The Review -March 2015

ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER

SJSREVIEW.COM

2401 CLAREMONT LANE · HOUSTON, TX 77019

VOLUME 66 · ISSUE 6 · MARCH 11, 2015

PART-TIME MAINTENANCE WORKER, FULLTIME FOODIE

JARED MARGOLIS

HOW LAWRENCE WOODARD PURSUES HIS LOVE OF COOKING around the world

Say Cheese(cake) Maintenance staff member Lawrence Woodard delivers his chocolate strawberry cheesecake, one of the 46 options Woodard offers through his website Blue Ray Cheesecakes. Woodward has operated his cheesecake business for over a year.

by Gabe Malek

Few people would expect Lawrence Woodard’s weathered hands that keep the halls clean to craft delicate cheesecakes. Yet for nearly 18 months, Woodard has been operating his own cheesecake business while working on the maintenance staff at SJS. “I want something that’s really tasteful, something that’s really extravagant, something that’s really delightful,” Woodard said. “That’s why I like cheesecakes. A cake is not a delight to me; a cheesecake is a delight.”

Woodard’s original idea was to make a blue cheese cheesecake, and although he has only served the specialty cake to family members, he hopes people will eventually order it from his business, Blue Ray Cheesecakes.

“Blue is my favorite color, and I love blue cheese by itself, so I wanted to turn it into something delicate,” Woodard said.

Woodard attended the LeNotre French Culinary School in Houston after he graduated high school.

“I didn’t want to do security work, I didn’t want to do construction, I wanted to go into the food industry,” Woodard said.

“Cooking is not even a job for me; it’s just something that I love because I can go and create. Passion rules the world. When you find passion in something, you’ll become awesome at it.”

In 2002, Woodard began his career in downtown Houston at a local restaurant, and then went on to cater corporate functions for British Petroleum and Shell.

He then moved to Denver in 2004 to

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cater for a different oil and gas company.

American cuisine such as burgers and He traveled to Afghanistan in 2005 with fries but also offers a variety of Ghanaian KBR and later with Dyne Corps engineer- seafood such as tilapia and sole. ing companies to prepare food for U.S. “Even though the fast food industry is soldiers. growing in Ghana as people begin to work “I embraced cooking for the soldiers bemore and have less time to cook, it’s still cause they are such noble members of our not a big market,” Woodard said. “The society,” Woodard said. “When you are far citizens thrive off of their local and tradiaway from your family and are trying to tional dishes, and that taught me that fast prepare meals, you get a bit of hospitality, food is really too fast for the social aspect and that pushed me to make my food the of eating.” best it could possibly be.”

Woodard’s experience in Ghana also Woodard believes that his involvement changed his mindset about U.S. culture. with the military pushed his two oldest “The perspective in Ghana is very children to join the armed forces. different, and very unique. It showed me “My oldest daughter is currently with the a lot about humility, and it taught me a Marines overseas in Japan, and my son will lot about unity,” Woodard said. “We don’t be going to the Air have a lot of Force next year,” “Closed minds Don’t unity here; Woodard said. “My everybody is a get the view. Keep an one-man experience cooking band.

Open mind and You Everybody in Afghanistan definitely influcan seE EVERything.” is thinking enced my daughter ‘I, I, I’ when because she cooks people should LAWRENCE WOODARD time to time for her really be saying fellow soldiers in Japan.” ‘we,we,we.’ It takes ‘we’ to make things After his contract ended in Afghanistan, work.”

Woodard went with his cousin to Ghana Woodard occasionally returns to Ghain 2012 to learn about his ancestry and the na to oversee his restaurant. Although former slave trade.

Woodard has not tried to incorporate any “When you’re on this side of the world Ghanaian cooking in his cheesecake busi[North America], you lose your heritage ness, he encourages people remain open to and you lose your culture,” Woodard said. foreign foods.

“It’s so deep to the point where I wonder “People need to be open to trying new whether or not I am supposed to find types of cuisine because it broadens your something out or if I’m supposed to be lost horizons. Life is full of things to do,” in the history.”

Woodard said. “Closed minds don’t get the While in Ghana, Woodard opened a view. Keep an open mind and you can see restaurant, LBC Tasty Buds, that served everything.”

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Sophomores in Exile?

Sadde Mohamed likens the relocation of sophomore lockers to a Siberian expulsion

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Woodard works at SJS part-time so he can remain devoted to cooking.

“I want to help out in any area that I can and just try to be a team player,” Woodard said. “As long as I have enough time to organize my business, I’m happy here.”

Woodard has received support from faculty and students. English teacher Brian Beard ordered two of Woodard’s cheesecake’s for Valentine’s Day. “I didn’t know that cheesecake could be taken to this whole new level of craftsmanship,” Beard said. I always thought, ‘a cheesecake is a cheesecake, is a cheesecake,’ but he has all kinds of ideas and flavors.

He told me it would be the best cheesecake I had ever tasted, and he was right.”

According to Beard, Woodard’s passion shines in his baking.

“A lot of food these days is factory food and doesn’t have much love in it,” Beard said. “But you can taste the love in Lawrence’s food. That’s what makes it special.”

Senior Charles Rogers discovered Blue Ray Cheesecakes last year after talking to Woodard frequently in the gym. Woodard told Rogers that he had to leave school early to finish holiday cheesecake orders.

“I told all my friends to order from Blue Ray Cheesecakes, and I think everyone on the lacrosse team knows about him.”

Woodard is humbled by the support and advises students to explore cooking.

“Food is a gateway to a lot of things. It brings nutrition, it brings smiles, and most importantly it brings new ideas,” Woodard said. “Don’t be afraid to go into the kitchen and experience. You’ll find your secrets when you turn to food.”

Center Medical Matters

Examining alternative medicine, the anti-vaxx push and long-term illness management

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NEWS

THE REVIEW I MARCH 11, 2015

4 new classes constructed for next year

News Briefs SAC to add new delegate spot for each grade

Student Affairs Council will add one additional delegate per grade next year to serve as vice president.

“This new role will give more students a chance to run for student council since the school is now expanding,” SAC sponsor Barbara DiPaolo said.

The vice president will serve for the whole year and will be the candidate who receives the second-highest number of votes. Each class, including seniors, will have an additional representative.

College Counseling head moves east JARED MARGOLIS

by Michael VerMeulen

said. “We added new classes in the math department for both freshmen Every March, students peruse a and seniors. At the ninth grade level, bevy of course descriptions that will we decided to add Geometry with determine their academic experience Functions to enhance algebra skills for the upcoming year. They may as well as cover geometric concepts. seem like small blurbs, but many are And we know that not all seniors the realization of a teacher’s dream. have an interest in pursuing calculus, “The original impetus for a class so we decided to offer a course that usually comes from an individual is math-based but will focus more on who thinks something should be real-world applications.” done, or there is an inspiration from Student interest dictates whether or something at another school,” Direcnot a course will be approved. tor of Curriculum Dwight Raulston “We are always thinking about if (‘71) said. a class will appeal to the students,” Teachers are passionate about the Henry said. “We don’t want to set new courses they suggest. a class up for failure by allowing it “Teachers are somewhat like into the curriculum for nobody to grown-up students,” Director of K-12 sign up. With subjects that are more Academic Programs Megan Henry unusual like Technical Theater, we said. “They like to keep learning, and know that there is potentially a lot of sometimes they form the ideas for interest from activities like Johnnynew courses from their own intercake, and we want to provide that ests.” learning option.”

For the 2015-2016 The process school year, four new each class “The original courses are being imundergoes to impetus for a plemented: become part of class usually Geometry the curriculum with Funccomes from an is lengthy. tions, Math After being apindividual who proved by the in Conthinks something department temporary Society, should be done.” and division Special Authors in heads, the Latin Literature and teacher writes Dr. Raulston Technical Theater. The creation of a course prothese courses revolves around the posal for the curriculum committee. needs of the students.

According to Raulston, the com“Our goal is to do all we can to mittee members include division ensure the success of our students heads, Henry, Headmaster Mark from ninth grade through graduaDesjardins and two faculty members tion,” math teacher Martha Childress from each division that rotate peri-

odically. The committee meets on the Course of Action Freshman Joseph last Wednesday of every month.

Hlavinka, left, “The course proposals come in cuts boards with December, and we discuss those quite a buzzsaw while thoroughly,” Raulston said. “The Theater Manager other meetings have to do with proBenjamin Garmon fessional development, department supervises. reviews and whatever the headmaster Garmon will teach wants us to talk about.”

Technical Theater, By the time courses reach the one of the four new courses committee, they are typically polished being offered next enough that a class is rarely denied. school year.

“Teachers usually talk about their course proposals with colleagues to find out where they might fit in with the sequence of the department’s curriculum and what kinds of FUTURE COURSES kids might take it if it is an Geometry with Functions is elective, so we don’t reject too an alternative course to many courses,” Raulston said. Geometry that satisfies the The committee is not the ninth-grade requirement. final judge of the school’s It will combine geometry courses. An independent with a more intensive review of algebra than the organization reviews each current geometry course. department’s curriculum.

The school then responds to the report and decides which Math in Contemporary Society is a one-semester recommendations to accept elective for students who and which to modify. wish to take non-calcuIn recent years, new courses lus-based math senior have signaled an experiential year. change.

“We are starting to see more Special Authors in Latin Literature is a literature departments get involved course for those who have with this kind of thinking,” Henry said. “Course collabo- finished the current Latin sequence before their ration, creativity, innovation senior year. and curriculum design have been pushed, and we are see- Technical Theater is a ing the fruits of that in some one-semester course for of the courses that are being those interested in the backstage aspects behind offered.” theater.

Construction Update

Director of College Counseling Bryan Rutledge will hold the same position next year at Woodward Academy in College Park, Georgia.

Rutledge, who started working at SJS in 1995, will start his new position July 1.

“It’s kind of in my wheelhouse because I already have that skill set, but there are always adjustments because every independent school is different,” Rutledge said.

According to Rutledge, his roots in Mississippi will help ease the adjustment to the largest prep school in North America, with over 2,600 students.

“I’m from the region, so culturally speaking, it’s very natural to me,” he said. “It will be different, but not much.”

Rutledge says he will miss the people and atmosphere: “The thing I’ll miss most is the students, who are so delightful and engaging and incredibly smart.”

Latin students rise to top at Junior Classical League

Latin and Ancient Greek students dedicated 11 hours on Feb. 21 to attend the 2015 Area Junior Classical League (JCL) convention. Twenty-two schools from the Houston area were represented. Students competed in various categories, including sports, academic testing and Certamen.

Certamen is a team competition testing knowledge of Latin grammar, mythology, Roman history and culture. Winning first place in their respective levels, the Intermediate and Advanced Certamen teams will advance to compete at Texas State JCL (TSJCL) in Amarillo, March 27.

The Advanced team scored 165 total points in the final round with the other two teams failing to score.

Students also competed in volleyball, where seniors Katherine Wu and Monica Dayao and junior Marcus Manca won first place.

The Certamen teams keep practicing every week to prepare for TSJCL. “I think we’re in good shape for state, but we still have some work to do if we’re gonna beat other really good teams like Tom C. Clark in San Antonio,” said Mindy Wolfrom, Latin teacher and JCL sponsor.

Briefs by Sophia Li, Brooke Kushwaha and Olivia Zhang

JARED MARGOLIS

In the Belly of the Beast A construction worker studies the progress being made on the Student Center, currently scheduled for completion in August. Students taking art history toured the new building to examine its Gothic style.

NEWS

SJSREVIEW.COM I MARCH 11, 2015

Committee considers schedule changes for 2016

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MARISA MURILLO

The Times They Are a-Changin’ Head of Upper School Hollis Amley examines different scheduling systems, some of which involve a rotating schedule. The scheduling committee, which includes administrators from all divisions, will announce a new schedule in December, which will take effect for the 2016-2017 school year.

T

by Christian Maines

he only certainty is change in the case of the 2016-2017 daily schedule.

By Dec. 15, a committee headed by Director of K-12 Academic Programs Megan Henry will have drafted a proposal regarding the reconfiguration. Specifics have not yet been agreed upon, but one idea under consideration is to implement a rotating schedule with fewer class periods in place of the current nine-period fixed schedule.

“From my perspective, it’s important that classes not be at the same time every day,” Henry said. “How a student functions at eight in the morning is different from how he or she functions at 11 or two.”

In January, faculty from all divisions visited Atlanta to tour three schools and observe students in different schedules and environments. Upper School Head Hollis Amley said there was a deliberate attempt to include faculty from all disciplines and each division on the committee.

The 14-person committee visited The Westminster School, Pace Academy and The Lovett School.

Westminster currently operates on a fully rotating schedule in which individual

classes do not meet every day — nor at the same time each day. While Westminster ends at about the same time as SJS, its school day starts at 8:30 a.m.

According to Amley, the committee met with a group of Upper School parents at Westminster. They heard one comment repeatedly: “while we don’t fully understand the schedule, you can’t argue with happier kids,” she said.

“Westminster Upper School students mentioned, ‘I feel like I’m getting more sleep; I can manage my classes better now; I can focus,’” Amley said.

Classes on a rotating schedule can be significantly longer than those on a fixed schedule, allowing teachers to explore topics more in-depth and organize activities that would not fit within a 45-minute time frame.

“In my art history course, a longer period would allow us to go to an art museum and come back with fewer disruptions to other classes,” Amley said. “What does a 45-minute art history class mean versus a 90-, 75- or 55-minute one?”

Amley concedes it will take time for her to reconceive the way she teaches her class.

The goal of a rotating schedule is to lessen the stress that accompanies switching classes frequently and to optimize student

performance.

“The 45-minute schedule is really stressful and intense,” Henry said. “To have the best experience with your kids, you need to have them when they’re awake and alert, and not at the end of the day every single day.”

Students at Westminster also take a January interim course for three weeks, exploring more specialized fields such as the film and theater scene in Atlanta.

“It’s another way of looking at curriculum and offers kids an opportunity to explore topics that do not fall into mainstream, traditional school courses, like neuroscience,” Henry said.

SJS will hire specialists from Independent School Management to propose a sample schedule.

“Independent School Management will be with SJS for a week to study us like cultural anthropologists,” Amley said. “They’ll talk to us, and they’ll talk to students, and at the end, based on what our mission says and what they’re hearing, they will create a schedule for us.”

The challenge is to improve wellness without compromising academics.

“We’re not taking away rigor; it is just a question of how you define rigor,” Amley said. “One aspect of the rigor now is that

you have to be prepared for every subject every day and that a student has to change gears five to six times in a day.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics published a study in Aug. 2014 and concluded that high schools should not start any earlier than 8:30 a.m.

“We are certainly talking about changing the start time,” Henry said. “It’s not a proposal, per se, but the week we started our research was the same week when American Pediatric published its research on students and sleep.”

The research is already helping inform decisions about start time.

“If you don’t give kids breaks, they’ll take them in class, and they’ll just shut down,” Henry said. “We do that as adults as well.”

After the committee drafts and reviews the schedule, there will be many opportunities for community input.

“I wish we could just go out and buy a schedule, but it’s not like you can go out and find the perfect one for SJS,” Henry said. “We want to do something that’s beneficial in the long run, but we’re not going to make the schedule for the next 50 years.”

Student goes ‘Loca’ about providing locally-sourced food

by Ashwini Bandi

Earlier this year, junior Lillian Chen conducted a survey and discovered that 55 percent of students think that public school lunches are less healthful than the food they consume at home. Chen aims to remedy this issue.

Chen attended a summer entrepreneurship program, Launch, at MIT and learned about business. She decided to take what she learned and start Loca, a business aimed at providing information about and contact to local farms.

Chen sorted through applications to assemble a team of 13 high school students. Each student filled out an application asking about business expertise, skills, interests and what the person expected out of the program.

“I got a group of very intelligent and passionate kids,” Chen said. “I’m very proud of the group.”

Within the group, separate companies were created. Besides Loca, a team called GoPro is working on generating an interactive website to teach students to use money wisely, and a currently unnamed group strives to produce more affordable portable

speakers for phones.

The team behind Loca originally planned to provide healthful, organic meals to public schools.

“Lunch services can be quite bad for kids in public schools since most schools don’t put a lot of effort into their lunch,” said freshman John Coudsi, a member of the Loca team.

“On the other hand, there are a lot of kids who don’t have available lunches for themselves, so those kids need more of a lunch initiative. Helping these public schools gain a better lunch system helps the overall issue of hunger and nutrition.”

While there are other organizations working on improving the public school lunch system, Loca felt that efforts for better nutrition could be improved. Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign to provide more healthful foods in cafeterias has brought nutrition to the spotlight.

Yet many schools focus on reducing portion sizes rather than reducing calories.

Instead of just cutting down on calories, Loca originally aimed to incorporate nutritious, fresh, safe and appetizing foods into school meals.

“We’ve sort of pivoted our idea

because we realized the daunting and almost impossible task of providing cheap, organic meals to schools,” Chen said.

Loca is now an online database through which customers can order groceries from local farms or find information about these farms.

From the outset, Chen encountered difficulties in terms of resources.

“I’ve always wanted to start an entrepreneurship program outside of school, but I realized that it would be hard,” Chen said. “It was coincidentally awesome that Launch asked me to help out with their project.”

Each week, the teams meet up to discuss different business techniques and pitch practices.

Chen’s group aims to attend a competition for pitches at MIT, May 1.

“We’re hoping to get investments from the Launch MIT pitch or from other investors as we solidify our pitch,” Chen said.

Chen has seen firsthand the necessity of making informed dietary decisions.

“We’ve always been one of those healthier families, but after my mom got cancer when I turned nine, we became really aware of what we ate,”

Chen said. “Especially coming from public school, I saw the terrible food they were feeding us.”

Chen views the start-up as a learning and business opportunity.

Chen said, “The great thing is that I’m extending my business knowledge as well as helping others who might not know anything about business get the opportunity to practice.”

Ripe for the Picking Lillian Chen launched a start-up called Loca that seeks to develop a local food database.

JARED MARGOLIS

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THE REVIEW I MARCH 11, 2015

FEATURES

BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

COURTESY PHOTOS

Winter storms give graduates chilly reception

Dashing Through the Snow Columbia freshman Kristen Santiago, above, conquers the cold as she goes for a jog in New York City. In Cambridge, Mass., MIT freshman Jack Simmons, far right, enjoys the frosty weather that is rarely seen in Houston. The extreme winter has left some Upper School students with uncertainties about whether they are prepared to attend college in the north.

by Cara Maines

In Houston, an icy 30-degree day can shut down schools and roads, sending the city into a panic. For Joshua Dickerson, a sophomore at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, a snowy day is comfortable.

Living in Minnesota, Dickerson encountered a meteorological phrase he had never heard before: “too cold to snow.”

“It literally gets too cold for snow crystals to form,” Dickerson said. “Snow becomes an indication of nicer weather.”

Graduates suffer a painful transition adjusting from Houston’s subtropical climate to the frosty Northeast and Midwest, especially when winter hits. Dickerson was lacking snow boots and his warm jacket for his first experience with negative degrees.

“I arrived on campus in tennis shoes and a warmish jacket on the coldest day of our winter, when the raw temperature was negative 40 and the wind-chill made it negative 60,” Dickerson said. “Walking across campus for the first time in real cold weather was an educational experience.”

While Minnesotans are habituated to such extreme winter weather, New England experienced a shock with one of the worst winters on record this year. Boston, which was hit by three snowstorms, reached 100 inches of snow, more than

double the average.

“Whenever I walk out of my dorm, the sides of the street have snow piled up anywhere between waist high and head height,” said Jack Simmons, a freshman at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In late January, forecasts of winter storm Juno created a frenzy. From Connecticut to Maine, Northeasterners flooded supermarkets to stock up on supplies before the “Snowpocalypse.” In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio shut down the subway and banned departing flights.

Kristen Santiago, a freshman at Columbia University, discovered a few ways to contend with the cold during Winter Storm Juno, Jan. 26-31.

“Choose your dorm wisely so that you can minimize walking outside,” Santiago said. “Try to pick a dorm with a dining hall, if possible, a gym and a laundry room so you have everything you need without walking outside.”

During Juno, Colby College in Waterville, Maine had its first snow day since 1989. Waterville had an average temperature of 14.5 degrees this January.

“I was not prepared for how cold negative 20 wind-chill feels, but I’ve definitely gotten used to it,” said Emily Boyce, a junior at Colby. “It’s really pretty. I can’t stress that enough. Sometimes the cold is the worst, and you get frustrated when

it doesn’t get over 10 degrees for a solid week, but the snow is beautiful.”

Dickerson recognizes some perks to frigid winters. Carleton sets up two outdoor ice rinks on campus where students plays broomball, an adaptation of hockey that uses brooms and a soccer ball instead of hockey sticks and a puck.

Other students discovered winter diversions ranging from drinking hot chocolate to ice skating.

“I got three snow days just in January,” Simmons said. “At any given time, you can just shove people into piles of snow. I jump into or slide down at least one pile of snow a day. We have a five-story pile of snow behind one of the dorms that everyone went sledding down on blow-up mattresses and desk drawers. It’s crazy.”

Despite the amusement that winter days offer, students realize that the dangers are real.

Ryan Beckner, a sophomore at the University of Chicago, got frostbite on his fingers and palms.

Dickerson has heard that wet hair can freeze and break off in the cold.

“Winter is nothing to be messed with,” said Sonya Bennett-Brandt, a sophomore at the University of Chicago. “A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine slipped on some ice, knocked himself out, and actually suffered from amnesia for several hours.

Luckily, he recovered quickly.”

College students concur that layering is the key skill for surviving the cold.

Harvard freshman Xavier Gonzalez suggests buying boots and gloves as soon as possible.

“This semester was the first time I’d ever seen snowfall,” Gonzalez said. “Honestly, to survive, you really just need good winter boots, gloves, a winter hat and heavy jacket — in that order of importance. I would recommend buying appropriate gear in the north.”

Dickerson emphasizes the importance of earmuffs but notes that most Minnesotans do not wear snow pants.

“You layer up under normal pants. My roommate would normally wear pajama pants under khakis in January when it’s consistently cold.”

For students attending college in cold climates next fall, winter holds both excitement and fear.

“I’m ready to get out of Houston and experience real seasons. It seems so exciting to live in a place where leaves change colors and snow is real,” said senior Isabel Wallace-Green, who has lived in Houston her whole life. “I will probably be severely underprepared and hate the weather while I’m there, but for now it all seems like a great adventure.”

FEATURES

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SJSREVIEW.COM I MARCH 11, 2015

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY

Out of the Loop: Suburban life complicates commute

St. John’s School

Memorial 20 min

Sugarland 45 min

Baytown 60 min West U 10 min

Pearland 40 min

TIFFANY YUE

Sugarland Not So Sweet Those who live outside Loop 610, colloquially known as 281ers, combat social stigma and commuter traffic in their quest to get to school on time. The two biggest rules of suburban living: get a friend for the HOV lane and don’t leave after 7:00 a.m.

by Alexander Kim

your house before the start of the day and not forget anything at school at Step one to living far away from the end of the day,” said freshman school: make sure to have a comMalik Harrison, who lives in Missoupanion so you can drive in the HOV ri City. lane.

Students who live outside the loop Dedicated to cars containing two must wake up earlier than others to or more passengers, the HOV lane arrive at school on time. Due to rush promotes carpooling and is a godsend hour traffic, many cannot enjoy the for students who live outside of the pleasures of the occasional late start. loop.

“Late starts are not really late starts “lATE In 2015, Houston was for me. I still have to leave at around STARTS ARE ranked first on Forbes’ the same time so I can beat the annual list of America’s traffic,” said junior Haroon Alli, who NOT REALLY Fastest-Growing Cities. Ac- lives in Alief.

LATE STARTS cording to the U.S. Census Elliott says that a special phenomeBureau, Greater Houston’s non occurs in the morning.

FOR ME.” population currently hovers “There’s just this rule that any traffic haroon alli around 6,371,677. Due after 7:00 a.m. is going to be awful. to Houston’s continuous For every minute earlier I leave, I save expansion, many people who work two minutes in drive time.”

Upper School students live in or study in the city have to live in the Despite the traffic problems that a total of suburbs. living far away causes, many have imIn the Upper School alone, students portant reasons for not moving closer live in 12 different regions, all the to campus. Coach Kathy Halligan, way from regions Fresno in the southwest to a long-distance commuter, lives in different Porter in the north. Other students Sugar Land in order to be closer to drive to school from Manvel or Bayher family. town.

“I live Biology within The Greater Houston area has a population of teacher three Doug Elmiles liott, who of my and is ranked lives in brother’s in Forbes’ list of Fort Bend and my fastest-growing cities County, parents’ tries to put house, a positive so in the spin on sumcommer it’s TIFFANY YUE muting, wonderespecially in the context of leaving ful because I can go see them easily,” items at school.

Halligan said.

“Sometimes, not having to come Living in the suburbs also affords back to school is a really good excuse more privacy. for me not to do my work,” Elliott “I don’t have to worry about bumpsaid. “The downside is it makes for ing into kids when I go to the grocery more work the next night.” store or go to dinner,” Elliott said. “I While Elliott may be able to put off like SJS students, but it’s really nice to his work for a day or two, students do get away.” not have such flexibility.

Sophomore Shez Jafry recognizes “You have to bring everything from the perks of living in suburbs such as

Sugar Land. are challenged when the school day “I don’t have to worry about runextends past 3:00 p.m. ning into anybody near my house.

“If I have something after school, Whenever I’m on this side of town, like Open House night, I just don’t and I go to Central Market, everyone go home. I keep things in my room is there,” to do, and Jafry said.

I go out Upper School students live in Living to eat. It’s a total of in the actually a suburbs really good provides excuse to closer eat out.” proximity Elliott different regions to importsaid. ant aspects Drew of everyday Hollway, TIFFANY YUE life. a junior The Greater Houston area has a popu “My who lives family and I considered moving, but in Clear Lake, found a distinction our religious center is actually in between those who live inside and Sugar Land,” Jafry said. outside the loop.

Besides a long commute, attending “There’s a total lack of socialand interis ranked in Forbes’ social events becomes problematic. action outside the loop. Nothing ever list of fastest-growing cities Most upperclassmen are usually able happens,” Hollway said. to drive to gatherings or meetings, A social stigma can surround but those with younger siblings in those living outside the loop. The the middle or lower school have extra term “281er” has come to describe obligations. The underclassmen who outer-loopers, carrying stereotypes cannot drive struggle with going to of suburban conformity. Not many parties or any event near campus. people embrace the label of 281, but “I can never get rides from anyone Hollway prides himself on being one. to go anywhere, so it’s tough,” Harrison said.

Commuters in fine arts also have difficulty going home 2% after rehearsals or 4% Pearland performances.

Sugar Land “When 81% I have Inside the concerts 13 % after loop Outside the school or loop an early call time, I usually don’t go home and come back. I just stay at school until the concert.” Jafry said.

Although teachers may not have the same number WHERE DO YOU LIVE? of extracurricular activities RESULTS TAKEN FROM REVIEW ONLINE POLL OF 114 MATTHEW NEAL that students juggle, they also

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SPORTS

THE REVIEW I MARCH 11, 2015

Pacha racks up strikeouts, victories on the mound

RENEE ROBERTS

Nothing Soft About It Although she’s normally serving up strikes, Anna Brooks Pacha takes a swing. Pacha has been a varsity starting pitcher since her freshman year.

by Inaara Malick

Major League pitchers with an earned run average of 3.00 are lauded for their skill. In 17 games as a freshman, Anna Brooks Pacha, now a junior, recorded a 1.40 earned run average to lead the Mavericks to the SPC title.

But her dominance on the diamond was almost cut short when she contracted an impingement in her pitching arm at age 14.

Impingement occurs

Pitch It Like Pacha Anna Brooks winds up before a pitch.

Pacha has been playing softball since she was seven.

RENEE ROBERTS

when the tendons of the rotator cuff muscles become inflamed, causing shoulder pain. If untreated, impingement can cause tendons to thin and tear.

Pacha was worried she would never play softball again, yet five months later, she recovered and returned to the field.

“Even though it was a minor injury, it taught me to take care of my body so that I don’t get more seriously injured,” Pacha said.

Known to everyone on the field as AB, Pacha has been playing softball since she joined the West University Little League at age seven.

Her teammates admire her for her level of commitment.

“Anna Brooks is incredibly dedicated. She is willing to put a lot of time and energy into her pitching,” senior captain Tanvi Varadhachary said.

“That is why she is such a phenomenal player.”

On the weekends in the fall and summer, she plays tournaments with the Diamond Hotshots.

After school every day, Pacha pitches and works out.

“It takes dedication, time commitment and a love for the game to devote that much time to pitching,” Coach Isis Barron-Hutchinson said.

Since Pacha spends so much time

playing softball, she has had to make sacrifices. Not only does she miss school, but softball takes up a significant amount of her free time. During the summer, the Hotshots travel to tournaments for weeks at a time.

Pacha believes the sacrifice is worth it.

“While I miss out on having a calm summer, I make great memories and get to travel to some really fun places,” Pacha said.

Pacha is drawn to pitching because of her natural competitiveness. When she pitches, she focuses on striking out her rivals.

According to Pacha, pitching is “a direct competition between me and the batter. When I am on the mound, nothing else matters besides the next pitch, and no one else matters besides the batter.”

Despite the competitive nature of playing select softball, Pacha manages to keep a level head and enjoy the sport.

“AB is the epitome of a player with composure,” Barron-Hutchinson said. “She has the ability to compete at a high

level without losing her focus even when she is in pressure situations.”

Her teammates agree that while she is always focused on the mound, her calm mindset Anna Brooks Pacha keeps her grounded.

Freshman year stats “She doesn’t take herself too seriously and knows it is okay Games: 17 to make mistakes,” senior captain Brooke ERA: 1.40 Upchurch said.

Strikeouts: 164 Pacha started the college recruitment process as early as freshman year.

After visiting several schools and weighing her options, she verbally committed to a D1 school during her sophomore year.

“Softball has definitely helped me with the college process and playing in college will be a great experience,” Pacha said.

So far this season, Pacha has pitched 30 innings in six games, with 56 strikeouts. She has allowed only six earned runs and five walks.

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Sophomore sidelined by compartment syndrome There are six stages of compartment syndrome: Pain. Pressure. Paresthesia.

Paresis. Pallor. Pulselessness. Six P’s.

Diagnose it in six hours. Any later, and doctors may have to amputate.

On Jan. 21, sophomore Katherine Smith laced up her Nike cleats and ran past the gymnasium double doors towards Skip Lee Field for soccer practice. After running warm-up laps around the track, the team did both dynamic and static stretching before shifting into high-intensity drills.

“Everything is really competitive because Coach Deering wants practice to be like a game situation,” junior forward Lindsey McKone said.

“She wants us to actually want to win, to actually want to do the drill.”

During the scrimmage, Smith rushed for the ball at the same time as senior defender Jessica Nyquist. The two collided, and Nyquist’s knee hit Smith’s right calf.

Sophomore Elle Clonts was in the training room with Assistant Athletic Trainer Mike Kleinstub when Smith came in.

“Katherine was a little teary-eyed, but I didn’t really think anything of it,” Clonts said.

After examining Smith’s calf, Kleinstub informed her of the possibility of Acute Compartment Syndrome (ACS).

Compartment syndrome occurs when pressure increases within a bodily compartment, such as the foot or forearm. The acute form is most commonly found in trauma patients.

Smith’s parents drove her to Houston Methodist Hospital emergency room at 7:00 p.m. Doctors initially diagnosed a hematoma, or internal

SOPHIA LI

by Sophia Li

bleeding, in her calf. Smith returned home at 11:30 p.m. Her condition worsened overnight.

“My calf had swollen even more. It was hard and really painful,” Smith said.

At 8:00 a.m., Smith’s parents took her back to Houston Methodist. The medical staff confirmed that Smith had ACS. The situation was dire.

Smith’s calf had already reached Stage Two: pressure had built up in her leg.

According to Smith, doctors told her that she had to undergo immediate surgery. If the condition was compartment syndrome and Smith was not treated in time, her right leg would stop functioning.

At 8:45 a.m., Smith was rushed to an operating room where she un-

derwent an emergency fasciotomy to relieve the swelling in her calf.

To allow the muscle to expand, Smith’s calf was sliced open. Doctors left the incision open for two days until the swelling receded.

“In the beginning, it was really painful, and when they sewed it up, it hurt even worse,” Smith said.

Smith was lucky. Compartment syndrome can lead not only to amputation but even death, if left untreated.

“We’re lucky to have Kleinstub because many trainers would not assume that getting hit in soccer would lead to this really rare complication,” McKone said.

Smith was bedridden in the hospital for five days, receiving intravenous

nutrients and pain medication. She returned to school on Jan. 29 in a wheelchair. Smith used crutches at home.

“Moving around on a wheelchair is tough, so my friends and I did what we could to help out and pushed her around,” sophomore teammate Yasmin Toy said.

For the rest of the winter season, Smith cheered on her teammates.

She visited the training room during practices. Her rehabilitation schedule involved biking, icing and stretching.

Smith shifted completely from wheelchair to crutches on Feb. 7. She transitioned to walking on Feb. 12.

Doctors estimate Smith should make a full recovery by April.

Staying Strong After steadily regaining her ability to walk, Katherine Smith keeps her upper body active in the weight room.

Opinion: What we need in the new athletic complex

EMILY RAGAUSS

Weighing In Along with adding features for swimming and golf, Yan dreams of a future athletic complex complete with a larger weight room and state-of-the-art machines.

by Dani Yan

A new sports complex is in the works on the Taub property. The plan is only in its preliminary stages and will not be completed in time for any of the current Upper School students to experience.

“We are at least ten years away from a new complex,” headmaster Mark Desjardins said.

Still, students, including myself, are happy to formulate a wish list for the complex.

When I first stepped saw our athletic complex over the summer, I was impressed on the whole. It was far superior to the facility at my previous school. However, I was disappointed by the limited size of our weight room.

Relative to the other amenities in the complex, the weight room was surpris-

ingly small. With all the equipment, the compact space felt cramped and couldn’t accommodate all the machines. When filled with just a few people, the space seems comfortable. When more people flood the room, it becomes downright claustrophobic.

The weight room area is difficult to move around in, which is inconvenient and even dangerous considering that people often move around with weights. A room like that can’t possibly accommodate an entire football team safely.

Besides worrying about space constraints, students also express concern about the lack of variety in equipment.

“I would like to see a bigger weight room because our weight room doesn’t have all the machines a full fitness gym does,” sophomore Josh Thomas said.

With sports such as swimming, golf and tennis constantly practicing off campus, it would be advantageous to install on-campus facilities.

Using off-campus facilities costs the school money, and the commute time cuts into team practices, all the more reason for teams to have their own space for practice and competition.

A new complex with these features could encourage more people to play these sports and represent the sports better and enhance the athletes’ overall performance.

Many students also stress the importance of new facilities for underrepresented sports.

Some students suggest that we need a tennis court, a golf short course and a swimming pool.

The development of the complex is based

on our school’s growing population. With an increasing number of students as well as sidelined sports, our current athletic complex does not allow ample room for our expanding student body.

More sports or activities could go on at the same time with fewer conflicts between teams over facilities. A bigger and better athletic complex would enable more students from all grades to take advantage of the facilities and even possibly further stimulate student interest in athletics.

With the arrival of 100 new students in the Upper School over the next four years, athletic facilities must expand.

Desjardins said, “the bottom line is that without additional facilities we can’t support our programs.”

We’re just getting the ball rolling.

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THE REVIEW I MARCH 11, 2015

on medical leave: maintaining physical health Written by Megan Shen and Irene Vazquez Design by Jessica Lee

For people searching for pain relief, sticking needles in their bodies may seem not only scary but also counterintuitive.

Yet with chronic pain afflicting more than a third of Americans, acupuncture and other unconventional medical treatments have garnered growing attention in the last decade. A 2012 study based on results of the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, found that more than 14 million Americans have tried acupuncture.

In addition to acupuncture, junior Amy Dong receives weekly Chinese fire cupping treatments for pain in her knees. Fire cupping involves placing lit pieces of cotton in glass bulbs that take away the oxygen immediately. The bulbs are then cupped onto the region of skin where there is pain.

“I get immediate relief from sharp pains around my joints and can move around more easily afterwards,” Dong said.

She also receives rolfing treatment, which is an intense physical massage to realign muscle tissues.

Junior Lillian Chen is seeing an acupuncturist for a stress fracture in her foot.

“Since track season is starting, I want to accelerate my healing. Two years ago, I received acupuncture for nightmares and insomnia, and I saw dramatic improvement within a few months,” Chen said.

Acupuncture is one of many practices in traditional Chinese medicine, a system of alternative treatments originating over 2,000 years ago. Treatments are based on restoring the balance of “qi,” the energy believed to flow throughout the body.

Chen frequently treats herself with Chinese herbal medicines to relieve her pain. She has never used ibuprofen.

“Freshman year, when I got a stress fracture, the doctors told me to take three to six weeks off, but after using herbal medicines for a week, I was better and could run again,” Chen said.

Although alternative medicine often invites skepticism, clinical trials have shown evidence of effectiveness. A 2012 study financed by the National Institutes of Health analyzed 29 studies of over 18,000 patients, concluding that acupuncture worked more effectively than both standard and placebo treatments for chronic pain.

Without a substantial scientific basis, alternative treatments often have inconsistent results for different individuals. Sophomore Robert Gottschalk has explored alternative medicine approaches including homeopathy and acupuncture.

“We have tried everything, even nerve blocks and acupuncture,” Gottschalk said. “It didn’t really show any effects and actually ended up aggravating what I had for a couple of weeks.”

Most patients seek alternative treatment approaches only after exhausting their options with modern care.

“At first, I went to at least four different traditional doctors – some told me it was tendonitis, and others said minor inflammation,” Dong said. “They prescribed ointments, pills, and rest from dance, but it continued to get worse.”

Discouraged by her persisting symptoms, Dong decided to search for alternative treatment.

“I was disillusioned from all the diagnostics and frustrated because I still didn’t know how to solve the problem,” Dong said. “My mom had used Chinese medicine to ease chronic pains in her feet and knees and suggested that I try it.”

One popular course of treatment involves complementary medicine in which patients use different approaches to improve their well-being in conjunction with standard treatments. Natural supplements and meditation techniques fall under this category.

Every morning senior Luke Kramer takes turmeric, a spice known for its anti-inflammatory properties, in order to aid his recovery after hip surgery in December.

“It was just something that I looked up online. I would never forswear something like vaccines at the expense of real medicine, but I think it’s important to put wellness in the hands of the patient,” Kramer said.

Ultimately, the value of complementary or alternative medicine depends upon an individual’s personal experiences with its effectiveness.

“For me, it definitely does work, and I would trust it just as much as regular medicine,” Chen said. “I would recommend people to open their minds. Treatments like herbal medicines are completely organic.”

Dong also encourages people to consider the possibility of alternative treatments, especially if traditional methods are not working for them.

“There’s definitely a stigma involved because people tend

to associate alternative methods with magical, primitive practices that wouldn’t be useful in a high-tech era,” Dong said. “Sometimes traditional [Western] medicine is definitely better, but if you’re searching for another option, don’t write off alternative medicine.”

ANTI-VACCINATION MOVEMENT In December 2014, measles hit the happiest place on Earth: Disneyland. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak likely started from an overseas traveler who visited the park while infected with measles. This outbreak is responsible for 140 cases of measles in seven states.

Though measles was declared eradicated from the United States in 2000, the disease remains common in many parts of the world. Travelers to the United States continue to bring measles into the country, and the disease then spreads in communities with large unvaccinated populations.

While no federal vaccination laws exist, all 50 states have laws requiring some form of vaccination for children.

Texas public schools require vaccinations against tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, Hepatitis A and B, Chicken Pox and Meningococcus.

The law in most states, however, provides for exemptions, which are obtained based on a physician’s appraisal that the vaccine would be harmful to the health of the child or because of religious or philosophical reasons.

The exemption rate varies from state to state. In Colorado, 82 percent of children enrolled in kindergarten in the 2013-2014 school year received the measles vaccine. The government target is 95 percent coverage.

Parents cite a variety of reasons for choosing not to vaccinate their children. According to a study by Public Health Report, among parents who did not vaccinate their kids, 63 percent feared serious side effects, 57 percent had concerns about vaccines’ being related to autism and 78 percent said that they thought children got too many shots.

All St. John’s students are required to get vaccinations for diseases including measles and chicken pox. The flu vaccine is optional.

Each season, the flu vaccine is synthesized through the joint work of the CDC and private companies using the

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PHILIP KENSINGER

most prevalent strains of the previous year’s flu.

Because the vaccine suppresses the immune system, some choose to not get vaccinated.

“When you get the vaccine, it does suppress the immune system a little bit,” biology teacher Toby Day said. “For a while, when I was getting the flu vaccination, it actually increased my chances of getting the flu.”

Parent Diane Biegel (‘75) is not impressed by the success rate of this year’s flu vaccine.

“I read that the vaccine was only 18 percent effective this year,” Biegel said. “What’s really telling is very few healthcare professionals get the vaccine themselves.”

Though some find downsides to vaccines, they provide a measure of protection for not only the individual but also the community in a phenomenon known as herd immunity. As more people are vaccinated, the probability that a susceptible individual will come into contact with the disease decreases.

The phenomenon protects those unable to be vaccinated, including babies and people with immunodeficiencies or allergies.

“There are many people like those allergic to albumen, which is part of the vaccine, who can’t get it,” Day said. “If you haven’t gotten the flu yet, it’s always a good thing to get the vaccine.”

Coping with Chronic Illness While just one day of makeup work can seem overwhelming, sophomore Miranda Allegar missed nearly a week of school before finals last year.

This situation is not unfamiliar to Allegar, who often faces disruptions to school. Early last year, she missed nearly two weeks because she felt sick and dizzy every day.

“We went to a lot of doctors about it, and they thought it was vertigo,” Allegar said.

Allegar went to see a cardiologist, neurologist and a rheumatologist, who then diagnosed her with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). With POTS, a change from a lying or sitting to an upright position causes an abnormally large increase in heart rate.

The condition arises from Ehler-Danlos syndrome, a collagen protein disorder that affects the connective tissue.

Sophomore Robert Gottschalk copes with a long-term medical illness that often interferes with his daily life.

Gottschalk has nerve damage and complex regional pain

syndrome in his leg, which causes joint stiffness, swelling and continuous pain in the affected area.

Due to his condition, Gottschalk missed school last semester to receive treatment. He stayed in the hospital for two days to get infusions of a strong sedative used for pain treatment. Yet the hospital stay did not affect Gottschalk’s pain level.

“I’m lucky to be able to attend school because a lot of kids with CRPS can’t,” Gottschalk said. “It’s exhausting and a struggle because of concentration issues it causes and the constant pain when walking.”

Medical issues also present tremendous challenges for teachers. When physics teacher Susan Bigge was diagnosed with 0 breast cancer last spring, she often had to 25 deal with the grueling side effects of che50 motherapy while still teaching classes.

“Fatigue was the major problem for me,” 75 Bigge said. “Last semester and the end of the previous one, I’d put my daughter to bed at 7:00 p.m. and go to sleep. That’s very unusual for me. Then I was getting up still tired and coming to work.”

Bigge underwent chemotherapy treatment every week until September. She then received surgery and was out for three weeks.

Bigge considers herself to be lucky because two and a half months of her fivemonth chemotherapy stint occurred over the summer.

Allegar has also faced extensive treatment for medical complications. She was MATTHEW NEAL in and out of physical therapy until April of her freshman year after breaking her wrist in eighth grade. The healing process took over a year, as opposed to the normal time of six weeks.

“I can’t play volleyball ever again,” Allegar said. “I just don’t have any power left to serve or hit. My wrist can’t keep the strength that it needs, so the fall and the break of the bone can trigger the rest of it to stop working.”

Although Ehler-Dahlos syndrome affects primarily the skin, blood vessels and joints, it also causes other medical issues for Allegar in addition to POTS. Due to her rheumatology issues, she is subclinical for a variety of conditions, meaning that many diseases are not severe enough to present definite or readily observable symptoms. When she missed school before final exams at the end of her freshman year, doctors thought she had pneumonia.

“It’s hard for them to pin stuff down,” Allegar said. “I’m in the grey zone.”

While Allegar has known about her Ehler-Danlos since seventh grade, Gottschalk did not receive a diagnosis until more than a year after his initial injury.

“The doctors first thought it was an orthopedic problem, so I had an arthroscopy, and I went to physical therapy for about six months,” Gottschalk said. “Then they realized it was a nerve problem.”

While receiving treatment for her cancer, Bigge especially appreciated the assistance of her colleagues as she managed her condition.

“When I was getting diagnosed and getting tested, my colleagues were really helpful in covering classes because everything was happening so fast,” Bigge said.

Aid in the household from her husband and family from England also helped Bigge settle into a daily routine.

“I focused on being there for my daughter and doing the of kindergarten work. Even though I was runstudents have ning out quite a lot and it was been vaccinated difficult, students were patient for diseases like with me in terms of getting back to them,” Bigge said.

Bigge is in remission and has been cancer-free since Dec. 26. Allegar’s and Gottschalk’s conditions are chronic, so they focus on managing their symptoms.

Gottschalk and his parents are searching for more aggressive pain treatment, including spinal cord implants, which would send electrical impulses to his spinal cord to relieve the pain.

“We’re looking for other options,” Gottschalk said.

“Before such a drastic procedure, we are going to Boston Children’s Hospital, which has a specialized center for patients with CRPS. I can’t escape it until I find a solution, so I’m just forced to deal with it and pace myself.”

Allegar regularly sees a rheumatologist and a pulmonologist in addition to her general practitioner. Because of her condition, Allegar has cut back on caffeine intake.

Caffeine acts as a vasoconstrictor, making it harder for the blood to get where it needs to be, which exacerbates blood flow problems.

“It was a big loss until I realized they make decaf black tea,” Allegar said.

Whether dealing with symptoms or hectic treatment schedules, people suffering from long-term health concerns can draw support from others.

Bigge said, “The really good thing is everyone here was willing to do what was best to help me, whether that was coming in, taking the slack and doing what I couldn’t do in terms of the department, or helping me by stepping into a class when I had to run out for a test.”

95%

measles

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CULTURE

THE REVIEW I MARCH 11, 2015

by Emily Chen

A play within a play: the premise of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” this year’s musical, stands out from other spring productions.

“Many aspects of the show are a love letter to theater, especially the main character, who is the Man in the Chair (played by Oliver Ruhl),” sophomore James Boehme said. “I feel like he in particular is a love letter to theater, but the entire show is, in general. It’s funny, it’s witty, it’s weird at some points, and it’s very tongue-in-cheek.”

The Drowsy Chaperone, written by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, was first performed in 1998 and features a score composed by Greg Morrison and Lisa Lambert.

The musical is a parody of American musical comedy in the 1920s.

“It’s set in the 1920s, which is a really cool time because the dancing was really energetic,” freshman Elise Lanier said. “We get to do tap, which I’ve never done before.”

Some actors believe that whimsical feeling of the show makes it fun to perform.

“One thing that’s different about it is just the whole concept of a show within the show. When the musical came out it was a very popular theme. It’s just so goofy, and just so fun, and all the songs are so lighthearted,” said sophomore Frances Hellums, who plays Mrs. Tottendale.

The Drowsy Chaperone contains elements of a comedy, a musical and a satire of 1920s culture.

The Man in the Chair, a Broadway fanatic who suffers from social anxiety disorder, sits in his apartment

and plays a record of the ficticious 1928 musical comedy “The Drowsy Chaperone.”

As the album plays, the characters come to life in his apartment and play out the story of Janet van de Graaf ’s complicated wedding as the Man interjects periodically from his chair.

“It’s a memory musical, told by a man in his apartment. You might say the whole show takes place in his head,” Director Bill McDonald said.

The musical portion of the show features the wedding of Broadway star Janet, played by Hannah Curtis, and oil tycoon Robert Martin, played by Sloan Crady. “‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ stands out in that it’s a lot more complicated musically than shows that we’ve done in more recent years,” said senior Elizabeth Elrod, who played the ditzy wannabee Broadway star Kitty. “Mr. Bonasso told us that the chorus parts were a lot more difficult than ones we’d done before and that we’d all have to do work outside of rehearsal in order for the show to be as good as it needs to be.”

“Learning all the music [has been the highlight of rehearsals],” junior Hannah Curtis said. “I feel like ‘Drowsy’ has such iconic songs and big numbers.”

The selection of musicals in the past has been a point of some contention, with one scene having been removed from last year’s ‘The Robber Bridegroom’ because of its problematic themes.

“St. John’s did ‘Chicago’ a couple years ago, and that’s also a fairly racy show, but I feel like those involved are very mature people,” Hellums said. “I think a lot of schools would

JARED MARGOLIS

Whimsical ‘Chaperone’ parodies 1920s Broadway

base the choosing of musicals off of how appropriate it is, but I almost feel like that’s not a huge factor [at St. John’s].”

The school sent out an email warning before ‘Chicago,’ but went forward with the show.

“The department tries to pick shows that are appropriate for schools, but stretch the students. It’s really a short laundry list,” McDonald said.

The Fine Arts Department generally tries to tone down any controversial topics or inappropriate themes in the productions they choose.

“Mr. McDonald chooses all the musicals, and if anything in the musical is too racy, they’ll try and edit it out or kind of cut out the really bad parts,” Curtis said.

The Theater Department warned in

advance that the show was recommended only for ages 14 and up.

“It’s all very tongue-in-cheek, it’s all very silly and overdone. Not overdone in a bad way, overdone in a way where it’s very funny and it’s exaggerated and you know that they’re not serious with it,” Boehme said.

While the play is humorous, the cast and crew have taken their jobs seriously.

“I think theater is a beautiful thing,” Hellums said. “You give your audience something to think about, or in the case of a musical like ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ which is really something that’s very goofy and silly, you give them two hours where they’re just sitting there and they’re in the story with you.”

Showing Off Hannah Curtis, who plays Janet van de Graaf, shows off her flexibility in the musical number “Show Off.”

Ready for ‘Prime’ Time: Amazon gives subscribers choice

by Sukul Mittal

In an attempt to keep up with Netflix, Amazon is releasing its own original series.

The company recently produced and directed five series available only to members of Prime Instant Video. From middle school lunchroom drama to dystopian reimaginings of the past, these shows span a wide range of audiences and themes.

Just Add Magic

This show is targeted towards younger audiences.

The pilot introduces three best friends, Kelley, Darbie and Hannah, who love to bake.

We also meet Kelley’s mysterious grandmother, who is in an unbreakable trance. One day, the girls stumble upon Grandma’s secret cookbook. When they prepare the recipes, strange events follow.

In the first episode, Kelley’s pesky brother loses his voice when he devours fresh Shut’em Up Shortcake before dinner.

More recipes follow, but every recipe in the cookbook comes at a price.

With higher and higher stakes, the girls have to decide when enough is enough.

The girls realize the cookbook is responsible for grandma’s trance, and they have to discover how to reverse the curse.

The show has potential, but it’s better suited for middle school girls who are looking for something to watch with friends.

I will continue watching to see what they cook up next.

Salem Rogers: Model of the Year 1998

This twisted coming-of-age story centers on former model of the year, Salem Rogers, who is released from a decade-long stint in rehab.

Salem’s re-entry into the fashion world reveals a transformed industry.

An industry in which models only need to be thin and young, not talented and charismatic.

Salem’s former and overworked assistant, Agatha Todd, is now a successful author. She hopes to counsel Salem into becoming self-aware, but Salem has other ideas. She wants to regain her past glory, at any cost.

This show had a plausible future, but was not greenlighted by Amazon. Viewers will find it hard to stop watching this pilot.

Table 58

This is a classic tale of middle school misfits who band together to take down the popular group, a sassy group nick-

named the Royals.

At this school, where you sit during lunch defines your status. Logan, the new kid, tries to fit in with the Royals but is quickly rejected. He makes his way to Table 58 where he meets a mixed group: a pretentious teen, a slob, a nerd, a scholarly meanie and a soft-hearted punk.

Each once belonged to their stereotypical group, but for reasons slowly revealed, they were banished.

The series focuses on their strategies to regain entry in their groups while Logan hopes to make the football team, which is filled with Royals.

The plot is punctuated with twists and turns about unlikely friendships. Mysterious characters pop up-an overly patriotic principal and her strict assistant, a peevish lunch lady and a mysterious boy who supposedly disappeared years ago.

The show will not be producing any more episodes, and I agree with the decision.

The Man in the High Castle

This hybrid historical drama and fantasy dystopia imagines what American life would have been if Japan and Germany had won World War II. The show is a chilling adaptation of the novel by Phillip

K. Dick, whose works have been adapted into “Total Recall,” “Blade Runner” and “Minority Report.”

America has been split into German and Japanese territory, with a neutral zone in the middle. The plot is a mosaic of smaller stories which all meet at the end of the pilot. The plot involves two main characters, Joe and Julianna.

Both of whom possess the same videotape labeled, “The Grasshopper Lies Heavy.”

The show involves a lot of history and backstory, but things speed up once the Man in the High Castle, a mysterious rebel, is introduced.

As the show progresses, characters reveal their true identities, power struggles become apparent and the ultimate fate of America is slowly revealed.

The show is dark and gritty, so I recommend it for older viewers.

Amazon’s move to introduce more original series seeks to emulate the success of its Golden-Globe-winning series, “Transparent,” which follows the life of a father transitioning from male to female, and has been lauded for its sensitive LGBT representation.

Only time will tell if they have hit the mark.

CULTURE

SJSREVIEW.COM I MARCH 11, 2015

DOUBLE TALK Students find balance between languages

by Amy Liu

Junior Namanh Kapur has spent years abroad and translated for his parents everywhere from Brazil to France. Regardless of how many languages he’s studied, Kapur’s family expects that he will never forget his native tongue, Hindi.

Like Kapur, many students have different language spheres at home and at school. Balancing cultural heritage with communication in English can be difficult.

“Chinese used to be a pretty big deal.

Sometimes, if I spoke English, my parents would tell me not to,” sophomore Annie Ren said. “Now that I’m older, speaking Chinese at home has become my choice.

It’s just something I do.”

Parents often act as the driving force behind students’ learning native languages.

Junior Yousef Gaber remembers receiving Arabic lessons from his dad every Sunday as a child. Gaber’s father would inspire him to learn by suggesting that he would never learn the language otherwise.

“He’s a calm man, and instead of yelling he would use reverse psychology to make me want to learn,” Gaber said.

Senior Hannah Tyler’s mother, Christa Gaug, currently an Austrian-born German teacher at the Houston Grand Opera, also saw teaching language as a responsibility.

Tyler did German reading and writing exercises and spent entire summers in Austria. When Tyler entered kindergarten, she was more proficient in German than English.

“My mom makes traditional Austrian dinners and taught me and my brother [freshman Lucas] about Austrian and German history,” Tyler said. “It’s all valuable because of the importance of knowing where you came from.”

Only by learning these languages could students communicate with relatives when visiting their native countries.

“I learn by diffusion,” Gaber said. “I was around the language so much that I was forced to know it. When I go to Egypt, my parents try as hard as they can to make me speak Arabic the whole time.”

When Kapur was in the second grade, he went to a summer school in India to learn reading and writing in Hindi. He was annoyed having to ask his parents to translate billboards and signs.

“Learning languages is the only way to be truly immersed in a culture and a way of life. Without it, you’ll always be an outlier, just another tourist,” Kapur said.

Kapur observes a difference between how people treat tourists

and locals, often taking advantage of non-natives.

“If you have an accent, people in the market can easily tell that you’ve never lived there and will raise prices for you, but if I speak Hindi well, they’ll think I’m a local, so they can’t trick me,” Kapur said.

When junior Mia Mirkovic visits Croatia with her parents she feels obligated to speak Croatian, even though most of her family there has a solid foundation in English.

“If I go there and speak English, they’d probably think I’m dumb,” Mirkovic said.

“I know they’d prefer me to speak Croatian, but they’re never going to tell me that.”

Besides transitioning to different languages, visiting native countries also requires a shift in cultural customs.

“Austrian teenagers tend to be less friendly while Americans are more immediately open and loose,” Tyler said. “The stereotype of the friendly American doesn’t need any more emphasis, but it’s true.”

Even with regular visits to their native countries, students can still feel distance from their heritage.

Staying in a relative’s house with his younger sister the majority of the time, Gaber feels that visiting Egypt is more special for his parents than for him.

“When they go to Egypt, my parents have a lot of appreciation of everything that’s there because they were raised there. That’s not something I can have or feel,” Gaber said.

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“But I see my brother and his wife living Mirkovic said. “Knowing more languages there, and they get something special from makes learning other languages easier.” being in Egypt that they don’t get here.

Multilingualism can also open doors There’s a sense of warmth that makes me for employment opportunities. Tyler is more ready to be a part of that culture.” considering a job or internship in Austria Having to keep up with another lanthis summer. guage can hamper English abilities, some “I’ve always been interested in what it’s students say. like to work in a hotel,” Tyler “we speak “If you take said. “I might even study abroad me by surprise, german to talk in college just to see what it’s I’ll accidentally about people like.” start speaking in The main reason for students without them Chinese,” Ren to speak their native languages said. is to maintain a strong familial knowing.”

Bilingual stuHannah Tyler connection. dents note that “Speaking a language just with the benefits of learning another language your family that the majority of people outweigh any costs. don’t know allows a closer bond,” Tyler “The negative effects are minimal, and said. “We speak German to talk about the gain is extraordinary,” Ren said. “I people without them knowing.” know people who didn’t speak their native Students claim that speaking native lanlanguages as young kids and grew up to guages is crucial to preserving culture. regret it.”

“In Chinese culture there’s a big emDifficulty arises for students who take an phasis on respect. Some people find that additional foreign language in school, as restricting, but I feel like it’s a societal rule vocabulary or pronunciation mix-ups are that lets you know where you belong,” Ren more likely. said. “It’s reflected in the language. When “When I was learning and getting better you see a friend, you can call them “ge ge” at Chinese, that was the time I spoke Aror “jie jie,” brother or sister.” abic least in my life. When I would try to Students believe that feeling connected speak Arabic, I’d sometimes put Chinese to native culture should be a natural choice in place of Arabic words,” Gaber said. rather than an obligation.

For some students, being multilingual “If they want to keep a connection with improves understanding of any language their culture and language, that’s fine,” concept.

Mirkovic said. “If they want to “I actually think Croatian made learning distance themselves, English easier because oftentimes I could that’s okay just see a connection between two words,” too.”

BROOKE KUSHWAHA

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THE REVIEW I MARCH 11, 2015

Center answers call of the wild in ‘Happiness’

SOPHIA LI

Center of Attention Katherine Center takes a break from writing to teach third grade students, including her son Thomas, above right, and Avrey Goodgame, insert, how to sew. Center is currently working on her sixth novel, which focuses on a boat trip down the Texas Gulf Coast. Her latest, “Happiness for Beginners,” will be released this month.

by Cara Maines

On a plane from Houston to Wyoming, Katherine Center (‘90) thought she had made the worst mistake of her life.

The summer after her sophomore year of college, Center was on her way to a wilderness survival course that would become the inspiration for her fifth novel, “Happiness for Beginners,” available March 24.

“I had always wanted to write a story about this wilderness course that I went on because it was crazy,” Center said. “Then it was time for a new book, and it came to me. This was the moment.”

Center based the protagonist, Helen, on a 32-year-old divorced woman she met on the National Outdoor Leadership School trip.

Center remembers arduous experiences from the expedition.

“There was a blizzard in the middle of the summer,” Center said. “There was a guy who fell on a tree and broke his hip, and we had to carry him three miles out of the wilderness. It was the most physically grueling thing I’ve ever done.”

Helen navigates challenges both physical and emotional, falling in love with a college-aged friend of her brother’s while struggling along the trail. As she attempts to make a new start for herself, Helen seeks new ways to achieve happiness.

“She needs to learn how to figure out how to appreciate what’s already in her life,” Center said. “Even things that are hard and horrible.”

Center finds inspiration for her novels through her everyday life. Though she pulls details from the world around her, she emphasizes that they are transformed during the writing process.

“You take something you dreamed, something your mom told you about, the cute shoes you saw somebody wearing, somebody else’s new haircut, a terrible story you read about in the newspaper. You take all these little things and mush them together,” Center said. “Then the glue that you hold it all together with is made up.”

Center’s favorite part of the writing process is the initial creation phase. After she writes a scene, Center prints it, reads over it and puts it in a binder. She calls writing “the closest thing to magic” she knows.

“I love the initial creation phase where these characters come to life,” Center

said. “I hear them talking in my head.

I’m washing dishes and there are people talking in my head. I have to grab a receipt out of my purse and scribble it down, or I’ll forget it.”

Center maintains strong connections to SJS, where her husband Gordon is a middle school history teacher and her sister Shelley Stein (‘88) is a French teacher and Review advisor. Center credits her teachers at SJS for encouraging her to write.

At the end of third grade, her homeroom teacher Juliet Emery sent her a note saying she thought Center would become an author. Center thanked Emery and six other SJS teachers in the acknowledgments of her first book, “The Bright Side of Disaster.”

“I remember the moment when I was in third grade when Ms. Emery told us that if you use a word more than three times in conversation, it belongs to you,” Center said. “The idea of collecting words completely enchanted me.”

When Center got her own dictionary in middle school, she continued to collect words by highlighting them whenever she looked them up.

“This idea was very exciting to me, and I still have that dictionary,” Center said. “It’s now in the kitchen of the house where I’m raising my kids. I’ve shown them all the highlighted words, and now whenever they have to look up a word, they highlight it too.”

Although she loves words, Center tends to use more simplistic language in her novels. She says avoiding high-level vocabulary makes her books more accessible.

“Once you’ve seen the story bloom in front of your eyes, the next question is ‘How do you get the words out of the way so the reader has a story bloom in their head?’” Center said. “I don’t want people to have to stop and get out their thesaurus.

I want them to forget that they’re reading.”

Center may have the chance to see her story truly come to life. Instant Pictures recently bought the rights to her fourth novel, “The Lost Husband.”

“The characters really spoke to me. Katherine writes very satisfying stories in a very cinematic way,” one of Center’s producers and SJS parent Vicky Wight said. “When I read the book, I could easily see it translated into a film.”

In the meantime, Center will contin-

ue writing her next novel, which takes place on a boat trip from Galveston to Port Aransas.

“In that beginning part where you’re trying to get it all down on paper and you’re watching it come to life in front of your eyes, I typically walk around with that feeling you have when you’re in love,” Center said. “It’s this awesome, delicious torture. It’s a really fun job.”

BEYOND

OPINIONS

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SJSREVIEW.COM I MARCH 11, 2015

MARISA MURILLO

Local hole in the wall: Visiting ‘Sophomore Siberia’

by Sadde Mohamed

I can’t say that I dislike Sophomore Siberia. It grows on you. Like the mold that will inevitably grow throughout the second floor of Mewbourne should we continue down the path we are currently on.

The guys standing in the middle of the hall wearing their backpacks leave exactly 0.2 inches for a passerby to squeeze through.

You learn to appreciate the amount of walking it takes to get from the Quad to your locker on the second floor of Mewbourne, thankful that your calf muscles will develop at an accelerated pace. The complete and utter isolation from the rest of the school strengthens the bonds between members of the Class of 2017.

The spackled walls add some color to the second floor of Mewbourne and, at times, act as an abstract art exhibit. As a testament to the artistic ability of the sophomores, the once

glorious but now repaired hole in the wall will stand as a mark of our time in Siberia.

The hole itself was the result of some hooliganism and not knowing our own strength. Indeed, without the walls of Sophomore Siberia, we would have no reference for how strong we are. Word had spread faster than it took for me to get to Sophomore Siberia to actually see the hole, and by the time I’d made it, there was a motley crew of juniors, seniors, and freshmen alike, eager to see the hole for themselves or to take pictures with it.

Recently, an effort was made to repaint the chipped walls and install a wood paneling to prevent this sort of thing from happening again.

One week later, a new, less prominent hole appeared under mysterious circumstances. We laugh, but this might be a serious problem for my grade.

The constant unhinging of the lock-

ers adds a flair and spontaneity to the floor and will remain in our hearts as a beautiful memory.

“Dude, do you remember the time my locker fell apart.”

“That was insane, man.”

Members of the Class of 2017 have been known to identify a distinct smell to Sophomore Siberia, something that can only be offered by a hallway stuffed with 149 kids, each with their own distinct smells.

Some of my peers claim that they have never been to Sophomore Siberia. I only pity the culture they are deprived of by not traveling to what might as well be a far corner of the world.

Traversing the entirety of campus just to get to my lunch might take up half of my lunch period, but I’m so grateful for the things I am able to see, hear and feel on my journey to Sophomore Siberia.

The seemingly random clutter thrown on the floor is actually placed

down with thought and consideration — it’s actually endearing being able to see how much my fellow classmates care about improving my balance and keeping me on my toes.

I am so very grateful to the Class of 2017 for taking the time to make sure I am fully awake in the morning by talking loud enough for them to be heard in Ms. DiPaolo’s room.

While I’m busy appreciating my peers, the casual food lining certain corners of the floor provide a light, nutritious snack at any given time.

Taking all of these superb aspects into consideration, I realize I wouldn’t be who I am today without Sophomore Siberia. Truth be told, I’m not sure if my locker area next year could even compare to its marvelous environment.

The second floor of Mewbourne is now more than just any old hallway; it’s my home, and I am proud to share it with the Class of 2017.

Sophomore Exile?

Sadde Mohamed contemplates his exile into Sophomore Siberia. With the demolition of the Winston building, new lockers were installed in Mewbourne, making for extra-crowded hallways.

Self-expression fuels driving force behind auto obsession

MICHAEL STEINER

Need for Speed Car obsessions seem like a race to get the most expensive brand, the newest model and the coolest custom designs. Junior Reed Brace adds character to his Jeep, right, with a custom “Bort” license plate, an obscure reference from “The Simpsons.” While students should be able to express themselves with their wheels, they should remember that life is about the journey, not the mode of transportation.

by Brooke Kushwaha

When I first got my learner’s permit, I practiced in a dusty gray Prius. As everyone knows, a Prius, at best, is an emasculated version of a real car. I didn’t want to be seen driving a gray Prius for the rest of high school, parking next to white Jeeps and 4x4 trucks that have never gone offroad in their lives.

Like most other high schools, we have a bit of a car obsession. What you drive becomes an extension of your identity, along with how you accessorize it. I’ve even recognized classmates by their bumper stickers alone (looking at you, Megan Routbort). Cars are a way to project your identity onto a road full of strangers, whether you achieve that with flower decals or a “BORT” custom license plate.

While my Prius has saved me lots of gas money, and it will come in handy if I ever need to make a stealthy getaway, I felt like it did not quite reflect my personality.

Sure, it’s small and quiet, but I wanted a car with more rev in its engine. When I got my license, I struck a deal with my mom that if I went a year without crashing, I could paint flames on my Prius. It’s possibly the most expensive and time-consuming attention grab I’ve ever pulled.

Were the flames worth the effort? Only time will tell. I don’t even park at St. Luke’s. I walk to school. Yet I’m caught up in the four-wheeled frenzy.

Just last month on International Day we turned Big Red into a parking lot for German luxury cars. Car dealers were pitching Porsches to teenagers, hoping to get word back to their parents. It was as if

we had become a parody of ourselves, fully embracing and flaunting our privileged reputation. After all, there are 16-year-olds with cars nicer than their teachers’. The senior lot alone boasts higher numbers of BMW and Lexus brand cars than the entire teacher lot. For many of us, it’s not a question of whether we’ll get a car: it’s what kind.

That being said, I’m not here to bash privileged 16-year-olds. I’ve seen their driving habits, and they can do that to themselves. Even though cars can be a fun way to express oneself, you shouldn’t attach your entire self-worth to what car you drive. Driving a white Jeep doesn’t make you Cher from “Clueless,” (but that doesn’t stop half the junior girls from trying). Just like driving a brand new Ford F-150 won’t make you a true Texan. In the

same way, driving a rusty old lemon won’t make you a social outcast. I don’t even believe getting flames on my Prius will make me cooler. It was something I did to express myself, not define myself. Underneath five coats of gloss and a frankly awesome paint job, there’s still my trusty old Prius, with killer gas mileage to boot.

So underclassmen, when you do finally get a set of wheels and pull up to school, remember that it’s not a big deal if you’re in your mom’s minivan. Don’t go begging your parents for a new Mercedes because, face it, someone’s going to have the newer model anyway. Just remember that life is about the journey, not the mode of transportation.

And your car won’t look as good as my Prius anyway.

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OPINIONS

THE REVIEW I MARCH 11, 2015

STAFF EDITORIAL

Take greater interest in your spending habits

Undeniably, we live in a world of privilege. But amidst Brooke Kushwaha’s light-hearted repartee about the value of our cars (see page 13) and the carefully appropriated savings that allow us to pursue higher education at elite institutions, we of the Editorial Board would like to remind the St. John’s community that socioeconomic inequality exists and should not be overlooked by our Ray-Bans-shielded eyes.

St. John’s is expensive. Our tuition exceeds $24,000 a year, not counting sports team fees, sweatshirt orders, and textbook prices.

Efforts to increase student consciousness of socioeconomic diversity have not done enough. Greater transparency about the actual cost of things, such as posting lunch

prices in a visible area, might help students relieve some of the financial burden of costly school meals from their parents.

And we as peers can manage money more responsibly. Instead of “investing” in those $118 LuLus, talk to your parents about starting a savings account. Instead of insisting on a girls’ night out for sushi or the latest $75 video game, find a low-cost activity.

We should learn fiscal responsibility early and be conscious of where our — or if we’re being really honest, our parents’ — money goes.

Maybe we don’t need to buy that movie on iTunes, get the newest Super Smash game along with four shiny controllers, or splurge on a necklace we saw on Etsy.

There will come a day when the credit card you use to shop online is your own, and you’ll find yourself up to your ears in credit card debt.

Students who have had to work jobs ranging from babysitting to waitressing will tell you that money is not easy to come by. You might spend hours calming down a screaming toddler to receive $30 in return — a paltry reward that would quickly disappear on one night out with friends.

You cannot wave a magic wand and become a millionaire. Well, perhaps with some primping and the acquisition of an MRS degree you could, but that may not be a realistic or desirable goal. Therefore, most of us must consider how to manage

our finances.

The average undergraduate student owes $33,000 in debt, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Even if your parents offer to pay your undergraduate fees, they will not provide an open checkbook for life. For those of us planning to enter medical, business or law schools, we have additional tuition to pay, and anybody looking for a job may have to suffer through several months of unpaid internships.

The best time to start improving your money-sense is now. Soon, the golden days of free room and board will be over, and we will need to make our own moolah.

From the editor

Find personal Thecoping Upsidemechanisms of Senioritis PHILIP KENSINGER

Dear Readers, March is my favorite month for a multitude of reasons.

First, my birthday is on the third, and we always have some random day off near the beginning of March, like a birthday present straight from Dean Popp. Second, we have the fewest days of school in March. Seniors have a whopping twelve days of class. Yet March is also the month in which Senioritis hits hardest.

Senioritis is the promise of a better future when the whole class is united in laziness. Teachers dread second-semester seniors — perhaps they are the only students worse than neurotic, stressed-out first-semester seniors.

Senioritis does not have to be all about being a slacker and goofing off though. The big question we seniors confront at this time of year is not why try but rather why obsess about grades.

While some seniors embrace this notion of ceasing all effort related to school, I think the majority of us would be somewhat offended if accused of this.

Senioritis is not an affliction that causes us to stop caring. Rather, it brings a different mindset for those of us who have already done all we can to attain a college acceptance.

Instead of focusing on the numbers, we can focus on what truly interests us. Our new goals might include watching all ten seasons of “Friends” before spring break, but they also could involve reading for pleasure, getting into better shape, catching up on sleep, or researching an

era of history that is not forced upon us by an AP curriculum.

Now is the time to take intellectual risks. Right now I’m risking being called out by Dr. Raulston for stealing a part of Andrew Vogeley’s 2013 editorial, but in general the uncertainty I am referring to should involve thinking outside the box.

My teachers have been, in one word, stellar. They care about both their class material and their students, and they always take care to emphasize that they do not just want to teach to a standardized exam.

Exams are our bread and butter. Through no fault of the school, students (and perhaps more importantly parents), obsess over racking up AP and SAT II tests. This is not to say that AP courses inadequately represent the subjects they are supposed to cultivate excellence in but rather to point out that our course loads may not cater to flights of whimsy.

Too often, students take classes that they are not particularly passionate about purely for the AP designation and the 0.6 point boost to their GPA. They may feel afraid to be adventurous because of stringent preparations for exams, or they may not see the need to do more than what is required.

Some students feel hemmed in by the looming threat of college admissions officers pouring over all the details of their academic lives. These insecurities cause us to go the safe route — in English papers, science experiments,

history research topics, and more.

Seniors are freed from these troubles. This is the perfect time to become adventurous with our schoolwork. And no, adventurous does not necessarily mean somehow losing last night’s assignments in a ditch on the side of the road.

Seniors have the opportunity to experiment and explore.

After years of study, we know what grammar structures are brazenly wrong, how much time we need to pass a test, and what topics teachers are likely to expound upon.

Let’s not study just to get by, or write English papers just to achieve a decent grade. We have the support of the community to find our true passions and develop them before flying away from the nest. We can take chances, and maybe not be as heartbroken to receive criticism now as we would be next year, or would have been last year.

Senioritis is not a free pass to stop caring about school.

Senioritis is getting to spend more time doing what we care about.

Take advantage of this brief time, and keep in mind it’ll be another four years until we get the same opportunity.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Chen

The Review · St. John’s School · 2401 Claremont, Houston, TX 77019 · review.sjs@gmail.com · 713-850-0222 sjsreview.com · Facebook SJS Review · Twitter @SJS_Review · Instagram @_thereview Member Columbia Scholastic Press Assn.–Silver Crown 2014, Gold Medalist 2012 & 2013 · National Scholastic Press Assn.–4th Place Best of Show (2014), 1st Class 2012 & 2013 · All-American 2014 Editors-in-Chief Rebecca Chen, Megan Routbort Deputy Editor Iris Cronin Senior Design Editor Jessica Lee Online Editor Cara Maines Assignment Editors Brooke Kushwaha, Oliver Ruhl, Megan Shen Design Editors Matthew Neal, Tiffany Yue, Christopher Zimmerman Photography Editor Jared Margolis Video Editor Emma Gobillot Copy Editors Gabe Malek, Matthew Neal, Irene Vazquez Asst. Online Editor Amy Liu Social Media Editor Inaara Malick

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ODDS & ENDS

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SJSREVIEW.COM I MARCH 11, 2015

Sixty Seconds SOPHIA LI

with Gregory Dayao

Name Gregory “Greg Dao” Dayao Grade 9th State of mind You’re not the boss of me Known for Dancing Dao Color Orange Hate to love My height Love to hate My old classmates who are now at Episcopal Happiness Dr. Raulston’s Geo-Trig class Misery Summer weather Sports team Heat Olympic sport 2016 golf Dream date Natasha Romanoff Relationship status Single

Comfort food Chick-fil-A Guilty pleasure Coffee all day long Cafeteria food Egg rolls Place to live Norway I wish I could skip 1st and 8th period Treasured possession 2013 BSA National Jamboree Las Vegas Council Pawn Stars Badge Set The best thing My Geo-Trig class Spirit animal Dragon Zoo animal Giraffe Hero Captain America Superpower Flying Fictional character Sokka

word Word for Soundbites around campus

You write it out on a sheet of paper and Sometimes after listening to this song, it then cram it into your computer. gets stuck in my head for three days, and I have to wonder why I’m humming a Russian paratrooper melody.

Dr. Rawson instructs students on the proper way to dropbox Dean Popp after showing his students an anti-Putin song

Mr. Quillen: Because of All-School Chapel on Thursday, we won’t have the full 45 minutes, so we’re moving the test to today.

Isabelle Draper: Have you ever had your car keyed?

Fight or flight instincts coming out in AB Calculus

!

Snarknado

By Brooke Kushwaha

Book The Hunger Games TV show Arrow Movie Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier Video game The Impossible Game Phobia Bees Stress reliever 18 holes of golf Motto Prochnost Anthem Shabby Chic - Ylvis Sing in the shower? Why not?

Doppelganger Gregory Estrera I am The yin to your yang I’d rather be Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker Follow us? I’m here, there and EVERYWHERE

Blast from the Past

Kim Olan says boring is the new interesting

My fourth period students asked me one day, “Why don’t you write a journal, Ms. Olan?” I told them that I had no problem writing a journal. In fact, I have written many while they have written theirs. They actually wanted to hear it.

I assume that they had no idea what they were asking. My life is very boring.

I encourage, prod, even tease my students into writing journals. “Expressing their voice,” I call it. They oblige, and the class is treated to a delightful, revealing journey into a classmate’s life.

But they know me. They hear me day in and day out. They have seen my children. They have heard me over-share.

What else could I say that would be a delightful, revealing treat?

In a freewrite, I could delineate my mad rush from the Taub parking lot to my daughters’ school and then to our ordinary house in our ordinary neighborhood. I could then follow up with my dilemma of trying to create a dinner that is healthy and pleasing to my children’s palates.

On the other hand, I could discuss the quote that I had written on the board. I would speak from my 45-yearold perspective. Very boring.

I do not watch much television. I listen to Christian radio. I volunteer as an ESL teacher at my church. I spend much of my time maintaining a home, helping with homework and volunteering.

I’m content, but admittedly, I am boring.

When I was 17, however, I was pretty interesting. I listened to Boy George, Whodini, and U2. I wore tattered jeans, quirky hats, and red-rimmed eye glasses.

I drove my parents’ Suburban and could change a flat tire in less than ten minutes. I taught aerobics, worked in the Galleria.

I laughed loudly, and spoke to shock.

My college girlfriends nicknamed me Rogue.

I thought I was pretty cool and so did a few others. I dyed my hair blue (by mistake) once.

When I was 23, I was still rather interesting. I had a vast and diverse music

COURTESY PHOTO

collection, worked with student-athletes who would go on to play in the NFL, and conducted exciting research in education.

Once, I wore a striking, short, jetblack wig to a New Year’s Eve party and danced like a flapper all night long. I drove a cute, little red Geo Storm. Until it was totaled in an accident.

However, when I was 28, I grew weary of being “interesting.” I could no longer tolerate feeling fatigued, rushed, and “almost there.” I wanted to be “there.” I wanted to feel content and “good enough.”

So, I stopped. I stopped listening to the world’s voice. I stopped letting it tell me that its opinions were more important than my principles.

Quickly, I found that I had been naïve in making my decision. I realized that I needed to conduct a self-inquiry to discover exactly what those principles were.

The ensuing soul exploration led me to embrace principles like distancing a person from my life who damages my spirit and placing my faith in something higher than myself.

I can only hope that my students and children adhere to such ideals.

I hope they do not whittle away the precious gift of time suppressing their authentic selves by being “interesting.”

I now recognize that, while it may make boring reading material, living authentically is the most exciting way to live. I apologize in advance to my fourth period class for the boring journal I will read to them one day.

And to all of my students, I say, please keep expressing your voices; they are interesting in the best sense of the word.

16

REARVIEW

musical MARCH MADNESS 1.

2.

Usually during March, the birds are singing, and the grass in front of the VST is being replanted yet again. This year, prolonged winter weather has not made the usual spring festivities possible. Yet students have still found reasons to celebrate through song and dance.

Campers brought out their guitars and warmed themselves by a fire against the frigid winds in Big Bend National Park (1). This year’s Big Bend crew had the unfortunate luck of camping while winter storms swept through West Texas. The kitchen had to be set up between the girls’ bathroom and the buses in order to keep food and supplies from flying away. On the last night, everybody gathered to share memories and sing tunes, including “American Pie” and “Free Falling.”

Seniors auditioned for the Senior Celebration, Feb. 25 (2). Seven groups of performers were chosen for the assembly, on March 4. Accompanied by Emery Mintz on drums and Tyler Parrish on piano and vocals, Sloan Crady, pictured, regaled the audience with his heartfelt version of “Man or Muppet” (3). His rendition of the Academy Award-winning song went alongside more serious acts, including a mashup of Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools” and Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love,” sung by Grace Van Loh and Vamsi Mohan.

Although most acts featured musicians, dancers also took the spotlight. Along with Tiffany Yue, Aanie Shah, pictured, leapt and twirled across the stage as Ellie Roberts sang Sam Smith’s “Like I Can” (5). Kicking off the show were Eleni McGee, Morgan Lerner and Isabel Wallace-Green, who choreographed a dance to “Smile” by Atlantis.

“The Drowsy Chaperone” ran March 6 and 7 (4). Written by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, the musical won five Tony Awards after opening in 1998. Senior Oliver Ruhl, center right, played Man in Chair, the narrator of the show. Junior Marcus Manca, left, played Mr. Feldzieg, while freshman Will Reppeto and junior Matthew Brown were gangsters posing as pastry chefs.

On March 26-28, more talent will be on display during the ISAS Arts Festival at Fort Worth Country Day School. The Kantorei Concert ushers out the month on March 30, bringing 31 days of musical mayhem to an end.

4.

Photos by Philip Kensinger (1) Jared Margolis (2) and Marisa Murillo (3, 4, 5) | Story by Rebecca Chen

3.

5.