November 2020

THE REVIEW NOVEMBER 11, 2020

A SENSE OF COLLECTIVE LOSS 2020

How young people are grappling with the realities of life during a pandemic PAGE 8 STORY BY NOURA JABIR & ABIGAIL POAG

SJSREVIE W.COM VOLUME 72

. ISSUE 1

ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL . 2401 CL AREMONT LN . HOUSTON, TX . 77019

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COVER DESIGN BY Grace Randall

WHAT’S INSIDE THE BATTLE FOR TEXAS 7TH

SJS graduates Fletcher, Hunt vie for Congressional seat

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TEACHER’S NAME TIKTOK BOOSTS CAUSES CHAOS SOCIAL ACTIVISM What’s in a name?

Raulston, Rawson and Rolston find out

Students find safe space to share political expression

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PAGE 11

NEWS

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NOVEMBER 11, 2020

TIMBER! High winds cause 30-foot branch to crash Spikeball game; seniors barely escape without injury

Nicolas Muñoz and Michael Daichman retrieve their phones from underneath a damaged Spikeball net after a tree limb fell onto the Quad. Students had left their phones under the net during their game earlier that afternoon.

PHOTO BY Grace Randall

By Noura Jabir and Ella West

C

hris Curran was in her first-floor office when she looked out her window and noticed fallen leaves swirling in an unusual pattern on the Quad. Concerned about the prospect of severe weather, she superstitiously knocked on her wooden desk.

Then she heard a loud crack.

At approximately 2:36 p.m. on Oct. 23, a 30-foot branch splintered from a live oak tree in the center of the Quad, falling dangerously close to a group of seniors playing Spikeball. Other than a minor scratch on Ken Matsunaga’s leg, no one was injured.

The students — William Stingl, Michael Daichman, Luke Alexander, Nicolas Muñoz, Aidan Via and Matsunaga — had reached matchpoint in their game when the temperature “dropped ten degrees,” a gust of wind rustled the trees and a sharp cracking noise rang out across the Quad.

“I thought it was lightning,” Stingl said. “I look up, and this massive branch is about to fall.”

According to Alexander, the boys reacted swiftly, “bolting out of the way.”

“That’s all we could do,” Alexander said.

When Curran, Associate Head of School, saw that no students had been harmed, she felt a flood of relief.

“We are responsible for a lot, but students' safety and the safety of our staff is truly our number one priority,” said Curran. “I'm grateful we have such agile students.”

Director of Curriculum Dwight Raulston (’71) witnessed the branch’s fall from the Quad patio, where he had been reading prior to the incident.

“The wind kept coming faster, and you could see the tree’s big branches [swirling] around,” Raulston said.

“I started to text my wife about the weather, and that’s when there was a big crack.”

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We were all just screaming like banshees.

LUKE ALEXANDER English teachers Clay Guinn (’92), Warren Rawson and Kristiane Stapleton, who were inside Rawson’s first-floor classroom, rushed onto the Quad upon hearing what sounded like a “shotgun blast.”

“We all jumped two feet off the ground and ran outside to see the boys scattering,” Rawson said.

As soon as the branch landed, students began congregating on the Quad.

“We were all just screaming like banshees,” Alexander said.

Several faculty members exited their classrooms and directed students to move away from the debris.

“

Sometimes near imminent death, you get that feeling that tells you to get out of the way. I felt that feeling, and I got out of the way.

WILLIAM STINGL Anne-Charlotte Gillard, a senior, was on a Zoom call during the incident. From her vantage point on the Quad patio, it looked as though the Spikeball players “almost died.”

Stingl was relieved that his reflexes prevented him from sustaining any injuries.

“Sometimes near imminent death, you get that feeling that tells you to get out of the way,” Stingl said. “I felt that feeling, and I got out of the way.”

After the incident, the staff secured the area and Head of Safety and Facilities Richard Still contacted a tree service company to request an examination of the Quad’s trees.

It was determined that the tree was diseased, so its limbs were cut off the next morning. Still says the entire tree will eventually be removed.

The School has trees inspected and pruned annually to ensure that wind can travel through the canopies without causing branches to fall.

“It was a little too close for comfort, but I'm glad everyone is well,” Curran said. “Luckily, the only casualty was a Spikeball.”

Curran considers the trees on campus some of the prettiest in Houston.

“I love the trees, but now I'm looking at them a little differently.”

Dwight Raulston, Director of Curriculum, contemplates the fallen limb. He had been reading on the Quad patio when the branch fell.

PHOTO BY Grace Randall

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

SJSREVIEW.COM

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Congressional campaign pits Mavericks Fletcher, Hunt

Lizzie Pannill Fletcher ('93) and Wesley Hunt ('00), as they appeared in their SJS senior yearbook portraits. Fletcher was a features editor for the Review and head cheerleader. Hunt captained the football and basketball teams. (Design based on the New York Times "Debatable" column.)

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN BY Grace Randall

By Ella West

I

n a marquee election for Texas’ 7th Congressional District, a traditionally Republican stronghold until 2018, St. John’s alums Lizzie Fletcher and Wesley Hunt went head to head on Nov. 3, with Fletcher winning reelection by over 10,000 votes.

Congresswoman Fletcher (’93) was victorious in her first-ever campaign when she defeated John Culberson as part of the “Blue Wave” of 2018 that shifted the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district had been represented since 1967 by Republicans, including future president George H. W. Bush.

One of Fletcher’s proudest accomplishments in her first term has been teaming up with Republican colleagues to pass the Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act, a bill that sought to accelerate disaster recovery funding by cutting federal red tape. The bill passed in December with bipartisan support, 409 to 7, during one of the most politically charged sessions of Congress.

“This bill is just one example of common-sense, meaningful legislation,” Fletcher said in a phone interview with the Review. “And this was a result of a partnership with our community in Houston in order to address challenges that we saw after Hurricane Harvey to come up with a solution that would benefit all Americans.”

“

It's fair to say that my experience at St. John’s helped shape my values, beliefs and worldview.

The emphasis on intellectual curiosity, on learning, on community and on selfless service is really central to my values and my worldview today.

LIZZIE FLETCHER Hunt (’00) is a newcomer to politics who won the Republican primary outright in March. A West Point graduate, he spent eight years in the Army as an Aviation Branch Officer. He touts his military experience as preparation for seeking elected office.

“I have been engaged by the enemy, and I have had to

engage the enemy with lethal force as well,” Hunt said in a phone interview. “When you are in a position like that, you have to be very cautious and judicious with what you do because your life and other people’s lives are on the line. That experience is similar to what running for office is like.”

Fletcher has campaigned against other SJS alums before. She won the 2018 Democratic primary against a crowded field that included Alex Triantaphyllis (’02) in the first round and Laura Moser (’95) in the runoff.

“The number of St. John’s students involved in politics really speaks to the engagement of the students and the emphasis on service that was such an important part of our time at St John's,” Fletcher said.

Hunt agrees that having two alums running in the same district is a reflection on St. John’s.

“It just goes to show that [St. John’s] is a very special place because you have two people running for Congress from the same high school that come from very different backgrounds. Yet here we are, from the same high school, running for the same seat, but from different parties,” Hunt said. “St. John’s [teaches you] how to think, not what to think.”

Including Fletcher, three members of her Washington D.C. team are SJS alums: Chief of Staff Sarah Kaplan Feinmann (‘07) and Senior Legislative Assistant Cameron Hull (’14).

“We have the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s covered,” Fletcher said. “I’m really proud of what our team has done during my first term in office.”

Fletcher cited the Big Bend trip in eighth grade as the most meaningful experience in her 13 years at St. John’s.

As a senior, she was the features editor for the Review and head cheerleader.

“It's fair to say that my experience at St. John’s helped shape my values, beliefs and worldview,” Fletcher said.

“The emphasis on intellectual curiosity, on learning, on community and on selfless service is really central to my values in my worldview today.”

Fletcher took her experiences from both SJS and Houston to the Capitol during her first term.

“My campaign has always been about taking Houston values to Washington,” Fletcher said. “Our core community values in Houston are inclusion, innovation and collaboration, and that is exactly what my campaign has really been about. I have been committed to working to ensure that these values result in progress in equality and opportunity for all Americans.”

As a student, Hunt was captain of both the football and basketball teams. He still frequents the St. John’s weight room to stay in shape.

Hunt credits St. John’s with providing him a safe space to become the person he is despite being only one of a handful of Black students.

“Being a minority in a predominately white environment, I got used to believing who I was as a person and not seeking validation from others,” Hunt said.

“

What I will forever be indebted to St. John's for is that SJS taught me how to think, not what to think.

WESLEY HUNT Hunt, who is also a member of the St. John’s Board of Trustees, said he values his St. John’s community ties.

“Running for Congress in a city like Houston, the connections that I have made here have formed the most important network of my entire life now that I am running for office,” he said.

Hunt’s time in the military influenced his political beliefs as well.

“My experiences, in particular my military service, church and values, guided me to being a Republican,” Hunt said. “I am less focused on divisions of race and less engaged in that because I have been trained over time to look at values and character way before I am concerned about someone’s race, religion or sexual orientation.”

Hunt is also connected to the School through his sister D’Hania, who is an Associate Director of Admission.

Hunt was the 2014 Commencement speaker and most recently spoke at Veterans Day Chapel last year.

Fletcher has organized class reunions and kept in touch with classmates and former teachers. She has spoken to WHEE and SPEC, and in 2018, she participated in a Review podcast with sisters Shelley Stein (‘88), a French teacher, Review adviser and SJS parent, and author and fellow SJS parent Katherine Center (’90). Together, they keep Fletcher up-to-date on campus news.

Fletcher will be sworn in on Jan. 3.

Additional reporting by Max Beard

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FEATURES

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

ADVENTURES IN GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT

William Sanders takes orders at the Whataburger drive-thru near campus. Sanders says his experience has helped foster his respect for food service workers, especially during the pandemic.

Baskin-Robbins employee Lauren Fulghum serves some St. John’s customers. Fulghum has improved her communication skills while enforcing the corporate mask policy.

Dair McFarland prepares for a full day of oyster farming with Peeko Oysters. McFarland sorted through oyster cages, a process that could take up to four hours per cage.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF William Sanders, Lauren Fulghum and Dair McFarland

Though pandemic persists, students get to work

By Julia Smith and Gabrielle Solymosy Students seek out employment opportunities amidst Covid-19 pandemic, adapting to new workplace norms.

D

air McFarland traded summer tranquility for lengthy shifts at Peeko Oysters in Long Island, New York.

McFarland, a junior, began work every day at 7 a.m. when he headed down to the dock with his boss to farm oysters.

They took the boat out to oyster cages where they meticulously sorted through the oysters by hand, a process that sometimes took up to four hours for a single cage.

“There’s a mental part of being an oyster farmer,” McFarland said.

“You wake up and do the same thing for eight hours a day, five days a week.”

Such was summer vacation during a pandemic for multiple Mavericks, when international flights, college trips and sleepaway camp were but a distant memory.

Anna Center, a senior, performed almost every facet of her job as a data analyst from the comfort of her bedroom.

The job was completely virtual, allowing Center to set her own hours. She often worked in her pajamas from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. and checked in with her employer in the afternoon.

“It would be very unique to get a job like that again,” she said. “The pandemic definitely shifted how I could work.”

DATA COURTESY OF The Quadrangle

Other students found more conventional jobs that required their presence in person. Seniors Owen Butler and William Sanders worked as drive-thru cashiers at the Whataburger near campus.

“Everyone should work in fast food at least once in their life,” Sanders said.

“It’s an entry-level job, but it’s not easy.”

Because he enjoyed the experience so much, Sanders opted to continue working at the iconic burger joint throughout the school year.

When the summer spike in Covid-19 cases disrupted the workplace, students faced additional challenges enforcing safety policies.

Senior Lauren Fulghum, who began working at Baskin-Robbins over the summer, struggles to make sure customers comply with the company’s requirement that patrons wear masks inside the store.

Fulghum is “shocked” by the number of people that refuse to put on a mask.

“I don't want to cause a commotion,” she said.

“I just want to keep the customers safe.”

Henry Miller, a senior who works as a receptionist at Roosters Men’s Grooming Center, likewise encounters uncooperative customers.

“People will come in and have the mask not completely over their nose,” Miller said. “I’ve tried to reason with them and ask them to pull it up, but they are indignant.”

As many businesses struggled economically, some student employees felt additional workplace pressures.

Peeko Oysters saw slower sales to restaurants and individual customers. Employees did their best to assist the small business when possible.

“We were working really hard all day, every day to keep the company up,” McFarland said.

At the barber shop, Miller experienced similar challenges.

“They were only operating at half capacity, and they struggled a little bit,” Miller said. “I’ve been happy to help them in any way I can.”

Working on an oyster boat, McFarland developed specialized skills. He learned how to select the best oysters for market and practiced “tumbling” oysters to facilitate growth into the proper shape.

“I definitely know more about the oyster industry than I probably ever needed to know,” McFarland said.

Miller’s experiences as a receptionist have improved his punctuality both in and outside the workplace.

“Being put in a position where the quality of my work puts actual money on the line [gave] me motivation to be punctual,” Miller said. “I’ve been consistently on time to the job, and I’ve noticed in my regular life that I've been better about being on time.”

Fulghum’s role in the service industry taught her the importance of open communication.

“I’ve learned about negotiation, compromise and asserting myself."

DESIGN BY Bailey Maierson

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

SJSREVIEW.COM

5

The three R's: New teacher’s name causes chaos

DR. RAULSTON (RAWL-ston)

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(ROLL-ston)

(RAW-son)

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY Matthew Hensel and Lexi Guo

By Ethan Kinsella hen first-year English teacher Dorian Rolston came to St. John’s, he had no idea of the disarray his name would cause. Soon after his arrival, he received chaotic, misplaced emails and student complaints.

To Rolston’s surprise, two teachers with nearly homophonous last names had been teaching at the School for years: English teacher Warren Rawson and longtime math and science teacher Dwight Raulston (‘71), who is also Director of Curriculum.

“I first learned of it through students, who seemed to be grumbling about the fact that there was all this confusion of names sounding like mine,” Rolston said. “Mostly, they’ve been complaining that it’s hard to keep all the names straight.”

Rolston has witnessed this confusion in several ways.

Some students have referred to him as “Rawson” or “Raulston,” while others have contacted one of the other two teachers when attempting to reach him.

MR. ROLSTON

DR. RAWSON

Recently, Raulston received an email from a student who was going to be late for English class. Knowing the message was likely meant for one of the other teachers, he forwarded it to them. The three colleagues then conversed through an email chain to discern which of them it was meant for.

“I forwarded it to both of them, and said: ‘I assume this must be one of yours, because I’m not teaching English anymore,’” Raulston said. “I didn’t even recognize the name, so that was not my student.”

Even before Rolston joined the faculty, Raulston and Rawson had been getting the wrong emails for years.

When Rolston was first interviewing for his position, faculty members immediately noted the similarity.

“When he interviewed, of course, just about the first thing everyone laughed about was his last name,” Rawson said.

Rawson, predicting more confusion to come, soon discovered even more similarities between himself and

Rolston. Not only are their names similar, but their interests align: both teachers are avid tennis players.

Rawson dealt with similar problems after joining the School in 2013. Since Raulston was already well-known, some parents and teachers would confuse Rawson for his colleague—especially since both used the honorific “Dr.” before their names.

“People assumed my name was a mistake,” Rawson said. “He has the recognition that comes with being here for 30-plus years. This is my eighth, so what do I expect?”

Despite the inconveniences, Raulston maintains his sense of humor.

“It’s more understandable when it’s students. When it’s colleagues, I still think it’s funny,” Raulston said. “I’m sure it was annoying to [Rawson], but on one level, it’s kind of what people tend to do when their minds are elsewhere.”

'We bleed red and black': Mercado family boasts 3 generations at SJS

By Louis Faillace, Kate Vo and Ella West

W

hen Suzanne Jonsson Mercado started her career at St. John’s in 1948, she unknowingly began a multi-generational family employment streak at the School. This fall, seven decades later, her grandson William (’14) has taken a job as a full-time substitute and coach, joining his parents, Richie (’79) and Brenda, on staff.

The Mercados are likely the first family to have had three successive generations employed at the School since its founding in 1946.

“Everyone in the Mercado family is wonderful, and they have been here for such a long time,” said coach Stobie Whitmore (’68), who has worked on campus since 1982. “If you do the math and count up the time they spent at St. John’s, it’s unreal. It’s just an amazing family history.”

Suzy taught history and later English. Eventually, her husband Arnold took a job teaching Spanish and coaching basketball. In 1969, his final year at the School, Arnold won the Outstanding Faculty award.

Before the School had a formalized community service program, Arnold, whose parents were Puerto Rican, would chaperone an annual trip to Mexico.

Upon her retirement, Suzy was granted Faculty Emerita status, an honor bestowed upon veteran teachers who serve at least 25 years and have made a lasting impact.

The Suzy Mercado Scholarship Fund was established in the late 1990s to honor her legacy.

Suzy and Arnold’s son Richie graduated from St. John’s in 1979 and returned in 1984 as a faculty member.

His wife-to-be, Brenda Frick, joined the athletics department five years later to teach P.E. and to be the head girls’ track and field coach. Their eldest son William began assisting as a track, soccer and cross-country coach in 2018 and has served as a dedicated substitute this year to help with prolonged teacher absences.

Marty Thompson (’91), the Director of Experiential Education, called the Mercados “the heart and soul of St. John’s."

Thompson added, “They’ve given their lives to their students and this community.”

At the University of Virginia, Richie studied U.S. history and Russian and considered going to law school.

After graduating, he worked on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico and later as an industrial leasing agent before returning to his alma mater.

Richie spent over 25 years in the classroom, teaching both Middle and Upper School history as well as coaching sports including track, football and soccer. He has been the head coach of track and field for the past 35 years.

Although he never pursued a career in law or international relations, Mercado does not lament the decision.

Richie (’79), William (’14) and Brenda Mercado share a moment “I was never super motivated to make more on their home away from home — the track at Skip Lee Field. and more money — I prefer to spend time outside coaching,” Richie said. “I stumbled PHOTO BY Lexi Guo into all of it blindly, but I don’t regret it.”

Brenda graduated from the University of After attending Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Central Oklahoma with a degree in physical education William took a job at a business startup but quickly beand began her teaching career as a P.E. instructor and came disenchanted. Since he had always been interested coach at Casady School in Oklahoma City. She was in coaching, he decided to give it a try. drawn to St. John’s because of its K-12 structure.

“The startup culture was not for me,” William said. “I She came to St. John's in 1989 and has coached a numwas looking for a job that I would enjoy and that would ber of sports in addition to track and field. In April, she be attainable, so coaching made sense. As soon as I startwas named interim field hockey head coach. ed, I realized I actually loved it and wanted to continue.”

Since Richie was coaching the boys’ track team and William said that while many people might find it difBrenda was coaching the girls’, their athletes were hopficult to work with their parents, he genuinely enjoys it. ing that they might start dating.

“I get along well with them, so it’s convenient more "When we finally did, we tried to keep it to ourselves, than anything since we have a good relationship,” Wilbut word got out,” Brenda said. “Then they wanted us to liam said. “We can talk about things easily.” get married!”

As the youngest of the Mercados working on campus, After working together for three years, the couple mar- William has a unique relationship with students. ried in 1992. At that point, the girls’ track team began “I’m in between millennials and Gen Z, so that allows referring to her as “Frickado.” me to connect, learn and relate to both generations and William was born in 1995. their experiences,” William said.

A lifer, William went to football games as well as track The campus looks and feels different, especially now, and cross country meets as a toddler. He played basketbut William continues to appreciate his alma mater. ball with Justise Winslow and, during his senior year, he “The core sense of community is still there — and was captain of the track and field team. arguably even stronger than before,” Mercado said.

Some of his favorite high school memories include time Brenda values her family’s roots in the St. John’s comspent in Senior Country and enjoying Senior Tea. munity.

“I loved being at St. John’s,” William said. “It was nice “The Mercado family bleeds red and black.” feeling so ingrained in a community.”

William never expected to return to St. John’s.

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THE REVIEW

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

One presidential election later, SPEC upholds mission

By Annie Jones and Lillian Poag

F

ollowing the 2016 presidential election, SPEC provides an outlet for expressing political views then-sophomores Jack Trent and Jackson in Perspectives, a digital magazine featuring political Edwards were shocked by their classmates’ rearticles written by students and published on their actions to Donald Trump’s victory. They saw no mutual website. respect or productive discussion across party lines, only The publication’s mission statement says that “givdivision. They founded the St. en the diversity of politics, John's Political Education Club backgrounds and people at St. the next semester with the goal John’s, Perspectives Magazine of facilitating healthy political looks to embrace the magnidiscourse on campus. tude of disparate opinions and For the 2018 midterm elecuse them to fuel civil discourse tions, SPEC worked with Head within the St. John’s commuof Upper School Hollis Amley nity.” and Dean of Students Bailey Students can also submit Duncan to organize a post-elecarticles to SPEC for publication tion discussion for students and in the club’s blog, located on faculty. their website.

“We got a bunch of pizza, Edwards said that it is presented the results from the important for students to be election and created a space “constantly learning about the for people to talk about how world” and willing to change they felt about the midterm,” their opinions.

Trent said. “All of a sudden it “It is okay to want to learn became much easier and more and be accepting of others fun for people to get involved in wanting to learn.” politics.”

Although SPEC welcomes After talking with fellow facdiversity of opinion, SPEC 2020 VOLUME 3 ulty members, History Depart“won’t allow for discussion ment Chair and SPEC faculty about whether groups of peosponsor Russell Hardin said that ple deserve equal rights based Perspectives Magazine (2020) the 2020 presidential race was on who they are,” Edwards “the most contentious election” said. “SPEC supports equal that he and his colleagues have seen in their time at St. rights for everyone, for all Americans.”

John’s.

According to junior Dian Yu, a frequent contributor to Perspectives, certain topics should be non-negotiable.

“People are turning issues about a human’s well-being into a red or blue issue,” Yu said.

People are turning issues On Nov. 4, SPEC and Unity Council leaders facilitated about a human's well-being small-group discussions regarding the election on the Plaza. In the Westheimer parking lot tent, faculty likeinto a red or blue issue. wise moderated conversations for students seeking a “safe space” during their free carriers, which continued DIAN YU through Nov. 6.

SPEC president Piper Edwards, Jackson’s sister, want“You can’t get anywhere unless you have that middle ed to ensure that students could safely express their ground,” SPEC Vice President Charlotte Curtin said. political opinions, especially since many “felt that their “That is what SPEC is trying to do.” livelihood or rights were at stake on the ballot, but it VISIT SPECSJS.COM to discover more. has become so much more than politics.”

PER SPECTIVES

“

TRENDING ON

AFFINITY GROUPS HOST JOINT RBG FORUM Unity Council, WHEE, JAG and SPEC host forum to honor the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Story by Julia Smith DIANE GUO

FALL SPORTS COVERAGE After SPC canceled the season, teams resume, abiding by Covid-19 regulations.

Photo gallery by Lexi Guo and Kate Vo LEXI GUO

HYPING UP FIELD HOCKEY Watch the dramatic highlights from the Kinkaid game captured on video.

Video by Yasmin Stein

GRAPHIC BY Bailey Maierson and Grace Randall

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

SJSREVIEW.COM

DEFINING OUR TERMS

How we misconstrue 'socialism'

7

STORIES FROM THE POLLS Reporting by Ella Piper Claffy

By Russell Li and Indrani Maitra

W

hen Gara Johnson-West heard her mother-in-law claim that if President Trump were not reelected, the country would become too “socialist,” she had to intervene. For a history teacher who has covered socialism in her classes for 20 years, the remark was one of hundreds of misconceptions she has heard throughout her career.

“I’m a big advocate for understanding the words that we use and how we use them,” Johnson-West said. “Socialism is government intervention in the economy in order to make society more equitable.”

According to Johnson-West, Cold War-era authoritarian regimes such as the Soviet state and Mao’s China called themselves socialist, contributing to a “perversion of socialism” that created a stigma against the word. As a result, Americans developed an incorrect but pervasive belief that socialism is identical to communism.

“It’s very important to understand that socialism and communism are not the same concepts,” Johnson-West said. “Communism is the extreme form of socialism, where everything is equal and freedom is limited, just in the same way as fascism is at the far end of conservatism.”

History teacher Joseph Soliman says that the current criticism of socialism belongs to a broader trend of “repackaging” in American politics in which political campaigns reuse messages that candidates conveyed decades before, anticipating that such messages will appeal to constituents.

“One prominent repackaging of themes and punchlines happened in 2016 with the Make America Great Again slogan, which is no different from the Return to Normalcy in the 1920s,” Soliman said. “We’ve seen politicians criticize creeping socialism in the 1930s and 1960s, and this election cycle is very similar.”

Johnson-West attributes Americans’ perceived bias against socialism to our “relatively individualistic” nature.

“We focus much less on our sense of community in the U.S. as opposed to other countries,” Johnson-West said.

Although she has noticed that many Americans are

“resistant” to move past the preconceived notion that socialism is a “dirty word,” Johnson-West is encouraged that Gen Z seems to be “more aware” than other generations. She attributes this trend to the prevalence of social media, which she says helps develop a “community perspective” during the “time of troubles” in which teens are growing up.

“We’re seeing among Gen Z that young adults are not purely concerned about their own individual advancement or earning a billion dollars,” Johnson-West said. “There’s a noticeable, positive change—this generation is especially concerned about the wellbeing of the whole.”

Benjamin Dokupil, a senior, is “skeptical” of socialism because of its “reliance on government spending,” but he agrees that the most productive discussions occur when people form their opinions by analyzing the social system’s merits and flaws.

“It’s always better to substantively debate a policy because emotions like fear shouldn’t guide a policy decision,” Dokupil said. “It doesn’t matter whether that policy is socialist or not.”

Another senior, Kushal Kandel, appreciates the discussion space his teachers and classmates provide but exercises more caution when discussing his opinions outside of the St. John’s bubble, which he says is less accepting.

“Our school is very open-minded compared to other communities, and I appreciate that people can voice their thoughts,” Kandel said. “In the real world, there is a stigma around socialism — especially with older generations."

Soliman stresses the importance of using historical trends to educate people about the perceived threat of socialism, rather than fearing the stigma.

“We have to be good students of American history.

We need to look at the developments that have taken place in our country over the past two-and-a-half centuries,” Soliman said. “Learn your American history and judge for yourself if the United States has become a place where creeping socialism is threatening the welfare of Americans."

DESIGN AND GRAPHICS BY Matthew Hensel

GRAPHIC BY Max Stith

CENTER

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9

A sense of collective loss

By Noura Jabir and Abigail Poag

N

early eight months since the coronavirus first swept the United States, Covid-19 is disrupting normalcy for young adults. From current St. John’s seniors to college students to alumni entering the workforce, young people are grappling with the realities of life during a pandemic. As a publication, we mourn the more than 238,000 American lives lost to Covid-19. The following are simply the concerns that pervade the St. John’s community as of November 2020.

EXPERIENCING ‘CAUTION FATIGUE’

Before the pandemic, Mary Ho’s grandmother, Imelda Kim, sat down every night with the rest of her family for dinner, but now she sits alone in a garage apartment, eating her meals in solitude.

Kim, who suffers from a heart condition, moved in with Ho’s family in January. Ho and her parents have since been especially protective of the 82-year-old.

“We have to be super cautious about everything,” Ho, a freshman, said. “We don’t get to interact with her very much, which I know has been difficult for her because she’s a very social person.”

Ho’s parents, who are both doctors, extend their protectiveness to their daughter. Over the summer, they limited her interactions with friends, worried that they might catch the virus from Ho and transmit it to their patients.

Senior Casey Propst experienced what he describes as “caution fatigue.” He spent much of his free time over the summer catching up on sleep and connecting with friends virtually. While he was aware of how crucial social distancing was, he grew tired of being “cooped up.”

“I’m not going to be 17 forever,” Propst said. “Next year I’m going to be an adult. What am I doing with my time, just inside watching videos?”

Like many seniors, Propst had been planning to tour colleges over the summer, but when the pandemic hit, his plans were thwarted. With fewer opportunities for on-campus visits, he relied more on emailing current students and attending virtual events on college websites.

“It’s just a piece of the puzzle that’s missing,” Propst said.

Without frequent in-person contact, Propst’s summer felt “fairly linear.”

“There weren’t low lows, but there also weren’t a lot of high highs either,” Propst said. “When you cut out interactions with friends, you don’t have those opportunities to laugh and go crazy.”

ZOOM UNIVERSITY

Would-be Princeton freshman Louisa Sarofim (’20) was excited to interact with her new classmates, but she had doubts about starting in-person college during the pandemic. When she received a university email in early August notifying her that students would not be starting classes on-campus in the fall, she felt a sense of relief.

Given the opportunity, Sarofim decided to complete a gap year in Austin, where she is currently interning with a lobbying firm.

“As a teenager, you’re way more impulsive, socially driven, but you have a moral responsibility to keep others and yourself safe,” Sarofim said. “I thought about how difficult it would be to do virtual school given that I really thrive with in-person contact and human connection.”

Whether taking a gap year, living on socially-distanced campuses or attending class from their parents’ living rooms, college students are grappling with the loss of a “normal” college experience.

Yale sophomore Sebastian Varma (’19) was “impatient” to return to classes this fall, so a gap year was not a viable option.

“No one has any idea when this will end,” Varma said.

“I could take a gap year, but then we could still be in a pretty [bad] place a year from now.”

Varma and fellow Yale sophomore Ethan Pesikoff (’19) are spending the semester in Pesikoff’s family vacation house in Aspen where they enjoy hiking and biking after a busy week of Zooming into their classes.

While Varma appreciates the independence of living away from home, he misses the social component of traditional college activities.

“My college experience will definitely be much worse than my parents’,” Varma said. “It’s just the luck of the draw.”

Varma acknowledges that his feelings are “at least some part self-pity.”

“I’m still very grateful that I’m in this position and that my family and I are still healthy,” Varma said.

While students strive to maintain perspective, many cannot help but feel “robbed of an important part of their youth,” according to Sarofim.

“People obviously have it a lot worse, but there was a sense of collective loss,” she said.

MISSED MILESTONES

Beyond the collegiate environment, the pandemic has impacted a multitude of milestones associated with young adulthood.

In April, Morgan Allen (’11) delayed her summer wedding ceremony to January. She and her fiancé trimmed their guest list to ensure that the wedding venue did not exceed 50 percent capacity.

PHOTO GALLERY Seniors Caroline Pressler and Janie Spedale (Game Day); William Carver (‘11) and Gracie Voss (‘14) (Date Night); Seniors Lila Cary, George Caldwell and Tyler Kennedy, Marco Stix and Zoe Toy (Senior Prom); Morgan Allen (‘11) (Wedding Day)

“Everyone is frustrated. I’ve had three of my good friends have to change their weddings,” Allen said.

“We can’t plan ahead anymore because we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Gordon Carver (’08), a financial analyst in New York City, started altering his wedding plans in April.

“It’s hard accepting that your wedding isn’t going to be what you originally dreamed of,” Carver said.

“Tradition is an important component of weddings for a lot of people, but there’s no playbook for a pandemic.

At the end of the day, there’s no perfect solution, so we just tried to make the most of it in a way that was fun for us.”

Carver commented on the particular effect of the pandemic on his age group. While it has prompted some of his peers to accelerate their life plans—from buying a house or car to having kids—it has impeded the social and dating lives of others.

“A year ago, a lot of people were happy renting apartments in New York City, mainly focused on traveling and socializing,” Carver said, but in the absence of those things “people are more likely to think about building families and where they want to live long term.”

For single millennials, the closure of restaurants and bars—coupled with the fear of increased social contact—has made dating difficult.

“Covid-19 has had a crazy impact on single people my age,” Carver said. “I have friends that have really been struggling to meet new people because there’s so much less socializing going on and so few people comfortable interacting with strangers.”

A ‘BLEAK,’ UNSETTLING FUTURE

University of Texas senior Liz Entrekin (’17) logged onto her

school’s job board last month, only to see five postings.

The web portal, which connects UT students and alumni with employment opportunities, normally features over 100 job listings.

Entrekin said that within the graduating class of 2020, the number of people who “didn’t know what they were doing or lost their jobs” because of coronavirus was “unsettling.”

Faced with the threat of unemployment due to the highly competitive and uncertain job market, students like Entrekin are considering graduate school.

Gracie Voss (’14), who graduated from USC in 2018, has noticed an uptick in alumni from her collegiate alma mater continuing their education after failing to secure a job.

Voss said that students figured, “Companies aren’t hiring, so I should use my time to further my education and hope that when I graduate there will be more opportunities.”

Voss, who works in film and television, laments that with fewer people attending movies in-person, the pandemic will hasten the demise of movie theaters.

“Entertainment is already evolving towards streaming, so the pandemic didn’t change that—it sped up the process 20 years,” Voss said.

Senior Karli Fisher intends to study musical theater in college and eventually pursue a career in the theater industry. While the year’s events have not altered Fisher’s professional aspirations, she was disheartened by the effects of coronavirus on theater.

Broadway, “the supreme goal for theater kids,” has been shut down since March and will likely remain closed until May 2021.

“Broadway is bleak right now,” Fisher said. “It’s hard to keep myself motivated when it feels like there’s nothing to aspire to. I can’t look up to anyone now that’s actually working in the business.”

In normal years, Fisher would be travelling around the country to audition for college theater

programs. Now she sends self-taped footage of herself performing to schools. While Fisher appreciates that the theater community has “established spaces online for creativity,” she said that it cannot compare with inperson performance.

“Theater is a live art, it’s a living thing,” Fisher said.

“Such an integral part of the art form is being in the space creating this thing with the audience. The ultimate goal is to be in the theatre one day sharing the art that I make, sharing energy.”

“I don’t think I would have ever explored computer science if it had not been for Covid-19,” Yekell said. “I’ve been experimenting a lot more about what I want to do with my life.”

After observing the government’s response to Covid-19, Yekell says he’s grown wary of public policy as a potential career.

“I am disillusioned by our political system, with the people that we’ve trusted to protect us in times of great tumult.”

REWORKING CAREER PLANS

‘LEANING EMPATHETIC’

Throughout the pandemic, frontline medical workers have been in the spotlight, which has inspired many students to pursue a career in medicine.

Propst, whose mother is a pediatrician, said that the pandemic demonstrates the nation’s “unwavering demand” for medical care. Still, he struggles to contend with the “dark side” of a career in medicine: work responsibilities that “never let up.”

“I see the work that my mom does—and it’s reassuring—but it’s also daunting,” Propst said. “It’s a double-edged sword.”

Mary Ho gained a newfound appreciation for medical workers after spending time in the hospital this spring recovering from a torn ACL. She had considered becoming a doctor, and witnessing their selflessness firsthand reinforced her desire to enter the field.

“It’s inspiring to see what they can do to impact the world,” Ho said.

The financial sector has been thrown into turmoil as unprecedented economic circumstances prompt historically high unemployment and stock market volatility.

Varma, who is involved with Yale’s student hedge fund and is a member of its monetary policy team, said that market instability throughout the pandemic has been a “learning experience.”

“There’s never been a more interesting time to do central banking,” Varma said. “Because I’m learning all this at a time when it’s so interesting to study [finance], it’s pushed me more in that direction.”

Matthew Yekell (’20), who is taking a gap year before enrolling at Stanford University next fall, had been considering pursuing a career in social work, law, entrepreneurship or public policy. When the pandemic hit, he began to reevaluate his priorities.

“Going into a field where my job security isn’t guaranteed, where financial stability isn’t guaranteed, is less and less of an option,” Yekell said.

Despite a lifelong interest in the social sciences, Yekell began taking computer science classes at San Jacinto College and is currently interning with a data analytics company.

As Covid-19 exposes economic and racial disparities, public focus has shifted increasingly towards societal inequities.

“This has been a litmus test for a lot of other issues that we have in the country,” Elizabeth Cregan (‘15) said.

“We’re thinking about what a public health crisis means when you have coronavirus and police brutality both taking lives.”

With the pandemic keeping people indoors, there has been near-constant exposure to social media and news coverage.

“Stuck at home, all the social unrest got me so fired up,” sophomore Aspen Collins said. “It was almost like I was living in a dystopian novel, but I was a side character who didn’t do anything except sign a few petitions.”

Ever since high school, Mary Shannon Tompson (’18) has “felt an urgency” to remain engaged and informed about politics. She is currently majoring in Culture and Politics at Georgetown University.

“Politically, socially, things are really bad right now, but things are always bad, depending on where you look,” Tompson said.

For Tompson, the pandemic has revealed her generation’s tendency to “lean empathetic,” rather than liberal or conservative.

“When my classes discuss the news, my peers and I are on the same page,” Tompson said. “We think what’s happening now will make people realize that affordable healthcare is important, or that the wildfires in California mean that something bigger is wrong.”

Sarofim, who intends to study public policy, credits the pandemic with convincing more people that systemic change is necessary.

“Covid-19 has pointed me to different areas that have always needed reform,” Sarofim said, “and now the general public would agree. The pandemic would be a waste if we didn’t grasp onto change.”

Additional reporting by Grace Randall

PHOTOS BY Grace Randall ILLUSTRATION BY Celine Huang DESIGN BY Grace Randall and Celine Huang

CULTURE

10

Senior transforms cosmetics into art

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Coping with Covid-19, artistically

By Shreyes Balachandran

W

BUTTERFLEYES It takes Sophia Groen over six hours to create her face art.

PHOTO COURTESY OF Sophia Groen

By Ella West

S

ophia Groen spent hours of summer confinement creating imaginative renditions of famous paintings such as Munch's "The Scream" and Hokusai's "Great Wave off Kanagawa”on a most unusual canvas: her face.

She spends six to seven hours on most of her creations before taking photos and posting many of them on her Instagram account, joliexartistry.

With most of her summer plans canceled because of Covid-19, Groen, a senior, found time to experiment with makeup as an artistic medium.

“I finally figured, why not? I have the time to do it, might as well make some art out of it,” Groen said.

She discovered her passion for cosmetics in youth theater productions, relying on stage makeup to transform into character.

Groen draws inspiration from well-known art and the work of makeup artists she follows on Instagram. Still, she prefers to generate her own ideas and sketches out potential looks in a binder.

Groen is well known on campus as a stage performer with prominent roles in both “Mamma Mia!” last spring and “9 to 5: The Musical” as a sophomore. While she also enjoys drawing, she prefers makeup to any other form of 2D art.

“I like that it is impermanent,” Groen said.

“I enjoy creating it on myself. It won't sit in a sketchbook. It will be on my Instagram page or in my memory.”

Groen has developed a newfound appreciation for the complexity of makeup art.

Over the summer, she honed her technique, determining which products work best for particular looks.

“There were definitely a lot of techniques I didn't realize I needed to know,” Groen said.

“I can’t just slap eyeshadow on my face. I have to think about what eyeshadow works best for what I want to accomplish.”

Although she has always planned to work in business or marketing, Groen now hopes to pursue a career that also involves makeup.

Since returning to school, Groen has received positive feedback about her Instagram posts.

Students and teachers have approached her to compliment her work.

Meridian Monthy, a senior, said she looks forward to seeing Groen's posts on her Instagram feed.

“She is incredibly talented,” Monthy said. “It looks more like a piece of artwork than it does makeup.”

Groen did not anticipate such a positive response.

“I never thought I would have this outreach,” Groen said. “It’s been a great [outlet] to have during these crazy times.”

ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN BY Celine Huang

hen Aatiqah Aziz makes art, she feels like she’s entering another world. Trapped indoors over the summer, she found relief creating oil paintings of nature and landscapes — her favorite piece depicted a log cabin blanketed in snow.

“In confinement, being able to go into an imaginary world — something that is outside of our reality — was very relaxing,” Aziz, a junior, said.

Creative writers and visual artists have relied on their art forms to cope with the “difficult realities” of the pandemic.

For creative writing teacher Rachel Weissenstein, writing is a way to process difficult thoughts and emotions.

“Writing has always been cathartic for me,” Weissenstein said. “Everyone is dealing with tense moments and uncertainty, and writing can allow us to process those difficult emotions.”

With fewer opportunities for social interaction, senior Alexa Theofanidis, an editor-in-chief of the Imagination literary magazine, has found solace in writing because it allows her to “reflect on meaningful experiences with others for the sake of enhancing the emotional stakes of a piece."

Theofanidis’ fellow editor-in-chief, senior Tyler King, appreciates the accessibility of writing as a medium. Unlike musical ensembles or theater casts, writers do not require an in-person audience.

“I miss talking to people in-person, but the great thing is that the way we write is so flexible,” King said. “If anything, the pandemic has given me space to think about why I write.”

While Theofanidis acknowledges that ARTWORK (TOP) BY Aatiqah Aziz painted "Snowy Serenity," writing tends to be a “solitary endeavor a landscape, using oil paint. regardless of circumstances,” she and ARTWORK (BOTTOM) BY Angela Xu employed woodburning and King have devised opportunities for the creative writing community to remain gouache techniques in "Bonely" (left) and pencil and marker media connected throughout the pandemic. in "Compilation of Vacuum-Sealed Meat" (right).

When the School transitioned online last spring, Theofanidis and King especially grateful for his home studio. launched the Writing Circle — a collaborative, online “That space gives me the opportunity to think in a space for writers to share their work. different way,” Havel said. “When I am focused on my “The background hum of our supportive creative comwork, I’m not focused on politics or the climate or anymunity is what makes creative writing truly fulfilling,” thing else.”

Theofanidis said.

Weissenstein emphasizes the potential of art to serve as Instead of publishing a print issue this semester, they a record of unprecedented times. intend to create a website that will include student art “Write it all down and keep it somewhere safe because and writing. this is how history is made.”

With more time on her hands this summer, Aziz experimented with new media. She had been hesitant to explore oil painting because it is particularly time consuming and labor intensive.

While Aziz is “more comfortable” with pencil drawings that feature human subjects, she used the pandemic as an opportunity to try something new.

For Upper School art teacher and artist Dan Havel, the pandemic has been a period of creative rediscovery.

Havel engaged with media he hadn’t used in years, including collage and assemblage.

While his recent work is not “directly topical,” Havel said that its focus on “taking apart structures” applies to the pandemic.

“I don’t consciously say I’m making work about the chaos and fracturing of the world around me, but my work seems to be kind of fractured and chaotic anyways.”

In March, Havel was eager to display his work in local galleries, so he invited curators to his home studio.

When the pandemic hit, Havel postponed all studio visits.

“Fortunately, I don’t rely on gallery-showing income for my career,” Havel said.

“When it happens, it’s great; when it doesn’t, I’m still okay.”

Havel is

Additional reporting by Abigail Poag and Noura Jabir

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

SJSREVIEW.COM

11

Social media provides outlet for student activism

By Indrani Maitra Disillusioned, Gen Z has capitalized on the democratization of information and communication to create a social media ecosystem of its own.

S

ophomore Sue Lyn Roberts reached a momentous milestone last month — over one million likes on TikTok. Roberts posts irreverent and insightful commentary on a litany of social issues, particularly those affecting Black people in America. Roberts herself is of both Black and Asian descent, and she finds TikTok a refreshing outlet for her otherwise radical political opinions.

She says that it is “safer” to voice her opinions on TikTok because it is “easier to ignore what someone says because you can just block or scroll.”

Originally an innocuous audiovisual app that relied on appealing videos and algorithms to create a customized, endless stream of content, TikTok has evolved into a fierce engine for progressive politics and has ushered in an entirely new generation of influencers.

Teenagers are at the vanguard of the TikTok movement, capitalizing on the app’s features to create succinct and entertaining yet informative content on a broad spectrum of issues.

Roberts admits that she chooses not to share her political opinions at school, so TikTok is “really [her] only other outlet.” She tries to keep her school and online persona separate, yet convergence is inevitable.

form of escapism from all the politics, but now it’s a main platform for raising awareness about the things we used to escape from,” Hammerman said. “That really shows how important politics is in our lives.”

Instagram has a long history as a prominent platform for political activism among teenagers. A highly visual space, Instagram political activism is founded in two elements: pretty graphics and concise summaries of otherwise multifaceted issues.

Isaí Melendez, a junior, openly supports the Black Lives Matter movement and efforts to defund the police. He frequently reposts fiery anti-racist cartoons and graphics on his Instagram story. Melendez said Instagram makes information more accessible to those who are otherwise disenfranchised or disengaged.

“People need to know that there are things that affect other people that don't affect them,” Melendez said.

ACTIVISM OR SLACKTIVISM?

Some classmates have come across her account, which has resulted in “some backlash” because people she has never spoken to only perceive her as “that black girl all about politics.”

“It’s frustrating to be stereotyped and have assumptions made about me based on my TikToks,” Roberts said. “I talk about it online, yes, but that’s not all that I am. People sometimes forget that.”

ALGORITHMIC ACTIVISM

St. John's Political Education Club Vice PresidentSydney Hammerman uses TikTok to advance political causes, particularly educating others about anti-Semitism, voter suppression and LGBTQ+ rights.

“It’s ironic how originally TikTok was meant to be this

After the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, there has been a proliferation of so-called “performative activism,” which some teenagers say harms the efforts of “true activists.”

On June 2, millions of Instagram feeds featured black squares as people across the world participated in Blackout Tuesday.

“It was so profoundly stupid,” said a junior girl who asked to remain anonymous. “How is this helping spread awareness and educate people about racial injustice? It’s literally reducing something so nuanced and pervasive into a black square.”

Performative activism is a nebulous concept — to some students it constitutes simply putting on a facade of tolerance while not actively making an effort to be a good ally. Others, like Melendez, consider posting educational content about issues a form of activism.

Shahrick Merchant, a freshman, defines performative activism as “doing something just to get the credit for your engagement rather than a genuine care about the cause you’re trying to help.”

Donating money or volunteering is the minimum standard for true activism, according to Merchant.

“If there’s a cause you’d claim to support like Black Lives Matter, and you have the means to contribute your time or money but choose not to, I’d question your commitment to real change,” Merchant said. “Performative activism doesn’t negatively impact a social justice issue inherently, but it does when the definition of an activist becomes signing one or two petitions.”

Members of Generation Z, also known as zoomers, are

widely perceived as a generation of social justice warriors with left-leaning ideological hegemony and intolerance of bigotry in all forms.

But some of the narrative surrounding Gen Z is false, according to those very zoomers.

“It’s not like social media activism has just hypnotized Gen Z into this collectively leftist hivemind,” the junior girl said. “There are still all these horrible right-wing movements on TikTok that are led by teenagers who are disappointed with the world, but we just choose to ignore them to feel good about ourselves.”

Roberts says that Gen Z is “not nearly as progressive as everyone thinks.”

“There are still ignorant people who are influenced by what their parents taught them, and some who just don’t care at all about others’ rights,” Roberts said. “It’s understandable why some people believe what they do because their privilege prevents them from being politically involved. I too am constantly learning how to be a good, informed activist. I’m definitely not a perfect activist — no one really is.”

Roberts said that “allowing yourself to have conversations with those who have different beliefs than you — while being respectful — is what would make Gen Z truly progressive.”

Senior Len de la Cruz says that the most “special” part of zoomer political discourse and expression is the belief that personal identities and experiences shape political views.

“Our views are filtered through our personal identities and experiences,” de la Cruz said. “It shows that we aren’t drones — we are able to think for ourselves.”

PHOTO BY Maxx Shearod; ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN BY Bailey Maierson

12

THE REVIEW

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Athletes struggle with mental health amidst pandemic

By Ella West and Ellie Monday

A

nne-Charlotte Gillard, a Division I water polo commit, had not been in the pool in months as of September. Because the pandemic prompted the cancellation of club practices, Gillard, a senior, was left in a “destabilizing situation” as she attempted to navigate the recruiting process without gameplay opportunities.

“The time leading up to my commitment was extremely stressful,” Gillard said. “A lot of the coaches would ask me what I was doing or what my club was doing, and I had no response. I felt so out of control.”

With players finally returning to fall sports, the pandemic is straining students’ mental health. Junior Lily Pesikoff, once a three-sport athlete, played field hockey for five years, but she decided against participating this fall. In an effort to limit her exposure to Covid-19, Pesikoff had to determine which sports she valued most.

“I had to pick and choose where I was at risk of exposure,” Pesikoff said. “I would rather be at risk playing basketball than field hockey.”

Pesikoff is one of nine field hockey players skipping the 2020 season.

Lisa Ehrlich, an internal medicine doctor on the School’s Covid-19 Task Force and parent of junior Gracie and freshman Marshall Malone, recognizes that individual risk tolerance levels vary.

“Some people are very intolerant of risk; however, others jump out of airplanes without thinking twice,” Ehrlich said. “Most of us are in the middle.”

According to Ehrlich, anxiety, depression and substance abuse rates have skyrocketed since March 13 due to isolation brought on by the virus.

“Right now teenagers' social and emotional development should be taking place, and this virus has put a damper on that development,” Ehrlich said. “Sports can be a space for children to socialize. We just need to mitigate the risks.”

Quarterback George Caldwell was eager to start his senior season despite being “wary” of the virus.

“Covid-19 is in the back of people’s minds on game day,” Caldwell said.

Due to minimal spectators at games, head football coach Kevin Veltri said that the team must “create energy for themselves.” After witnessing the team’s excitement during their first inter-squad scrimmage, Veltri

recognizes the importance of sports to mental health.

“Football gives them an [opportunity] to get away from the rest of the world and just go out and do something fun,” Veltri said.

With her ability to practice curtailed, Gillard worried about her skills declining and muscles atrophying. Because she does not have a pool at home, she struggled to find practice spaces during the six months her club pool was closed. Instead, she created dryland workouts. With no practice partners, the goalie for the Women's Youth National Team faced additional challenges.

“Initially, everyone nationally was in my same situaSource: National Federation of State High School Associations tion. No one had access to pools or could develop their GRAPHIC BY Matthew Hensel skills,” Gillard said. “But as the second wave hit southern tracing for the CDC,” Ehrlich said. “This is the general states, my friends in California were starting club pracrule the Task Force goes by when looking at the tices and weight lifting.” risks for sports within teams.”

Even after committing, Gillard remains anxious about Different sports teams present different levels of risk. playing DI water polo because of the training time she For winter sports, Ehrlich says that the data from the lost this year. Now that she has returned to once-a-week fall sports will help the School keep everyone safer. practice, Gillard harbors concerns about coronavirus.

“Wrestling is going to be a very hard sport to figure “I feel anxious now, especially knowing that we are out how to do safely. It is a close, sweaty game,” Ehrlich fully back at school and that there are teachers, students said. “That may be a sport that will need closer scrutiny and staff who are particularly at risk,” Gillard said. “I this year. Meanwhile, volleyball this season has been inhad to go to a water polo tournament recently, and I doors, and there hasn’t been any documented spread.” was really nervous because I didn’t feel comfortable.

Junior William Suttle hopes to wrestle this season but But at the same time, college coaches want to know wants extra precautions such as sticking with one trainwhat we have been doing to keep up our skills.” ing partner or practicing on alternating days.

According to Ehrlich, fall sports data has shown that “I’d be really upset if the season were canceled,” athletes are more likely to contract coronavirus from a Suttle said. “But I understand that it’s a hard sport to teammate than from a competing team. do while socially distant. We can take the proper safety “Like a highway going from one mouth to another, measures and make it work.” there needs to be a continuous path at close contact for a [total] of 15 minutes for someone to fall into contact

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NO SPC? NO PROBLEM

13

By Thomas Center and Mia Hong

VIRUS SHIFTS FOOTBALL TEAM DYNAMIC

CROSS-COUNTRY RAMBLES ON

Tackling this year’s challenges, the football team has set up a defensive line against Covid-19.

The pandemic has not drastically altered what happens on the field, but on the sidelines, the team has implemented strict safety measures. Coaches and players on the bench wear masks and remain at least six feet apart.

Right guard Eric Johnson said that Covid-19 regulations have limited player interaction beyond games and practices.

“Normally, we spend a lot of time in the locker room,” Johnson said, ”but now players have to get in, practice and get out.”

With each player allotted only two tickets per game, crowds are practically nonexistent. At their game against Second Baptist on Oct. 9, only about 120 fans attended. With fewer spectators, games are much quieter.

Johnson, who has been playing since third grade, said that coping with the uncertainty has been his primary challenge.

“I didn’t even know if we were going to have a season this year, and it still might end any day,” Johnson said.

“We’ve got to take advantage of every single day and every single practice.”

October marked the 40th anniversary of the annual Maverick Ramble, a meet featuring some 25 Houston-area teams.

Due to the risks associated with large gatherings, only five teams competed in this year’s meet, which took place at Spring Creek Park in Tomball.

“While we have not had as much general competition for all levels of runners, we were just happy to be out there in parks in great weather and run,” said boys’ head coach Richie Mercado.

All runners wear masks up until they begin running, and as soon as they finish the race, they put them back on.

“It gets a little hairy at the start,” senior Henry Miller said. “I get uncomfortable running that close to people.”

“Competition is competition,” said girls’ head coach Rachel Fabre. “We definitely want to be as competitive as possible, regardless of whether there are three teams on the starting line or 10.”

Mercado said that the reduced size of meets has made the season more “relaxing and refreshing” than usual.

According to Mercado, runners, parents and coaching staff have been enjoying the season, even if they do not have a chance to improve upon their second place SPC finish last year.

“We had a team goal of winning SPC again,” Mercado said, “but we now are just going to run the best we can and race together.”

FIELD HOCKEY ADJUSTS TO SAFETY RULES Sloan Davidson was prepared to miss out on her junior field hockey season — she was certain the pandemic would render gameplay in the contact-heavy sport impossible.

At first, the season was put on hold, but as athletic programs have eased Covid-19 restrictions, the Mavs have gone 5-3 as of Nov. 9.

Players abide by safety procedures, wearing masks and social distancing on the sidelines. Coaches are required to submit a form before each game verifying that their players do not display any Covid-19 symptoms.

“Playing in a mask is very challenging — especially stamina and fitness-wise — because we get tired a lot quicker than we would without a mask,” Davidson said. “Although the guidelines are difficult, I am still able to play at my best in both practice and games.”

Each school sets its own safety regulations for game day. While playing at Episcopal, athletes must wear masks at all times, even during gameplay. Kinkaid does not require masks.

Visiting teams are not allowed to bring spectators, and at home games, only two spectators are permitted per player. Both players and spectators must leave the premises as soon as the game is over.

All games are being live-streamed on the St. John’s athletics website.

Even without a full SPC schedule, head coach Brenda Mercado said that the season is just as competitive as in previous years.

“I’m really proud of our girls,” Mercado said. “They are conscientious of the fact that [if] they want to be on the field, they have to try to be as safe as they can.”

A LITTLE PEP IN THEIR STEP Cross-country runners Ava Mostyn and Elizabeth Reed finish a morning run on the track at Skip Lee Field.

PHOTO BY Michelle Cai

VOLLEYBALL ADAPTS TO NEW REGULATIONS With Covid-19 rates spiking, the volleyball teams have doubled down on safety precautions.

Unlike outdoor sports, all players, coaches and officials must keep their masks on at all times, including during games.

“Wearing masks during games really hasn’t been an issue,” boys’ head coach Chaz Hulett said. “It’s more of a mindset.

[We’re] just not used to it, and it makes people nervous.”

Although wearing a mask is “definitely an adjustment,” captain Shehryar Jafry said that the inconvenience is worth it.

“The mask does get a little sweaty, but it’s not a big deal,” Jafry said. “If we can play and we have to wear masks, then we should do that to keep others safe.”

Before players and spectators can enter the gym, they are required to undergo a Covid-19 screening.

Changes to gameplay include modified substitution protocols, which now occur from the serving zone instead of the usual substitution zone.

Teams no longer switch sides after sets, and players must remain on the court rather than crowding the sidelines during timeouts.

Officials rotate balls in play, using ones that have been cleaned and sanitized after every point.

Despite the changes, players are as competitive and enthusiastic as ever, according to girls’ head coach Shelbi Irvin.

“We just have to adapt and keep moving,” Irvin said.

MASK UP Margot Manning prepares to put the finishing touches on a point.

This season all players are required to wear masks on and off the court.

PHOTO BY Gracie Malone

THE GAME MUST GO ON Defensive end Michael Skaribas (No. 54) leads the Mavs to the locker room at halftime of the annual game against Kinkaid.

PHOTO BY Lexi Guo

14

OPINIONS

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Growing up in the 'Age of Disappointment'

ILLUSTRATION BY Celine Huang

By Ella West

M

aybe the world has been falling apart for the last four years, or maybe I just have a historian for a parent. Either way, I can see that the culture in the United States is shifting, hopefully for the better.

Amidst climate change that has led to fires and storms and flooding of biblical proportions; police shootings and systemic racial and gender inequality; and in the age of domestic terrorism and mass shootings at churches, synagogues, bars and schools, Gen Z has had enough.

We are, as columnist David Brooks wrote in The Atlantic, growing up in the “Age of Disappointment.” In his essay, “America is Having a Moral Convulsion,” he explains that we have reached this point as a result of our mounting lack of trust in political systems, institutions and each other.

Our parents grew up in a time of relative security with a begrudging belief in the government, but the institutions we trusted have repeatedly let us down.

When the #MeToo movement peaked in 2017, women across the country believed this was finally their chance to hold the powerful responsible and raise awareness about sexual harassment. But Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court three weeks ago seems designed to undo Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy of expanding women’s rights.

After the 2018 Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the student-led March for Our Lives, we hoped for common sense gun control.

Back in March, the United States recorded its first month without a school shooting since 2002. Apparently, the only way to stop school shootings is to close the schools.

Barack Obama’s election was a time of hope — we believed that after hundreds of years of pervasive racism, we were finally moving forward. Just two years after he left

office, hate crimes reached a 16-year high, and this past year, the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others at the hands of the police proved that systemic racism has persisted.

Now, in the midst of a pandemic that has left 238,000 Americans dead, some people still refuse to wear masks.

As we assess the state of our union, we must acknowledge that our nation is breaking. We have a president who is challenging the very core of our political system through his false claims of election corruption, one who is willing to stoke the flames of division in order to preserve his personal power. This begs the question: Who is willing to uphold our democracy?

After an election in which more people voted than ever before, clearly, some people are.

And maybe, despite living in this Age of Disappointment, we can, once again, have the audacity to hope. To hope for change, to hope for better, to hope for decency, to hope for a president who will uphold the fundamental ideals of democracy.

Across America, and even throughout the world, we witnessed people of all nationalities, races, ages and genders celebrating the victory of Joe Biden over Donald Trump.

This new fervor for democracy, as evidenced by the massive voter turnout by young people, ages 18-29, makes me believe that our future can belong to us.

But we can’t let this election make us complacent. We, as a country, cannot afford it. If we continue to allow partisan politics to separate the nation, we will be right back where we started, with little progress made on the issues that have defined our lives.

Our generation has done little to create the maelstrom around us. We can thank our grandparents and parents for

that. The fire started long before Trump’s administration and has only been exacerbated since his inauguration. But, fair or not, the burden to solve the same issues that have plagued past generations is ours, and we must take action.

No matter your political affiliation, everything is on the line — right now, at this very moment. We must protect our democracy and the rights of those who are underrepresented. Democracy cannot be a right for a select few.

Anyone who says otherwise is blind to history. American exceptionalism is a lie, dominated by the myths of nationalism and patriotism. America has indeed been great, but not for everyone.

Our nation has chosen Joe Biden as our new president.

In order to move forward, we must honor the will of the people and uphold democratic values instead of promoting baseless claims that serve to divide. We must continue to do the work of establishing a more perfect union for all people. As Congressman John Lewis said, let’s get into “good trouble” and work towards ending the Age of Disappointment by creating the Time of Hope and Change.

Houston is a shining example of how things can be if we embrace our differences. We are the most diverse American city filled with a multitude of cultures, languages and beliefs. We respect individuality, and it's time for our country to do the same.

Our generation must fight for an America that reflects the essential ideals of liberty and justice for all. With Joe Biden’s election, we have the opportunity to move forward, not backward, to become a country that values all of its people instead of marginalizing them.

We may have grown up in the Age of Disappointment, but it’s our time to make history.

How to avoid living in an echo chamber

By Russell Li

E

ach day, after 12 draining hours of school and extracurriculars, I flop on my bed and pull out my phone. I usually scroll through Instagram because it requires minimal mental energy.

These days, social media is not only used for entertainment — especially among Generation Z, it has become a vehicle of education. Far more teens receive information from social media than print or online news organizations. The hours I spend browsing social media each day should allow me to engage with diverse viewpoints.

But this isn’t the case.

First, just like the average sleep-deprived teenager, I want the content I consume to maximize my immediate happiness, not to intellectually stimulate my brain.

Second, the social media platforms that control the rules of the game know this. As soon as I enter the app, the complex algorithms powering the platform display posts that cater to my individualized preferences. It’s

a simple marketing strategy motivated by the desire to maximize user retention — the more content I enjoy, the more time I will spend on that platform.

Repeated exposure to similar content prevents us from reading opposing viewpoints and minimizes our chances to critically consider the validity of our positions. We cannot help but believe that our opinions are correct.

Scientists call this reinforcement of one’s beliefs the “illusory truth effect.” Over time, this results in the broader echo chamber phenomenon.

The echo chamber stifles diversity of thought. Repeatedly absorbing the same ideas pushes us to believe that our opinions are the only valid option because they appear to be so widely held. As a result, we not only reject other perspectives, but we also lose the ability to identify flaws in our own.

It is impossible to consume social media without feeling the influence of the echo chamber. Each platform

is built to give users an experience that aligns with their interests, perpetuating harmful consumption patterns.

So next time you check your phone to see what is happening in the world, consider opening a different app. The New York Times, a reputable news outlet with daily coverage, is offering a free, unlimited digital subscription to its website until next September for all high school students. Or try to read different content than usual on social media. The recommendation algorithms will feed you more diverse material afterward.

Better yet, put down your phone for a day. Take a social media hiatus. Whenever you’re in a discussion, in class or at the lunch table, spend time to rationally consider why someone might hold a different position.

We can only overcome the echo chamber’s polarizing effect by making an effort to connect with others, understand their opinions and reevaluate our own.

SJSREVIEW.COM

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

15

St. John's School 2401 Claremont Lane Houston, TX 77019 review@sjs.org sjsreview.com Facebook SJS Review Twitter @SJS_Review Instagram @sjsreview

Member National Scholastic Press Assn.

Pacemaker 2015, 2018 Pacemaker Finalist 2019, 2020

Member Columbia Scholastic Press Assn.

Gold Crown 2015, 2020 Silver Crown 2014, 2016-2019

Blue and Gold Award 2019

PHOTO BY Lexi Guo

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Mutual responsibility eases the burden Dear Readers, Ten percent of our classmates — approximately 70 students — opted out of the Low Density Campus Plan earlier this fall.

Whether out of concern for their health or a loved one’s, they felt safer at home.

Three months later, all but two Upper School students file through the Storied Cloisters each morning. Students sprawl out on the Great Lawn, study under shady oaks in the Plaza and congregate at the Atrium steps.

Our school year has begun to regain a semblance of normalcy. And yet, for many students and faculty, the sense of safety — of comfort — has not been restored.

While some of us rejoiced at the School’s full return to in-person learning, others found themselves in a precarious situation: either they forewent their chance at a traditional educational experience, or they risked jeopardizing the health of themselves and their families.

The Community and Inclusion Statement pledges to cultivate an environment in which all students feel “included, safe, and empowered to fully participate in all aspects of community life.”

But students who chose not to return lost the ability to learn alongside their classmates, to take part in extracurriculars, clubs and affinity groups, to remain “known and loved.”

Faced with the prospect of such loss, many made the difficult decision to attend school in person.

It is for these students that we must recognize and respect the importance of mutual responsibility.

If wiping down desks, following the directional markers in the hallways and packing our own lunches help safeguard the health and happiness of our peers, then we must do so without complaining.

If spending Saturday nights at socially distanced gatherings

— rather than at large parties — reduces the likelihood of infecting an immunocompromised friend or teacher, then we must readily adapt our social lives.

Even if no one else is wearing a mask, wear yours.

It’s normal to crave normalcy, and sheltered within the Storied Cloisters, it’s easy to forget the magnitude of Covid-19’s impact both on and off campus. We cannot grow so comfortable that we forget what is really at stake.

In this issue, we focus on “micro-losses” of the pandemic— senior sports seasons, summer plans and college traditions.

But we urge you to maintain perspective.

The pandemic is nowhere near over — on Nov. 5, the U.S. reported a record-breaking 120,000 new cases in one day, according to CNN. Normalcy can and must wait.

What seems slightly inconvenient to one student may alleviate the anxiety of another. We must acknowledge the pandemic’s varied effects on community members in order to ensure that all feel comfortable enough to engage in the on-campus experience.

We are all capable of easing each other’s burden.

Stay safe, Noura Jabir

Grace Randall

Abigail Poag

SNO Distinguised Site 2018, 2019, 2020 Print Editors-in-Chief Noura Jabir, Abigail Poag and Grace Randall Online Editors-in-Chief Laney Chang and Fareen Dhuka Assistant Online Editors-in-Chief Megan Chang and Ashley Yen Assignment Editors Julia Smith (News), Ella West (Features), Indrani Maitra (Culture), Russell Li (Sports) Copy Editors Ella Chen (News), Ethan Kinsella (Features), Gabrielle Solymosy (Culture), Afraaz Malick (Sports), Max Beard (Opinions) Design Editors Matthew Hensel, Celine Huang, Bailey Maierson Photography Editor Maxx Shearod Business Manager Rahul Rupani Staff

Georgia Andrews, Wilson Bailey, Shreyes Balachandran, Chaahat Batra, Natalie Boquist, Thomas Center, Dawson Chang, Emma Chang, Edward Chen, Ella Piper Claffy, Nico Del Frate, Olivia Doan, Cameron Ederle, Louis Faillace, Lydia Gafford, Diane Guo, Lexi Guo, Abigail Hindman, Mia Hong, Natasha Janssens, Sophia Jazaeri, Annie Jones, Rahul Lal, James Li, Penelope Macpherson, Arjun Maitra, Ellie Monday, Leo Morales, Sierra Ondo, Ria Pawar, Lillian Poag, Jack Ringold, Grace Rustay, Keval Shah, Yasmin Stein, Max Stith, Kate Vo, Alice Xu, Willow Zerr, Chloe Zhao, Evan Zhang

Advisers David Nathan, Shelley Stein ('88), Chuy Benitez Mission Statement The Review strives to report on issues with integrity, to recognize the assiduous efforts of all and to serve as an engine of discourse within the St. John's community.

Publication Info The Review is published five times during the school year. We mail each issue — free of charge — to every Upper School household with an additional 1,000 copies distributed on campus to our 700 students and 98 faculty.

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

Submission Guidelines Letters to the editor and guest columns are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and taste. On occasion, we will publish letters anonymously.

The Review reserves the right not to print letters received. Letters and guest columns can be emailed to review.sjs@gmail.com or hand-delivered to the QR room (Q201).

16

WORDS + PHOTOS

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

SCENES FROM

KINKAID WEEK

PHOTO BY Lexi Guo

DRESSED TO IMPRESS Sporting new uniforms, the Mavs gear up to play the Falcons at Kinkaid. The match-up marked the first time since 1978 that the rivalry game did not take place at Rice Stadium.

PHOTO BY Grace Randall

SIGN O' THE TIMES Caroline Pressler signs the class mural at Senior Kinkaid Night.

Designed by Henry Fernelius, the mural is Super Mario-themed.

PHOTO BY Lexi Guo

FLYING HIGH Norah Feldman strikes a "liberty" pose in a pyramid stunt during the varsity cheerleaders' Kinkaid halftime performance.

PHOTO BY Grace Randall

JUMP AROUND Head Prefect Thomas Chang executes an impressive Spikeball shot on the Quad during Senior Kinkaid Night.

PHOTO BY Grace Randall

BURY THE FALCONS On Dress Like Kinkaid Day, seniors Anna Center and Ethan Kinsella do their part to help frighten the Falcons.