October Issue 2008

The Review

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

The Official Student Newspaper of St. John’s School Vol. 60, Issue 3

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

October 2008

Tough Loss A heartfelt effort in a highly anticipated game ends in an emotional loss to the Knights

By LEEOR MUSHIN A hard nosed game dominated by running backs ended when the SJS Mavericks came up short against the Episcopal Knights, losing 31-6.

In rushing yards alone the Knights were took a definitive lead though the Maverick defensive made some impressive plays.

The Knights had 303 rushing yards to 121 for the Mavs.

The inability to pass the ball down the field efficiently for the Mavericks led to Episcopal’s ability to focus on their run defense,

capitalizing on three of the four fumbles that depleted any hope of a Mavericks offense.

On the other hand, Episcopal was able to run the ball at will and scored four touchdowns on the ground. Reese Henningson ran the ball twenty-six times for 160 yards and had two touchdowns of his own.

On top of that, the Mavericks were never able to take advantage of the Knights’ blunders, which included 90 penalty yards, one fumble and two interceptions See EHS p. 5

All CLAY NICKENS | The Review

SJS Faculty Dr. Doina Returns U.S. history teacher Dr. Richard Doina returns to SJS after recovering from brain surgery. | See p. 4

Mr. Center’s Other Job Middle School history teacher Gordon Center shares stories from his time spent as a volunteer firefighter. | See p. 14

The Man Behind the Music A profile of SJS accompanist Donald Doucet. | See p. 13

Index News...........................2 Sports.........................5 A&E...........................7 Photo Spread...........10 Features...................12 Opinions...................15 BeyondSJS................18

Administration continues work towards Ike recovery

By GABI CHENNISI Hurricane Ike hit SJS before a clear plan of action could be fully organized. The initial precautions entailed protecting school assets and minimizing property damage by “turning off major electrical equipment to protect them from power surges and brownouts, as well as securing [anything] that could be blown about, causing additional damage to the campus,” Wayne Welch, Director of the Physical Plant, said.

Other precautions were also taken in order to anticipate and reduce potential destruction.

Anita Walker, Food Service Director, and Susan Medellin, Bookstore Manager and Director of Purchasing, made preparations “in the cafeteria and bookstore to get things off the floor, in anticipation of rising water,” Mr. Welch said.

Preparations were also made

by Jeff Ritter, Director of Technology, and his team, who secured and protected the com-

Behind the scenes of the Kinkaid Video With less than a month until showtime, students report on the Kinkaid video production. page 8

puters and communication equipment.

Despite the precautions, significant damage occurred on the SJS campus. “We have had water in the lower level of [the cafeteria] before, but it had never been this bad. I was not told about the amount of water because the telephone service was down, but what I saw was heartbreaking,” Mr. Welch said. The major damage sustained occurred in the cooler and freezer, ceiling tiles, and some carpet and sheetrock.

The cleanup process took three weeks.

After the hurricane had passed through the city, Headmaster John Allman took charge of the initial recovery process. He and Assistant Headmaster Mark Reed stepped in soon after the hurricane hit and pumped water out of the cafeteria by themselves.

They quickly assessed the extent of the damage, which proved essential in “focusing … efforts to minimize further

SJS green thumbs The underground story about the SJS Grounds Committee revealed. page 12

damage to the facilities,” Mr. Welch said.

Debris scattered by the Ike’s powerful winds had littered the campus, and a group of volunteers stepped in to clean the school. “Somebody coordinated a group of people to come over and clean up debris. That was not planned prior; that just somehow came to be [even though] a lot of us left town.

Fortunately, enough people were available and willing to help out,” Kef Wilson, Head of Upper School, said.

Though the hurricane’s arrival brought a period of relaxing vacation for some, other students and teachers were not so fortunate. With many homes still without power, the school had to make temporary adjustments, such as the evening study hall that allowed students to remain at school until 9:00 p.m. Additionally, the school set up a babysitting program for teachers whose children’s schools had not yet reopened.

See IKE p. 3

Lawn Games on the green Seniors take the Quad to a new level with Lawn Games. page 6

news

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October 2008

The Review

SJS Book Fair rescheduled

Alexa Sassin presents summer chemistry research

By JOE MARTINEZ

By STUART DICKERSON On Oct. 2, Alexa Sassin (’09) presented a poster at the American Chemical Society Southwestern Regional meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas about research she did over the summer about the drug called Abatacept.

Abatacept is a drug that is currently used to treat inflamations, and Sassin is looking into its possibilities of treating a certain eye disease.

Of over 200 presenters, Sassin was the only high school student invited.

“It was really great. All the people who came by were impressed that I had done this research and with the work that I had put into it,” Sassin said. “I think it speaks volumes to the opportunities this school gives us.”

Honors Chemistry teacher Roxie Allen, Sassin’s advisor by coincidence, is quite impressed but not surprised.

“She’s very interested in science and dedicated to what she does with science,” Ms. Allen said. “I’m not surprised she was able to present something like this after only a summer of research.”

Ms. Allen presented Sassin with the opportunity after having heard about her summer’s work. Sassin submitted an abstract and described her research and results, and was approved along with many other college level students.

Ms. Allen also encourages any students who are interested in research or an opportunity like Sassin’s to see her and discuss the myriad possibilities.

After being postponed due to the week-long delay of Hurricane Ike, the Book Fair has been effectively rescheduled.

In the past, each SJS Book Fair has consecutively broken the sales records set the previous year. Upper School Librarian Peg Patrick, said she expects this to be yet another record sales year; Barnes and Noble states that this particular Book Fair will be the largest one in America.

To achieve such a result, a significant amount of time and energy goes into organizing the Book Fair. “It’s always a yearlong process. As soon as one Book Fair ends, we start thinking about the one next year,” Ms. Patrick said.

This year, the theme of the Book Fair is “Just Read It,” and focuses on leisure reading. The Friends of the Library Donation list is geared towards that theme, and Ms. Patrick said she hopes students will be interested in buying and donating books from that list to the library.

The Book Fair Authors this year are SJS parent Efisio Farris for family night, Grace Lin for Lower School, Roland Smith for Middle School, Loung Ung for Upper School and Andy Greenwood (’63) for Alumni Night.

Mr. Farris was born in Orosei, Sardinia in Italy and is a skilled chef who specializes in preparing meals from his homeland.

He is the author of the cookbook Sweet Mrytle and Bitter Honey: The Mediterranean Flavors of Sardinia. A skilled chef and owner of restaurants Arcodoro in Houston, Mr. Farris recently launched his own Sardinian import company, GourmetSardinia.

Lower School speaker Grace Lin is an acclaimed author of both picture books and children’s novels. Her first foray into writing and illustration was with 1999’s The Ugly Vegetable. She has also written the autobiographical children’s novel The Year of the Dog and the sequel, The Year of the Rat, both of which have met widespread success and popularity.

Middle School speaker Roland Smith entered into the

working world not as a writer, but as a worker in the zoo industry. What started out as a part-time job evolved into a 20-year career that involved working with animals and zoos all across the globe. His writing credits include Thunder Cave and Jaguar, both novels about a teenager named Jacob who helps his father research and protect endangered species while fighting off perilous circumstances.

Upper School speaker Loung Ung’s lifetime has been marred with traumatic experiences.

Born in 1970 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, she was five when the Khmer Rouge cracked down on its citizens and killed an estimated 1.5 million people in one of bloodiest events of the 20th century. Among those victims were Ms. Ung’s parents and two siblings. She was then forced to train as a child soldier until she escaped to Thailand, and she was eventually relocated to Vermont, after five years in a refugee camp.

Ms. Ung has written two memoirs about her experience, First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, and its continuation, Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind.

Ms. Patrick said she picked Ms. Ung as a Book Fair speaker to enhance the awareness of the Upper School students.

“I try to provide a variety of speakers to the students during the four years they are here.

One year, I will go ahead and choose a nonfiction author, and the next year will be fiction,” Ms. Patrick said.

“This is the nonfiction year, and the author we had two years ago, Dr. John Lienhard, was very well-received by the students, so I tried to find someone as dynamic as he is. I think that person will be Luong Ung,” Ms. Patrick said.

She added “I think she will be a very inspiring author, and it will be fascinating to meet someone who has experienced what we can only imagine.”

Alumni night is a relatively new feature that started two years ago with alumna Gretchen Shartle (’55) and was followed last year by alumnae Katherine

Upper School Book Fair speaker Loung Ung, authored two memoirs, First They Killed My Father and Lucky Child (above). Roland Smith, Middle School Book Fair speaker, wrote Jaquar after working with zoos across the globe (below right). Lower School speaker Grace Lin authored the children’s novel, the Year of the Rat

All photos courtesy of Amazon.com Center (’90) and Patsy Cravens (’54). It aims to involve past SJS students with the Book Fair to get the SJS community united under the celebration of literature.

This year’s speaker, Mr. Greenwood, served as a U.S. naval officer during the Cold War before coming back to Houston. He began to write seriously in 2001 and has several mystery books in the Random Sample series.

The unexpected impact of Hurricane Ike has placed major difficulties and delays on the Book Fair. “Basically, authors had to be rescheduled. That

meant airplane reservations, hotels, and some of those had water damage or were full, even a few weeks after the hurricane, had to be adjusted,” Ms. Patrick said.

The Upper School Starbucks day may be postponed as well.

In addition, all the parent volunteers had to readjust their schedules to cope with the new plans.

The current plan is for the Book Fair to take place on October 15th and 16th at the Barnes and Noble on Holcombe from 7:30 to 9:30 pm.

SJS members

‘Race for the Cure’

By ANN-CHARLOTTE PROFFITT

On Saturday, Oct. 4, many SJS students and faculty got up at 6:30 a.m. to participate in Race for the Cure.

Race for the Cure was founded to raise money for breast cancer research and pay for mammograms that some people may not be able to afford Although the event is called Race for the Cure, the race is not just for athletes.

“There are lots of little kids, people in wheelchairs,” Upper School Community Service Counselor Marci Bahr, said.

“Our own Elliott Lapin (’12) was doing the race, so it’s really exciting. You see old people and very young people [at the race],”she said.

Adding to the diversity of ages among participants, survivors of breast cancer also partake in the race. This year, the SJS team was dedicated to Eva Chan, Biology AP teacher, and Coach Brenda Mercado, who both participated in the

race.

Both teachers “wore their pink t-shirts to show that they have survived or are battling breast cancer,” Ms. Bahr said.

The main leaders this year were William Payne (’10), Zach Gaitz (’10), Brooke Schuler (’09) and Sam Linn (’09).

“I was so proud of our leadership this year. They did a wonderful job of getting the word out and getting everybody together,” Ms. Bahr said.

William Payne (’10) even got the whole football team to participate in the

Race for the Cure after a big game.

Although SJS has been participating in this race for at least 15 years, involvement in the event has increased dramatically in the last five years. Contributions from denim day on Oct. 3 totaled $2618.36; in addition, $2040 was pledged on behalf of SJS. “It’s hard for me to get my head around that number,” Ms.Bahr said. She added, “And to then realize that all of us are running or walking for the same cause — it’s very inspiring.”

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October 2008

Former Olympic Athlete Chip Van Os speaks at All School Convocation

By TIFFANY SHYU Due to Hurricane Ike, the All School Convocation was rescheduled to Oct. 10 this year.

The All School Convocation is a fairly new “tradition”; the first one was held in 2001.

“We think it’s a neat opportunity to bring the whole school together to mark the beginning of the year – [it’s] kind of a ceremonial way to kick it off,” Middle School Dean Margaret Henry, one of the convocation’s coordinators, said.

The three main chapel coordinators – Lower School counselor Carolyn Williams, Middle School History Coordinator Rosie Beniretto and Upper School Choral Director Scott Bonasso – work together to coordinate the readings with the rest of the program.

The All School Convocation, which features special music performed by choral and instrumental ensembles, is generally held in mid-September to give the performance groups ample rehearsal time. Several Lower School, Middle School and Upper School performance groups partake in the event, performing a piece of music arranged by an SJS musician.

This year, Ensemble Instructor Darrell Parrish arranged the special music for the event.

He organized choral parts of “All Creatures of Our God and King” for the choirs, jazz bands and string ensembles.

The assembly, which was held in the gym, began with the school singing “God of Our Fathers,” followed by the National Anthem and the SJS Alma Mater. After the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer, the choral and instrumental groups sang and played “All Creatures of Our God and King.”

Traditionally, Headmaster IKE cont. from p. 1 There was a strong “tension between wanting to get going again to get back on pace [and] holding back a little bit and not giving as much homework,” Mr. Wilson said. However he said the administration worried about moving too slowly, since the classes had already fallen seven days behind.

To rectify the missed days of school, some adjustments will be necessary. “We’re not going to make up all seven days.

We’re probably going to make up three,” Mr. Wilson said. The administration is hesitant to take away vacation days and interfere with planned vacations.

“I think I will tip my hand on one count. I don’t think we will have Annual Day this year. We will have Field Day because... that’s a fun day, [but] we can afford to do without Annual Day for a year,” Mr. Wilson said. Additionally, the teachers have been instructed not to expect to catch up by the end of the first semester and to account for fewer AP review days at the end of the year.

CLAY NICKENS | The Review

SJS Alum, Chip Van Os (‘88), speaks about his Olympic experience at All School Convocation John Allman picks the speaker for the All School Convocation.

This year, he chose George “Chip” Van Os (’88), a member of the 1996 U.S. Men’s Olympic Team Handball team and son of Upper School Receptionist Nancy Van Os. Ms. Van Os gave the introduction for her son’s speech.

Mr. Van Os, who was a member of the varsity football and varsity baseball teams, was named Most Valuable Player for basketball during his years at SJS. Upon graduation, he matriculated to Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

In his speech, Mr. Van Os spoke of how he had always set Hurricane Ike’s impact has provoked discussions regarding the school’s emergency system in the future. “Now that we have had a good dose of reality, there are things that have come to light that we can improve on, [such as] the possibility of powering all of our buildings with generators,” Mr. Welch said. He added, “[This] would create the possibility for our recovery efforts to begin immediately, minimize flood damage, enhance our communications abilities, and allow for school to resume even if power is not restored.”

Though the severity and extent of the Ike’s aftermath took Houston by surprise, the school is undergoing a slow but steady return to normalcy, and everyone has been remarkably “composed... given what they’ve been dealing with,” Mr. Wilson said.

While “it has been a frustrating, overwhelming, and exhausting experience, [it] has brought us all a new appreciation for what we have and for each other,” Mr. Welch said.

a goal for himself to become an Olympian. Even though he did not play on any sports teams in college, he and some friends who were interested in handball eventually went to Oklahoma to play in a tournament for the team handball team.

Mr. Van Os’s enthusiasm and energy towards the game eventually led to his recruitment to play for the Men’s Team Handball team for the United States in the 1996 Summer Olympics.

In his speech, he addressed his experiences at the Olympics as well as those leading up to the Olympics. He said that during the opening ceremony, when the U.S. team was begin-

ning to walk up the ramp to the stadium, he felt drawn to the strong emotions in the room.

He, along with the U.S. team, began running up the ramp until they reached the top and heard the loud cheers from the crowd for the U.S. team.

Another anecdote he shared in his speech was about scoring a goal for the U.S. team against a goalie who was difficult to get past. He said that he was able to score the goal because he had consistently practiced this move with his teammates during practice. Mr. Van Os said that his dedication during practice and the way he set goals for himself while he was prac-

ticing, allowed him to score the goal.

His other main focus was how to achieve your goals. To support this theme, he spoke of how his coach would tell the team to run laps and touch the line at the end of either side of the court. Mr. Van Os said he and his teammates would take shortcuts, such as touching the line with their foot or not actually touching the line with their hands.

Thus, during one practice, his coach told them to keep running until they finally understood what “touch-the-line” meant. Mr. Van Os said that even though all that was needed was for the team to work together, it took them ten of these exercises to realize it.

Mr. Van Os concluded his speech by referring back to his years at SJS. He said that he was just an “average guy”, doing well in some classes and not so well in others. But more importantly, he pointed to SJS as the foundation for his dedication.

He said that his years at SJS taught him to keep pursuing his dream and to never give up his dreams of being part of a U.S. Olympic team.

The assembly concluded with “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” as the recessional, followed by the benediction.

Although the All School Convocation has no theme, Dean Henry said the coordinators “work together to make it all make sense.”

“It’s very meaningful when you’re in a school that goes from K through 12, and the whole school is in one place at one time. [The All School Convocation] is a wonderful tradition that we’ve developed.

I love being involved with this and working with all the people who make it happen,” she added.

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news

October 2008

Dr. Doina returns following brain surgery

By ALEXA CARRASCO

Almost three months months after recovering from his brain surgery, AP U.S. History teacher Dr. Richard Doina is finally back at SJS. “It’s where I belong; I enjoy being with the students so much and talking about history,” Dr. Doina said of returning to SJS. Despite his return, Dr. Doina still faces minor setbacks. Unable to drive until February, he is dependent on his wife and Upper School history teacher Ted Curry, for help getting around.

Dr. Doina, however, said he does not mind being without a car. With walking as a newfound means of transportation, not only has Dr. Doina’s morale improved, but so has his health has as well. The walking and exercising has helped him lose 30 pounds. In addition, he said he sees the benefits of not being able to have his daily kolache and coffee.

One of the major things that he is thankful for is the absence of the fear factor in his home life. Dr. Doina said that he sent his children to live with relatives so that they would not have to see him during the surgery. Now on the road to recovery, Dr. Doina said that his children are relieved, for they know that their dad is going to be all right.

Although Dr. Doina has improved greatly, he said he still suffers side effects from his surgery, such as a lack of sleep and

JENNY LEWIS | The Review

After undergoing a temporal lobe resection in July, history teacher Dr. Doina returns to SJS short-term memory problems.

He said that these difficulties will slow down face and name recognition among his new students.

In order to help strengthen his memory, Dr. Doina receives special cognitive testing that help his brain heal. During the testing, he is asked to recall words and do puzzles.

Dr. Doina said that luckily for him, this is one test he can study

for.

Along with this cognitive testing, he will undergo additional MRIs to ensure that his brain is healing properly, will have checkups with the neurologist every four months and will meet with a neurological psychologist to make sure that everything is chemically balanced.

Because Dr. Doina is still occupied by these aforemen-

tioned limitations, SJS teachers are helping him with his class load. He said he is thankful for the many teachers who have offered him help in taking over a class if he needs a break. Dr. Doina also said that it is good to be back in such a nurturing and helpful environment, as it reduces stress and anxiety.

Another thing that Dr. Doina faces while returning to school is the “infamous” college teach-

er recommendations. Although writing these letters can give teachers stress, he said, “You [seniors] worked so hard for me last year; I’m not going to say no. I am so proud of what you guys did for me. With all of my health problems last year you guys came to class ready to learn. You guys made it fun for me to come to work last year.”

Coming back to school also allows him to spend time with his friends and colleagues. Mr. Curry, who is known for sitting and chatting with Dr. Doina in the red chairs outside their rooms last year, said that he was without his partner for quite a while.

“I especially missed him and our conversations we had in our red chairs by the windows outside our rooms. This became evident when I tried to use Mr. Elk as a replacement; if there is anyone who can make Rich look like the soul of wit, it’s Mr. Elk,” Mr. Curry said of Dr. Doina’s return.

Dr. Doina said he would not even mind the amount of grading involved with coming back to school. He said he is ready to get back to full speed and is so thankful for everyone’s support and aid during this time.

His new students said they are looking forward to getting to know him. Lindsay Paterson (’10) said, “He is a wonderful lecturer: He really knows what he is talking about, and he’s not as scary as he seems.”

Government students Climate study survey to discuss 2008 election assess school atmosphere through online forum

By LILIANA VARMAN

By BLAKE WULFE SJS students now have the opportunity to express their political opinions online, thanks to the recent opening of online student forums.

The student forums have previously been a place for students to communicate and discuss topics outside of school, and now that the SJS political forums have been opened to more classes, more students can express their own opinion by posting online.

Student response to the forums has been “enthusiastic, to say the least,” U.S. History AP teacher Stephen Popp said. The online SJS forums have recently been used by Mr. Popp’s Comparative Government & Politics AP classes to help students further their understanding of and provide insight into the recent presidential campaign.

Mr. Popp said, “The objective is to extend our analysis of American and Comparative politics beyond the classroom.”

In the forum, students voice their opinions concerning the topics and questions posed by Mr. Popp. Reading and observing the opinions of the class helps students discover “where your opinion is,” Matthew Symmes (’09) said. “As you learn more about the political process, [you start] to really

form your own opinion of everything,” he added.

Symmes said that his favorite part of the forum is the time to formulate your response, whereas in class “you’re liable to get interrupted or just not have enough time.”

Christian Woo (‘09) held the same sentiment as Symmes, and said, “The forum allows me to take my time while thinking about the topic and getting my research together.”

The slower-paced environment of the forum, coupled with Mr. Popp’s implementation of certain rules that work to “keep the postings analytical and on-topic, [unlike] a pond of barracudas,” helps students create cogent and thoughtful posts.

“The forum provides [students] with an opportunity to speak their minds, and they are doing so in a respectful but energetic manner,” Mr. Popp said. Symmes said he agreed, and added, “Occasionally [the discussions] will get a little bit heated, but it’s not like there are insults flying.”

While the government forums have already undergone changes such as a limit on posting length and a set topic, Mr. Popp said that he hopes “with student input, to make [the forum] a more valuable learning experience.”

SJS is currently conducting a climate study in order to measure the well-being of students in the Upper School. The purpose of this survey, according to Assistant Headmaster Mark Reed, is to better gauge how students in the community feel about the school.

Although student surveys have previously been conducted in the Upper School, Kef Wilson, Head of the Upper School, said the most recent survey focused on specific subgroups of students rather than the entire student body.

“We’ve been talking for some time about what the best way is to assess our school climate, and surveying is a fairly common way to try to get a handle on how people are feeling,” Mr. Wilson said.

In late April, a small committee of psychologists visited the SJS campus to talk to members of the community in hopes of figuring out how to improve student well-being. The team of psychologists interviewed various students from all grade levels in order to assess what factors were impacting student wellness.

The wellness study focused on mental health, whereas the climate study focuses primarily on social relations. However, “There is definitely overlap [between the two]. The climate has an impact on wellness, and wellness impacts climate,” Mr.

Wilson said.

He added, “[A school] could have a terrible climate but not have any wellness issues, and on the flipside, you could have everybody being friendly but still have wellness issues. Although the two are not directly linked, one will certainly impact the other.”

The opportunity to conduct the survey arose when Headmaster John Allman heard of a group of schools that was collaborating to create a survey on school climate. The Southeastern Institute of Research, Inc. in Richmond is conducting the survey, and serves as a third party in order to ensure confidentiality of the answers received.

The anonymous survey consists of two types of questions.

One is a set of core questions that the schools came up with together, and the other is a set of questions written by and specifically tailored to SJS. “The benefit of using a survey that other schools will use is that you obtain comparative data, which we can use to try to draw conclusions and make decisions about what to do with the information,” Mr. Wilson said.

Once all the surveys have been completed, Mr. Wilson said SJS plans to assess the results. He also said that an important aspect of the survey is the comment section, which allows students to specifically state their opinions and offer

suggestions on how to better the SJS climate.

For instance, if a student says they do not feel valued, he or she can use the comment box to state complaints and provide ideas on how to resolve the situation. Mr. Wilson said, “We want people to feel valued, so hopefully people [who don’t] will comment and tell us why, and suggest how SJS can help fix the situation.”

Mr. Reed added that SJS will use the results in order to make “sensible changes” in order to make the school environment as appealing as possible.

One participant, David Thomas (‘09), said he felt that the survey didn’t provide him with enough opportunities to express his opinions. “I think [the survey] should have had comment space after each question, not just at the end,” he said.

He added, “I [didn’t] like the 1-5 scales because I feel like I would never put a one for anything. I think it’s fine to have a climate survey, but it seems kind of silly because people don’t want to bash the school.

Most everyone likes it here.”

However, Mr. Reed said he encourages everyone to take part in the survey. “You have to understand that this school and its faculty really do care about student well-being, far beyond your academic endeavors,” he said. “I think it’s really important that when given the opportunity to lend a voice that you do.”

October 2008

sports The Review

Cheer captains work to ‘fire it up’

JENNY LEWIS | The Review

Captains Allison Wells (‘09) and Caroline Parks (‘09) lead the pep rally along with cheerleaders Kaitlin Bahr (‘09) and Georgene Hergenroeder (‘09).

By SARAH NASSER As the clock ticked away the final seconds, the receiver swiftly dodged each of his defenders, making his way down the field for a final touchdown. The buzzer sounded, his hands still in the air, teammates swarming around him, and he turned to face the crowd to receive… silence.

Sound familiar? It does to cheer captains Caroline Parks (’09) and Allison Wells (’09).

Varsity football player Buddy Carruth (’09) agreed.

“We’ve definitely come a long way from the glory days of Pots and Pans,” Carruth

said. “When I was a sophomore, Pots and Pans was in its prime. We’d get painted up and yell for literally two hours straight.”

Though Pots and Pans

“Guys in our grade don’t care how we look socially, so we all made fools of ourselves, but I think other grades just weren’t as spirited as we were,” Carruth said.

“Right now, [pep rallies] are more of a performance instead of a drawing in of the crowd like they’re supposed to [be].”

- Caroline Parks (‘09) epitomized the Mavericks’ football season in 2006, the majority of the once enthusiastic group now plays for the varsity team themselves, making the once popular group a thing of the past.

These days, Carruth said, “People aren’t as into the games anymore. People come more for social purposes than to actually watch the game.”

When asked how the lack of support has affected the

team, Carruth replied, “It’s frustrating when you have a home game and the visiting fans are significantly louder.

We’re just disappointed with how quiet the fans are and how they don’t really pay attention to the game.”

Parks and Wells said they think school spirit is on the decline because of a lack of pep rallies.

“We missed two pep rallies because of Hurricane Ike, and the number has gone down even more since now we only have pep rallies before home games,” Parks said.

With less than four weeks to go until SPC, the Mavericks have had only three varsity pep rallies. However, even at those few pep rallies, spirit is still extremely low.

“Right now, [pep rallies] are more of a performance instead of a drawing in of the crowd like they’re supposed to [be],” Wells said.

Like the football team, the cheerleaders said they are also disheartened by the lack of noise from the fans. “It’s hard to cheer for a crowd that gives no response,” Parks said.

However, the cheer captains said they are determined to turn things around before the end of the season.

“We’re focused on getting things rolled with Kinkaid Week,” Parks said. “We definitely have some awesome things planned, so no matter what happens, you won’t be disappointed!”

As for the fans, “Let us know if there’s something we can do to get people more excited, because we’ll do it!” she said.

EHS cont. from p. 1 caught by Reed Daniel (’10).

After both the fumble and one of Daniel’s interceptions, the Mavericks proceeded to give the ball right back with two fumbles of their own.

This gave the Knights both the momentum and great field position.

Even when the Knights did not have good field position as a result of four solid punts by Clay Wolcott (’09), they were able to control the ball without too many problems as they ran the ball at 7.39 yards per carry compared to the relatively pedestrian 3.78 yards per carry by the Mavericks.

The Mavericks passing game, although significantly better than the passing game of the Knights, was not able to overshadow the other gleaming problems, and quarterback Ethan Harry (’09) was only able to complete 7-16 passes for 72 yards.

A forty yard touchdown run by Episcopal put the first points on the board for Episcopal in the first quarter. In the second, an impressive 42 yard field goal by Seth Mannon put the Knights up 10-0.

The Mavericks were able to put their first points on the scoreboard at the end of the third quarter with a Harry 18 yard touchdown dash and af-

CLAY NICKENS | The Review

Quarterback Ethan Harry (‘09) faces defenders in the pocket. ter a failed kick by Matthew the game and the Knights be heightened, especially afSymmes (’09), the Mavericks seemed to get six and seven ter very close losses to Tomseemed to be within striking yards too easily. ball Concordia Lutheran 21distance, down only 10-6.

The Knights offense just 14, Second Baptist 29-20 and However after two long proved to be too strong for St. Mark’s 28-7. drives, Henningson’s two the Mavs. “We just couldn’t Despite the Mavericks congoal line rushing touch- stop them sometimes,” Head trolling most of the game and downs really put the game Coach Steve Gleaves said. outgaining St. Mark’s 309out of reach, and the Knights However, even though the 233, SJS was not able to keep went ahead for good 24-6.

Knights had the more tal- it close. In the same way, the Still, the Knights were able ented team, the Mavericks Mavs lost to St. Thomas High to milk the clock and sealed did not give up at any point School 17-14, a game where the deal with a two yard run during the game. the Mavericks had the lead by quarterback Shane Carden “It was an emotional game, with 2 minutes left but failed in the fourth quarter. and I’m proud of the kids for to hang on.

The problem in the Maver- fighting back and making “We need to get a win,” icks plan landed in the time some great plays,” Gleaves Gleaves said. “It’s all tough. of possession. The Maver- said.

We don’t have any easy icks, while they held Carden After a hard fought and es- games, but we’ll keep plugto only 4-25 passing for only pecially tough loss to a rival, ging away and keep trying to 61 yards, the rushing game a team’s chances of having a get that first win.” was able to take control disaster of a season can really

5 Rockets Face Favorable Year By BHAGWAT KUMAR

For any fan of the Houston Rockets, February and March 2007 were some of the most memorable times in Rockets history. During that time, the undermanned Rockets put together a historic 22-game winning streak based on pure team chemistry and hard work.

Unfortunately, those same Rockets fans will remember another heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Utah Jazz.

The loss ended a season plagued by injuries, including both franchise players Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.

For the past two seasons, followers of the Houston Rockets, myself included, have grown to hate the Utah Jazz. I hate Carlos Boozer and his oddly shaped head.

I hate Jerry Sloan and wonder why he won’t just retire. I hate Andrei Kirilenko and his refusal to get a decent haircut.

Most of all, I hate that the Rockets can’t beat them.

Still, the 2008 offseason has been so very special for the Rockets.

Over the summer, the Rockets managed to make a trade for Ron Artest.

Some might remember Artest as the guy who went into the stands to punch out a fan in a brawl.

By adding Artest, the Rockets add a defensive ace to a team that was already one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. They also add an offensive star who can take some of the scoring burden off of McGrady and Yao Ming.

More importantly, it finally gives the Rockets an intimidating player. Usually, it is the Rockets who are bullied by physical play from other teams.

And while the Rockets have made transactions in the past that were not able to bring Houston success, this move is different.

The one difference between the trade for Ron Artest and the Rockets’ previous moves is that none of the players in the other trades and signings were as talented as Artest. He is a star who can dominate a game both offensively and defensively.

Nevertheless, a constant problem for the Rockets last year, especially after Yao’s injury, was that the offense was too dependent on Tracy McGrady.

When McGrady wasn’t playing at his best, the offense would slow down and the Rockets would struggle to score.

With the addition of Ron Artest, defenses will not be able to focus all their energy on stopping Yao and McGrady.

This will make scoring easier for everyone on the team.

Still, the biggest question about the Rockets in 2008 might be Ron Artest’s attitude. Some worry that he could ruin the Rockets’ team chemistry or break NBA rules or American laws.

What is never mentioned is that Artest had no behavioral problems during his last two seasons in Sacramento.

Also, sometimes breaking a rule is needed to energize a team. For example, if the Rockets are playing the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs, and Bruce Bowen keeps taking shots at Tracy McGrady, a shove or punch from Artest could help the Rockets.

When looking at the Rockets’ current team and what they can achieve, the team has an opportunity to put together their best season since Hakeem Olajuwon was playing. If a few breaks go their way, the Rockets should finally be able to bring an NBA Championship and some much-needed pride back to the city of Houston.

6

October 2008

sports

Lawn Games take root in Quadrangle

By MERYL GIBBS George Netscher (’09), Matthew Lindley (’09) and Daniel Perenyi (’09) said they all agree that you can win “fame, glory and huge prizes,” through Lawn Games.

Lawn Games are a set of fun and popular games seniors can play in the SJS Quadrangle.

“We basically never stop talking about Lawn Games,” Perenyi, cofounder of the new club, said. “I even put it on my college application. I didn’t just put ‘co-president of Lawn Games’. I put ‘co-founder of Lawn Games’.”

The new club, started by Netscher, Lindley and Perenyi, provides badminton, ladder golf, croquet, bocce ball and washers. Additionally, the club is considering adding lawn darts and horseshoes to their repotoir, although they may face obstacles considering lawn darts are currently illegal.

The games will be hosted in the Quadrangle and “other places with grass,” Lindley said.

The inspiration for the new activity struck Perenyi on a summer trip to Idaho. “Yeah, Lawn Games was definitely my idea. I played them a lot [in Idaho] and decided to bring them back [to SJS],” he said.

The group decided to create a club devoted to playing the unappreciated games and renewing the glory of the games. Other administrators and instructors include George Alcorn (’09), John Hawkins (’09) and Leeor Mushin (’09).

Most of the sports played are mainly associated with 19th century England, but an early form of croquet was actually found in Ireland and France. Also, a primitive form of badminton was played in ancient Greece.

Both sports have been featured in Olympic competitions (croquet was introduced in 1904 and bad-

minton in 2008). Now, for the first time, these sports will grace the storied cloisters of SJS. Originally, Lawn Games promised a September Classic, “a quintathlon, if you will,” Lindley said.

However, since Hurricane Ike has disrupted the schedule and September has past, they might host an “October Jubilee, or a November Classic, maybe December,” Netscher said.

The trio’s obligations toward college applications have also hindered their ability to organize a tournament.

“The administration has really made it hard for us,” Netscher said.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure Dean Alig has hidden our croquet set,” Lindley said. Lindley, Netscher and Perenyi are required to set up and take down their badminton nets every morning and after school, “because apparently the Quad looks bad with a big net strung between two trees,” Lindley said.

Underclassmen were initially promised the rights to step onto the sacred ground of the Quadrangle, but that idea was promptly vetoed by other seniors. “We took a survey, which was really only about ten people, and pretty much all of them did not like the proposal,” Lindley said.

Unfazed by the recent dip in popularity, the founders have assured that the club will gain it back.

“We will definitely get some more activity once the weather cools down a little. Then, we’ll bring out bocce ball again,” Netscher said.

Once a tournament is scheduled, a large reward is promised to the winner. “You know, fame, glory, cash money, babes, milk and honey,” they all said.

“And remember,” Lindley said, “four out of five dentists recommend Lawn Games.”

KATHERINE CARMICHAEL | The Review

New MBA basketball league brings ‘Mondo’ hype

By STUART DICKERSON Yet another train is coming down the tracks of the Class of 2009 station.

A new sporting league, going under the operating name Mondo Basketball League (MBL), is in its incipience. It attempts to provide a recreational threeversus-three style basketball league.

“It’s a revolutionary intramural league, something never seen before. It’s baller, and it’s fresh,” Buddy Carruth (’09), one of the founders, said.

The league was founded by Carruth, Grant Williams (’09), John Hawkins (’09) and Kyle Sparks (’09) during a particularly lackadaisical day of English IV when they were supposed to be learning about Shakespeare. Its goal is to provide a recreational out-of-school sporting environment that will not only be fun, but inclusive.

“We really just want it to be successful,” Williams said. “We want lots of people from different grades to join.

Hopefully people are excited about it.”

The league will be conducted during the winter sports season. Athletes who do not play a winter sport will DAN PERENYI | The Review

form teams of four to five players.

These teams will play each other throughout the course of a full season to determine playoff seeding. Then, a playoff style tournament will take place to crown the champion.

Though there has been some talk of a ‘rubber foot’ being awarded to the winners, Carruth insists that “it’s all about the glory, baby.”

One interesting thing that the league brings to the table is an intramural atmosphere that still gives teams a home court advantage.

“The league is special because each team has their own home court of their choosing,” Williams said. “This will provide interesting atmospheres, and we’re excited to see where the toughest place to play is.”

The games will be refereed by people of an unbiased nature, col-

loquially known as “unbiased peeps,” according to Williams.

The nature of the league finds its roots in the lore that is street ball. As such, rules like traveling, carrying and double dribbling may at times be thrown out the window. This fact leaves the court wide open for popular moves such as the ‘Slip-‘N-Slide,’ ‘Off-da-Heezy’ and ‘Dinner’s Served.’

The founders have filled up many spots, but they are still in search of hungry teams from any grade.

“So far we have six teams of three,” Williams said. “We’re hoping for about ten, so we’re still recruiting. People are excited about it though.”

One thing they fear is players

who initially give their support but in the end skip out on the actual event. “[The MBA] is open to anyone who will actually play their games,” Carruth said. “We want everyone who will commit to the league. We don’t want people to say they want in but not show up to games.”

With the winter approaching quickly, these athletes are preparing for the season ahead.

As far as opinions go, who could have the biggest impact on the league? Many of the league representatives remained quiet, but one had a very strong view regarding who could be the potential game-changer.

“I’d say watch for Booj Carruth to be MVP, baby,” Carruth said. “[No one can] stop what’s destiny.”

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7

The Review

A less

Halloween

Five fun alternatives to taking candy from strangers Nosferatu

Phobia

By JOE MARTINEZ

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is a 1922 Ger man take on the classic tale of the vampire Drac ula. The story revolves around a real estate agent named Hutter tasked by his shady employer Knock with selling a house to Count Or lok. Of course, Orlok’s true intentions are far from in nocent, as his recent bid to become a homeowner is a mere ruse for spreading his vile presence throughout Europe by death and disease.

By ARVIND MOHAN A silent horror movie is truly a unique type of film, This Halloween, children and as the fear that cannot be adults alike will be heading out provoked through sound to satisfy their sugar cravings. must be accomplished with Sweets, candies and cookies a thematic score and thorwill probably be everywhere. oughly disturbing images.

One spot to find these treats is Take Orlok for example. at Paulie’s Restaurant, located While all the other charat 1834 Westheimer, as well acters are standard victims, as 2617 W. Holcombe Blvd.

Orlok exudes menace and The Westheimer location an insidious nature from his is situated in a quaint build- arrival to his final moments. ing and serves a wide vari- His movements are effec ety of casual food ranging tively intimidating, slow but from spaghetti to rib-eye confident, as though he steak. senses that his prey, paraAfter you place your orlyzed with fear, has no der, you are given a buzzer where to run, and as such and are invited to sit down. there is no need to move When the buzzer rings, you quickly. can collect the food.

However, Orlok’s piercSome of the most popular ing eyes are his most chillfood items at the restaurant ing feature; they are always are their shortbread cookies, in a dead stare and seem which are decorated in sea- alight with a malicious glow. sonal styles.

Also, his appearance is quite During October, Paulie’s unsettling, starting out as a cookies are Halloween merely eccentric count with themed: ghosts, pumpkins, an odd facial structure, but the word ‘Boo’ and bats by the end of the film he has are all common styles. The grown into something truly cookies are buttery and dedemonic. licious, and no one needs His characteristics are moran excuse to chow down bid as well, for the supernatural on them. So, next time Orlok is a carrier of the bubonic you think about spendplague and transfers the disease ing Halloween trickwith his bite as well as with leor-treating, consider gions of infected rats that folheading to Paulie’s low his command. for a fresher alterWorking in tandem with the native to packaged creepy images is the score. In sweets. lieu of voices, the music must illustrate each character’s personality, so it often rapidly shifts from serene to frightening. Nosferatu was created in a time when fear was generated by the viewer’s imagination rather than today’s gore-centric special effects.

All things considered, Nosferatu is an enjoyable experience and if you get the opportunity, watch it to see the birth of the vampire genre as we know it today.

Paulie’s Cookies

It was with great apprehension that Patrick Flam (’11), Gavin Peterkin (’11) and I prepared to enter the haunted domain of Phobia, located on Highway 290 in the middle of an ominous 30-acre forest.

To see all six houses is certainly going to lighten your wallet at a hefty $50, and each house only lasts about 10 minutes, depending on how quickly your fear motivates you to get out.

The four that we visited were Dawn of the Machine, Simon Fowler Woods, 3D Clown Phobia, and ClaustroPhobia. Dawn of the Machine was an excellent start, filled with plenty of sophisticated animatronics that outshined their human counterparts.

Next up was the Simon Fowler Woods, which was my personal favorite. The scares were rapid-fire and seemed to come from every direction, aided by the natural cover of trees and bushes. The actors here were more involved than in the previous house, often following us for long stretches of time in an almost bullying manner.

In 3D Clown Phobia, we got to explore two stories of clown mania while wearing 3D glasses that made the attraction extremely disorienting. Right from the beginning, we were stumbling and trying to figure out what was real and what was merely popping off the walls.

The final house, ClaustroPhobia, was a bit of a letdown that featured no distinguished scares or sights, though the attraction itself was smartly designed with tight corridors, tilting floors and enough flashing lights to cause several seizures. If you actually suffer from claustrophobia, then this one could easily be the worst, but in general it could have been much better.

My main complaint would be that every single scare relied on the fight-or-flight response; while the adrenaline surge is certainly fun and even necessary to escape anyone wielding a chainsaw, there was a notable lack of any sheer terror-inducing bloodthirsty creatures. In other words, no zombies.

Overall, our experience was quite enjoyable and seemed like a perfect way to celebrate Halloween.

Museum Party

By SAM DUNN The Museum of Natural Science is featuring a party this Halloween called Spirits and Skeletons from 8-12 p.m.

Tickets will cost $13 for members and $15 for non-members. The party will feature The Chromatics, a 21st century band that plays 80s music, as well as a dance floor for the more adventurous.

If you’re looking for a view of what lies beyond Halloween night, the mysterious psychic Fatima and her team of

By ANOUSHKA SINHA palm and card readers will tell your future. Fur“As a horror writer I don’t thermore, you’re also ask for much. I just hope I’ve encouraged to dress up in your most outrageous changed the way you think about life.” So says the title garb and enter for a character in one of the funchance to win the Most niest shows to have graced Triumphant Costume television, Garth Marenghi’s Contest. You also have Darkplace. Although it origithe option of sitting back and relaxing in the nally aired across the pond on Channel 4 in 2004, the show IMAX theater. has since found favorable waFinally, the party ters on Cartoon Network’s Adult will have Steven Swim.

Wallach, a nationalSpanning a tragically ephemeral ly renowned illusionsix episodes, Darkplace lampoons ist, perform amazing 80s budget horror shows with feats. On top of regular food and sweets, deliberately poor production, terthe party will have a rible special effects, wooden acting Bug Chef concocting and cheesy storylines fissured with plotholes. It is presented as a buried creepy, crawly delights to enjoy while classic created by best-selling horwatching local belly- ror author Garth Marenghi and his dancing troop Etoile publisher/publicist, Dean Learner, a show that is finally enjoying airtime Arabesque.

20 years later.

Tickets can From giant eye babies to brocbe purchased either at the Museum, on- coli infections, Darkplace is filled with crazy antics and nonsensical line or over the plot twists made all the more amusphone. If you’re looking for a unique ing by the commentary provided by the fictional actors. If you’re way to spend your looking for a funny show to Halloween, Spirits watch this Halloween, I suggest and Skeletons at the you purchase Garth Marenghi’s Museum looks Darkplace and prepare for to be an enjoyable some horribly, horrifyingly experience. Packed hilarious comedy. with options to keep you entertained all night, the party looks to be the hot spot this coming Halloween.

Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace

KAT OSHMAN | The Review

8

October 2008

a&e

Presenting... the Kinkaid video Graphic courtesy of Shannon Chen

By ARVIND MOHAN On the day of the Kinkaid game, the entire SJS Upper School community gathers in the VST to watch a final pep rally. The pep rally concludes with the Kinkaid Video, which for the past few years has been written by English teacher David Nathan’s senior Satire class.

However, this year, Mr. Nathan said he felt that it would be best to move the oversight of the project to Paradigm film club because restrictions on class size limited the number of people able to participate in the video’s production.

Mr. Nathan said the recent change would allow him to

have a full semester to engage in classroom activities instead of having to make a movie.

“Now that the Kinkaid video has been institutionalized, it is easier to move it out of the classroom,” he said.

Another reason Mr. Nathan said he was glad the Kinkaid video was moved out of the class is that it allowed the script to be written over the summer.

Timothy Bernica (‘09) and Jeff Wu (‘09) were in charge of writing the script, with Kyle Sparks (‘09) and Buddy Carruth (‘09) also playing key roles.

The video has become more inclusive this year, incorporating all fall sports captains, as well as students from all grade

levels. Wu also said that every Upper School fall athlete has a role in the video.

Additionally, Wu said they wanted to include more “universal jokes” that wouldn’t get taken out by the administration.

“When we were writing the script, we tried to make the script as universally funny as possible. We wanted it to appeal to all, or at least a large majority, of the student body,” Bernica said.

Although this year’s video retains its traditional plot elements, Bernica said that the script writing process was long.

After submitting a plot summary in May, the writers met

Photo Courtesy of Gabi Chennisi & Bubba Fish

Timothy Bernica (‘09), Dr. Doug Sharp and Angus Mitchell (‘09) practice a scene for the video.

about six times during the summer to work on the script. “[On] a regular day, we spent about 13 hours writing. It was an all day event, and we [would get] about a page done,” Wu said.

Filming for the video started two weeks before the hurricane, and Bernica said that he hoped to have filming done by Oct. 11 in order to give Gabi Chennisi (‘09) and Bubba Fish (‘09) three weeks to finish editing the video.

“For the past few years the production value has been awful. The video has looked like a home movie taken with a [really small] camera. We want it to be a quality Fish and Chennisi production,” Fish said.

Chennisi added,”We want the scenes to look professional but not take away from the humor.”

On the subject of the script, like Bernica and Wu, Chennisi and Fish were reluctant to comment. “There are a lot of plot twists that we can’t give away, especially a twist ending, M. Night Shymalan-esque. But there is definitely a plot. A [legitimate] plot,” Fish said.

Although Chennisi and Fish’s goals are clear cut, the process required to reach these goals is long and arduous. Chennisi said that it takes 90 hours to edit an episode of MavTv. Since the Kinkaid video is three times longer than an episode of Mav-Tv, Chennisi said that she and fish have been editing “non-stop” during lunch and

free periods.

Despite the large time commitment editing the video requires, Fish said that he enjoyed overstretching himself.

“I love biting off more than I can chew. I love seeing a movie through from start to finish,” he said.

Bernica also said that he has enjoyed the experience, and added, “I really like how there are absolutely no guidelines.

We could write whatever we wanted to write as long as we tied it back into the plot. I think working with a different group of people and just getting a different variety of people between the fall captains and the artsy people was also great.”

Bernica said he has high hopes for the video. “We want people to enjoy the video just as we wanted. As for me, I just wanted to make it as funny as possible,” Bernica said.

Wu said he agreed, and added “Basically, we wanted people to come out of the video still laughing about things that happened. We want the freshmen to want theirs to be like ours.”

On a final note, Chennisi and Fish said they would appreciate if their efforts do not go unnoticed. Fish began, “When you see football players being glorified in the film…”

“Don’t forget us,” Chennisi chimed in. “Don’t forget the people who worked behind the scenes to make the video [and] the ones who got their faces tanned by the light of the computer screen.”

Art Club and Imagination creative retreat postponed

By ARIANA DICKEY Art Club and Imagination’s retreat to the Blackwood Land Institute has been canceled due to a lack of enthusiasm and participants.

The purpose of this retreat was to “make different art using unusual materials and to be inspired by nature,” said Kat Oshman (’09), Art Club President.

Mr. Nathan, co-supervisor of Imagination, said, “Writers need time to get away from homes and school, and often create better works when they can forget about the world around them.”

However, Art Club supervisor Mr. Havel said, “The retreat may be rescheduled for January or February, depending on the number of interested students.”

Members of Imagination and Art Club and “any artists or writers from SJS” are invited to go on the retreat,” Mr. Nathan said. At the Blackwood Land Institute, creative minds will be stretched as students engage in various activities. Writers can participate in creative writing workshops while artists build fire sculptures and other sculptures made out of natural materials. Students will get a chance to enjoy the outdoors as they explore the property and gather items for their assorted art activities.

The Blackwood Land Institute is a sustainable agricultural farm. On the property, there is a wooded area, a spring-

fed pond and a range of wild plants and animals. Also, students can enjoy the beauty of the various orchards and organic gardens. There are two butterfly gardens and a stone labyrinth open for the authors and artists to use as inspiration and to explore during down time.

Recently, Imagination won the Iowa High School Press Association Literary Magazine Contest. Imagination proudly took home first place in the contest.

Mr. Nathan said he believes they won because Imagination “has done a really nice job the last couple of years of incorporating a diversity of forms. We don’t just focus on poetry or maudlin fiction. Unfortunately, a lot of high school literary magazines tend to be kind of depressive. St. John’s students, while not opposed to writing the occasional teenage angst poem or story, Pooja Salhotra | The Review show a lot more humor or insight than Art club members work together to create a poster for the upcoming Book Fair. just depression poetry.”

Mr. Nathan added, “Winning a liter- just about anything. In terms of writing, play their art in Washington, D.C. ary magazine contest was not about the we’ve included poetry, short stories, This year’s Art Club agenda includes quality of just one piece but of the over- memoirs, and essays. We’ve done short “decorating banners for the book fair all quality of the publication. SJS rou- plays, and pretty much every creative and the public artworks that will be tinely has a lot of winners in the Scho- writing format,” Mr. Nathan said. painted on the picnic tables outside,” lastic Writing Contest. Students that are Art Club will be entering the Scholas- Mr. Havel said. really passionate about writing give us a tic Art and Writing Competition, as well Around Halloween, the traditional lot of their work. Fortunately, they like as the High Art Contest, hosted by the Kinkaid week pumpkin carving will to share!”

University of Houston. Also, artists will take place. As the winter break and holSo what kind of works does Imagi- be entering their works into the Con- iday season approaches, Art Club plans nation consist of? “We’ve always been gressional Art Competition in which a to ornament the Upper School with ginpretty heavy on art ... We can reproduce few lucky students will be chosen to dis- gerbread houses.

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9

October 2008

KAT OSHMAN | The Review

Three Asian eateries stand out from the standard fare Juice Box

By VERONICA CHU Tapioca drink shops in Chinatown have traditionally been popular hangouts for young Chinese people looking for a place to talk and have a refreshing treat. In April 2006, Eric and Emily Chen moved to Houston from Taiwan and quickly launched the trendiest place in the area when they opened up Juice Box. Juice Box offers a variety of fresh fruit drinks, including ices with fruit on top.

“When we moved from Taiwan, crushed ice with fruit was very popular,” Eric Chen said. “Since we knew there was a sizeable population of Chinese people in Houston, we decided to bring the fad over here.”

With a minimalist interior and simple furniture, the main showcase of the little shop is the gleaming bar filled with cases of fresh fruit. The most popular order, “Three-Fruits Ice” is made by filling a large bowl with crushed ice and then topping it with three fruits of the customer’s choice, as well as a drizzle of condensed milk.

“We add no sugar to our products,” Chen said. “All of our drinks are natural and healthy.”

After looking over the assortment of fruit, which included oranges, apples, watermelon, strawberries, blackberries and pineapple, I decided on ice with watermelon, cantaloupe and mango.

The fruits were exceptionally juicy, and when combined with the ice, produced a luscious icy-sweet taste that melted in my mouth.

In addition to the ice with fruit, Juice Box sells fruit smoothies, hot drinks and fruit candy delicacies. I tried the “Peanut and Sesame Ball Soup,” which is a hot soup with sticky balls filled with sesame paste floating inside. Although the peanut soup was an acquired taste, the sesame balls were delicious and I found the squishy consistency a delight to chew.

I also tried “Tomato on a Stick,” a treat of four small tomatoes glazed in a thick layer of pure sugar speared on a wooden stick. The sugar cracked when I bit each

tomato and sweetened the otherwise acidic taste.

Juice Box also offers free Wi-Fi as well as an assortment of magazines to flip through. Upbeat Chinese pop music plays in the background beneath the chatter of young people enjoying their drinks. “Although we expected most of our customers to be Chinese,” Chen said, “about 60% of them are non-Chinese. It was a pleasant surprise that people from other cultures liked what we were serving too.”

With its unique refreshments and excellent fresh fruit, Juice Box stands as a compelling alternative to shops like Robeks and Swirll.

Fu Fu Café

By VERONICA CHU

Located on Bellaire Boulevard in a secluded corner of Chinatown, Fu Fu Café offers an array of authentic and reasonably priced Chinese food. Owners Jeff and his wife first opened the restaurant in 2006 after they emigrated from China to Houston, and the restaurant has been busy ever since.

Jeff comes from southern China, famous for its Cantonese style of cooking, and his wife grew up in Beijing, a city known for its use of pasta to make dumplings and meat buns. “We wanted to open a restaurant that blended these two cooking styles,” his wife said.

Customers flock to the restaurant for the homemade taste of its food. “We make our own dough,” said Jeff. “Normally, restaurants buy noodles from a supermarket, but we make our pasta fresh every day. Our ingredients give the food a special taste.”

Although I arrived at the restaurant early in the afternoon, it was already full. I ordered many customer favorites from a diverse menu that included soup, seafood, meat and hot pot. The “Chicken Garlic Flat Clear Noodle” dish consisted of handmade noodles made of green beans covered in garlic soy sauce, and the noodles had an interesting springy texture. The “Steam Pork Buns” were presented in a covered metal dish, and, once uncovered, were eaten delicately

by biting a corner and sucking the juice out.

The “Green Onion Pan Cakes” were very flavorful, consisting of mashed leek leaves and fried egg wrapped up in a thick dough layer. “It’s our most popular dish,” said my waiter. Another popular dish is “Fried Bread Stick” with “Soy Bean Milk.” The bread sticks are huge pieces of fried dough dipped in bowls of soy bean milk. They are also commonly known as “Chinese French Fries.”

Along with other dishes like “Hot and Sour Soup,” “Yang Chow Style Fried Rice” and “Ma Pao Tofu,” I was able to eat a large amount of delicious food.

Best of all, the total cost for my family of four was under forty dollars.

For anyone looking for an authentic Chinese restaurant that serves generous portions with reasonable prices, Fu Fu Café is the perfect spot to please your hunger and your wallet.

Bombay Brasserie

By ARVIND MOHAN Among Rice Village’s eclectic blend of boutiques and restaurants lies an older restaurant. There since 2005, the Bombay Brasserie is located on the second floor behind Kabo, a Japanese Sushi restaurant. The restaurant specializes in “traditional North Indian and Mughali cuisine,” Nassir, one of the waiters said.

The restaurant was originally located at Richmond and Sage, but due to a fire, it burned down. There is also another location near school on the 610 Loop between Richmond and Westheimer, as well as one in the Galleria.

From the décor of the outside, the Bombay Brasserie gives you the feeling of India. Once inside, the service is great. Waiters will immediately find a table just right for your party. Then they swarm around, anxiously filling water glasses and making sure to get down the orders correctly.

Soothing music and dim lighting create a cozy impression. There are two television sets in the room. The one in the front displays ABC News, and the

one in the back depicts photos and videos of traditional Indian cooking.

Immediately after you are seated, the waiters will place a tray of papadams, a thin Indian wafer seasoned with spices, and two sauces. The red sauce is sweet; whereas the green sauce is minty with a kick. Best of all, they’re free.

For the appetizers, the vegetable pakoras I highly recommend. Made of various vegetables, pakoras are deep fried for a satisfying crunch. The flavors blend nicely with the sweet red sauce, more so than with the green sauce. The presentation was also classy, with a rectangular plate and the steaming pakoras served on a bed of lettuce.

For drinks I opted for the mango lassi, a smoothie of mangoes, sherbet and yogurt. Unlike other lassis, this mango lassi had more emphasis on the mango and was lighter and more satisfying.

For the main course, I ordered Mattar Paneer, chunks of cheese in a tomatocream sauce with peas. The gravy was thick enough to not run all over the plate, yet light enough to use with the naan, an Indian flatbread.

I also tried the Chicken Tikka Masala, their most popular dish, according to Nassir. Originally invented in Britain for those who could not handle the spiciness of Indian food, Chicken Tikka Masala has become a staple in all Indian restaurants that cater to a clientele that is less inclined to spicy food.

While the food of Bombay Brasserie is of a high quality, the restaurant is quite expensive. Most dishes start around 10 or 11 dollars for dinner although there is a lunch buffet which starts at $11.95 on weekdays and $12.95 on weekends. In addition, during dinner naans and rice cost extra money, and it is not a good idea to eat the actual curry alone.

According to Nassir, the chefs makes sure that they do not change any of the original recipes in order to keep the food as authentic as possible.

Overall, the Bombay Brasserie is a nice experience. The food stays true to its roots, yet is acceptable for American palates. The lunch buffet might be the best bet, in order to avoid a wallet buster. But whenever you decide to go, one thing is for certain. It is a taste like no other. It is a taste of India.

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October 2008

photo spread

Mavericks play

Photos by Katherine Carm

photo spread

October 2008

their hearts out

michael and Clay Nickens

11

features

12

The Review

October 2008

Campus Caretakers Iron Plant

Photos by POOJA SALHOTRA Graphic by KATHERINE CARMICHAEL

Oak Tree

Staff writer Melissa Yuan unearths the story behind the work done by the SJS Grounds Gardening Committee

By MELISSA YUAN Despite popular belief, the flowerbeds that warmly welcome students, faculty and visitors to the SJS campus were not planted by mysterious garden gnomes, but rather, by the Upper School Grounds Gardening Committee, currently led by Louise Bland.

For students meandering through the SJS campus, the familiar flowerbeds and terracotta pots have long since been part of the campus’s familiar look and feel, but not many know where the beautiful scenery comes from. Together, the Gardening Committee has maintained these various flowerbeds, and flower pots, found scattered all around the school for almost 50 years.

While each section of SJS has its own specific gardening committee, the Upper School committee takes charge of the work done in the flowerbeds on Westheimer and Claremont, as well as within the school campus.

In addition, the Upper School committee tends to plants in the Quadrangle, and before this year’s landscaping renovation, the committee also worked on the sunken garden in front of

the cafeteria.

But gardening at SJS is not a once-a-year event. Throughout the year, the gardening committee periodically switches out the flowers and plants so that the withering seasonal plants can will be gone before they lose their vibrant color.

Providing the school with a variety of color as the year passes, the committee learned which plants could and could not survive by trial-and-error.

“Everyone was fine with that because that’s just Houston in general,” Ms. Bland explained.

“Hot, hot summers and sometimes cold, cold winters.”

To Ms. Bland, gardening in Houston has always been exciting, with different aspects and obstacles to overcome. “It’s always a wonderful challenge in Houston to get things to thrive,” she said.

Of the obstacles Ms. Bland and the gardening committee face, the biggest and most obvious is Houston’s climate.

“Most varieties do great in the spring, but very few things do well in the summer,” Ms. Bland said. “So it was always a challenge to get something that looks pretty when you walk back into school.”

In addition to the climate, Ms. Bland also faced other complications she had not expected.

“We also noticed the Westheimer beds weren’t doing so well because of the increase in the time of that red light, and the increase of the traffic there,” Ms. Bland said. Having identified their problem, the committee then opted to switch out the plants for “low maintenance, foxtail ferns and boxwoods that never had to be changed out.”

The gardening committee also has to watch out for the unexpected. In picking plants and flowers, Ms. Bland also must be aware of the repercussions of each plant.

“We also need species that aren’t poisonous or harmful,” Ms. Bland said. “A lot of former chairmen did not want to do roses because of the thorns.”

Another issue she must watch for is the plants storage of water. “There was worry that the aspidistra (cast iron plant) in the Quad, because they soak up so much water, could be a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” she said.

But for the members of the committee, gardening is not all work and toil. Ms. Bland gar-

dens for one main reason: she loves it. “It’s a hobby for me. I just love to garden,” she said.

For Ms. Bland, her favorite part of gardening is selecting annual flowers. “One year, by accident I had [the committee] change out the bed in Claremont and it was Kinkaid week,” Ms. Bland recalled, amused. “Without asking, they put in yellow marigold and purple pansies because both pansies and marigold were winter flowers so they were in the nursery. They didn’t realize that they were Kinkaid colors.”

In the past, two people from the committee watered the flowerbeds and pots around the North Campus once or twice a week for a month, then rotated out with the other committee members. These two members dutifully kept the plants alive and healthy, unbeknownst to most students and faculty.

However, for the past few years, Ms. Bland has been trying to move to a lower maintenance set of plants.

“It just seemed so inefficient to have to go water them, and then they die, and we have to change them out,” Ms. Bland said. “Then you water the new ones, and they die and you change them out again.”

Foxtail Fern

The upper school landscaping change has resulted in changes in the gardening committee as well.

“This year, with all new landscaping, and fewer pots, maintaining the Upper School grounds is easier,” Ms. Bland said. “And all the new plants survived the hurricane very well… it was a great test!”

With the addition of new heartier plant species, Ms. Bland feels confident most of the plants will do well even without the committee’s constant maintenance. “All the plants from the new landscaping… did so well in the hurricane. It was a great testimonial,” she said.

Now that North campus maintenance is much easier, Ms. Bland and the committee do much less gardening, no longer needing to switch out seasonal flowers and constantly water the plants. Nevertheless, Ms. Bland is still looking forward to what the rest of the year may hold. “I’ll miss planting the tulips and daffodils, but I love the spring flowers,” she said. “We’ll have to wait and see what they put in, or what blooms on its own and survives on its own…

I’m looking forward it!”

features

October 2008

Dulcet Notes

13

from Donald Doucet

By SARAH KOSLOV

SJS has a lot to offer its student body—a rigorous education, countless extracurricular activities, one-on-one college counseling and even a free tshirt every year. So what is it that SJS offers its teachers?

For Donald Doucet, Music Accompanist, SJS provides variety more than anything else.

At 7:45 Wednesday morning, I found Mr. Doucet preparing for Upper School Chapel. He accompanies all of the school divisions’ Chapels and musicals. He keeps busy not only by playing in three different Chapels every week, but also by accompanying the choirs, working with Lower, Middle and Upper School musicals, and performing at school-wide events such as Convocations, Maverick Magic and Commencement.

Despite this busy schedule, Mr. Doucet stays calm and collected. “One of the joys of working here [at SJS] is that it is a K-12 school … there is

enough kind of work to really keep things varied,” he said.

It takes a pretty versatile individual to meet all of SJS’s accompanying needs.

Mr. Doucet was introduced to music at a very young age.

“My dad taught me the notes

“I always enjoyed music… you should choose something you love to do — so it was the obvious thing [for me] to do.”

at age 4, and I started regular lessons at 6.” It was not until eight years ago that Mr. Doucet learned to play the organ. He has dabbled in many different

instruments, and knows how to play many string instruments as well as the clarinet.

Mr. Doucet said he always knew his career path would be one in music. “I always enjoyed music … The experts in the field of helping people choose careers say you should choose something you love to do—so it was the obvious thing to do.”

Mr. Doucet did exactly that, receiving a B.A. in music piano performance from University of Houston and a Master’s in music and accompanying at the collegeconservatory of music at University of Cincinnati.

When he

is away from SJS, Mr. Doucet does freelance accompanying and coaching. He is also the Assistant Music Minister at Strawbridge Methodist Church in Kingwood. One of his upcoming projects includes a recital at Rice University with a tubist from the Houston symphony. In his spare time, Doucet likes to walk and

read, declaring himself “a sucker for a good spy novel.” He also tries to go to Bible Study every day.

Mr. Doucet said his favorite part of working at SJS is his involvement with the choirs; however, he simply said he enjoys all of t h e assorted opportunities he has been given. He said, “I just look back at the kind of amazing variety of things I get to do—I’ve gotten to accompany every instrument…and people from age 4 to 92.”

Mr. Doucet’s love of music has been incorporated into most aspects of his life. From his work at SJS to his involvement at the church and his freelance work, Mr. Doucet keeps a full schedule. In response to whether he stays busy, Doucet replied, “I think the answer to that question is very, yes.”

BOBBIE RICHARDSON | The Review

FULL SPEED AHEAD Photo courtesy of Bryce Hollingsworth.

By ALLEGRA FRADKIN You may have watched in awe as Canada won the gold in the Men’s Eight rowing event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, but you may not have realized that this sort of dedication, precision and skill can be found much closer to home.

Bryce Hollingsworth (’09) developed an interest in competitive rowing last year and participated in rowing camps at Harvard and Yale over the summer, where he competed in the one-kilometer eight-man races.

An eight-man race is a challenge because, according to Hollingsworth, it is impossible to control what the seven other teammates are doing while simultaneously having to keep up with them.

“You have to have perfect timing with everyone else, but you can’t look back at the person behind you. A lot of times beginners look back and try to move their oars at the same time as everyone else, but when you turn your back, your body’s out of position and you can’t get enough push,” he said. “You’re

supposed to stare straight forward so you’re looking at the back of the head of the person in front of you.”

Hollingsworth, currently captain of the SJS football and wrestling teams, is considering joining a rowing team in college, so the camps were a good opportunity to meet coaches from universities around the country. He is currently considering joining the rowing

“Rowing is just the ultimate dedication sport. If you dedicate yourself to getting better, you will get better.” program at Williams College, but has not decided yet if he wants to pursue rowing after

Fifth from right, Bryce Hollingsworth (‘09) takes a break during a rowing camp at Harvard. graduating from college.

At Harvard and Yale, Hollingsworth spent four hours every day rowing and the rest of the day doing yoga and stretching.

Because rowing requires strong legs, lower body, neck, back and core, squats became his necessary stretch. Apparently, the belief that rowing requires a lot of arm strength is a common misconception.

“When you’re in an eightman, you have to be like a perfect team, in a sense. Even though I was with most of these guys only for a short time, we got really close as a team. It was a closer team than most I’ve experienced, and I was only there for a couple of weeks,” Hollingsworth said.

Hollingsworth and his rowing teammates kept in touch after the camps had ended and called each other during this year’s Olympic Games to asses the abilities of the extensively trained athletes who competed in the summer games.

He also participates in a rowing club team in Clear Lake. He

practices in a one-man boat, rowing with two eight-foot long oars. Balancing the boat by himself and controlling timing are two of his main challenges presented in one-man boat racing.

Motor boats also became an issue for Hollingsworth. Once while rowing in Clear Lake, a motor boat hit his boat, flipping it over and knocking him into the water. Since rowers are not required to wear lifejackets because they can often hamper rowing momentum, Hollingsworth had to swim all the way back to his boat without a flotation device. Fortunately, he was uninjured.

When he does not have time to row an actual boat, also known as a shell, Hollingsworth practices his rowing on an ergometer, a machine used to simulate rowing and measure speed and distance.

Getting some competition experience at the summer camps helped Hollingsworth hone his rowing skills. By the end of the camps, Hollingsworth and his

team were able to beat other eight-man teams, even those with double their collective experience.

“Rowing isn’t one of those sports where you can only get to a certain point, and, in order to go beyond that point, you have to be naturally gifted,” he said. “Rowing is just the ultimate dedication sport. If you dedicate yourself to getting better, you will get better.”

Although he only started competing recently, Hollingsworth has always been interested in rowing. He finds it different from most other sports because of rowing participants’ passion for the sport.

Hollingsworth enjoys the dedication rowing requires.

“That means you’re with a bunch of people who are also equally dedicated,” he said.

“You don’t have people slacking. Everyone who’s there wants to be there, a lot. Everyone is working hard, and that’s just the kind of environment I like.”

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features

All Fired Up October 2008

Gordon Center reflects on his time spent fighting fires.

By MARIAM MATIN After Hurricane Ike, while most of the SJS community was tending to the damage done to their own homes, Middle School history teacher Gordon Center was donning firefighting gear and preparing to help his neighbors.

“A lot of volunteer firefighting is saying to your neighbors, ‘I’m willing to get my hands dirty for you,’” Mr. Center said. “I found myself on a Sunday afternoon [follwing the hurricane], 40 feet in the air on the roof nailing up tarps, but I love it.”

He also enjoys spending time at the fire station, hanging out with the rest of the squad. Fire calls may take only 20 minutes, but everyone sits around afterward and talks.

“It’s like being in school again,” Mr. Center said.

“Just a bunch of boys hanging around together, telling stories and just having fun. We’re a fraternity.”

Although Mr. Center would like to spend more time at the station, he has many other responsibilities as a father, husband, and teacher.

“My wife is very sweet and kind,” Mr. Center said.

“Even though sometimes she asks me when I am going to grow up, she knows this is the one thing that is a lot of fun for me.”

But fun comes with sacrifice.

Mr. Center goes to the station every night for departmental training. He is always on call, and carries a pager and receives text messages on his cell phone.

Every night at 8 p.m. the pager, or “pest page” as it is called by his family, is tested.

“Lots of firefighters are macho guys who don’t want to ask for help. So if they get stuck in a situation they shouldn’t be in ... they hold off doing things until it’s too late.”

“The pager has gone off on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving,” Mr. Center said. “It’s gone off when I’ve been sick and during school.”

If the pager goes off during school, Mr. Center shows up at the station wearing trousers and a shirt, but the clothes are often thrown away because they get covered in soot.

The pager is also known to beep while Mr. Center is with his children. “The kids beg me not to go to the fire … when the pager goes off I say ‘Okay guys, we’re just going to the fire station. You can each have a soda and watch TV.’” His role as a firefighter is also one that involves risk.

“Firefighters get hurt when they start doing more than they should,” said Mr. Center. “They think they are [like] Superman and when they are not following the right guidelines things can go wrong.”

When one of Mr. Center’s friends witnessed the death of a firefighter four years ago in Baytown, Mr. Center said he could see the change in him.

“As we get older we just think, ‘Okay, how can we put out this fire quickly and easily so we can go back to the station and goof around about how wonderful and brave we are,’ but the truth is we get scared just like everybody else.”

One way to lessen the danger is to do the “boring” jobs as well. Even though most people want to be heroes, it is important to have back up should anyone transmit a mayday.

To prevent harm, first and foremost, firefighters participate in training. Mr. Center took beginner classes every Saturday afternoon for six months. Following these, he went to Texas A&M, which has one of the most prestigious fire fighting schools in the nation.

Part of the training occurred in a “burn building”, which is a giant cement building with metal doors, windows, and ceilings. The burn building is filled with hay that is set on fire. The burn building becomes like a sauna, getting hotter and hotter.

“But it is not an out-of-control fire. The plastic on your helmet melts,” he said. “The temperature reaches a thousand degrees easily. But it’s a dry heat, so that’s good.”

The main objective of the training is to teach the rookies not to panic and become comfortable with the

heat.

“Lots of firefighters are macho guys who don’t want to ask for help,” Mr. Center said. “So if they get stuck in a situation they shouldn’t be in and don’t want to ask for help and look like a big baby, they hold off doing things until it’s too late.”

Only a few decades ago, firefighters did not wear masks because they were not considered “macho”.

This meant the firefighters could only go as far as they could breathe, which is usually not more than a few feet. In Houston the fire fighters only wore jeans and some cities did not wear pants at all. NASA has since updated the equipment so the fire fighters can go in deeper, but if something goes wrong, it is harder to get out.

One of the most difficult parts of being in a burning building, according to Mr. Center, is the fact that it gets dark and smoky and the fire fighters can hardly see what is going on. It can get even more confusing because the firefighters are often split up, while the only person that knows what is happening is the Chief.

The biggest fire Mr. Center has ever been in was on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2002. There was construction happening on a lot and someone struck the main gas pipe. The gas began to spread until it hit something that caused it to explode. Two houses and a third garage were involved, so the firefighters were forced to call in extra reinforcements.

In addition to fighting the large fire, Mr. Center has also saved a life: the life of a cat. When he was told to search the house, he found the cat hiding under the bed. Although the cat dug his claws into his gear, Mr. Center was able to come to the rescue.

“Never [saved] any people, though,” Mr. Center said.

“I’ve never had that moment you see in the movies where you think about your family, but I do have a picture of my family in my helmet.”

Occasionally, he may even run into SJS students.

“Once at the Southside [Recreation] Center the smoke alarm went off in the building and a bunch of kids were having a party there,” said Mr. Center. “I swaggered over and the kids all said ‘Mr. Center? What are you doing here?’ and everyone who I was volunteering with was like, ‘Yeah, what are you doing here?’”

The fires usually start from fairly normal things such as shorts and candles, but ninety percent of the time the calls are false alarms. “Someone sees smoke in someone’s backyard and they are barbequing,” Mr. Center said. “It’s classic.”

“The other one I love is when people call the fire department and say our house is on fire but then they call back and say [they] are wrong,” Mr. Center said.

“I don’t think you should be allowed to say your house is on fire unless you can identify that it is on fire.”

Some locations have an automatic fire alarm that goes off all the time. After repeated calls to the fire station, places become recognizable; however, the fire station is required to answer every call.

“There used to be a [donut shop] that had an alarm that went off all the time,” Mr. Center said. “Once it went off on my birthday and we showed up and there actually happened to be a fire there. It would have taken two seconds to put out, but we kept fighting about who got to use the fire extinguisher. I got it because it was my birthday.”

JENNY LEWIS | The Review

15

opinions The Review

Editorial

Annual Day needs to stay As described in the last issue of the Review, the administration did a commendable job handling the difficult hardships brought by Hurricane Ike. That said, the Editorial Board expresses some reservations pertaining to specific scheduling changes.

While the Editorial Board recognizes the need to add more school days back into the 2008-2009 calendar, Annual Day should not have been canceled. A day focused on the contributions of SJS alumni to their respective communities following their Maverick years, Annual Day is one which has always succeeded in motivating and engaging students.

In a school known for its extremely rigorous academic obligations, it is easy for students to get caught up in the daily grind. Tests become major concerns and homework becomes a first priority.

Annual Day allows

October 2008

students to take a step back and appreciate the positive aspects of not only the educations they have received, but also the way their characters have been shaped. It provides a moment for students to take a breath and appreciate how— by meeting the school’s high standards—they have been prepared for the years to come and could then understand why we, as students, put so much wok in.

Furthermore, because students are allowed to pick which speakers they listen to during Annual Day, it allows them to focus on their own futures. It also exposes students to life beyond the Storied Cloisters and prods them to think about how they will develop the foundations SJS has provided.

However, the Editorial Board recognizes the administration’s efforts to make decisions to keep class-free days they feel the students care about most. The

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 (‘12), Sarah Koslov (‘10), Bagwhat Kumar (‘11), Joe Martinez (‘11), Mariam Matin (‘11), Arvind Mohan (‘10), Anne-Charlotte Profit (‘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 (‘12), 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 Meghan Hall, Elizabeth Rasmussen, Bret Vollmer, 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.

Board supports the administration’s choice to keep Field Day because it facilitates much-needed bonding between grades as well as increases student’s morale and school spirit, something that has been recently questioned.

Yet Field Day as well as Annual Day are both events students have come to appreciate for the break they provide in the monotony of school life.

They allow for a night off from doing homework and studying, as well as time to catch up on much needed rest.

When looking back at time spent at SJS, chances are a student will not remember what happened in second period each day or what grade they got on a History test, but the pie eating contest at Field Day or the keynote speaker at Annual Day. Therefore, the Editorial believes that, despite the time crunch regarding AP classes, Annual Day should not have been canceled.

Letter From the Editor

Dear Readers,

After spending weeks complaining about the lack of school spirit, particularly among the underclassmen, I was pleased to be proven wrong during the first quarter of the EHS game.

Though such claims may have been substantiated by poor attendance to the pep rally, they were disproved by the paint, pots and pans fans had brought.

Though this show of spirit unfortunately failed to persist after the Knights had taken the

lead, it at least showed what this school of capable of.

It’s my hope that as we approach Kinkaid week – something that can be read about in our A & E section as well as on the next page – fans will again come out to support our team and more importantly continue to show their support regardless of what the scoreboard may read.

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.

16

opinions Top nine reasons the best week at SJS is...

October 2008

Kinkaid Week

Ah yes, Kinkaid Week. The week where school work finally plays second fiddle to the most exciting week on campus.

Have you just hit a cheerleader in the face while doing a backhand spring? It’s ok. It’s Kinkaid Week! Did you just start an avalanche that could have killed dozens of people? It’s ok. It’s Kinkaid Week! But what is it about the week that makes it so great? Is it the pep rallies? Homecoming? The t-shirts or the mindless cheering? These reasons will help you appreciate Kinkaid week and get pumped up for it. So remember to cheer on your team, decorate the school and if you see a Kinkaid student’s car throw an egg at it blame on some who goes to EHS and keep school spirit high.

By ANDREW PERRY Staff Writer

Senior Video

BBQ before the game Ah food, the substance of life. The barbecue before the game is just like lunch because it is a time to hang out with your friends and eat except the best part about the pre-game barbecue is that you don’t have to go back to class afterwards. The barbecue is a great way to hang out with friends in a school setting, minus the school.

School Pep Rally The school-wide pep rally is always fun to watch for several reasons. First, we get out of class. Second, because of the school spirit that is buzzing around; the pep rally really gets us pumped for the game.

Finally, you may get the chance to see another cheerleading accident worthy of YouTube.

The Sweet Shirts The shirts that the students get for the game are always fun to see because of that year’s theme.

The previous years have held exotic themes…

Western, James Bond, Rome. There is no knowing. A nice plus for the school shirts is that without them my shirt drawer would probably be empty. The only question left is what the theme will be for this year?

Saving Private Ryan, Titanic, The Godfather, Scarface, all are mere home movies compared to the Senior Video. Well maybe not Scarface because that movie was pretty cool especially the end with the machine gun/grenade launcher scene, but the Senior Video is pretty WICKED. For all you youngsters out there who don’t know what the Senior Video is, there is a treat in store for you.

Halloween festivities We are all too old to be doing anything on Halloween except give out candy to little kids (except some of us who still trick or treat). Anyone who still is trickor-treating is forced to take on the next step towards adulthood. This also keeps us from sitting at home and listening to little kids asking for more candy.

Running onto field

Homecoming Dance Homecoming is one of the biggest parties of the year for many SJS students. For all the kids out there who are too afraid to ask someone out, now is your big chance. Now you will have the oppurtunity to impress that special someone, go to the dance and show off your moves. He or she will be ecstatic at how well you can dance. Even if you don’t want to dance with your secret love, the food and the music are great. If scrumptious food, fresh music and fly girls (or boys) is not enough to make you come to Homecoming, I don’t know what will.

The game Oh yeah the game. I almost forgot, the football game is a great social event. It’s a great way to meet your friends’ friends from other schools and a way to hang out with your own friends. Even if you don’t like football, the actual game is a lot of fun. Even if you don’t know anything about football or sports or athletic competition in general, just cheer when people dressed in red and black cheer.

As the game ends, all students anxiously pose at the edge of the field and prepare to madly storm the field. Nobody is certain why we all feel so compelled to do this, but some part of our instinct tells us to rush on the field. Running on the field and cheering has some intangible element about it that makes all students excitedly await it during the second half of the game.

Beating Kinkaid Kinkaid is our longtime rival and beating them is the goal of all SJS students. The rivalry between Kinkaid and SJS is bigger than the rivalries: McCain and Obama, Texas and Oklahoma, Jim and Dwight, even bigger than Tom and Jerry. If beating Kinkaid is more important than anything else in your life, football players reading this article, stop reading right now and hit the weight room because beating Kinkaid is bigger than you, bigger than this school and even me.

No midterms?

Kinkaid students let off because of hurricane

By Caroline Gibson While we are lamenting the loss of a Ms. Mulligan’s birthday celebration and a shortened spring break, the Falcons have a much more carefree school year in mind.

The rumors are true: Kinkaid students will not have to suffer through midterms this year. Sure, they will use those days to attend normal class to make up for time lost to Hurricane Ike, but while we are pulling all-nighters, tearing out hair and cursing the school system in general, as we prepare for those dreaded mid-year exams, Kinkaid students will be getting their eight hours of sleep and doing no more than average homework while awaiting their Christmas break.

The one thing Kinkaid has over us is interim term, but now no midterms, too?

(Somehow, this adjustment also seems to suggest a much more laidback school at-

mosphere at Kinkaid can this be so?) We are supposed to be rivals, implying equality; however, there seems to be nothing fair about the extra time they will have to devote to sports, the arts and vacation instead of studying for midterms. Due to this temporary change, Kinkaid grades will rocket ahead this year without that

We are supposed to be rivals, implying equality; however, there seems to be nothing fair about the extra time they will have to devote to sports, the arts and vacation instead of studying for midterms. average-killing exam grade that haunts many students. And maybe this grade,

while it might seem far-fetched, will be the one that opens doors for Kinkaid students to get into better colleges in a world where the smallest differences in resumes matter.

Because of their heightened college experience, these students will continue on in life to beat out competition (potentially SJS graduates) for job applications and SJS grads will no longer be living the stereotypical life of easy success but suffering at the hands of their Kinkaidian superiors at work. While I hope most sincerely this is not the case, a can of worms has been opened wide with the new schedule adjustment. A species of student that knows a life without midterms is being bred at Kinkaid and natural selection may just prove those stress-free students more fit to survive.

All I can say is, maybe there’s a reason hurrication happened. Maybe a higher

power is demanding that we relax and take a few days off; however, our school

A species of student that knows a life without midterms is being bred at Kinkaid and natural selection may just prove those stress-free students more fit to survive. administration continues to oppose this with all its might. We bow down, instead, to another power; one that always shakes us prep school students to the core, the force called college. If we just relax, if we just do the best we can without stressing, everything will fall into place. In two school who are supposed to be fairly equal rivals, this just doesn’t seem too equal.

18

beyondSJS The Review

October 2008

Alumna enjoys literary career

By SARAH WINDHAM Though she lives over a thousand miles away, SJS alumna Lisa Selzman Greenberg (’78) stays connected to Houston through her job as a book critic for The Houston Chronicle.

Ms. Greenberg, who described herself as a “shy” high school freshman, said that her high school experiences provided her with the foundations of her literary career.

Her freshman English teacher, Mike Cullinan, encouraged her to become a writer. Ms. Greenberg said that without his support, she would not have pursued a writing career.

Ironically, one of her least favorite SJS memories involved writing. Ms. Greenberg said she dreaded the ‘Blue Book tests’ in which she wrote essays. In retrospect, however, she acknowledged that the tests prepared her for college writing.

Ms. Greenberg cultivated her literary

“Computers and cell phones are taking up so much of our time these The main photo from Lisa Selzman’s senior page in the 1978 yearbook. days, so it is more lance writer.

Greenberg. After their wedding, the A career in therapy was “the perfect two moved to Wexford, Penn. As a reimportant than balance” to her writing passion in that ever to take time to the constant interaction it provided read books.”

A career in therapy -Lisa Selzman was “the perfect balance” to her skills outside of class as well, serving as Co-Editor of the SJS literary magazine, writing passion Imagination, during her senior year.

After high school, Ms. Greenberg in that the conmatriculated at Barnard College, an allwomen’s college affiliated with Columstant interaction it bia University. Despite being new to provided compleNew York City, Ms. Greenberg said that the moment she stepped foot on cammented the solitary pus, she knew she had found her place.

Upon graduation from college, Ms. nature of writing.

Greenberg struggled to make it as a Photo coursey of The Quadrangle

writer in the urban jungle of New York City. “Being a writer is hard. It’s especially hard to make money if writing [is your only source of income],” she said.

Therefore, Ms. Greenberg decided to return to school, earning her Master’s in psychotherapy. After graduate school, she worked as a therapist and a free-

complemented the solitary nature of writing. Additionally, her career as a therapist gave her the opportunity to help others and served as a source of inspiration for her writing.

Ms. Greenberg’s career in therapy ended when she married Michael

Follow Selzman’s advice to “read, read, read” by coming to:

THE SJS BOOK FAIR October 15 and 16 Barnes and Noble Be there or be illiterate.

sult, Ms. Greenberg was able to focus on her writing full-time.

After spending four years as a book critic for The New York Times, she accepted a job writing for The Houston Chronicle.

Throughout her career as a book editor, she has had the opportunity to review works by acclaimed authors such as Lisa See, Tibias Wolff, Charles Baxter, Michael Chabon and Joyce Carol Oates, to name a few. Ms. Greenberg credited her editor for consistently picking “the greatest books” for her to read and review.

Although she said she always strives to begin her articles on a positive note, she added, “some books just don’t work.”

However, as a writer herself, she said that she has great respect for anyone who can finish an entire novel.

Recently, Ms. Greenberg has been writing nonfiction essays about being a mother. Since her job allows for lots of schedule flexibility, Ms. Greenberg said she gets to spend a lot of quality time with her two children, Spencer and Hunter Rose.

Ms. Greenberg’s advice to SJS students pursuing a writing career is to “read, read, read.” She added, “Love books.

Love language. Computers and cell phones are taking up so much of our time these days, so it is more important than ever to take time to read books.”

beyondSJS

19

October 2008

Born on the Bayou SJS alumnus Hunter Perrin rocks out with music legend John Fogerty and his band

By JESSICA ALLEN

Photo courtesy of Hunter Perrin.

SJS alumnus Hunter Perrin (’95) has always performed for screaming fans.

Though his musical career began with the SJS jazz band at football games, Mr. Perrin has had the opportunity to play for thousands of people on a worldwide tour as the guitarist for rock legend John Fogerty’s band.

Mr. Perrin has always cited John Fogerty and his old band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, a classic band of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, as one of his greatest musical influences.

After beginning guitar at the age of ten, Mr. Perrin continued to play throughout high school. He played with the SJS jazz band, performed in Johnnycake productions, and formed a band called Inner City Mellow.

Inner City Mellow, composed mostly of older musicians, was an early learning experience for Mr. Perrin. While he was eager to crank out music, he learned from his older bandmates to slow the pace down.

“When you’re younger, certain things seem more enticing musically. You want to play fast, you always want to do a bunch of stuff,” Mr. Perrin explained.

“The older guys would settle into it a bit more … add parts that make sense with the group sound. You’re not thinking about yourself, you’re thinking about the whole collection.”

By his senior year at SJS, Mr. Perrin knew he wanted to pursue a degree in music at the University of Texas at Austin, which had just hired a distinguished professor in classical guitar. Not entirely familiar with the genre of classical guitar, Mr. Perrin utilized the independent study program at SJS to prepare his audition pieces.

“I think SJS is a really special place,” Mr. Perrin said. “There are a lot of resources there that I would recommend students explore. Just know that the teachers really do want to help you … as a student, if you’re really interested in something, I guarantee there’s someone at the school who can help you learn more about it or get better at it, and I

would really recommend that.”

Essential to his guitar studies was Lee Knauerhaze, a Spanish teacher who went beyond the call of duty as a teacher to help Mr. Perrin prepare for his audition.

“I worked with Señor Lee Knauerhaze, who was a real special friend of mine,” Mr. Perrin said. “We’d meet every week and work on these pieces of music.”

Mr. Perrin was the only student accepted to the university’s program that year.

After graduating from the University of Texas, he received his Master’s degree at Yale University’s music school.

Mr. Perrin then moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he supported himself with his passion for music. While teaching guitar, working at recording studios

“We’re looking out, and in the front row are Dave Grohl and Tom Hanks. They’re just having a blast, standing up with their fists in the air, just rocking out.”

- Hunter Perrin

and playing in a band named hi-five, he also released two solo guitar albums: Hunter Perrin in 2000 and Subtitles in 2003.

After releasing a record with hi-five, Mr. Perrin relocated to Los Angeles and got married in 2006. He composed new arrangements of some of his favorite music for his wedding, arranging songs by artists including The Beatles, The Flaming Lips and The Meters for the violin and classical guitar.

Mr. Perrin’s personal project brought unexpected professional opportunities.

After hearing his arrangements, the pastor at his wedding, Jimmy Bartz, asked Mr. Perrin to compose some music for his church.

Mr. Bartz also introduced Mr. Perrin to his friend, Ian Jack, and the two began to collaborate and write music together.

Mr. Jack noticed the southern elements in Mr. Perrin’s songwriting and asked him who his musical influences were.

When he included John Fogerty in his response, Mr. Jack revealed he was good friends with Mr. Fogerty and offered to introduced the two.

Despite the fact that he was meeting one of his musical idols, Mr. Perrin recalls that he “wasn’t nervous.” As fate would have it, Mr. Fogerty’s band needed a guitar player and asked if Mr. Perrin would be interested.

Mr. Perrin helped Mr. Fogerty record his latest record, Revival, in March 2007.

Almost immediately, Mr. Perrin and the band embarked on a world tour. From May to August they toured Europe and Canada, and later in November and December they toured the United States.

For Mr. Perrin, perhaps the best part of this experience was been being able to play with one of the greatest rock musicians of all time, who he described as “a great guy and a very hard worker and just very inspiring.”After growing up listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival, “to actually play [those songs onstage] is just that much cooler,” Mr. Perrin said.

Even more thrilling were the huge crowds that Mr. Perrin played for while on tour. He still recalls his first gig with the band, playing for 20,000 fans in Southern California. Another highlight, he said, was the Glastonbury Festival in England, a huge music festival with an audience of 250,000. “It’s always what I thought Woodstock would have looked like in the sixties,” he said.

Mr. Perrin got a taste of the big time after appearing on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno and “The Late Show” with Dave Letterman and performing at the Grammys. At a joint performance

with rock legends Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, Mr. Perrin recalled one memorable moment. “We’re looking out, and in the front row are Dave Grohl and Tom Hanks,” he said. “They’re just having a blast, standing up with their fists in the air, just rocking out.”

However, the tour had its highs and lows. Touring can be exhausting, Mr. Perrin said, and “shows can take a lot out of you.” After the adrenaline rush of performing, sleeping at night became increasingly difficult.

“It actually reminded me a lot of when I traveled with the football and lacrosse teams at SJS,” Mr. Perrin said. “It reminded me of that team comradery, when you’ve got all your good friends and everyone’s traveling together.

You’re tired, but you’re kind of cranked up because you’ve just played the football game or whatever.”

Mr. Perrin and the band still have a few more tour dates lined up for later this year, but as for what’s next, he said, “I’m not exactly sure what the future holds.”

True to form, however, Mr. Perrin is staying busy. Now living in Los Angeles, Mr. Perrin is jamming once again with fellow SJS jazz band alum Paul Beebe (’96) in their band, Thunderado.

The group hopes to release an album by Christmas.

Mr. Perrin said that much of his success is a result of his SJS education that prepared him to follow his unconventional goals.

“Really, I think a lot of it was seeing people from SJS doing these amazing things and just saying like, okay, I want to be a musician, but I want to be a really, really great musician,” Mr. Perrin said. “I really want to work on my craft and get good at it.”

Despite the whirlwind events of recent years, Mr. Perrin has remained unchanged. Mr. Perrin said, “I haven’t changed that much from the guy I was at SJS. That was always the goal: be in a great band, play great music, have a lot of fun.”

odds&ends Thumbs Thumbs down up Sweet spirit swag Tailgating at EHS game Girls volleyball undefeated

Word for Word

The Knights Seniors vote to not wrap the Quad SJS sticking with midterms post-Ike

Staffer of the Issue

“Yes, respect. I know all about that because of Aretha Franklin.”

—Math teacher Dr. Sharp “The Wandering Jew - that’s the name of a plant.”

“Where’s it going?”

—Science teacher Ms. Chan and Travis Foxhall (‘09), discussing plant cells in AP Biology “Wait, Travis got a quote and I didn’t?”

—Emily Foxhall (‘09), previewing Word for Word “My annotations are good. They’re not really ... appropriate for class.”

—George Netscher (‘09) during a graded discussion on Hedda Gabler in English class “Hey Leeor, don’t break my sunglasses.”

—Alec Tanner (‘09) at evening football game

Joe Martinez (‘11)

Joe definitely pulled his weight in two sections during the production cycle for this issue. Not only did he write about the Book Fair for News, he also completed two lastminute Halloween-themed assignments for Arts and Entertainment. The editors recognize and appreciate all of Joe’s hard work.

sixty seconds with angela ha (‘11)

KATHERINE CARMICHAEL | The Review

name angela ha grade 10th relationship status do you know me? sjs cafeteria item anything but burritos…they make people gassy sport to play softball sport to watch baseball if i did an olympic sport it would be table tennis...all asians should professional sports team red sox music the jobros movie anything with jackie chan, duh tv show gossip girl book the same kind of different as me radio station my ipod starbucks tall double chocolaty chip Sue Mills item a plaid scrunchie restaurant chipotle comfort food ramen vegetable ew breakfast food cheese bread...even though i’m kind of lactose intolerant Facebook or MySpace? facebook holiday christmas color nude dream vacation bahamas dream date nick jonas drink smoothie sing in the shower? always kids? 100 kids’ names? ...i don’t plan that far ahead when i grow up i want to be famous when i grow up i want to live in california favorite spot on the sjs campus computer lab motto bring honor to my family will we beat kinkaid? the volleyball team will do you read the review? the interesting parts