REAL GRADUATION

thereview VOL. 64, ISSUE 8

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL

GRADUATION 2013

BANDING TOGETHER

‘It’s our job to be the bridge for others’: SJS supports members of community in need

BY MEGAN ROUTBORT Comfort food, handmade cards and a quick embrace — these are all shared between family members when hard times hit. Recently, the SJS community has banded together as an extended family to support two of its own.

“We’re embracing our friends with a warm SJS family hug,” Community Service coordinator Marci Bahr said.

The community has reached out to help Mohammad Rafieha and Richard Doina in their times of need.

Rafieha, known affectionately as “Mo,” has worked as the South Campus Ambassador since 2006 and has been an integral member of life at SJS. “He has lived a life full of opportunities for resiliency, and the outcome is a man who is as kind and thoughtful as they come,” Middle School history teacher Gordon Center wrote. “He looks after the children and faculty like the grandfather we would wish on everyone.”

Rafieha was initially hired as a bus driver, but he asked for other responsibilities to take on during his free hours.

“I had time that I wanted to offer to the school,” Rafieha said.

Upon his request, Rafieha was given the title of Ambassador and asked to watch children when they were not in classes.

“I was happy to be Ambassador because I loved the kids very much,” Rafieha said.

Center added, “When I see him standing underneath the tree and protecting the children, I cannot help but think of Aslan the Lion.”

Rafieha was born in Iran, where his father worked as a police officer.

“My father used to stand next to his dad and feel truly proud of the service police provided to the community,” Rafieha’s son Shirzad said. “It affected his behavior, led him to this path and drove him to be a protector.”

Rafieha channeled his experience from being a bodyguard and leader of an elite commando brigade in Iran into his work.

Following a diagnosis of bone cancer this semester, Rafieha temporarily left his post to undergo chemotherapy. He has received overwhelming support and care from the SJS community.

Center’s wife, Katherine (’90), is helping collect contributions for Rafieha at his former post, the Lower School carpool tree.

Anne Furse, mother of Claire (’18) and Austen (’21), is collecting donations and messages for Rafieha, who now has over 300 cards and pictures from SJS community members.

Donations can be given via the “Friends of Mo” online donation site.

The generosity of the community has touched Rafieha.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t finish my last several weeks of work,” Rafieha said, “but I’m very proud of the school and everything it has done for me.”

Rafieha thanked faculty, staff, parents and especially students for their support and attention through the difficulties.

“The cards and well-wishes have truly affected my father, and he’s hopeful that he can fight this, beat this and come back to

“I’m very proud of the school and everything it has done for me.”

Mohammad Rafieha

COLLEGE PULLOUT See which colleges seniors will be heading to this fall. Also check out a photo collage of the Class of 2013 and our senior editors’ choices for ‘Super Seniors.’

COURTESY PHOTO Giving from the heart Ever since South Campus Ambassador Mohammad Rafieha’s cancer diagnosis, the SJS community has collected funds and sent hand-drawn cards to help him and his family.

A group of faculty members also aided former history teacher Richard Doina and his family by helping with repairs around his house.

school, where he loves spending his time,” Shirzad Rafieha said. “We knew SJS was a great school, but only now do we know how wonderful the community is.”

A group of faculty members recently joined forces to help former colleague Richard Doina.

“I’m impressed with the community and incredibly proud to be a member,” Bahr said. “Everyone at SJS came together to give the Doina family a hand that will make a huge difference in their lives.”

Doina taught Upper School history for 21 years until a seizure disorder rendered him unable to continue working in 2010.

When Doina’s wife, Jeanette, was also diagnosed with an illness, SJS was ready to help.

“The community has performed a wonderful act of support for Dr. Doina and his

YEAR IN REVIEW Remember the musical, Kinkaid Movie and International Day? Check out the centerspread for Movers and Shakers and the Top 13 stories of the school year.

family,” Bahr said.

Faculty members helped repair the Doina home over the span of three weekends. They repainted, recarpeted and did landscaping work.

“When we were helping out, Dr. Doina was constantly thanking us profusely,” Bahr said.

Doina and his family worked alongside faculty to fix and renovate the home.

The repairs ended with a final reflection led by Bahr. She likened the Doina’s experience to a Simon and Garfunkel song.

“When we were wrapping up, ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ came on the radio.

It made us realize that people everywhere face troubled waters in their lives,” Bahr said. “It’s our job to be the bridge for others.”

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NEWS FEATURES ENTERTAINMENT BEYOND CENTERSPREAD OPINIONS SPORTS ODDS & ENDS

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2news THE REVIEW

GRADUATION 2013

newsbriefs

HANDBOOK AMENDMENTS

SAC vote requires future prefect candidates to show prior interest

Students celebrated Cinco de Mayo in the Mini-Quad, albeit four days after the actual holiday.

Hungry participants munched on guacamole, cupcakes and candy before smashing a star-shaped piñata. Spanish teacher Isabella Maldonado taught a Mexican line dance during the event and awarded prizes to the most enthusiastic participants.

Juniors Carolyn Martin, Christina Moss and Samantha Neal organized the event.

Moss said, “Seeing people laugh during the music and piñata portion was really great.”

BY LIN GUO

Matthew Neal

Riveting rhetoric Beginning next year, juniors must have demonstrated prior interest in serving on SAC to qualify as prefect candidates. Nikolai Hood (standing), one of next year’s prefects, would not have fulfilled this requirement had it been in place this year.

Starting next year, juniors must have previously served on or run for Students Affair Council (SAC) to qualify as a prefect candidate.

SAC representatives voted for the change after 30 juniors signed up to run this year.

“The current system is not so much flawed as needing a bit of fixing to adjust to the interest people are showing,” Head Prefect Guan Chen said.

The change will take effect for the 2014 prefect elections.

“Let’s eliminate some of the pressure that comes with so many competitors,” faculty sponsor Barbara DiPaolo said. “Let’s get the kids who are really interested in SAC.” As part of their decision-making process, SAC representatives talked to peers about the change before voting.

“I’m all for new people running for prefect, but I would rather chose from people who have put time into trying to represent our student body,” sophomore Isabel Wallace-Green said. “Hopefully this will make elections smoother and create prefects who are aware of how our student government works.”

Other students expressed similar sentiments.

“I think it nicely weeds out those who might simply run on a whim either for fun or for college applications,” sophomore Reece Wallace said.

“It’s a fair change,” Head Prefect-elect Sira Ntagha said. “It’ll ensure that people running for prefect have previous knowledge of SAC.” The amendment came partially in response to this year’s overwhelming number of interested candidates.

“This year’s candidates were qualified, but it gets to be worrisome when there’s a possibility of having five prefects who haven’t been on SAC before,” Chen said. “The new system will make sure candidates have thought about SAC at least one semester in advance.”

The new regulation might lead to a trickle-down effect.

“I suppose quite a few more people will run for SAC in lower grades,” sophomore Ben Bieser said.

The sheer number of aspirants creates a time-consuming election process. To minimize the length of the election assembly this year, students running for prefect were limited to one-minute speeches.

The new requirements for prefect candidates will be published in the Student Handbook.

“It’s not a secret,” DiPaolo said. “It will be more publicized next year so that kids can run for SAC in December [of their] junior year and be eligible for prefect in the spring.”

Prerequisites for running for SAC

JAKE NYQUIST

already exist. Students are required to attend at least one SAC meeting before running for prefect or any other position as underclassmen. However, these rules have not been well-publicized in the past; this year, eight students had to withdraw from the prefect elections because they did not attend a SAC meeting.

“It was disappointing to put so much effort into writing and preparing a prefect speech only to find out that I had been stricken from the ballot,” junior Carolyn Martin said. “The administration did a great job this year, but for an improved process next year, a small reminder about the attendance policy alongside the other emailed information would help.”

DiPaolo advises students to run and not to get discouraged by results.

“You can get involved in other ways,” DiPaolo said. “We may expand the house system to get house leaders.”

The increasing number of candidates testifies to the willingness of students to engage in student government.

“As more people run for prefect, the selection process gets more and more difficult,” Wallace-Green said. “But I’m glad more people are running. It shows you how much of a community we are to have so many people wanting to help our school.”

Bees have occupied a column by the cafeteria steps for a few years, but they were relocated only recently.

The maintenance crew knew about the hive but did not see it as an issue until they realized the extent of the colony. The beehive was approximately four feet long and wound around the entire column.

A beekeeper removed the hive and the bees, May 5, without harming them.

Jake Chotiner

Students, faculty and parents gathered in the Lowe Theater, May 8, to celebrate achievements from the past school year in academics, service and fine arts.

Maverick Awards were also given to select students from each grade level, and this year’s Cum Laude inductees were recognized onstage.

Matthew Neal Alumni from across the country flocked to school to wine, dine and shoot hoops during the last weekend of April.

The most important event of the weekend was the Spring Fling Cocktail party, where the annual alumni awards were presented. The Alumni Board named Dwight Raulston (’71) the second recipient of the Lamp of Knowledge, which recognizes a current faculty member who inspires the SJS mission in recent graduates.

“It means a ton,” Raulston said. “Since it’s more broadly based than just academics, it’s even more of an honor.”

Benjamin Shou

GRADUATION 2013

THE REVIEW

3

NATIONALS BOUND

Quiz bowl buzzes through state undefeated

BY ELLIOT CHEUNG

For 10 points, name the team that won the 14th Texas State Quiz Bowl Championship. Answer: SJS Mavericks.

“It feels great to reclaim the state trophy for the school,” junior Jeffrey Fastow said.

The school last took the title in 2007.

With wins in all 13 round-robin matches and a resounding 425-270 point victory over rival Cistercian Preparatory School in the finals, the team emerged undefeated in the tournament.

“The competition went really well,” junior Claire Jones said. “We had difficult rounds that we were sure we would lose, but we bounced back.”

In the 11th round, the team was losing to their archrival, Liberal Arts and Science Academy from Austin, by over 100 points with only five questions left. Up until that round, both teams had been undefeated in the tournament.

Team captain junior Carlo De Guzman proceeded to answer four out of the five remaining questions correctly and clinched the victory to maintain the team’s unblemished record.

De Guzman, who transferred to SJS this year, was a member of the 2012 state

champion team at Seven Lakes High School. De Guzman and Jones both played on last year’s All-State team and were chosen for the team again this year.

De Guzman was the top scorer for the state tournament. During the 14 matches, he answered 99 questions, culminating in 1100 points, 150 more points than his nearest rival.

Jones took a spot in the top ten for average points per game despite missing most of the tournament because of the SAT. “My teammates make significant contributions,” De Guzman said. “I’m not alone up there.”

Although the weekend turned out to be a success, the team’s journey is far from over. They are poised to compete at the National Championship Tournament in Atlanta, May 25-26.

“In February, we won a national tournament at Rice,” Jones said. “We’re hoping that will translate into success at Nationals.”

The team is currently ranked fourth in the nation.

“We can win at nationals. It’s possible,” sophomore Deven Lahoti said. “We’ll

The Quiz Bowl team, composed of juniors Claire Jones, George Davies and Carlo De Guzman and sophomore Deven Lahoti, averaged 380.4 points per game to capture the state title.

probably get in the top five. But we’re not too confident because there are other teams that study more and have older players.”

Team members appreciate the opportunities that Quiz Bowl provides.

“Quiz Bowl has allowed me to travel to different places all across America, and, in a sense, it brought me here too,” De

COURTESY PHOTO Guzman said. “I see it as a step to bigger and better things.”

The real-life applications of Quiz Bowl stem far beyond just knowing who the 14th president of the United States was.

“Quiz Bowl is the football of the mind,” Fastow said. “It’s taught me how to study and how to simultaneously lead a team while being a team player.”

4features THE REVIEW

GRADUATION 2013

TEACHING MILESTONES

Teachers celebrate 40 years of service

BY PALLAVI KRISHNARAO

JAKE NYQUIST

Community constants Upper School math teacher and football coach Douglas Sharp and P. E. coach Julie Russ celebrated their 40-year benchmarks at SJS this spring. “Sharing experiences with the kids has been extremely memorable,” Coach Russ said, “especially Kinkaid games where everyone thought we wouldn’t win but we actually did.”

1973 was a landmark year in history.

Motorola produced the first cell phone, the World Trade Center opened in New York and Bill Gates enrolled as a freshman at Harvard University. Forty years later, 75 percent of the world’s population has a cellphone, the World Trade Center is a tragic memory and Bill Gates is the wealthiest man in America.

Although much can change in forty years, the presence of Upper School math teacher Douglas Sharp and P.E. coach Julie Russ at SJS has remained constant.

The school has undergone numerous alterations over the four decades, yet the school spirit that initially attracted Sharp and Russ still endures.

“Back then, the school was a small and out-of-the-way place with bright people and minimal facilities. All of that is completely different now,” Sharp said. “Except for the change in size, the people are still remarkable. They are intelligent and are people of good will. The sky’s the limit given that kind of attitude.”

Russ engages with students outside the classroom, and she shares Sharp’s belief in the community’s excellence.

“The children are all so special, and I love their honesty,” Russ said. “They want to do well and have fun, and I try to do my best to make sure that they achieve their full potential.”

During his time, Sharp has taught both parents and their children.

“Over time, I’ve seen a growth in intellectual and emotional maturity among the students that has become more and more spectacular,” Sharp said. “The parents learned values at SJS that they instilled in their kids.”

Russ has also taught many generations of SJS alumni, including current faculty members.

“I used to teach Upper School P. E.,” Russ said, “so I got really close to the kids, including Coach Richie Mercado (’79), who hasn’t aged a day, and [Lower School Spanish teacher] Susan Scotty (’82), who I babysat.”

Russ’s position in the community evolved along with the school. At one point, she managed the cheerleading squad, field hockey teams, Drum Corps, Spirit Club and Rebel Guard.

BY THE NUMBERS

ANIMAL LOVE

CURRENT LONGEST-TENURED PEOPLE IN...

Athletics Julie Russ (40 years) Cafeteria Maria Garza (23 years) Facilities Edison Medina (33 years) Fine Arts Bill McDonald (30 years) Lower School Carol Arend (36 years) Middle School Rosie Beniretto (36 years) Upper School Douglas Sharp (40 years)

“I had a lot on my plate,” Russ said.

“Though I enjoyed every minute of it and loved that time in my life, I don’t think I have the capacity now.”

Before coming to SJS, Russ taught P.E. at Houston-area public schools for threeand-a-half years. After completing her first day at SJS, Russ knew she wanted to work in the Storied Cloisters for the rest of her life.

Sharp was adamant that he would never become a teacher. But after spending four years at SJS, Sharp realized that being in the classroom made him the happiest.

“I woke up one day and realized, ‘This is my place, and these are my people,’” Sharp said. “This is the place I enjoy, this is where I am strong and this place has done a lot for me.”

Although Sharp appreciates the upgraded facilities, he misses the small community that existed when he first stepped foot on campus.

“I used to walk down the hall, and I knew not only who I passed but also something special about each one of them,” Sharp said. “There is a kind of sadness that is associated with that loss of community.”

Outside the classroom, Sharp serves as the football team’s offensive line coach.

“I was a mediocre athlete, but I worked really hard on the field,” Sharp said.

“Coaching gave me a chance to stay in touch with something that I cared about and a second chance to be better than I was as an athlete.”

In spite of their vast experiences, Sharp and Russ discover new things every day.

“I have learned that you never stop learning,” Russ said. “Children have taught me so much from their purity, innocence and unconditional love.”

“I have learned to believe that it is more important to be kind than anything else,” Sharp said. “A particularly touching moment in my career was when I received the standing ovation” at the Upper School recognition ceremony.

After four decades traversing the campus, Russ and Sharp show no signs of cutting their bonds with SJS. “Every day is a new memory. It feels great to be here and work with the kids,” Russ said. “I can’t think of better place to work. I really can’t.”

Back to the ’70s Julie Russ as pictured in the 1976 yearbook, Douglas Sharp from the 1975 yearbook. Both Russ and Sharp came to SJS in 1973.

Sharp and Russ are not only alike in their experiences at SJS, but also in their shared love of animals.

Russ, a seasoned pet owner, believes that animals and kids have similar qualities.

“They’re so pure and give unconditional love,” Russ said. “If you give them a little love, they give you back a lot.”

At one point, Sharp owned 15 cats, but that number has decreased over the years.

The Sharps now have six cats, a dog, a rabbit and a stray cat that comes home for dinner.

“The cats have ebbed and flowed,” Sharp said. “If there is an animal that is hurt or needs something, my wife and I will be certain to care for it.”

GRADUATION 2013

THE REVIEW

5

ROAD LESS TRAVELED

From Cloisters to CIA, America to abroad

BY REBECCA CHEN

This year, some seniors have opted out of traditional post-graduation plans and are instead following their own dreams in cooking and foreign languages.

CHEF CARLY This fall, Carly Rapp is going to join the CIA: the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Unlike other incoming CIA freshmen, Rapp never received formal cooking training.

“I want to learn all of the rules in order to break them,” Rapp said. “I think you get the most creative food when you’re not following strict rules, but you don’t know where to go unless you have the basics and know which rules you can break.”

The senior often cooks with her family and enjoys experimenting with new recipes on her own.

“I go through these phases of different foods,” Rapp said. “I’ll start with a basic recipe, make it once, and then make it again to see how I can tweak or change it.”

Rapp tries to bake at least three times a week. Her favorite kitchen creations are pastries.

Using her friends as taste testers, Rapp enjoys combining unique flavors to create a bold taste. She once served her friends cupcakes with sausages.

“Carly comes up with the most creative concoctions of seemingly disparate ingredients and makes them taste good,” senior Emory Strawn said.

At the CIA, Rapp will spend approximately 30 hours in the kitchen each week.

“I’m sure I will get tired of so much cooking,” Rapp said, “but, at the same time, learning new things is an adrenaline rush, and you want to have a medium to get that out in.”

After graduating from college, Rapp hopes to establish a bakery or cafe in France.

“She is truly following her dreams,” sophomore Paige Raun said. “I admire her for doing that in such a successful way.”

SAM IN SCOTLAND After returning from a junior year spent abroad in France, senior Sam Burkett will go back to Europe and study International Relations at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

“I think it’ll be a completely new environment,” Burkett said. “I look forward to getting to explore a new culture at the same time I’m learning all my classwork.”

Since Burkett is already fluent in French, he has chosen to expand his linguistics studies by picking up German.

“It’s a language that’s so ugly, it’s pretty,” Burkett said.

Burkett hopes that his knowledge of both French and German will help him negotiate future relationships between France and Germany.

Burkett also wants to pursue musical theater, though he is not sure if his acting will remain a hobby or actually blossom into a career.

“I hope I can still manage balancing the arts and my studies,” Burkett said. “I will have a lot more time outside of class, so maintaining a balance will depend on how good my work ethic is.”

While his peers were busy writing supplementary essays for schools in the 50 states, Burkett applied to five colleges abroad. He first visited Edinburgh on a choir tour freshman year.

“I was kind of torn between several different schools because they’re all pretty

spread out,” Burkett said. “Eventually I just reaffirmed my love for Edinburgh.”

AU REVOIR, DANIEL Daniel Hurtado-Braun plans to take a gap year and travel with School Year Abroad (SYA) to France before entering Pitzer College in 2014.

The senior learned of SYA during French class.

“I thought it was really cool,” Hurtado-Braun said, “but I was sad because it was only for juniors and seniors.”

However, after talking to Jacqueline Vest, French teacher and SYA coordinator, Hurtado-Braun found out that it was possible to experience a year abroad after graduation. Burkett, who participated in SYA France last year, also encouraged him to apply.

“At the time, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go to college,” Hurtado-Braun said.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to work on my French and expand my worldview, so I sent in the application.”

During his time in France, Hurtado-Braun will take high-school level classes with a few Advanced Placement courses.

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THE REVIEW

GRADUATION 2013

NEW BEGINNINGS

Freshmen families say farewell to Storied Cloisters, make transcontinental journeys

BY CARA MAINES

TIFFANY YUE

will adjust to life in snowy Canada. At his new school, Webber Academy in Calgary, tenth grade is a primary high school entry point, so Fiedorek will be one of many new students. When he enters tenth grade,

though, his math classes will be dramatically different from those of his classmates.

“I’m a year ahead in math here, but in Canada, the highest math course is AP Calculus AB,” Fiedorek said. “I will be at a

higher level than all of the other students in my grade and will probably continue math after AP Calculus AB at the University of Calgary.”

Most transferring students plan to continue their current extracurricular activities.

“I’m definitely going to run track, but during the winter, I can try sailing, which I think is an interesting opportunity,” Caddell said. “I’m really excited about that.”

Riley Marsh will attend the Newman School in New Orleans this fall.

“At my new school, I’ll have opportunities to try new things such as art or an instrument,” Marsh said. “I cannot wait to meet new people in these activities.”

The transferring students are approaching the change in setting with more excitement than trepidation.

“It’s definitely going to be different,” Fiedorek said. “Disorienting in some ways, but exciting in others.”

behind scenes the

Rather than selecting courses at SJS and purchasing used textbooks for next year, several freshmen are packing their suitcases and buying plane tickets as they prepare to move with their families to different cities.

Chapman Caddell is relocating to Carmel, Calif., where he will attend his mother’s alma mater, Stevenson School.

“I’m not nervous. I’m excited for change and a new place,” Caddell said. “I’m okay with moving in the middle of high school because I’m happy to start fresh.”

Caddell will take courses similar to those that his classmates at SJS will be in this fall, but he will be enrolled in Honors English.

“In terms of academic rigor, the school is like SJS,” Caddell said. “But 50 percent of the students are boarders, and it’s a really different school in that regard because it has students from over 20 different countries. Also, it’s by the beach, which is really nice.”

While Caddell will be enjoying the sunshine at Pebble Beach, Craig Fiedorek

Lost and Found Closet

JAKE NYQUIST

Room of requirement Though the lost and found closet contains the usual missing jackets and textbooks, it also houses the peppermint stash that feeds students between classes.

BY DANIEL BRENNER Compared to the large number of possessions that students tend to misplace and eventually lose, the fraction who knows where their forgotten items reside is shockingly small.

Located behind an inconspicuous door near the Parent’s Desk, the lost and found closet is home to a bizarre array of objects.

“I don’t go there very often,” senior Guan Chen said, “but it’s a veritable treasure trove of missing goodies.”

Those who are aware of the closet’s existence do not always find what they are looking for in its depths.

“I’ve never found anything I’ve lost in the lost and found closet,” junior April Chang said.

Jennifer Bowen, mother of Bo (‘05) and Ellis (‘08), has worked at the Parent’s Desk since January. During her time here, she has seen items in the closet ranging from the usual textbooks, pencil bags and jackets to a ballet tutu.

“One day we got a box of textbooks, uniforms and a moldy lunch,” Bowen said.

The more valuable items, such as lost

phones, graphing calculators and even car keys, are generally kept in a drawer at the Parent’s Desk.

The closet is cleaned about twice each semester. Uniforms are moved to the used uniform closet upstairs, and other unclaimed items are given to Goodwill.

Before anything is given away, names are written on the whiteboard in the freshman hallway as a final attempt to reunite owners with items that have their names on them. For objects without any form of identification, a table is set up outside the main office at the end of each semester for students to browse and possibly find long-lost items. This past month, the table displayed items such as a Scholastic silver key, half-pairs of earrings and a pair of boxer shorts.

Aside from the plethora of lost items, the closet is also home to a peppermint stash that perpetually refills the glass bowl next to the Parent’s Desk.

“If I had known the stash was there,” junior Alezeh Rauf said, “I would have paid a visit to the closet a long time ago.”

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GRADUATION 2013

THE REVIEW

BIG BAND SOUND

Sophomore virtuoso pursues instrumental talents

BY OLIVER RUHL Learning to play one instrument takes years, even decades, of practice, time and dedication. By extension, learning to play multiple instruments should take a lifetime, but Quincy Cotton has already mastered four instruments before even graduating from high school.

Musicality runs in the sophomore’s blood. His brother plays the flute, his freshman sister, Madi, plays the violin and his mother plays the clarinet.

Cotton began his musical career with classical training in the clarinet. Soon, he moved onto other instruments.

“I discovered the guitar in fifth grade,” Cotton said. “I started because whenever I would see a band on TV, the guitarist would always be the most popular and would be having the most fun.”

Cotton began learning guitar by watching YouTube videos. After a while, he could pick up songs by ear, but he still put in a significant amount of time into perfecting his technique.

“People that don’t play instruments really underestimate the dedication you have to put into it and the time it takes,” Cotton said. “Learning to play well is an extremely difficult and lengthy process.”

Cotton has learned the responsibility

that comes with playing an instrument.

“It’s difficult to not only play an instrument but also keep up with schoolwork,” Cotton said. “You really have to be passionate about what you’re doing to balance it with school.”

In addition to the clarinet and guitar, Cotton also plays saxophone and drums.

At school, Cotton plays in the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band, and he also participates in the Free Jam Club.

During the summer, Cotton plays in the Summer Jazz Workshop, a fiveweek summer camp.

“We get to learn the ins and outs of becoming a professional musician,” Cotton said. “We learn from real musicians and even get to play at actual venues, like Discovery Green or House of Blues.”

Cotton has performed in Music Chapel as well as the African American Affinity Group Chapel. He plans to continue playing at school events and has his sights set on performing in music chapel and senior chapel.

“I play guitar because it makes me someone special in the crowd of amazing students,” Cotton said.

“Everyone at SJS has something that

makes them stand out, and I want playing music to be my specialty. It would be a lot easier to just sit around and play videogames or watch TV all day, but playing guitar is so much more fulfilling.”

Cotton’s biggest musical inspirations are Jimi Hendrix and Prince.

“We always had Prince records lying around the house when I was little,” he said. “My mom and I loved to listen to him in the car.”

Despite already being adept in four instruments, Cotton intends to continue learning new ones.

“I might pursue piano soon because it seems like there is always a piano to play wherever you are,” he said.

“I might even take up freestyle rap, something that would make my music really mobile.”

GREEN LIGHT FOR GATSBY

Fitzgerald’s masterpiece comes alive on big screen

BY ELLIOT CHEUNG As much as I’d like to, my editors told me I couldn’t rave about how amazing and talented Leonardo DiCaprio is, so I’ll try to keep my fanboying to a minimum.

“The Great Gatsby” is based on the classic novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Narrated by Nick Carraway, a bond salesman who travels to New York and meets the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby, this is a 1920s story of ambition, dreams, love and tragedy. I’m not going to give a full plot synopsis because that would spoil the movie. Plus, you’ve probably already read or will read the book (or, if you’re like me, the Sparknotes) for AP English.

Alongside the gorgeous Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, the movie features the slightly less-gorgeous Carey Mulligan as Daisy, Gatsby’s love interest, and Peter Parker — I mean, Tobey Maguire — as Nick Carraway.

First, the movie, like Leo, is stunningly beautiful. The lighting, the special effects, the colors — they all blend together to create an aesthetically breathtaking movie.

The sets are amazing; the Gatsby house, or more accurately the Gatsby castle, is far more majestic than any dwelling I could have dreamed of.

“The Great Gatsby” has more to offer than just stunning visuals. Although I didn’t enjoy the book last summer, I found the movie more engaging. It made the plot, which I had once found boring, into a captivating story that I couldn’t stop watching. Also, the movie followed the

book pretty faithfully.

Unlike the perfect DiCaprio, “The Great Gatsby” is not without flaws, some of which stem from its loyal adherence to the book. The movie, like the book, starts out slow. Similarly, the movie takes the book’s recurring symbolism and shoves it down your throat. Symbolism is interesting, but I grew tired of seeing that green light across the bay after the 25th time.

Furthermore, Jay-Z, an executive producer, threw in a questionable conglomeration of modern pop and rap remixes. The songs themselves aren’t bad, but they just don’t have any place in a movie set in the 1920s. While the visual aspects are perfect for that era, the soundtrack is completely different, which creates a disorienting effect.

Perhaps the movie’s largest fault lies in the exorbitant amount of narration. About a third of the movie consists of Maguire reading the book. It’s a great novel, but I came to the theater to watch a movie, not to have Spider-Man read me a book that I’ve already written a paper on.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed “The Great Gatsby.” It has some imperfections, but for the most part, the movie is solid. Even if you don’t like the book, I highly recommend the big screen adaptation. It’s interesting, captivating and visually stunning. A lot like Leo DiCaprio.

“The Great Gatsby” runs 143 minutes and is rated PG-13.

Major chord Sophomore Quincy Cotton taught himself guitar by watching YouTube videos.

Although he does not plan on majoring in music, he intends to pursue a minor in college.

COURTESY PHOTO

beyond9

GRADUATION 2013

THE REVIEW

MARATHON MEMORIES

Hope from tragedy: Boston bombing reminds community to value family

BY JESSICA LEE Minutes after Tara Adyanthaya (’88) crossed the finish line, the cheers ushering on adrenaline-filled runners turned into screams of horror as an explosion blasted through the crowd. Twelve seconds later, another explosion followed, leaving three dead and over 260 wounded.

“After the second explosion, everyone knew something was wrong, and that it wasn’t a mistake,” Adyanthaya said.

“Initially, some people around me thought firecrackers had gone off. From where I was, I couldn’t see the finish line. We were told to continue walking because no one knew whether there were more bombs planted in the finishing area. I thought to myself, ‘Just how bad could it be?’”

Over 23,000 people participated in the Boston Marathon on April 15. Around 2:37 p.m. that day, Adyanthaya finished her 26.2 miles with a time of 3:55:41.

“I was unbelievably exhausted but proud of myself. Approaching Boylston Street, the crowds are unbelievable,” Adyanthaya said. “The cheers inspire you to move on forward because you’re just exhausted by that point. It’s unbelievable to cross the finish line.”

Adyanthaya was heading over to retrieve her gear bag when she heard the first bomb go off. She had started earlier than her husband, Rick, and immediately calculated that he was near the finish line when the bombings occurred.

The first responders kept everyone calm while moving runners and spectators out of the area. Adyanthaya found herself with no way of communicating with her husband through the chaos and decided that waiting at the hotel would be the fastest way to reach him.

“He started distance running himself just so he could do it with me,” Adyanthaya said. “I couldn’t imagine that because of me he did something that could have hurt him. What kept me going was knowing we

had agreed to meet back at the hotel after the race. That was my best hope of seeing him as soon as possible.”

About 40 minutes later, her husband arrived at the hotel. Adyanthaya later learned that he was at mile 26.1 when the explosions hit, just yards from the bomb.

“He saw the carnage and is still traumatized by it, though he thankfully is unharmed physically,” Adyanthaya said.

“We are so very lucky. I don’t know if I could move forward if my love for running had inadvertently put my loved ones in harm’s way.”

Other SJS families experienced moments of uncertainty that day as they tried to contact relatives in Boston.

“My brother goes to Berklee [College of Music], and his apartment is less than a mile away from where the finish line was,” senior Steven Lukens said. “He was inside with his headphones on, and he didn’t even know that it happened. When my mom frantically called to ask if he was all right, his response was, ‘Yeah...why?’”

Freshman Pete Bechtol, who was waiting for his mother to finish the marathon, was watching on Newbury Street, a block away from the finish line, when the bombing occurred.

“When we heard the first detonation, we did not panic because we did not assume the worst right away,” Bechtol said. “After the second explosion, though, a sea of spectators sprinted down Newbury Street yelling, ‘Bomb.’”

Bechtol’s mother, who was just three miles away from the bomb site, and his friends and family were all safe.

“I will continue to remember my firsthand account of the acts for the rest of my life, but I will not let it affect my peace of mind, my love for Boston or my love for the nation,” Bechtol said.

Sophomore Paxton Lambright came home that day to learn that her aunt had

Catching Up With Former Softball Captains

TIFFANY YUE

Finish line The Boston Marathon bombing left three dead and over 260 wounded. Members of the SJS community had first-hand experiences at the marathon or worried about their relatives in Boston when they learned about the tragedy. The disaster reminded many inside and outside of Boston to value their families.

run in the marathon.

“My family is luckier than I could have ever imagined,” Lambright said. “They should have been at the finish line at that time. My aunt lives four blocks away from the finish line, and they made a last-minute decision to go to her apartment and take her dog for a five-minute walk. I feel so incredibly blessed knowing that everyone in my family is safe.”

Even though she and her husband emerged unscathed, Adyanthaya knows

she will never be the same after the tragic incident.

“I’m still processing everything. I’m a little nervous about the next marathon I will be running,” Adyanthaya said. “I hope I can make it. But more than that, I hope that those hurt worse than I can find peace.”

AVERY LANDRUM (’12)

EMMA ERWIN (’11)

SAVANNAH ERWIN (’10)

I just finished my first year at Rice University where I’m in McMurty College and studying Material Science Engineering. I play club volleyball, which meets twice a week and travels to play in tournaments. I’m also a participant in intramural slow-pitch softball. I loved that SPC was in Houston this year because I could watch the team win. It was great to see my old teammates step up and become leaders on the field.

After my freshman year at Middlebury, I decided to take a gap year.

I spent the fall mountaineering and sea kayaking in Patagonia, got certified as an urban and wilderness emergency medical technician, worked and traveled around the States and am currently living in Alaska. I definitely learned a lot from SJS, but I’ve learned way more this year, traveling and exploring the world, than I think anyone can in a classroom.

I am currently finishing my junior year as a psychology major at Davidson College (N.C.). Davidson doesn’t have a softball team, so I stay active through club ultimate frisbee, club soccer and a variety of intramural sports, including softball. My experience in athletics at SJS taught me a sense of responsibility, how to be an effective leader and the importance of having fun while working hard.

YEAR IN

Dancers, directors and debaters This year, the VST saw a plethora of student talent demonstrated onstage. Senior Andrew Chennisi (left) premiered the Kinkaid Movie as a part of Kinkaid Week celebrations, sophomore Aanie Shah (center) danced with Terpsichore and junior Nikolai Hood (right) riveted the student body with his Constitution Party and prefect speeches.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS WRITTEN BY SAMANTHA NEAL

1. I MUST CONFESS Even though we do not know who you are (though everyone has their suspicions), you have made a lasting impact on the school, SJS Confessions Admins. From the funny to the serious, the page administrators have brought the community closer together via Facebook. You know we love you. XOXO. 2. JUST DANCE Terpsichore wowed the school with four dances at the spring concert along with performances in chapel and at the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) Arts Festival. The eight senior members of the ensemble also choreographed their own piece for the dance concert. “Each dancer brings his or her own style, yet we’re still able to dance together cohesively,” junior Kristen Santiago said.

3. WHEE CAN DO IT Members of Women Helping Empower Each Other (WHEE) brought awareness to the realities of human trafficking and traveled to Austin to support legislation that will help the victims. WHEE also established the Big Sister/Little Sister program to link upperclassmen members of the club to their younger counterparts.

4. WILLKOMMEN AND BIENVENIDOS The Schafer family hosted German exchange student Sophie Rosahl, whose participation in school activities and easygoing nature made her a well-known member of the community. Noemi Abusleme and Sophia Schwerter from Chile spent six weeks with the Beittenmillers and Livingstons, respectively. The two enjoyed their time in Houston and are planning to return next year.

5. LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION Senior Andrew Chennisi created two immensely popular cinematic works: the Kinkaid Movie with fellow senior Yusef Chabayta and the prom invitation video, starring Upper School Librarian Peg Patrick with her immortal line, “Drop the bass.”

6. HELPING HANDS The Upper School logged a total of 46,858 community service hours. This year, junior George Davies accumulated over 670 hours, becoming the only student to ever exceed 600 hours. The most ambitious project was the construction of a home for Habitat for Humanity.

7. OUTSTANDING ORATORS Senior Rohan Ramchand and junior Alezeh Rauf spoke about Hinduism and Islam, respectively, as a part of the “This I

Believe” Chapel series. In November, students spoke on behalf of political parties during the election assembly. Junior Nikolai Hood elicited both laughter and awe with his passionate and emphatic oratory as both a Constitutional Party advocate and a prefect candidate.

8. JUSTISE IS SERVED Junior Justise Winslow led the basketball team to the SPC Finals with 1,000 points.

Winslow was also named Texas Gatorade Player of the Year. “His basketball IQ is really high,” teammate and senior John Kim said. “He does a lot of smart things you don’t notice in the stands.” ESPN ranks Winslow first in the nation as a small forward for the class of 2014.

9. THAT MAVERICK PRIDE From Skip Lee Field to Liu Court, students consistently showed support for their Maverick athletes. In the fall, Spirit Club captains teamed up with varsity cheerleaders to organize pep rallies during lunch on Fridays. Some fans even traveled to Dallas to witness Winter SPC action firsthand and cheer on their fellow Mavericks.

10. ENGINE OF DISCOURSE We might be tooting our own horn a little, but hear us out. The Review Editorial Board made significant changes, such as a total redesign of the print and an ex-

pansion of its online and social media presence. Shout-out to the editors that came to work during weekends and those who stayed at school for more than 15 hours in one day during late week.

11. THIS I BELIEVE Chapel Guild instituted changes to the weekly service, including extending the moment of reflection before the Lord’s Prayer and attempting to introduce more speakers from the SJS community.

“Chapel Guild brought in really engaging speakers this year,” junior David Ziemnicki said. “I especially enjoyed Mr. Thompson’s speech.”

12. THESPIANS The double cast musical “Kiss Me, Kate” elicited hearty laughs and love-struck gazes. The casts of the fall play “Lend Me a Tenor” and the winter play “Faith, Hope and Charity” also shone. “I’m always blown away by the polished final product, whether humorous or dramatic,” junior Claire Jones said.

13. SUPER SENIORS The class of 2013 is filled with a variety of talented students, from thespians to scholars, athletes to dancers and everyone in between and beyond. The departing seniors made an impact on the school, and their presence will be missed.

REVIEW

Through the seasons A transition from chilly weather to balmy spring coincided with changes in the Storied Cloisters. English teacher Ann Louise Hagerty (center) was named Interim Head of Upper School for next year after a search that spanned several months. Junior Carson Peacock (left) and the field hockey team brought home the SPC championship in the fall while sophomore Akshay Jaggi (right) and the Eco-marathon team built their own eco-friendly car in the spring.

TOP 13 STORIES PHOTOS BY JAKE NYQUIST

1. CHANGE IS IN THE AIR On the very last day of 2012, the school purchased 13.4 acres from the Taub family, an addition that expanded the campus by 45 percent. In spring 2013, the plans for the long-anticipated Great Hall were unveiled, and construction is scheduled to begin next April.

2. SOCIAL MEDIA FRENZY This year saw a marked increase in the online presence of student organizations from Twitter and Instagram accounts for Spirit Club, Harry Potter Club, Quadrangle, The Review and boys’ lacrosse. And, of course, SJS Confessions became an overnight Facebook sensation.

3. HAIL ST. JOHN’S Breaking Kinkaid’s five-year streak, the Maverick football team defeated the Falcons 27-21 under the bright lights of Rice Stadium to accompany Mavericks’ wins over Kinkaid in field hockey and volleyball. “There is not a better feeling in the world,” football captain Nathan Avery said.

4. GIRLS RULE Girls’ cross country, track and field, softball, lacrosse and field hockey brought home SPC championships and a second consecutive Athletic Director’s Cup victory. Field hockey, track and lacrosse collect-

ed back-to-back titles. “I loved watching this year’s field hockey team as they played with great heart and intensity,” Headmaster Mark Desjardins said. “They are the gold standard for all other programs in SPC, and that is a tribute to the coaches and players.”

7. INTERIM HEAD For her final year at SJS, English teacher Ann Louise Hagerty will serve as Interim Head of Upper School. “I was honored and I was appropriately sobered,” Hagerty said. “It’s a huge responsibility.” The search for a permanent head will begin next year.

5. STREAK-SNAPPERS Wrestling won SPC under the leadership of senior captains Nathan Avery, Eric Hobby and Ben Stein after dethroning St. Mark’s, who had not lost a championship in 41 years. “We outworked them; we dressed better than them on the bus; we prepared better than them; we had more swag than them, and we went in their gym, and we put something on them that Mr. Clean can’t get off,” Coach Alan Paul said.

8. SO LONG, FAREWELL Head of Upper School Kef Wilson will become Headmaster at Savannah Country Day, and English Chair Dan Alig will become Head of School at Lovett School in Atlanta. Other departures include English teacher Harriet Reynolds, science teachers Shelly Benish and Debbie Copeland and theater teacher Chris Hutchison.

6. 6-12ING Despite some initial skepticism, the student councils of Middle and Upper School created a joint Field Day with house teams composed of students from both divisions. “As someone who loves video games and the big games the most, I was pretty bummed about some of the changes,” senior Andre Gras said. “However, I think the spirit remained intact, and that’s what matters.”

9. NERD WORLD Both Certamen and Quiz Bowl picked up state titles that earned them spots for national competitions this summer.

First-time state champions, the Advanced Certamen team will compete in Las Vegas this July while the nationally ranked Quiz Bowl team will compete at the end of May in Atlanta.

10. GET WELL SOON This year saw an astonishing number of student ACL tears including sophomores Audrey Schulz, Nina Manian and Isabelle Wallace-Green and senior Martha Daniel.

“I guess it’s just fragile and happens when

you least expect it. I don’t really know why, but I wish it wouldn’t happen so much,” Wallace-Green said.

11. CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT East Asian Affinity Group (EAAG) and African American Affinity Group both organized culturally rich assemblies complete with distinguished speakers and student-choreographed dance performances. “It didn’t really feel like work,” senior Caroline Spears, who organized the EAAG dance, said. “The EAAG members were so dedicated, and it was a really amazing experience working with everyone.”

12. VIVE LA FRANCE! International Day celebrated France this year, exposing students to French food, music, a fashion show and, of course, the mime. At French Symposium, the team took second place overall out of 35 schools. “I felt so immersed in the culture, and I had so much fun,” freshman Mia Mirkovic said.

13. GO GREEN OR GO HOME After their prototype failed to qualify last year, the Eco-marathon team started their design from scratch for this year’s competition. They placed 11th in the Battery-Electric Prototype category, competing alongside engineering students who had thousands of dollars in funding.

12opinions THE REVIEW

GRADUATION 2013

EDITORIAL

Challenging SAC to take the lead The recent prefect elections for Student Affairs Council (SAC) reached a milestone, with 22 people running for six spots. Due to these unprecedented numbers, candidates were limited to one-minute speeches. In response to the high number of prefect candidates, SAC instituted a new rule for next year stating that only people who have previously run for SAC will be eligible for prefect.

The Editorial Board believes that limiting the pool to candidates who have demonstrated interest and passion for SAC will help ensure that deserving and strong representatives are elected. For any other organization on campus, leadership positions are filled by those who have shown sustained dedication to the group, and SAC should be no exception.

The Editorial Board wholeheartedly supports SAC’s new measure. However, the format of this year’s elections, which were not conducted according to the new rule, was sadly lacking.

With only one minute for speeches, candidates understandably resort to humor in order to make themselves memorable. In turning to comedy, however, some candidates have an unequal balance between jokes and serious suggestions or goals.

We urge students to vote based on merit rather than on who delivered the funniest lines. In order to add substance, candidates need more than one minute to outline their platform. Though this strategy will inevitably cut into the school day, we think it is a necessary measure.

With this year’s elections, the Editorial Board felt as though condensing the prefect assembly to its 40-minute confines was considered more important than conscientiously voting for our student representatives.

We also suggest that elections be reformatted in order to allow for substantive discussion or debate. The Review would be more than willing to run a debate or forum of sorts for prefect elections. Granted, this would be difficult

dearreader,

I contemplated writing that clichéd final letter, full of reflections, ruminations and advice. But I feared I would struggle to capture my time at SJS in just a few overgeneralizations.

So I decided to write a letter to my brother, currently a freshman. Hopefully, he and the rest of the underclassmen will take something from it.

Dear Nicholas, You know I’m not the most emotional guy, but I have to confess, I started tearing up as I began writing this letter. Until now, the changes college will bring hadn’t yet hit me.

Come September, I won’t see my best friend every day. I won’t have someone who I can count on to go outside and play catch with me or laugh at some funny internet video.

Sure, I’ll be able to find people in college who know how to throw a football or share my sense of humor. But it won’t be the same.

Because they won’t be my brother.

The bond between brothers is a special one. In that bond, there exists something that I struggle to put into words. We’ve been fortunate to see that bond in action, whether it was Uncle Les at Grandpa’s side during his final days or Dad and Uncle Mike playing practical jokes on each other.

thestaff Andrew Vogeley

Parker Donaldson

Valerio Farris

Lydia Liu

Braden Doyle

Samantha Neal

Anya Ring

Amy Kang

design editor

copy editor

online editor

online copy editor

Carolyn Brooks

Caroline Cowan

Iman Charania

Nicole Lang

Alyyah Malick

Spencer Lepow

assignment editor

assignment editor

assignment editor

The Review has been like an extended family of sorts. Just like I can’t imagine life without Nicholas, I can’t imagine my high school career without The Review. This year was particularly special. Although our dysfunction often reached points of pure ridiculousness, (I’ve always maintained that if MTV put up cameras in The Review room, we would have the best reality TV show ever) we still managed to take this paper to a new level.

It was our goal to establish The Review as a major force in the Upper School. I think we’ve laid a solid foundation. I’m already looking forward to what next year’s conductors of the engine of discourse will achieve.

It has been an honor and a privilege.

Sincerely,

Andrew Vogeley Editor-in-chief

Member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association-Gold Medalist 2011-2012 National Scholastic Press Association-6th Place Best of Show, First Class 2012

design editor/asst. business manager

design editor

This year was particularly special because it was the first one we spent at the same school.

I’ve promised to stay away from the advice and overgeneralizations, but I think my SJS experience warrants a few. I hope they will be of some use.

Work hard. Hard work doesn’t guarantee success, but it’s the one thing you can control.

Take full advantage of your teachers. They make SJS a special place. They are not afraid to challenge you, pushing you toward ideas that you didn’t think you could (or didn’t want to) grapple with.

And finally, don’t be afraid to say no. At some point, somebody will want you to do something that makes you uncomfortable.

Just tell them no. Give them an explanation if you like, but don’t feel obligated. Knowing how and when to say no is not taught enough.

I’m not sure those pieces of advice will make any difference. In the end, evaluate each situation for what it is and use your common sense, and I’ll be the first to admit, you’ve got a lot more than I do.

I will always be there for you, even when I’m 1,600 miles away.

Love, Andrew

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL

editor-in-chief

managing editor

with 20 people, but primaries could be held to narrow the field down to a more manageable size.

If the new regulations are going to weed out the less serious candidates and leave the most dedicated students, then SAC should be willing to take on more serious duties and assume a more prominent role. Currently, SAC has a widespread reputation as the group that organizes Homecoming and Field Day while standing by in the event of an Honor Trial.

The Board wants to challenge SAC to become more transparent while focusing on substantive issues. SAC has the potential to be a powerful voice that does more than demand curly fries in the fast food line. The Editorial Board would be willing to facilitate discussions about major issues on campus that are under SAC’s jurisdiction.

We understand that our suggestions are a major challenge, but these adjustments, along with SAC’s new measure, will benefit the school for years to come.

social media editor

photography editor

business manager

Staff

Mikaela Juzswik Suman Atluri Winnie Brandfield-Harvey Eugenia Kakadiaris Nikhila Krishnan Daniel Brenner Joseph Caplan Pallavi Krishnarao Jessica Lee Guan Chen Cara Maines Rebecca Chen Elliot Cheung Gabe Malek Nina Manian Jake Chotiner William Clutterbuck Ian Mellor-Crummey Iris Cronin Matthew Neal Jake Nyquist Chloe Desjardins Joshua Dickerson Kanchana Raja Megan Routbort Amy Dong Elaine Dong Oliver Ruhl Claire Dorfman Emily Sherron Benjamin Shou McKenna Gessner Lin Guo Anirudh Suresh Stephanie Guo Jennifer Trieschman Caroline Harrell Hannah Tyler Scott Hereford Virginia Waller Orion Hicks Tiffany Yue Anna Huang Christopher Zimmerman

Advisers

David Nathan Shelley Stein (’88) Steve Johnson

Mission Statement

The Review strives to be an engine of discourse. We seek to inform and engage the St. John’s community.

Publication Info

The Review is published eight times a school year. We distribute 900 copies each issue, most of which are given for free to the Upper School community of 584 students and 80 faculty.

Writers and photographers are credited with a byline.

Corrections, when necessary, can be found on the editorial pages.

Submission Guidelines

The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions and staff editorials contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Headmaster or the Board of Trustees of St. John’s School. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the entire editorial board. Letters to the editor and guest columnists are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and good taste. On occasion, we will publish letters without a name, provided the editor knows the author’s identity. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received or advertisements. Running an advertisement does not imply endorsement by the school.

Either e-mail letters and guest columns to avogeley@sjs. org; give them to Andrew Vogeley or David Nathan in the Review Room (Q-210); or mail letters to The Review, 2401 Claremont Ln., Houston, TX 77019.

13 GRADUATION 2013

THE REVIEW

IN A PERFECT WORLD

MIKAELA JUZSWIK

Week-long break before exams needed

BY IRIS CRONIN Sometimes, things are controversial.

Some issues are complex and nuanced, and feelings surrounding these issues are varied and intense. Other things, though, are not controversial. Some things are simply a good idea. This list includes: Indoor toilets. Antibiotics. Nutella. Spell Check.

And I’m fairly certain that this list includes a week off before finals.

Revolutionary thought, right? Wrong.

This week-long study-holiday is in practice at schools in Houston, namely the Awty International School. Students are living the dream literally five miles away from our school. And what do we get? Reading Day? That isn’t even a whole day.

The idea of a week off before finals seems to work on several levels. Level One: So.

Much. Time. There is not a student on our campus who has not battled the evil that is procrastination (and if there is, let him come forward to be properly heckled). A whole week to prepare leaves me one day to scour BuzzFeed and find every list of “Nineteen Reasons Why French Bulldogs are the Best,” or “Kim Kardashian’s 12 Best Crying Faces.” It leaves me another day to watch all twelve available seasons of Law and Order: SVU on Netflix streaming, and then read Stabler-Benson fan fiction in a dark room. Then I get a third day to do whatever else will help me mentally prepare for my upcoming tests, which probably means eating. Look at that. I’ve cleared all the procrastination out of my system, and now I have two more days in

which to actually study. Win-win.

Level Two: A week off before finals is a week in which I am not doing any actual schoolwork. The teachers at St. John’s are all marvelous, dedicated individuals but unfortunately some seem to think that the week before final exams is an appropriate time to schedule tests and begin new units.

Which is not the case. A paper written a week and a half before Reading Day is bound to be both completely incoherent and moderately upsetting to read. I would imagine it comparable to the ramblings of a marooned sailor shortly before he dies of thirst. Lose-lose.

It’s far better for teachers to have the looming deadline of a week off so they spare their students and themselves the

trauma of frenzied, subpar work.

Level Three: We deserve it. I don’t think it’s self-congratulatory to say that it is a great victory to emerge from a year at SJS with the same number of limbs and the same level of self-esteem we started the year with. A quick glance through Facebook confessions the night before synthesis papers were due, or even a quick tally of the total number of students currently on crutches, is enough to affirm this fact. We work hard. If the student body doesn’t deserve a break specifically for studying, then how about one to compensate for psychological damages or to catch up on sleep?

At this point, those things are probably more beneficial than studying, anyway.

neweditors Lydia Liu Alyyah Malick Samantha Neal

Jake Nyquist

Parker Donaldson

Tiffany Yue

Amy Kang

Cara Maines

Rebecca Chen

Oliver Ruhl

Pallavi Krishnarao

Srini Kumar

Megan Routbort

Emma Gobillot

Claire Dorfman

William Clutterbuck

editors-in-chief

senior design editor

online editor

assignment editor

assignment editor

assignment editor

design editor

JAKE NYQUIST

Editor eight The senior editors on The Review have tirelessly worked the whole year to produce a both visually appealing and informative paper. Thanks, and make sure to visit next year!

FOR 2013-2014

Jessica Lee design editor

photography editor

Iris Cronin copy editor

copy editor

assistant online editor

online copy editor

social media editor

video editor

business manager

Gabe Malek

assistant business manager

14

THE REVIEW

GRADUATION 2013

UNIVERSIFIED

Application tips from seasoned veteran

BY GUEST COLUMNIST LILY BROWN

In the last installment of “Universified,” senior Lily Brown offers advice to future college applicants and reflects on her time at SJS. Lily will be attending Cornell in the fall.

College – it’s kind of a big deal. And the reason I’m writing this column. As I said back in September, I basically had no frame of reference going into this process.

This time last year, I knew nothing about applying to college; I don’t have any older siblings, my mom went to college in the 70s and my father attended art school in England.

For the non-seniors who read my column, I’ll start with some things I wish I knew a year ago.

First, start writing your resume during the summer. I was up until midnight the night before my first application was due, trying to figure out when exactly I had volunteered with some organization.

Another pro tip: start writing your Com-

mon App essay during the summer; don’t leave it until the last minute.

Also, try to figure out your college list early. I’m not talking about settling on a dream school during freshman year (that’s one of the worst things you can do). I’m talking about carefully combing through college books and websites to find those that have programs you like, majors you find interesting and people you would want to hang out with.

Have a good spread of colleges on your list – I applied to 13 schools (three reach schools, six target schools and four safety schools).

A note to parents: as much as you believe your kid can get into every Ivy League school, along with MIT, Stanford, Cal Tech, Oxford and Cambridge, make sure you have realistic safety schools on the list.

A note to students: as much as you believe you can get into every school that exists, you need to include safety schools.

The last thing I’ll say about the application process is that, when considering where to apply, make sure that you really do want to go to every school on your list.

You don’t want to end up at a safety school that is unappealing to you just because it’s the only college you got into.

I am so lucky that I’m going to college where I am, I really couldn’t have asked for more. I think that a lot of the college process is basically blind luck, but SJS has prepared me more than I think I realize right now. I don’t think that I would be nearly as resilient as I am had I not gone

topnine

AMY DONG

Congratulations are in order The Editorial Board would like to thank Lily for sharing her college application experience. Best of luck at Cornell, Lily!

to SJS. After SJS, getting a C doesn’t faze me; it just makes me laugh a little bit, and then I get over it and try to do better the next time (Mom, if you’re reading this, don’t worry, this hasn’t happened too often). I’ve also become super creative – probably in classes that I shouldn’t be too creative in.

I may not be able to tell you scientific fact about the splitting of a cell, but I can come up with something that sounds vaguely like it might be legit.

I came to SJS in sixth grade. I’m going to skip over my middle school years mainly because I was really weird, and I don’t think anyone wants to remember middle school. So flash forward to ninth grade. I remember the seniors in my mixed advisory were super tall and intimidating;

actually, all the seniors were really intimidating. I hope that we as seniors aren’t that scary, but, I will confess, I only know maybe one-third of the freshman class by name (I’m sorry).

If you told me in August 2009 about everything that would happen and the things that would change these four years, I would have laughed at you. Looking back, though, I wouldn’t ask for anything different. My time at SJS has changed me in so many ways, and I am so thankful that I’ve gone to school here. Yes, I have my problems with the school, as does anyone who has spent any amount of time in any organization, but I’m genuinely happy that I was – and always will be – a member of the SJS community.

THINGS I WILL NOT MISS ABOUT SJS

BY JOSHUA DICKERSON

Sorry that it doesn’t fulfill your fantasy of eating lunch amidst floating candles and Gothic architecture (cue Hogwarts), but welcome to the real world. The food is good, and if you really need a view to enjoy your meal, go outside.

Yes, I am well aware that I haven’t turned my article in yet. And though I do understand your frustration, the passive aggressiveness does not make me write better or faster.

Bookstore Hours I completely understand why the bookstore is closed during our lunch period, but that doesn’t change the fact that they have the most inconvenient hours of any institution on campus.

WHEE Membership Simply put, I can’t miss what I didn’t have.

Free Dress

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Complaints about Cafeteria Aesthetics

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I really don’t understand how this hallway consistently smells like the inside of a rotting whale carcass. It’s frankly unfathomable. When underclassmen pick up their books in August, they should also be handed a can of Febreze.

Review Editors Bothering Me

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Freshman/Sophomore Hallway

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To help alleviate the sentimental goodbyes that have been floating around campus, here’s a compilation of things that I will certainly not be reminiscing about after graduation. I know that this list was supposed to be sappy, but I figured that the following items might be of more assistance to the Class of 2013 as we move around the country this fall.

Say what you want, but our uniforms are not uncomfortable. Plus, you don’t have to think about your wardrobe choices in the morning. However, on out-of-uniform days, I wish we could have a little more freedom.

I have nothing against throwbacks, but there are some areas in which our society truly has made advances, such as in desks. All I can say is either kids from the ’80s were shaped oddly or their desk designers were sadists.

After several unsuccessful attempts, I quickly learned that lunch is not a good time to work in the lab. Hint: if you aren’t the only one in the computer lab, then playing YouTube videos with the volume on and laughing as loud as you can is really annoying.

Call me lazy (I am) but these last days I’ve been parking in the Upper School chute.

It’s so much nicer than having to walk from Senior Lot.

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Parking Debacles

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Trying to Work in the Computer Lab

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S104 Desks

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GRADUATION 2013

THE REVIEW

FEVER PITCH

Farish heads for Wake Forest, pitching prowess attracts major league attention

BY CARA MAINES Like many major league players, senior Chris Farish observes an array of pre-game rituals and superstitions.

The night before a baseball game, senior Chris Farish swallows three Advils and blasts Tyler the Creator.

Twelve hours later, he dons his lucky socks and undershirt before heading out to the field, where he concentrates, sitting alone in the dugout and never critiquing himself during the game.

Farish has another commonality with these pro players: he was recruited to play baseball at a Division I university.

Last fall, Farish signed a National Letter of Intent with Wake Forest University. A right-handed power pitcher, Farish has been a varsity starter since his freshman year.

Farish joined his first baseball team at the age of seven.

“I’ve been playing at SJS since seventh grade, so I’ve played six years in the red and black,” Farish said. “I’ve recently made my 100th varsity start.”

Farish, who models his pitching after Nolan Ryan, has a fastball that is regularly clocked at over 92 miles per hour.

The right hander cites his baseball inspirations as his Little League and high school coaches.

“My grandfather was also really inspirational,” Farish said. “He loved the game, and he was a huge part of my life — a father figure.”

Farish’s grandfather passed away in February, providing Farish with further motivation for the season.

In addition to playing baseball at SJS, Farish has pitched at Minute Maid Park in the Texas Scouts Association Game and was named team MVP as a junior.

“If you can’t be intimidating while

pitching, you have no chance,” Farish said. “It’s a mental game, so it’s a huge advantage to be in the right mindset.”

Wake Forest Demon Deacons Head Coach Tom Walter anticipates Farish’s arrival.

“Chris is a high profile right-hander with tremendous upside,” Coach Walter said. “Once he gets committed to a lifting and throwing program he will be a monster.”

This season, Farish has played first baseman and designated hitter, when he is not on the mound.

“Sophomore summer I got on a pretty good baseball team and became a pitcher,” Farish said.

“Coming into my junior year at SJS, I had a really good season as a pitcher, so I started to focus on pitching.”

His power arm guarantees Farish an important but challenging role on the Demon Deacons.

“Every weekend will be a grind,” Farish said.

He will face other nationally-ranked teams such as perennial powerhouses North Carolina, Virginia and Florida State in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on a weekly basis.

“Hopefully, I’ll go in and do well in the fall. I know the coaches expect me to play a major role on the team, even

“Chris is a high profile right-hander with tremendous upside.”

Wake Forest Coach Tom Walter

strikezone We are the first team in state history to win SPC, City and State in lacrosse. To be able to leave that legacy as a senior is an honor.

I couldn’t have asked for a better way to wrap up six years of Maverick lacrosse.

Martha Daniel Girls’ Lax Captain

as a freshman,” Farish said. “I’m excited to have a lot of playing time and get an opportunity to see the tough competition of the ACC.” For Farish, the recruitment process was arduous. He fielded midnight phone calls with recruiters and skipped senior social events in favor of baseball practices.

“A lot of things that the seniors this year got to do — go on college visits, get to choose their colleges — was based off their grades. They had an idea of what kind of schools they could get into,” Farish said. “As an athlete, a lot of my college choices were based off baseball, so while other seniors had prepared for years, I had all that pressure put on me my junior summer.”

Farish has also been contacted by major league teams who are interested in signing him. Coaches have invited him to workouts, and he has filled out numerous questionnaires.

Major league teams can sign players straight from high school and entice them with lucrative salaries. Farish is unsure of whether the major leagues are in his immediate future.

“It’s been a crazy year. I get more JAKE NYQUIST people talking about signability every Fast and furious Farish recently made his 100th start on varsiday,” Farish said. “I’m not entirely sure ty.

He will trade red and black for black and gold as a pitcher of what will happen, but I’m just really for the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest this fall. happy I’m getting these chances.”

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Points scored by the girls’ track and field team to claim the SPC title for the second year in a row and nab their third championship in four years. The Mavs bested Episcopal by 16.5 points.

The 4x400 meter relay team of seniors Stephanie Guo, Sam Night, Jackie Modesett and junior Abby Avery came out on top once again with a time of 4:02.19 to clinch the SPC crown.

Number of runs scored by the SPC champion softball team in six counter games.

Softball’s only counter loss this season was to Episcopal, whom they defeated in the SPC championship game 7-1.

Championships (City, SPC and State) won by girls’ lacrosse.

Coincidentally, this is also the number of consecutive SPC Championships that the team has won and the number of freshmen on the team.

NICOLE LANG

All for one Girls’ lacrosse captains Robby Rybarcyzk, Amanda Leavell, Lauren Resnick and Martha Daniel hoist the SPC Championship trophy after defeating Hockaday 11-5.

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THE REVIEW

GRADUATION 2013

MAVERICKS ARE WE

Spring sports snapshot: recognizing MVPs, capturing key moments SPC victories help clinch third Athletic Directors’ Cup in four years BASEBALL

SOFTBALL

Anna Cain

Christopher Farish and Stephen Spears

Record: 17-14 SPC Finish: 4th

MVP: Christopher Farish (Sr.), Daniel Halevy (Jr.) Rising Star: Stephen Spears (So.)

Record: 17-12-1 SPC Finish: 1st

MVPs: Anna Cain, Paige Killelea (Sr.), Meredith Lloyd (Jr.) Rising Stars: Anna Brooks Pacha, Jessica Vlasek (Fr.)

This year’s team had one of their top finishes in several years, clinching a spot in Division I and defeating All Saints, the first seed in the North Zone, in the opening game of the tournament. Though star pitcher Chris Farish will be departing to play for Wake Forest this fall, the team has promising underclassmen talent.

“We’ve had a good team experience this year,” sophomore Jack Britton said. “Our captains helped us progress as both players and team members.”

After a 17-year dry spell, softball reclaimed the championship in a nail-biter against Episcopal. The game was knotted up at 1-1 after both teams hit home runs in the second inning. In the sixth, the Mavs busted the game open, scoring six runs.

“Every year before this season has ended in tears and disappointment,” captain Anna Cain said. “It was nice to know my tears this time were for a different reason.”

BOYS’ GOLF

GIRLS’ GOLF

Stuart Jones

SPC Finish: 16th

MVP: Stuart Jones (Jr.) Rising Star: John Armstrong (So.)

The boys’ golf team posted several season and tournament bests at SPC, with junior Stuart Jones shooting below 80 both days of the competition. The five golfers who competed all shot below 90 on the second day of the competition, a record for the team.

“Regardless of the overall outcome,” sophomore John Armstrong said, “we pulled through and put up good numbers for our team.”

Monica Dayao and Lizzy Ellison

SPC Finish: 7th

MVP: Monica Dayao (So.) Rising Star: Lizzy Ellison (Fr.)

Captain Monica Dayao shot a 77 at SPC, a personal and team record. All other members broke their personal tournament bests.

“This year’s golf season was probably my favorite part of sophomore year,” Dayao said.

“We are all so close, and I couldn’t have asked for a better golf team to play with. I have high hopes for next year as we all improve.”

PHOTOS BY JAKE NYQUIST AND PARKER DONALDSON

GRADUATION 2013

THE REVIEW

BOYS’ LACROSSE

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

Peter Cordill

Record: 16-5 SPC Finish: 3rd

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MVPs: Logan Smith, Ben Griffin (Sr.) Rising Stars: Michael Newar, Peter Cordill (So.)

The Mavericks finished third in SPC after beating Houston Christian 8-4 and earned sixth in the state after a rough game against the Highland Park Scots. At state, they took home the Bob Patterson Sportsmanship Award for bringing respect and honor to the field during championship games.

“Although our tournament finishes were disappointing, the season was very exciting and fun,” sophomore Peter Cordill said. “The captains really kept team enthusiasm going.”

BOYS’ TENNIS

Amanda Leavell

Record: 21-2 SPC Finish: 1st

MVPs: Amanda Leavell, Robby Rybarczyk, Lauren Resnick (Sr.) Rising Stars: Winnie Brandfield-Harvey, Lindsey McKone (Fr.) Girls’ lacrosse dominated the SPC conference throughout the season and continued their victories, clinching a 11-5 victory over Hockaday for their third consecutive SPC title. Not yet satisfied, they defeated Ursuline in the state championships to claim their 11th state title.

“Our team was so close,” captain Amanda Leavell said. “We just enjoyed every minute we played together, which really came out in the way we played.”

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Eric Gao and Xavier Gonzalez

Counters Record: 6-1 SPC Finish: 4th

MVP: Xavier Gonzalez (Jr.) Rising Stars: Eric Gao (Fr.), Billy Guo (So.)

Tamara Shan and Sophie Rosahl

Counters Record: 5-2 SPC Finish: 7th

MVP: Sophie Rosahl (Jr.) Rising Stars: Natasha Gonzalez (Fr.), Tamara Shan (So.)

Captain Xavier Gonzalez, a nationally ranked player, led the team to a strong SPC record with only one season loss to Kinkaid. Solid performances in doubles matches, despite a team composed largely of singles players, helped secure the ranking.

Sophomore Billy Guo said, “We’re pretty happy with the final result, considering that we lost our doubles one and doubles two players last year.”

Initial hopes for a successful season were dashed when injuries plagued the team. Junior April Chang and nationally ranked freshman Natasha Gonzalez were out for the entire season while sophomore Tamara Shan played despite wrist pain. Luckily, other members stepped up to fill in the gaps, earning the team a third seed in South Zone.

“I bonded with some great girls on the team,” junior Sophie Rosahl said. “Everybody gave their best on the court.”

BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD

GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD

Joe Faraguna

SPC Finish: 6th

MVP: Risher Randall (Jr.) Rising Stars: Joe Faraguna (Fr.), Rod Ojeda (So.)

Despite the loss of key sprinters, the team rallied to place sixth in SPC for the second consecutive year. The 4x100 meter relay team set a new school record and placed second in all-SPC ranking.

“The team was worried we wouldn’t stand up against the heated conference in SPC,” sophomore Akshay Jaggi said, “but the short-distance team really rose to the challenge and shocked everyone.”

Stephanie Guo

SPC Finish: 1st

MVPs: Jackie Modesett, Stephanie Guo (Sr.) Rising Stars: Caroline Ankoma-Sey, Margaret Trautner (Fr.)

The Mavericks won their 21st SPC championship, beating rivals Hockaday and Episcopal in the 4x400 meter relay to claim the title. Seniors Jackie Modesett and Stephanie Guo posted big wins in their events while freshmen recruits from cross-country scored points in distance races.

“I am just continually proud of each and every member of this team,” senior Allie Robinson said. “Everyone gave it their all; everyone supported each other; and, most importantly, everyone had fun. As a captain, I could ask for nothing more.”

18odds THE REVIEW

GRADUATION 2013

GOT A MINUTE

Sixty seconds with Jonathan Teoh name state of mind grade color music hero sport to play sport to watch comfort food vegetable cafeteria item starbucks love to hate hate to love happiness misery place to live

jonathan teoh overdrive xp lvl. 13 aquamarine enya wallace and gromit three dimensional chess life chamomile tea and biscuits larry the cucumber po-ta-toes (boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew…)

MOBY DICK!!! days of rain murphy’s law memories Les MiserableblebleBubles blue pebble in the sky

sing in the shower? dream date dream occupation dream vacation superpower relationship status special touch i collect the best thing omg did you know? can’t beat this feeling down follow our twitter? like us on facebook?

do you SIIIINNNGGG IN THE RAINNNNN??? phoenix dactylifera consulting time wizard around the world in eighty days ALL THE FEEELLLSSSS schrödinger’s cat the icing on a cake. the cake is a lie. souls dolphins overly managed garden? i’ll explain later temporal paradox only for a moment with a carrier pigeon i use footnotes

WORD FOR WORD

Conversation concerning days of the week, future test scores and dead cows If you call a losing streak a dry spell, why isn’t a winning streak called a wet spell? You don’t say girls’ track is having a wet spell.

Sophomore Akshay Jaggi trying to use parallelism

“Do you know what the ‘I’ in ‘ISP’ stands for? It certainly doesn’t stand for ‘Dr. Raulston.’”

Student: What’s the difference between reflection and refraction?

Mr. Turk: The difference between a B- and a B+.

Dr. Raulston inspiring Math 6 students to do their own work

If you saw a dead cow floating down the Brazos, wouldn’t you want to shoot a couple of rounds into it with a .22 caliber rifle to keep it from hurting the children?

Mr. Turk predicts Dr. Sharp saving children, test scores one dead cow at a time

THE COMIC STRIPBY GUAN CHEN

Is today the second Saturday of the month?

Sophomore Collins Yeates... on a Tuesday

Spider bird, spider bird, does whatever a spider bird does. Can he fly? No, he can’t, ’cause he’s a bird. Oh wait.

Freshman Emma Wertheimer singing during the biology field trip

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GRADUATION 2013

THE REVIEW

Meh List

Charted

BY ELAINE DONG

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four

three two

Two-pronged outlets

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Afternoon A.P. exams

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“Where mediocrity is the standard” Reading Day

Walgreens toilet paper

Jury duty

Thumbtacks

SOCIAL MEDIA

Trending around campus twitter @PicturelessPins

tumblr

Starbucks Spelling

TEACHERS’ CORNER

Blast from the past

Wendall Zartman recalls his childhood chickens ---Before my family moved to Amarillo, located in the Texas panhandle, we lived in a very rural area west of Fort Worth, Smithfield. This is where my father spent most of his youth before he joined the navy during World War II. I have several vivid memories of living there even though I was quite young. These memories all involve

animals – our large, protective German Shepherd, the numerous stray cats and the chickens we raised.

Ah – those chickens. They were not the cute, colorful ones that are depicted in story books, oftentimes wearing straw hats, clucking at their even cuter, bright yellow chicks. These were large white chickens with piercing eyes and sharp beaks who would bluster at you if you dared get near them to collect their eggs or to look at their chicks.

I rarely heard our chickens “cluck” quietly – the cacophony of noises they made whenever one approached them was deafening!

I learned at a very young age that there was a very real difference between children’s picture books and life on the Zartman “farm” – but I continued to enjoy both!

why we love it

Pinterest is a breeding ground for the shabby-chic movement. Internet users craving something crafty turn to Pinterest for all their D.I.Y. desires.

Options on the website range from the mundane to the insane.

This Twitter account understands the absurdity of Pinterest. It describes a variety of pictures in word form along with the occasional snarky comment, emphasizing the strange nature of the

crafts that Pinterest advertises.

Examples include: Summer dessert served in mason jars Tutorial on how to make your nails look like adorable cupcakes fails to mention you should also be a professional nail artist Awww that Santa hat is too big for that baby’s head

why we love it

We all know what it feels like to have Starbucks employees misspell our names. Something about the coffee machines must overwhelm the customers’ voices at the check-out counter, or maybe caffeine impairs hearing. Either way, Starbucks employees seem incapable of making the correct connection

from spoken word to written one.

This Tumblr compiles the tons of Starbucks cups emblazoned with misspelled names.

Examples include: “Shubh” for Shane “Buddy” for Claudine

PHOTO OF THE ISSUE

JAKE NYQUIST

Lucky number 13 The wrestling team broke St. Mark’s 41-year streak at Winter SPC. The team hung their SPC banner in Liu Court, May 15. It was a banner day for the wrestling team.

therearview 1.

2.

3.

OUTTAKES

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Picture Imperfect For every picture that goes in our newspaper, there are countless others that amuse us. While chuckling, we hope that, for the sake of the subjects, these pictures remain solely on the camera’s memory card.

In this last photostory of the year, we decided to bring out the more memorable ones, going all the way back to

5.

1. This calls for celebration... Upon winning his wrestling match, senior Ben Stein rejoices in an exuberant manner.

He may have been whipping his hair back and forth, but we can’t tell.

2. Not the right type of intensity Junior Carl Bernicker channels his inner Frankenstein’s monster as he reaches for the camera. Even Mary Shelley would be impressed.

3. Face, meet fist Opposing team players are obviously intimidated by junior Justise Winslow’s skill on the basketball court. Really, why else would they go for the face and not the ball?

4. Down at second Senior Andrew Vogeley makes an infield play in a dramatic fashion. Our Editor-in-Chief was probably blown away by the quality of our last issue.

the beginning of the year.

From wrestling celebrations to basketball blunders to silly photo shoots, we hope you look at these pictures and remember the past school year with fondness and a pinch of nostalgia. Feel free to laugh, too.

6.

5. Got your nose Senior Kory Haywood expected to see his layup go into the net...not a sweaty palm. Sorry, captain, haters gonna hate.

6. After hours These teachers, who have reached their benchmark years, take over the Quad benches. Who let the teachers out?

photos by Jake Nyquist story and captions by Lydia Liu

GRADUATION Who we are and where we’re going

5:21 PM

5:21

University of Georgia @bulld Caroline Cowan, Jonathan Ne

University of Colorado @bu Noah Martinez

142

STUDENTS

56

SCHOOLS

Davidson College @wildcats Elise Foote

21

STATES

University of Chicago @mar Ryan Beckner, Sonya Bennett-

Northwestern University @w Carolyn Brooks, Jack McKay, Rice University @owls 3miles Yamin Arefeen, Annie Duncan, Savannah Ezelle, Monique Groen Ian Mellor-Crummey, Ryan Newell, Chris Renovato, Brett Gutstein Helen Sharpless, Bianca Rombado, Jason Shyu, Philip Taet 78miles Texas A&M University @aggies Anna Cain, Cameron Childress, Christian Segner, Nataly Torres Joseph Turcotte 147miles

University of Texas at Austin @longhorns Kendall Allen, Charlotte Amandes, Trey Amatong, Jake Askew Annie Bernica, Pranav Bhamidipati, Josh Brenner, Grayson Crady Eleni Demeris, Jacqueline Dickey, Will Griffin, Jake Horowitz Nicole Lang, Rohan Ramchand, Matthew Reasoner Steven Stein, Catherine Sullivan

University of Notre Dame @ Matthew Ainbinder, Braden D

Wake Forest University @d Christopher Farish, Ethan Gai

Ohio State University @buc Natasha Kumar Carleton College @knights Joshua Dickerson

Baylor University @bears Natalie Plummer

161miles

University of North Carolina Maryam Kazemzadeh-Atoufi,

Trinity University @tigers Clay Eckman

182miles

College of Wooster @fightin Walter Moore

Case Western Reserve Univ William Breckwoldt, John Kim

Southern Methodist University @mustangs 225miles Gaby Appeddu, Nathan Avery, Preston Boyer, Winston Cocke, Andre Gras, Kory Haywood, Clare Hewitt, Paul Loya, Henry Shepherd, Josh Thomas, Jordan Wilson

University of Virginia @cava Harry Elkins, Eric Hobby, Me

Texas Christian University @hornedfrogs Lauren Resnick, Maddy Schulz, Logan Smith

235miles

Carnegie Mellon University Katie Beittenmiller, Eric Fiedo

Louisiana State University @tigers Sam Oliver

259miles

Georgetown University @ho Carson Black, Carly Gamson

Tulane University @greenwave 317miles Will Bomar, Erin Granberry, Clayton Lewis, Carrie Renshaw

Howard University @bison Josh Otey

Rhodes College @lynx Scott Hereford

Villanova University @wildca Audrey Eyring

451miles

Vanderbilt University @commodores 665miles Walt Baker, Courtnay Buaas, Emily Entrekin,Taylor Gutierrez

University of Pennsylvania Iman Charania

Sewanee: University of the South @tigers Michael Cregan, Ben Griffin

667miles

Pitzer College @sagehens Daniel Hurtado-Braun

Saint Louis University @billikens Haishat Alli

678miles

Chapman University @panth Yusef Chabayta, Andrew Chen

678miles Washington University in St. Louis @bears Blake Actkinson, Avi Bukhbinder, Annie Gocke, Katie Owens

University of Rochester @y Jonathan Teoh

1 PM

5:21 PM

dogs ewar

762miles

Cornell University @bigred Lily Brown, Paige Killelea

1366miles

uffaloes

901miles

University of Southern California @trojans Martha Daniel, Spencer Lepow, Ben Stein

1373miles

s

935miles

Princeton University @tigers 1378miles Maddie Clayton, Amanda Leavell, Allie Robinson, Marsha Zhang

roons -Brandt

940miles

Le Moyne College @dolphins Lexi Duncan, David Edwards

1404miles

Fordham University @rams Brigid Hilton

1421miles

951miles wildcats Anya Ring, Robby Rybarczyk

@fightingirish Doyle, Jackson Jhin

968miles

New York University @violets Valerio Farris, Steven Lukens, Zach Tippitt

1421miles

demondeacons itz

979miles

Culinary Institute of America @steels Carly Rapp

1421miles

ckeyes

995miles

Marymount Manhattan College @griffins Madeleine Angus

1421miles

1024miles

Vassar College @brewers Rachel Jacobe

1455miles

1036miles

UC Santa Barbara @gauchos Janie Alcorn

1457miles

ngscots

1072miles

Yale University @bulldogs Ryan Reza, Hannah Worscheh

1488miles

versity @spartans m

1116miles

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute @engineers Paul Steiner

1500miles

1125miles aliers eredith Lawrence, Briana Williams

Weslayan University @cardinals Emma Hagemann

1507miles

y @tartans orek

1139miles

Williams College @ephs Aly Crain, Emory Strawn

1517miles

oyas

1220miles

Amherst College @lordjeffs Kate Bres, Haley Cambra

1565miles

1220miles

Middlebury College @panthers Tommy Cowell

1604miles

ats

1338miles

1604miles Harvard University @crimson Guan Chen, Elaine Dong, Jane Labanowski, Jackie Modesett

@quakers

1345miles

Massachusetts Institute of Technology @beavers 1604miles Stephanie Guo

1341miles

Boston University @terriers Aparajita Maitra

1605miles

hers nnisi

1345miles

Stanford University @cardinal Lauren Lockett, Caroline Spears, Andrew Vogeley

1624miles

yellowjackets

1349miles

University of Edinburgh @moose Sam Burkett

4626miles

a @tarheels Sam Night

College choice as of May 16. Front page photo and college spread compiled and designed by Nicole Lang

superseniors

PHOTOS BY JAKE NYQUIST

It’s that time of the year College t-shirt day marks the seniors final day of official classes. The University of Texas leads all schools with 17 students, while SMU has 11. The “lifers” (bottom left) have spent 13 years at the Storied Cloisters, which translates to roughly 2,340 school days. In lieu of taking a trip together this summer, Kantorei took one final picture together (bottom right).

SENIOR STATISTICS

50 7 38

Students attending school in Texas. The University of Texas tops all schools with 17 seniors.

Rice comes in second (12), followed

by SMU (11), Texas A&M (5) and TCU (3). Baylor and Trinity each have one.

Out-of-state schools that have four seniors attending.

On the East Coast, Harvard and Princeton were the most desirable Ivy League destinations.

In the Midwest, Washington University in St. Louis and Northwestern led the way.

Vanderbilt, Virginia and Tulane also nabbed a quartet of Mavericks.

National Merit Finalists. A total of 91 students received some sort of National Merit recognition.

Four seniors were also named National Achievement Finalists, and 12 graduates gained National Hispanic Recognition.

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

best dressedpreston boyer best smileamanda leavell

best laughrachel jacobe

class clownchris farish

most athleticrobby rybarcyzk

most hipsterandrew chennisi best dancersam burkett