I liked how wrestling was more physical and more of an active sport.” By junior year, Akiyama was displaying a consistently high ability both in practice and competition. “He’s not a vocal guy; he just goes and does his best and sets an example for everyone else,” Paul said. “He wakes up every morning and writes

down his goals in a book. And he works tirelessly. He seeks out knowledge about the sport. He eats it, he sleeps it, he breathes it.” Akiyama’s discipline and commitment to wrestling are often noted by his coaches and peers. This discipline has translated to all aspects of his life. “Wrestling emphasizes discipline, and it transitions over to your daily life,” Akiyama said. “You start noticing that you’re doing the small things right, which makes a difference.” The little things added up for Akiyama, who had many notable wins this year including first place victories at both the Conference and State level. Akiyama traveled to Bethlehem, Penn., for the National Prep State Wrestling Championships Feb. 26-27. Sophomore Peter Chen and junior Josh Thomas qualified as well. Akiyama clinched a spot in the top 12 this year. Even so, Akiyama was not satisfied. “I had an expectation for myself going into the tournament, and I failed, so this was a tough outcome to accept,” Akiyama said. “But I received a lot of support from people around me, which helped me out.” Akiyama’s accomplishments are not limited to victories on the mat. Many teammates cite his attitude and leadership as keys to the team’s success. “We all know for a fact that Yo is the best wrestler on our team, probably the best wrestler in school history,” sophomore co-captain Layo Laniyan said. “He’s set the tempo for everyone else to reach the level he’s reached. We’re trying to follow in his footsteps and keep the tradition up.” Even as a co-captain, Laniyan still strived for

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Sports

THE REVIEW I APRIL 6, 2016

Track athletes show off field skills, hurdle towards SPC

philip kensinger

Jared Margolis

rhinestone throwboy Senior Hunter Hasley and his sister, Katie, a junior, throw the discus in practice. Both will be key to their track and field teams. Hunter will be throwing at Columbia University in the fall, and Katie recently set a school record (114 feet, 7 inches) at the Cypress Creek Relays.

by Henry Still People often overlook the “field” part of track and field, but these athletes can have a significant impact on the performance of a track team. “Each event in both track and field is worth the same number of points,” senior Hunter Hasley said. “So winning at shot put and discus is as beneficial as winning a 100m and 200m dash.” Many of the team’s top athletes participate in both track and field events. “Sometimes the best sprinters will also contribute to field because they can use that sprinting explosiveness for jumping,” Hasley said. While it is common for track athletes to run in more than one race, field athletes can also bring their skills to multiple events. Hasley, who will be throwing at Columbia University next spring, finds himself contributing to the team in shot put and discus. “Hunter has been doing really well, and he’s probably the top discus thrower in the conference,” coach Richie Mercado said. “He will contribute a lot of points.” Hasley has been a consistent performer

this year, winning the discus throw in five of seven meets, setting a personal record with a throw of 155 feet, 8 inches in the Kinkaid Relays, March 10. Hunter’s sister Katie also throws shot put and discus. “I always used to watch my brother practice, so I thought I might as well try it, and it has become a family thing for us,” Katie said. Katie’s participation in field has proved beneficial, setting a school record of 114 feet, 7 inches, at the Cypress Creek Relays on April 2. In 2015, the girls’ team was propelled by their field performance at SPC. “Last year, the girls’ field events performed really well. There was some rebuilding on the running side and some injuries, particularly in the sprints,” Katie said. “We were still able to get second in SPC, in part because of the field events. Three of us made All-SPC in field events.” Katie plans to follow her brother’s footsteps and compete in college. “A lot of people don’t realize that the running events do not heavily outweigh the field events,” junior Jarrell Sims said. “There are 17 events in total, and six of them are

field, so they are key to winning a meet.” Field events differ greatly from the style of running events. “Certain field events can be very technical,” Mercado said. “There is not a lot of time to practice the field events, so it can take years to master the technique.” Field also requires a different type of mentality. In most field events, athletes are allowed three attempts, but in track there is only one trial. “There is more gamesmanship to field,” Mercado said. “You might have to make corrections on the fly. If you go first and then someone else outperforms you, you have to have the mental focus to come back from that.” Greenhill’s girls’ team has proven that a team can win with strong field performances. “[Greenhill] does not have super pole vaulters, but they have three good ones that come in first, second and third, which has led them to victory,” Mercado said. “It’s difficult to perform well if you do not do well in those field events.” Junior Sarah VanLoh placed fourth in pole vault in SPC last year. The boys’s team finished second in SPC

last year, and the girls’ team finished third. Several girls have set school records this year, including Hasley (discus), junior Isabelle Paine (long jump) and junior Peyton Brown (1600m). “If we keep it up, then we will win SPC,” Katie Hasley said. Both the girls’ and boys’ 4-by-800 relay teams recently shattered school records at the Texas Relays on April 2. Brown recently won the 1500m at the Rice Victor Lopez Classic on March 24, setting the school record (4:34.13) which was the top recorded time in the nation this season. “Our team is so deep all around that we will be able to stay competitive,” Sims said. Despite all the accomplishments this year, Mercado knows that for the girls to defeat Greeenhill will take a total team effort. “The girls may need a perfect meet to win because of the talent of Greenhill, but it is definitely possible,” Mercado said. “With the boys, we have lots of young and upcoming talent in addition to some more experienced guys. Combine that with the fact that the overall conference talent is down this year, and our chances are very solid.”

LTURE U C

ISAS Festival in San Antonio

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

Streaming leaves cable TV in dust

April 7-9

P15 Youtube Red offers new way to view Alum to open concert venue

P16

PHILIP KENSINGER

Culture Briefs St. Mary’s Hall to host arts festival Dozens of students from Kantorei, Jazz Band, Chamber Strings, Photography and Terpsichore will travel to San Antonio April 7-9 to attend the annual Independent Schools Association of the Southwest Arts Festival at St. Mary’s Hall in San Antonio. The festival serves as an opportunity for fine arts students to interact with other schools, share ideas and learn valuable information. “When you actually get there, it’s always fun,” said junior Julia Giordano, who is attending ISAS for the third time. “It’s a good way to meet new people and also to get to know the people you already know better.” St. John’s hosted the festival in 2014.

French students shine at Symposium A team of 33 students brought home a second place trophy in the small school division of the Texas French Symposium for the second year in a row. The annual competition, held April 1-2 at Spring Woods High School, brought together teams from 41 Texas high schools. Senior Sarah Bland placed fifth overall out of over 900 participants and took home a first place medal in advanced vocabulary. She has placed in the top 10 for the past three years. The Level 1-2 drama group placed first for their scene from Act I of the Eugene Ionesco play “Rhinoceros.” “It was really exciting to perform with the group,” freshman Sophia Kontos said. “Through our performances, we were able to improve each time, picking up missed cues for each other.” Kontos and sophomore Laura Valderrabano placed first on the listening comprehension test (for Levels 2 and 3 respectively). Freshman Raunak Kundagrami placed first in the Level 2 guided speaking competition. Sophomore Grace Vincent won the Level 2 prose competition.

Briefs by Prithvi Krishnarao and Irene Vazquez

upstream battle Cable TV networks are losing customers due to the popularity of streaming services such as Hulu and Netflix. To compete, premium cable networks such as HBO have launched their own streaming sites that are only available after purchasing the live TV package.

by Claire Furse Ready for a study break, sophomore Olivia Barboza settles into a cushy library chair to watch the next episode of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. The red glow of Netflix lights up the screen, then fades to black, revealing a dazzling array of shows of every genre. Her old favorites and newly recommended shows await to be explored, at any time of the day. With seemingly endless options and flexibility, online streaming services like Netflix have taken the lead from cable and don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Bolstered by strong support among millennials, online streaming services continue to attract a loyal following and have redefined how modern viewers consume media. Although it can lead to Netflix addiction, viewers say availability and easy access of online streaming is a priority. Teenagers watch almost 60 percent of their TV shows and movies on an alternate device like a computer, phone or tablet, according to Deloitte’s Digital Democracy Survey. “If you’re sitting down on your computer, you can just start watching TV at any random point,” senior Leah Hampton said. “I didn’t even watch TV a lot until I got my computer. Suddenly I could watch it at school or when I wasn’t at my house, so that really got me addicted.” For busy students, the convenience of online streaming outweighs the longer wait for new TV episodes since most cannot schedule their lives around their favorite shows. “I don’t have the time after school or during the night to watch shows as they air,” sophomore Alex Kakadiaris said. “When I’m at school and have free time, I can just watch part of an episode, or while I’m doing homework as a break.” The shift from cable to online streaming hints at a cultural change: people value their time in an increasingly fast-paced world. Viewers find online streaming more appealing because they can text, surf the internet and watch TV all in one device. According to Deloitte, 90 percent of American viewers multitask while watching television, with millennials leading the pack. “People don’t like waiting through commercials,” sophomore Mary Martha Maclay said. “They like to have everything accessible and don’t want to record shows.” Consumers appreciate the value of online streaming, which costs about $10 a month. In contrast, the average American pays about $100 monthly for the average cable subscription, according to Leichtman Research Group, Inc. As cable subscriptions drop and cheaper online streaming grows, cable companies feel pressure to appeal to consumers by decreasing the number of ads. “Netflix is good for the price [$8 a month], but their options are limited,” freshman Connor Bailey said. “Cable is a fair price for what they have, too, but if cable removed ads or decreased them,

that would be even better.” Streaming services have also sought to attract viewers with exclusive content, like popular Netflix Original shows “Orange is the New Black” and “House of Cards.” Online streaming can also affect show quality, giving freedom to the showrunner to experiment with edgier material and allows for greater flexibility. On cable, viewers typically must wait one week between new episodes, whereas streaming services release an entire season simultaneously. “Shows for online streaming can have longer plots and more subtle hints, since it’s implied that you’re going to binge-watch them,” Maclay said. “The cohesive storyline makes shows more engaging.” Online streaming services also provide an archive of older shows and movies. “In Film Club, we stream most of the movies we show, like ‘Citizen Kane’,” said Maclay, who leads the club. “There is a wider variety of film available online that we don’t have to buy.” Some viewers still enjoy the wide range of channels offered by cable companies like Comcast and satellite providers like Dish or DirecTV. “I rarely watch cable, mainly on the weekends whenever I’m caught up with all of my main TV shows,” Kakadiaris said. “But with cable, I can channel surf and find shows I don’t usually watch online.” Self-proclaimed Netflix addicts often bond over their love for online streaming. According to Deloitte, 84 percent of young millennial viewers binge watch TV, defined as watching at least three episodes at a time. “People can connect more by watching shows on-demand and binge-watching shows on Netflix together,” Kakadiaris said. “I’ve connected a lot with people who have watched all of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ with me.” The popularity of online streaming can also create a generational divide between older viewers who still enjoy cable and teenagers who prefer Netflix. “My dad will be watching Greek channels on the TV in one room, and I’ll be in my room watching Hulu,” Kakadiaris said. Many teenagers connect through television with their friends rather than their parents due to the rise of online streaming. “It’s not really a family bonding experience,” senior Claire Gorman said. “I bond more with my friends over TV because we watch the same shows.” The surge in online streaming has also affected the movie industry since more consumers watch films at home instead of at movie theaters. “If people stream online, they don’t want to go to the movie theater because it’s a lot of work,” Maclay said. “Big budget movies have even bigger budgets nowadays, so movie theaters don’t profit

very much, which is why your popcorn is so expensive.” Exclusive online content has also fueled the tension between streaming services and movie theaters. On Feb. 25, American movie theaters refused to screen Netflix’s original movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” because Netflix tried to release the movie online at the same time it was scheduled to open in theaters. “If the movie is a big release, I’ll usually go see it with my friends,” Bailey said. “But if I’m by myself or if it’s a smaller movie, I’ll just wait until it comes out online.” Some premium cable networks such as HBO and Showtime are joining the trend of online streaming by streaming their shows on their own broadband service. “I don’t usually watch HBO, so I won’t stop watching cable or pay extra for those shows,” Bailey said. “But it’s probably better and more accessible for people who don’t have cable or just want to stream shows to their laptop.” Some viewers maintain that cable isn’t going away any time soon and are willing to give live TV a chance. “Cable and online streaming will probably always co-exist, but cable won’t be as popular because it doesn’t have the same advantages,” Maclay said. “If there’s a particular show or network that makes really good shows and they aren’t available on streaming services, that could reverse online streaming popularity.” Sports fanatics still rely on cable to watch their favorite games live. “It can be irritating when I’m not at home, and I want to watch sports online because you have to pay to watch any games,” Kakadiaris said. “If I’m not able to watch the game on cable, there’s no way to see it later.” Cable is also useful for those who enjoy watching the news or other live events. “It’s nice to have TV for the news, even though you can look it up online. I’m a little bit out of the loop on news by just using streaming services,” Gorman said. “We also always want to watch the ball drop for New Year’s Eve, but it’s hard to find the channel with just an antenna. We try to find it online, but it usually isn’t up to speed.” Many millennials view cable as outdated and online streaming as the new norm, but how long the popularity of online streaming will last is uncertain. “I know a lot of college students use online streaming to procrastinate, but eventually, they all feel like they need to grow up, just because it takes up so much time,” Hampton said. “As people realize how much time they’re giving to their TV, they’re going to grow out of it, but the next generation will probably still be hooked like we are.”

CULTURE

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

YouTube Red goes for green, offers new content by Emily Chen

As Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime expand their ventures and release over 50 original series, YouTube has made an attempt to get in on the market. Staff writer Emily Chen reflects on the service’s myriad strengths and weaknesses. Most people love YouTube because of its quirky cat videos and democratic format: anyone can be a YouTube star overnight. But the site is flirting with new ideas for revenue and has made an attempt to capitalize on the current wave of streaming services: YouTube Red. The charm of YouTube videos is that they’re short, they’re funny and they feel personal. Anyone can sign up for an account and upload a video about anything. Whether people have followed their favorite entertainers from the very first video to reaching millions of subscribers, or they just see one video that they can completely relate to, everyone feels close to content creators. Even though many YouTubers are professionals who create this content as a career, they feel like funny, charming, normal people. YouTube Music Key debuted in November 2014, offering ad-free streaming of music and music videos from participating labels on YouTube and Google Play. In October 2015, the site was revised and relaunched under the name YouTube Red, having expanded to offer all videos on YouTube without ads. Now, subscribers can watch videos without ads, stream music, save videos for offline viewing and play videos in the background while using the app. Most importantly, a subscription comes with access to exclusive content from popular YouTube creators. The first round of YouTube Red content includes the original movies “Lazer Team,” featuring Rooster Teeth, “A Trip To Unicorn Is-

land,” featuring Lilly Singh and “Dance Camp,” featuring Meg DeAngelis, as well as a “Scare PewDiePie” series. There are at least three other pieces currently in production. Haven’t heard of any of these? There’s a reason why. Frankly, these first-round shows are unimpressive. The skills needed to make shows or movies are different from what is needed to make YouTube videos. While these are all made by popular creators, the larger-than-life personalities and casual humor of regular YouTube content might not transfer to longer platforms. Original shows don’t need to measure up to creators’ normal content; they need to be better, go above and beyond, in order to encourage viewers to continue their subscription to YouTube Red after the one-month-free trial. So far, they haven’t lived up to these demands. YouTube has chosen these creators because they have wide appeal. PewDiePie is the most

subscribed channel in the world, with 42 million viewers signed up. I watch a lot of YouTube. I have seen videos by all the people featured on YouTube Red, but I don’t follow them intently enough to really care about these new shows. I wouldn’t have watched their original shows if not for this article. The YouTube Red creators may have tens of millions of subscribers, but they are no one’s favorite YouTubers. YouTube is also having trouble gaining new viewers beyond the teen or young adult market. By including content primarily from existing, popular creators, it is unlikely that the site will be able to break into a new market. But the original shows featured on YouTube Red present a new opportunity for smaller creators. Wong Fu Productions released a video called “Single by 30” in June. They are currently expanding this pilot into an eight-part series of 22-minute episodes to be released on YouTube Red.

$ $ $

JARED MARGOLIS

YouTube’s expansion has allowed Wong Fu to hire a full writing team and make the longest series they have attempted thus far. YouTube Red may open up opportunities like this to other channels. A subscription-only service is also not a bad idea. YouTube has been free for viewers since 2007 and depends on ad revenue. A Wall Street Journal article from 2015 stated that YouTube is roughly break-even, as it generates little profit. There are so many ‘professional’ YouTube creators whose careers and livelihood depend on these videos, but this is an unstable way to make a living. It relies almost entirely on viewer donations or advertising revenue, the latter of which is easily lost when consumers use AdBlock. Having a subscription-only service could be a way to provide steady income to featured creators. The plans for becoming a streaming service seem far more improbable than the current YouTube Red features. Most people will continue with the service they already use. Netflix, the largest streaming service, had 75 million subscribers as of January. It is compatible with a larger range of devices and currently has a huge selection of movies and TV shows that would take any newcomer years to build up to. Even if someone is looking for a new streaming service, the market is already flooded with sites. Nielsen ratings for traditional TV are at an alltime low since people are viewing using the hundreds of available sites rather than cable television. YouTube may have a leg up in this market because it is already an established brand, but there are already many big name streaming sites. YouTube’s attempts to break into a new market will likely prove unsuccessful. The popularity of YouTube Red’s original content is questionable, and may not be high enough to entice viewers to pay a subscription while regular, free YouTube is still available. Why would YouTube give up of all this to become just another streaming service? The minor benefits, like saving videos offline, definitely aren’t compelling enough.

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CULTURE

THE REVIEW I APRIL 6, 2016

When Will Garwood (’01) stumbled upon the property that would eventually become the White Oak Music Hall in the late summer of 2013, he knew he “had to pull the trigger.” With the Raven Tower bar next door, Garwood saw potential for both venues. Bosting a scenic view of the downtown skyline and close proximity to White Oak Bayou, the location embodied Houston culture and seemed like an opportunity to diversify the local music scene. Situated in Northside, the White Oak Music Hall is set to open later this month. The venue features a state-of-the-art indoor music facility with a wraparound balcony and a two-story hanging wood ceiling with the capacity to hold 1,400 people. A smaller room seats 300 people and will host an additional 200 shows a year. The outer lawn boasts a capacity for 30,000 and will host the 35 to 55 bigger shows each year. Garwood, a real estate developer, envisions the property in the style of a neighborhood icehouse. Garwood is a developer and managing partner of a group of 40 investors who came together to buy the land for the music hall and Raven Tower properties. Several St. John’s graduates are included in the investor group. “Our role is to represent those investors by developing the land, building the assets and then putting on the shows,” Garwood said. Garwood attributes his confidence in business and real estate to his time at St. John’s. “You’re exposed to a lot of diverse people,” Garwood said. “One of the most important skills I learned at St. John’s was how to be an efficient reader, communicator and observer, and those are some of the skills that I bring to bear as a developer.” Garwood’s liberal arts education influenced his skillset in the business world. “I’m not an engineer, I’m not a sound person and I don’t have relationships with touring music people,” Garwood said. “I work with all of those people, and part of doing that is being able to communicate clearly what goes into writing and being able to hear what people are telling you,

and I think St. John’s does a good job with that.” After graduating from St. John’s, Garwood attended Princeton University and majored in history. According to Garwood, his major is surprisingly helpful in business, especially dealing with people’s expectations and emotions. Garwood has gained conviction throughout the project’s three-year development. “You get a feel for people who have done things, what their motives were, and how they were inspired, and it gives you the confidence that you can go out and do those things,” Garwood said. One aspect of business that Garwood appreciates is the environment that allows people with limited experience to create successful projects. On March 7, Garwood led the SJS senior class on a tour around the unfinished site. “When we visited, I thought it was just a random building until I saw the stage inside,” Angel Casillas said. “After seeing the stage, I could imagine people listening to music, hanging out with friends and having fun.” The seniors saw potential in the hall, even in its unfinished state. “The idea of Raven Tower is great, and it is a pretty cool place,” Alex Daichman said. “It would be great to go to a live music venue not too far away.” White Oak Music Hall will provide opportunities for the Near Northside community. According to a Feb. 19 article in monthly culture magazine Free Press Houston, the music hall has partnered with the surrounding neighborhoods to improve the area by rebuilding sidewalks, adding landscaping and working with the city to build a hike and bike trail connecting White Oak Bayou and Woodland Park in the Heights to Moody Park in Northside. “The Northside has a powerful current of musical heritage and talent that we hope will help propel us,” Garwood said. According to Garwood, there is a discrepancy between Houston’s renowned fine arts and fine dining atmospheres and the city’s music scene. Garwood hopes White Oak Music Hall will offer a unique cultural experience that has community ties and does not feel like an arena.

PHILIP KENSINGER

by Gracie Blue

PHILIP KENSINGER

Alum develops state-of-the-art music venue

Garwood and his team partnered with concert-promotion company Pegstar for booking and operating. “We want to bring in national touring acts to a place that’s as comfortable as your own backyard,” Garwood said. “That’s what we’ve been able to do through our partnership with Pegstar.” Garwood already plans to host M83, CHVRCHES, the Lumineers, Sturgill Simpson and The Flaming Lips. Garwood expressed his love for all types of music and its effects on people. “I have always loved the escapism of live music,” Garwood said. “It transports you

away from the weights of the day-to-day and infuses you with the energy of the performance.” Garwood’s projects are a part of a greater mission to embrace the essence of the cultural melting pot that is Houston. As Garwood told Free Press, “Seeing shows at the Greek in Berkeley, California, and Stubbs in Austin made me want a place that is tucked away within our Houston community, where we could all just let our collective hair down and jam out to good music.”

RAVIN’ TOWER Raven Tower and White Oak Music Hall are under construction. The new music venue is set to open later this month.

Catching up with Former SJS faculty

Jon Peterson

Gregory Han

Eric Lombardi

Every time I reach into the kitchen cabinet for Tupperware, I think of St. John’s School. My bin remains full of HEB plastic containers once filled with the food that my beloved colleagues gave our family during the threemonth hospitalization of our younger son, Henrik. He is now a thriving two-year-old who enjoys playing outside and showering love on our cat, Trudy Goodshoes. His big brother Anders is six years old and in first grade. He enjoys collecting stuffed animal-style organs including a colon, bladder, pancreas and heart. The three of us shared a sledding adventure this winter, which ended in frozen tears. I also played outdoor boot hockey for the first time and attended my first meat raffle. I’m teaching US History and US Foreign Policy at St. Paul’s Academy (SPA) in Minnesota. I’m also planning to teach summer courses on presidential elections at the Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth and a history of rock ‘n roll class at SPA.

I spent six years (2008-2014) at SJS, where I taught electives in the study of religion, coordinated the Upper School Chapel program as well as the K-12 Chapel experience, led events like All-School Chapel and taught English I and IV. Since the summer of 2014, I have been the Director of Interfaith Relations at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, Houston’s oldest interfaith service organization. Most people know about IMGH through our Meals on Wheels and Refugee Services programs. I direct and oversee all of our work, building networks of faith (and non-faith) communities, providing resources and developing programs like our Dinner Dialogues and ILEAD youth engagement work. Considering the tone and tenor of American discourse around religion, I and my staff of four have been very busy. I speak regularly, lead programs in religious diversity and literacy, coordinate speakers and house of worship visits, lecture on religious topics and gather people together to learn about other religious traditions.

My last day of 18 years as a very proud member of the St. John’s community ended on Friday, June 26. My first day on the job at my new school, Fort Worth Country Day, was Monday, June 29. I loaded a U-Haul on that Friday afternoon and drove it to Fort Worth on Saturday. I think it was good for me not to have time to wallow in my sadness for what I was leaving behind at 2727 Buffalo Speedway. My wife and I were met at our temporary apartment by five FWCD juniors and seniors who unloaded every bit of our furniture and had us immediately feeling welcomed into this wonderful community. The job is fantastic: challenging, energizing, fun and intimidating. I would not have left St. John’s for anything less. The move was about the chance to try out a very different job while maintaining connections to the world of SPC and ISAS that I have so loved as a student at St. Mark’s and a teacher and coach at both Casady (Oklahoma City) and St. John’s.

P I N I O NS

ON POINT SJS ranks No. 7 in academics on Niche Free March Madness Music Festival Juggling unicyclist at prom reveal

OFF TARGET Even fewer students show up to Field Day Batman v Superman worse than expected NCAA trafﬁc hinders weekend travel

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

Should ﬁne arts be a required credit? Creativity is what makes each person unique, and fine arts education is the easiest way for each person to express their individuality. Both of my parents are professional classical musicians, able to make money by sharing their art. They greatly enjoy their jobs, yet it is possible that they might not have found their callings in their younger years. If they had not practiced or been encouraged in their musical pursuits during their required fine arts classes, they might not have continued on their musical paths. Our technology and information have improved, yet people have begun shifting their focus more towards activities in the math and science realms. I understand that students might not be interested in visual arts, music or photography and that they shouldn’t be required to take classes that bore them, but if that is the case then physical education should not be required either. In the same way that physical activity benefits students’ physical health, fine arts benefits students’ mental and creative health. In both the classroom and their daily lives, students should not only be utilizing their left-brain but also their right-brain functions. They need to explore their full capabilities, and if any school should be prescient of needing to have students who are well-rounded, it’s SJS. Many students might not even know they like an artistic activity until they try it. Having recently participated in the Upper School production of “Oklahoma!” with a number of other seniors who did not participate in other productions or even sing in choir, I can say that everyone loved the experience by its conclusion. This type of creative fulfillment would occur less often if fine arts were not required. There is a certain stigma to fine arts, especially in the Information

PRO CON

michael vermeulen

Age, that they lack a practical purpose. To those who agree with that assessment I propose a simple question: have you ever enjoyed any music, visual art, photography, writing, film or any creative project made by someone else? Unless you grew up in a cave containing only some coding software and a calculus textbook, the answer is almost definitely positive. If fine arts aren’t promoted in schools, we will find ourselves with less great art to enjoy. Even with the new schedule, SJS has no legitimate reason to terminate the requirement for fine arts. Performing ensembles will have their rehearsals placed at the beginning of the day, which could activate students’ rightbrain capabilities and help them creatively problem-solve in their more academic classes throughout the day. Regular fine arts classes will still be an extra class to include in the rigorous SJS schedule, but it’s not as if a fine arts class is required for the entirety of a student’s high school career. Non-performing students only need to take two semester-long courses in four years of schooling. I’d say that’s not too much to ask.

26% No: There are too many people in fine arts who are not interested

sophia li

I have participated in ballet for many years, and my role has always been the same: audience member. It’s no secret that I’m a benchwarmer when it comes to fine arts. I love reclining in the VST, hooting and hollering during performances and applauding loudly when the show ends. But if you put me in Caprice, I will trip, stumble and most likely injure someone. Some people argue that if fine arts should not be a requirement, then why should physical education be? Fine arts and P.E. are not the same, and they do not serve the same purpose. Students should do sports or take P.E. for health reasons: the Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that teenagers get at least one hour of physical activity every day. With the amount of homework students have every night, sometimes it’s hard to find time for exercise. P.E. and sports are essential for our health. Yes, a sports credit is only required freshman and sophomore years, but let’s be honest: when you’re a junior or senior, carrying the colossal amount of homework, textbooks, notebooks and water bottles in your backpack is exercise enough.

25% Yes: Students should try fine arts before rejecting it

33% Yes: It helps students become more well-rounded

10% No: it’s pointless if I don’t want to pursue it in the future 4% No: It takes up too much time

Unlike math, science and humanities, which are core classes for college and future jobs, the fine arts help students who wish to enter specialized fields. Critics of my views say often mistake the fine arts as synonymous with creativity. This is not true. Physics students build Rube Goldbergs and dollhouses. AP English students write crazy road trip stories. Our core classes are bursting with creativity. Fine arts do not allow a student to embrace creativity. A student must be creative in order to excel. I have several friends who are talented artists, and they have made it very clear that if I ever joined an art class, I would ruin the experience for everyone else. I couldn’t even color inside the lines as a kindergartner, I agree. A fine arts requirement is also a hassle when it comes to scheduling. With next year’s new schedule, if you take five core classes (which college counselors recommend) along with a fine arts course, you will not have room for another elective that you might have wanted to take. You won’t be able to take Creative Writing. You won’t be able to join the Review. The new schedule was created to give us more time to relax. How can some of us relax when we are forced to take a class we are not interested in? Between the papers, presentations and labs, I want time to calm down and just breathe. Last semester, I enrolled in Photography I, which I absolutely loved, but that was only because I enjoyed photography. On the other hand, some people have no interest in these classes. Fine arts are full of innovation and creativity, but not everyone has the passion for it, and we need to respect that. Because SJS is such a competitive school, a required fine arts class might take up time that a student needs to simply survive. If you love fine arts, do it. But if you don’t, no one should force you to.

Data taken from a poll of 80 subjects on The Review Online.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

ASHWINI BANDI

Young people should stay up-to-date with politics, vote in elections

Russell

n this month’s Why You Should Care, government teacher Russell Hardin discusses the current presidential campaign.

Hardin Getting youths out to vote THE ISSUE: Many Americans think that their vote does not matter, or worse, they do not vote in elections. Thirty-four percent of non-voters are younger than 30. When a sizeable portion of a demographic does not vote, their interests become marginalized. While a candidate or a political party might sympathize with the concerns of young people, they are much more concerned with the interests of the people who do vote.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: If you watch a political news program for more than two minutes, you would see a graph or hear a reference to two types of political polls. The first is the poll of “likely voters.” There is also the exit poll, which pollsters conduct as people who just voted leave their polling place. The people polled are asked questions about their, ethnicity, religion, voting history, etc. They are also asked to articulate what issues most influenced their vote. When this data is tallied and processed, political parties and campaigns digest this informa-

tion for every bit of evidence they can find that will provide a window into voting patterns. Politicians not only want to know what the people care about, but also which issues the electorate is responding to.

American politics heat up THE ISSUE: Many Americans are appalled by the tenor of the current presidential primaries. However, Americans are voting in this year’s primaries in near-record numbers compared to the last 36 years. What does this tell us about the state of American politics when Americans are simultaneously appalled and engaged? WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Presiden-

tial elections reveal a great deal about the cultural and political temperament of the country. There is clearly a palpable anger that many Americans on both sides of the ideological spectrum feel. They are also scared. Likely Democratic voters feel angry that there is tremendous economic disparity. A majority of likely Republican voters report being angry with the government. Much of this anger is our own fault. We increasingly segregate ourselves so we live among people that hold identical political ideologies. As a result, the people we vote into office are ideological and not pragmatic. Because they essentially represent a narrow demographic of constituents, they are encouraged to take a stance and yell rather than listen and discuss with those who hold different beliefs. The abundance of

social media sites exacerbates this problem. We now can easily find a news source that reflects our pre-existing beliefs and cocoon ourselves into a world of narrow-mindedness. We must expect the same behavior from our elected leaders until we begin to conscientiously reach out to those who believe differently than us.

Managing global crises THE ISSUE: We live in a hyper-globalized world. There are many challenges that are so big that they require the heavy lifting of government institutions to solve them. The Syrian refugee crisis, ISIS and belligerent dictators are not problems that can be solved by non-governmental organizations because these problems have global implications and require the cooperation of multiple nations. The reality is that we can’t solve every global crisis that exists. How do we prioritize which problems we want our leaders to address?

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: We have a

tendency to look at a problem in another part of the world and ask, “How does this affect me?”

EMMA SHEA

Our greatest presidents have had the ability to understand that while we must have a sense of how a problem relates to national interests, that does not mean that the entire world revolves around the United States’ needs. World leaders are looking at our current election as a window into how we plan to participate in the challenges facing the global community. When candidates for president disparage people of different faiths or trivialize tragedies in the world as being problems that are beyond our sphere of concern, this does not go unnoticed. ISIS and repressive theocracies will not be defeated, and climate change will not be adequately addressed if we, or any other nation, is forced to act alone. If we are to solve these issues, we must elect leaders that other countries see as allies.

OPINIONS

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

STAFF EDITORIAL

‘Voluntourism’ sidesteps complex global issues The staff editorial differs from opinions pieces in that it is written by the Editorial Board, which consists of the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editor and Senior Design Editor. As students make plans for the summer, they tend to consider jobs, internships and other activities that fend off boredom while helping to fill in résumés. One option may seem to check all the boxes: a service trip to an impoverished foreign country. These trips seem to offer opportunities to explore another part of the world, do some good and add accolades to resumes. Yet “voluntourism” may cause more harm than good. In a vote of 5-0, the Editorial Board agrees that students should reconsider voluntourism trips unless they can make a long-term, thoroughly planned commitment to the groups abroad. Most students do not have sufficient skills to contribute to projects in a developing country. Programs like Doctors Without Borders and the Peace Corps are effective because they send out highly trained volunteers with experience in medicine, agriculture and teaching. Most volunteers on mission and other youth trips have

little to no experience; many students building houses or schools have never even picked up a hammer. Numerous studies have shown that voluntourism has negative side-effects. In some cases,

volunteers take jobs away from locals seeking employment by doing construction work for free. In addition, volunteers create instability in the lives of young children whom they teach for a week or two. Children are unable

STEPHEN KIM

relate to a permanent caregiver and can occasionally develop attachment disorders. In the worst scenarios, local inhabitants must fix collapsing infrastructure built by voluntourists. According to a New York Times article entitled “The Voluntourist’s Dilemma,” “Easing global poverty is an enormously complex task. To make so much as a dent requires hard, sustained work and expertise,” writes Jacob Kushner. Developing countries have large-scale issues that are not easily fixed, even by the government. A group of inexperienced volunteers at best provides band-aids to enormous global problems, including poverty and illiteracy. Ultimately, we pose the question: Who really benefits from voluntourism? If the volunteer is making a sustained commitment to the project, thoroughly researching the country’s culture and society and investigating the effects of the project, it may be worth it. Maybe the local people will benefit. But if the trip amounts to tanning on the beach, gaining material for a college essay and adding photos to Instagram, the volunteer is probably gaining more than the intended recipients.

From the editors

Dear Reader, As we saunter through our final weeks at SJS, we are looking back on what we wish we had known coming into high school. We hope to provide advice that will help underclassmen navigate the roller coaster that is high school. Buckle up. Cara’s Pro Tip No. 1: It’s okay to fail. I’ve never made more 60s and 70s than I made in Honors Biology. Even though it was my most stressful class in high school and resulted in tears practically every week the first semester, there were a few hidden bonuses. I was more prepared for AP Biology, and I learned a lesson: I wasn’t going to be good at every class, and it was fine that I wasn’t. Cara’s Pro Tip No. 2: Try new things. I participated in the musical freshman and senior year even though the songs sounded better when I was mouthing the words. I never envisioned myself wearing a pioneer outfit in “Oklahoma,” but I’m glad that I have memories with my friends dancing backstage and singing in the dressing room. Gabe’s Pro Tip No. 1: Get to know your teachers. They

are caring, intelligent people who want to see you succeed in all aspects of life. During junior year, I visited Dr. Bellows almost every day before advisory to the point that I nearly became one of her freshman advisees. I am confident that most of your teachers will be glad to help you if you are open with them. Gabe’s Pro Tip No. 2: Respect the facilities. You may take the Campus Center for granted after walking under its archways every morning, but don’t forget that you are attending a high school that resembles an elite university. High schoolers can buy smoothies at any point in the school day, and seniors have an entire room filled with flat screen TV’s and video games. SJS awards you countless privileges that most teenagers could only dream of — the least we can do is take care of what we have. Chris’s Pro Tip No. 1: Chill out. Seriously, just chill out. Stressing out and worrying won’t do you any good; it’ll just make high school a lot less fun. Chris’s Pro Tip No. 2: Do things that genuinely interest you. High school, despite what your parents may tell you,

is not a time reserved for building your résumé. Don’t do things because you think they make you look good. Trust me, nobody really cares. Instead, do what interests you. Your “work” will seem less like work, and you will enjoy your time in high school a lot more. Pro Tip from the three of us: Join The Review. You won’t regret it. Peace,

Love,

Joy,

VIEW

JARED MARGOLIS

A letter to 8th graders

The Review · St. John’s School · 2401 Claremont, Houston, TX 77019 · review.sjs@gmail.com · 713-850-0222 x373 sjsreview.com · Facebook SJS Review · Twitter @SJS_Review · Instagram @_thereview Member Columbia Scholastic Press Assn.: Gold Crown 2015, Silver Crown 2014, 2016 · National Scholastic Press Assn.: Pacemaker Award 2015; 7th Place Best of Show, All-American 2014-2015

Editors-in-Chief Cara Maines, Gabe Malek, Chris Zimmerman Managing Editor Brooke Kushwaha Senior Design Editor Matthew Neal Senior Assignment Editor Megan Shen Assignment Editors Christian Maines, Irene Vazquez Online Editor Amy Liu Design Editor Ashwini Bandi Photography Editors Philip Kensinger, Jared Margolis Copy Editors Sophia Li, Claire Furse Assistant Online Editor Sadde Mohamed Business Manager Grace Amandes Video Editor Max Westmark, Michael VerMeulen

Staff

Roosh Bhosale, Gracie Blue, Gwendelyn Butler, Sophie Caldwell, Ryan Chang, Emily Chen, Iris Chen, Ellie Davidson, Andrew Duong, Sam Foshee, Claire Furse, Shomik Ghose, Sophie Gillard, Catherine Gorman, Margaret Gorman, Kate Habich, David Hammer, Joseph Hlavinka, Nyla Jennings, Reygan Jones, Alexander Kim, Stephen Kim, Prithvi Krishnarao, Sukul Mittal, Anish Nayak, Saswat Pati, Daniel Poag, Robert Rae, Emily Ragauss, Caroline Ramirez, Emma Shea, Maddie Shen, Henry Still, Gray Watson, Dani Yan, Austin Zhang

Advisers David Nathan, Shelley Stein (‘88)

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 seven times a school year. We distribute 1,000 copies each issue, most of which are given for free to the Upper School community of 607 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 columnists are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and good taste. On occasion, we will publish letters anonymously, provided the editor knows the author’s identity. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received. Either email letters and guest columns to review. sjs@gmail.com; give them to David Nathan in the Review Room (Q210); or mail letters to The Review, 2401 Claremont, Houston, TX 77019.

ODDS AND ENDS

Word for word

Funny soundbites across campus

“I think a guaranteed benchwarmer should be able to have a little fun on Friday night.” Jeffrey Paine pleads his case to baseball coaches

Sixty Seconds

Mr. Harris observes teacher-student confidentiality

“Sorry, this movie is European so it’s... artsy.” Dr. Rawson focuses on cinema

Dept. Profile History Dept. Head Wendall Zartman

ELLIE DAVIDSON

18 years, World History

with Jarrell Sims

NAME GRADE STATE OF MIND KNOWN FOR COLOR HATE TO LOVE LOVE TO HATE HAPPINESS MISERY OLYMPIC SPORT DREAM DATE RELATIONSHIP STATUS COMFORT FOOD PLACE TO LIVE SPIRIT ANIMAL MOVIE PHOBIA I WISH FOLLOW US?

Jarrell Markeith Sims 11th grade Calm, Cool, and Collected “Our Farder” Lavender Mr. Turk’s Jokes The Bachelor/Bachelorette Applying Physics Concepts to Real Life The Hours Between Breakfast & Lunch Sleeping Past My Alarm Ronda Rousey Crushing On Someone Cheesecake (But Only Late at Night) Israel A Gryffindor Pulp Fiction Public Bathrooms My English Class Lasted Longer Instagram: ginjarrell62, Snapchat: PlayaFromTheHimalaya

Veterans Gara JohnsonWest 15 years, World History JARED MARGOLIS

Barbara DiPaolo 15 years, World History

Key Additions Russell Hardin Rookie, Government

JARED MARGOLIS

Bailey Duncan 1 year, US History



Kushwahaha By Brooke Kushwaha

NYLA JENNINGS

“I won’t out anyone or name any names, but you all know I’m talking about Austin.”

MAD SCIENTISTS

4. Science classes are busy with a flurry of hands-on labs and projects. Junior Sam Schneider completes a circuit to spark a light bulb (photo 1) while AP Environmental Science students experiment with plants (2). Having already conquered trebuchets and robots, Physics II students tinker with their

elevator design (3). In Physics I, junior Alara Burgessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hair stands on end as she touches a Van der Graaf generator. (4). Sophomore Alex Buckman observes a combustion reaction first-hand after chemistry teacher Sarwat Jafry lit methane bubbles on his hand (5).

Photos by Jared Margolis (1,4), Philip Kensinger (2,3), and Sukul Mittal (5) | Story by Megan Shen

THE REVIEW I SPECIAL SECTION

American Horror Story decision 2016

BROOKE KUSHWAHA

THE REVIEW I SPECIAL SECTION

Debate over dinner: Families discuss political rifts by Sophia Li Junior Andy Huff’s entire family disagrees on politics. “My dad is an absolute Wall Street business Republican,” Huff said. “He loves Rubio and doesn’t want federal health care or high taxes. My mom’s views align with Bernie Sanders’,” he adds, especially in his admiration of the French and Dutch systems. “I’m young and probably never going to be rich, so it makes sense why I’m a liberal who supports welfare.” With the presidential election seven months away, family conversations frequently turn into debates dividing liberal- and conservative-leaning spouses, or splitting the household between the generations. Not all students skew more liberal than their parents. Jarrell Sims is a case in point. “My mom’s a Democrat, and I’m leaning more towards the Republican Party, so we always have our little scrimmages,” Sims said. “It gets pretty heated because we start debating issues like who would make a better president. My mom loves Hillary, and I really don’t.” Political conversations between junior Matthew Fastow and his father are polite. “Our views aren’t fundamentally different. My dad’s just more cynical when it comes to politics while I’m more optimistic. I guess it’s due to the generational divide,” Fastow said. Fastow is sometimes frustrated when adults disregard his political views because of his youth. “The main problem I have is when adults discount my opinion because of my age. They just kind of laugh it off,’” Fastow said. “I’ve been following Sanders in the recent election, since I support him the most, but my parents have kind of dismissed him as an extreme liberal. Even after I showed them polls where Sanders is tied with Clinton nationally, they still brushed

21%

of teens are more liberal than their parents

if off as if it could never happen.” Though her parents are conservative, sophomore Linda Yu considers herself liberal on most issues. “I grew up in a Democratic state, New York, and the mayor was very involved, especially after 9/11,” Yu said. “Being female is definitely an influence as well. I support Hillary not because she’s female but because having male legislators make laws constricting women’s reproduction rights is irrational.” Yu also has some conservative tendencies. “I support small government, but I also support subsidizing education, health-care reform and regulations on the market,” said Yu, who also supports national drug legalization. While senior Madison Trice and her father are liberals, Trice’s mother is an independent, yet her entire family has rallied behind one candidate. “I am pro-Bernie Sanders, my mom is pro-Bernie Sanders, and my dad is super pro-Bernie Sanders,” Trice said. Trice is still willing to support Hillary should she be the Democratic nominee. “Hillary would be most effective in connecting across the aisle,” Trice said. “She’s already heavily involved in politics, and Republicans might be more willing to compromise with her than with Bernie.” Junior Bob Corpening prefers steering clear of politics with his parents. “I generally avoid political discussions with them because I don’t think I can change what they believe is the right role of government,”

71%

of teens have about the same views as their parents

Corpening said. “Talking politics shouldn’t be emotional, but for a lot of folks, it seems like it is, and that makes it hard to have an educational conversation.” Despite the Huff family’s disagreements on economic issues, everyone agrees on social matters. “We all support same-sex marriage. We all support naturalization for immigrants,” Huff said. “Socially speaking, we’re all liberals. Moderate to very strong liberals, but all liberals.” Huff and his political views are not influenced by his parents. “My parents are great, but their word is not law. I read a lot of things, examine economic books because I’m a gigantic dork, and I have come to decide on a lot of issues by myself. My views do seem to align with my mom’s but that’s purely coincidental,” Huff said. “I don’t have my views because I think they’re beneficial for me, but because I think that they’re good for society.” Corpening bases his political views from economics. “I agree with a lot of my mom’s liberal ideas such as environmentalism, but I try to look at everything in terms of its monetary value,” Corpening said. “You can’t say exactly how much social changes in society would cost, but you can say there’s a huge section of the population that is unemployed, which is harmful from an economic perspective. If our government is concerned with expediency, it has a job to solve for equal economic opportunity.” Corpening also incorporates parts of his parents’ views into his own. “I look at the parts of my parents’ views I disagree most with, and try to change those. I generally identify more with my dad because he’s more middle-of-theroad, and that gives me more room to change what I think in either direction,” Corpening said. “I agree with Dad that government could be

more limited than currently, not that it should and not that it would be better, but that it can be.” Trice has had a variety of influences on her political views, including her parents. “When I was little, my family would have debates around the dinner table so dissent and questioning was something that my parents always encouraged,” Trice said. “My family’s views gave me a baseline, but when I lived in Maryland, my friends and I would make phone calls for Obama during his campaigns, and they really shifted my views even further to the left.” Fastow appreciates his parents’ impartiality when it comes to his political views. “I am happy that my parents are a lot more open-minded than what I see a lot of other people’s parents are like. The worst it gets in my household is a light-hearted debate,” Fastow said. Sims enjoys debating politics with his mother. “I do like to know her views because it’s good to know the other side’s points. Even though it’s tough at times having different political opinions, it’s also pretty cool and educational,” Sims said. “She’s learning about the Republican Party from me, and vice versa.” Huff also relishes debating politics with his parents. “It makes things more interesting when you have people that you respect in your life who have their own well-thought out opinions. It’s cool to know someone who you can have an intellectual conversation with,” Huff said. “That way, you get to learn new things and develop your own opinion using the knowledge you gain from them.” For most students, familial bonds trump political differences. “Although we have our differences, it doesn’t matter. Yes, we argue sometimes, but at the end of the day, she’s still my mother,” Sims said. “I’m still her son, and we still love each other. Our differing political views do not change that.”

of teens are more conservative than their Poll results: Gallup

parents GRAPHIC BY ASHWINI BANDI

GUEST COLUMNIST

MarCUS MANCA, CHAPTER PRESIDENT OF JSA, ON the PARTISAN DIVIDE AND HOW TO BRIDGE IT How has America become so polarized? Political polarization has been a critical part of American politics over the last several decades. Now more than ever, our government and citizens tend towards extreme views and shy away from moderacy. We are at the point where polarization is becoming a problem in our government. One of the most defining aspects of American politics is the effective two-party system. De facto two-party systems in American politics trace their origins all the way back to the

Federalists and Democratic Republicans of 1797. Only a year before did George Washington say that such parties “are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people.” The accuracy of Washington’s foresight in his farewell address is historically recognized. The two-party system in America is largely responsible for the polarization we see today, which can be described not only in a shift towards more extreme views by those on the ends of the spectrum, but also in the disappearance of the moderates. A vote not given to one of the two major parties in America is considered by many to be wasted, leading to the disappearance of third parties. With so many citizens discouraged from voting for a third party, choosing the lesser of two evils is the priority for many voters. The two major parties in America do everything they can to please as many voters as possible, yet many voters feel that neither represents their views. This predicament only serves to increase political apathy. Essentially,

each party must become the antithesis of the other in order to please their more extreme adherents, but it must also hold broad and generic liberal or conservative values in order to sway moderates. With only two parties that could realistically win an election, Americans feel that they must be forced right or left, with little option for middle ground or a third party.

How can this polarization be fixed? Is there a fix to the two-party system? French sociologist Maurice Duverger posited in the mid-20th century that winner-take-all elections, especially those with single-member districts, will naturally tend towards two-party systems. There is no advantage to getting second place over third, and so parties lump together to increase the odds of a party with views similar to theirs taking first. Having both winner-take-all and single-member districts, the US may not have a feasible way to undo the two-party system. The American political system is constitutionally established and not likely to change any time soon.

So if we can’t minimize the effects of the two-party system, how else can we reverse political polarization in America? One way would be to attend every JSA meeting. Just kidding. Or am I? Part of the problem may be political apathy. Political participation is low and continuing to fall. Nuanced opinions can be formed only through a deeper understanding of the issues at hand, and people going out of their way to be politically educated could be part of the solution. Another potential solution: keep an open mind. Studies show that people of certain political leanings are more likely than ever to surround themselves with people who hold similar political views, which can lead to an echo chamber. Polls even show that many make conscious decisions to associate with those who share their politics. Failing to challenge your own views is easier now than ever with the internet and social media. Challenging your own beliefs might take some willpower, but the results will certainly be worth it. Unwillingness to adhere to the two-party system is the only way I see polarization in America being fixed.

THE REVIEW I SPECIAL SECTION

political smackdown Samuel samson

irene vazquez

young conservatives club (Guest Columnist)

young liberals organization

ver 20 years ago, my mother came to the United States from the Philippines. Unlike countless others who left their native lands for American shores, my mom did not come due to poverty or political oppression; rather, she came for a strong American education. Despite stark contrasts in motive, however, she was not so different from any other immigrant in that she came to pursue one thing: the American Dream. Where my mom saw the potential for a unparalleled education, others saw freedom or job opportunities — a better life. People for centuries have wanted to come to America, the “shining city on a hill,” to pursue the American Dream — a dream to work hard, stay dedicated, and then make a better life for not only oneself, but for future generations. Over the years, America has been the global symbol for success, opportunity and growth. However, that stature is slipping away. From the time that my mom came to this country to now, a lot has changed. The illustrious education system that she sought to join has now fallen to 14th in the world. We now have a floundering economy, with financiers leaving the United States to invest in foreign countries, like the very one that my mom left. We have an abused welfare system that pays people more than minimum wage, thus increasing dependency and hampering employment. There is a fear of not conforming to political correctness, and people are afraid to stand up to those who demean our Second Amendment rights, law enforcement and veterans. Our passive immigration policy now allows for drug traffickers and radical jihadists to have easy entrance to our borders. Big government thinks that it can mandate whatever it wants at home while not protecting allies and passively ignoring dangerous conflicts abroad. We have liberal leaders who, by enforcing certain rulings on abortion and gay marriage in the name of freedom, take away from the quintessentially American freedoms of life and religion. In summary, the ability to leave a better country and create opportunity for future generations is disappearing, and it is easy to see why people are upset. That is why I and many courageous young Americans have joined the conservative movement and the Republican Party this election year — because reform needs to occur.

Through conservative ideology, it is possible to rekindle the American Dream that so many yearn for. Conservatives and the Republican Party believe in the values of our nation’s founding documents — a government of the people, by the people and for the people — under God with liberty and justice for all. We believe that government should not be the manager of people’s lives; rather, it should be the silent preserver of freedom. Americans should have the right to life, to believe in their religious values and to become as successful as their willpower allows. The government should protect these rights wherever jeopardized. When people try to take those freedoms away from us or others, we should stand up in opposition. Through a laissez-faire economy, people should be invigorated to work hard to succeed — and not be inundated with liberal and socially top-heavy taxes and regulations. This election is so important because we have a chance to end the current liberal presidential regime, improve conditions for our generation, and restore the American Dream. Through conservative leadership and policy, it will be done. For young people, this election cycle is extremely pertinent as the decisions and the results that occur now will dictate what kind of country we have in the future. They impact us the most. Do we want a faltering country or one that is, once again, the land of opportunity? Many patriotic youth have gotten involved. America’s young people are determined, as I am, to stand strong and help make America great again. With all of the talk about a dangerous modern world and a weaker nation, and with outsider candidates and right wingers to radical leftists, we need to focus on what has made this country the greatest: a government of the people that works to preserve the Constitution and our uniquely American values. By casting our votes, young people can help reignite the promise of America and revitalize the American Dream that my mother saw all those years ago. Through American determination and conservative leadership, we will make an impact — creating a new American century of life, liberty, and happiness for ourselves and for future generations to come. God bless America.

hen I was asked to help found the Young Liberal Organization last year, I spent a long while thinking about what sort of discourse I wanted to foster. Sure, I love talking (especially politics), but more than anything else, I wanted politics to stop being a topic that would cause dirty looks and arguments. I wanted young people to know what politics (and liberal policies) could mean to them. Liberals have long been associated with youth movements. It fits the generational model, with older people holding onto the traditional values of their youth. It always amuses me when strict constructionists try to look back to what the Founding Fathers intended for the Constitution as a basis for their political policies. You know what else the founding fathers wanted? Slavery. They had no way of knowing the kind of terrifyingly powerful arms the average citizen could buy today. As young people, we must look not only to the present but also to the future to determine how we make our laws. Unfortunately, we can already bear witness to the consequences of not creating forward-thinking laws. This past year in Houston, it was in the 70s on Christmas Day. Donald Trump doesn’t even think climate change is real. In June, Sen. Ted Cruz told Katie Couric that climate change is a “pseudoscientific theory.” The proof is in the pudding, folks. Unless we take action now, we won’t be getting a white Christmas any time soon. The fact of the matter is that the world is changing. According to the 2014 U.S. Census Bureau, more than half the nation’s children are expected to be part of a minority race/ethnic group by the year 2020. Gay people are everywhere. If you’re still expressing dated social views about the LGBT+ community, that’s a sizable chunk of the population that you’re alienating. For a country that claims to have separation of church and state, Republicans are sure shoving a lot of Christian values in their rhetoric. The Democratic Party has embraced the growing view of the majority that LGBT+ people should have their rights protected. If the current election cycle is any indication, the modern Republican Party is growing more hateful every day. The modern GOP cannot stop spewing racist invective long enough to listen to anyone. You want to look at the founding documents? Sure, the Declaration of Independence says I have a right to the pursuit of happiness. To me, that means being able to walk down the hallway at school and not be afraid. Or have laws passed that demean me as a human. Basic stuff like that.

America with the Republican Party in control makes life harder for women. Contrary to the belief of many in the GOP, limiting women’s access to abortion does not stop them from getting abortions. In fact, as many states (like Texas) strengthen their anti-abortion laws, women who want abortions are simply turning to more desperate (often dangerous) measures. According to the New York Times, eight of the 10 states with the highest search engine rates for self-induced abortions are considered hostile or very hostile to abortion by the Guttmacher Institute. If many in the Republican Party have their way, the youth of this country will look to the past, not the future, for women’s health policy. Social policies aside, economics are important to just about anyone who wants a job, young and old, Democrat or Republican. Let’s start with minimum wage. While economists are still divided over whether or not raising the minimum wage would cut jobs (and wouldn’t you guess it, these divisions fall on party lines), you can bet your boots that raising the minimum wage would help those working class families Republicans are always hemming and hawing about. Then there’s the main issue that tends to be so divisive: taxes. To break it down, your view on taxes really depends on how you look at equality. Republicans want to make everything equal by having no government intervention. Democrats want to make everything equitable by creating programs that allow everyone a fair shake. One of these sounds better for people who aren’t straight white men. Guess which one it is. A little over a year ago, I got lunch at Whataburger with a friend. The Texas gubernatorial election was coming up, and over burgers and milkshakes, I implored him to cast his vote for Wendy Davis. I like to talk politics in public settings because it keeps the conversations from devolving into shouting matches. “I get it,” I said. “You’re a white southern male, so Republican policies seem good to you because not only do they not hurt you, they actively contribute to the privilege that you enjoy. But I’m a minority, and I enjoy having fundamental human rights.” Spoiler alert: my friend voted for Greg Abbott, a decision that he now regrets. To be a Democrat is to be empathetic. To understand the plight of those that might be different from you. To have compassion for others. When they write about us in history books, how do you want to be seen? The ones who ushered in the future or the ones who were left behind?

SJSREVIEW.COM I APRIL 6, 2016

Student volunteers hit the campaign trail by Brooke Kushwaha

In 2014, Gillett also worked for Sarah Davis while she was running for a seat in the House of Senior Chris Gillett got his first taste of the Representatives. Gillett admired the Republican campaign trail when his father ran for judge on candidate for her willingness to cross party lines. “She was the only Republican to vote against the 129th bench in 2012. He is one of many the abortion restriction bill, and that garnered students who got involved in the political proher a lot of hate,” Gillett said. cess before they’re old enough to vote. Gillett’s smallest campaign was David Rosen’s Gillett mostly block-walked and handed out literature. Since then, he has volunteered for campaign for county treasurer in 2014. Gillett four other campaigns, including Wendy Davis’s worked with just two other high school students, including senior Reed Brace. governor bid in 2014. “We did just about everything with David, “For Wendy Davis, all I did was call people mostly block-walking and going door to door,” and ask them to come volunteer. I thought it Gillett said. “I was really surprised by how much was a massive waste of time because here I was I liked him. He was a really nice person, very envolunteering and all I was doing was asking for ergetic and kind. He wasn’t interested in public more volunteers,” Gillett service for his own self. He had a genuine desire said. “I prefer smaller to make the world better.” campaigns where I With smaller campaigns, endorsements play a can talk to voters large role in the election’s outcome. directly, but the “When you’re running for a smaller position, Wendy Davis campaign also had a lot people are less concerned about experience or of energy, and it was qualifications and more about who endorses you. nice working for a You end up spending a lot of money on getting larger goal than people to write letters about you,” Gillett said. some city coun- “I don’t like these random organizations having so much power just by giving cil seat.” out endorsements.” Rosen ended up losing to incumbent Orlando Sanchez, but Gillett retains many fond memories from the campaign. In door-to-door campaigns, many students fear rejection and door-slamming, but Gillett had a unique adBLOCK WALK vantage. Senior Chris “I looked very young, so people didn’t want to Gillett hands out close the door on me,” Gillett said. flyers for David His youthful appearance didn’t shield him Rosen, who from everything, however. ran for county “One time this guy answered the door, and he treasurer in 2014. was very angry with me for supporting a DemGillett has also ocrat. He looked like he was going to fight me, campaigned for and he pointed at the union stamp on my shirt his father and and asked me why I hated America. He didn’t gubernatorial understand that I thought that David Rosen was candidate Wendy a just good person,” Gillett said. “Other than Davis. that everything was great and I loved it.” Freshman Lincoln Dow has taken his political passion to the national level by volunteering for Bernie Sanders. Dow mostly works the phone bank for the Sanders campaign, which has its own challenges. “If you get hung up on, don’t take anything

JARED MARGOLIS

CALL OF DUTY Lincoln Dow makes phone calls for the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. Dow frequently wears Bernie buttons on his uniform around campus. personally because they don’t know who they’re talking to. Sometimes you’re just wasting their time because it’s not like they’re asking for these calls,” Dow said. “It’s good day if you get anyone to listen to you.” When calling, Dow finds himself having to explain key points about the Sanders campaign repeatedly. “The biggest issue we’ve had is the word ‘socialist’ and explaining what that means to voters,” Dow said. “Many believe socialism is something that’s mutually exclusive to capitalism, but Bernie believes in an economy that will work for many, within our current structure.” Dow had worked for both Wendy Davis and Sylvester Turner before, but volunteering for Sanders has given him a new perspective about the presidential election process. “I’m even more frustrated now with our electoral college and delegate system than I was before, including Super PACs and the influence of big money,” Dow said. “Bernie has been doing well even without that big money support.” According to Dow, the Sanders campaign receives less than 0.02% of its financing from PACs, turning down Super PAC money whenever possible.

JARED MARGOLIS

Powerhouses: Parent politicians inspire their kids by Prithvi Krishnarao Presidential contender Ted Cruz, second in the Republican presidential race, is a Lower School parent but SJS is also home to many local politicians. Freshman Catharine Elrod’s mother, Jennifer Elrod, is a federal judge on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. “Our entire family has centered around politics as a result of my mom’s job,” Elrod said. Although her mom acts under an oath to remain impartial while deciding cases, Elrod often discusses her opinions on them with others. “I decide to talk about her cases at school and also with my dad,” Elrod said. Being a politician’s kid also has its drawbacks. “The hours are a bit weird,” Elrod said. “I didn’t see my mom at all last week. I got home pretty late every day, and she was here for only one day this whole week.” Senior Julia Boyce’s father, Bill Boyce, is a judge for the Fourteenth Court of Appeals. She admires the responsibility associated with her dad’s job.

“It’s cool that my dad gets to affect a large part of people’s lives and that his job is to make big decisions for them,” Boyce said. Junior Cam Cook, whose mom is a regular volunteer for the Ted Cruz campaign, owes his knowledge of politics to her involvement. “Most people should know more about the election system and what’s going on in the government,” Cook said. “My mom’s volunteering keeps me in the loop about stuff that I otherwise wouldn’t be, and I get to know a lot about politics and the election.” Junior Maddie McZeal, whose dad is a municipal court judge for the city of Houston, respects her father’s devotion to his job. “My dad understands the responsibility of his job and takes it seriously,” McZeal said. “He knows that it’s his job to make sure justice is served. What he does impacts numerous people and he proudly carries that responsibility.” Having a judge as a father impacts how McZeal looks at violations of the law. “Having a father who often sees the worst-case scenarios of breaking laws that many of my peers find trivial and inconse-

quential makes me come off as a bit of a worrier,” McZeal said. McZeal says that her father’s job has a substantial impact on her. “I don’t want to be a politician, and I don’t want to go into law, but I would like to see the world from my dad’s perspective,” McZeal said. “I’ve learned that standing up for what we believe is right is our responsibility, and I plan on living my life with that in mind.”

BROOKE KUSHWAHA

Senior Ryder Desenberg has noticed big money’s influence in campaigns on both the local and national level. Desenberg first started volunteering last summer on the Chris Bell mayoral campaign. “The majority of volunteer hours were spent trying to get people to write checks,” Desenberg said. “On the local level, ‘big money’ is not as big of a deal because there aren’t huge donations from Super PACs, but I do think it’s a very big issue on a national scale.” While working with Bell over the summer, Desenberg primarily worked in community outreach, organizing LGBT+ groups to block-walk and work phone banks. He also trained new volunteers, some older than him. When it’s not an election year, Desenberg does office work for Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents Texas’ 18th district. Lee carries the reputation of the “meanest Democrat on Capitol Hill,” according to The Washingtonian’s “Best and Worst of Congress” survey. “I did typical intern stuff early on, but once I turned 18 they started giving me cases,” Desenberg said. “Her constituents call in, I answer the phone, see what they need, and open a case file and try to help them.”