December 2023

the

REVIEW Dec. 7, 2023

St. John’s School

Vol. 75, No. 2

RUSHMORE AT 25

Story by Ellison Albright & Lucy Walker Cover by Serina Yan 2401 Claremont Lane

Houston, TX 77019

sjsreview.com

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Grady McMillin’s quest for a super chill sound

Celsius boosts energy, but at what cost?

Triple-threat West just wants to win

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December 7, 2023 www.sjsreview.com

NEWS

First-time voters have a say in mayoral runoff Story by Lauren Baker & Yutia Li Photo and design by Ella Hughes

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s senior Bella Hendricks stepped into the voting booth, she received a standing ovation.

On Oct. 28, Hendricks went to Houston Community College West Loop Campus to vote for the first time. Having turned 18 just a week earlier, her information was not yet in the voter database. Poll workers spent 30 minutes troubleshooting before finally entering her name manually so she could vote. When she finally cast her ballot, poll workers literally applauded her commitment to civic duty.

Hendricks was one of more than 239,000 early voters who cast their ballots between Oct. 23 and Nov. 3. Election Day, Nov. 7, brought the total to more than 453,000 votes cast, less than 20% of Houston’s eligible voting population.

The mayoral election fielded 17 candidates, but Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Texas Senator John Whitmire emerged early on as the frontrunners. Sylvester Turner, the two-term incumbent, could not run again due to term limits. Whitmire, who has served in the Texas State Senate since 1982, received 42.5% of the vote; Jackson Lee, the 14-term congressional representative from Texas’s 18th district, received 35.6%. Because neither candidate secured a majority, the election went to a runoff.

Although the race was nonpartisan, the field was predominantly Democratic, with the exception of former Houston City Council member M.J. Khan, a Republican. Most candidates focused their campaigns on the issues of crime prevention, infrastructure and quality of life.

Todd Litton, a candidate for the Texas Senate, explained that the incoming mayor also has to decide whether to modify the tax revenue cap,

KEY ENDORSEMENTS SHEILA JACKSON LEE Sylvester Turner, outgoing Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire, former mayor and sister-in-law of John Whitmire Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader Jolanda Jones, Texas State Representative Borris L. Miles, Texas State Senator

JOHN WHITMIRE Houston Chronicle Editorial Board Houston Police Officers’ Union Sylvia Garcia, U.S. Representative Houston Organization of Public Employees Lee P. Brown, former Houston mayor Annise Parker, former Houston mayor Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation Jack Christie, former mayoral candidate

which has limited the amount of property tax collected since 2004. While the revenue cap regulates taxes, it also restricts the funds available to invest in city projects like roads and drainage.

According to history teacher Amy Malin, choosing a candidate requires research and contemplation, and many voters are unable to dedicate time or resources to find this information. Instead, some rely on endorsements to make their choice.

While Jackson Lee received endorsements from national figures like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Whitmire obtained support from local lawmakers including Texas District 29 representative Sylvia Garcia and former mayor Lee P. Brown.

As a Houstonian, voting for your mayor is very important because that is going to affect you and your daily life here.

CAROLINE KERR Along with endorsements, caucuses are also instrumental in swaying undecided voters.

On Aug. 12, senior Ava Mostyn, president of the Young Liberals Organization, sat in on the LGBTQ+ caucus, a conference in which candidates stated their case. Ultimately, Jackson Lee received their endorsement.

According to Mostyn, caucuses are influential because people will vote for candidates endorsed by groups they know and trust.

“It can be really stressful in a nonpartisan race,” Mostyn said. “You can find a caucus that aligns with your interest and just follow their ballot.”

Mostyn appreciates Jackson Lee’s vision for Houston as a cultural hub, noting that many of her friends look down on the city because of a lack of cultural activities despite the presence of arts organizations like the Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera, renowned art museums and a symphony orchestra.

During the Mayoral Forum on Arts and Culture, Jackson Lee promised funding for cultural and artistic development in an effort for Houston to gain national-level recognition as an “Arts Mecca.”

“Arts and culture just aren’t concentrated on or advertised, so we’re not a destination city,” Mostyn said. “Jackson Lee could change our perspective on that and invest in industries that support the arts.”

On the other hand, Whitmire stressed his appreciation for the local politicians who endorsed him.

“They know how important it is to have the right person as mayor,” Whitmire said in an email. “It’s critical that the best person be chosen to run this city.”

He described his priorities as mayor — city ser-

vices, public safety, infrastructure, and a transparent city budget — as well as his accomplishments in the field of social equality. He values working to optimize productivity and increase quality of life for every demographic.

“I’m eager to get going,” Whitmire said. “I wish I could start work in the morning.”

Unlike those who only vote in presidential elections, math teacher and YLO sponsor Caroline Kerr (’01) makes sure to cast her ballot in local races because they impact her personally.

“Your community is where these grassroots movements start to grow,” Kerr said. “As a Houstonian, voting for your mayor is very important because that is going to affect you and your daily life here.”

Kerr was surprised by the lack of media coverage, so she looked to the Houston Chronicle, her peers and trusted sources when deciding for whom to vote. She appreciated the nonpartisan race because voters could choose candidates based on experience and ideals rather than party affiliation.

RUN RUN According to Litton, all local races should be RUNOFF SPEC decked less partisan. While many voters still look to the doors partisan policies to determine their candidate of with an ode choice, alternative voting methods like rankedto Houston’s choice voting could reduce extremism in local Dec. 9 mayoral runoff. races, making sample voters more likely to receive a representative aligned with their beliefs.

According to Litton, ranked-choice voting “dials down negative campaigning and overheated partisan rhetoric. The hyper-partisanship is not surprising, but it’s not super constructive to getting stuff done.”

Early voting for the runoff between Whitmire and Jackson Lee has concluded and the final vote will take place on Saturday, Dec. 9. Although Malin does not expect to see a higher voter turnout for the runoff, she hopes more individuals take action at the local level.

Mostyn will not be able to vote for a few years, but she emphasizes that local politicians make decisions that will affect Houstonians the most.

“These are the people you call about your potholes.”

Registered Houstonians can vote in the runoff even if they did not vote in the general election.

The polls will be open on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m at one of the 450 voting locations throughout Harris County.

NEWS

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The Review St. John’s School

Age is just a number for the youngest, oldest in class

CANE’S IS GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN Damour explained that the holy trinity of sugar, fat and salt in Cane’s is what makes it such a comfort food.

Story by Aien Du, Nathan Kim, Evan Williams Photo by Maggie Hester

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bragging right. eadying the playlist, turning on her “I like to rub it in my friends’ faces all the seat warmer and embracing her role time,” Caughran said. “I’ve had my permit for as the self-proclaimed “experienced a while, and that’s the weird thing to think passenger princess,” senior Ava Mostyn is about, that some people aren’t even 15 yet ready for a nighttime drive with her friends. and it’s almost been six months for me.”

Only 16 years old, Mostyn is younger than Being one of the oldest in the grade has its most juniors. Before she got her driver’s share of disadvantages. He was given the license last spring, she relied on friends and nickname “Old man Colin,” which became a family to drive her around. running joke in his French class in 7th grade.

Prior to entering St. John’s in ninth grade, Even now, he occasionally hears it in the Mostyn attended the Post Oak School, a selfhallways. paced Montessori school where she skipped Caughran notes that his life would be difkindergarten, a fact that she says loses its ferent if he had not repeated kindergarten. charm quickly.

“I probably wouldn’t have the friends that “When I tell people that I skipped a grade, they say ‘oh, you must be really smart,’” Mos- I have now,” Caughran said. “It’s weird how a two-month gap between the person behind tyn said. “When I tell them it was kindergarme makes me the old man.” ten, they don’t seem as impressed.”

On the opposite end of While St. John’s does the spectrum, Mostyn not allow students to skip grades — and It’s weird how a two-month gap will finish senior year as the youngest graduate. rarely holds students between the person behind me Despite having friends back — large age gaps makes me the old man. more than two years still exist within grade older, Mostyn does not levels.

COLIN CAUGHRAN feel a significant gap in According to Dimaturity levels. rector of Admissions “I’m surrounded by people who theoretiCourtney Burger, kindergarten (5-6 years) cally have more life experience than I do,” and Class One (6-7) are the only two grade Mostyn said. “But I still feel like I’m very levels with age requirements. Burger says much on their developmental timeline.” that age discrepancies primarily occur in As co-president of the Young Liberals sixth grade as more students with summer Organization, Mostyn stays knowledgeable birthdays apply. regarding political opportunities in her Burger notes that while there is not an implicit academic advantage or disadvantage community, often spreading the word to her friends. for students who are the oldest or youngest “I’ve been telling a bunch of my friends to in their grade, numerous social challenges register to vote, and I can’t even vote in the may arise. next presidential election,” Mostyn said.

“I worry a little bit more on the emotional Mostyn appreciates the moments spent front, just as kids near puberty and things with students her age. get a little bit more complicated,” Burger “I have a lot of friends that are juniors, said. “It’s not necessarily an advantage. and every time I’m talking to them, I’m like, Some children do need that extra time to be successful, but it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t these are my people. I’m supposed to be in this grade,” Mostyn said. be successful in another program on the As a sophomore, Mostyn took interest in younger side.” the SPCA, an animal welfare agency. Hoping Burger said that the age difference is more to spend some time with her friends while prominent in the younger grades. The older serving the community, Mostyn was disapa student gets, the more pointed to discover she did not make the age the subtle the difcutoff, so to volunteer she would need adult ferences become supervision, but she did not want to delegate maturity-wise. more responsibility to her single mother.

“It is those young, Mostyn’s age has affected her ability to early years — beparticipate in certain activities, but it also cause you’re talking gives her an advantage when it comes to about a five-yearcommunity service. Each year, Upper School old, where six students are awarded a gold, silver or bronze months is a medal determined by the number of hours huge perthey serve in a year. The minimum hours centage of for each medal depends on one’s age. As a their life,” junior, Mostyn only needed 100 hours of Burger service to receive a gold Presidential Service said.

Award, while most of her peers needed 200.

FreshWhile most of her friends will be adults man Colin when they enter college, Mostyn will not Caughran, who was born have the privilege to sign her own waivers or attend her own doctor appointments. in May 2008, “I think about waivers and forms a lot enjoys his because I’ll be 17 for the whole first semester status as one of college,” Mostyn said. of the oldest As she prepares for college, where she in ninth intends to run track, Mostyn says that being grade. Knowyounger probably doesn’t matter. “Except ing he will for maybe athletics,” she concedes, “but be driving solo academically, I don’t know.” before the rest of his friends, he often uses his permit as a

TALKING ABOUT MY GENERATION Senior Ava Mostyn is younger than junior Turner Edwards, who turned 16 during his freshman year.

Psychologist addresses misconceptions about happiness, mental health Story by Riya Nimmagadda & Amina Khalil- Zegar Photo by Kendace Lee

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isa Damour wants students to know that being happy does not equate to having good mental health.

Damour, a clinical psychologist, came to the School to teach parents, teachers and students about healthy ways to process their emotions.

Damour’s most recent book, “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers,” was required reading for Upper School teachers this summer.

Damour wrote “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers” to help make a distinction between “expectable” and typical distress as well as serious mental health concerns. The book explains that expectable distress relates to the negative emotions that come with major life events or situations, and typical distress associates with ordinary encounters.

“Right now, in both traditional and social media, psychological distress and mental health concerns are talked about as though they’re the exact same thing,” Damour said. “They’re not.”

Damour said the wellness industry, which markets products and strategies that improve mental health, focuses on promoting feeling happy at all times, leading teens to feel worse about themselves when they do experience negative emotions.

“It’s very easy to make the logical leap from ‘this doesn’t feel good’ to ‘it must be bad for me,’” Damour said. “For stress in particular, it’s better to think of it like strength training — something that does not always feel good in the moment but allows you to grow later.”

Ashley Le Grange, Upper School Counselor, says Damour’s book is relevant to St. John’s because it is current and displays a full understanding of the teenage brain. School can be a stressful and competitive environment, so Damour emphasizes that recovering in a meaningful way is crucial to maintaining one’s mental health.

“You want to guard your chances for recovery,” Damour said. “Don’t waste them on something that leaves you feeling worse than you were.”

In her book and during her talk, Damour highlighted how to eliminate stigma around emotions. She breaks down what she calls the Three Big Myths: “Emotion is the enemy of reason. Intense emotions are bad for teens with their amped up emotions. Teens are psychologically fragile.”

Although the book can help teenagers gain insight into their emotions, it was written to help adults understand the problems that teenagers face.

“As adults, our go-to is problem solving. Our own emotions make it so that we don’t want teens to have a negative feeling,” said Jake Davis, Upper School Counselor.

Damour’s book is about understanding emotions, and she emphasizes the importance of accepting our emotions as they are.

Le Grange finds a lot of value in Damour’s book.

“Feeling in control of wellness and and your emotions – there’s no such thing.” Le Grange said. “You can control how you react, but not how you feel.”

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December 7, 2023 www.sjsreview.com

Polyglots pursue paths to proficiency

MAVERICKS FIVE AND COUNTING Bryanna Micu grew up speaking English and Romanian, and she has since picked up French, German and Italian.

¡Hola! Numele meu este Bryanna. Je parle français und Deutsch.

Anche parlo italiano!

Chance to learn multiple languages appeals to students Story by Genevieve Ederle & Aila Jiang Photos by Katie Czelusta

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hile collecting foreign language books, senior Adriana Torres Li Ning found a manual for learning Quechua — the indigenous language of Peru, which her late grandfather spoke. But there was one catch: It was written in Russian.

“Somehow, I found a Russian book on Quechua before finding a Spanish one,” Torres Li Ning said.

Being fluent in both Spanish and French, Torres Li Ning speaks the languages at home with her Peruvian mother, who briefly lived in Belgium. Torres Li Ning spent every other day for two weeks in eighth grade speaking French exclusively with her mother. Because of her fluency in both languages, Torres Li Ning can also read and understand Portuguese and Italian.

Knowing different languages opens the door to different cultures that the United States has benefited from.

JACK LANG Torres Li Ning said that decoding a foreign language is similar to untangling high-level math problems. In Differential Equations and Linear Algebra, she has found arithmetic less important than separating, simplifying and interpreting different parts of a problem. The same steps are required to understand a difficult sentence in a foreign language.

“Being able to produce a language is completely different from just reading and understanding it,” Torres Li Ning said. “You have to make sure that you cannot just recognize words, but can actually say them.”

She learned Chinese from age eight to age twelve, and this year, she has picked it back up and is taking Chinese I. During the summer of the pandemic, she studied Polish, and can

carry a basic conversation in the language.

For other student polyglots like Torres Li Ning, the journey with languages began at birth. Raised in an immigrant household, freshman Thea Popovic learned English and Serbian as an child. On her annual summer visits to Serbia, Popovic’s fluency in Serbian allows her to immerse herself in summer camps and other activities.

“In Serbia, I did some math and volleyball camps,” Popovic said. “You were expected to be able to read and write in Serbian, with a different alphabet.”

Born to a Romanian family, sophomore Bryanna Micu grew up learning both Romanian and English. Micu’s mother took her to summer camps in countries where Romanian, Italian and French were spoken, immersing her in different languages and cultures that developed her fluency.

“The people there didn’t speak English, so I had no other option but to learn. I was there for two to three weeks, and it was a really fun experience,” Micu said.

Micu also started studying French as a child.

While Romanian remains her favorite language, French is also close to her heart because of her early start with it.

“When I was two or three at daycare, one of our teachers was French, so she would teach us a few words and simple phrases,” Micu said.

“She noticed I was remembering them, and offered to teach me — the next thing you know, I was fluent in French.”

Over the next few years, Italian, German and Spanish joined the collection of languages under Micu’s belt. Not only does she enjoy studying them — whether through travel, school or the fan-favorite Duolingo — she also values the immersive benefits.

“Learning a language is important because you can actually relate to other people in the countries that you go to,” Micu said. “It’s much easier to immerse yourself in a culture if you actually understand the language — and even some of its slang.”

Micu enjoys playing around with slang and learning unconventional terms with double meanings. “It is really funny because in Romanian, to call someone a term of endearment is calling them a fool,” Micu said. “My favorite word in French, tomber dans les pommes, means to faint, but literally it means to fall in the apples.”

Popovic also knows her fair share of slang.

“In Serbia, they say a lot of mean things to tease each other– like ‘I’m gonna kill you’,” Popovic said. “Nobody takes things to heart like in America.”

Popovic’s childhood consisted of classic fairy tales like Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood — but in Serbian. Micu also picked up the hobby of reading classics in foreign languages, such as White Fang in Romanian and Count of Monte Cristo in Spanish.

Junior Astrid Schwarzgruber, an exchange student from Austria, has formally studied three

Bonjour! 我不只说中文, 也说 English 和 français.

(LANG)UAGE MASTER After living in Hong Kong as a child, senior Jack Lang is relearning Chinese.

languages in addition to her native German. She began learning English in sixth grade, Russian in ninth and French in 10th.

She is currently enrolled in French II and notices a difference in how languages are taught here compared to Austria.

“It’s harder here,” she said, “but it’s also more fun here because you speak more.”

At St. John’s, Schwarzgruber is adjusting to new subjects like U.S. History, precalculus and Creative Writing – all in English, her second language.

“It’s just exhausting at the beginning when you have to do everything in another language,” Schwarzgruber said. “It actually makes you tired.”

Other student polyglots began their journey with languages when living in other countries — including senior Jack Lang, who takes both Chinese II and French Seminar. While his education with French began in Middle School, Lang was first exposed to Chinese while living in Hong Kong in elementary school.

“I had to learn Mandarin when I was younger, so I thought it’d be nice to reconnect with the language in high school,” Lang said.

Going into his junior year of high school, Lang lived abroad for six weeks in Rennes, France on the School Year Abroad program. Last summer, he also spent four weeks in Paris.

“You can get a lot out of speaking a language in your class, but that’s only an hour of learning every few days,” Lang said. “When I was actually there, I was constantly speaking French.”

Not only has he received compliments on his French, but he has also taken a liking to French literature. Lang’s passion for learning languages has led him to plan on majoring in international relations.

It’s much easier to immerse yourself in a culture if you actually understand the language — and even some of its slang.

BRYANNA MICU “Knowing different languages opens the door to different cultures that the United States has benefited from,” Lang said.

Micu also stresses the benefits of knowing several languages, as their value can be underestimated.

“Some people think Spanish is a blow-off class that you can stick to the back of your schedule,” Micu said. “But learning a language opens so many doors for you.”

MAVERICKS

The Review St. John’s School

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McMillin’s quest for a ‘super chill’ sound Story by Lily Feather Photo by Maggie Hester

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rady McMillin and Jack Bowling stayed up until midnight to listen to McMillin’s first EP as soon as it dropped on Spotify.

SITTING IN McMillin, a junior, started working on the five THE BREEZE tracks this summer. He released the EP, titled McMillin plans “Mountains in the View,” on Spotify and Apple to follow up his Music on Aug. 10. By Thanksgiving, the opening EP “Mountains in the View” track, “Colorado Hills,” had been streamed over with a fall3,400 times on Spotify. themed jazz “My goal going into the album was that I wantconcept album. ed it to be totally new,” McMillin said. “I’ve got a lot of little ideas. I have like 800 voice memos on piano, upright bass and a trumpet. someone you don’t know comes up,” McMillin my phone that I listen to constantly.”

He said that some might think it was unnecessaid.

McMillin considers himself “a music person sary to listen to the whole song, but some of his Senior Sarah Shelburne found out about the EP before a lyric person” and does not like writing friends’ parents enjoyed it because the music from an Instagram story, and she listened to it verses. “I don’t know what to say, and I feel like was so unconventional. “I love listening to all on a long car ride. Shelburne loved the comit has to be perfect,” McMillin said. So before he five minutes of it — especially because after you plexity of the tracks and the different pitches wrote any words, he wrote all the music, includlisten to the jazz solo, then there’s the horns that of McMillin’s vocals. She recommended that ing the guitar, piano and cello parts. come in at the very end,” he said. “What a vibe.” her Spanish class listen to the EP even though McMillin started each song with a certain hook To add depth to the EP, McMillin recorded him- McMillin was in the class. in order to build the song and the lyrics. For self singing each song, then added more tracks “I feel more upbeat listening to it,” Shelburne “Colorado Hills,” he began with a finger-picking to get a vocal layering effect. “That’s one of the said. “If it’s a nice, sunny day outside, I’m like, pattern on a 12-string guitar, and for “Mountain things that I think really defines it,” he said. this is such Grady music weather.”

Dogs,” it was the track’s high strumming pattern. “You’re hearing a very enveloping version of the St. John’s parent Winifred Riser, who has He initially wrote “The Countryside Song,” vocals. Sometimes they known McMillin since on the piano but said that it did not sound like can be too much of the he was born, is also a “anything special” — so he decided he wanted the focal point.” fan. She heard about same repeating lick, but played on a cello. Since Though McMillin has the album from another he does not play the cello, McMillin recorded the always mixed his own parent. “It has a joyous, piano track in the Logic Pro app, then converted songs, he spent the most freeing summer feel,” it into the descending cello line that opens the time on a secondary proshe said. “It totally ensong. cess called mastering, capsulates summer.”

During the recording process, McMillin took or getting music ready Riser would love to inspiration from singer-songwriters Rayland to be played on any see McMillin continue Baxter and Sam Burchfield, as well as the folk platform regardless of developing his talents icons Fleetwood Mac. the quality of the speakwith seasonal albums.

“I started listening to those songs that I loved er. He listened to the Jack Bowling, who that inspired the album and started thinking — album through at least stayed up with McMillin why did they inspire me? What techniques were five different speakers, for the EP’s release, they using that made them sound that way?” and even enlisted a few described its vibe as McMillin said. people to play it through “ethereal — but not too The answer, McMillin realized, was the simple their own. crazy.”

McMillin wrote, produced and even layering in the songs. He started messing around “I had to spend a lot “Grady knows what snapped the cover photo for “Mountains in the View” himself. with adding more tracks within each song. On of time fine-tuning he’s doing,” Bowling “Colorado Hills,” a mellow, folksy tune, he used everything and making said. layering to give the “super chill” sound more sure the bass wasn’t too loud or overpowering — McMillin is adamant that he does not want to depth. or that all the high strings of the guitar weren’t be famous, yet he continues to make music, and “It’s a very deep and orchestral sound, which is too tinny in my ear,” he said. is well into working on a full-length album. He really what I wanted. I’m glad I achieved it after McMillin released “Mountains in the View” performed one of his new songs, “Leaves They a long time,” McMillin said. without a record label or recording contract.

Fall,” in Chapel on Oct. 3.

While spending time at his family farm and Because streaming services take not only a cut of “I’m going for more of a fall, jazz type of laid then two weeks in the Colorado mountains, an artist’s profits, but also rights to their music, back — something you can turn on the fire and sit he snapped the album’s cover photo, featuring McMillin instead chose to pay $15 annually for and listen to,” he said. snow-capped mountains Ditto, a distribution platform His new album will have more piano than and purple flowers peekthat allows him to release guitar and more jazz-type melodies. The lyrical ing through the green of theme will be about autumn and will also inI love the idea of being able songs and tag the genres he the grass and trees below. would like to be identified clude jazz breaks between several of the songs, to take a break from reality McMillin referenced with on streaming services. which McMillin hopes will inspire people to for a moment. not only the mountains McMillin is still having listen to the album in full. but also the ocean and issues with Spotify since his “It’s very much another concept album,” McGRADY MCMILLIN countryside in “The lyrics were never uploaded.

Millin said. “There’s very much a kind of weathCountryside Song,” the “Spotify’s kind of a jackass,” er changing and how that affects our mood.” He EP’s joyful closer. “I love the idea of being able he said. is keeping the album title under wraps until its to take a break from reality for a moment, and Despite Spotify’s pitfalls, McMillin has around release. that’s what I wanted to capture with the coun500 monthly listeners on the platform, along McMillin likes the idea of making more music tryside theme, because that’s what it means to with some streaming revenue from Apple Music. so he is not confined to one style — he says that me,” McMillin said. He described the song as Two people have purchased the album, which if someone had asked him last year, he would “bringing everyone through all these different earns him more revenue than streaming. McMilnever have imagined that he would make a jazz landscapes and then bringing it back to the one lin receives all revenue from those purchases — album. that’s probably my favorite — the relaxing counso far, he has made $5 from streaming.

“I’m definitely inspired to keep evolving and tryside location.”

Since the EP’s release, friends and complete keep at it.”

McMillin’s favorite song to record was the strangers have approached McMillin at school lyrically simple “Sitting in the Breeze.” Clockto compliment his music: “That is the coolest “Mountains in the View” is available for streaming in at over five minutes, he figured the track part because, to a certain extent, you know that ing and purchase on iTunes, Spotify and Apple would be the least popular on the EP because of your family and your best friends are going to Music. its three-minute-long jazz solo, which includes go listen to it for you. But it’s always fun when

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December 7, 2023 www.sjsreview.com

MAVERICKS

GREETINGS FROM ZARAGOZA

For juniors seeking to broaden their horizons, School Year Abroad provides the opportunity to see the world

Story by Aien Du & Nia Shetty Design by Amanda Brantley HIKING UP THAT HILL Students participating in School Year Abroad explore their host country’s culture and natural beauty.

Photo by Pia Artzer

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hen Pia and Tess Artzer first arrived in Zaragoza, Spain, it took them over two hours to find cough drops.

Now, after spending a few months in their new environment, the twins can give directions to clueless tourists as if they are locals.

The Artzer twins are spending their junior year in the School Year Abroad program, which allows Class 11 students to complete their school year in Spain, France or Italy.

For junior Amelia Earle, the decision to participate in SYA was straightforward. Most of her life, Earle has dreamed of spending a year in Barcelona like her father did in 1989.

“I chose to go to Zaragoza specifically to have a similar experience to my dad,” Earle said, “but while still being able to make my own unique memories.”

The Artzers’ decision to move halfway across the world and leave behind family, school and the life they knew was not as easy as it was for Earle. In the end, the thought of a “dreadful” junior year at St. John’s helped push them over the edge.

“If I had to go through junior year, why not do it in Spain?” Tess said. “That way, it can be more fun and a better experience than what everyone had described to me as awful.”

Every Wednesday, students in the SYA program travel the country to talk to locals and explore new cities. Thanks to these “interactive work trips,” the Artzer twins could fulfill their language goal without added stress from school.

P TH E S U N Sp ai n S OA KI N G U pe rie nc es in sh are th ei r ex st in g po by e m Pi a an d Te ss ho fr ie nd s ba ck d g th is an in ily ud m cl fa in w ith m ed ia , es on so ci al ra goza .

Za h ug ro th ei r ad ve nt ur th g ss ga llivan tin pi ct ure of Te

“Even though classes are in a different language, they are not as intense because they are more focused on learning the language and less on the content,” Pia said.

Though the twins grew up speaking Mexican Spanish at home, they were not prepared for the various local dialects and accents of Zaragoza.

The language barrier occasionally catches up to them. Tess called one attempt to order cake at a café a “humbling experience.”

“It was like my brain was lagging when the waiter was speaking,” she said.

Their biggest struggle was adjusting to the distance from their family. Most students can look forward to relaxing after a long day of school, but the Artzer twins found it harder than expected.

“It takes more energy to go home to be with your host family,” Tess said. “Since it’s in a different language, you still have to think about everything you’re doing. It’s not like you can completely relax once you’re there because you still have to put your brain in Spanish mode.”

Despite the language barrier, the host family is crucial to the students’ experience.

“I think my relationship with my SYA family is so important because it is a way to learn about different cultures, connect with people while using applied language and have a family in a foreign country to lean back on whenever you need reassurance,” Earle said.

At first, the changes seemed almost unbearable. Finding even daily necessities became a struggle.

“There is no CVS where you can just buy everything,” said Pia, who later found her cough drops in a candy store. “Living in the U.S., we took everything for granted, and it was rough when we got to Spain. You have to completely relearn everything that you think you know.”

When the twins celebrated their first Dia de Los Muertos away from home, they still wanted to preserve familial traditions. They decided to create their own altar, Artzer-style.

“It really hit me that I’m not in Houston anymore because I could not find anything for my altar,” Tess said. “The things I would normally put were not there, not even flowers.”

They ended up “DIY-ing most of it,” using random artifacts they found around the house.

But the homesickness hit when they video-called their family and saw the festive decorations and exciting buzz of a family gathering.

“I wished I was there and could just eat the Mexican desserts and good food I was used to,” Pia said.

Even their taste buds had to adapt to their new environment. They initially did not enjoy the seafood and bread that their host family served.

“When I came here, I would not eat any seafood,” Tess said. “If you gave it to me, I would

immediately put it away.”

But after eating the same foods every day, they eventually accepted and began to enjoy them. The Artzers are learning how to make local dishes and adapt traditional recipes from their host family.

The SYA program also runs yearround schools in Rennes, France and Viterbo, Italy.

Completion of three years of the language is required for staying in Spain WH EN LIF E GIV ES YO U GR AP ES...

SYA stu de nts Pia an and France, but d Tes s Ar tze r are en co ura ge d to try students can new thi ng s like sto mp ing gra pe s int o win e. study in Italy without any prior language experience.

To apply for SYA, students first go through an internal application with the School. Prospective participants submit a transcript and personal statement to Academic Dean Jennifer Kuhl in order to demonstrate their interest in the program.

After Kuhl approves the application, students progress to the official SYA application and get interviewed by SYA coordinator and Spanish teacher Sherifa Kehs.

SYA works to make sure students are able to continue extracurricular activities while they live abroad. Along with their existing hobbies, students are able to find new passions in their host country. The Artzers were encouraged to try flamenco and soccer while they were in Spain.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you build relationships, confidence, and independence along the way,” Earle said. “I am having a blast in Spain.”

SYA has traditionally encouraged students to limit their contact with family and friends back home, which helps create an authentic and immersive experience in their new country.

Pia maintains her connection with family and friends back home through social media. On Instagram, she frequently provides a glimpse of life in Spain, including stomping on grapes to make wine, exploring the streets of Zaragoza and sampling Spanish desserts.

Earle said she “would 100% recommend this to other students.”

Tess added: “If there’s any bone in your body telling you to do it, just do it.”

MAVERICKS

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The Review St. John’s School

Girls in Boy Scouts navigate nature, stereotypes Story by Ellison Albright & Turner Edwards

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FOWL PLAY Junior Caroline Chiao makes a new friend on a trek at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

hen Remy Phan sells popcorn or coupon books outside of Randalls to help raise money to support Scout Troop 1314, passersby get upset because she is not selling cookies, the traditional Girl Scouts fundraiser.

Phan is no Girl Scout.

As of February 2019, the formerly all-male Boy Scouts of America began allowing all kids to participate, regardless of their gender. A Girl Scout since age 11, Phan is now one of many female Scouts. “Girl Scouts was just not for me,” the junior said. “I thought I would be doing more camping and outdoor stuff.”

Caroline Chiao expressed a similar sentiment for making the switch. “I joined Girl Scouts. It was fun, but we didn’t do as many outdoorsy activities,” Chiao said. “So when they started letting girls into Boy Scouts, I jumped on that.”

BSA was founded in 1910, inspired by a scouting movement in England to teach young boys the importance of civic duty, individualism and self-reliance.

BSA quickly inspired the creation of the Girl Guides, which would later evolve into the Girl Scouts.

Both organizations set out with similar intentions but have carved out different niches within the scouting community. Boy Scouts is traditionally known for their campouts and merit badges focused on survival skills and nature, while the Girl Scouts have more community-building badges, including good sportsmanship, gardening and, of course, cookie sales.

Certain gender stereotypes have followed both scouting organizations since their inception, making the transition problematic for girls

INTO THE WOODS Members of Troop 54 return from a campout at Webb Ranch in Chappell Hill, Texas.

looking to make the switch — while some are things that boys do — so it’s better to leave things welcomed their inclusion, others encounter open. The old structure was a little outdated.” vocal opposition.

Scouting organizations hand out awards — the Both Chiao and Phan have come face-to-face most prominent being Eagle Scout — to scouts with some of the uglier responses to the updated who earn various merit badges, assume posigender policy. tions of responsibility and serve their communi“Parents would literally say they don’t think ty. While the Eagle Scout award is comparable to girls should be in Scouts,” Phan said. the Girl Scout Gold Award in terms of involveMeanwhile, Chiao faced gender bias at BSA ment, rigor and community service, the Eagle summer camp: “The girls would make a slight Scout title carries more recognition and prestige error, like putting up flags — helped by well-known rewrong, and get judged for cipients such as Bill Gates, it.”

Neil Armstrong and Steven Without Scouting, I probably While it has stirred up Spielberg. In comparison, wouldn’t have ever run for heated debate, the idea the Gold Award has been student council or applied for dismissed as an Eagle Scout of allowing girls to join any other leadership roles. formerly all-male scouting knockoff. organizations is not without “People always say Eagle REMY PHAN precedent. The British inScout looks so good on a spiration for BSA, the Scout resume, but both are really Association, began allowing girls to join in 1976. hard achievements,” Phan said. “Eagle is just Stockard Bragan, a male Eagle Scout who has more known.” been in BSA since 2017, witnessed the effects of Phan has found a supportive community withthe new gender policy. in Troop 1314, encouraging her to overcome her “Some people were happy about it,” the junior aversion to public speaking. said. “A lot of people thought that it wasn’t a “Without Scouting, I probably wouldn’t have good thing, even though it didn’t change the ever run for student council or applied for any dynamic of the camping trips. But most people other leadership roles. I wouldn’t have been the were indifferent.” leader of a club — I’m a leader of Boba Club right Although BSA camping trips remain separate now. It’s made me more confident in myself,” by gender, national summer camps are open to Phan said. both boys and girls.

Chiao has made the most of her time in Scout“We’ve progressed throughout the years and ing, getting involved in troop activities whenever realized that there’s not really a big motive for she can. keeping boys and girls separated,” Bragan said.

“It’s been very rewarding,” Chiao said. “I’ve “There are boys that want to do the things that had a lot of great opportunities. A lot of fun girls do, and there are girls who want to do the travel and adventure.”

Thrifty student runs pop-up shop at farmers market Story by Isabella Adachi & Annie Li

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unior Pierce Crist takes the Scout Law “A Scout is Thrifty” literally.

Crist got the idea to set up a pop-up thrift shop after working with GoodFair, an online thrifting company, as part of his Eagle Scout project and internship. GoodFair sells used clothes on its site, but Crist noticed that without retail locations, they had surplus inventory.

“I saw that they had a lot of excess clothing,” he said, and so he offered to try to sell them in person at Urban Harvest, the farmers market located at the Taub lot on Saturday mornings.

GoodFair supplied clothing to Crist in exchange for a portion of the earnings.

“It was set up to be a win-win between everyone involved,” Crist said.

Crist first learned about GoodFair in ninth grade when making dog beds for the Houston SPCA with recycled clothing that they provided.

Along the way, he became interested in the

problem of reducing clothing waste. According to Crist’s research, the fashion industry is the second-largest polluter, behind the oil and gas industry. To combat the issue, many opt to donate their used clothes rather than tossing them out: Americans give away 80 million clothing items a year, often as good as new.

Crist held his first of two pop-up shops in August.

To attract more customers, he chose themes that fit with current trends and seasons. His fall theme was tie-dye, and the October theme was Baja hoodies to match the pre-winter and “Christmassy” mood, he said.

Crist opted for themes to help people focus on a few choices.

“This was the principle of, if you give people too many options, then they just might not buy anything,” Crist said. “But I feel that setting it up as just one theme really attracted customers.”

It took Crist around an hour to set up his green canopy and display his wares. His friends

showed their support throughout the whole process by visiting his store, making purchases and taking photos.

Crist earned over $1,000 on his first opening in August, which was more than he expected.

The second pop-up shop made a similar profit to the first one.

Junior Leone Haryanto bought a sweater at the October sale and described Crist’s set-up as “really welcoming.”

Crist’s entrepreneur father has been a source of encouragement and inspiration throughout the entire process. The first time Crist opened his shop, his father stood outside, attracting attention to his items. Taking notice of his father’s techniques, Crist applied them himself the second time he opened his shop. After the success of his first two pop-up shops, he plans to open a third in January.

“All in all, I saw an opportunity everyone would profit from, and I took it,” Crist said.

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December 7, 2023 www.sjsreview.com

CULTURE

NATIONAL TREASURE Lead singer Matt Berninger belts out “Eucalyptus,” the final track on the band’s 2023 album “First Two Pages of Frankenstein.”

CONCERT REVIEW

The National goes off the ‘Deep End’ Story and photos by Lucy Walker

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waded through the crowd of fortysomethings on date night to get a spot near the stage.

The opening act, Meg Duffy’s Hand Habits, had just welcomed the crowd with an obligatory “Hello, Houston!” as the White Oak Music Hall’s press correspondent explained the dos and don’ts of concert photography.

In between songs, Meg advertised an apron over at the merch table and said all net proceeds from its purchase will be donated to the Transgender Education Network of Texas. TENT works with organizations like ACLU of Texas and the Human Rights Campaign to provide

GUITAR HERO Grammywinning composer Bryce Dessner riffs during “Eucalytptus.”

resources for trans people and allies across the state.

“I am transgender, and some people don’t like that here,” they said between songs. “But I think some of you guys do a little, and if you don’t, I don’t care, because you just watched me play a show and I get your money.”

The lights came back up and, as is the norm in concerts today, we waited until a video of the band walking to the stage filled the screens above the drum kit and The National appeared in front of us a lá Kinkaid Video. Bryan Devendorf drummed out the opening bars of “Deep End (Paul’s in Pieces),”

a song from their latest record, “Laugh Track,” which is surprisingly well-developed given the release of their star-studded “First Two Pages of Frankenstein” less than six months ago. Aaron Dessner and his twin brother, pianist and co-guitarist Bryce, made the White Oak lawn feel like an arena with their strums. (The bassist and drummer are also brothers.) Matt Berninger’s signature murmur was backed by caterwauls and yelps from the crowd, with one girl in the front yelling every word. She dropped her new merch and asked if I could pick it up; when I grabbed it I noticed it was an aptly-designed “New Order T-Shirt.”

Band: 7/10 The band did a great job mixing in new and old songs, and the guitar solo-laden set was never boring.

Matt and the Dessners ribbed each other about their 2013 art installation at New York’s MoMA, in which they played “Sorrow” over and over for six hours.

I particularly appreciated Matt’s efforts to connect with the crowd — all of his remarks were Houston-specific. He said astronaut Jessica Meir took The National and Hand Habits down to NASA to speak with one of the astronauts currently in orbit. They dedicated their performance of “Wasp’s Nest” to Jessica’s husband, Duke Brady.

Matt said that he wouldn’t “tell you why this is dedicated to him. Some people may know if they look it up on the internet.”

In 2018, Duke was on Discovery Channel’s long-running reality survival show “Naked and Afraid” and stepped on a yellow jacket nest and, from what I read, was stung in a really uncomfortable place. At least he has a sense of humor about it.

Crowd: 9/10 Simply put, the show had good vibes. The National’s fanbase is a very nice group of people — everybody loves them. Even Taylor Swift is a fan. As one of the best dad rock groups, they attract lots of families, and Matt was full of sweet things to say about his own. At White Oak’s outdoor shows, there can be a lot of smoking depending on the sort of fan base the performers cultivate.

This group smoked very little, if at all, and presented no problems for fans with respiratory issues or just a distaste for The Stink.

Safety: 8/10 When someone in the audience required a medic during “Wasp’s Nest,” we heard thoughts and prayers for all victims of concert exhaustion. One man behind us said he hadn’t been to a show since the tragedy at Travis Scott’s Astroworld show, and he respected bands like The National for putting fans first.

Water and food were easily accessible, but if you were in the middle of the crowd, it was difficult to find.

Please hydrate early. Shows on the lawn can get loud, especially if you’re in the front, so earplugs will be your friend. Except for one guy in a Misfits t-shirt who made a stink over the venue’s cashless policy, everyone was very sweet. I would have felt safe as a 16-year-old girl without a concert buddy.

Overall: 8/10 I will definitely be seeing The National the next time they come to Houston. I highly recommend checking out White Oak’s schedule for upcoming events. Shows to watch out for include Ricky Montgomery (Feb. 17), Pink Pantheress (Apr. 24) and Bleachers (June 1).

CULTURE

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The Review St. John’s School

Celsius provides a boost of energy, but at what cost?

Celsius has been banned by the

The “pre-exercise” drink has seen its sales triple over the last two years, but health concerns — and bans by the NCAA and National Olympic Committee — signal potential long-term consequences Story by Eshna Das & Aien Du Illustrations by Jennifer Lin Design by Amanda Brantley

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onica has a Celsius problem. So when the junior’s parents banned her favorite energy drink, she orchestrated a supermarket scheme. On her next few trips to the grocery store, she managed to fudge the numbers and get three dollars added to her budget. Instead of buying extra snacks or essentials, Monica, not her real name, funneled this cash into her secret stash of Celsius.

Celsius is marketed as a pre-exercise drink with ingredients like taurine, caffeine and green tea that raise metabolism and provide a quick boost.

It comes in both sparkling and non-carbonated varieties with 20 sweet flavors, including Sparkling Orange, Peach Vibez and Mango Passionfruit.

The brand initially marketed its product as a “dieting drink,” with only 10 calories per 12-ounce can. The company wanted its buyers to enjoy “a delicious taste of energy without any of the guilt.”

Celsius also began to advertise itself as a pre-workout energy drink.

They offered kosher, vegan-certified, soy-, gluten- and sugar-free alternatives to amped-up energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster Energy. Marketers also emphasized the drink’s lack of high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors.

Celsius launched in 2004, but did not gain popularity until the

Red Bull gives you wings!

pandemic, when many families were looking to incorporate healthy habits into their diets. Soon the company’s “clean” approach became a hit.

Over the past two years, revenue has tripled, reaching almost $1 billion in sales.

In addition to gym rats, Celsius has caught the attention of students.

“When I was a freshman, I was the only person drinking Celsius,” senior Libby Smith said. “Now, almost everyone has one.”

Many attribute the growing popularity of Celsius to its easy accessibility. “Making coffee is harder than grabbing a Celsius from the fridge,” Smith said.

Students also credit the marketing. The slimmer white cans with a pop of bright colors are a stark contrast to the bigger, more aggressive Monster and Bang cans.

For many students, caffeine is an essential part of the work cycle, helping them to stay awake and productive throughout the night.

Although Celsius may help many athletes regain the energy to play sports, it has been banned due to the “unfair advantage” some ingredients give to athletes.

When I was a freshman, I was the only person drinking Celsius. Now, almost everyone has one.

LIBBY SMITH An NCAA study completed in January found that Celsius contains ginseng, guarana, L-carnitine and taurine, all of which are currently banned by the NCAA as well as the National Olympic committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Because Smith will be playing field hockey in college, she concedes that she will eventually have to stop drinking Celsius.

While most sports leagues have banned Celsius and discourage its use in athletic settings, some students continue using it as a fitness supplement. Senior Vincent Reyes drinks one can before he works out to improve his exercise routine. With the added energy, Reyes claims

NCAA N AT IO N A L O LYM P I C C OM M I T T E E WORLD ING ANTI-DOP A G E N CY his stamina and intensity have significantly increased.

Reyes has been cautious not to develop an addiction to Celsius after hearing on social media and from friends about how easy it was to get hooked.

“It’s definitely a tool,” Reyes said, “I’m very cautious about how I use it because I realize it could potentially be very dangerous.”

Doctors also warn about the drawbacks of Celsius. The citric acid concentration has caused whole-body inflammation in some individuals and has the potential to exacerbate heartburn in those with digestive problems. Consumed in excess, citric acid can also damage tooth enamel.

The high citric acid concentration in Celsius has led to several lawsuits. In June, a settlement was reached between Celsius and Hezi Shiri and Associates, the law firm that filed the suit, which allowed Celsius consumers between Jan. 1, 2015 and Nov. 23, 2023 to receive compensation if they were harmed by the citric acid.

Even though it is found in coffee, tea and sodas, large amounts of caffeine may cause serious heart and blood vessel problems including heart rhythm disturbances and an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Celsius contains 200 mg of caffeine per can, almost triple the amount in Red Bull. In comparison, a 12-oz can of Coke has 32 mg, a cup of tea has 50 mg, and a similar amount of coffee has 140 mg.

Monica has cut her Celsius intake in half — just one can per day. Unless she’s studying for midterms. Then she’ll drink three.

FAST FACTS 200 mg per 12 oz can

second listed ingredient

1000% daily value

CAFFEINE

CITRIC ACID

BIOTIN

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SPOTL

December 7, 2023 www.sjsreview.com

Wes Anderson changed cinema. W

Why his sophomore film “Rushmore,” shot on campus, continues to inspire a Story by Ellison Albright & Lucy Walker Design by Serina Yan

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any people dream of living in a Wes Anderson film — there are countless Instagram accounts, designer clothing lines and even themed rentals on Airbnb that emulate the filmmaker’s distinct visual style — but St. John’s students actually spend their days in the Wes Anderson Cinematic Universe.

In the winter of 1997, ten years after he graduated from St. John’s, Anderson directed his sophomore film “Rushmore” on campus, leaving a profound mark upon the community — and providing enough stories to last a lifetime.

The film, released Dec. 11, 1998, follows Max Fischer (played by Jason Schwartzman in his cinematic debut), an ambitious student at Rushmore Academy, a prestigious private all-boys school not unlike St. John’s. Along the way, Max befriends a lonely millionaire industrialist (Bill Murray, in a career-changing performance), falls in love with a widowed first grade teacher (Olivia Williams) and writes and directs multiple hit plays, all while participating in every known extracurricular activity.

While Max’s escapades may seem over-the-top, St. John’s students know all too well the need to overachieve and find purpose.

For Mavericks, “Rushmore” is far more than a quirky, perfectly centered coming-of-age story — it encapsulates why so many love St. John’s. Early in the film, wealthy Herman Blume asks Max for his secret to happiness. He explains, “I think you just gotta find something you love to do and do it for the rest of your life. For me, it’s going to Rushmore.”

WES WORLD

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nderson, who entered SJS his junior year, was more interested in talking philosophy than studying cell structure. Dwight Raulston (‘71), whom Anderson recalls as one of his favorite teachers, taught him in AP Biology II and creative writing. During the personal essay unit, Raulston noticed the enthusiasm that has made Anderson such a successful filmmaker.

“Sometimes it’s hard to tell when people are only 17 or 18 how whatever they do then is going to work out in the future,” Raulston said. “But it was very clear that Wes had energy and vision and just a basically restless mind that liked coming up with ideas and exploring their implications.”

While St. John’s has produced numerous professional artists, Raulston notes that a career in the fine arts is “not what most parents expect” when they send their kids here — not that Anderson particularly cared.

According to the 1987 yearbook (formerly The Rebel), Anderson was known for his Timberland shoes, his impression of Beaker from the Muppets and saying, “Dude, basically, yeah.” His senior page in the yearbook is quintessential Wes: a two-page spread featuring Anderson and his

friend Bret Howrey slouched against a wall in a totally 80s portrait. It looks like no other senior page.

Josh Pesikoff, one of Anderson’s classmates, is regularly asked if he anticipated his friend’s success.

“Of course not,” Pesikoff said. “No matter how good the wide receiver on your football team is, you don’t expect him to end up in the NFL or the Hall of Fame.”

For fans of the Wes Anderson Cinematic Universe, it’s easy to see where it all started. His early storytelling heroes that inspired “The French Dispatch” (2021) began in 11th grade advisory which met in the library. As he sat facing the periodical shelf, he discovered “The New Yorker.”

His classmates draw parallels between Max’s outlandish productions and Anderson’s own theater experience. He stage managed classmate Mike Maggart’s independent study project, co-written with the son of the actress who played the public school teacher at Grover Cleveland High School. Maggart, who worked as a geometry teacher at St. John’s during filming, admits the play did not go as planned — like many of Max’s own.

“It wasn’t his fault, but there was a hilarious moment where one of the sets fell over during the play,” Maggart said. “It was pretty low-budget.”

When asked if Anderson would have been friends with Max, he replied in an email to The Review, “I would have liked to have been included in his theater productions,” he admitted. “But I’m not so sure I would have succeeded to get myself invited.”

RUSHMORE’S LEGACY

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ushmore has aged far better than most of its cultural contemporaries like Oscar-winner “American Beauty” and Furbies — its endearing idiosyncrasy still resonates with young people. Max struggles to balance his dreams and aspirations with rigorous academic obligations, like passing his classes.

“Rushmore” deals with adolescence creatively and earnestly. Movie Club Co-President Ally Rodriguez asserts that the film’s whimsy is what keeps it so appealing.

“Max becomes almost like a cartoon because of just how weird he is and how poor his judgment is,” Rodriguez said. “I am living in that very weird stage of my life — it’s comforting to know that this experience of growing up is shared.”

Rodriguez adds that Max’s journey is inspiring for those who “march to the beat of their own drum — sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.” Max attempts to bridge the gap between the teen and adult worlds, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. As Max tries to charm Rosemary Cross, a teacher twice his age, he is repeatedly shot down.

At a private dinner to celebrate his hit play — a stage adaptation of “Serpico” — Max discovers that his obsession with

Miss Cross is not reciprocated.

Rodriguez describes the typical Rushmore/St. John’s student as “a child who is expected to forget that they’re a child.” Max realizes that’s exactly what he has to do after hearing Mr. Blume’s Chapel speech, which he considers the best he has ever seen: “For some of you, it doesn’t matter. You were born rich and you’re going to stay rich.” But Max is not rich; he is ashamed. He tells people his father is a neurosurgeon, not a barber.

When asked what Herman Blume would say if he gave a Chapel talk today, Anderson responded that it would probably be the same, “but blunter.”

Junior Caroline Chiao also sees a little bit of herself in Max. She first watched “Rushmore” when she was accepted to the Upper School and found herself drawn to the film’s romanticization of learning.

“I, too, love school, but I’m a bad academic. He’s joining all the clubs, he’s saving Latin, and he’s writing plays, but his grades are bad,” Chiao said. “I kind of have that vibe.

Let me study in a limestone library or I won’t study at all.”

Seeing St. John’s on screen, especially the old grandeur of North Campus, makes alums especially nostalgic. Even though Rushmore appears to take place somewhere in the northeast, Houston in the winter makes for a convincing substitute.

“The barbershop? That’s where Henry [my twin brother] got his first haircut,” Chiao said. “And we spent so much time in St. John the Divine for school and Scouts, so those little scenes are just more fun.”

Doug’s Barber Shop in the Heights is still open after almost 100 years. The owner at the time of filming, Don Willis, is still cutting hair at 85, and the shop still looks just as it did in 1998.

VST SCREENING

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s the lights dimmed and the opening bars of Mark Mothersbaugh’s harpsichord score lilted over the speakers in the sold-out VST, “Rushmore” was back on the big screen for one night, Nov. 17, a special 25th anniversary screening organized by the Houston Cinema Arts Fest and co-presented with the River Oaks Theater.

Berets dotted the crowd, filled with college students and grandparents alike, a mix of those whose connections go back to the film’s inception and those who stumbled upon it in the age of streaming.

Anderson was there, too, in the form of a pre-recorded message aired before the movie.

“I wish I could be there with you tonight at the Lowe Theater,” Anderson said. “I hope you’ll enjoy the movie. I hope it holds up 25 years later.”

Despite his familiarity with the film, Pesikoff found

THE WES ANDERSON CINEMATIC UNIVERSE 1996

1998

2001

2004

2007

2009

2012

Bottle Rocket

Rushmore

The Royal Tenenbaums

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

The Darjeeling Limited

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Moonri Kingdo

LIGHT

The Review St. John’s School

What did you ever do?

audiences

STORIES FROM THE SET hen Maggart took his last bow on the Hoodwink stage, he had no idea his next acting opportunity at St. John’s would be opposite

Bill Murray.

“That was the first time I’d ever done a scene like that with anyone,” Maggart said.

Maggart had a small part as a concierge who checks Mr. Blume into his hotel room as he’s going through a divorce.

But his main role was, according to Anderson, as a crucial collaborator and “the St. John’s producer of the film and casting director.” The hotel scene was shot at a fake concierge booth in the middle of the Warwick lobby — now Hotel ZaZa — rather than on a set, leading a somewhat distractable Murray to break off mid-filming to talk with some priests who were actually checking in.

Anderson cast Maggart as a bulldozer salesman in a 2007 AT&T commercial, a detective in “Asteroid City,” and in various roles for the Netflix short film “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.”

Since filming “Rushmore,” Anderson has refined a system to “not only make a great movie, but optimize on the fun

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ise om

2014

The Grand Budapest Hotel

RUSHMORE BEHIND THE SCENES When Wes Anderson’s film crew came to her home on North Blvd, Bette Pesikoff took these candids.

himself struck by new details and discontinuities that only those with first-hand knowledge of St. John’s would notice.

For instance, in the Chapel scene, everyone exits the wrong door. The opening “unsolvable equation” dream sequence (which was written by former math teacher Doug Sharp) takes place in Q123, currently Ms. Laborde’s room. Lamar High School doubles as Grover Cleveland High School.

The 11-hour flight from his home in Paris to Houston prevented Anderson from attending the screening. And attempts to get the stars to attend were equally futile. “I even offered [Bill Murray] a round of golf,” Maggart said.

“He loves to play golf.”

After the screening, a 45-minute panel discussion took place featuring friends and collaborators, a number of which appeared in the film. Nearly all were St. John’s alumni.

They shared stories of conducting secret auditions in Maggart’s math classroom to memories of a little blond kid (Kyle Urquhart), an extra who appears 23 times on screen. Eagle-eyed “Gilmore Girls” fans will spot a young Alexis Bledel as a Grover Cleveland classmate, in her first screen appearance.

For many Houstonians, “Rushmore” acts as a time capsule, channeling the spirit of both the city and the School, despite the fact Houston is never mentioned in the movie.

“St. John’s has changed a lot,” Maggart said. “‘Rushmore’ really captures for us what it was like at St. John’s when we were in high school. It shows off Houston.”

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2018

Isle of Dogs

that everybody has,” Maggart said, where everyone can “just be their normal selves.”

For Pesikoff, “Rushmore” was quite literally a homecoming. The house where Rosemary Cross lives in the film was his childhood home. When location scouts were looking for a house that matched Anderson’s specifications, they had no idea that Anderson used to hang out at the Pesikoff home.

During filming, the family dining room was used, as well as Pesikoff’s brother Daniel’s room, which had been painted a deep purple for the shoot. Daniel’s daughter Isabelle Pesikoff is a senior.

“My parents actually liked some of the changes,” Josh Pesikoff said. “They had the walls painted, but I think they left some of the design elements the same.”

Colin Platt (‘99), who played Serpico in Max’s stage adaptation, remembered sitting next to Anderson as part of the set was being constructed in the old Hoodwink Theater.

“He had just this great, childish grin on his face,” Platt said. “It felt like he was trying to fulfill his dream of doing this amazing production at St. John’s.”

“Rushmore” did not mark the end of SJS appearances in Anderson’s filmography. The town in “Fantastic Mr. Fox” features a St. John’s Coin-Op Laundry, and “Moonrise Kingdom” follows members of Scout Troop 55, a reference to the Boy Scouts based at St. John the Divine.

On set, Anderson’s directorial style and demeanor is reflective of his personality but has evolved as he has gained experience.

“He brings that energy and that stamina so all of the actors feel it,” Maggart said. “It’s like when you have a good coach or a good teacher.”

Before filming started, Maggart’s math classroom became an impromptu casting studio and was later used as a home base when filming began. After last period, Anderson and cinematographer Bob Yeoman would surreptitiously arrive on campus and host auditions for the many students who appeared in the film.

“We did not tell the administration that was what was going on,” Maggart said.

“Rushmore” was a relatively inexpensive film (a reported $9 million) and made a modest $17 million in its initial theatrical run, but it has become a cult classic, which has allowed Anderson to make nine subsequent films featuring Scarlett Johansson, Meryl Streep and Bruce Willis.

His most recent film, “Asteroid City,” was an art house hit.

And who starred alongside Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Steve Carell? None other than Max Fischer himself: Jason Schwartzman, now 43, just shy of Bill Murray’s age when he filmed “Rushmore” 25 years ago.

So happy birthday, “Rushmore.” Sic transit gloria. Glory fades. But you never will.

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Hu

2021

The French Dispatch

Olivia Williams and Jason Schwartzman prepare for the scene in which Max climbs through Miss Cross’s window.

Anderson chats with Bill Murray before filming the iconic swimming pool scene in the Pesikoff backyard.

Murray prepares outside the Pesikoff home before shooting his confrontation with Schwartzman.

2023

Asteroid City

Anderson prepares to shoot a scene in the childhood bedroom of Daniel Pesikoff (‘95).

All photos courtesy of Bette Pesikoff

12

December 7, 2023 www.sjsreview.com

CULTURE

Not your grandma’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’

A MOST SUITABLE MATCH Mrs. Bennet (played by Finnian Owsley) advises her daughters (Sasha Mintz and Nadiya Naehr) on matters of marriage as Mary (Ryan Paschke) looks on and Mr. Bennet (Jacob Green) ignores everyone completely.

Story by Aien Du & Nathan Kim

I

t was only the first scene, but laughter was already erupting throughout Lowe Theater as the hectic Bennet family’s apathetic, bold, spoiled, ecstatic and neglected natures turned a timeless classic on its head.

Since August, students had been putting in hours of work to prepare for the fall play, rehearsing parts and building sets piece by piece to transform the stage into a fragment of Jane Austen’s Georgian-era England.

“Don’t expect your grandmother’s ‘Pride and Prejudice,’” said director Jamie Stires Hardin.

This rendition by Kate Hamill adapts Austen’s novel to the stage, accompanied by additional dialogue and humor.

“The dynamic of the Bennet family as a whole is just a riot to watch,” Stires Hardin said.

“They’re just so funny, and where we’ve taken the world of the play, there’s contemporary twists in terms of how we’re using both music and dance sequences.”

Stires Hardin, along with costume designer Teresa Fogler and set designer Thomas Murphy, had been making plans for the fall play since early summer. They were especially excited for the opportunities awaiting the girls in the cast.

“It’s very female-forward, and it has a real opportunity for the young women in our department to have a variety of roles that are really featured in the play,” Stires Hardin said. “The script is able to push the actors into spaces they haven’t been before as performers.”

When she read “Pride and Prejudice” as a sophomore, senior Nadiya Naehr did not relate

Photo by Charles Tsang

to the confident heroine.

“She’s the main character, the one who’s got the power to tell her own story,” Naehr said.

The dynamic of the Bennet family as a whole is just a riot to watch.

JAMIE STIRES HARDIN As Naehr experimented with her character two years later, she felt she had a better grasp on the role. Her two-year journey has allowed her to explore and eventually love the way she portrayed Elizabeth Bennet in the show.

In her first leading role, Naehr wanted to create a welcoming atmosphere for the cast and crew.

“As a senior, I enjoyed this position because I got to set the tone for the show,” Naehr said.

“The leads during ‘Newsies’ created this wonderful, inclusive, communal atmosphere, and that’s what I was really trying to do with this one.”

Naehr often delivered coffee to the underclass-

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men and helped them with math homework in her free time. Naehr says that the cast of “Pride and Prejudice” became more than just an ensemble, but a family.

Sophomore Sasha Mintz, who portrayed Jane Bennet, the oldest and most beautiful of the sisters, also felt the connection between the cast.

“When we have those shared moments and experiences on stage, that’s where the inside jokes come from and even when we’re off stage we can’t stop laughing about them,” Mintz said. “It’s hard to get any work done in rehearsals because once you’re in the cast for that long, they become your favorite people.”

According to Stires Hardin, the actors gave their all during rehearsals, dance scenes and memorizing lines. All this hard work was never more apparent than Tech Week, the final week before production.

“It’s insanity and euphoria and all sorts of fabulousness,” Naehr said. “You’re so sleep-deprived. You practically live in the VST. Homework and everything else becomes secondary.”

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NEW LOCATION! (SAME RICE VILLAGE) 2531 University Blvd.

SPORTS

13

The Review St. John’s School

Triple threat: West just wants to win Senior’s competitive edge extends to taekwondo, cross country, barrel racing and lacrosse Story by Bella Dodig, William Liang, Katharine Yao Design by Emily Matthews-Ederington & Emily Yen

W

hen Cora West played on a boys’ lacrosse team in seventh and eighth grade, her competitors were initially unaware that she was a girl. Back then, West’s hair swung out beneath her helmet, earning her the nickname “Viking Boy.” West quickly established herself as the most aggressive player on the field. Once, after an opponent hit her younger brother A.J., West “ran across the field and trucked him” before running away “super elegantly.”

“It was both really funny and amazing to see me hit the boys a lot,” West said.

West’s competitive nature stems from a long history of playing sports. While most kids start with soccer or basketball, West took up horse riding at five years old and barrel racing at eleven.

Both of West’s parents were collegiate athletes. Her dad played football at Marietta College in Ohio, and her mom was a long-distance swimmer at the Colorado School of Mines.

“My parents were that couple that would go on triathlon dates,” West said.

When the boys in her lacrosse league began hitting their growth spurts, West became less dominant.

During her final game, she was playing against “full-grown men,” one of which hit her so hard she rolled head over heels three times.

“After that game I was like ‘bye’ because that scared me,” she said.

For a long time West resisted playing girls’ lacrosse because it “wasn’t as aggressive,” especially in middle school. When she did switch to girls’ lacrosse in the summer after eighth grade, she discovered that playing against the boys gave her a competitive edge. By the time she reached high school and the competition became more intense, she rediscovered her love of lacrosse.

Her goal was to make varsity as a freshman even though no ninth grader had made the team in the last three years. “A lot of coaches didn’t think I could do it,” West said, “but as the stubborn person I was, I made it my goal.”

West practiced and studied film for six hours a day during quarantine, performing extensive shooting and dodging drills in her backyard.

She was a starting varsity low attacker for the team’s first few games, but she lost the position once the season progressed after she caught a cold that briefly took her out of the commission.

She’s just super authentic in everything she does.

RACHEL FABRE “Being on the sidelines for so many games where I didn’t even touch the field was hard for me,” West said. “Lacrosse was my identity, and I couldn’t do it.”

After working to win her spot on the starting lineup, West was devastated that a non-injury had put her on the bench. She was so scared of making mistakes that she started to play timidly. This lack of aggression ultimately quelled

FINDLAYBOUND Cora West will play at the University of Findlay, a Division II college in rural Ohio.

Photo by William West

the very thing that drove her success in the first place.

Fueled by her desire to regain her starting position, West increased the intensity of her training the following summer. Her workouts included exercises such as 100 wall ball throws, and if she made a single mistake, she would restart the drill.

West has been on the starting lineup ever since and is now one of the team captains.

“Cora has fire and tenacity – she just instantly pushes everyone to be better,” girls’ lacrosse coach Amanda Bencosme said.

In the era of the single-sport college recruits, West is a throwback to a time when playing multiple sports was the norm.

Cora has fire and tenacity — she just instantly pushes everyone to be better.

AMANDA BENCOSME “She’s a multi-sport athlete. I would even say she’s multifaceted in her approach to athletics overall with her attitude and demeanor,” cross-country coach Rachel Fabre said. “She’s just super authentic in everything she does.”

West is also an all-SPC cross-country runner and taekwondo blue belt.

Because she lives over an hour away from campus, West gets up at 4:30 to run with her teammates. After being chosen as a cross-country captain this year, West focused on supporting and developing the team.

“Cora always imparts her wisdom on other members of the team — something not a lot of young people are willing to do,” Fabre said. “She is the epitome of a good captain.”

For taekwondo, West trains extensively over the summer at Fort Bend Martial Arts. In July, she finished third at the Taekwondo National Championships in Jacksonville, Florida.

“Fighting is a very different mindset than lacrosse

or cross country because you’re physically hurting someone else — that’s the goal,” West said. “It has really helped with my mental toughness.”

I’m a competitive person.

I want to win.

CORA WEST With so many athletic opportunities, West ultimately decided to play lacrosse in college. At first, West toured DI universities, excited by the promise of high-level competition, yet she discovered that the athletes at these schools focused their entire lives on sports. She wanted time to pursue her other interests and focus her studies on pre-physical therapy.

Numerous St. John’s athletes find a path to playing in college through DIII schools, but West found that these programs lacked the competitive spirit she craved.

“The girls didn’t have that fire that I was looking for,” West said.

“I’m a competitive person. I want to win.”

So, on Nov. 8, she signed a National Letter of Intent with the University of Findlay, a DII college in rural Ohio. For West, Findlay presented the perfect combination of sportlife balance.

“I loved the coaches and the girls,” West said. “The rest is history.”

STICKING WITH IT West plays lots of sports, but lacrosse is her best.

Photo courtesy of Cora West

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December 7, 2023 www.sjsreview.com

SPORTS

How Pride built a field hockey empire

FULL OF PRIDE Senior players celebrate their collegiate commitments.

Photo courtesy of Pride Field Hockey

Story by Eshna Das & Aleena Gilani

T

he tournament before Tina Edmonds bought Texas Pride Field Hockey Club in 2013, the team gave up 40 goals. These days, her team sends dozens of players to the most sought-after college field hockey programs.

Pride is a private field hockey club that trains players beginning at age four. After moving from Charlottesville, Virginia, Edmonds took over the club as owner and director. While she concedes that the program was “quite weak when I first started,” Edmonds says she immediately noticed improvement. That summer, the Pride U16 team qualified for the National Club Championship.

Edmonds describes field hockey as a “quantitative sport” in which the amount of time and effort a player devotes makes a significant difference on the field.

“The kids that work the hardest are the best players,” Edmonds said. “Our girls dedicate a lot of time and energy into being successful and, as a result, they are.”

Edmonds also attributes the club’s meteoric rise to the support of every player’s family.

“A lot of these families have done so much to not only help their daughters be successful but also to help the sport grow,” Edmonds said.

Sophomore Montgomery Ferguson joined Pride when she was six. She has watched the club grow under Edmonds and says Pride feels like a “second family.”

“When I joined, we didn’t even have enough players to make one team per age group,” Ferguson said. Now, Pride has six.

Pride offers programs for a wide range of skill levels. To prepare players for the college level, they train three times a week. Players also frequently travel around the country to compete in recruiting events and national tournaments.

For those who want to play in college, Pride helps players with recruiting and consulting as early as eighth grade.

The roster of every NCAA Final Four team (Duke, Northwestern, Virginia and champion North Carolina) has a former Pride player on it.

In addition, Pride placed three players on two of the Division III Final Four teams (Johns Hopkins and Middlebury).

From just the Class of 2023, Madison Kim committed to Columbia University in her sophomore year, while Abby Golub and Frances Moriniere committed as juniors to Kenyon College and

Brown University, respectively.

This year, seven seniors have committed to Brown, Haverford, Stanford, Northwestern, Yale, Maryland and Princeton.

Four juniors on Pride have already committed, but nothing is official until they sign their National Letters of Intent in November of their senior year or are accepted for admission.

Junior Chloe West commited to a Division I program in early July. West began training with Pride five years ago and started meeting with Edmonds to discuss recruitment in eighth grade.

While their conversations were initially broad, as West got older, Edmonds guided her through communicating with coaches and choosing which camps to attend.

“We would go to all of these tournaments all the time,” West said. “Last year, I was gone nine Fridays in a row.”

Our girls dedicate a lot of time and energy into being successful and, as a result, they are.

TINA EDMONDS Every June 15, after a player’s sophomore year, colleges can begin contacting students.

From that day, West began receiving calls from coaches. She says Edmonds is the “biggest support system” for players when deciding where to commit: “She tells us, ‘that’s pushing it a little bit,’ or ‘you’d be great at this place, I think you should look here,’” West said. “I had a lot of talks with her because I was all over the place.”

Playing for Pride, especially for those interested in playing collegiately, demands a lot of time.

Players often lose entire weekends during the school year when traveling to national tournaments, showcases and camps, yet they are still expected to manage schoolwork.

“I don’t really sleep that much because it’s just a constant: wake up, school, field hockey, work, sleep,” West said.

During moments of stress and exhaustion, particularly when traveling, West says players turn to each other for encouragement.

“Ultimately, that’s where our team really comes

into play,” West said. “We’re such a tight-knit community that we’re able to support each other through that.”

Traveling is not always smooth sailing. One night after a tournament, a delayed flight trapped West and her teammates in a Florida airport for hours. “No places are open. We don’t have any of our stuff because our bags are on the plane. We don’t have any food. We don’t have any water. There’s no one working there to help us with our flights,” West said.

The team managed to find a Starbucks that was in the process of closing. The only food they could offer the players was expired coffee cakes, but they were too hungry to care.

“I think I ate five coffee cakes that day,” West said.

Last year, the sport’s governing body, USA Field Hockey, named Pride the 2022 National Club of the Year. Edmonds says that what makes Pride unique is the attention the coaches provide to each player.

“We start recruiting consulting when they’re younger to set up a strategy and make sure they develop into strong individual players,” Edmonds said. “The better the player, the easier it is to be recruited to play in college.”

Edmonds started playing field hockey when she was eight. An All-American defender, she won two national championships with the Maryland Terrapins.

“Field hockey has always been a part of my life,” Edmonds said. “So I wanted to continue.”

West says Edmonds’s success with Pride is a result of her passion for the sport and her ability to approach games from a “player perspective.”

Edmonds’s intense coaching style is not for everyone, but those who remain on the team through high school praise her methods.

“I have never been coached by a coach who was able to push me so much with tough love and just make me the best player that I can be,” West said. “She can immediately flip a switch in us.”

Beyond Edmonds’s leadership, West attributes Pride’s success to the dynamic between players.

“Chemistry is the number one thing you can have on a sports team,” West said. “When Pride is able to have that amazing chemistry, with really good coaches, that’s when the sparks are created.”

SPORTS

15

The Review St. John’s School

Letter jackets make a comeback After three decades, the classic symbol of school spirit is back in style.

Story by Dalia Sandberg Photo by Kenzie Chu

A

THE NEW LOOK The jackets, manufactured

by Dilly, have a base price of $299.

s captains gathered their belongings at the end of the Maverick Athletic Council Meeting on Oct. 25, they saw a surprise on the video screen — the reintroduction of letter jackets since their heyday three decades ago.

“I was very excited when I first heard about the jackets,” senior track captain Bella Cantorna said. “I love the look and especially the vintage feeling.”

According to an email from Assistant Athletic Director Isis Amao, letter jackets will be available to athletes who have successfully completed two varsity seasons or seniors who have completed two athletic seasons with at least one season at the varsity level.

“Letterman jackets are common at other schools, and I’m thrilled we now get to have them, too,” sophomore runner Claire Connelly said.

Mavericks have intermittently sported letterman outerwear.

Coach Stobie Whitmore (’68) recalls that letter sweaters were fashionable from the ’50s to the ’70s. By the 1980s, the School had switched to letter jackets, but the trend slowly faded, especially since the only criterion was to be on the team.

The plan to bring them back was hatched in July over dinner at an Italian restaurant in Rich-

A TIMELESS CLASSIC Stobie Whitmore (‘68) shows off his vintage jacket.

mond, Virginia, where football captain Stephen Gill was discussing the absence of letter jackets with his parents. He had recently seen an Instagram post featuring Episcopal athletes wearing letter jackets, and he felt St. John’s should have them as well.

Letterman jackets are common at other schools, and I’m thrilled we now get to have them, too.

CLAIRE CONNELLY Gill’s mother and father both attended public high schools where letter jackets were common.

That night they collectively resolved to advocate for the jackets, despite doubts that the policy would change soon enough for Gill to wear one before he graduates.

When Mignon Gill ran into David Cohn, Director of Athletics, at a family sports meeting, she floated the idea.

Meanwhile, Stephen reached out to captains from every sport, both boys and girls. Everyone was on board. “For years, all I’ve gotten is a piece of paper every time I’ve made varsity, and it’s usually gone in the trash,” said cross-country and lacrosse captain Cora West. “The jackets are a much bigger honor.”

Mavericks were used to seeing athletes at Kinkaid and Episcopal donning their school colors.

“I see my friends from pole vaulting wearing them at track meets, and I know I’m going to wear mine a lot,” Cantorna said. “They are a great way to show school pride.”

The jackets are made by Dilly, a family-owned business in the Houston area. They will have white leather sleeves, a black cotton body and a red-and-black striped cuff and hem. Letter jackets are not cheap — the base price is $299 for a jacket with one patch — with additional patches costing $35 each.

“For me, the price is worth it,” junior football captain Cole Allen said. “You only get one and have it for the rest of your life. It is such a cool keepsake.”

6 Mavs sign National Letter of Intent Story by Daniel Pan & Cesar Adrogue Photo by Grace Bowling

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED Reese Animashaun (volleyball), Juliana Boon (field hockey) and Bella Cantorna (track and field) make it official.

O

n Nov. 8 on Liu Court, six senior student-athletes signed the National Letter of Intent, each agreeing to attend their respective Division I schools.

Reese Animashaun committed to Vanderbilt University for volleyball; Juliana Boon to Northwestern University for field hockey; Bella Cantorna to Davidson College for track and field; Kristina Johnson to the University of Maryland for field hockey; Carson Luna to the University of Texas for baseball; and Cora West to the University of Findlay for lacrosse.

When a student signs an NLI, they agree to attend a Division I or II college for at least one academic year, and the university commits to providing financial aid or a scholarship. Basketball coach and Athletic Recruiting Liaison Kathy Halligan organized the signing ceremony, which took place during da Vinci so students and faculty could attend.

For Cantorna, a pole vaulter, National Signing Day was a relief. “Through all the stress and chaos of the recruiting process and all of the visits, I felt like everything was coming together,” Cantorna said.

Cantorna said the track and field coaches always pushed her to be her best, training her

with collegiate-level workouts and helping her navigate the recruiting process, which she called “a little bit of chaos.” Her main regret now is that she was too stressed trying to write the perfect emails to college coaches.

“They’re not going to be sitting there correcting my grammar in my email,” Cantorna said.

“They’re interested in me as an athlete.”

Track and field athletes typically only get offers over the summer before senior year — Cantorna finally decided on Davidson College in October — but Animashaun, Boon, Johnson, Luna and West committed to their respective schools as juniors.

Because Johnson committed to Maryland over a year ago, the emotion of signing day caught her off guard.

“It was an exciting moment for me,” Johnson said. “I felt very grateful to know that I was

officially going to be a part of a program that I regard very highly.”

Johnson also appreciated the encouragement and advice her coaches provided. When she traveled to schools across the country trying to decide which would be the best fit, her coaches recounted their own experiences at those same schools.

The number of DI recruits this year was much higher than last year, when only one student signed at last year’s November ceremony.

“The ceremony was incredible. I was so excited but even more proud,” Cantorna said. “All my struggles, the hundreds of hours of training, traveling to dozens of competitions and reaching out to different coaches and programs, culminated at this signing.”

16

December 7, 2023 www.sjsreview.com

SPORTS

Twice as nice: Field Hockey win highlights fall SPC Mavs 2-0 win clinches back-toback SPC titles Story by Yutia Li Photo and design by Willow Zerr

A FAST AND FURIOUS Chloe West plays tough defense.

Photo by Maggie Hester

fter losing in overtime to the Mavericks on Oct. 19, the Episcopal Knights field hockey team thought they had come close to beating the reigning SPC champions.

The Knights were so confident that they would eventually beat the Mavs that they featured the hastag #whynotus on their social media page.

After shutting out the Knights 2-0 in the SPC semifinal game, the Mavericks answered resoundingly: this is why.

At the beginning of the season, the Mavs were ranked No. 2 in the nation. But after they defeated the top-ranked Hill School at the MAX Field Hockey Tournament in Philadelphia, they suffered consecutive losses.

“Playing teams that really pushed us showed our team what happens when we lose,” junior forward Eliza Perrin said. “We can’t just become unhinged and fall apart.”

The Mavs finished 15-3, second in South Zone.

After defeating Awty and Episcopal in the first two rounds of SPC, the team once again found

themselves face-to-face with the Falcons. Before the matchup, Episcopal commented “Go Falcons!” on a Kinkaid Athletics Instagram post.

“Lots of girls on the Episcopal, Kinkaid and St. John’s teams play for the same club, so their existing friendships definitely made the rivalry more intense,” field hockey manager Virginia Carolyn Crawford said.

Going into the finals, the Mavs focused on having fun and not dwelling on the competitive atmosphere. This relaxed mindset paid off with a goal from Perrin 30 seconds into the second quarter and another from sophomore midfielder

Montgomery Ferguson soon after. From there, the Mavs kept their foot on the gas, capping off an up-and-down season with a second consecutive SPC title for head coach Becky Elliott.

As the team sprinted to embrace goalie Juliana Boon, Crawford and fellow manager Willow Zerr tripped and fell amidst the chaos. Crawford did a forward roll across the turf and kept on running.

“It was a little embarrassing but really just showed how excited we all were,” Crawford said.

For Perrin, the back-to-back titles were special: “Once you have a taste of winning, you want to continue."

Football finishes third in conference

Cross country places in top five

Girls' v-ball places third, boys' seventh

Story by Lee Monistere Photo by Katie Czelusta

Story by Lee Monistere

Story by Yutia Li Photo by Katie Czelusta

D

espite an overall record of 7-3 and a conference record of 3-1, football finished 3rd place in SPC behind Kinkaid and Episcopal, who advanced to the finals after a tiebreaker. For most of SPC play, the Mavs held the top seed, until they fell short in the final game against Kinkaid, 35-21.

After falling behind early, the Mavs rallied to tie the score 14-14. The third quarter began tied at 21 before the Falcons pulled away for their eleventh consecutive win over the Mavs.

Players named to the All-SPC team were running back Cole Allen, quarterback Stephen Gill, cornerback Barrett Mossman and lineman Wyatt Childers.

Coached by Kevin Veltri, the team emphasized resilience and communication on the field.

“We reached the point where we realized this is our time, this is what we have been working WE’VE GOT 6 for for the past four years,” captain Michael Owen Sherrill Murphy said. “We started taking things more jukes a defend- seriously, but we still wanted to ensure that we er on his way to kept our lighthearted nature to maintain our the end zone. team chemistry.”

The Episcopal game was the season's highlight.

“It was one of the biggest wins we’ve had in our team’s history,” Murphy said. “I really like those close games where you really don’t know what’s going to happen, and that makes the win feel all the more special when the clock hits zero.”

Captain Stephen Gill’s fourth-quarter touchdown run with 51 seconds remaining gave the Mavs the lead, and senior Matías Adrogué’s extra point made the score 33-26. After Episcopal answered with a touchdown, the Mavs stopped the two-point conversion, preserving the 33-32 victory with less than 10 seconds left.

“Obviously [the season] didn’t end the way we wanted it to,” Murphy said. “But I think we did a great job, and I’m proud of that.”

FALCONS, FRIED Coach Becky Elliott hoists the SPC Championship trophy.

B

raving grueling hills, intrusive construction work and an unexpected mud pit, the boys' cross-country team finished second in SPC, just two points behind Episcopal.

“We achieved our goals in a lot of ways," coach Richie Mercado said. “We did a lot of great things, but it was frustrating to be that close.”

Facing the same challenging conditions, the girls' team finished fourth, five points out of second.

All-SPC freshman Thea Popovic came in fourth individually with a time of 19:40, a personal best.

The Fort Worth course presented the team with a surprise obstacle. Overnight rain created an unavoidable mud pit at the base of a 200-meter hill, which the runners had to scale twice.

Filthy runners splashed and fell into each other, losing their momentum before completing the most difficult part of the course. To prevent losing their running spikes in the pit, the team taped them to their feet before the race.

Captain Cora West said the mud was up to her knees. “There was definitely a time when I thought my shoe was going to come off,” she said.

Runners finishing in the top 20 received All-SPC honors, including Jack Litton, Andrew Wasserman, Jay Woodhouse, Samuel Caruso, Horatio Wilcox and Henry Caputo.

The race marked the end of Rachel Fabre’s tenure as head cross-country coach.

After leading the program for the past 17 years, Fabre is passing the baton to assistant coach Haley Barrett.

“Coach Fabre fits the program so well,” West said. “Her intensity and love for the sport is super apparent, so it’s sad. But I know Coach Barrett is going to do great.”

A

fter losing to Episcopal three times in the regular season, the girls’ volleyball team channeled this fire into a third place SPC finish.

“These losses were a pivotal moment because Episcopal has been our biggest rival for a few years,” sophomore outside hitter Kiran Rio said. “It drove us to keep working and to get more excited for SPC.” Coached by Shelbi Irvin, the Mavs swept Kinkaid in their first SPC match but fell to eventual champions Hockaday in the semifinal. In the third-place game against St. Stephen’s, the Mavs trailed 2-1 before rallying to force a decisive fifth set, ultimately taking home the win.

Rio attributes team success to energy on and off the court.

“Before games, we’ll listen to music and have dance circles, which helps keep the ingame stress level low,” she said.

All-SPC honorees are Daniela Laing and Reese Animashaun.

The boys, led by All-SPC players Arty Derkach and Jackson Byers, finished seventh, losing both SPC matches in fifth-set tiebreakers.

“We did play [our] best volleyball of the season,” captain and outside hitter Arjun Singhal said.

“We fought hard, and I wouldn’t want to give up playing those games for a better result.”

READY, SET, SPIKE Adam Wilson receives a set from Jackson Byers.

OPINIONS

17

The Review St. John’s School

Admit it: Rankings ruin the college process Opinion by Lauren Baker Illustration by Michelle Liu

T

hroughout the fall, college lists, supplementals and early decision second-guesses infiltrated senior conversations. The infamously competitive Upper School culture only intensifies as students choose where to continue their education.

While browsing college lists and leisurely visiting schools was initially exhilarating, designing a cohesive college list became an overwhelming task. For many students (and parents), the name of the school defines the success of our long-term academic and athletic grit. After living in a culture of rigor and dedication — some have been on the treadmill since Lower School — we want to prove our aptitude to our peers, family and friends culminating in an Instagram post on @sjs_seniors2024.

Within the bubble, college rankings and name-brand prestige give us tunnel vision. But how is the University of Texas (No. 32) comparable to Boston College (No. 39)? These lists are exceedingly arbitrary, Lauren Baker quantifying a universal reputation to what should be a personal experience. Prioritizing rank over fit may land us in elite programs that provide more name

recognition than academic success or social fulfillment.

Some students have been conditioned to believe that attending a state school reveals a lack of ambition. We dismiss schools that do not top the rankings in order to satisfy our egos, ignoring the diverse college experiences others seek.

With financial resources, first-rate college counseling and family connections, many St. John’s students forget that some people choose their schools for reasons other than distinction.

Economic privilege allows many students the freedom to ignore the realities of higher education, resulting in a college decision with little concern for the financial burden.

Over the last four years, less than 15% of graduating seniors considered the cost of college to significantly impact their decision.

Look beyond our bubble. Only about 34% of U.S. adults aged 25 and older have completed a bachelor’s. At a school where attending college is a given, it’s absurd to assume that where someone matriculates determines their success.

Less than half of high school graduates attend a four-year college, yet we forget that choosing schools based on prestige is a privilege.

The idea that we’re inherently

smarter than public school kids only reflects our failure to recognize that we’ve simply had access to more resources.

Students are pitted against their friends. College lists inevitably overlap, resulting in competition for the few available spots, fostering resentment between classmates.

While there’s no outright ill will, students have mixed emotions about those who applied early to schools at the top of our lists. Over the next few weeks, as we receive emails that lift the weight off our backs or leave us hanging for three months, it’s only going to get worse.

We are the proverbial frogs in a pot of hot water, and we’ve reached

the boiling point. We will watch our friends celebrate as we process rejection from our favorite schools or figure out how to celebrate while others are distraught.

It’s hard to make a decision without considering what others think.

I built a college list around what I wanted to brag about rather than what I wanted to study. My college counselor, Ms. Kim, offers the best advice: “Block out the voices.”

Not everyone wants the same thing nor has the same privileges as you. College is certainly not worth losing friends over. Be good to others, but most of all, be good to yourself.

Normalized violence in schools prevents effective learning. Why aren’t we doing anything about it?

Guest opinion by Mackenzie Rice

I

have been at St. John’s my whole life, so I never understood how rare it was to always feel safe at school until I was 13. The sense of security I felt was completely shattered when a student I knew was fatally stabbed at another school.

Their community tried to honor the murdered student with a vigil at the church next door and by planting a community garden in his name, but there weren’t any changes to the systems and structures that allowed such an act to happen. This wasn’t a shooting, but it stemmed from the same issue: the normalization of violence in schools.

Even though it didn’t happen at St. John’s, I didn’t feel safe on my own campus anymore. I realized that schools are not safe havens, and that teachers cannot protect students from violence. I couldn’t take my mind off of it, let alone focus on classroom instruction, be present with my friends or get restful sleep at night.

I’ve been working for a nonprofit education reform organization for over a year now, creating curriculum and teaching resources that highlight underrepresented voices. I love the work, but I’ve come to realize that my ability to make an impact is mostly an illusion. In our current political climate, it is impossible to create a truly inclusive and safe school environment.

I’ve always been passionate about education.

I grew up helping my father score fifth grade science quizzes and administering spelling tests to my grandparents — mostly to show off my prodigious spelling skills. In 2020, I co-founded an online tutoring program and saw a clear line between students who received effective writing instruction and those who lacked foundational knowledge. Teachers would ask them to “add

detail” or “be argumentative,” yet these kids genuinely had no idea what that feedback meant. By middle school, these students are at a critical disadvantage: because they don’t have those skills, they cannot effectively display their knowledge through writing in any subject, let alone on a college application or a résumé.

In our current political climate, it is impossible to create a truly inclusive and safe school environment.

While I worked locally to bridge the gap, my exposure to this flaw in the education system motivated me to seek systemic change. My current company tries to create equitable, responsive learning environments for all students, particularly those with historically marginalized identities. We use a neuroscience-backed teaching framework called Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which anticipates barriers and provides options for different learners to make education accessible.

My lesson plans need to meet nine checkpoints that help students understand and internalize information. Yet as I was preparing my first lesson under the UDL framework, I couldn’t make it past 7.3: “when learners have to focus their attention on having basic needs met or avoiding a negative experience, they cannot concentrate on the learning process.”

After the stabbing in seventh grade, I found myself in the situation that checkpoint 7.3 exists to prevent: I was so focused on trying to meet my

“basic needs” and avoid a “negative experience” that I couldn’t devote time and energy to the learning process. And my grades that semester were proof.

Now I find myself tasked with helping educators “anticipate” and “proactively provide options” for students like seventh-grade me. But how can I equip educators to deal with violence?

My teachers could not have done anything to make me feel safer.

The solution is not lesson plans or pedagogical resources or giving teachers guns of their own.

Instead of subduing the assailant, arming educators only creates a power struggle that can cause even more harm than just one malicious individual can.

The solution rests with lawmakers. The solution is gun control.

Biologically speaking, students cannot learn in dangerous environments. The Mackenzie Rice only way to create safer schools is to remove the threat: not to require clear backpacks or mandate tourniquet training, but instead to create a society in which someone could not purchase a gun without a background check and, on that same day, open fire in a school.

Instead of passing this legislation, our lawmakers are spending precious time restricting curriculum across the country. It’s so difficult to make positive education reforms because this work is being attacked on all sides. By banning books before assault weapons, our legislators show that they’re more concerned with censoring learning than they are with saving lives.

Working, let alone living, in that world is terrifyingly awful.

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the

REVIEW St. John's School 2401 Claremont Lane Houston, TX 77019 review.sjs@gmail.com www.sjsreview.com Facebook SJS Review Instagram @sjsreview Member National Scholastic Press Assn.

Pacemaker 2015, 2018, 2023 Pacemaker Finalist 2019–2021 Best of Show Fall 2022, Spring 2021, Fall 2021

Member Columbia Scholastic Press Assn.

Gold Crown 2015, 2020–2022 Silver Crown 2014, 2016–2019

Writing Excellence 2022 First Place Editorial Leadership (PSJA) 2022

SNO Distinguished Site 2018–2023

Print Editors-in-Chief Ella Piper Claffy and Annie Jones Online Editors-in-Chief Dawson Chang and Aleena Gilani Executive Design Editor Georgia Andrews Assistant Online Editors-in-Chief Elizabeth Hu and Lucy Walker Deputy Editors Lauren Baker, Mia Hong, Richard Liang, Lillian Poag Managing Editor Lily Feather Copy Editors Ellison Albright and Riya Nimmagadda

OPINIONS

Hands off our winter break Opinion by Annie Jones Illustration by Michelle Liu

W

hy exactly is Winter Break 13 days long this year?

In an email to all Upper School parents last May, Head of School Dan Alig explained the need to add more days to the school year. The goal at St. John’s is to have about 170 instructional days, but between hurricanes, winter freezes and Zoom School, we have missed a lot of class time.

I’ll be the first to admit that tuning into lectures from my bedroom somewhat hampered my understanding of biology. But, I fail Annie Jones to see how taking does distribute the workload more evenly, five days from my senior year Winter why must the additional days eat into Break will remedy that.

Winter Break? I would much rather leave I understand the need to add school days. St. John’s has been packing the same school a week later than sacrifice any precious holidays. amount of work into Sure, Spring Break fewer days, and exand Thanksgiving tending the school year I need at least a week to are nice, but they may lessen the presprocess that school is over — aren’t nearly long sure on students — but, only then can my resting heart enough for me to of course, it could also rate fall to normal levels. start relaxing. I mean that teachers always have projects take the opportunity due at the end of to add more work. As the break, and I am too used to waking up Parkinson’s Law states: work will expand early to start sleeping in. I need at least to fill the time allotted for its completion. a week to process that school is over — Even if the extension of the school year

only then can my resting heart rate fall to normal levels.

The October-to-December grind is exhausting. Winter Break used to be just long enough that I could recover and hit the ground running when I got back to school.

One of the most important lessons learned during the pandemic was that our jam-packed schedules are unsustainable.

I understand why St. John’s wants to bring the school year back to its pre-Covid length. I can give up some lazy summer days to accommodate Yom Kippur and comment-writing days. But Winter Break?

Absolutely not.

Design Editors Amanda Brantley, Serina Yan, Willow Zerr Multimedia Editors Virginia Carolyn Crawford (social media), Katie Czelusta (photo), Kenna Lee (video) Online Section Editors Eshna Das, Aien Du, Aila Jiang Production Managers Lee Monistere and Dalia Sandberg Staff Isabella Adachi, César Adrogué, Elise Anderson, Kenzie Chu, Sarah Clark, Bella Dodig, Genevieve Ederle, Turner Edwards, Maggie Hester, Ally Hong, Ella Hughes, Zain Imam, Kate Johnson, Mikail Khan, Nathan Kim, Lex Langlais, Kendace Lee, Annie Li, Yutia Li, William Liang, Jennifer Lin, Arjun Maitra, Emily Matthews-Ederington, Lev Macpherson, Parker Moore, Ava Oliver, Daniel Pan, Gabriel Pope, Nia Shetty, Horatio Wilcox, Evan Williams, Aaron Wu, Brandon Wu, Emily Yen, Katharine Yao, Amina Zegar, Journey Zulueta Advisers David Nathan, Shelley Stein ('88), Sam Abramson Mission Statement The Review strives to report on issues with integrity, recognize the assiduous efforts of all and serve as an engine of discourse within the St. John's community.

Publication Info We mail each issue of The Review, free of charge, to every Upper School household, with an additional 1,000 copies distributed on campus to our 697 students and 98 faculty.

Policies The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions and staff editorials contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Head of School or the Board of Trustees of St. John's School. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the entire Editorial Board unless otherwise noted. Writers and photographers are credited with a byline. Corrections, when necessary, can be found on the editorial pages.

Running an advertisement does not imply endorsement by the school.

Submission Guidelines Letters to the editor and guest columns are encouraged but are subject to editing for clarity, space, accuracy and taste. On occasion, we publish letters anonymously. We reserve the right not to print letters. Letters and guest columns can be emailed to sjsreviewonline@gmail.com

How things should be: In defense of the Hallmark Christmas movie Opinion by Lucy Walker

A

Lucy Walker in the repetitive central plot and more s a busy, big-city journalist, I don’t have time for the attuned to everything else. I already know what’s going to hapholidays. I almost didn’t take this assignment to report pen, so I can take notice of things like casting choices or filming on a charming small-town Christmas because, as my locations (I have noticed the same gazebo in at least four differbubbly friend Heather will tell you, I hate fun. ent movies). The deliberateness of Hallmark executives reveals a But that all changed when I reconnected with a guy from high lot about how they view us consumers. school after a terrible snowstorm stranded me at his family’s They think we’re afraid. And they’re right.

Christmas tree farm. There was something about his charming As the world becomes more uncertain and scary, we want to smile and big flannel coat that made me realize I hadn’t given give up our stake in it. Maybe it’s your fault a family member is Christmas a chance. When my lame fiancée came by for a sursick. You’re the reason all of your friends are fighting. You’re not prise visit to bring me a thoughtful and expensive gift, I knew I doing enough, and that’s why your entire department was laid was with the wrong man. off. If we let other people tell us what we want, we’re not as liable And so begins the story that every Hallmark protagonist must when we fall short. write after she comes home So when a working woman from a trip to Vermont or is behind on a project and has Wisconsin. These films are to go outside her comfort zone by no means fine cinema Sometimes the unoriginality of the plots and into backwoods Minne— Hallmark produces over can seem like overkill. They beat good sota to get her holiday bonus, 40 holiday movies every samaritanship and small-town courtesy into our we want her to succeed. We year — but they don’t try to heads until we’re seeing red and green. But is want to see ourselves in the be something they’re not. that really such a bad thing? underdog.

Sometimes the unoriginality Unfortunately, in the same of the plots can seem like way we’re told our problems overkill. They beat good sawill be fixed if we buy a new maritanship and small-town acrylic rug or carrot peeler, the Hallmark Woman in need of a courtesy into our heads until we’re seeing red and green. raise is doomed to a future with a scruffy lumberjack who will But is that really such a bad thing? Every end-of-year article take care of her. It’s not what she wanted, but he tells her it’s a ever run has probably included a line about how crazy these past good compromise. And everyone else says the resulting article on 12 months have been, but I’ll say it again: Every year seems more small-town Christmas is the best thing she’s ever written. overwhelming than the last, and 2023 has been no exception.

Hallmark’s empire calls us to reflect on what this time of year is Some days all I can do is the Connections puzzle because reading all about. The holidays shouldn’t just be an escape. We hand over the news makes me want to vomit. Turning on a formulaic yet affirming film reminds me of kindergarten circle time. It reminds our problems to Santa or resolve to be better in the new year.

Whatever we do, we say it wasn’t in our control. me of how things should be.

So this December, no matter what you celebrate, remember that Granted, the stereotypes presented in Hallmark movies can be it’s not a time to forget about the year’s problems. It’s time to fix a little exclusive. Their promotion of the nuclear romantic model them yourself, no lumberjack necessary. is a lazy and unapologetic cash grab — they are a greeting card company, after all — but the consistency makes me less invested

OPINIONS

19

The Review St. John’s School

LETTER FROM THE (JUNIOR DESIGN) EDITORS

We did not save Latin, but at least this issue came out before Christmas

WE GOT YOUR BACK Design editors Serina Yan and Amanda Brantley are ready to fill in for editors Annie Jones (prostrate, center) and Ella Piper Claffy (not pictured, presumably at home in bed).

O

n Dec. 1, at approximately 2:41 p.m., our esteemed editor-in-chief Annie Jones was ushered out of the Review room when Dr. Abramson’s temperature gun revealed she had a fever of 100.2 degrees. Her departure marked a staggering loss to the publication, considering Ella Piper Claffy was already at home, locked in a vicious battle with the plague (perhaps Bubonic, we cannot say).

As Annie stumbled out of the Review room that afternoon, shivering even though the ambient temperature in Q201 was about 75 degrees, the remaining editors looked at each other as if to ask, “What do we do now?”

Like the rest of St. John’s, we’ve already been beaten down by the December onslaught of tests and projects crammed into three weeks before a truncated Winter Break (see Page 18). The easy thing would have been to cut our losses and push the issue back until January, leaving time to salvage our midterms.

But St. John’s students value more than just grades. This is the school that inspired Max Fischer, after all (Page 10-11). The Review wasn’t about to let bedridden leadership stop this issue any more than Max Fischer would let Latin die.

Thankfully, our freshmen showed up en masse on late nights and weekends, making the leap from trainees to full-fledged staff members. Ten articles in this issue had freshmen contributors, and our new designers masterfully wielded InDesign, unfazed by Adobe’s inability to make a functioning program.

Sophomores wrote the bulk of this issue, taking on stories ranging from the Pride field hockey dynasty (Page 14) and students spending the

Photo by Aleena Gilani

year abroad in Spain (Page 6) to the dangers of a certain popular energy drink (Page 9).

And, of course, the juniors, weary from synthesis projects and history tests, found the energy to write some more. They edited articles until they turned word soup into something readable and entertaining. Behind every byline this issue is a junior who spent hours on a Google Doc in “suggesting” mode, hacking away with green lines until every article was as good as it could be.

Every issue takes a village, and as designers, we’re acutely aware of every moving piece.

Whenever we paste an article into InDesign, we see every editor who made a comment or suggestion. We coordinate with photographers to get images for each page. We assign illustrations and create infographics. When the paper is exported to the printer, we are the last people to see it before it goes to press.

Everyone who worked on this issue could have been at home studying, recuperating or rewatching “The Hunger Games.” But we are here, working on the Review, because we love it.

We guess you’ve just gotta find something you love to do and then do it for the rest of your life. Or just for the rest of high school. For Max Fischer, it was going to Rushmore.

This is our Rushmore.

Sic transit gloria, Amanda Brantley

Serina Yan

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December 7, 2023 www.sjsreview.com

REARVIEW

60 seconds SARAH SHELBURNE Doppelganger Bugsy from Bedtime Stories

Niche obsession The smell of chlorine

1 drink for all time Japanese strawberry soda Overrated Lululemon hotty hot shorts Underrated Cafeteria green beans Comfort movie Scream

Catchphrase Toodles!

Save in a fire Olaplex oil

Fav sidekick Perry the Platypus

Favorite study spot Starbucks

Motto No pasa nada

Favorite sweatshirt JV tennis crewneck

Class you’d add to SJS How to do taxes Photo by Virginia Carolyn Crawford

Peak 8th grade

Scariest animal Squirrels

Best way to prepare eggs Poached!

Life goal Be half as funny as Adley

ADLEY HALLIGAN Doppelganger Coach Halligan

Niche obsession Hannah Montana

Person + animal you’d be stuck in an elevator with Jennifer Lawrence + a squirrel 1 album for all time Trolls Band Together soundtrack Best way to prepare eggs Scrambled on toast 1 drink for all time Matcha Comfort show New Girl

Scariest animal Goldendoodles

Underrated Mott’s Fruit Snacks

Reality show you’d be on Wipeout

Fav sidekick Tow Mater

Favorite study spot Gender-neutral bathrooms

Favorite onomatopoeia EEEEEEK!

Save in a fire Baby blanket

Peak 7th grade track

Photo courtesy of Adley Halligan

moment of

Jack Skellington

venn skinny legend

by Lucy Walker Page design by Amanda Brantley

kidnapping breaking & entering

victims of cartoon violence Harry and Marv

enjoys scaring children

learns true meaning of Xmas

weird fingers, tiny heart The Grinch