November Issue 2008 by The Review

The Review

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID HOUSTON, TEXAS PERMIT 9081

The Official Student Newspaper of St. John’s School Vol. 60, Issue 4

2401 Claremont Lane; Houston, TX 77019 | http://sjsreview.net | review@sjs.org

SJS Admin. finishes strategic plan For the benefit of the Uppe School students and parents, The Review has decided to print the SJS strategic plan A BALANCED PROGRAM FOR MIND, BODY, HEART, AND SPIRIT St. John’s School affirms its mission to develop the whole child in a comprehensive educational program dedicated to academic excellence and preparation for a lifetime of meaningful contribution to an increasingly diverse, global society. The School will offer an educational program to develop students of character who will graduate as healthy, lifelong learners well prepared for the world beyond St. John’s School and eager to embrace their responsibility to serve others. Approach •Expand on-going curriculum review, with special attention to foreign language fluency, spoken as well as written communication skills, creative and critical thinking and problem solving •Examine the impact of increasingly selective college admissions on the student experience, including individual course selection, extracurricular choicSee PLAN p. 3

Not Without Honor By SARAH NASSER “Welcome to the 2008 St. John’s vs. Kinkaid football game, the purest rivalry in the history of high school sports,” Ted Curry announced. “It’s pride on the line tonight for both the Falcons and the Mavericks.” On Oct. 31, despite a strong effort from both teams, the Kinkaid Falcons edged the SJS Mavericks 24-22 in a hardfought game. Friday’s game served as the last Kinkaid vs. SJS football game for 22 SJS seniors and 16 Kinkaid seniors. “What can you say? It’s a big game, especially for the seniors… We fought hard and kept it close, but we had a hard time finishing it out. It’s a tough loss,” SJS Head Coach Steve Gleaves said. PK/LB Thomas Deskin began the game with a kick-off for the Falcons. WR/LB Kyle Sparks (’09) picked it up at the goal line but was stopped at the Mavericks’ 5 yard line with a tackle from RB/DB Andrew Stoler for Kinkaid. SJS gained a first down from Rush Moody (’10), who carried to the SJS 20 yard line. Jett Williams (’10), who utilized his “trademark stiff-arm,” Ted Curry said, then got the ball to the 30 yard line. However, the Mavericks continued with two incomplete passes and were forced to punt. Kevin Snodgrass received the ball

for the Falcons at the 40 yard line but was brought down by Alex Unger (’09). The Falcons followed with two complete passes from John McGee to Connor Harrel, bringing the ball up to the 24 yard line for the first down. Despite some hard defense from Mavericks Kyle Sparks, Timothy Bernica (‘09) and Jeff

Students race in Moonlight Ramble

Political Influences on Students 49 votes Election Events at SJS 11.5% Mock Election Results First Time Voters Read about all these stories in The Review’s Election Pull out| See p. 11

News...........................2 Features.....................5 Photo Spread...........10 Election...................12 Sports......................15 Opinions...................18 A&E.........................21

210 votes 40.2%

All students and faculty

Key: Obama McCain Other

Fall Sports SPC Preview Read about the Mavericks prospects for the upcoming SPC page 17

252 votes 48.3%

HSM 3 Review See what two students have to say about the hotly anticipated movie page 21

CLAY NICKENS | The Review

Coburn (‘09), the Falcons brought the ball up to the 15 yard line. Reed Daniel (’10) deflected John McGee’s pass to Connor Harrel, forcing the Falcons to kick. Thomas Deskin scored a field goal for the Falcons, marking the first score of the night, 3-0. See KINKAID p. 16

2008 Election Coverage

Index

November 2008

By JESSICA ALLEN At 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26, thousands of bikers, including some SJS students, rode throughout the streets of Houston for the traditional Houston Moonlight Bicycle Ramble. The midnight bike ride claims to be “the longest running bicycle ride in Houston.” It first began in 1973 when 368 people embarked from the then-new City Hall and rode almost the exact same route that the bikers ride today. Now, in addition to a similar route, the ride is always starts at 2:00 a.m. on the Sunday in October that is nearest the full moon in order to live up to the name “moonlight” ramble. The ramble starts and ends at the George R. Brown Convention center. Participants are often encouraged to wear Halloween See RACE p. 2

From the Falcon Hear from the man who fought the Mavs page 8

news

The Review

November 2008

SJS competes in 5th annual Dragon Boat Regatta Despite race results, students enjoyed cultural festivities By JESSICA ALLEN On Sunday, Oct. 19, the SJS East Asian Affinity Group participated in the fifth Annual Gulf Coast International Dragon Boat Regatta in Sugarland, Texas. Although the team did not take home first place like they did the past three years, the members were still able to enjoy a day of fun, sun and East Asian culture. Led by captains Eric Lai (’09), Amanda Hu (’09) and Jade Law (’09), the team featured more inexperienced players than in past years. However, Hu and Lai said the team’s defeat did not deter them from enjoying the day’s beautiful weather and the multitude of cultural booths and activities available at the race. Preparation was necessary to train those members who were not as experienced in paddling in the Dragon Boat race. One day, the team had a practice in Pasadena to teach the new members how to hold the oar properly and how to row the boat correctly. It is understandable that one might need to practice before rowing in a dragon boat: the structure of this boat is certainly unlike that of an ordinary canoe. The dragon boat is a long boat, with ten rows of two paddlers each, a drummer at the front of the boat and a steerer at the end. Lai said that the history of the dragon boat races centers on a legend of a valiant ancient general who drowned in a river. According to legend, the townspeople threw rice and beat drums to distract the fish in the river from eating the general’s body. Since then, people have held dragon boat races annually to commemorate his death. This was the SJS team’s fourth year to compete in the dragon boat regatta, but this was its first year to lose. Travis Foxhall (’09), who has rowed with the team for the past four years, said he attributes this defeat to the team’s loss of “really big guys.” Foxhall said he believed the

lack of a “good powerhouse” hurt the team. Lai and Hu also commented on the need for larger rowers. In order to obtain stronger rowers, they tried to encourage students who were not part of EAAG to participate in the race. However, the captains discovered that people were not always as reliable as they had hoped: some students who agreed to participate in the event did not show up on the day of the race. For those who did show up, however, the entire day proved to be a lot of fun. Not only were there races, but the area was also filled up with a lot of booths featuring different foods and aspects of several diverse cultures, not just those of East Asia. “I think there was Cajun food,” Hu noted. Other favorites for the team were the massage area, where team members could pay to have a massage, the tattoo booth, where many team members got fake tattoos, and the funnel cake booth. In fact, when asked what his favorite aspect of the dragon boat experience was, David Thomas (’09), who has rowed with the team for the past four years, simply responded, “Funnel cake. Except this year there was a different guy, and he wasn’t as good.” Foxhall also said that his primary motive for attending the dragon boat races is “the good food.” He said he particularly enjoys dumplings, fried rice and fortune cookies. Despite the fact that the team was not as successful as it has been in past years, team members said that the races themselves were enjoyable. “It’s a really exhilarating experience,” Foxhall said. “It’s kind of like when you’re all moving as a team, and everyone’s kind of rocking back and forth, everyone’s kind of in sync. It’s really a great experience to have everyone feeling like you’re one big team going towards a common goal.” Thomas said he agreed, and added “Well, last year we won, so that was probably better, but it was still definitely fun.”

The SJS team races down the Sugarland lake against other high school teams Photo courtesy of Sharon Kreutter

Photo courtesy of Sharon Kreutter

The SJS Dragon Boat team after winning the first round of races The SJS team falls in the under-18 division and competed against 21 other teams. The team participated in three races, winning the first one, losing the second one and improving their time in the third race, although they still did not qualify for the finals. Despite their last two “heartbreaking losses,” according to Thomas, the team members said they agreed that they did pretty well considering how many of their paddlers were inexperienced. In addition to a lack of force, Thomas also cited “synchronization problems” as a possible explanation for the team’s losses. He said that it can get quite hectic out on the water, especially when some paddlers have difficulty following the beats of the drummer and thus become out of sync. The race is also quite strenuous, and Thomas said that it was difficult to keep up the intensity all the way towards the finish line. This year, the SJS team was fortunate enough to have 27 team members, more than enough paddlers necessary to row the boat. Unfortunately, this meant that not every student was able to row the boat in all three of the team’s races. Each student, however, was offered the opportunity to paddle in at least one race. Upper School math teachers Cathy Steele and Bobbie Oldfield also attended the event to offer the team support and to help paddle for the Middle School team. Gabi Chennisi (’09) attended to help film the races for MavTV. Because of the tighter schedule of the races this year, there was less resting time between some of the races. This resulted in difficulties when trying to find a team member right before a race Despite its losses, the dragon boat team resolved to enjoy the day and think about its more positive aspects. In fact, even Hu said she could see the advantages of having so many inexperienced rowers this year. She described this year as a “building year, a year for them to figure out what’s going on, and what exactly a

dragon boat race is ... So hopefully people liked it [and] will come back and do it [again].” Although the team did not win, she said that the time together out on the water was a “really good bonding time for the East Asian Affinity Group.” Foxhall said he also believed that the day had its successes. “We had a big spirit and we had a small team, so I think that really showed,” he said. In fact, most members of the team insisted that they really did not care whether the team lost or won. They said the day was more about learning about culture, enjoying time with their friends, and doing things they did not usually get to experience. “It’s really fun to go out and be with friends” Foxhall said, adding “Being white, I don’t often get to go dragon boat racing, so it’s kind of cool to experience a new culture while having fun.” Hu said she recommends the race for anybody who is interested in learning about East Asian or Chinese culture. Neither Foxhall nor Thomas is Asian, but both said they have enjoyed being members of the EAAG and rowing in the dragon boat races for all four years of their high school career. Regardless, each member stressed that the races are fun for people of all cultures who attend the day with an open mind. On the surface, it may appear that the team entered the race with high expectations and left that day filled with disappointment. In reality, however, the only thing the SJS dragon boat team expected was great fun, and they were in no way disappointed. Perhaps Thomas best summed up the day when he said, “Basically, it’s not about the competition. It’s just a fun time hanging out with friends, rowing a boat and experiencing Asian culture.”

Students bike at Houston Moonlight Ramble RACE cont. from p. 1 costumess and to decorate their bikes and helmets. Glow sticks are also a common fixture at the bike ride. Bikers have the option of riding between eight

and 20 miles, depending on their biking ability. In order to participate, riders must pay a small fee that goes not only towards the police officers, advertising, and give-aways, but also to making

Houston a better place for biking. In past years, Bike Houston has participated in helmet donations for disadvantaged kids, support of police bicycle patrols, and rallying cyclists to promote

bikeways and bike trails. The Moonlight Ramble takes place every year, rain or shine, and, according to previous SJS participants, provides an excellent opportunity for SJS students who are not only inter-

ested in helping improve the biking conditions of Houston, but are also interested in just having a good time. “It’s basically a rolling party,” Ryan Eisenman (’11) said.

news

November 2008

Students voice expectations for Homecoming dance SAC representatives optimistic about change of venue

By ARIANA DICKEY SJS students ended Kinkaid week on Saturday, Nov. 1, with a dance celebrating the annual homecoming game. In past years, the homecoming dance has been held in the gym. This year, however, the dance took place in the Arnold Student Center and the miniquad. The location was changed because the gym was too large and had not been popular location in the past. Prior to homecoming, Head Prefect Patrick Ryan (’09) had said that he believed homecoming would be “very good this year, better than in the past.” He said that holding the dance in the cafeteria would improve the homecoming experience by providing a smaller dance space and better lighting situation. Additionally, the mini-quad would be decorated with lights. Unlike the past two years, where Neeraj Salhotra (’09) played the role of disk jockey, Matt Cherches’ (’11) cousin, Mike Cherches, was this year’s homecoming DJ. In 2004, Mike Cherches DJed at Jennifer Lopez’s and Mark Anthony’s wedding after party. Christian Woo said that she was really looking forward to the DJ because she had heard that he had “really cool lights” and was “really intense.” SAC began planning for the homecoming dance at the beginning of the year and got down to details a couple weeks into September. Since only prefects knew the theme, they were in charge of decorations. The underclassmen SAC representatives helped out

by finding the DJ, getting the food, and taking care of other aspects that did not involve the dance’s theme or decorations. The secret theme created quite a buzz amongst the lower classmen in SAC. Wise said that he was really interested to see everyone’s face when they found out what the theme was. The homecoming theme was kept a secret because it corresponded with the theme for Kinkaid week. The SAC representatives’ after-party experience was not quite as fun as that of other SJS students: the Woo sisters, Dawson and Wolf all said they were dreading the after-homecoming clean up. Christian Woo said that she was least looking forward to the experience because “people are messy.” She added that she thought this year’s dance would be “cool and different” because the theme was kept a secret for so long. Furthermore, SAC members said that they knew what to buy how to set up based on what had and had not worked in previous years. Providing a chaperone’s point of view, Upper School Science teacher Laurel Johnson said she was “highly enthused” about homecoming and watching her students have a “really nice time.” However, Ms. Johnson said she was not looking forward to “dressing up nicely.” Ms. Johnson also said she was excited about the decorations. “[SAC] decorate[s] really, really well,” she said. She added, “The most fun thing about homecoming is, of course, watching Mr. Popp dance.” Upper School Spanish teacher Jessica Lopesuarez said she was enthusiastic about “visiting

with the kids and seeing them in an outside-of-the-classroom setting, a more social setting. It [was] nice to see the students a little more relaxed, having fun all dressed up.” Every year at the homecoming dance, unforgettable things occur for students and teachers alike. For Ms. Johnson, the Kinkaid video dance in 2007 was her fondest homecoming moment, whereas Ms. Lopesuarez’s experience was a little more personal. “Last year, a couple of my students dragged me out on the dance floor. It was memorable, but very embarrassing. I can’t dance anyways, and it was one of those rap-types songs-totally awful for me,” Ms. Lopesuarez said. Upon discussing her course of action in case a student was to be caught doing something questionable, Ms. Lopesuarez said that she would seek out Kef Wilson, Head of Upper School, but added that she did not expect anything to happen at homecoming. “We enforce the rules, and the students know the rules and regulations. They are also aware of the consequences involved in breaking them,” she said. Ms. Johnson added, “In my opinion, this is, by far, the most fun dance the school hosts. We call our own shots, the kids run it, and you don’t have to deal with other schools. It’s the best thing ever.” Ryan, however, said he worried that the turnout would not be as high as he would have liked. “Don’t disappoint Patrick!” Lauren Woo said in the days leading up to the dance, adding “Everyone should come to homecoming. It’s going to be a blast.”

Dr. Raulston hospitalized for foot injury Rusty nail causes inflammation and infection By ARIANA DICKEY Due to a foot injury, Director of Curriculum Dr. Dwight Raulston was recently admitted to the medical center’s St. Luke’s Hospital. Dr. Raulston was injured when he stepped on a rusty nail that was embedded in a board while he was walking down the stairs, causing the nail to deeply penetrate his foot. He visited the doctor the next day to receive a tetanus shot and “to see if I should be worried about an infection,” he said. The doctor gave him two oral antibiotics and asked him to come back the next day. When he returned, “the swelling and redness in my foot were both much worse, so the doctor sent me straight to the hospital,” he said. Although Dr. Raulston said his recovery was “not nearly as fast as I would [have] like[d],” he said he had hoped he could come back to SJS sometime before Kinkaid week. His first day back was Oct. 29, the Wednesday of Kinkaid week. Once his infection was in retreat, Dr. Raulston said his return depended on the results of the different blood tests and various cultures of fluids taken from the area near the wound. Dr. Raulston can now walk, but only with the help of crutches because his foot is still too swollen and sore to bear his weight alone. When he was first admitted to the hospital, Dr. Raulston said he could not do much to entertain himself because “the pain was great and I wasn’t sleeping

well.” His sleep was often disrupted by people waking him up during the night to take his vital signs and change the antibiotics dripping in the IV. As his condition improved, Dr. Raulston spent his days reading, catching up on his e-mails and keeping up with his classes. To keep his classes running smoothly, Dr. Raulston kept in touch with Jerri Martin, Mathematics Department Chair, and Daniel Friedman, Upper School math and science faculty member. Since Dr. Raulston had internet access at St. Luke’s, he was able to make necessary changes to his lesson plans and due dates by himself. “The advantage of having written labs for my classes is that they are, by design, able to work more independently than most classes. [When I got] e-mail back, I [was able to] answer any questions by e-mail or chat,” Dr. Raulston said. This instance was not Dr. Raulston’s first injury that caused him to miss school. One of his more memorable occasions was when he broke and simultaneously dislocated his ankle during a chemistry class a few years ago. “That was exciting for the school, I’m sure, since they had to call an ambulance to the school to come get me and it was fire department policy to always send a fire truck along when an ambulance is called to a school,” he said. While Dr. Raulston was away, his advisory merged with the Lopesuarez advisory. Raulston advisee Emily Boozalis (’10) said that advisory without Dr. Raulston was “weird. I [would] always accidentally to the wrong room.” Another advisee, Skyler Inman (’12), said, “We [did] fine here with Ms. Lopesuarez’s advisory, but I [am glad] he [is] well [now].”

SJS Strategic Plan 2008 PLAN cont. from p. 1 choices, standardized tests, and emotional well-being. •Develop comprehensive efforts to foster student well-being •Explore the schedule and structure of school day, including the start of day, coordination across divisions, length and frequency of class periods. •Clarify the School’s commitment to the spiritual development of every student and how the chapel program will support that development. •Examine and implement, when desired, ways technology can enhance teaching and learning •Better integrate off-campus learning experiences into students’ educational experiences. MISSION IN ADMISSIONS St. John’s School seeks to enroll students of character from diverse backgrounds who have the intellectual capacity, motivation, and talents to contribute to many aspects of school life in preparation for lifelong service to others. Approach •Increase the racial, cultural and socioeconomic diversity of the student body while maintaining the School’s commitment to community families. •Communicate our admissions goals and methods to the St. John’s School

community and to the broader community beyond the School. EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING St. John’s School will invest proactively in the recruitment, retention, and development of faculty, administrators, and staff to ensure that the School can attract, develop, and retain excellent, inspirational, and diverse faculty and staff. Approach •Maintain commitment to a highquality teaching environment with particular attention to morale, workload, working conditions, and parent/faculty interactions. •Ensure St. John’s School offers teachers and staff competitive compensation and benefits. •Build a more diverse faculty and staff. •Improve faculty and staff evaluation and professional development processes and devote ample funds to support such development. THE SCHOOL AS FAMILY St. John’s School will continue to work to make all members of the school community feel welcome, included, and valued. Approach •Articulate and reinforce the School’s core values and expect faculty, students, and parents to model them.

•Continue to enhance school spirit, morale, and pride. •Strengthen alumni’s relationship with the school and involve them more extensively in the life of the School. SJS IN THE COMMUNITY St. John’s School will develop stronger ties with and contribute more extensively to the broader community, not only to support student development but also to serve as a significant community asset. Approach •Continue to foster community service programs for students and the St. John’s School community. •Communicate the contributions and accomplishments of students and alumni. •Partner with organizations to meet educational challenges in the community. BUILDING EXCELLENCE To support the school’s mission, program, and strategic plan, St. John’s School will develop an inspiring, architecturally consistent, environmentally and financially responsible campus that is both welcoming and secure. Approach •Complete and begin to implement the Long-Range Facilities Plan. •Explore all options for purchase of strategic land.

•Explore options for sharing facilities. •Consider best environmental practices. FUNDING EXCELLENCE AND ACCESS To support continued educational excellence and to ensure broad access to the School, St. John’s School will build a stronger financial base to support the School’s mission and strategic plan through comprehensive development efforts and continued financial management. Approach • Develop a comprehensive endowment plan that will establish specific goals, define giving opportunities, create a structured method to continually encourage donations to the endowment, adopt best endowment management practices, and measure performance of endowment efforts. • Improve access to the School through controlling tuition and increasing financial aid to broaden and better fulfill St. John’s commitment to diversity. • Develop a strategic financial focus by creating a multi-year financial plan that outlines how expenses will be funded. • Ensure that the resources of the Advancement office are sufficient to achieve the School’s goals.

news

November 2008

SJS raises $1065 for Trinity Episcopal of Galveston Students host bake sale and car wash to raise funds for school recovery after Hurricane Ike By SARAH WINDHAM On Sunday Oct. 19, the SJS Ike car wash and bake sale raised $1,065 for the Trinity Episcopal School of Galveston, a sister school of SJS. A portion of the earnings will go towards restoring the lower story of Trinity Episcopal, which was damaged by flooding caused by Hurricane Ike. The rest will go towards replacing all the ruined books and furniture. “Without our support and the support of other generous donors, Trinity Episcopal could not re-open,” Marci Bahr, the head of the school’s community service program, said. Ms. Bahr said, “Mr. Allman brought the school to my attention. He received a plea for help.” After the notification, she told SJS community service officers Emily Foxhall (’09) and Shea Smith (’09) of the plight of Trinity Episcopal, so the two officers, with the help of other community service officers, overcame some funding related obstacles and put together the Ike car wash and bake sale. The baked goods being sold were supplied by Leigh Pruden (‘11), Catherine Padhi (’10), Katherine Carmichael (’09),

Liliana Varman (’10) and Upper School Administrative Assistant Rebecca Jay. Ms. Jay baked “delicious chocolate chip cookies and packaged them in Halloween bags. They sold out immediately,” Ms. Bahr said. The car washing was done by a group of students led by Foxhall and Padhi, who were the project leaders, in the VST parking lot from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Some volunteers stood on Buffalo Speedway with signs advertising the car wash and bake sale. Brooke Schuler (’09), one of the volunteers said, “We had at least one or two cars being washed the entire time, and most of the time we had more than that.” Faculty sponsors for the event included Barbara DiPaolo, Wendall Zartman, Priscilla Elliott and Ivan Hauck, as well as Ms. Bahr. Mr. Hauck said that the carwash was “a great chance for all of us to get out and come together and have fun while helping out some people who [were] in need of assistance.” Towards the end of the car wash, most of the cars being washed belonged to members

Girls varsity volleyball coach adopts daughter By SARAH WINDHAM Varsity girls volleyball coach James Fuller became a father this month, when he and his wife Vanessa adopted a girl they have named Jamison Maddox Fuller. Coach Fuller met Vanessa 11 years ago, and married after four years of dating. Soon afterwards, they started wanting to have children. They began trying to get pregnant, but they were having fertility problems. Three years and dozens of failed fertility treatments later, Coach Fuller said, “We were exhausted with [fertility treatments], so we decided to go ahead and look at adoption.” He added, “It was a tough decision… but it really is better for the family that we helped.” The couple first began the adoption process in November 2007, when the Fullers contacted the Gladen Center in Fort Worth. The Gladen Center is an adoption agency that has existed since the late 1800’s. The Fullers were required to attend a meeting with the adoption agency, and their home had to be inspected by a caseworker before they were accepted into the program in January of this year. After being accepted into the program, the Fullers had to make a profile book, which included pictures and descriptions of themselves, their friends and their family. A few months after sending the book to the Gladen Center, the Fullers received notification that a young woman in Kentucky had chosen the Fullers to take care of her child.

KATHERINE CARMICHAEL | The Review

Emily Foxhall, one of the community service organizers, washes a car for the Ike car wash of Chorale, who were having rehearsal. However, been a large number of people not affiliated with SJS also stopped by, attracted by the sign-wavers on Buffalo Speedway. Overall, the turnout was more than had been expected. Schuler said, “We had a good turnout of St. Johns students and parents coming to get their cars washed, but we also had a really good number of strangers come by to get their cars washed too, which is really great.” People going to get their car washed would turn into the VST parking lot and pull up

Coach Fuller said that through this adoption, he is helping Jamison’s birth mother, her siblings and Jamison herself. “We’re giving [Jamison] a better life, you know, and our families are really supportive too, so it is a prayer being answered all around,” he said.

Model U.N. members begin position papers By BHAGWAT KUMAR Members of the SJS chapter of Model United Nations are currently working on their position papers. These mandatory position papers are written by these members, or delegates, in order to detail his or her country’s view on the issue the delegate is discussing. At the moment, students are either in the drafting or writing process for their papers and are meeting with the club’s sponsors, Upper School World History teachers Wendall Zartman and Ion Costinescu, in order to edit the papers. After turning in the papers, which are due Nov. 7, MUN will be inactive for a few months. With no major events in the near future after the due date for positions, there will be a significant decrease in the amount of delegates’ work. However, MUN will still have to prepare for their annual conference. The MUN conference, a major event in the club’s calendar, will be held in February 2009. The exact date has not yet been finalized, however, so members do not have to begin preparing for the conference for some time.

to the curb on the VST side, where one volunteer would greet and direct those people to the bake sale table while other volunteers would begin soaping their car. Another group of volunteers would rinse the car with hoses once the first group was finished. While waiting for their cars to be finished, customers were invited to sit in the shade on the VST courtyard benches by the fountain. Customers were charged $5 for a small car and $10 for an SUV. Ms. Bahr said that for those students who regret missing this opportunity to raise money

for those affected by Hurricane Ike, there are still a number of ways to help. “We have a big deal coming up– HurricAID 2. It will be a variety show similar to the one we did after Katrina. We’ll have auditions for acts soon. Also, besides performing arts, we’ll have culinary arts, a bake sale, and visual arts,” she said. The date for HurricAID 2 is currently set for Dec. 6 at 7:00. Ms. Bahr added, “Watch for more details.”

features

The Review

November 2008

The

stages of college applications

Introduction

irst introduced in On Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ presumable feel-good novel of 1959, the Kubler-Ross Model of grief delineates five cycles in which individuals respond to catastrophe. Originally thought to apply only to tragedy, further psychological analysis of the Kubler-Ross model has revealed its existence in instances of less extreme circumstances. Rather, there merely needs to be an extreme personal change in an individual’s life to elicit this psychological progression. For that reason, whether students consider college applications to be a tragedy or simply an annoyance, there is ground to suspect the existence of this psychological progression among students. We set out to investigate this phenomenon.

1) Denial As with grief, the initial reaction of many students towards college applications is denial. Most often this stage begins well before the bulk of the applications process begins to take place, as early as the spring of a student’s junior year. “It’s just an unreal kind of thing. We feel so young, not like we’re about to leave home,” Kema Christian-Taylor (’09) said. A common sentiment among many students, such feelings of Whether this denial becomes tempered with procrastination is unique to each student; though the commonly held perception is that procrastination can often result from the same anxiety causing denial, denial can also mitigate much of the intimidation students feel when approaching college applications.

2) Anger No psychological evaluation of adolescents would be complete without an analysis of how anger impacts their emotions, and in regards to college applications, the effect of frustration is clearly apparent.

“What makes me angry is colleges have this common app. Right? But then they have supplements with extra essays. Why do you they that? Why don’t they just have their own application and not add on to it?” Christian-Taylor said. This anger directed towards the colleges themselves was the most common expressed by students. “There is way too much and nothing matches up. Every college has a different application. It’s really confusing and really frustrating. I definitely get angry,” said Eichenwald.

3) Bargaining Rarely is the bargaining students evince during college applications monetary. Rather, it can exist as a kind of rationalization with oneself; much as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross explained with grief, individuals can make internal ‘deals,’ and in the case of students, this can amount to a variety of outcomes including selfimposed deadlines, goals or procrastination. Additionally, many students attest to bargaining taking place between applicants and their parents.

“I know a lot of people, their parents want them to apply to certain places so to appease them, even if they don’t really want to go their, they’ll say ‘sure, I’ll apply there.’ Just to kind of avoid conflict,” Eichenwald said. “In High School Musical 3 that happens,” said Christian-Taylor.

think that’s pretty scary.” Of course, one of biggest fear of this public aspect of college applications is not so much where you end up as where you don’t. “Obviously, not getting in is scary,” said Christian-Taylor.

4) Fear

5) Acceptance

Much like denial, the fear students exhibit when faced with college applications often results from deeper anxieties that are pervasive throughout much of the process. “I think fear goes with a lot of things: you’re afraid you won’t get in, or afraid you’re going to screw something up and the application won’t get submitted,” said Eichenwald. For many students these personal fears are compounded by the public nature of the applications process. Ironically, a private-school setting does little to sanctify the privacy of a college applicant. “You’re afraid of people judging you,” Eichenwald said. “The admissions people are just…judging your life, and I

Puns aside, the final stage of college applications is most typically acceptance; often it is acceptance both of a student to a college and a student accepting that they will be going to college, effectively overcoming the first stage, denial. Regardless of where they end up, simply accepting the transition from high school to college can be the biggest hurdle for many students. “Accepting you’re actually going to college [is] kind of tough,” Eichenwald said. “At least for me, it’s not real yet that we’re going to college.”

November 2008

Seniors chose to paint the mural (above) rather than wrap the Quadrangle. Ever since the early 1980s, wrapping the Quadrangle has been a way for seniors to make their mark on SJS. Creating a forest of dangling white toilet paper, seniors began to see the transformation of the familiar green space during the Monday night lock-in as a Kinkaid week tradition. The past three years, however, have seen considerable change as the seniors have increasingly chosen alternatives to wrapping. This year, the class of 2009 voted to paint a mural that covers the one painted last year by the class of 2008 on the wall outside the SJS admissions offices. Although the SJS administration originally left the decision to the prefects, they decided that the choice was best left to be decided by their grade as a whole. The results, though, have divided the SJS community, as many people view the mural as a satisfactory replacement while others feel cheated out of the traditional senior experience. Wrapping the Quad originally started as an act of rivalry from other schools. “I believe that Kinkaid used to come here and cover the Quad in toilet paper,” Dean Alig said. “It likely started as something other schools did to us. Eventually that morphed into our wrapping our own Quad.” In 2005, the school began reconstruction of the Quad, thereby preventing the class of 2006 from wrapping the Quad that year. “We looked for another spirited activity that would bond them. We considered painting the old tun-

Tradition Transformed Following last year’s precedent, class of 2009 opts to paint mural By VERONICA CHU nel or holding a campout, for instance. Then we came up with the mural idea, and it resonated with them,” Dean Alig said. The next year, the class of 2007 was given a choice, and they voted to wrap the Quad. But the Quad wrapping tradition met more opposition, including among members of the SJS administration. “My problem with wrapping the Quad is threefold: it’s especially wasteful, it puts an enormous burden on our maintenance staff and hits their morale, and it’s not all that engaging,” Dean Alig said. The process of cleaning up the toilet paper afterward had a negative effect on the morale of the maintenance crew, as getting the paper out of the trees was

taxing at best. Forcing the students to clean up the toilet paper themselves after they wrapped the Quad, however, would diminish the school spirit and fun that the experience is supposed to be about. Head Prefect Patrick Ryan (’09) pointed out another drawback of wrapping the Quad. “I don’t really have a strong personal view, but the actual physical wrapping seems like it would be difficult. With a lot of the trees having high branches, it would be hard to climb up and catch toilet paper around them. Also, the whole process is very non ecofriendly.” The class of 2008 became the first grade to vote against wrapping the Quad, and the class of 2009 followed in

features

KATHERINE CARMICHAEL | The Review

its footsteps. In addition to painting the mural, the seniors will also get senior sign-outs. “We haven’t really figured out what we’re going to do for the next couple of years,” Ryan said. “The decision this year was basically to wrap or not, and the sign-outs were just a bonus.” Yet some seniors express resentment over the use of sign-outs as an incentive to vote against wrapping the Quad. Sam Linn (’09) said, “I feel that we should have voted to wrap the Quad because I think that being a part of an SJS tradition is more important than being able to sign out a month early. Also, I didn’t like how the school [seemed to try] to bribe the seniors by offering us early sign-outs. The two privileges are completely unrelated and are not mutually exclusive.” Despite opposing viewpoints, a majority of the senior class arrived at 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, clad in jackets and sweatpants and ready to paint the mural. Searching for the perfect paint colors and trying to find the prime spot on the initially white wall, students chatted in loud voices as they began what would be a three hour process of covering the space with everything and anything that represented them. Culminating in a late night waffle breakfast, the night ended without a single piece of toilet paper shed. But look closely at the mural and you can’t help but notice the painted words: I wish I were wrapping the Quad.

Spirit Club reflections: tempura paint and a fifty cent paint brush By EMILY FOXHALL I lugged a gallon of red paint off the shelf. Then a gallon of black. Scanning the metal shelves for purple and yellow, I soon found those as well, snatching them from their spots before anyone else could get to them first. Not that I had much competition. It was too early on a Saturday morning and I was sitting on the carpeted floor in an otherwise empty Texas Art Supply. Running through the categories in my head, I checked the paint colors off a mental list, wishing I were drinking the grande Iced Chai Tea Latte I’d left in the car. Responsible for decorating the school the Sunday before Kinkaid week, spirit club captains Hannah Starke, Caro-

line Melo and I had been left the daunting task of purchasing all necessary supplies. As a freshman, it had never even occurred to me that someone actually decorated the school— the decorations simply seemed to appear. I was finding out the hard way that this was obviously not the case. As an extremely inartistic person (my fine arts credit has yet to be fulfilled), it was purely beyond me which type of paint to buy. But I suppose that’s why man created Google—people can easily accomplish tasks they are far from suited for tackling. It turns out tempura paints were the golden ticket (search “window paint”), so armed with my Maverick spirit, despite the varsity football team’s 0-38 loss the night before, I clambered into Hannah Starke’s green Jeep

Saturday morning. Shoving her CD case aside with my foot, I was ready to get everything we needed. Over the next four hours, we walked through the automatic sliding doors at Party City, Halloween Express, Lowe’s and two Texas Art Supplies, entering each store with one goal in mind: best Kinkaid Week decorations ever. The trunk of her Jeep accumulated bags and boxes with each credit card swipe and we were getting more and more excited for the five days to come. Sunday came and went in a flash, with me trying to cram far too many activities into one day. The craziness began at 5:30 in the morning when I rolled out of bed to go cook and serve breakfast for the homeless and didn’t stop until 12:00 at night

as I fought my eyelids, trying to cram a few more biology facts into my brain. But I’m not writing this to earn your pity. Admittedly life as a St. John’s senior has caused my daily planner to overflow, but it’s full of things I love doing. As I painted the windows on the senior porch that Sunday, sweeping the fifty cent foam paintbrush back and forth, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of nostalgia. I was standing on a wooden table, my right foot next to the slogan “poop ’09” that had been scrawled by a bored classmate inspired by a green marker, and I couldn’t help but simply feel sad. First quarter had passed in the blink of an eye and now I was decorating the school for my last time ever. St. John’s may cause students to endure some rough

times, but as the paint cans began to empty, I realized every moment was worth the effort.

POOJA SALHOTRA | The Review

Brooke Schuler (‘09) painting outside Senior Country.

features

November 2008

KINKAID WEEK DICTIONARY

Attending the game (n, phrase) [uh-TEN-ding the Game] 1. What every Maverick should be doing on the night of October 31 As in: If you call yourself a Maverick fan, you should be attending the game.

C E

By MERYL GIBBS

Barbeque (n, phrase) [bahr-bi-kyoo] 1. A cookout in which food is cooked over an open fire 2. What eager Mavericks gather to eat in the Rice Stadium parking lot before the game As in: I can’t wait to go to the barbeque and see everyone in their red and black attire!

Cookie Monster (noun) [kook-ee mon-ster] 1. Annual cheer SJS kindergarteners participate in As in: My favorite part of the All School Pep Rally is the Cookie Monster cheer! Eat those crumbs!

Drum Corps (n) [druhm kohr] 1. Group of students who play drums at every pep rally and game As in: I’m so glad drum corps is here to help support the Mavericks.

Energy (n) [EN-er-jee] 1. A force of motion that fills all SJS students As in: The football players never let their energy waver.

P R

Gengar (n) [GRAT-i-tood] 1. One of the many pokemon gracing the class of 2009 mural 2. A dual-type Ghost/Poison Pokemon As in: Gengar uses levitate.

Homecoming (n) [hohm-kuhm-ing] 1. SAC sponsored Upper School dance held the Saturday following the Kinkaid game As in: Homecoming was amazing!

Include (n) [in-CLOOD] 1. To involve as a factor As in: The football game will include participation from everyone: cheerleaders, fans, drum corps and the football team.

L M

T V

Jocularity (n) [jok-yuh-LAR-i-tee] 1. A really fancy word for humor and merriment. As in: Since we go to St. John’s, we like to use big words like ‘jocularity’ in conversation about the great time we are having at the Kinkaid game.

Kinkaid (N) [kin-KADE] 1. The enemy As in: We have to be in close proximity to people from Kinkaid? THE HORROR!

Pots and pans (n) [pawts and pans] 1. Cookware 2. The group of SJS students who beat pots and pans to make a racket in support of the football team As in: Pots and Pans brings spirit to the game.

Rice (n) [rahys] 1. College whose stadium hosts the annual game As in: Meet me at Rice. It’s goin’ down.

Spirit (n) [SPEER-it] 1. Animating force in life 2. Spunk or energy As in: The Kinkaid fans do not possess much spirit; however, the Mavericks are brimming with it!

Tiara (n) [tee-ar-uh] 1. An accessory commonly worn by seniors on dress like Kinkaid day As in: I can’t wait to wear my tiara to school tomorrow.

Underclassmen (n) [uhn-der-klas-men] 1. Freshmen and sophomore students As in: The underclassmen need to step up their school spirit.

Whataburger (n) [hwuht-a-bur-ger] 1. SJS students’ favorite post-game fast food restaurant As in: Whether we win or lose, there is always support to be found at Whataburger.

Video (n) [VID-ee-oh] 1. An entertaining program of moving, lifelike pictures 2. Edited by Gabi Chennisi (‘09) and Bubba Fish (‘09) and shown at the Upper School Pep Rally As in: The Kinkaid video is what I look forward to every year; Bubba and Gabi did such a great job!

X-ray vision (n) [eks-rey vizh-uhn] 1. One of Supermav’s many super powers As in: We can only hope Supermav doesn’t mix up his x-ray and laser vision while fighting the falcons.

Lower Schoolers (n) [loh-er skoo-ler] 1. The perennial winners of the “Mavericks are We” cheer... until this year As in: Do you think the lower schoolers expected such strong competition from the middle schoolres this year?

Maverick (n) [MAV-rik] 1. The opposite of the Kinkaid Falcons 2. Independent, freethinking students who attend the prestigious SJS As in: I am so proud to be a Maverick.

Oracle (n) [awr-uh-kuhl] 1. Dr. Doug Sharp. 2. Any person or thing serving as an agency of divine communication. As in: Good thing the oracle was in the Quad so he could help the other captains find Ethan.

Quit (v) [quit] 1. To stop, cease, or discontinue As in: Up until the final seconds of the game, the Maverick football team never gave in and quit.

Fans (n) [fahn] 1. The Mavericks’ support system As in: Good thing SJS fans were at the game to cheer on the football team.

Noise (n) [noys] 1. A loud sound. 2. What all Maverick fans should be making in the stands along with the encouragement of cheerleaders As in: The more noise, the better!

Yard (n) [yard] 1. A length of measurement 2. The measurements dividing the football field As in: The Mavericks keep gaining yard after yard!

Zeal (n) [zeel] 1. Desire or enthusiasm As in: The Mavericks possess such zeal and desire to win!

November 2008

So good at being bad

features

Jose Ordonez

Jose Ordonez donned the falcon suit for the all-school pep rally By ANDREW PERRY Jose Ordonez (’09) could not wait to don the costume of the most hated icon of the week. A suit consisting primarily of bright yellow feathers, the Falcon costume is one which makes a yearly appearance at the Kinkaid all-school pep rally. Sprinting across Skip Lee toward the camouflage-clad football captains, the yellow falcon was hard to miss as he yet again failed to kidnap the captains. Yet, knowing how important his role is in making the pep rally memorable despite

all school pep rally, in sixth grade I wanted to be the falcon.” Playing the Falcon is a major part of the Kinkaid pep rally, but it is one rivaled for the first year ever by the appearance of SJS’s new mascot: Maverick. Ordonez, however, was willing to take on the competition. “I think [playing the falcon is just as] important if not more so, because Maverick pumps people up but the falcon is good for channeling hatred towards Kinkaid,” he said.

“My dance style is inspired by Soulja Boy, Usher and the Auburn Tiger.” the falcon’s consistent failure in overtaking the football players, Ordonez said he planned to make a lasting imprint by stealing the show with unrivaled, explosive energy. “Ever since I sat down in the

Additionally, Ordonez hoped to take the disdain aimed at him into new directions. “As a focal point of peoples’ hatred, I kind of wanted to turn that against them. I wanted to see if they could love their en-

emy with my sexy dance moves,” he said. Falcon Mascot Among these moves were the “Falcon Jive” and Falcon Jive “Kinkaid Krump,” two moves Ordonez developed Spirit Shuffle himself. “My dance style is inspired by Kinkaid Krump Soulja Boy, Usher and the Auburn Tiger. I’m not kidding; he has some good dance moves,” Ordonez said. It was these dance moves that motivated ence many of Ordonez’s classmates acting as a mascot from two to support his nomination to summers of work at the Housplay the falcon. ton zoo. “I wanted to [be the falcon] but “That first summer I had to people also made me. It was dress up in an animal costume more people making me, it was and say ‘hi’ to the kids that almost peer pressure” he said. came first thing in the mornOrdonez had previous experi- ing.”

7/7 The animals Ordonez dressed up as included an elephant, buffalo, turtle and manatee, and although few of these creatures bear any resemblance to a falcon, the experience nevertheless helped him anticipate performing in the pep rally. “It helped me deal with the fact that I couldn’t breathe,” Ordonez said. “I literally couldn’t breathe.” Ordonez further described the severity of conditions within the falcon suit, particularly the lack of air circulation. “Unlike Mac (the student who acts as the Maverick mascot) who has a full supply of ice packs, I had nothing; I was out there on my own in my mask which was nearly impossible to breathe in,” Ordonez said. As the falcon, Ordonez also had to contend with the uncomfortably convincing mock beatings from the cheer team. “I feared for my safety,” he said. “One of the captains kicked me in a certain region that definitely felt horrible.” Ordonez had previously expressed concern about this point of the pep rally. “My biggest fear is that I’ll die in the dog pile,” he said. Following the pseudo-pummeling, Ordonez was escorted by the cheer squad into a police car that had been attained for the pep rally. “When they shuffled me to the car, I didn’t know what was going on,” Ordonez said. “I was just afraid my cape would get caught in the door.” Despite such harrowing conditions and tribulations, Ordonez expressed satisfaction at having acted as the falcon. “I appreciated the fact that no one insulted me or made fun of me,” Ordonez said. “I was actually kind of surprised by how supportive people were of me embarrassing myself in front of the whole student body.”

features

November 2008

Never too tired to pump it up By ARVIND MOHAN The area is so charged with spirit, it feels like it might explode. Drum Corps beats on its drums as students scream wildly and clap their hands. But a pep rally would not be complete without cheerleaders. The SJS cheerleaders play a key role in raising the spirits of the school. Caroline Parks (‘09) and Allison Wells (‘09) are the cheerleading captains for the 2008 season. Normally the cheerleaders have morning practices beginning at 6:45 twice a week and one practice on Friday afternoon before games. But during Kinkaid Week, they spend a lot more time in preparation. “We practice two hours a day, every day after school, and probably seven hours each weekend [from October onwards],” Parks said. On the Tuesday of Parent Conferences, the cheerleaders had an all-day practice. While extra practice is necessary in order to be prepared for the week, Wells admitted that it does take its toll. “It’s really hard to balance cheerleading and school. A lot of us have November 1st [college] deadlines. We always have to put in a lot of hard work,” she said. Jamie Everett is the coach for the SJS cheerleading teams. “I decided to start varsity practices at 6:45 because the varsity girls have cars and can drive to school to get to practice on time. I expect the girls to work hard and be athletes,” she said. During the practices, Coach Everett starts off by making the girls run two laps and then do what is called a jump circle. Then they start preparations for their next event. Normally for the cheerleaders, the pep rallies involve a short dance to a mix of songs as well as a few cheers. But during Kinkaid week, the cheerleaders perform two dances, one for the All School Pep Rally and one for the Upper School Pep Rally. “During the weeks before Kinkaid, all we do is learn the dances. It’s so stressful and time-consuming. But it’s totally worth it when we finish them at the Kinkaid pep rallies. It’s so satisfying,” Parks said. While Wells also said that it was tiring and stressful to finish the dance, she said that it was a lot easier this year than in years past. “Our dances are a little shorter than they were last year. That was a relief because we have two dances to learn,” she said. “Everyone was really dedicated this time.” Coach Everett felt that the practices have been successful. “So far, everything has run smoothly. Everyone is on time and has a positive attitude,” she said. As for improvements to the current strategy, Parks has a few ideas. “Every year, we always say that we are going to start our Kinkaid [preparation] earlier. But that never happens. If it was up to me, we would try to minimize the time crunch by starting earlier,” she said. She also said that getting hold of the song mix took the longest time. However, Parks admitted that they did not achieve this goal. The mix for the pep rallies is usually an eclectic blend of songs. Parks said that the entire cheerleading team gets together and lists current, popular songs. Once that is finished, Emmie Proctor (‘09) mixes the songs with a program called Garage Band. “We usually try to make sure that none of the songs that are similar are back to back. Like if we had a Rihanna song, we wouldn’t want another one of her songs to be right behind it. We want people to notice that there is a song change and for them not to think that it’s all the

BRET VOLLMER | The Review

same,” Parks said. Proctor has been in charge of creating the mixes for the past four years. “I think people will really like the mixes. The outdoor one is really kid-friendly, and the indoor one is great. It has a lot of current songs,” she said. Proctor, along with Parks and Wells, choreographs the dance and teaches it to the rest of the squad. “We started teaching the dance last week, right after the mix was finished. We have the outdoor one finished, but the indoor one still needs work. Then we have to get the dances approved by the school. Hopefully that happens,” Proctor said. Although creating the mix has been time-consuming for Proctor, she enjoyed the process. “I really like knowing what the mix is going to sound like

Above: Varsity Cheerleaders practice the basket toss during one of their three hour practices during Kinkaid Week. Left: Cheerleaders on Skip Lee Field rehearse one of two pep rally dances in preparation for the Thursday performance.

before everyone else and [that] I get to work with the captains and choreograph it,” she said. Coach Everett has an important role in the creation of the mix. “I listen to the music after they cut it, and I can basically tell whether it will be approved or not. Then my superiors will listen to the music and view the dance and tell us if it is appropriate or not,” she said. In case of a rejection of the dance, Coach Everett has a backup plan. “I have been working as a cheer coach for a long time. If something needs to change, I can just water it down a little. I can throw something in there really quickly. I don’t have to change the entire dance,” she said. The day of the All School Pep Rally, the cheerleaders, football players and

Maverick Guard leave at lunch to go prepare for the pep rally. “We just run the program as much as we can with everyone involved. It’s really stressful because we have to work in the football players, Maverick Guard, [the skit] and the mascot entrance all at once,” Parks said. Wells said that they run the dance several times, and she went on to explain that the cheerleaders just watch everyone come in, but this time they “have an entrance,” she shouted while waving her hands in the air. While also a key component of the Kinkaid Week, the Upper School Pep Rally is generally more relaxed. “We just kind of relax and eat lunch before we run through the dance a couple times before the performance actually starts,” Parks said. Coach Everett also drew distinctions between the pep rallies. “I learned that when I first came here that traditionally, the All School Pep Rally has the stunts and skills while the Upper School Pep Rally is more theme-oriented with a dance. But we have to be careful that the music is not suggestive and that the girls are representing the school well,” she said. She also added that there is not enough room on the VST stage to do stunts. But overall, Coach Everett enjoys her job. “Even though coaching both JV and Varsity wears me out, I love what I do. Once we get to a pep rally, it’s a proud moment because I know the girls are going to do great. I love watching their hard work pay off,” she said. One aspect about Kinkaid Week that a large majority of SJS students look forward to is the unveiling of the theme and the t-shirt, both of which the cheerleaders oversee. After the cheerleaders decide on the theme (this year’s was “superheroes”) and design the shirts, they are turned over to the “shirt guy”. After he gets together with a graphics designer, the shirts are sent back to the cheerleaders. “I think the shirts this year have an interesting design. It’s a theme that I think no one has ever seen before. I think people will be shocked, but at the same time, excited. I’m hoping for a good reaction,” Parks said before the shirts were distributed. Like Parks, Wells hoped for a good reaction. “We want people to be respectful of all the decorations we put up. So many people [such as those in Maverick Guard and Spirit Club] are involved and so much work is put in to make the school look really spirited,” she said. Wells also had a lot of things to say about the theme. “The theme is ‘ballin’. We are going to make it so perfect. I can’t wait to see the look on everyone’s faces. Hopefully the entire school and the football team will be fired up before the game and we will have a good time,” she said. Although she enjoys both pep rallies, Parks said that she prefers the Upper School Pep Rally because it does not involve stunts, and therefore is less stressful. “There’s a lot more spirit. Everything is enclosed in the VST, so there’s a lot more noise, and then the lights make it so up close and personal,” she said. Wells also enjoys both pep rallies. “I really like how everyone comes together during the All School Pep Rally. I am happy that even the Middle and Lower Schoolers cheer so loudly for our team. But I love the Upper School Pep Rally because we can relate better to everyone in the Upper School,” she said. She finished by saying, “Mavericks are DYNAMITE.”

November 2008

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Photographer Clay Nickens captu

8 0 ‘ n o i t c e he eview l E O S N S .J ’ S

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2401 Claremont Lane | Houston, TX 77019 | http://sjsreview.net | review@sjs.org

Vol. 60, Issue 3

Obama Edges Out McCain Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama prevailed over Republican nominee Senator John McCain and a number of third party candidates in the Upper School student and faculty mock election held on Friday, Oct. 24. The faculty showed the most solid support for the Democratic candidate, defying the idea that Obama’s most fervent supporters are young people. Obama captured 65.1% of the faculty members’ vote, who eschewed all third party candidates except Ralph Nader in favor of the bipartisan majority candidates. McCain’s 27.9% put him in second place among the school’s over-18 crowd, and Nader received three votes to earn him the bronze with 7.0% of the vote. Though Obama won the student vote by over five percentage

210 votes 40.2% 252 votes 48.3%

All students and faculty

Key: Obama McCain Other 12

Freshmen

received half of her total votes from the one sophomore who voted for her. After the faculty, the junior class had the strongest showing for Obama. A majority of juniors, 52.29%, voted for the Democratic candidate. McCain came in a distant second with just 29.4%. Barr’s eight votes put him ahead of the next third party candidate, Reverend Chuck Baldwin, who earned just one vote. The junior class had the poorest turnout of any grade, with only 109 voters casting ballots. The senior class was the most contested race. Obama edged out McCain by only three votes, giving him 46.0% to McCain’s 43.4%. Barr had his strongest showing in the senior demographic with nine supporters and 8.0% of the vote. Baldwin, McKinney and Nader each earned one additional vote.

Sophomores

Juniors

November 2008

49 votes 11.5%

Student and faculty mock election indicates preference for Democratic candidate, with Libertarians in a distant third By VAIL KOHNERT-YOUNT points, with 46.8% to McCain’s 41.3%, there were disparities among the grades. The freshman class was the only group to favor McCain, whose supporters outnumbered Obama’s by nearly seven percentage points. Finishing in third was Nader, with 3.0%, followed by former congressman Bob Barr with 2.3%. Six votes went toward write-in candidates, capturing 4.5% of the vote. The freshman class also had the highest voter turnout, with 132 total votes cast. The results from the sophomore class most closely resembled the overall results. Obama placed first with 48.0%, followed by McCain with 42.4%. Nader’s seven sophomore supporters, the most of any group, garnered him 5.6% of the grade’s vote. Barr placed in fourth with four votes, and former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney

chool

3 12

49 52

Seniors

Faculty

Students reveal what New voters weigh in on historic election influences their politics By MARIAM MATIN Although many teenagers are not old enough to cast a ballot in favor of a candidate, several still make an effort to develop their own political views and inform themselves about current events. Although some students make the argument that it is useless to make an effort in politics since they are not old enough to vote, others think it is important to get involved. “We need to be prepared and knowledgeable about the issues facing society when it comes time for us to vote,” Marisa Onanian (’12) said. “It is important that we know what is being debated in order to develop our own opinions,” she added.

Local Races to Watch

Parker Schiffer (’11) said he agreed, and added “It’s important to have a basic sense of what is going on around you.” Parents can play a major role when students are deciding who to support; however, some students say their parents’ views do not affect their political stance at all. Some students may agree with their parents but make their choices independently. For instance, Ben Bruso (’10) supported Senator John McCain in the recent election. While he did admit that his parents influence his political opinions, he said he makes a conscious effort to watch the news and listen to differ-

See INFLUENCE on p. 3

By ALEXA CARRASCO Every two years, a new generation of voters is born across the nation. Included in this group are many SJS seniors exercising their right to vote for the first time in this year’s general election of tremendous historic proportions. Among these new voters are Sam Linn (’09) and Christian Woo (’09). As first time voters, both Linn and Woo said they eagerly anticipated the opportunity to participate directly in the democratic process and consider it an important privilege. “Voting gives you the opportunity to get somewhat involved in the government and have a say,” Woo explained. She also noted

that she was looking forward to waiting in the long lines with “old people” to cast her ballot. Linn and Woo both expressed gratitude for the right and responsibility of 18-year-olds to be active in the political process. After all, whether voting for president or a school board referendum, tomorrow’s leaders will be voting to impact today’s public policy. “I think it is really significant that even as high school student[s] we can even have a voice in our democracy,” Linn said. “I know a lot of St. John’s students are just as well-informed as many adults and are responsible [enough] to vote.” Because youth voter turnout is historically low, campaigns

usually court older voters with their ads and promises. Prominent issues repeatedly emphasized by candidates like social security and health care aren’t immediately relevant to most of the student population, especially those still living under their parents’ roofs. However, issues that are relevant to the student population, like making college affordable to all Americans, are often ignored. For that reason, Woo explained that young voters’ priorities and criteria are radically different from the standards by which older Americans evaluate their candidates. “I can honestly say that many of the

See NEW VOTERS on p. 3

Texas Senate

Congressional District 7

14th Court of Appeals

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Democratic state representative and Iraq War veteran Rick Noriega challenges Republican incumbent John Cornyn

Republican incumbent and former lawyer John Culberson feels the heat from his competitor Michael Skelly, a Harvard grad and successful wind energy entepreneur

Republican incumbent and SJS parent Bill Boyce seeks election over Democratic opponent Mary M. Markantonis

SJS alumna and Democrat Susan Strawn seeks position against Republican judge and former marine Tom Price

November 2008

JSA attends reStudents debate at gional convention election assembly By ANN-CHARLOTTE PROFFITT

By ANN-CHARLOTTE PROFFITT

On Saturday, Oct. 18, members of the SJS chapter of the Junior Statesmen of America attended the organization’s fall regional convention at Rice University. At this one-day convention, approximately 50 students from JSA chapters from the southeast area of Texas met to debate issues and events relating to the Nov. 4 general election. SJS JSA president Sam Linn (’09), vice president Anoushka Sinha (’09) and Robby Cowell (’10) assisted in planning the convention. Students participated in formal debates, competed in the perennial favorite Quiz Bowl tournament and held a mock debate in which students portrayed both presidential candidates and their respective vice presidential nominees. Participants from SJS besides Linn, Sinha and Cowell included Cynthia Mai (’09), Katina Ballantyne (’10) and Sarah Pendergraft (’10). The debates focused on timely issues affecting the election, including the controversial bailout package and the nation’s deficit spending. Linn moderated one such debate, and Sinha participated in a debate in which she had to defend the stance that the mainstream media did not unfairly bolster Barack Obama’s campaign. “It turned out really well, actually,” Sinha said. “The best part was answering the audience’s tough questions at the end.” Sinha, Mai and Linn formed a team that earned second place in the Quiz Bowl tournament, losing only to a team from Carnegie Vanguard High School. Linn said that despite the silver finish, the Quiz Bowl was the highlight of the day’s events. “We have a rivalry with Carnegie Vanguard every convention,” he explained, “and unfortunately we lost this year.”

On Oct. 21, an election assembly was held in the VST in order to inform students about the presidential candidates. The purpose of this assembly was to help students decide who they would vote for in the SJS mock election, which was held on Oct. 24. For the assembly, students from Stephen Popp and Gara Johnson-West’s AP Government classes acted as representatives of the presidential candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as for the Independent candidates. “I said I was interested, and a week or so later, there we were, skirts and suits and all!” Anna Ziemnicki (’09) said of her participation in the event. To prepare for the debates, students researched their particular topics from all sides of the election to make sure that they fully understood their candidates’ viewpoints and were able to defend their candidates. “I personally [thought] this [would] be one of the closest elections of our time—perhaps an election that [could have gone] to Congress for a decision…I [thought it would be] close, no matter what Zogby, Gallup, or any of those other polls [said],” Ziemnicki said. The mock election was preceded by an election assembly, in which students represented each party and explained their views on certain subjects. The assembly was not meant to be an imitation of the candidates. Mr. Popp said before the assembly, “There will be no mention of Joe the Plumber, putting lipstick on pigs…we’re hoping that this is more of a serious discussion of policies.”

election

events around campus JENNY LEWIS | The Review

Upper school predicts next president at mock election By BHAGWAT KUMAR According to nearly every major media outlet, America is in the midst of a historic election. Although the word historic can be applied to nearly every election, the adjective holds especially true this year, widely celebrated as a year of election firsts. On the SJS campus the interest and involvement in the election is evident, ranging from the passionate formation of Facebook groups to heated cafeteria debates, attendance at candidate rallies and blockwalking for local campaigns. Because most SJS students are not old enough to vote, the schoolwide mock election on Oct. 25 served as the primary outlet for students’ political voices. The mock election was a joint organizational effort by the Upper, Middle, and Lower school history departments, along with history and government students from Upper School and members of the Current Events Club. Though the original plan was for the Upper, Middle, and Lower School to work together, all the groups involved decided that it would be more effective to work separately to allow each group to focus on different aspects of the election. In the Upper School, history department chair Wendall Zartman, history and government teacher Stephen Popp, Headmaster John Allman and Head of Upper School Kef Wilson facilitated the planning process. They enlisted registrar Mary Ann Prentice to schedule the date of the election and the maintenance staff to construct and set up the ballot boxes. The organization process began months ago, but Hurricane Ike disrupted the team’s early efforts. However, everyone involved was able to work together to finish preparations for the election. Though there was originally supposed to be a series of lunchtime forum discussions open to the student body to discuss the candidates’ policies, scheduling complications from the hurricane allowed only one such meeting after the first presidential debate. A mock debate and information session was held the Tuesday preceding the election to inform voters. Also, paper ballots were substituted for electronic voting machines; since early voting had already begun by the date of the mock election, Harris County did not have enough machines to distribute to schools for education purposes. Students signed their names on a list either before or after voting to prevent allegations of voter fraud. Each grade was assigned a different color ballot, and students marked their preference before dropping their paper into the ballot box. Though the Upper School election was purely a popular vote, the Middle School organizers opted to simulate an Electoral College system, making it more similar to the actual voting process in the United States. After a presentation about the various presidential candidates and their major policy positions, Middle School students voted during an assembly on Thursday, October 27. The Lower School election assembly took place on Election Day. To stay age-appropriate, the focus was more on taking part in the actual voting process rather than the results of

the election. The mock election was intended to teach students about the importance of the voting process and political involvement. Mr. Popp said that voter engagement is the cornerstone of our political system. “The foundation of our democracy is based on citizens’ participation,” he explained. In addition, Mr. Popp said that he hoped the student mock election would help reduce voter apathy. He explained that the organizers hoped to “combat the idea that one’s vote doesn’t count, because as recent elections have shown, one’s vote does count.” After the results were released on Election Day, students were able to compare their preferences and predictions to those of the rest of the nation, even if most couldn’t participate in the real election by casting a ballot. The purpose for all this preparation is simple. “It’s all about education,” said Mr. Zartman. However, the mock election was not only intended to teach students but also to promote “teacher and staff education,” he explained. Rather than limiting participation to the student body, Mr. Zartman said the planners “also encourage[d] teachers and staff to vote.” Despite overall enthusiasm for election season, Upper School students had differing opinions about the success of the SJS mock election. Though some thought holding the election helped to spread awareness throughout the student body, others thought that the efforts were unnecessary. The majority of students seemed to agree that the mock election was well-executed. Students were able to quickly cast their votes in an orderly manner, and many said they were pleased with the way the process went. Daisy Wolf (’10), founder of the Current Events Club, said that the mock election was an educational success. “I think it’s great that our school is doing this, and it encourages people to be involved about what’s going on in our country and the world around us,” she explained. Similarly, Michael Steves (’09) said that he thought the event gave “students a way to learn about elections” through active participation. David Thomas (’09) agreed. “It definitely raises some awareness about politics,” he said. Although some students enjoyed the actual voting process, they may not have been as interested in the politics behind it. “It was cool to vote, but I’m not someone who really cares a lot about politics,” Savannah Erwin (’10) said. However, she added, “I know a lot of people who really care about politics, and have a distinct opinion.” Though Wolf said that she thought “the majority of people voted seriously,” others, including Jordan Schuler (’11), resorted to unscientific methods to choose their candidate. “Honestly, I just did ‘eeni meeni mini mo’ to chose who I voted for,” Schuler remarked, “because this doesn’t affect anything.” Some students complained that since they could not actually vote, conducting a mock election did not achieve any purpose. When asked if he thought the election was helpful, Joshua Steves (’11) said “No. We can’t vote, so it doesn’t matter.”

election

November 2008

Teachers establish INFLUENCE: Students’ politics fairness doctrines INFLUENCE cont. from p. 1

By SHEILA NEWAR Due to the national election, Upper School AP Government teachers Stephen Popp and Gara Johnson-West are trying to balance out their classes with current events while still teaching their core curriculum. “The election means very little if [the students] don’t understand the Electoral College. There is a good medium between substance and politics, but it is often difficult to balance out,” Ms. Johnson-West said. Ms. Johnson-West said she finds it difficult to separate her personal passion and preferences from her class discussions, “I don’t know if you ever can [separate the two]. I’m pretty sure most kids can figure out [who I’m voting for]. I have to be sensitive, though, and keep my mouth shut. I never impose my views,” Ms. Johnson-West said. Mr. Popp said that he feels the same way. “Of course I am passionate about reading and studying, but my job is to advance students’ opinions and sense of the political process, not to instill my opinions,” he said. In their government classes, students explore the United States democracy system, as well as trends in American politics and the evolution of government. They also read articles from the Washington Post once a week. A major component of Ms. Johnson-West’s class is debate. Either

she or her students will “throw out a topic” to start a debate. Topics can include “something we have read, an interesting article, anything from a Saturday Night Live skit to a presidential debate,” Ms. Johnson-West said. Mr. Popp’s classes also involve debate. “I encourage students to voice their opinions and get their points across, but they are required to defend their analysis,” he said. If the debates ever get heated, which Mr. Popp said they often do in his class, he steps in. “The debates are better if they are opinionated, but I want to give students a safe opportunity to express their views without them snarling at each other,” he said. Ms. Johnson-West said her class’s discussions are less intense. “The majority of them all agree with each other, so it is hard to get the minority side to speak up. I want everyone’s voice heard. I never cut them off, and everything goes,” she said. She added that her students “are passionate but not intense. It is a civil class, which is very different from [my experience in] years past.” Both Mr. Popp and Ms. JohnsonWest both said they prefer teaching AP Government during election years. “It adds a lot of chaos with so much material, but I love the craziness,” Ms. Johnson-West said.

ent political correspondents. He also said he felt that Senator Barack Obama’s policies were too idealistic, had no “foresight” and would only worsen the economy. “I also think that a lot of people [were] jumping on the bandwagon for Obama because they [didn’t] know anything about politics,” Bruso said. “They [thought] that since ‘everyone’ [was] voting for Obama, they should too,” he added. The case is just the opposite for other students, many of which formed their own opinions, which were completely different from those of their parents. Catherine Cocke (’09), although raised in conservative surroundings, is now a firm supporter of liberal Barack Obama. When the primaries began in 2007, she began doing research and concluded that she agreed more with the Democratic policies than Republican ones. “They thought I was being rebellious,” said Cocke. “But now [that] they see how into it I am and [that] I actually have reasons for it, they really support me.” Cocke said she debates intensely with her friends and parents. In fact, whenever a presidential debate would air, she and her parents agreed “to just sit in separate rooms.” However, she said she is willing to keep an open mind. Cocke added that she lets her friends have their own opinions and makes the effort to listen to more conservative newscasts rather than hear a liberal newscaster echo her own opinions back to her. For the election, Cocke said she believed that the most important thing to look at when making a decision was the issues because it was difficult to judge a candidate’s character by his speeches or interviews. Moreover, she suggested visiting Obama’s and McCain’s websites, both of which had the candidates’ stances on the issues clearly laid out to read. Like Cocke, Will Harrel (’09) has also steered away from his parents’ political views by having a much more conservative stance than his liberal parents. After the election in 2000, Harrel said he began researching to confirm his own viewpoints. Through his research, he discovered that his viewpoints were more conservative than he had expected, given his liberal background. “My parents are still hoping I’ll change my views,” Har-

rel said, “But we have come to an agreement that we disagree on some issues and [as a result], about half the dinners we have are political debates.” The source of a lot of his conservative social values comes from his Christian faith, he said, and added that he disagrees with the idea of raising taxes for the higher class. Although Harrel is a conservative, he said that he does agree that many of the liberals in the past have come up with good ideas, and that he believes that if conservatives and liberals work together they could come up with “better, more viable” ideas. Although he said he does not believe that liberals currently hold any views better than his own, he said he tries to keep an open mind for reasons to change his views. However, his viewpoints were further strengthened this summer when he got a job and had to pay taxes for the first time. “Even though it was a small amount [of money] because I wasn’t making a lot,” said Harrel, “I don’t want the government taking my money that I worked hard for.” Both Cocke and Harrel believe themselves to be wellinformed, and both agree that many students at SJS have made their own decisions, which, especially for Cocke, makes the debates with her friends all the more enjoyable. So when do kids simply ride the same political wave as their parents? I recognized this trend mostly among middle schoolers. Many students said they supported the same presidential candidate as their parents, but “don’t know why.” Several students said they didn’t know who their parents were supporting, and therefore did not know who they were supporting either. Few students said they were supporting someone independent from their parents. One example is Abigail Flowers (’13), who supported Obama despite her parents’ support for McCain. Flowers said she supported Obama because she considers herself more liberal than her conservative parents. However, “my parents are perfectly fine with it,” Flower said. “They support me in my being different,” she added. On Nov. 4, 2008 many people had to make a decision, and while many of those voters were not SJS students, clearly many students do make an effort to be players in this political arena.

NEW VOTERS: Awaiting their turn on Election Day NEW VOTERS cont. from p. 1 policies and issues have no effect on me,” she remarked. Some students may feel more passionate about their candidate of choice, but Woo noted that many young people, including her peers, have viewpoints that fall all over the political spectrum. “Some 18-year-olds have strong, established political views,” she explained. “However, many remain moderate.” Though both Linn and Woo maintain independent viewpoints, both said that they are influenced by their parents’ po-

litical views. “My parents are the most influential people when it comes to how I vote,” Linn said. “They are both very knowledgeable and opinionated about politics.” His mother, Phyllis Cohen, is a West University city council member, and Linn said that her background in political advocacy has encouraged him to take an active role in the election. Linn and Woo are not passive observers of the events and issues unfolding around them. Both have devoted themselves to their AP Government course

and are heavily involved in the SJS chapter of Junior Statesmen of America, which they said has helped to shape their viewpoints and challenge their thoughts. Linn said that he appreciated campus events leading up to the election, such as the mock debate held on Oct. 21 that was intended as a way to present balanced information about multiple presidential platforms to the student body. “I already knew who I was going to support before the debates,” he explained, “and the debates just reaffirmed

my opinions about the candidate that I am voting for.” When Linn and Woo finally hit the polls, they said they reflected on what they had learned and what they had been influenced by in the months leading up to the election. Despite the long preparation and deliberation period, Woo said that she still felt apprehensive about casting her ballot and especially hoped that her eager anticipation wouldn’t get the best of her. “I [was] pretty sure I [would] get ner-

exercising theright tovote

JENNY LEWIS | The Review

Left: Will Kirkland (‘10) casts his ballot in the ballot box. Center: Scott Wise (‘11), physics teacher Erol Turk and Kirkland show off the color-coded ballots for faculty and students. Right: Lauren Wilson (‘10), Wise and Will Harrel (‘09) pose after submitting their ballots.

November 2008

election

under thered whiteand blue REMEMBER when?

Chuck Norris endorsed Mike Huckabee?

THAT was THEN THIS is NOW

Track, Willow, and Piper were nouns, not names?

Wasilla just sounded like a cross between “wassup” and Godzilla?

Bristol’s morning sickness

source of nausea

Obama’s infomercial

The New York Times

item in the tank

the economy

Michigan

swing state

Arizona

Putin “rearing his head” diplomatic contact

Sarkozy prank call

craziest candidate

Cynthia McKinney

60 SECONDS

Michelle Obama

Cindy McCain

with

relationship status terrorist fist jab partner favorite designer J. Crew Olympic sport basketball favorite SNL guest Maya Rudolph starbucks I only buy from small coffee businesses whose owners make less than $250,000 favorite song I’ve Got a Crush on Obama comfort food arugula dream vacation Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, and New Hampshire favorite spot on campaign trail teleconferencing with Barack favorite accessory Malia and Sasha

TOP headlines

now

then

The thrice-married cross-dressing mayor of New York City was the Republican frontrunner?

relationship status trophy wife #2 favorite designer Oscar de la Renta Olympic sport ice skating favorite SNL guest myself starbucks anything icy favorite song Proud to be an American comfort food American apple pie dream vacation back to my home planet of Xenon...I mean, Florida favorite spot on campaign trail anywhere away from the elite liberal gotcha media favorite accessory hot pink cast

Struggling Biden contracts Hillary agrees retail sector (The best headlines laryngitis; to play winner we wish we saw during fully recovers Obama’s poll after November after Palin buys numbers surge the campaign.) FOURTH new outfit

FEELING [sic]

FROM the DESKTOP of...

Governor Sarah Palin, in an interview with CBS’ Katie Couric:

Billy Mays <infomercialking@oxiclean.net>

examining grammar on the campaign trail

Davis Guggenheim <director@barackobama.com>

“Well, let’s see. There’s—of course—in the great history of America rulings there have been rulings.”

Guest star, Barack’s infomercial

Hey Billy, Look, I just don’t think we can fit you into our half hour segment this week. I know, I agree that you’re a “timeless relic of consumer-based Americana, which is especially comforting to the American people to remind them of the times when they could actually buy stuff,” but your record promoting OxiClean doesn’t really mesh with our message. OxiClean restores fabrics to the status quo, and well, we’re all about change over here. (Frankly, we can’t afford to be painted as anti-Cheer people either.) As if that wasn’t enough, we have some footage of you palling around with an unidentified substance called EasyOff Bam!, which sounds suspiciously like a weapon of mass destruction. Hope you’ll understand...maybe in 2012? Fondly, Davis

photo spread

31/08

ured moments from the big game

November 2008

sports The Review

November 2008

Hard-fought game by the Mavericks ends in 22-24 loss

KINKAID cont. from p. 1 The Mavericks started at the 20 yard line, but quickly brought it up to Kinkaid’s 20 yard line with a strong play from Moody and two plays from Ethan Harry (’09) coupled with a 10 yard penalty from Kinkaid. From the Falcons’ 1 yard line, Moody pushed forward for the first touchdown of the night to take a lead of 6-3. The Mavericks made a 9play 80-yard drive to score their first touchdown. As the ball switched over, the Falcons had a strong start with a complete pass from McGee to Harrel, stopped by Reed Daniel (’10) for the Mavericks. Daniel continued to play hard defense as he intercepted a pass from McGee at the 6 yard line. However, the SJS offense struggled to get the ball down the field,

CLAY NICKENS | The Review

and the Falcons quickly gained back possession at the 35 yard line inside SJS territory. With a 7-play, 35 yard drive from the Falcons, Kinkaid scored their first touchdown on a 9 yard pass from McGee to Luke Minett, and followed up with a successful point to take the lead 10-6. After a few rushes from Moody and Harry for the Mavericks, the team faced a 4th down at the 26 yard line. Keeping their offense on the field, SJS followed with a big pass from Harry to Bernica inside the 15 yard line to get a first down. Five carries from Moody brought the ball inside the goal line for his second touchdown of the night. The Mavericks took back the lead, with a successful two-point conversation from Ethan Harry, and the score was 14-10. Of the Mavericks’ 7-play, 61-yard drive,

51 yards came from Rush Moody. Starting from the 41 yard line of SJS territory, the Falcons ended the first half on top with a touchdown from McGee and a kick from Deskin, leaving a score of 17-14 at halftime. Following a high-scoring first half, both teams struggled to score in the second half. After two unsuccessful possessions from each team, Snodgrass ran the ball into touchdown territory in a total of 4 runs. Combined with a successful kick, the Falcons secured their lead at 24-14. However, the Mavericks weren’t ready to give up quite yet. Moody followed with his third and final touchdown of the night on a 10 yard run, and the Mavericks completed a two-point conversion to cut Kinkaid’s lead to 22-24. During the Mavericks’ next posses-

Girls lacrosse wins tournament

By ARVIND MOHAN On the weekend of October 25, a lacrosse team by the name of the Rebels, composed of SJS sophomores and freshmen, won a tournament in Dallas. Led by Coach Tim Proffit and some students from Rice University, the team practiced once a week for the past two months. Caroline Gibson (‘11) and Grace Dennis (‘11) were the captains of the lacrosse team. “We were up against a lot of other Houston teams like Memorial and Bellaire, so it was really stupid having to go all the way to Dallas to play a bunch of Houston teams,” she said. The team’s victory surprised Gibson. “I couldn’t believe that we had actually won the tournament. We didn’t get to practice a lot, but we still managed to play together as a team and win,” she said. Although the team’s victory did not

surprise Dennis, she said she felt that the victory was a moment of triumph for SJS. “It felt really good to win the tournament because we got to show the other teams in Texas how good our freshmen are, and it was a chance to prove to them that SJS will have a great team for at least a few more years,” she added. Gibson said her favorite part of the experience was the interaction she had with her fellow teammates. “It was really fun playing together as a group. It was also great playing with the freshmen to see how good they were and to get a taste of the season ahead,” she said. Dennis also said she enjoyed the interaction among the teammates. “I really loved getting to know the freshmen who I will be playing with this year, and I loved watching our whole team improve as the [tournament] progressed,” she said.

CLAY NICKENS | The Review

sion, Moody and Harry gained two first downs, but Kinkaid’s Marshall Crawford recovered a fumble from SJS to take the ball back late in the 4th quarter. With the Falcons maintaining possession for the last two minutes of the game, Kinkaid managed to secure their first victory over the Mavericks in the past four years. Ethan Harry and Rush Moody were the leading rushers for the night, with Harry covering 77 yard on 8 attempts and Moody covering 149 yards in 30 attempts. Moody also scored each of the Mavericks’ three touchdowns of the game. Kevin Snodgrass and John McGee were the leading rushers for Kinkaid, with Snodgrass covering 84 yards in 19 attempts and McGee covering 60 yards in 13 attempts.

sports

November 2008

Fall SPC Preview

Girls Volleyball By MELISSA YUAN Tackling all obstacles and shaping their team into one of the finest, this year’s varsity girls volleyball team has seen one of their best seasons. This year, having graduated five seniors from the team, Captains Julia Gibbs (‘09) and Alexa Carrasco (‘09) said they “really didn’t know what to expect.” “We lost a few seniors, so [underclassmen were] expected to fill their roles. I wasn’t sure how the underclassmen would respond,” Carrasco said. “It’s really hard stepping in being on JV and then starting position on varsity your next year.” As it turned out, Gibbs and Carrasco had nothing to worry about. The team kicked off the season with an incredible start at their first tournament, winning

every one of their games and coming in first. With a solid and talented team as their foundation, Gibbs said she believes it’s the team’s “bond that really makes [them] more likely to win games.” Gibbs and Carrasco also cited Head Coach James Fuller’s coaching style as a reason for the team’s success. “Our practices are a little different than what people might think,” Carrasco said. “We spend probably 30 minutes of practice just talking about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. Women’s volleyball is a game of strategy and getting those lessons from him really helps.” “Coach Fuller can gauge pretty much exactly where his team is, how to work us, how to motivate us. It’s really great having him around,” Gibbs added. Still, the team has faced a hardship

with an absence from the court. During the first few points of their Lutheran High North game, one of their star hitters, Mary-Ashleigh Boles (‘10) broke her foot. Alex Beckham (‘11) has been filling in for Boles while she makes her recovery. “Alex is doing a great job filling in for [Mary-Ashleigh],” Gibbs said. “We play practice like everyone’s a starter, so it kind of happened naturally. It was just shocking when Mary-Ashleigh got hurt.” Yet even with a few minor obstacles, the team is looking forward to playing their hardest at SPC. “We’ve gone from 2nd place in division II my freshman year to 2nd place in division 1 last year,” Carrasco said. “We just keep building up the program. Our focus is finishing the best we can because we have the talent,

Boys Volleyball By SAM DUNN This year, the boys volleyball players said their season team has been a roller coaster ride. According to captain Leeor Mushin (‘09), there have “been some ups and downs.” One of the high points of the season came when the Mavericks upset Greenhill in the first tournament of the year and finished second overall. “The win against Greenhill also made us feel like we can beat anyone,” Mushin said. The team has an even 2-2 record in conference play, with losses coming against rival Episcopal. A big help to the team has been “really good sophomores. Max Lee [(‘11)], Richard Johnson [(‘11)] and Alex Winograd [(‘11)] have stepped up,” Mushin said. Another key player, Tim Lin [(‘10)], “has had good defense and our core team of seniors and, junior Reed Landrum [(‘10)] has played really well and is one of our best hitters and blockers,” Mushin said. The team goes to SPC seeded second in the south zone, where they expect to play St. Marks.

Mushin voiced his expectations. “We’re the ‘Dark Horse’. We have a chance to win. but need a couple [of] breaks. Our best can match up with anyone; we just have to play the best we can,” Mushin said. “If we play our best, we’ll win, but it’s important to play well [for] the whole match, not just one or two games.” A win against St. Marks would put the team in the winner’s bracket and most likely facing twotime defending champ Trinity Valley. Another win would pit the Mavericks against Greenhill or Episcopal. But Mushin is first focused on the St. Marks game. “[The game against St. Marks] should be a really good game. I really want us to move into the winner’s bracket because there’s a big difference between the two brackets.” However, Mushin said he expects his team to win and looks forward to any of the big teams they might face. “Playing Trinity Valley will be a really good game because we play similar styles. If we get far enough, either the Greenhill or Episcopal games should be really good matches.”

Field Hockey By SAM DUNN Up to this point, girls varsity field hockey has posted a large winning record. The team has a 10-3 record and is 5-0 in

counter games. Captain Sidney Collie (‘09) said the biggest help to the team has been “everyone play[ing] as a unit; we play well as a team.” Captain Kelly Harrison (‘09) added, “Our team has been pretty incredible. All our losses have been flukes.” Like every other team, the girls said they had concerns coming into the year. Harrison and captain Hannah Clarke (‘09) shared their early concerns. “We lost our core and all our center players,” Harrison said. “We lost Jessica Chen (‘08), our primary scorer and forward, so this year we really had to come back from that,” added Clarke. The team did bounce back, winning their first three games. Clarke attributed the team’s success to the team’s cohesiveness. “Team bonding has been a big help to the team. Our defense struggled at the beginning of the season,

but team bonding helped us a lot. The girls themselves are the best thing about field hockey.” The team is heading into SPC with high hopes, seeded first in the south zone. Harrison has already staked the team’s claim on the SPC championship. “We’re gonna win. We’re the favorite. SJS is the team to beat this year,” she said. According to Collie, “I think we’ll do well. Our biggest challenge would be Hockaday from the north zone, if we play them. We beat them a couple weekends ago in a non counter game [6-5 OT].” The team is also looking forward to a rematch against Kinkaid. They are 1-2 on the year against the Falcons, with their win coming at home for the counter game. Kinkaid’s two wins came on their home field. All games between the two schools were 1-0 defensive thrillers. Still, the players said they are looking forward to playing their rival again. “We’re definitely the better team,” Collie said.“Ideally we’ll play Kinkaid in the finals for the championship,” Harrison said.

and we have the team. It’s just a matter of applying it… We’re all really excited for SPC and finally seeing our whole season at its peak.” Though the team has had an incredible season, Coach Fuller won’t be giving them a break, and will push them to finish strong. “I’m expecting a lot of tired players. I know we’ll be kind of exhausted. I’m looking at 100% practices, sweatier practices and aching bones and muscles type practices. We’ve got to be roughed up and prepared for the next few matches,” Coach Fuller said. Gibbs and Carrasco said agree with Coach Fuller’s plans. “We’re just going to go into SPC humble and give it our best shot, because that’s really all you can do in the end,” Carrasco said.

Cross Country By BLAKE WULFE As the fall sports season comes down to the final stretch, both boys and girls cross-country teams hope to amp up their effort in practice to prepare for SPC. Both teams will enter the SPC final race on Nov. 8 after training all season. The captains said they will try to lead the team to a top five finish after both teams finished sixth last year. In order for the team to do well at SPC, Meredith Gamble (’10) said she believes they will need to run a good race, but that the goal of winning is achievable. As a captain this year, Henry Chapman (’10) said he thinks that he not only needs to push himself but also the other runners on the team. “I try to inspire the younger runners to work harder in practice and try to improve so we can have a chance at winning SPC this year,” he said. The teamwork and inspiration that arises from the interaction between students will play a large role in SPC, according to the captains. Brittany Beavers (’09) said that “[she had seen] some encouraging efforts by SJS runners during the season that have helped to create high hopes.” She said she tries to “inspire the other runners to push themselves” with this motivation, but it also helps that “the team is really encouraging.” Carlos Falcón (‘09) is in his second year as captain of the cross-country team, and, like the other captains, his hopes this year are as high as ever. Falcón said, “I have two goals this year: the

one for my self is to win SPC, and as a team to finish in the top three, but, after our last meet I really think we could place even higher than that.” In order to accomplish these goals, Falcón said he will have to fulfill his duties as a captain, which includes “get[ting] people motivated to run.” Still, the prize will not come easy. “There is a group of really good runners going against me, and I think the conference has gotten a lot harder since my freshman year,” Falcón said. And now, as SPC approaches, Falcón said he believes the SJS team is “really moving in the right direction,” and is looking forward to the competition.

opinions The Review

Editorial

Online report card system flawed Following the recent trend of using the SJS online portal as a means of communicating with students, report cards have now been added to the list of digitalized school resources and documents. In the past few years, SJS has gradually incorporated the Whipple Hill online resources into the class curriculum. Through the online SJS portal, students can find their assignments for the entire week from each class, access Powerpoints that their teacher just posted from their class lecture or check up on the daily news and announcements around school. Beginning this school year, detention slips were digitalized as well, with the administration notifying students of their detentions through their e-mail. In addition, students are each given a school e-mail account, where announcements and updates are periodically sent out by the admin-

istration. Through this e-mail account, both the students and their parents were informed about their completed online report cards. This digitalized method of sending out grade reports has its advantages over the previous hard copy that was mailed to every student. The system diminishes problems with home mailing addresses, allows all students to have access to their grades at the same time, and creates a conveniently accessible document for students. Despite the expediency in which the cards were posted up on each student’s Whipple Hill page, students were dismayed to find that the administration allowed their parents to view the online report card hours before they themselves were able to access the grade reports. Not only could parents see their child’s grades earlier than their child could, but the students were also withheld from viewing their

November 2008

The Review

The Official Student Newspaper of St. John’s School 2007-2008 Editor-in-Chief: Bret Vollmer (‘09) Managing Editor: Rebecca Welbourn (‘09) Business Manager: Allie Adkins (‘09) News Editor Jade Law (‘09)

Features Editor Arts&Entertainment Editor Sports Editor Emily Foxhall (‘09) Hudson Duncan (‘10) Anoushka Sinha (‘09)

Copy Editor Opinions Editor beyondSJS Editor Leeor Mushin (‘09) Vail Kohnert-Yount (‘09) Liliana Varman (‘10)

Photo Editor Katherine Carmichael (‘09)

Staff Writers Jessica Allen (‘11), Alexa Carrasco (‘09), Gabi Chennisi (‘09), Veronica Chu (‘12), Stuart Dickerson (‘10), Ariana Dickey (‘12), Allegra Fradkin (‘11), Meryl Gibbs (‘12), Caroline Gibson (‘11), Sarah Koslov (‘10), Bhagwat Kumar (‘11), Joe Martinez (‘11), Mariam Matin (‘11), Arvind Mohan (‘10), Anne-Charlotte Proffitt (‘12), Sarah Nasser (‘09), Sheila Newar (‘10), Andrew Perry (‘11), Tiffany Shyu (‘09), Sarah Windham (‘12), Blake Wulfe (‘10), Melissa Yuan (‘11) Circulation Manager Caroline Parks (‘09)

Advertising Manager Ryan Cordill (‘09)

Promotions Manager Melanie Lilienstern(‘09)

Assistant Manager Lizzy Ehrhardt (‘09)

Photographers Jennifer Lewis (‘10), Clay Nickens (‘10), Daniel Perenyi (‘09), Bobbi Richardson (‘11), Pooja Salhotra (‘12) Illustrator Kat Oshman (‘09)

Business Staff Richard Bilger (‘11), Parker Chambers (‘09), Allie Deluca (‘11), Geoff Dunn (‘09), Christy Lee (‘11), Meagan Longoria (‘10), Phoebe Massey (‘09), Tim McDugald (‘11) Neeraj Salhotra (‘09), William Wallace (‘11), Jack Waller (‘11)

Advisor Kyle Parrish (‘01)

As the student newspaper of St. John’s School, The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions (signed) and staff editorials (unsigned) contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Headmaster of Board of Trustees of St. John’s School. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the paper. Letters to the editor and guest columns are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and good taste. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received. Either e-mail letters and guest columns to review@sjs.org; give them to Bret Vollmer, Rebecca Welbourn, Leeor Mushin, Kyle Parrish or Carol Munn in the office of The Review (Q-210); or mail to Editor-in-Chief, The Review, St. John’s School, 2401 Claremont Lane, Houston, TX 77019.

teacher comments sheet even hours after seeing their grades. The Editorial Board feels that by denying students immediate access to their grade reports when they become posted, and instead granting this privilege to their parents first, the administration is neglecting the student’s right to privacy. Since the grades belong to the students themselves, it is fitting that they should be the first to be informed of their academic progress. With all the hard work that students put into their academics, the Editorial Board believes that the administration owes its students the honor of receiving their grades and comments first. While the digitalization of reports cards is a convenient and environment-friendly alternative to the former hardcopy versions, the Editorial Board believes that students should have the right of first notification of their own grade report.

Letter From the Editor

Dear Readers,

Now that the election is over, I think we’re all looking forward to returning to the more important matters of celebrity indiscretions and Hollywood religion. Nevertheless, before we return to the daily grind, The Review is proud this month to headline the tail-end of the campaign with our Election Pullout. There you may read about the experiences of first-time voters or appreciate the embodiment of “silly season” on the back page. This month’s issue also

offers extensive coverage of Kinkaid Week, including a dictionary of special terms in the Features section. Moreover, our Opinions section offers a rather schizophrenic debate about girls’ uniform fashion. Regardless of your politics, I hope this issue aptly signals the end of another election but also eases your transition into the rest of the year. As always, I appreciate your vote of confidence. Bret Vollmer Editor-in-Chief

Letter Policy Letters to the editors and guest columns are welcome but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and good taste. The Review reserves the right not to print letters recieved, and all letters must be typed and signed. Give letters, guest columns and classified advertisements to Bret Vollmer or Kyle Parrish in the office of The Review (Q-210) or email to review@sjs.org.

November 2008

opinions

Red Skirt versus Plaid Skirt

Stuart Dickerson (‘10) takes on his greatest enemy... Stuart Dickerson (‘10)

In my tenure here at SJS, I have learned that if you are a girl, many important things in your life have their precedent set with one important debate. This debate is one that has raged on for years, with neither camp seeming to gain ground on its opponent. It is a conflict much like the Cold War, with no physical or violent interaction, but merely psychological warfare, with each side playing mind games with its opposite in hopes that the enemy will break down. The clash has been with the school since its incipience. Headmasters from Alan Lake Chidsey, E.K. Salls, James R. Maggart (who could forget the Maggart years?) and even our current John Allman have all expressed opinions on the matter. This matter, of course, is the disagreement that fills our halls with tension daily as each camp draws different followers on a day to day basis. It is Plaid Skirt vs. Red Skirt. DANIEL PERENYI | The Review

Red

DANIEL PERENYI | The Review

Versus

Plaid

Brittany Beavers (‘09) sports the red skirt in the face of ridicule. By STUART DICKERSON Staff Writer

This is currently the sixth year in which I walk through the halls, and I see my female colleagues wearing skirts, and I must say that the red skirt is my preference, and I feel as if many should agree with me. I noticed my opponent attacked others who did not agree with him (and at times made ridiculous assertions); I do not plan to do this, but rather to present my case in a clear and coherent fashion, and to let the reader decide whether or not it has swayed his opinion. The red skirt, throughout its tenure, has become more than just a bottom. To say the very least, it has become a fashion statement. In the mundane world that consumes SJS, the plaid skirt has been seen as the usual. It is only normal, as almost the entire female population can be spotted with one. Some enjoy this monotony. Some enjoy the act of conformation, being lumped in with the masses as not to stand out.

They choose to go against the tedium that engulfs our fair school. They heroically wear the red skirt. Yet others, the bold among us, choose to stand out. They choose to go against the tedium that engulfs our fair school. They heroically wear the red skirt. Those who wear the red skirt, though small in number, are the courageous and strong-spirited. These are the types of

people who embody the red skirt, who propel it to its greatnes. On top of this, the red skirt provides comfort that is unfathomable to the plaid skirt only crowd. The red skirt is thin, providing a feeling of airiness, as opposed to the hard, starchy weight that is the plaid skirt. The plaid has even drawn dangerous comparisons to card-

The harsh brightness of the red skirt will clearly catch the eye in the dark, where as the plaid skirts dimness will almost act as camouflage. board in reference to its condition immediately after being purchased. The red skirt is also much better visually for morning preparation. When the average student wakes up, he or she leaves the light off in an attempt to not induce pain on their pupils by the sudden rush of luminescence. As such, the closet or drawer area in which the uniforms are kept will not be very well lit. The harsh brightness of the red skirt will clearly catch the eye in the dark, whereas the plaid skirt’s dimness will almost act as camouflage. Fumbling around for a skirt at seven o’clock in the morning is certainly not conducive to a productive start of the day. For these and many other reasons, I think it is quite clear that the red skirt outmatches the plaid in about every way imaginable. There should be absolutely no doubt as to which skirt should truly hold the title for greatest skirt on 2401 Claremont Lane. So I call upon you, the SJS student, to wear the red skirt if you dare. Yet be careful, as with it you bring upon yourself the honor and pride that is only held to those who sport the red; do not, by any means, misrepresent it.

Brittany Beavers (‘09) decides to join the pack and wears a plaid skirt.

By STUART DICKERSON Staff Writer

It is abundantly clear to this reporter that the plaid skirt outmeasures the red skirt in almost all aspects of clothing. The plaid skirt is God’s way of saying, “Girls of SJS, you do not need to worry about what to wear.” When you walk down the halls of SJS, one thing you will notice is that the majority of girls are, in fact, donning a skirt of plaid fabric. It is definitely not 55-45. Not 60-30. Even 90-10 might be fairly generous. It is clear that most girls have already recognized just how much better the plaid skirt is than the red skirt, as they proudly wear plaid skirts without

When you walk down the halls of St. John’s, one thing you will notice is that the majority populous of girls is in fact donning a skirt of plaid fabric. It is not 55-45. Not 60-30. Even 90-10 might be generous. It is clear that most girls have already recognized just how much the plaid skirt is better than the red skirt. shame. We could play the numbers game all day long, but the fact of the matter remains: the plaid skirt sales at Sue Mills clearly outnumber those of reds. Furthermore, when examining the actual material of the skirts, one can

find that the plaid skirt is made of thick, durable fabric. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the red. The red skirt seems to be held together by one seam, as if it could tear at any moment. Catherine Franklin (’10) has even said, “If there’s a gust of wind, it’s over when you’re in a red skirt.” I do not know about the average skirt wearer, but if it were me, I think I’d like some clothes that can withstand the mild Houston wind without me having to worry about then staying in place. Additionally, when pondering which skirt one should wear, all that needs to be examined is basic color coordination and fashion sense. Like, duh! The plaid skirt leaves its wearer with so many more options. Plaid, especially the SJS variety, has been scientifically proven to go with both the navy and white shirts. The red, to much dismay, goes only with the white. And when one is left wearing only the white shirt, they open themselves up to a whole new set of problems. Some brave souls venture to wear the red skirt with a navy shirt, creating a color clash that brings extreme disturbance like that of a supernova. The clash is so bad that some doctors believe that if you look down from the cool navy of the shirt to the harsh red of the skirt too quickly, your eyes will immediately be stricken with glaucoma. The negatives of red skirt outweigh those of the plaid skirt greatly. The synergy of this fact, along with the positives that are brought about by the plaids, should compel any rationally thinking human being to pick plaid often, if not always. And just as an aside, it may be a stretch, but some economists are trying to link the current credit crunch to the red skirts people buy on credit that are too flimsy to continue to work. So think about the economy in your spending: buy plaid skirts.

November 2008

opinions

Freshman Folly

The freshman retreat leaves the rest of us in the dust By JOE MARTINEZ Staff Writer

For the most part, people value the company of friends. Friends can provide everything from companionship to advice. But that is, of course, once you have earned them. See, friendship requires a lot of time and effort, something not necessarily available at SJS due to the workload. While a freshman retreat can certainly help new students get acquainted with the rest of their class, it should not be in the middle of the school year, and its sudden appearance this year is not fair to the rest of the grades. I’m all for the freshman having their own retreat, but its purpose will not be best served in late fall or winter when people have already established their new friendships and already gotten used to the swing of things. What’s the point

of the retreat, then, if the new befriend the new and the old continue their already strong relationships? Then it’s not a retreat: it’s a break from school that serves no academic purpose and is unfair to the other grades. The freshman retreat should take place in the summer before the beginning of the school year, when no school will be missed. Also, if the retreat takes place in the summer, the new freshmen will have become used to their fellow classmates by the time classes resume and thus the transition to high school will be greatly eased by eliminating that element of awkwardness. And if the retreat is early enough in the summer, there will be plenty of time for freshmen to continue to further any friendships they may have already begun; by the time school starts, they could have a large and strong group of support. Also, this freshman retreat is unfair to the other grades, which did not have similar opportunities now avaliable to freshman of developing friendships early on. We had to earn our friends the hard

way, and as a result we may have wound up with a narrow group of compatriots, and then never took the time to form any other acquaintances. Who knows, there may be other much greater friends out there, but we are stuck with the ones we gained in our first year of high school. To reconcile this, all other grades should be given a retreat as well so that we may extend the pleasure of our company to those who may not have earned it yet. Consider as well the benefits that

We had to earn our friends the hard way, and as a result we may have wound up with a narrow group of compatriots, and then never took the time to form any other acquaintances. Who knows, there may be other much greater friends out there, but we are stuck with the ones we gained in our first year of high school

seem to be given to the freshmen. They have already received the area previously belonging to sophomores in addition to their couch, and these inexperienced members of the high school scene already get babied enough in their classes as it is. A retreat seems to only add to this, and if the school is holding the freshmen’s hands this much, it will be a big shock for them to enter the uphill battle that is sophomore year. A retreat in the middle of the year would then wind up being counterproductive, because students will associate that missed amount of school with that period of time, and they won’t be able to adapt to the large piles of homework that happen at that time during subsequent years. The only way to rectify this would again be to have the retreat in the summer or offer all grades a retreat. Let’s face it, any break from the stress of SJS life is welcome. But it should be wellthought out, productive, and fair to all grades. After all, since when do freshmen deserve anything more than the rest of us?

A Mondo Proposal By JOHN HAWKINS Guest Writer

Let me start out by saying that my tenure at SJS has not been marred by failures. It IS a failure. My first true project was an Intramural Hand Ball team in my sophomore year. Physical Education had unveiled the world to my virgin eyes: Hand Ball was the greatest untapped sport in the history of high school and collegiate athletics. The seemingly loose requirement for athleticism countered with the unimaginable feats of professional handball players paired with the fact that SJS had an Olympic hand ball player (Chip Van Os) to its name, made it perfect. I felt as a man does when he falls in love with a woman. Giddy. Overdosed on Dopamine. Buoyant by any measure. Chip Van Os even offered to come coach and be an Athletics Alumni supervisor of sorts. I saw similarities to the humble beginnings of the lacrosse program, from intramural to intermural to State and SPC champions. The ball seemed to require no effort to begin rolling into perpetual motion. However, the proverbial “ball” quickly rolled past the event horizon and into the singularity of a black hole where it would never escape, unless perhaps black holes lead to quasars, or black holes are really just worm holes to other places in space or other dimensions. Either way, this metaphorical ball was at least thousands of metaphorical light years away. Turnout was low. Spirits sizzled from fires to embers to ashes, and, in time, became nothing but dust. Hand ball was no more. My next attempt at assembly came in the form of a ping pong tournament league so-named the School of Herculean International Table Tennis. I began this endeavor as a bright-eyed (conor obersted) junior, who, despite the con-

stant battery of High School Life in the Social, Physical, and Psychological areas of my life, had not had my passions allayed by these blows, and my hunger for “something more” had not been swayed. My scope was infinite. I planned to promote the League with a feature-length film that a crew I had assembled would make called “The Third Ball.” The film was about a dastardly one-eyed man named Dr. Oculus, who used half of a ping pong as an eye patch and had a monopoly over the Ping Pong community, rigging every match as he saw fit. His decrees were carried out by the Triad Mafia gang, and his power was absolute until a bright eyed youngster, such as myself, by the name of Danger Doogal, takes him on...and wins. The Movie was a failure. The League was a failure. There is, however, a certain presidential speech by which all others are compared and judged by, the true bar of emotionally riveting words, which kept me going. No, it is not the Gettysburg Address, not “Yes, we can” or the Declaration of Independence. It is Bill Pullman’s address in Independence Day to not only the nation but to the world as they face existential destruction. Loosely quoting English poet Dylan Thomas, he yells, “We will not go quietly into

I still sought to bring our grade, our school, people together in that environment that only casual competitive sporting can bring, that beautiful mix of apathy and complete resolve, all in the pursuit of togetherness and hilarity. the night! We’re going to survive! We’re going to live on!” My defeats in the League had not left me given to resignation. Other projects were to be endeavored, and the pangs they brought, endured. I still sought to bring our grade, our school and people

in general together in that environment that only casual competitive sporting can bring, that beautiful mix of apathy and complete resolve, all in the pursuit of togetherness and hilarity. The League had failed within two weeks, however, and its immediate loss had left me in somewhat of a Postpartum depression that did not swiftly pass. I had mused on various other projects, but I did not fully immerse myself into the fray until the beginning of my senior year with Lawn Games. I was a huge proponent of competitive lawn games, and I was slated to become tournament organizer, but confusion over who held possession over the Quad, and further flame to the fire of that chaos added in the form of Hurricane Ike left Lawn Games in more than an awkward place. Lawn Games was a shambles. The Lawn, itself, was shambles. Frankly, I was in shambles. And from these harsh times came an idea so pure, so majestic, a stroke of genius so far beyond compare, that it pulled me from this pit of despair. It is true that times of general calamity and confusion have ever been productive of the greatest minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace, and the brightest thunderbolt is elicited from the darkest storm. That is what the Mondo Basketball Association (MBA) is. A lightning bolt. A glistening gem. We must give this League the verbage it is due. Please, come with me to the next paragraph, reader and fellow human being. In the times of antiquity, men came together to play a certain “mesoamerican ballgame” to honor the gods, where the losing team would be sacrificed. Well, in Mondo basketball, the losers lose their pride, not their lives (though I still fail to see a true distinction between the two), and we don’t honor the gods, we honor Grant Williams (likewisely failing to see the line between the two). The idea for this massive, Upper Schoolwide, 3-on-3 Basketball league germinated in the computer lab one Monday,

as the co-creators (Kyle Sparks, Grant Williams, Buddy Carruth, and John Hawkins), all had major papers due on Shakespeare within 24 hours and blank word documents on their desktop. We knew where the pressing matter lay: Mondo Basketball. That idea has now germinated and blossomed from seed to sproutling, to a sweet flower for the sense of smell and a ripe fruit for the sense of taste. But this sweet fruit still calls from its stoop on the tree, begging to have the deal consummated, and the nutrients absorbed. There has been great approval and participation from the small ring of fellowmen that surround this League’s creators, but still further teams are called upon to combat, more men are needed to make this league both what it deserves to be and what we deserve from it. After all, its aim is togetherness. The greatest men look to this League, this game, for purpose in their lives. When asking, “What does it all mean?” one answer seems to always pop up. It was Langston Hughes that said, “Hold fast to [Mondo Basketball], for if [Mondo Basketball] dies, life is a broken bird that cannot fly.” The great Unknown said, “[Mondo Basketball] makes all things possible, makes all things easy, makes all things work.” Thoreau said, “The mass of men lead lives of [Mondo Basketball],” and even the late baptist pastor, Martin Luther King, said, “I have a [t]eam, [I need a basketball].” Even Gods such as Lord Raiden of Mortal Kombat said something to the effect that “[Mondo Basketball] is not about death, but life.” Certainly, there are the skeptics. Nietzsche, in a time of exquisite sadness, once claimed there were “two great European narcotics: alcohol and [Mondo Basketball],” but he has sparse company. This league’s aim was ultimately togetherness, and we hope that teams of 3 or 4 from all grades decide they will join. Our arms are extended; we desire your company. Please, my fellow classmates, aid me. I cannot handle another failure.

a&e 21 HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR November 2008

The Review

Pass

By ALLEGRA FRADKIN

Fail? By CAROLINE GIBSON

KAT OSHMAN | The Review

As a student at SJS, I find it hard to imagine one of my peers being accepted early decision to Stanford without having ever stepped foot in a classroom or cracked open a textbook. It is impossible to picture an entire gym, cafeteria or football field full of students breaking out into spontaneous but impeccably choreographed song and dance. Clearly, High School Musical 3: Senior Year does not give the most realistic portrayal of high school life, but maybe that detachment is part of its appeal. The film’s target is the tween set, which explains the idealized depiction of the upper school experience. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors alike can appreciate the movie not because it is relatable but because it is, in a way, nostalgic of elementary and middle school days when everyone was in a rush to grow up and experience high school, the epitome of coolness. With its catchy pop songs, ornate costumes, eye-catching sets and large-scale choreography, HSM3 has obvious appeal. As a threequel, the movie has already earned a devoted audience, a crowd of mostly pre-teen girls who worship the star basketball player Troy Bolton (played by Zac Efron). These female fans envy Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens), who shares a G-rated kiss with Troy near the end of the movie. Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale, postnose job) is the character HSM fans love to hate, whether because of her snide comments or her unapologetic arrogance. From the very beginning of HSM3, you will be on the edge of your seat. The first scene is set in the East High gymnasium. It is the last basketball game of the season and Troy’s last time ever to wear the Wildcats jersey. Sixteen minutes remain, and he is feeling the pressure. The team returns from their final timeout, pumped up and ready to play, and beat the West High Knights. The color-coordinated fans in the bleachers break out into the upbeat song “Now or Never,” complete with elaborate choreography, and you can guess which team ends up victorious. The suspense heightens as the seniors’ last day of high school draws near. With prom and graduation impending, the seniors contemplate their goals for the future, including which colleges to attend. Vanessa is accepted early to Stanford but worries about being so far away from Troy, who initially plans to attend the

University of Albuquerque to pursue his Zac Efron may be easy on the eyes, basketball dreams. but no matter how angelic his looks, Troy, however, is torn between U of A, they sadly cannot make up for the his father’s alma mater and the school his cheesiness of the rest of the movie. best friend Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu) I was hoping that, at the very least, will be attending, and a school where the outdoor scenes in High School he can hone his theatrical talent. Troy, Musical 3: Senior Year would actually Sharpay, Sharpay’s brother Ryan Evans be filmed outdoors. But despite the (Lucas Grabeel) and composing prodigy fact that this is an actual film that was Kelsi Nielsen (Olesya Rulin) are all comreleased in theaters, I was let down. peting for one scholarship to the musical After two previous movies that have theater department of Juilliard. scenery ranging from cheesy mounMeanwhile, the East High senior class tain backdrops to plastic grass, I did is putting on a final musical entitled, you not expect to see fake stars and trees guessed it, High School Musical: Senior simultaneously in the second scene of Year. Confusion ensues as there is comthe film. petion for the main part and a dire need The music, though good, was prefor understudies. dictable: just the same old love and Excitement and energy, both on screen self-discovery type stuff as the first and in the audience, could be recognized two soundtracks. throughout the movie. On the night of Also, I did not understand some the premiere, of the transigirls from ages tions in the six to 16, some movie. It was dressed as their quite confusfavorite HSM ing at times characters, and hard to shrieked as discern if a soon as Efron, scene was dripping sweat, supposed to appeared on be imagined screen defendor real. For ing an oppoexample, nent on the when Sharpay court. The and Ryan Evscreams conans imagine tinued when traversing the Troy revealed world as suhis undershirt perstars, they in a locker are surroundroom scene. ed by comThe rooftop pletely fake scene, in which scenery and Troy and Gado not even briella skip try to conceal class to waltz that they’re in the rain, also walking from earned quite one stage set a few shouts on a beach to of “I love you, ALLEGRA FRADKIN | The Review another one A group of freshmen attends the film’s premiere. in a club. AfZac!” Some of the ter the sucmost memorable musical numbers are cess of the two first two High School Sharpay’s selfish “I Want It All,” Troy Musicals, I should think the budget and Chad’s “The Boys Are Back,” which would have allowed them to actually takes place in an automotive junkyard, fly to a beach to film this scene. and “We’re All in This Together (GraduBesides the horribly predictable alation Mix).” most-breakup of Troy and Gabriella, High School Musical 3: Senior Year the real problem with this movie was has a universal appeal because of its the amount of spankies I saw. charismatic young actors, its lively and Vanessa Hudgens’ daily school attire light-hearted script, its intricate dance consisted of really high heels and a numbers and the inspirational messages short and low-cut flowery dress. With it sends. all the twirls and lifts of the dances I

think I saw too much skin for an apparently G rated movie. As much as I wanted to like it, it is impossible to like a movie just for the movie when it is so lacking in originality. There is nothing that reveals more about a culture than the movies that have found success within that place and time. Movies are a reflection of our societal ideals, what we relate to and how we want to feel in the atmosphere that characterizes each decade here in the US. If this is the movie that tells what the tweens of our world look up to right now, then maybe Disney should keep in mind their audience when dressing their characters or promoting stereotypes. The songs are generic and overproduced and provide nothing new that might push the limits of society or inspire a someone to voice their opinions. If the incredible fakeness of this movie, which is apparent in the scenery, acting, clothes, hair, makeup and characters themselves, is what the young people of our society aspire to today, then we might as well say that we are no longer spiraling downward towards a materialistic world with no imagination but have instead hit rock bottom. It would indeed be regrettable if a film series of this caliber were to go down in history as the defining movie of our nation’s youth. Certainly there is little substance to the HSM series, but that even the style is lacking in authenticity lays bare the sad truth that there is something wrong with these movies. Still, I think everyone should see HSM3, whether to laugh at the forced wit or to mock the inaccurate portrayals of teen angst. I mean, your life isn’t complete in this day and age if you haven’t witnessed the complete High School Musical trilogy. However, I excuse everyone from seeing the next one. (Yes, they’ve already set up the characters for the next one because Disney is going to milk this series for all its worth and probably still won’t relinquish a single dime to do an actual outdoor scene.) However, it’s much better than HSM2. So unless you want to become the only one at SJS who hasn’t seen this movie, head to the theater within the week because we are, after all, “all in this together.”

November

a&e

Choral concert offers diverse repertoire Pieces range from Newfoundland folk song to all-American swing By ALLEGRA FRADKIN The Fall Choral Concert, featuring the Lower, Middle and Upper School choirs, took place on Oct. 20 in the Lowe Theater. Performers included the Upper School Handbell Choir, Boy Choir, St. John’s Singers, Cantatores, Les Chanteuses, Kantorei and Chorale. Songs from a variety of genres were performed. “Cantate Domino” and “Domine Deus” were sung in Latin. The program incorporated international numbers like the Brazilian psalm “Alleluia,” a Newfoundland folk song called “A Great Big Sea” and a Bosnian folk song entitled “Ne Sedi, Djemo,” about a girl whose sister is stolen by Turks. Other songs, including “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing” and “Ol’ Dan Tucker” stuck to more all-American themes. The evening began with the SJS Handbell Choir’s lively rendition of “Celebration in F” by Michael R. Keller, and the

bubbly energy carried on through the final song, Chorale’s upbeat “Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit,” a spiritual arranged by Bob Chilcott. Some songs performed were based on famous poems. For example, “This Shall

The Upper School Handbell Choir, a new component of the Fine Arts program, enjoyed its first concert performance. Be for Music” was originally a work by Robert Louis Stevenson entitled “Romance.” “Amor De Mi Alma” was written by the Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega. The piece “Animal Crackers,” based on a series of poems by Ogden Nash, included three parts: “The Pan-

ther,” “The Cow” and “The Firefly.” Scott Wise (’11), a member of Chorale, said performing “The Cow” was hard for him because of his deep voice. He said the poem was a challenge because “the basses have to sing the word ‘moo’ really loud and really high.” Wise was able to overcome his vocal limitations when it came time for the concert, as he recited “The cow is of the bovine ilk. One end is moo, the other is milk.” A gospel song called “Go Down, Moses,” is a favorite of Molly Martin (’11) and Haley Sparks (’11), both members of Les Chanteuses. Martin said she liked the song because it was “really exciting,” especially when she got to snap along with the beat. Sparks said she enjoyed the concert because it was an opportunity to dress up and finally show “what [she’s] been working on.” Claire Kinkaid (’12), of Les Chanteuses, said the fall performance was the choir’s first concert and they “had to work really hard to make up the

time lost due to Ike.” The various choirs were accompanied by Darrel Parrish on percussion, double-bass and electric bass, Travis Foster on percussion, spoons and drums and Meredith Gamble (’10) on the fiddle. “Mr. Parrish seemed really excited while rocking out on the bass,” Kinkaid said. The Upper School Handbell Choir, a new component of the SJS Fine Arts program, enjoyed its first concert performance. It had performed previously Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” from the Planets Suite. Judging by the audience’s reception of the music, the Fall Choral Concert was a great kickoff for the SJS fine arts events to come. Such events include the Candlelight concert in December, the upper school choral and instrumental concert in February and the Spring Choral Concert in April.

Brushing up on Houston’s art scene Caroline Gibson (‘11) explores galleries on Colquitt St. berry Galle s d ol A “3-D art only” ry

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policy is firmly in place at the Goldsberry Gallery. Mr. Goldsberry’s gallery has a wide variety of sculpture, from glass to painted Hooks is an art gallery all metal to large stone figurines. Some of the on its own; the room displays art pieces are cartoonish busts of businessglass sculpture and artwork all the men done by an artist from Russia, but Mr. way to the ceiling on glass shelves. The Goldsberry said he usually supports local artgallery owner majored in music and the- ists. One artist who displays his wall-hanging ater in college and went into the gallery pieces in the gallery is actually a teacher at the business almost thirty years ago. Her former High School of the Performing and Visual business partner was her sister-in-law, Ms. Arts. There are several types of art feaEpstein, who no longer helps manage but retured in the gallery. A pop-art mobile tains her name in the gallery’s title. In the hangs next to a stone-carved mesh back of the gallery is a room bursting with of figurines while cases dispaintings and glass sculpture. The conplay jewelry and glasscentration of so much art in contrast ware. to the minimalist showing of the If you artist in the front room was need a piece of art, breathtaking. whether it be for a mantel piece or a bathroom, then you are the ideal Thornwood Gallery customer. This gallery showcases contemporary art while keeping in mind what the average person would hang in his or her home. Upon walking in, I was jumped on warmly by a dog named Tifany. Tiffany was introduced to me by Jennifer Leggett, who works in the gallery as the “official greeter.”Apart from the dog to make you feel at home, the art in the gallery is varied from abstract to impressionistic to landscape. The wall pieces are fun and bright and textured – exactly the Thornwoodkind of The John Cleary art I want in my house Gallery is epitomized by someday. “Over the years I the framed set of photographs have found it easier, in a of John Cleary, the late founder of way, to sell other people’s talents the gallery. Each photograph is labeled than my own,” gallery owner Thom with the decade the picture was taken in, Andriola said. The art that occupies the with photos ranging from the ‘30s to the ‘90s. New Gallery is always more cutting-edge than its competitors, according to Mr. An- From the set of images, one can gather that driola. He said that his was one of the first this man was quite a character.The rest of the abstract galleries in Houston and has since gallery houses a multitude of photographs and continued to evolve. Mr. Andriola’s one re- digitally altered images. The showcased photographer when I was there was Elliott Erquirement, though, for an artist to showwitt, whose subjects included Jacqueline case work in his space is that the work Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Grace “must speak of greatness.” The ambiKelly. Another showcased artist tious gallery owner continues to uses pieces of pictures as a supply Houston with progrespainter uses paint. sive art and truly houses masterpieces.

Hooks Ga n i l te The office of Ms. le

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November 2008

Nights at the opera Two students give regular operatic performances By SARAH KOSLOV Competing in a professional field is usually a daunting task awaiting college grads. However, Joan Scheirman (’10) and Kate Clarke (’11) have been working in professional opera productions since they were in elementary school. Scheirman has been in five professional opera productions: once in Tosca and twice in both The Magic Flute and The Little Prince. Schierman entered the field at her mother’s encouragement, and said that her favorite role has been the Genie in The Magic Flute. Joan said she feels “completely at ease” working with adults in the opera. As far as working in a professional environment goes, “even if you are a kid, you are treated the same [as the adults] and still have the exact same responsibilities,” Schierman said. “We are friends with all of the adults…It’s probably not as scary as people might think.” Clarke added, “They are so talented, lighthearted, and fun about the whole thing.” Working as a team, the artists are truly invested in making the production pleasurable for the viewers as well as the participants in the show. They work as a team.

“Opera adults aren’t as uptight as everyone thinks. They are actually great. I love them,” she said. Clarke has been in several professional productions to date, and she is currently in Girl’s Chorus. Previously, she has been in Hansel and Gretel, and her favorite part was in Carmen. “I got to be the first person to run on stage,” she said. “It was fun for a minute to have the whole stage to myself.” The time commitment required to work professionally in the arts proves very demanding. “Once you get into dress rehearsals, you have to be there every day and night,” Scheirman said. “I had to miss horse back riding my winter season.” Furthermore, Clarke said, “School and opera is always a hard balance: you have to be there all the time and use your breaks wisely.” Clarke has had to work overtime on the weekends to prepare for school and opera practice in the upcoming weeks. Working in Girl’s Chorus, she said, is very time consuming. In November she will be singing with them at a cathedral in “Ceremony of Carols.” Clarke works with a voice teacher and several other coaches during the year. She said she hopes to join the High School Voice

JENNY LEWIS | The Review

Joan Scheirman (‘10) and Kate Program her junior year, which is a program designed to help singers like Clarke and Scheirman fine-tune their training and find a college that suits their operatic needs. “[Opera] is definitely something I am interested in after college,” Clarke said. Scheirman considers her experiences in opera a good opportunity, but would rather pursue other forms of singing. The singers’ experiences in Opera

Clarke (‘10) joke around offstage. have exposed them to many people, and they have found their professional performances fulfilling despite the sacrifices they have made. While their singing may take them on different routes, both Scheirman and Clarke agree that their experiences in opera have been rewarding. “It is my passion to sing…all of my life,” Clarke said. “It’s going to be something I [can] remember and reflect on.”

“And now for something

com

plete

different...” ANOUSHKA SINHA | The Review

Two SJS students direct and perform in series of Monty Python skits By TIFFANY SHYU

Elaine Flowers (’10) and Anna Ziemnicki (’09) will be directing and acting in a collection of skits from Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. “The idea came around when Anna and I were just hanging out and we were quoting some Monty Python. Then [we thought], ‘Why don’t we do some skits on Monty Python since we’re both big fans?’” Flowers said. “We knew the casts for the other two Upper School shows were rather small, and it just seemed like a good idea because we both like Monty Python,” Ziemnicki said. Technically, the series of skits that Flowers and Anna are now working on does not comprise an ISP. “We haven’t talked with Dr. Raulston about it,” Flowers said, “but we also don’t have to worry about whether it’s being graded at all.” Auditions, which Flowers said “turned out to be a great success”, were held in early

October, and rehearsals started the week of Oct. 20. “It’s kind of hard getting everyone together, considering we have [about] 27 people on the cast. It’ll be a crazy schedule, but we’re still forging ahead,” Ziemnicki said. The skits that will be performed are “Argument Clinic,” “Silly Job Interview,” “Police Station,” “Bloody Peasants” and “French Taunting” (both from Monty Python and the Holy Grail), “Pet Shop,” “Déjà Vu” and “Spanish Inquisition.” “A lot of the skits that we chose originally were meant to fit around a certain set that we could easily make,” Flowers explained. “Most of them include desks or tables, which is easy, but once we started thinking [more], we expanded [our project] into sketches that included ‘Spanish Inquisition’, which is another easy set, but then we also have ‘French Taunting,’ which might be a little more difficult but also a lot more fun,” she added. There are also many other people who are helping Flow-

ers and Ziemnicki out with their project. Theatre and multimedia teacher Anthony Leakey, for example, is sponsoring Flowers’ and Ziemnicki’s project and will also be directing one or two of the sketches. “We also have a lot of the fine arts department’s teachers, so they’ll be coming in and helping out with the set,” Flowers said. The dramatic and organizational aspects of the project are no easy task. “There are quick changes and completely changing acting attitudes,” Flowers said, “but something that’s also going to be fun is that Anna and I are going to be actually doing ‘Pet Shop’ together.” “I really wanted to see some-

thing cool before I leave,” Ziemnicki said, “and…it was something we could do and not have a lot of regulations and guidelines.” “I’m really looking forward to it,” Ziemnicki continued, adding “I’ll be excited to see how it all turns out. We’ve got a great cast, a funny group of actors and I think it’ll be awesome.”

odds&ends Thumbs Thumbs down up all-school pep rally outside mural painting surpasses expectations art club pumpkin carving

the falcons school censorship of senior mural kinkaid game takes place of halloween

Word for Word

Staffer of the Issue

“Yeah, Agnès is beautiful, but she’s really stupid.” “So she’s like the Sarah Palin of France.” —Mme Vest and Annie Gallay (‘10), discussing a character in French literature

Stuart really helped out the Editorial Board this month. Although his work for the November issue was exemplary, Stuart distinguished himself by writing two extra articles for The Review’s satire issue. The editors could not have finished the satire issue withStuart Dickerson out Stuart’s articles and appreciate all of his hard work. (‘10)

“Leave that table alone. That table has rabies.” —Ms. Sanford, rehearsing The Foreigner “I wrote my college essay on that book!” —Amber Malloy (‘09), to a group of people insulting Twilight “What they lack in electoral clout they make up for with speed in burlap.” —Mr. Popp on the Independent Party’s student representatives winning the sack race “Ask yourself what the Canadians would do, and then do the exact opposite.” —Dr. Sharp, giving advice on a math problem “What if we’re feeling particularly unproductive today?” “How is that different from any other day?” —Nihal Ramchandani (‘09) and Ms. Childress

Photo of the Issue

Photo courtesy of Hannah Smith

Angus Mitchell (‘09) tries on 13 pairs of goggles in AP Biology.

sixty seconds with ariel malloy (‘11)

JENNY LEWIS | The Review

name ariel malloy grade sophomore relationship status it’s way more complicated than facebook can say sjs cafeteria item corn muffins and ice cream sport to play badminton, if i only knew how to play it sport to watch basketball if i did an olympic sport it would be handball professional sports team indianapolis colts, according to sam dunn music any mix of jo bros and hannah montana tv show anything delicious (aka the hills) book anything twilight starbucks venti shaken passion fruit iced tea lemonade sue mills item sweaters restaurant potbelly comfort food pazookies fast food taco bell vegetable lettuce breakfast food biscuits facebook or myspace? f-book color purple dream vacation australia dream date anything with nick jonas sing in the shower? no kids? 4 kids’ names? luke, mon, baba, jidé when i grow up i wanna be famous, i wanna be a star, i wanna be in movies if i were an inanimate object i would be a phone when i grow up i want to live in england favorite spot on the sjs campus cafeteria motto go hard, or go home do you read the review? the 60 seconds part