The Review
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID HOUSTON, TEXAS PERMIT 9081
The Official Student Newspaper of St. John’s School 2401 Claremont Lane; Houston, TX 77019 | http://sjsreview.net | review@sjs.org
Vol. 58, Issue 2
September 2006
DAN PERENYI | The Review
MAVS PLAY THEIR HEARTS OUT SJS falls to EHS in overtime, but the spirit of the players and the fans makes the game memorable. COMPLETE COVERAGE | SPORTS, PAGE 4 TV show trivia games Check out reviews of two popular trivia games based on the TV shows Friends and The Simpsons.
page 9
Teacher profile See how history teacher Ms. Johnson-West’s background influences her work at SJS.
page 14
New four-year College Counseling plan Read about changes to the SJS College Counseling program and two staffers’ opinions on the system.
pages 4 & 18
Index
News.................................2 Sports................................4 A&E..................................8 Photo Spread..................10 beyondSJS.......................12 Features...........................14 Opinions.........................17 Odds&Ends.....................19
Rehearsal begins for fall production, The Crucible By JADE LAW With a whirlwind of suspense, emotion and tragedy, The Crucible was chosen for St. John’s fall play. Looking for a classical play that had roles for a great number of students, Director Beth Sanford thought this play would be a suitable choice. “It seemed manageable, although it’s an extremely difficult play… one of the most difficult in my ten years at SJS.” The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller in 1952, focuses on the events of the Salem Witch Trials. Miller wrote the play to show the similarities of injustices present in these Witch Trials and the influence of communism during McCarthyism. McCarthyism, also known as the Second Red Scare, is a term for the anti-Communist fear in the United States from the 1940s to 1950s. A variety of people were accused for being Communists, and often the allegations resulted in destruction of their careers or imprisonment. “It’s analogous in the sense that during the period of time that Mr. Miller wrote this play, the McCarthy trials were going on in Washington and people were
being blacklisted, names were being named and lots of people lost their jobs,” Ms. Sanford said. In The Crucible, Abigail Williams decides that she desires someone else’s husband, so she falsely incriminates people of being possessed by the devil. Abigail has a group of girls from the town under her command, and they all help spread these lies. The powerful plot and emotions in this play require a lot of passionate feeling from the actors and actresses. Ms. Sanford says, “It’s difficult because it’s so demanding emotionally, and you have to really believe these characters really existed and are existing on stage to be caught up in the story.” Revisions have been made to the script by cutting out unnecessary scenes because The Crucible, at its full length, is three and a half hours long. “I’m trying to take an hour and a half out of the play and it’s very difficult,” said Ms. Sanford. Rehearsals for the play are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and sometimes Sundays from 6:30 to 8:30. Auditions, a few days of excitement mingled with anxiety for
see CRUCIBLE on p. 9
Quad construction to be completed by Christmas By REBECCA WELBOURN
The long construction process on the North Campus is in its third and final stage, which started in June. West Farish, the last side of the nearlycompleted quadrangle, is cur-
bished building at the start of the second semester. J.L. Mayhew, Jr., the construction Project Manager, confirmed that the renovations are currently on schedule. He estimated that the adjustments to West Farish are 40 to 50 percent completed.
KATHERINE KELLEY | The Review
The renovation of West Farish, the final phase of construction, should be completed by 2006’s end. rently being renovated as the last step in the plan to improve the Upper School facilities. The renovation of the last wing of the quadrangle is expected to be finished in December, and classes will be able to be held in the newly-refur-
After the 2005-2006 school ended in May, the first thing the construction team did was remove the ceilings, flooring and selected interior walls of West Farish, said Mr. Mayhew.
see FARISH on p. 3
Introducing beyondSJS local schools | alumni | international | our extended community Want to know what Mr. Rubin is up to in Kenya? Looking for the latest on students who joined SJS from New Orleans last year?
See our inaugural section, pages 12-13.
news
2
The Review
September 2006
SAC’s uniform policy proposal accepted, revisions made By JUSTIN STEIN After receiving criticism from alumni, sports captains and current students, the Student Affairs Council and Upper School Dean of Students Dan Alig recently announced a revised policy for organization out-ofuniform days. The highlights of the new policy include an increase in the number of days varsity sports teams can dress out and the inclusion of student organizations in the guidelines of who can dress out. The new policies state that varsity sports teams and varsity cheerleaders can dress out “one day per week for a maximum of eight weeks, so long as each team-shirt day is attached to an athletic contest.” Sub-varsity sports and JV cheerleaders may dress out once a season. Originally, varsity teams and cheerleaders were only granted four days a season to dress out; sub-varsity athletes and JV cheerleaders were granted two
such days. SAC’s “argument was that (dressing out) should be a varsity privilege,” Dean Alig said. Fine arts groups and student organizations also benefited from the revision and are now allowed one organization shirt day a week, assuming the day is tied to a specific event or activity. There is no limit on the number of weeks a group or organization can dress out. “Of course, though, I’m going to make every effort to make their overall number equitable with athletic teams,” Dean Alig said. Before the revised policy was issued, fine arts groups were given only four days a semester to dress out. As they are overseen by Dean Alig himself, student organizations such as Chapel Guild, Maverick Guard and Model UN were not specifically mentioned in the policy. Speaking about student organizations’ freedom to dress out, Dean Alig said, “They need to have a shirt, and they all need to be wearing the same thing,
First Senior Spirit Night well-recieved by Class of 2007 By MARGARET GREENBERG On Friday, Sept. 1, as SJS varsity football kicked off the season with a home game against Concordia Lutheran High School, the Class of 2007 participated in the inaugural Senior Spirit Night. The event took place in the Traditions Room, which looks out over Skip Lee Field. Dr. Richard Doina and Ted Curry came up with the idea last year as a way “to reward seniors and also [a way] to get them to bond together at football games,” according to Dr. Doina, who knows that “one way we know [to get kids to bond] is through food.” Dr. Doina said, “The Traditions room is a wonderful venue that doesn’t seem to really get used very often, so the hope was to give them an opportunity to be in a comfortable environment to watch the football game, to have a nice little snack and enjoy each others’ company.” The plan is to make Senior Spirit Night a tradition at the first home football game of each season. This year, Lisa Jordan, mother of Nick Jordan (’07), who is in charge of Senior Tea, coordinated the refreshments. Kara Fisher (’07), a cheerleader, took advantage of a rain delay to participate in the activities. “Senior spirit night was great, all the parents really came together and it made the night,” said Fisher. “All the food was really good. We all loved it and appreciated it––good effort all around.” In addition to Fisher, the other senior varsity cheerleaders, as well as senior drum corps members, were able to leave their pre-game preparations to indulge in food and conversation. Besides seniors, alumni, faculty and senior parents were invited to Senior Spirit Night. Though the football team was unable to attend, captain Matthew Ziemnicki (’07) commented that “Senior Spirit Night gets everyone really pumped up. A lot of seniors [want to do other things besides attend football games,] but having a group event really helps our grade come out to the game and support us … I feel like they should do it every year, and it’s just a good tradition.” According to Dr. Doina, the turnout was positive despite the threat of rain. He hopes to continue the tradition next year, adding that “we just appreciate parents taking the time and energy to help the seniors bond and find new ways to do that.” Ellie Ezzel (’07), who spent the last year school year abroad, said, “It was probably the first football game I’ve been to in a year, and it made me want to go to more. It was fun…watching the football players and hanging out with my friends and cheering.”
so they’re promoting their club, showing that solidarity. They need to communicate (planned dress out days) to me a week ahead of time, so I can let faculty know.” The revised policy, which was well-recieved by students, is the product of weeks of work and cooperation among SAC, faculty and the administration. Head Prefect Laura Franklin (’07) outlined the multi-week process. When the policy was announced at the start of the school year, SAC evaluated the student response. When SAC decided to come up with an alternative plan, the prefects met shortly after school and began to outline a solid response. They then presented a counterproposal, which called for the elimination of dress-out days for JV sports and an unlimited number of dress-out weeks for Varsity teams. When they presented the counterproposal to Dean Alig, he added a policy outlining dress out regulations for student
organizations and gave sub-varsity teams and JV cheerleaders one day to dress out in the fall. SAC originally called for varsity teams to have the privilege to dress out once a week for each week in the season; Dean Alig adjusted that to eight weeks per season. After Dean Alig tweaked the proposal and got faculty approval, he drafted the final policy and announced it to students in class meetings. Franklin said that one of the most difficult parts of the process was drafting a counterproposal that would address the concerns of all parties involved: the students, the faculty and the administration. One of the main ways to keep the new system under control is a comprehensive calendar of athletics dress out dates. “I know who’s wearing what and when. It’s just a whole lot more organized than it was before,” Dean Alig said. Instructors of fine arts groups and sponsors of student organizations are re-
quired to let the dean know one week in advance when their students will be out of uniform. Both students and Dean Alig have praised SAC for their work in helping to revise the controversial policy. “What impressed me most about SAC is the extent to which they kind of got out of themselves and looked at the uniform code and nforcement of the uniform code, through faculty eyes,” Dean Alig said. “They looked at what faculty members have to go through when they’re walking through the hallways and trying to uphold the uniform code.” Overall, Dean Alig said, “I really have tried very hard to make my treatment of fine arts, student organizations and athletics parallel. The problem is that the groups are just very, very different…I’m going to do my best to make the numbers (of dress out days) for student organizations, fine arts and athletics equitable as we go along.”
Student Affairs Council plans Honor Chapel and Homecoming By COURTNEY CARVILL “This SAC is very innovative. There’s a lot of creativity, leadership, and enthusiasm,” said Head Prefect Laura Franklin (’07). From uniform policies to a homecoming dance, this year’s SAC hopes to tackle a myriad of issues while maintaining extensive communication between students and representatives. Team jersey policies were altered just two weeks into the school year due to a proposal drafted by SAC prefects. Field day has been changed from Kinkaid week to the Spring semester. The first town hall meeting of the year was held during lunch in a new site: the cafeteria. “We changed the location of the meetings because we thought it would be more conducive to student communication with SAC members,” said Franklin. Even the traditional structure of the SAC chapel was changed this year to include speeches from sevJENNY LEWIS | The Review eral SAC representatives rather than Head Prefect Laura Franklin (‘07) leads the SAC meeting as Wendall just the Head Prefect. This year SAC members and facul- Zartman, co-sponsor, looks on. SAC has started plans for the first ever ty wait to see the effects of a slightly Homecoming, which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 28. altered honor code. “We are stressing honor, respect, and responsibility this year,” said Junior Class Pres- been really fun, but kind of lame,” off,” said Freshmen Class President Daisy Wolf (’10). The decoration ident Sarah Jewett (’08). On Sept. said Jewett. The members agreed to com- theme will be “Under the Sea,” but 13, the Upper School held the first ever Honor Chapel that included bine the funds for the SAC Party the attire will be coat and tie. “The a signing of the honor code by ev- and Movie Night in order to host technical name is ‘Enchantment ery freshman. Although Dean Alig a formal dance. In a poll of Upper Under the Sea,’” said Prefect Steven made the changes in the handbook, School Students between the SAC Dickerson (’07). “I got my idea from SAC members are making signifi- Party and a formal, students voted the dance party in Back to the Fucant efforts to facilitate awareness for the formal, 4:1. Dean of Students ture.” With Dan Friedman and Alice of the honor code including orien- Dan Alig and Head of Upper School tation day speeches, talking with Kef Wilson embraced the idea. The Means as the new SAC sponsors freshman English classes, and hold- Homecoming dance will take place working with Wendall Zartman, ing the Honor Chapel. “We’re trying on Sept. 28, the Saturday night after SAC is in the process of creating new traditions and maintaining the old. to make sure everyone understands the Kinkaid game. “It is something that takes place This year’s SAC members are workthe honor code this year, especially in most high schools, and I hope ing to increase communication, the freshmen,” said Franklin. The most exciting development we can start a tradition. It is high- flow of ideas around campus and inthus far is plans for a Homecom- ly ambitious taking on such a big teraction with the administration. ing dance that emerged when SAC party with only a month and a half They hope to amplify SAC’s role members decided to revamp the to plan, but I am confident that the in school issues as the predominant annual SAC Party that “has always SAC members will be able to pull it voice for students.
news
3
The Review
September 2006
Construction on North Campus continues FARISH cont. from p. 1 Currently, they are in the process of putting up walls, installing the ductwork for air conditioning and heating units, installing sprinkler systems and rewiring the electricity for the building. The final step will be to finish all of the walls, build the ceilings, install the flooring and finish putting in the electrical systems. Despite the current progress being made, Mr. Mayhew said that the construction team has encountered a few minor setbacks, as expected when working with a 60-year-old building. “With any kind of renovation, you run into problems that are unknown,” he said. One of the difficulties involved adding extra structural support in order to accommodate all the equipment in the attic. Also, the installation of the sprinkler systems proved to be a small setback to the planned ceiling heights. The previous construction phase, rebuilding the other three sides of the quadrangle, was completed over the summer. “I think it looks tremendous. Our objective was to make it look like the old quadrangle [and for people] not to see a significant difference from what the original quadrangle
looked like, and I think we’ve been able to achieve that,” said Mr. Mayhew. “We’re getting a lot of positive comments about the appearance.” Some of the benefits of the overall construction project include the installation of more bathrooms and new elevators that meet building codes, as well as the ability to walk across campus completely sheltered from rainy weather. One of the goals was to improve movement through the buildings, which the connected buildings and added elevators will help. Mr. Mayhew said that he has heard people admire “the appearance of [the quadrangle], and the quality of construction, [as well as] the timeliness with which the contractors have been able to maintain their schedule [and] keep school going. That’s been a difficult task, to make sure we have everything ready for occupancy when it’s needed.” Overall, Mr. Mayhew feels that the construction has been an important step in bringing the educational facilities up-todate. “I think it’s a significant step forward in build[ing] the infrastructure for the future […] and upgrading the facilities for the KATHERINE KELLEY | The Review
College counseling to start freshman year
D-hall, disciplinary policies modified to be more effective By VAIL KOHNERT-YOUNT
DANIEL PERENYI | The Review
A group of upperclassmen, along with college counselor Bryan Rutledge, meet with a representative from Bowdoin College during lunch. College counseling will start freshman year instead of junior year. By MAX SUSMAN College counseling has been intensified this year to include all four years of a student’s high school career. Bryan Rutledge, the college counselors and the all those involved with the college counseling program at SJS have decided to enhance the program by starting the program during freshman year. “This is the most selective point ever to apply to colleges,” said Mr. Rutledge. “Students want to be sure that they can go to a school that they will enjoy and study what they want to do for a living.” The new college counseling program is designed to do just that. The world of college application has been taken to a whole new competitive level. The new four year plan allows students to prepare for more specific things that will help them during the application process. The new extension of the plan starts with the freshmen. “The new college counseling handbook is very helpful for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and parents especially. Parents will get one as well,” said Mr. Rutledge. All SJS families will receive these handbooks to assist them in the college counseling process. The handbooks contain information about the process of college selection, applying to college and testing. When the student becomes a sophomore, the student and family will meet with a col-
lege counselor and talk about more specific topics such as application deadlines, SATs and academic course selection. The junior and senior aspects of the program will remain as is. The main idea of this whole change is to revamp the school’s old program to fit the new competitive world of college application today. The guinea pigs of this whole operation are the class of 2010. When freshmen were asked about the new program, mixed responses were received. “I think it’s a good idea,” says Janie Wilde (’10). “(It’s) better to start soon!” However, this was not quite the same response from other students. “This doesn’t sound too promising,” said Robin Doody (’10). “If (the new plan) is going to take up more of my time in the day, I’m not so sure I like it.” However, freshmen need not worry––Mr. Rutledge made it quite clear that the new plan should not be painful. “(College Counseling) will not interfere with people’s routines,” Mr. Rutledge said. “We will try and work around peoples’ schedules.” Students and parents can learn more about college counseling by browsing through the SJS College Counseling webpage, reading the new college counseling Handbook or by attending the evening meetings that will occur later in the school year.
Since the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year, the Upper School’s disciplinary policy has changed to reflect issues facing former procedures. The primary change in the disciplinary procedure is the new policy concerning detention halls. Unlike years past, during which students were permitted to read and do schoolwork while serving d-halls, this year students “can’t talk with each other, can’t do work [and] just have to sit there quietly” during their d-halls, Upper School Dean of Students Dan Alig said. Dean Alig explained that the reasoning behind the new procedure stemmed from feedback he received from members of the SJS community last year—including faculty and students. “I got a group of students together for a brown bag lunch, and I also had a separate brown bag lunch for faculty,” Dean Alig said. “One of the clear messages I got from both groups—interestingly enough, the students brought this up—is the fact that detention halls didn’t mean anything, that they weren’t deterrents for anything because they were glorified… study halls.” To reform the system, Dean Alig stressed the importance of the creation of “something that is a deterrent for minor disruptions in class or uniform code issues.” For this reason, the Upper School administration decided to make detention halls “periods of quiet reflection,” instead of early morning study halls. Hannah Shepard (’09) said of the new policy, “I know it’s supposed to be a punishment, but it’s punishment [enough] to have to wake up early in the morning. We’re at St. John’s here. We have a lot of work, and we definitely need a study hall. It’s really not productive.” Dean Alig responded to concerns about productivity and time management issues by offering a service-oriented alternative to early morning d-halls. He explained, “I realize that there are parents and students who have legitimate, valid issues with that sort of a policy. That’s why I am open to students doing service for the school.” As a substitute for detention
halls, the administration is gradually setting up an afternoon service program where students can report to the administration and labor for 45 minutes. Dean Alig listed possible tasks including “weeding a flower bed, sweeping floors or picking up trash.” Dean Alig claimed to see a change in the attitude of students towards dhalls. “I think students already recognize that detention halls are not necessarily the way they want to spend 45 minutes. I think it’s made people think about their actions a little more carefully,” he said. Another change is the introduction of three different levels of disciplinary infractions, detailed in the Upper School Student Handbook. The least serious violations are classified as Level One and result in d-halls or work halls. More severe violations are classified as Level Two and typically result in work halls or in-school isolations. The gravest abuses, designated as Level Three, may incur out-ofschool suspension, disciplinary probation or even expulsion. Dean Alig explained this modification as a clarification of previous policy. “What we found is that in our minds, there were different levels of offenses. A minor disruption in class versus gross disrespect for faculty are very different things, and one involves stiffer penalties,” he explained. “That’s why we did the Level One, Level Two, Level Three [offenses], just to make it clear. These levels don’t signify a change in our thinking about discipline at St. John’s. Rather, they signify a clearer explanation of our thinking. With these levels, we’ve striven to make what for years has been implicit explicit.” The third change in disciplinary policy is the alteration of the d-hall accumulation system to better fit the new semester structure. Instead of allowing students to receive three detentions per quarter before receiving work halls as in previous years, the number has now been doubled to six per semester. Overall, Dean Alig described the new system as “clearer and simpler.” He said, “I think the campus looks better. I think people are tucking in their shirts. Parents, students, and faculty have said as much to me.”
sports
4
The Review
September 2006
Mavs lose a tight game in OT
DAN PERENYI | The Review
Quarterback Lawson Gow (‘08) leads the Maverick offense against Episcopal Sept. 15. SJS lost 21-14. (‘07) and Mitchell Nimocks (’07). time to Ball, set the Mavericks By MEGHAN HALL On only their third drive, the up at fourth down with one The SJS varsity football team Knights scored again on a long, yard to go. Deciding to go for it, won the initial toss against the 84-yard pass from quarterback Ball made it up to Episcopal’s 40 Episcopal Knights Friday Sept. Kellen Theriot (’08) to tight end yard line for a first down. One 15, and a hard-fought game Travis Scott (’07). After an extra more Gow throw, to Eugene ensued from that point on. point, Episcopal was leading 14-0. Wu (’07), resulted in another After an unsuccessful first The next drive for SJS includ- first down and placed the Mavdrive, the Mavericks were able to ed subsequent, negating penal- ericks at the 26 yard line. After fend off the Knights in their first ties and more rushing plays for an incomplete pass, Gow hit his drive, but, after SJS failed to ad- Gow. The Knights ended their target of Herlihy for one more vance on their second drive, the drive by going for it on fourth first down. Next was a rush Knights capitalized. Going for it down and two yards, but The- by Nimocks to put SJS at the on fourth down with one yard riot threw an incomplete pass six yard line, where Gow took to go, Episcopal running back to give the Mavericks the ball the game into his own hands David Nwabuisi (’08) got the on their own 29 yard line, set- and rushed for a touchdown. ball and edged into the end zone. ting up a long drive for SJS. The resulting Episcopal drive After a successful extra point for On second down, Gow threw did not end with a score, though the Knights, the Mavericks got to Captain Derry Herlihy (’07) both Luke Phillips (’08) and the ball again but were unable to for a large gain and a first down. Mills Kelly (’08) almost inscore despite successful running Another pass from Gow, this tercepted throws by Theriot. plays by Captain Danny Ball
Following halftime, the Mavericks quickly thwarted the Episcopal offense to set up another successful drive of their own. A sack of Gow started the drive, but he passed to Ball and then Phillips to gain a big first down. After a recovered fumble, Gow tossed a bullet to Herlihy in the end zone for a 14 yard touchdown. The extra point tied the game, and no more scoring would occur in regulation. The rest of the third quarter proceeded without event, highlighted by strong defensive showings. After a Mavericks fumble that was recovered by the Knights in the fourth quarter, a long Episcopal drive plagued with penalties ensued. To start off, a penalty for “unsportsmanlike conduct” pushed the Knights back. Though they continued to advance, penalties due to a false start and an illegal block, combined with incomplete passes by Theriot, forced the Knights to punt. The subsequent drives for the Mavericks were full of tough breaks and unfortunate plays. Their next drive ended with Gow tossing an interception to Travis Kozak (’07). Following the interception, the Mavericks played solid defense and stopped the Knights as they went for it once again on fourth down with four yards to go. However, on the very first play of the next SJS drive, the Mavericks fumbled and the Knights were able to recover it and start their drive on the SJS 36 yard line. On third down with ten yards to go, Theriot threw a long pass down the sideline, but the catch was out of bounds. On what the Mavericks thought was fourth down with ten yards to go, meaning the Knights had to punt, the officials called pass interference and gave Episcopal the first down. A first start pushed the Knights
back five yards, and two incomplete passes by Theriot left Episcopal on third down with 15 yards to go and only nine seconds left on the game clock. Theriot threw again but was intercepted by Phillips, forcing the game into overtime. The overtime was to consist of one drive for each team, until one team was able to score and hold off the other. Each team would start from the other team’s 25 yard line. The Knights won the coin toss and elected to take the first drive. Quickly, Episcopal moved the ball down the field and Theriot tossed the ball to Nwabuisi for a 10 yard touchdown. SJS had their turn next, and Gow picked up a first down immediately with a good run. Following a running play and an incomplete pass, the Mavericks found themselves on third down with 10 yards to go. Gow threw to Nimocks for a gain, but SJS fell three yards short of a first down. On the very next play, the Knights stifled the Mavericks to win the game. Theriot threw a good game for Episcopal, finishing with 32 completions for 213 yards. The Knights’ leading rusher was also Theriot, with 54 yards, and Scott caught 3 passes for a total of 180 yards. Gow completed 13 of his passes for 82 yards and ran for 60 yards. He also had two touchdowns, one passing and one rushing. Nimocks led the way with 77 rushing yards, though Ball was not far behind with 66 yards. Herlihy caught three passes for 41 yards, while Phillips had two catches for 27 yards. The team overall rushed for 195 yards. Although the Mavericks held the Knights scoreless for almost 35 minutes and were able to come back from a 14-0 deficit, they lost a close, tough game in overtime.
New teams enter the mix and attempt to overthrow 2005 powerhouses Texas, USC By JEREMY SLAWIN Staff Writer
In early 2006, the college football season ended with a bang when the University of Texas defeated the University of Southern California in the Rose Bowl. This season, new teams appear on the scene and look towards the BCS Championship in Arizona in early 2007. Big Ten The Ohio State Buckeyes, a team usually noted for their stalwart defense, bring a high-powered offense to the table led by senior quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Troy Smith. Smith, after sharing time with teammate Justin Zwick in 2005, now has the offense all to himself
and is primed for a huge season. At his dispense, Smith will have speedster wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr., in addition to several other talented offensive players like receiver Anthony Gonzalez and running backs Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells, all of whom are ready for big seasons. No one can deny that Ohio State has one of the most talented groups of players in the entire country; however, you can question their experience. The Buckeyes sent nine players to the NFL this off-season, including twop top ten picks in linebacker A.J. Hawk and safety Donte Whitner. Only two starters on defense remain from last year’s Big Ten championship team, so will the inexperience on this Buckeye team inhibit them from repeating? Ohio State is always loaded with talent, and Coach Jim Tressel will have these guys playing well in no time. Plus the rest of the other teams in the con-
ference don’t scare me. The Buckeyes should bring another Big Ten title back to Columbus. Make or Break Games: 9/30 at Iowa 11/18 vs. Michigan SEC
In my opinion, this is easily the best conference in the country. The SEC claims five teams in the AP top 25, including three of the top eight ranked teams. However, I feel that the Auburn Tigers have the best shot of anybody to take home the conference title. The Tiger offense is led by senior running back Kenny Irons. Irons has a dynamic combination of speed and ability in order to carry a huge workload for the Auburn offense. Junior quarterback Brandon Cox is also a very solid player and, now with a year’s worth of experience under his belt, can lead
Photo courtesy of US Presswire
Ohio State University quarterback Troy Smith accumulated 269 passing yards and two TDs in a 24-7 win over Texas Sept. 10. his team to a conference title. On the other side of the ball, Auburn boasts an extremely fast, athletic defense that chases ball carriers from sideline to sideline. Leading this unit is senior linebacker Will Herring,
who led the team in tackles a year ago at his former position of safety. If anything, the position change should get him involved in even more plays. On paper the Auburn Tigers
See NCAA on p. 6
sports 5 Varsity football teams from around the region prepare for tough seasons and SPC The Review
September 2006
By HUDSON DUNCAN
on their shoulders this year. Episcopal
Kinkaid The burning issue for this year’s Kinkaid Falcon football team regards the quarterback position. Matthew Bean (’09), a former SJS student and originally the starting quarterback, sustained a knee injury earlier this year that will keep him on the sidelines for the entire season. Although second-string quarterback Cody Edgeworth (’08) had not attempted a pass before this year, the rest of the Kinkaid offense is still confident. Coming off of a sixth place finish in the Southwest Preparatory Conference and a loss to SJS in their final game last year, Kinkaid defeated the Beaumont Kelly Bulldogs in their season opener and then Second Baptist to start the year 2-0. Head Coach Garry McMillan was excited about his team’s win along with their leadership. “I think the biggest strength of the Kinkaid football team this year is [our] 26 seniors. When you have that kind of numbers in a senior class, it provides a tremendous amount of leadership on both sides of the ball.” When asked about his expectations for the upcoming season, Coach McMillan said, “It’s always Kinkaid’s expectation to win the SPC Championship.” High hopes and a solid defense seem to be what this football team will be carrying
After finishing third place in SPC behind powerhouses Holland Hall and St. Mark’s last year, the Episcopal Knights are much more confident they can achieve their goal of winning SPC this year. “There is a lot more parity in the SPC this year,” Head Coach Steve Leisz said. “Last year, St. Mark’s and Holland Hall looked really good on paper, but this year, anyone has a shot.” Episcopal can also look forward to the fact that two of their four all-conference players from last year, Chase Wightman (’07) and Travis Adams (’07) will be seniors this year. Both are linebackers who should put fear in the eyes of opposing offenses. But even with their good defense, Coach Leisz describes his offense as their best strength. “Our offense is well rounded and has shown the ability to put points on the board,” he said. Special teams is a concern, however, after the loss of their allconference kicker to graduation. The Knights did lose a close game in their season opener to Northland Christian, but rebounded with a win over St. Thomas. Casady The Casady Cyclones’ 23 seniors should bring a lot of experience into this upcoming season. Head Coach Butch Groves said, “We’re expecting to have a chance
KATHERINE CARMICHAEL | The Review
The SJS defensive line sets up against Concordia Lutheran Sept. 1. SJS won 19-14. The Mavericks play Episcopal Sept. 15, Greenhill Sept. 29, Casady Oct. 13 and Kinkaid Oct. 27. in any game we line up in.” The team also has speed on the defensive side that should pose a threat to opposing offenses. A four-year starter at linebacker, Sim K. Sims (’07) enters this season as the leader of the defense and the all-time leading tackler at Casady School. Different from past years, Sims will bring more to the field than just his ability to tackle. Coach Groves will line him up as a receiver, running back, and kick/punt return man. McKenzie McMahan (‘08) will lead the offense as the starting fullback. “He is the toughest guy on the team,” Coach Groves said. Even though the starting run-
ning back from last year has graduated, Casady will still be a twodimensional team on offense. “I think we’re going to try to keep it mixed up, and I think we will establish the running game,” Coach Groves said. The Cyclones finished in the middle of the SPC standings last year, but they plan to jump out of the pack this year. Greenhill “I don’t want to use the word rebuilding, but I think our football team is going to build up throughout the season and improve,” Greenhill Head Coach Blake Ware said.
The Hornets finished in last place last year, but Greenhill plans to improve. Coming into the season, the Hornets have a few holes on the defensive and offensive lines, due to injuries. Led by six foot two inch, 230-pound, all-conference running back Alvin Jordan (’07), the Hornets will look to pound the ball on the ground. Linebacker Matt Oh (’07) will lead the way on defense. One area of concern is the lack of a playmaker on the team. “We lost an outstanding wide receiver that graduated last year. He was our go-to guy in tough situations,” Coach Ware said.
The Colts try to regain the top spot in the NFL for it and block Shaun Alexander to another All-Pro season. NFC Wildcard: FALCONS If the Falcons want to make the playoffs, Michael Vick really needs to step up his passing game. Trading goal line running back T.J. Duckett for veteran wide receiver Ashley Lelie of the Broncos will help Vick by giving him another target. Young wide receivers Mike Jenkins and Roddy White are just waiting for a chance to breakout and the Falcons need to take advantage of their talents. The defense is solid, and the talent is there. The key is Vick. NFC Wildcard: CARDINALS
Photo courtesy of Reuters
Peyton Manning threw for 276 yards and 1 touchdown in a 26-21 win over the New York Giants. By CAMERON HARATI Business Staffer NFC East: GIANTS Eli Manning needs to show that he is capable of playing a whole year like he did the first half of last year. If he does, the Giants are a lock to make the playoffs. Defensive additions Lavar Arrington and Sam Madison will improve an already solid defense.
NFC South: PANTHERS Defensive stud Kris Jenkins comes back to one of the best defensive lines in all of football and returns to Panthers to the top. With a top defense and an offense that has added wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson and rookie running back DeAngelo Williams to the mix, they should take the NFC South. NFC North: BEARS The Chicago Bears easily have the best team in this division. The key for them to win the division and take home field advantage is
the play of their quarterback Rex Grossman. The Minnesota Vikings will make a strong playoff push but they will fall just short. Expect the Bears defense to be just as dominant as last year. NFC West: SEAHAWKS After losing the Super Bowl to the Steelers on some controversial calls, the Seattle Seahawks revamped their team by adding All-Pro Linebacker Julius Peterson and young wide receiver Nate Burleson. The loss of offensive guard Steve Hutchinson will hurt, but the rest of their line is good enough to make up
Some might call this a stretch while some will call it obvious, but the Arizona Cardinals will make the playoffs this year. Kurt Warner has some of the best weapons in the league with Pro Bowl wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald in addition to the athletic rookie tight end Leonard Pope and All-Pro running back Edgerrin James. The Cardinals’ problem has always been the running game, since they averaged a league worst 3.2 yards per carry last year. Edgerrin James will definitely help solve this problem and the Cardinals’ defense will be propelled by now healthy first round draft pick Antrel Rolle, Pro Bowler Adrian Wilson, and
defensive end Bert Berry. The playoffs are without doubt in sight for the Arizona Cardinals. AFC West: BRONCOS Getting Javon Walker from the Green Bay Packers was a huge move for the Broncos because a good receiving group just got a lot better. The defense is still one of the best in the league, and you should expect Al Wilson to be a Defensive Player of the Year award finalist. If Jake Plummer and the Broncos don’t hold off the Chargers for the AFC West division title, it will be a shock. AFC South: COLTS This pick is easy. The Titans and Texans are in rebuilding mode, leaving them out of the playoff picture for at least a year. The Jaguars have a shot at making the playoffs through the Wild Card, but unless the Colts have key injuries, they should easily walk away with the division title and a first round bye in the playoffs. The defense is led by All-Pro Safety Bob Sanders, AllPro Defensive End Dwight Freeney, All-Pro Linebacker Cato June, run-stuffer Corey Simon, and some young up-and-comers. The offense is still dominant even with the loss of Edgerrin James. While rookie Joseph Addai surely can’t replace Edge, Dominic Rhodes will help him out and they will do a solid job.
See NFL on p. 7
6
sports The Review
September 2006
Both boys and girls cross country teams enjoy success with new runners, coach By ASHLEY TAM What’s the best way to describe cross country? “Our sport is your sport’s punishment,” girls cross country Captain Kaleta Johnson (’07) said. Seen on t-shirts around meets, this slogan screams pride and truth—what sport team doesn’t make unruly players run laps? Those who run cross country, however, don’t seem to mind. It seems to be general consensus among those who run cross country that the sport is all about discipline. After all, what could mean discipline more than 5:45 AM practices? “They’re not morning people,” boys cross country Head Coach Richie Mercado (‘79) said. “[I am] amazed at how dedicated they’ve been at coming out here and working hard.” These cross country runners fight to beat not only other teams, but themselves. “It’s very individualistic— [cross country] is really good in that way because there are
goals,” Coach Mercado said. These true athletes support each other with cheerful slogans such as “I [heart] endorphins,” and “pain is weakness leaving the body.” “Last year we didn’t finish as high as we had hoped, but we got some strong new people on the team. I think we’re going to do well this year,” boys Captain Steven Dickerson (’07) said. With hopes of getting into the top five, “we’re doing everything we can—we have great attitudes and great effort,” Coach Mercado said. The girls’ team boasts not only of new freshmen, but of a new coach as well. “We have some really fast freshmen on the team this year, it’s very promising. We also have a new coach, [Rachel Skinner], and everyone really likes her,” Johnson said. With all the pain and discipline involved in cross country, it’s difficult to see any positive, fun aspects. This isn’t to say that
Photo courtesy of Richie Mercado (‘79)
The boys cross country team after a Greenhill meet Aug. 26. Their next meet is Sept. 16 at A&M. the cross country teams do not have fun. The girls’ team has many “secret traditions” and “inside jokes,” admits Johnson. Most of all, it’s easy to see that for these athletes, running five
to six miles a day is therapeutic. “Even if you have a bad day, you can go out and run and you feel a lot better. It helps you focus yourself,” Johnson said. “It’s satisfying completing a
hard workout or doing well in a race—there’s a lot of unpleasant aspects, but when you get through them, you can say that you did it,” Dickerson said.
After the completion of Week 3, teams are stirring the pot for an exciting NCAA football season be expected to win games, he needs to get the ball into his playmakers’ hands in order for the Longhorns to be successful. On defense, seven starters return, forming a defensive line that includes All-American hopefuls Frank Okam, Tim Crowder, and Brian Robison. At the back, the Longhorns have stud safety Michael Griffin, one of the surest tacklers in the country. In a nutshell, the Longhorns are solid almost everywhere on the field and should repeat as Big 12 champions. Make or Break games: 9/9 vs. Ohio State (24-7 loss) 10/7 vs. Oklahoma ACC
Photo courtesy of Associated Press
Florida State quarterback Drew Weatherford throws in the Sept. 4 game against Miami. The Seminoles beat the Hurricanes 13-10.
NCAA cont. from p. 4 look like a solid team, but they lack the depth that they’ve had in past years and play in a conference with several challenging games. However, I believe the Tigers will overcome these circumstances and take the SEC crown. Make or Break Games: 9/16 vs. LSU 9/28 at South Carolina 10/14 vs. Florida Big 12 Last year the Big 12 boasted national champs Texas but had little else at the top to challenge the Longhorns. This year, rival Oklahoma hopes to knock off
Texas as the top team in the Big 12. I think Texas has too much for the Sooners (plus OU has a little quarterback problem named Paul Thompson). The offensive line, anchored by tackle Justin Blaylock, is of the best in the nation despite losing two AllAmericans from last year’s unit. The group of running backs is also is an extreme strength, consisting of standouts Selvin Young and Jamal Charles. Limas Sweed at receiver is also a great playmaker. Basically, the Longhorn offense is deep, talented, and experienced, except at quarterback. Freshman Colt McCoy will run the Longhorn offense, and although he won’t
There isn’t an “elite” team in the Atlantic Coast Conference this year, but the Florida State Seminoles are the closest thing to it. The offense should thrive under sophomore quarterback Drew Weatherford, who looks ready to step up after an interceptionplagued freshman season. It also doesn’t hurt that Weatherford has three top receivers at his disposal in Greg Carr, Chris Davis, and De’Cody Fagg and a talented running back in Lorenzo Booker. However, the offensive line is somewhat shaky and may determine the success of these top-notch skill position players. The Seminole defense only returns four starters, with four of last year’s starters leaving as first round NFL picks. Coach Bobby Bowden always has a slew of talent at his disposal, but hopefully such a dropoff in high profile talent will not hurt the team too much. Senior middle linebacker Buster Davis needs to set the tone for this young and inexperienced Seminole defense if they have any hopes this sea-
son. But I think Florida State has all the right players to make noise in both the ACC and on a national scale this year. Make or Break games: 9/16 vs. Clemson 11/25 vs. Florida Big East During the preseason it seemed as if the fate of this conference would boil down to the hyped showdown between Louisville and West Virginia, a game that could also determine if either team’s hopes of an undefeated season would come true. However, during the first week of the season, Louisville’s star running back Michael Bush sustained a serious leg injury that will sideline him for the remainder of his senior year. In light of this recent progression, you have to give West Virginia the edge. They have a high powered rushing attack led by star sophomores Steve Slaton at running back and scrambling quarterback Pat White, who combined to rush for over 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. On defense, the Mountaineers have a solid, athletic group led by senior linebacker Kevin McLee, who has the lethal combination of size and speed. The Mountaineers would really have to choke to not take home the Big East Championship this year, but great controversy may surround them all season long. It is likely that West Virginia should go undefeated this season due to a slew of pathetic opponents on their schedule, but will they deserve a berth in the national championship game, where potential one-loss teams like Auburn, Texas, Notre Dame and Ohio State may be left out? Only time will tell, but West Virginia should at least win
their conference this season. Make or Break Games: 11/2 at Louisville 11/16 at Pittsburgh Pac 10 There are several decent teams in the Pac-10 that should make bowl games after this season, but only one really stands out as an elite team: The University of Southern California. The Trojans, however, have a lot to replace after losing Heisman Trophy winners and top ten draft picks Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, in addition to several other NFL caliber players. The good news for USC: for the second straight year Coach Pete Carroll has brought in the nation’s top recruiting class, so you know the Trojans have a lot of young athletes who can make a real difference. However, I believe USC’s upperclassmen will be the impact players for this team. Although inexperienced, junior quarterback John David Booty has the skill set to lead this team to a great year. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he has perhaps the nation’s top receiving duo in Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith, who combined to accumulate over 2,000 yards and over 20 touchdowns a season ago. The defense lacks the star power of the offense, but is still full of solid players like junior defensive end Lawrence Jackson, who amassed over 10 sacks in 2005. Overall, USC has a solid team that could break out by the end of the season, and none of the other teams in the conference have the talent to take down this perennial powerhouse. Make or Break Games: 11/11 vs. Oregon 11/18 vs. California 11/25 vs. Notre Dame
sports
7
The Review
September 2006
Matchup of Colts v. Panthers predicted for Super Bowl XLI NFL cont. from p. 5 AFC North: BENGALS This might be the toughest division in the NFL this season, with three teams worthy of playoff contention. The Bengals, Steelers, and Ravens all have teams good enough to make the playoffs. The defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers lost Antwaan Randle El and Jerome Bettis, but their defense remains one of the best in the league. The Bengals defense improves this year as Sam Adams helps the run defense and Safety Madieu Williams is set for a breakout season. Palmer is expected to be fully healthy and ready to lead this team deep into the playoffs. AFC East: DOLPHINS Ronnie Brown takes the full running load this season without Ricky Williams around, and he will take full advantage of it by running his way onto a Pro-Bowl roster. Daunte
Player Danny Ball Lawson Gow
Player Luke Phillips
Culpepper will resurrect the passing game with help from star receiver Chris Chambers. AFC Wildcard: STEELERS
The Steelers still have an amazing defense, even though they lost some key offensive weapons. Rookie Santonio Holmes will help replace Antwaan Randle El, and Willie Parker’s versatility and speed will make people temporarily forget about Jerome Bettis. They will easily win the Wildcard and they will make a strong push for the division championship. AFC Wildcard: CHARGERS
Some might think that replacing Pro-Bowl quarterback Drew Brees with the inexperienced Philip Rivers will take away from the Chargers’ offensive game. Think again. Rivers loves to pass to his tight ends and it just so happens that Antonio Gates, the league’s best tight end, resides in San Diego. Running back Ladainian Rushing Leaders Yards Average 261 6.4 233 3.6
Receiving Leaders Receptions Yards 7 106
Tomlinson will be in the running for MVP, and the team that was considered “the best team ever not to make the playoffs” last year will make it in. NFC Champ: PANTHERS AFC Champ: COLTS Super Bowl XLI: COLTS Coach of the Year:
Nick Saban, Dolphins MVP:
Peyton Manning, QB/Colts
Defensive Player of the Year: Julius Peppers, DE/Pan-
thers
Offensive Player of the Year:
Larry Johnson, RB/Chiefs
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Kamerion Wimbley, DE
and LB/Browns
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Greg Jennings, WR/
Packers
Most Improved Player of the Year (Breakout Player):
Bob Sanders, S/Colts
Comeback Player of the Year: Javon Walker, WR/
Broncos
Photo courtesy of Associated Press
Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme is sacked the opening game against Atlanta. The Panthers lost to the Falcons 20-6.
Varsity Football Stats TD 1 4
TD 0
Player Lawson Gow
Rushing 821
Comp 15
Passing Leaders Att Int 30 3
Team Offense Passing 212
Yards 212
TD 1
Total 1033
Stats (through Sept. 15) courtesy of Maverick Football
a&e
8
September 2006
The Review
Tap dance club joins repertoire of SJS student organizations By ANOUSHKA SINHA Put on your dancing shoes because there’s a fresh club on campus. The Tap Dance Club offers lessons to anyone with an enthusiasm for dance. Founded by Aaron Girlinghouse, it currently meets Tuesdays during lunch on the second floor of the VST. Mr. Girlinghouse explained, “I felt that it was needed. We have it in the curriculum in Middle School, but we really don’t have it as part of the Upper School. Also, there were students that were asking for it. Bach [Mai (’07)] was one of the big instigators, as well as John Preston (’07)”. Mai and Preston serve as copresidents of Tap Dance Club,
“It’s not too hard once you get the basic stpes; it’s all a matter of combining them and speeding them up.” –John Preston (‘07)
which is open to all students, regardless of their skill levels. “I think Mr. Girlinghouse does a really good job of being able to balance between the expe-
rienced and the inexperienced people,” said Preston. “If people are having trouble with [the steps] he goes back and explains it more, [and he] helps them get the concept, so they don’t need to go as fast as the people who have done it before.” The Tap Dance Club is a welcome release from the drudgery of schoolwork for its members. “I really like tap dancing, but I don’t have much time to go to tap classes anymore because I am busy with other dance stuff, so it works out great being able to do tap during school, and its also really fun,” said Lucy Kerr (’09). Lauren Lepow (’09) added, “Everybody should come because Mr. Girlinghouse is a really cool teacher and it’s a nice break from school and all the work.” There are no prerequisites necessary to joining the club. “I like tap because it’s a cool sort of dance that doesn’t require a lot of flexibility,” said Lepow. “Which I don’t have,” she added lightheartedly. In just two meetings, club members have made great strides in their dancing ability. Lepow said, “We’ve learned all the basic steps and also Mr. Girlinghouse put together combinations that we do across the dance floors. Mr. Girlinghouse will help me individually if I don’t understand something,” Preston said, “It’s not too hard once you get
KATHERINE KELLEY | The Review
Tap dance club from left to right: Mr. Girlinghouse, Daisy Wolf (‘10), Sarah Pendergraft (‘10), Lauren Lepow (‘09), John Allman (‘09) and Abigail Adams (‘09). the basic steps; it’s all just a matter of combining them and speeding them up.” The students dance on tap mats. “[They’re] like a portable tap floor [made of] wooden slats, and they roll out. It’s really cool looking,” explained Mr. Girlinghouse. The future is ripe with promise for the Tap Dance Club. “[T]he big plan is that I want to start doing small performances on campus, sort of like the coffee-house things, and then also
maybe some kind of opportunity at the Wortham [Center]. Sometimes smaller studentbased companies are called […] curtain-warmers and perform in the lobby before a big performance. […] Also, tap is easy to travel with, so maybe we could do a community service [project] at a nursing home because those kind of people really relate to tap because it was so big during that era,” Mr. Girlinghouse said. The Tap Dance Club has
proved a beneficial addition to the SJS community, and it welcomes any prospective members who wish to learn tap. “I want as many people that want to do it,” said Mr. Girlinghouse. “I’ve already learned a lot and Mr. Girlinghouse is a great teacher. Also, it’s fun to do it with your friends, and all you need is tap shoes,” said Kerr.
Restaurants at Minute Maid Park: stick to the concessions By LUISA BARRON Staff Writer
There are only a few dwindling weeks left to head to Minute Maid Park for a game and some good old 100% junk food that has become a trademark of baseball games. Starting off at Larry’s Big Bamboo, a bar with some cute tropical décor, I really see no greater use for the place other than the semi-secret entrance it provides on crowded game days. Maybe the drinks are good (of course I’ve never had any), but watching the game on a TV that is not even a gigantic flat screen unnecessary when the actual game is taking place twenty feet away. On the way out of Larry’s, the next prime stop is the designated driver booth where, with a solemn promise not to drink alcohol, you can be the lucky owner of a wristband and a coupon for a free drink (tip: if you have a kid with
you they will usually slip you two). Fine dining can be had at 9 Amigos, a replacement for the original, and preferable, Ruggles. It’s a fairly nice restaurant, especially so if you have the view of the patio. Otherwise, just make sure not to get stuck in the second-story “party” room, which is extremely dull thanks to the lack of any kind of TV, radio or view of the game. As for the food, there is a limited selection of overpriced, soso Tex-Mex, but it still beats most of the things you can get at the concessions. A good way to judge Tex-Mex is by the staple dish, fajitas. And at 9 Amigos, they are nothing particularly special or delicious, but a perfectly acceptable choice for a pre-game fix. The plates themselves are big and the portions likewise, but that seems to be more of a Houston-restaurant trend rather than just a ballpark trend. The next place to get a bite from is the Crawford Street Café, a small restaurant to the far left in Union Station. It can be easily missed since it is blocked by several large columns and overwhelmed by the large space of the station. The café is very basic and rather unexciting, decoration-wise. The classic black-and-white
www.pbase.com
pictures of baseball’s greats hang along the back wall, but with just a small TV at the small bar and a somewhat unappetizing display of a few food choices at the counter, it is not much of a destination. When will restaurants learn that a plate of day-old food that has been poked at and toppled over is never the best thing to show to customers? I suggest going outside and people-watching instead of staying inside the dinginess. The restaurant advertises “healthy alternatives” and “low-carb options” along with the standard baseball food. Maybe the healthy alternatives attract some people, but the majority of the customers ordered the traditional ballpark junk food the night I was there. Whether you go for low-carb, lowcalorie or high-fat, the portions will strike most people as family size. The fries that come with most of the choices may be super-skinny, but they pack at least twice as many as one would ever want on just one plate. The buffalo chicken strips are probably your best bet over the huge chili cheese hot dog or somewhat questionable-looking nachos. Personally, I trust few Caesar salads, but theirs looked acceptable. Lastly, and probably most importantly, there’s the convenient concessions around every corner. The concessions have the greatest selection and cheapest prices. Since you couldn’t sneak those peanuts and cracker jacks in, you can get them quickly and conveniently just for about seven bucks each. If you must get your intake of the unhealthiest food around, go for the pizza. Skip the hot dogs, and especially avoid the chili and cheese, which resembles melted orange plastic both in taste and appearance. The ice cream is always a good choice. Although there aren’t many flavor selections, there are a few toppings and a choice of soft-serve or regular ice cream. Besides, who can resist the cute lit-
www.photohome.com
tle Astros baseball caps you can get them in? Even the fans of the opposing team can’t help but take them home. To skip all the grossly overpriced, yet sometimes pleasing joy of eating at the park, just come a few hours early to grab whatever’s being handed out that day and then bolt to downtown to eat. Hopefully you’ll find a kindly old ticket scanner that will let you back in. In order to fully partake in America’s classic pastime, come early, eat at 9 Amigos (the best quality food in the stadium) and enjoy the game in your actual seat. The point is to watch our Astros, after all.
a&e
9
The Review
September 2006
TV show board games give fans a chance to compete By VAIL KOHNERTYOUNT Staff Writer For fans of certain television shows, the best way to prove their extensive knowledge of their show of choice is to test themselves against other aficionados. The official trivia games of these popular shows either let participants show off their talents or allow them to be destroyed and humiliated by their opponents. Friends Party Pack Trivia Game It was a frenzied face-off between Meghan Hall (’08) and Elizabeth Rasmussen (’08), both self-proclaimed Friends fanatics. Armed with 12 trivia cards from the official Limited Edition Friends Party Pack, we set to work finding out who was the ultimate Friends trivia champion! The game itself is a stack of small cards, each based on a particular episode, with five ques-
lawprofessors.typepad.com
tions on the front and the answers on the back. Since there were only two players, each player answered two questions from each card, each correct answer earning him or her one point. The fifth question was the “lightning round,” and the point went to the first player to slap their hand on the table and answer the prompt correctly. The game started out evenly. Hall answered all of her questions correctly and Rasmussen was holding her own. Suddenly, the tide turned when Rasmussen was faced with the question, “What was the name of Rachel’s childhood hamster?” Though her answer, Fluffy, was a decent guess, the correct response was Twinkles. The next question, posed to Hall, was “What are the names of the six Friends cast members?” “Oh, that’s easy,” said Hall, and she rattled off the names of all six like they were her own family members. Even though Rasmussen owns the game, Hall managed to beat her soundly by nine points with her intimate knowledge of Joey’s many romances and Chandler and Ross’s high school days. The ferocity with which both girls demonstrated when answering their questions shocked me. The lightning rounds were especially violent; their hands barely had time to recover from the vicious slaps before repeating the process. Overall, the game was simple to play and easy to adapt to however many players wanted to participate. Though the players saw it as an intense competition, the game was entertaining even for the non-Friends-watch-
ing bystanders who crowded around the table to watch. I would highly recommend this game to any group of females (or male Friends fans, if you can find them) looking to have fun at a casual party. Just remember if you win not to gloat too much, lest you replace your actual friends with the ones on television.
faces challenges trying to depict Tituba. “I think the thing with characters that don’t have that many lines is finding out what’s actually your role in the play. You have to think about how to portray your character.” Lauren Lepow (’09) was selected to play Ann Putnam. A wife and mother to eight children, only one of whom survived, Ann is convinced that her children’s death is the work of the devil. After auditioning for The Crucible, Lepow says, “We had cold readings, and I wasn’t very nervous because everyone was there and together. And it was a fun audition.” John Allman (’09) will be playing the part of Thomas Putnam. According to Allman, his character is a “stingy guy who accuses people of being witches so they go to jail so he can buy their land.” On the day Allman auditioned, there were only three other people with him. “We got to read the whole time, so that was cool,” says Allman. Minor problems arise for Allman with portraying a fifty-year-old man. The most difficult aspect is “probably acting like an adult and being really intense, and having braces at the same time, which is really embarrassing.” Selected for the role of Abigail Williams is Lili Wolff (’06). “She is the essence of evil,” said Wolff, “She is so evil.” Abigail, a seventeen-year-old girl, begins the rumors about witchcraft, and in a sense, starts the Salem Witch Trials. Her passion for igniting the
witchcraft frenzy is rooted in her ardent feelings towards a married man, John Proctor. Abigail leads a group of girls into the woods to perform spells, and she casts a spell wanting to kill John’s wife, Elizabeth. When the townspeople find out about Abigail’s witchery, she turns on one of the girls and convinces the town it was the other girl’s doing and that the girl forced Abigail into performing witchcraft. The other girls are too afraid of Abigail’s scheming cruelty to defy her and so they play along, causing the deaths of many innocents as they aid in the “witch-hunt”. Wolff realizes that Abigail’s anger stems from watching the murder of Abigail’s parents when she was just a child. “I think that’s where a lot of her anger comes from,” reasons Wolff, “I think the most difficult thing is to put a reason behind her anger and show that she’s not some random girl who wants everyone dead.” Wolff also admits that she enjoys portraying zealous and complicated characters on stage. “Well I’ve always liked characters that are very passionate and angry,” says Wolff. Despite feeling a bit anxious about doing well at the auditions, Wolff knew that she “wanted a good role so badly, so I tried to stay calm.” Theatre was the main reason she wanted to come to SJS, and so she wanted to get involved in the SJS fine arts program. Wolff says, “I think working on The Crucible’s really go-
Simpsons Jeopardy! The Simpsons’ Jeopardy! game showed a lot of promise from the outside of its colorful box. Borrowed from English teacher David Nathan, a Simpsons devotee who has been known to screen certain episodes during his freshmen classes, the game uses the same setup as the television game show Jeopardy! to test players on their knowledge of The Simpsons. With the help of Max Susman (’10), I assumed the role of Alex Trebek and set up the extremely complicated game, which consisted of what seemed like thousands of little plastic pieces. We attached the cardboard sign to the plastic Jeopardy! board where the questions were displayed, punched out all the cardboard rectangles proclaiming the value of each question, painstakingly put them in each window, distributed the tremendously annoying metal clickers used to signal their response, inserted the answer card behind the Jeopardy! board, passed out $1000 of fake money to each player, and finally began the game. The contestants were Hudson Duncan (’10), Ryan Staine (’08),
www.smh.com.au
and Bret Vollmer (’09). It was a one-sided game from the start. Vollmer immediately took the lead, consecutively answering strings of questions in catego ries like “The Moe the Merrier” and “Don’t Have a Mole, Man.” The final score: Duncan, 1000. Staine, 1200, Vollmer, 9200. To be fair, Duncan had never seen an episode, Staine had seen only a few, and Vollmer said there were “probably about five” episodes that he has not seen. After 25 questions, I started to doubt the sanity of anyone that would include clickers in a game supposed to be enjoyed by many. The constant poppop-popping followed by the shouting of answers drove me crazy. The complex setup process did not help the tone of the game either. After attaching the
cardboard masthead, the game wouldn’t fit back into the box! Even Vollmer, a self-proclaimed avid Simpsons fan, was not quite so enthusiastic about the game. “Most of the questions relied on the fact [that] either you’ve seen a particular episode or not,” he said. “There weren’t many general questions about either the family or Springfield or any of the characters, and the level of difficulty between the questions in the same monetary levels kind of fluctuated.” This game would only suit intense Simpsons fans seeking to have a showdown of minute trivial knowledge. If you have small children in your house, or even immature adults, I would strongly suggest throwing the clickers away as soon as you unwrap the plastic.
CRUCIBLE cont. from p. 1 some students, were held near the end of September. Ms. Sanford comments that there were many talented students who tried out, and the auditions went quite well. “It was very stressful for the students because I had to read them a lot,” Ms. Sanford said, “Everyone who is talented, but they’re still extremely talented, I just ran out of parts to cast.” After auditions, callbacks and more careful choosing, the cast lists went up. “I feel that there is a lot of talent here that fits into the characterization of the people in the play, and they will have a lot to bring to it personally,” says Ms. Sanford. One of the students chosen for The Crucible is Anjali Patel (’07). Patel has been interested in theater since Lower School. Patel will be playing Tituba, a slave from Barbados. Singing songs in her native tongue and performing voodoo, Tituba’s unnaturally secretive character causes the towns’ people to accuse Tituba of being involved in witchcraft. After the townspeople catch her dancing in the woods with other girls from the town, Tituba becomes a catalyst for the witchery accusations. Patel said of her auditions, “I wasn’t really nervous, wasn’t really excited. I went in with an open mind, just for the fun of it.” The part of Tituba requires an accent from Barbados, and although Patel is not sure how to voice the accent, she plans to watch Pirates of the Caribbean 2 to check out the Caribbean accent in the movie. Patel
JENNY LEWIS | The Review
Crucible cast members John Allman (‘09) and Lauren Lepow (‘09)
ing to give me an opportunity to get to know people who share the same interest as me, and also to get to work with Ms. Sanford. I’m really excited about getting to work with her.” Looking at the cast list, Wolff notes that there are a variety of ages and students of different interests who will be acting next to her. Overall, Wolff says, “I think a lot of people are nervous about being in it because it’s such a heavy play, really difficult, but I think Ms. Sanford’s really going to pull it through and it’s going to be a great experience for everybody.”
Ms. Sanford says that she wants the audience to understand how terrible situations get when people begin to spread rumors. She wants the audience to “take home, that even in the small way, that mendacity or lying is harmful and dangerous and can cause death. I just hope a lot of the student body will come to see this play.” Ms. Sanford adds that the audience will “have a theatrical experience they will remember. It’s a memorable play, and it’s extremely powerful.”
10
photo spread The Review
September 2006
unpreceden
Episcopal Knights may have eme but Maverick fans showed unp
Photos by Daniel Perenyi (‘09), Katherine
photo spread The Review
September 2006
nted support
erged victorious in Friday’s nail-biter, paralleled support and enthusiasm.
atherine Kelley (‘08) and Chanel Tran (‘07)
11
12
beyondSJS The Review
September 2006
An identity crisis: Scott Rubin’s first reactions from Kenya Scott Rubin was a teacher at SJS for several years before returing to Kenya this summer with his wife, a native, and their two sons Alex and Albert. Mr. Rubin met his wife in Kenya while working with the Peace Corps, and after getting married and having their first son in Africa, moved back to the US. Their second son was born here in the US. as sort of a Kenyan expert, havBy SCOTT RUBIN ing lived in an upcountry village Nairobi, Kenya for more than two years, but A funny thing happened a few I’m realizing that I only learned weeks before I left the U.S. I was a little bit about the language trying to use a money transfer and culture of one subtribe. service over the phone to send I knew nothing of city life in some cash to my family in Ke- Kenya, and many things now nya. After being asked for the shock me. Karen is a beautiful typical information–my birth- place to be sure. It is situated on day, social security number, the lands that were once Karen mother’s maiden name, current Blixen’s coffee plantation, and address, former address, favorite when I set foot back in Kenya, I color, etc., I was at long last told was struck as always by the red that the service would be un- Earth, the huge sky, the flat solable to transfer my cash because id green trees with giant thorns they couldn’t confirm my iden- peppering the roadside, and by tity. When I asked them exactly the colorful matatus whizzing what aspect of this identity test by on the road. However, this I’d failed, they said they couldn’t part of Kenya has supermarkets tell me because that would make and coffee shops where you can it more easier to eventually com- buy anything you want. It has promise their security measures, microwaves and large clusters and that if I really was who I said of wazungu wandering around they was, I would thank them in to which no one really gives a the long run. second glance. When I was a Peace Corps Volunteer, every That last bit is doubtful. day I met a child who had never seen a mzungu before, but now Still, the episode stuck in my it seems we are just second namind because it brought into fo- ture. My new school doesn’t cus the question of my identity. even teach Kiswahili, and when In my experience, whenever I greet some of my African colpeople make big transitions they leagues in the language, they have the opportunity to trans- initially glare at me as if to say form themselves completely, “Do you think I’m not educated because all the things people enough to speak English with know about you are gone. For you?” and respond to me in example, I’ve known more than English. Obviously I’m not the one secondary school student Kenyan expert I thought I was, who changes himself or herself and with so much of my U.S. entirely when moving to col- identity tied up in having lived lege, perhaps going by a differ- in Kenya and having a Kenyan ent name or radically altering wife and half-Kenyan kids, who his or her appearance. At this am I supposed to be now? moment, I’m engaged in a huge transition–from an American This identity crisis naturally prep school in the U.S. to a Brit- extends to the classroom as well. ish one abroad; from the U.S. Physics, of course, never changto Kenya, from white to black, es, and while the syllabus here is from first world to third world, more rigid than the one I taught and the question I’ve been ask- from at SJS (where I had coming myself isn’t so much how do plete freedom to choose what I want to change, but who do I I thought were the most interwant to be? What parts of my esting and important topics), I identity are really the most im- know the material. Still, those of portant? How can I define my- you who were in my class know self in what amounts to an al- that I started every year with a most entirely new world? If the Luhya quotation and an African money transfer service is wrong, folk tale. Surely I can’t do that I am more than just a bunch of here. What will I tell? Texas folk numbers and dates that I can’t tales? I’m afraid I don’t know prove. Then who am I? any of them (although I’ll try to learn some). I’m left to wonder Secondary school can be a if I’ve been a bit of a fake. vastly transitional period of life as people make new friends and I’ll let you know how class drift apart from old ones, and as goes in the next column. As I they decide what issues are most write, school starts tomorrow important in the future. So, I and I wanted to write the first presume many of you are asking column based on my very first yourselves the same question. impressions, so stay tuned. And just because you start asking when you’re 16, don’t imagMeanwhile, I have found a few ine you’ve answered them by people with whom I can speak the time you’re 36. The impor- Kiswahili. tant thing is to keep asking. One of the great things about I have to confess when I coming to Africa is that I was reached Kenya for this second finally able to see my family time, I was gripped with a kind again – my wife Lenny and my of culture shock that I wasn’t two boys Albert and Alex, who expecting at all. Karen is a sub- you may have seen wandering urb of Nairobi constituted ex- around the Storied Cloisters tensively of Western expats. For from time to time. While walkyears in the U.S., I’d set myself ing with them one morning to
Mr. Rubin’s son Alex and a friend in Kenya. Karen–Alex on my shoulders (‘way up’, as he puts it), and Albert alongside holding my hand, I was greeted by the watchman of a neighbor: “Habari, mzee.” “Mzuri. Habari yako.” “Salama. Unatembea na watoto.” “Ndiyo.” “Nzuri sana.” That means: “How are you, sir?” “Fine, how are you?” “Fine. You are walking with your kids?” “Yes.” “That’s great.” Hmm. Some professional Kenyans may not want to speak Kiswahili with me, but the man on the street–they guy carrying the door on the back of his bike, or the guy walking home with his extra newspapers, or the old mama selling cabbage on the side of the road–they’re all
happy to talk to me in the other local language. And so when I returned home after having some sodas in town with my boys, I greeted our watchman, Mr. Musyoka, in Kiswahili: “Habari za jioni.” “Mzuri sana.” “Jina lako ni Musyoka, s’indiyo?” “Ndiyo.” “Unajua jina langu?” (Long pause) “Wewe unaitwa Baba Alex.” “How’s the evening?” “Great.” “Your name is Musyoka, right?” “Yes.” “Do you know my name?” “You’re called Baba Alex.” Baba Alex. Alex’s dad. Father of these two beautiful boys. Who am I? Maybe it doesn’t matter that
Photo courtesy of Baba Alex
I can’t prove my identity to the people at the money transfer center, and maybe all this identity crisis stuff is just normal first day jitters when starting to teach at a new school. My boys are half African and they love it here–Alex stands on the road telling me the difference between a private matatu and a public one, and Albert can’t wait to start school here. They’ve spent all summer playing with their cousins from here, and any weekend we can take a walk to the Ngong hills or go see the giraffes at the nearby sanctuary, or go see a movie at the cinema. Who am I? What kind of man do I want to be? Baba Alex. Maybe Mr. Musyoka knows. That’ll do for now.
beyondSJS
13
The Review
September 2006
Gosh, Where Are Those Newman Kids Anyway? By EMILY FOXHALL New Orleans, Louisiana
friends with my friends, and we would just have one huge grade!”
A little over one year after Hurrican Katrina forced them to pack their bags and evacuate to Houston, three Isidore Newman students find themselves once again settled in their New Orleans homes. Although the students’ daily lives are gradually returning to normal, they will never forget their experiences following the striking of the storm that devastated their city. “It made me appreciate what I had [in New Orleans]. Not that it was bad, but some things can be taken away from you so fast,” said Allison Whitlock (’08), a student from Isidore Newman who, after evacuating, came to Houston and attended SJS for a semester. “I have never moved in my life, but now I know what that is like; it was a good life experience.” Despite its devastating effects on the city itself, Hurricane Katrina did force evacuees to gain new experiences and new friendships, and though their stay was only a brief four months, it was ample time for the students to build new bonds. “I miss St. John’s!” said Sarah Freiberg (’09), also current Newman student. “I wish your whole school could just come be added to Newman, and y’all could all be
I miss the [SJS] uniform. It was normal, and I feel like my school isn’t yet. -Newman/SJS student Allison Whitlock
But after the SJS mid-year exams, Tyler Sax (’09), Freiberg (’09) and Whitlock (’08), among many others, found themselves once again gathering their belongings, this time to head back home. “Going back to New Orleans was such a weird feeling,” Freiberg said. “The only times I have been away from home was when I went to away-camp during the summer… but coming home after [5 weeks at] camp and coming home after 3 and-ahalf months [in Houston] is very different. I was coming home to an empty city, a destroyed city… Let’s just say it was an interesting Christmas, and a Christmas I will never forget.” Nevertheless, the ruined city still provided a sense of comfort to some. Although Sax was “not quite sure of what to expect from a city that had just been ‘dried off’,” he said he “came home to a lot of time spent with [his] family who had been separated for quite some time.” Despite the familiarity of
their hometown, the appearance was strikingly alien. Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Katrina flooded 80% of New Orleans, and the high winds caused further damage to the city. “The city is completely different since the storm,” said Freiberg. “You can’t drive down St. Charles’ street without [running over] a pothole. The power goes out for the littlest things now, sometimes for no reason at all.” In addition to externally damaging New Orleans, the storm also managed to change even the tone of the city. Famous for its endless entertainment, New Orleans was once a popular tourist destination. Although the city is now on the road to recovery, it still has a way to go until it is once again the
It’s a “different city [and] for those of you who haven’t been here… you will never know the true soul of New Orleans. -Newman/SJS student Sarah Freiberg
home the students were used to. “It’s a “different city,” said Frieberg, “[and] for those of you who haven’t been here… you will never know the true soul of New Orleans.” Despite the many challenges
facing the city in the months to come, the 2006-2007 school year has begun and continued smoothly, unlike last year. Whitlock is glad to return to her New Orleans school. “I just missed the familiarity of Newman,” she said, “[and] obviously, I missed my friends… but it was weird because they let go of a third of our staff and brought in new people. Having not everyone back in my grade [is] weird.” For a one-year commmemoration of Hurricane Katrina and the school they evacuated to, some of the SJS girls wore their uniforms to school. “I miss the [SJS] uniform,” admitted Whitlock. “It was normal, and I feel like my school isn’t yet. At St. John’s… it was the same every day, [but] at Newman something changes everyday; nothing is the same as it was.” Yet, Freiberg has continued playing for the same club soccer team she’s been on for seven years, and Sax is still playing tennis. Not everything has changed. “In the world in which I operate, things are generally the same,” said Sax. “I go to the same school, live in the same house [and] have the same friends.” Even the restaurants are keeping pace with the recovering city. “The food was not amazing right after the storm, but it’s [becoming more] normal as the days go on,” said Freiberg. Having made it through a
Photo courtesy of Hunter Freiberg
Hunter Freiberg is playing football at Newman this year. tumultuous year, these Newman students have taken away unique experiences they will remember for the rest of their lives. And though the destruction caused by the storm was tremendous, New Orleans is slowly kicking back to life. “If we have visitors… it will start getting more fun!” explained Freiberg. “So come visit!”
Staff Writer Abroad Elizabeth Rasmussen (‘08) contributed to this article.
Alumni, students team up over summer at Summerbridge By BRET VOLLMER Houston, Texas Each summer, SJS students and alumni alike help create equal academic opportunities by working as instructors at the Summerbridge program. Established in 1978 in San Francisco, the Summerbridge program provides new learning opportunities to middle school students with limited educational resources. A coordinated effort between SJS, Episcopal High School, and the Houston Independent School District, Summerbridge is tuition-free and offers both year-round courses held on the SJS campus and classes over summer break at Episcopal High School. One of the aspects that makes Summerbridge unique is its emphasis on a positive, caring environment. Every morning, students are greeted by the cheers of their teachers as they enter the school, and teachers and students come to build strong relationships. A major factor of Summerbridge’s distinct learning environment is the teachers themselves. Summerbridge is founded on the concept of “students teaching students,” and many current and former SJS students contribute to the Summerbridge summer program by serving as teachers. Not only does the concept of student-teachers allow for a strong communication between Summerbridge students and their instructors, it also gives high school and college students an opportunity to experience working in education. “The dynamic in the classroom is really great. It’s almost like a good sibling relationship,” says SJS alumnus Chris
Reed (’04). “There is a lot of academic classes in the morn- have kids who call me during leading through example.” ing (English, history, science, the year with algebra quesReed is just one of many SJS and math) and “electives” and tions,” said Reed, “and I’m alalumni and students that were activities in the afternoon,” said ways happy to help them.” part of Summerbridge’s young Hughes. “The students also atCurrent SJS student Danny faculty. Reed has taught math tended health class, current Ball (‘07) agrees that the reclasses at Summerbridge for the events, financial planning, and lationship between Summerpast two summers and has seen college information sessions, bridge instructors and students the benefits of student-educators. depending on their grade level.” is unique. “I think the students Like Reed, many SJS alumni According to the instructors are a lot more open to help beare drawn to Summerbridge be- that worked at Summerbridge, cause they know I’m only a few cause of the teaching experience the “students teaching students” years older than them,” says Ball, it offers. “I heard about Sum- concept is particularly effective “there is more communication.” merbridge through a In addition to friend who had been teaching seventh a part of the program grade math, Ball for several years,” also taught two of said SJS alumna the electives that Laura Hughes (‘03). Summerbridge “It seemed to be a students take in really positive sumaddition to their mer job, and would academic courses. give me a sense “I taught outside of what it would sports,” says Ball, be like to teach. “and I also taught a In addition to class about hip-hop providing insight and the black intelinto what it is like lectual.” Like many to be an educaother instructors at tor, Summerbridge Summerbridge, Ball helps build pergained a new personal responsibilspective of teaching ity and leadership and learned a lot skills. “Although about education. there were people “Teaching is a Photo courtesy of Daniel Andreeff to answer to, who SJS alum Laura Hughs grades papers during a free period. lot tougher than I were “higher up” thought it would on the hierarchy of faculty and when instructing Middle School be,” said Ball, “there was a heavy staff, it was both encouraged students, like those at Summer- work load and long hours. Gradand necessary for each individu- bridge. “They’re beginning to ing papers is just like having al teacher/staff to take responsi- realize that education is an indi- homework.” Ball, who learned bility for his or her experience,” vidual task, and that they have to about Summerbridge through said Hughes, “There was a lot be responsible,” said Reed. “Some the SJS community service proof opportunity for leadership.” people say it’s the most difficult gram, warns that an internship Hughes also recalls that along age to teach, but it also has its at Summerbridge is a major with the leadership skills Sum- benefits. Its really interesting to commitment, but despite the merbridge required, there was watch them become adults and hours of training and work, just as much work. “There was find their place in the world.” it is a rewarding experience. so much we were doing, evMany Summerbridge instruc“Outside [of the classery day, week, for the entire tors continue to keep in touch room] it was a lot of fun, but eight weeks of the program. with their students after the the kids were the best part,” But a typical day consisted of summer session has ended. “I says Ball, “it was great get-
ting to know them and help them understand new things.” According to Reed, his time at Summerbridge led him to further pursue education as a career, “It’s amazing how difficult it is to even teach basic concepts,” said Reed. “You may completely understand something, but to then explain it in a way for someone else to comprehend it is completely different. When you learn something, you learn it whatever way you understand it best, and to teach it, you have to teach it whatever way each student understands it best.” Reed also expresses the importance of not only explaining concepts, but having students discover them for themselves. “You have to put the challenge there for students to fully understand something. If you don’t make it a challenge or make the analogy to something else they know, they won’t fully understand it,” says Reed, “you have to make a connection to everyday life.” Reed and Ball both felt that SJS prepared them for their internship at Summerbridge. “Seeing how my teachers taught me math really helped me then teach those same things to my students,” says Ball. Reed echoes this sentiment; “SJS really prepares you because it teaches you to analyze things and a large part of teaching is being able to analyze the material.” In addition to the satisfaction of teaching Reed and Ball both felt that working at Summerbrige in particular, is a rewarding experience. “The character and work ethic of the other student teachers is amazing and really motivating,” says Reed. “It inspires me each year.”
14
features The Review
September 2006
Ms. Johnson-West’s many experiences led her to teaching By LILIANA VARMAN Gara Johnson-West was not always a World History II and US/Comparative Government AP teacher. Her career path has led her to many places including stops as a worker at a dancewear store when she was in eighth grade and working for an insurance company as a senior in high school. She also enjoyed volunteering at local hospitals as a candy striper. However, Ms. Johnson-West’s real passion was and always has been politics. She first began her political career as a volunteer for the US presidential campaign, when she was a junior in high school, where she mostly wrote letters, organized files, and made copies. In 1992, she was named assistant to the executive director of the presidential campaign in Texas. She worked as a statewide scheduler, a job that she says was, “an amazing experience” because she got to host celebrities who were coming into Texas to help rally support for her candidate. Her campaign work eventually took her to Washington D.C., where she got a job as a fundraiser for a political fundraising firm. In 1994, she returned to Austin to work for the US senate campaign and after getting married to Blake West, an attorney, she opened her own fundraising firm which funded state representatives, senators, and judges throughout Harris County. Although she loved her jobs, Ms. Johnson-West stresses that life on the campaign trail is difficult. She said, “Everyone thinks [working in politics] is going to be so glamorous, but it’s not glamorous…it’s late nights and seven days a week. You get no time off.” She also said she believes that “the grunt-work of politics is for the very young because it’s difficult to have a life [when you are working so much].” Amidst having a busy schedule, Ms. Johnson-West also learned a difficult lesson during her political career. She said she learned that one person cannot make a huge difference. She said, “I went to Washington thinking I was going to change the world, but I realized that [the change is subtler] than that.
You have to work in the ways that are made available to you. Learning that lesson at such a young age was difficult for me.” After ending her career in politics, Ms. Johnson-West followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a teacher. She said that she loves her job because, “The students [here at SJS] are amazing and smart and receptive to learning, and [my colleagues are] people I really respect and admire. They are my dearest friends. [SJS] is teacher heaven. Being able to get up and do what you love every day is pretty awesome. It’s not work, really.” She said that she wishes to teach her students many things in her classes. “[For me], teaching is about infusing passion.” She wants to instill in them a love for history, and an understanding that the past applies to their current lives. Ms. Johnson-West also wants to teach them to write history. She said, “When you write history, it gives you power over it. You’re the historian and you can interpret it through your own voice. When [my] teachers gave me the opportunity to take charge over history, [to use] history to create an argument and be a historian, I fell in love with it. I want my students to get that at a young age.” Her main objective is to make her government students appreciate politics and how much it affects their daily lives. “[Politics] is really critical and [the students] need to be politically involved because if you’re not
The students [here at SJS] are amazing and smart and receptive to learning, and [my colleagues are] people I really respect and admire. They are my dearest friends. -History Teacher Gara JohnsonWest
then you don’t have a voice. It’s [important] that they know that the only way they get that voice is through political participation.” After specializing in 20th century wars and conflicts and women’s history in school, Ms. Johnson-West said that
KATHERINE CARMICHAEL | The Review
Ms. Johnson-West showing off her prized ceramic figurine, Pierre, who is displayed on a shelf in her room. she has grown fond of teaching modern historic events such as 20th century wars and the Communist Revolution in China. Her two favorite women in history are Elizabeth Cady Stanton, for “planting the seed that started the suffrage movement” and Alice Paul, another advocate for women’s rights. Ms. Johnson-West said that her two favorite men in history are Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. “I realize they’re flawed, but I think [Churchill] is such an interesting figure in World War II and I admire him. I [also] admire a lot of the things [FDR] did for the country.” The most important aspect in Ms. Johnson-West’s life is her family, she said, although her career is important to her as well. “My whole life is about trying to balance [my] love for work and [my] love for my
family, and I’m determined to prove that women can balance work and home. It’s hard…but that’s my constant goal because I love both so much.” Ms. Johnson-West, who has been married for ten years, shares a birthday with her twoyear-old daughter, Ella, who is “the light of my life.” She also
My family is my number one priority [because] they are my refuge. They are the calm in my storm. -Ms. Johnson-West
has two dogs-Sammy, an Australian shepherd, and Baxter, a chocolate lab. “My family is my number one priority [because] they are my refuge. They are the calm in my storm. [I am] close
to my parents [and] my in-laws. [We are a] tight-knit group”. Throughout her life, Ms. Johnson-West has learned some lessons she says she wishes to share with her students. She said, “Be honest. Always try to do the right thing. Never follow the crowd, and never make a mistake that you’ll pay for for the rest of your life”. Her favorite motto is “Life is a banquet and most poor [souls] are starving to death,” from the movie Mame. Her mother also used to tell her “Life is not a dress rehearsal” which she finds to be true. “We get [only] one go-around [in life], and you can’t live [it] in anger or regret. You need to take life and really live it to the fullest because it’s so short. Live life doing things that matter and doing things that make you happy, that’s why teaching is so important to me. It makes me happy.”
Coburn school iconoclast By LEEOR MUSHIN Jeff Coburn (’09), who has attended SJS since sixth grade, does not need any introduction. Whether it is organizing dodge ball parties, playing guitar for class projects or involving himself with the student affairs council, Jeff is well-
I must say, I’ve got big plans. -Jeff Coburn (‘09)
Coburn relaxes in a spare classroom during his interview.
DANIEL PERENYI | The Review
known throughout the school. Dodge ball, one of Coburn’s passions, was a huge success in the SJS Upper School as it saw hundreds of students playing against each other in a way that only Coburn could have envisioned.
“The dodge ball party was just so fun and amazing,” Coburn said. “There were nerds, there were jocks, there were normal people and they were all united to have a fabulous time smacking the heck out each other.” “I believe that if you have so many crazy random ideas, one might possibly just work,” Coburn said. “I keep a list of crazy ideas… about 500 random ideas in my room. For example, one of my random ones is a cell phone that is also a back massager.” Many of Coburn’s ideas focus around dodge ball and how to improve this year’s party. “I must say I’ve got big plans,” Coburn said. “I want to have a t-shirt design contest.
See COBURN on p. 15
features
15
The Review
September 2006
Exchange student practices her dramatic talents By MADDIE MCDOWELL Upon first impression, Lili Wolff (’07) has the aura of a star, with a big smile and inquisitive nature. A foreign exchange student at SJS this year and the granddaughter of English and Psychology teacher Carol George, Wolff made the journey from her school in the town of Mougins on the French Riviera for a chance to become a shining stage presence. After living for 11 years in Cornwall, England, Wolf moved to her home of five years in France. As someone who has been a benefactor of the arts since childhood, Wolff was not content with the drama program offered at her school there. To her, theater was under-emphasized, especially with a future in drama on her mind. Seeking the opportunities afforded at SJS, Wolff made the journey from Mougins to stay with her grandparents in Houston. Living with her relatives has given Wolff some sense of grounding in a new city. She said “That’s a whole other experience on top of the school, so that should be interesting.” Wolff’s background in acting stretches back to preschool and has blossomed ever since. She said, “Ever since I was little I did plays, and so I always got a thrill when I’d do it. I would always put on plays and stuff for my parents when I was five and make them sit through the whole thing. I think it’s [something] that I feel really good doing, and it’s just always been that way.” Her acting career was not always all smooth sailing, however. “When I was in elementary school I got stuck with all the really really really crappy roles in the school musical” said Wolff, “but [I] went to this course called Speech and Drama, and so that’s where I really got to do my thing.” Now a senior, Wolff departed
from the French Riviera and a neglected high school theater department for SJS. “Their drama department was crashing [at my school], and I was told that the drama department here [at SJS] was absolutely amazing. I saw pictures of your theater, and so that’s why I came. It held a lot of opportunities that my other school didn’t,” said Wolff. One of the factors dampening Wolff’s progression as an actress was the size of the school she attended. “There were a lot of talented people there,” said Wolff, “But because there were only 450 kids from K[indergarten] through grade13, you couldn’t change it up a lot.” Besides the quality of the SJS theater program, the magnificence of the Virginia Stuller Tatham (VST) Fine Arts Center was another aspect of SJS that inspired Wolff’s trip across the Atlantic Ocean. She said “They had a stage [at my old school], but it’s like a platform, and the hall ... shares with all these primary classrooms. So for me there isn’t enough emphasis on theater.” With her talent as an actress, Wolff has already nabbed the role of Abigail in this year’s production of The Crucible. After her first play practice, she said with a laugh, “We just went through the script and edited it like crazy. We spent two hours sitting at a table cutting out lines. The cast is amazing, we’re going have a really good time, and Ms. Sandford’s great.” Outside of the school play, Wolff is utilizing the courses available to her, taking Theater II, French Seminar, Spanish III, and English, as well as shaping her own Independent Study Project, which will help jumpstart the career she hopes to have as an actress and director. “I’m doing an ISP in theater production,” she said, “So I’m going to do a show and then act in it, direct it, produce it. ... I’m really looking forward to it.”
Lili Wolff strikes a dramatic pose, much as she will do in SJS plays. The only thing dampening Wolff’s enthusiasm and appreciation for all the opportunities afforded her was the slight apprehension of arriving at a new school. “The first two days were rocky, but after that it’s been pretty smooth,” she said. Wolff revealed that her worries sprung from the fact that “It’s hard because it’s up and down, especially when you don’t have a base of immediate family,” she said, “You have
to be really independent, and that can wear you out, but it’s a really welcoming school.” Finding this slight setback in the switch, however, Wolff has not let it hinder her aspirations for this year. “It’s just hard to get used to,” she said, “I keep wondering why I chose to take the difficult way. It’s hard to uproot yourself and then try and get settled fast so you can really make the most of it. But, just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s bad. ...I’m glad I did it.”
COBURN cont’d from p. 14 I want to make it an event. I want have a spirit contest. I want to have dodge ball art or dodge ball poetry, and with the art we can put it on display in the VST. Some of the ideas might not work, but these are just some of the crazy ideas I have for this year.” Dodge ball is not something you can just go out play like dribbling a basketball or kicking a soccer ball. If you want to play dodge ball, you have to really expend some effort. You have to have dedication. “Sometimes I go to the Next Level Gym to play [dodge ball],” Coburn said. “The dodge ball
I love to be the center of attention. -Coburn
there is a lot different because it’s in a tiny little room, and when you get hit, you get hurt. I like getting smacked and smacking other people, but for the dodge ball party, I know I would rather have people get hit by softer balls.” Coburn carries some of his aggression he utilizes in dodge ball when he is out enjoying one of his other loves, football. “I like to be an animal on the field just in the same way I like to be an animal in real life,” Coburn said. “In the spring I might lax it all up. The nickname I got in eighth grade basketball was ‘Mad Dog,’ and that’s the way I play.” Another one of Jeff’s passions is music, a talent that he has exhibited numerous times here at the school. “I love to be the center of attention,” Coburn said. “When people are staring at me I feel on top of the world. I am hop-
JENNIFER DENFIELD | The Review
With a month of school behind her, the senior seems ready to tackle any challenges that she might face and has nothing but high hopes for the events of this coming year. “It’s a very welcoming school,” she said with a smile. “Very accommodating, and I’m really excited for the theater.”
ing to make a mixture of Jewish reggae, rap, rock and random sounds like Stomp. I don’t want to regular, I want to be unique.” One Coburn’s most memorable moments was his SAC speech in the spring of last year. Even though Coburn was not elected on to SAC this time around, it was definitely something that people will remember. “It just came to me like Thomas Edison, Ben Franklin or that Japanese guy who invented Mario,” Coburn said. “I just got to rap. The flow was like a surge of electricity flowing through every millimeter of my body. It was so exhilarating. I mean, the night before I was pretty nervous, but when I got up there, it was like I was on top of Mount Everest with my hands held high.” Despite his best effort to convince his peers to reelect him, there was a somewhat disappointing result. “I was disappointed, but at least I was on SAC in the first place,” Coburn said. “That was pretty fun. There’s a whole lot of people who wanted be on SAC in the first place. Even though I didn’t win, at least I established my street cred… my credibility as a rapper which is very important [to me].” I don’t know if I want to be a rapper, but at least I got the cred just in case. I like being a multitalented person.” As for where Jeff sees for himself in the future, his answer comes as no shock from an unique individual like himself. “I have no idea what I want to be,” Coburn said. “I can be anything from a politician to a rapper to a fast food salesman. Whatever makes me happy.”
16
features The Review
September 2006
Turk serves Columbian community By ANJALI SALVADOR An average member of the SJS community might feel slightly startled upon seeing a pregnant thirteen-year-old girl sweeping out a courtyard just a day before her due date. However, physics teacher Erol Turk and his wife quickly grew relatively used to similar sights during the ten days they spent last summer in Colombia volunteering at an orphanage and traveling around the country. The Casa Maternal Rosa Virginia, located just outside of Bogota, is an orphanage run by nuns where local girls aged eleven through eighteen go to give birth. While the girls earn their keep during their stays by doing chores or learning trades, they also receive some education. Not all of the children are given up for adoption; some are kept by the families or by the mothers themselves. “It’s a chance to start over– they get education, they get training,” said Mr. Turk. “It’s a very structured environment, but they’re all very happy.” Mr. Turk and his wife chose the Casa Maternal Rosa Virginia for multiple reasons. They are in the process of adopting two Colombian children and wanted some firsthand knowledge of the country and culture; however, they needed a location that would not create a conflict with their adoption plans. They obtained a Jamail grant from SJS and contacted a government organization called the Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (Colombian Institute for Family Welfare) to find a suitable place. “We contacted them and let them know that we were interested in doing [service], and they set us up with what they felt was the neediest place,” said Mr. Turk. He and his wife donated a seventy-two meter roll of dia-
Erol Turk posing next to one of the Columbian babies who benifited from his charitable giving. per cloth, clothing, basic food items and other necessary materials worth roughly $1000. Mindful of Bogota’s cool climate, they also donated eighteen hand-knitted blankets, made by the SJS Knitting Club, coworkers and friends. They
It’s a chance to start over–they get education, they get training. -Physics Teacher Erol Turk
have also made arrangements to continue sending gift donations and blankets made by the Knitting Club to the orphanage as opportunity and need dictate. While the orphanage’s children are extremely well taken care of, an organization can only do so much when relying on extremely limited resources. The donations filled a pressing need, and, according to Mr. Turk, the recipients were very
grateful. “They know there are no strings attached,” Mr. Turk said. “... We’re just doing it because we think it’s a good thing, it’s going to be a helpful thing.” His experiences at the orphanage also gave Mr. Turk a new perspective on the children he and his wife hope to adopt. “These are not nameless, faceless kids, you know, just far off someplace,” he said. “These are kids that come from some background–you know, they’re growing up within a culture. And it’s really important for us to learn about that culture and to help preserve it with them, to make sure that they’re not just Americanized....That it’s not just, ‘hey, you’re here now, you have to act this way.’ That they still embrace and feel proud of their heritage.” Although warnings from friends and the media initially had Mr. Turk wary about visiting the country, he was quickly reassured. “I was very on edge,
... and then after about a day or two I said to myself, you know what, you get hassled more in Cancun,” he said. In fact, when people express concerns about Colombia’s political and social climate, he frequently states that he “would take [his] parents there on vacation.” In addition to their time in Bogota, Mr. Turk and his wife also spent a few days each in the small colonial town of Villa de Leyva and the coastal city of Cartagena. Having a great deal of travel experience, the culture shock he experienced was minimal, and his impressions of the Colombian people and their country were overwhelmingly positive. “The Colombian people are wonderful,” he said. “Without exception, we had a really, really good time and a great experience.” He particularly enjoyed the atmosphere of good-natured tolerance. “What really made
Turk with the many blankets which were given to Columbian children after being knitted by the SJS Knitting Club.
Photo Courtesy of Erol Turk
Cartagena stand out in my mind was the fact that 70-plus percent of the population is mixed, and it’s really nice to see everybody just interacting as people without having any racial bias or baggage. Just people saying, ‘You know what, this is my life and I’m doing this,’” he said. The Colombians’ open-minded attitude also extends to foreigners, as Mr. Turk’s experiences demonstrated. “One nice thing is that the Colombians didn’t judge us because we’re Americans,” he said. “They didn’t confuse the people with the politics.” The worst part of his trip, he said, was having to depart so soon. “Colombians are just really, really good people, and the country is really beautiful,” Mr. Turk said. “It’s worth seeing. You just have to use common sense, like anywhere on the planet. And you almost can’t find better coffee in the world.”
Photo Courtesy of Erol Turk
17
opinions The Review
Editorials SAC’s initial efforts quite impressive In previous years, the Student Affairs Council has generally been moderately effective at best, frequently taking months to deliberate and ultimately accomplishing relatively little despite their best intentions. Although Councils in previous years could point to a few accomplishments, particularly the re-introduction of Field Day, it wasn’t uncommon to hear, “What does SAC actually do?” from frustrated students. But there should be little doubt this year that SAC accomplishes anything significant. The SAC prefects always have the biggest voice in suggesting school-wide changes and few groups of prefects in recent memory have been as energetic or effective as the current group. Before the school year even started, the prefects were hard at work updating the student handbook and clarifying honor code guidelines and disciplinary procedures. They also played a muchlauded role in successfully negotiating an increase in the number of sports dress out days from the paltry number set at the beginning of the year. Perhaps their most
widely appreciated effort has been their revision to the SAC party. The SAC party, which Junior Class President Sarah Jewett (’08) described as, “always... really fun, but kind of lame,” is being replaced with a Homecoming dance. Instead of merely “spicing up” the unpopular event, the prefects took the initiate to plan an entirely new, and much larger, event. Within the first quarter-semester of school, SAC has already accomplished more than most previous Councils did in previous years, a testament to both their energy and to the Administration’s commitment to work with the Council. The extraordinary group of prefects this year both promise substantial and welcome changes and deliver on their promises, a rare combination. The Review would like to recognize Head Prefect Laura Franklin (‘07) and Prefects Jordan Thomas (‘07), David Sklar (‘07), Steven Dickerson (‘07), Ryan Jewett (‘07) Claire Smith (‘07) and all of the representatives for their fantastic efforts. The school eagerly waits to see what they do next.
I must admit that I don’t make to most of the football games. Oftentimes, we’re playing teams many student have never heard of at schools miles and miles away from Skip Lee Field. The excitement, energy, and spirit of Friday night’s home game against Episcopal, however, changed my opinion of Maverick Football. From the start, this game was a big deal. For over a year, there’s been a group on social networking website facebook.com dedicated to the competition. The game was the subject of many conversations throughout the spring, summer, and into the start of this fall season. On a week ago, the Upper School campus was blanketed in promotional fliers for the game. Among my favorites were the signs that read something along the lines of: Come to the game or David Sklar (’07) will eat you; Even if you don’t like football, come watch Ryan Jew
September 2006
The Review
The Official Student Newspaper of St. John’s School 2006-2007 Editor-in-Chief: Justin Stein (‘07) Managing Editor: Morgan Childs (‘07) Business Manager: Andrew Yeh (‘07) News Editor Chanel Tran (‘07)
Features Editor Ryan Staine (‘08)
Opinions Editor Peter Ha (‘07)
beyondSJS Editor Daniel Andreeff (‘07)
Sports Editor Arts&Entertainment Editor Meghan Hall (‘08) Gabriella Wise (‘07) Scrivener Leeor Mushin (‘09)
Photo Editor Katherine Kelley (‘08)
Staff Writers Luisa Barron (’09), Courtney Carvill (’07), Hudson Duncan (’10), Emily Foxhall (’09), Margaret Greenberg (’08), Vail Kohnert-Yount (’09), Jade Law (’09), Maddie McDowell (’09), Danielle Pike (’08), Elizabeth Rasmussen (’08), Anjali Salvador (’07), Tiffany Shyu (’09), Anoushka Sinha (‘09), Jeremy Slawin (’07), Max Susman (’10), Ashley Tam (’09), Jordan Thomas (’07), Rebecca Welbourn (’09), Liliana Varman (’10), Bret Vollmer (’09) Circulation Manager Johana Dickerson (‘07) Advertising Manager Cathleen Chang (‘07) Online Editor Austin O’Connor (‘08) Web & Graphics Staff Max Susman (‘10) Evan Winograd (‘08)
Photography Staff Business Staff Katherine Carmichael (’09), Allison Adkins (’09), Ryan Cordill (’09) Jennifer Denfield (’07), Geoffrey Dunn (’09), Cameron Harati Jennifer Lewis (’10), (’07), Sage Klement (’09), Caroline Parks Daniel Perenyi (’09) (’09), Balpreet Purewal (’09), Matthew Illustrator Ziemnicki (’07) Kat Oshman (‘09) Advisors Kyle Parrish (‘01) Rachel Weissenstein
Headmaster John Allman
As the student newspaper of St. John’s School, The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions (signed) and staff editorials (unsigned) contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Headmaster of Board of Trustees of St. John’s School. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the paper. Letters to the editor and guest columns are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and good taste. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received. Either the email letters and guest columns to review@sjs.org; give them to Justin Stein, Morgan Childs, Peter Ha, Kyle Parrish, or Rachel Weissenstein in the office of The Review (Q-210); or mail to Editor-in-Chief, The Review, St. John’s School, 2401 Claremont Lane, Houston, TX 77019.
ett (’07); Chris who? Come watch Timmy Root (’08) make a name for himself; Sit back, relax, and watch the game with Pistol Pete Flour (’07); and Come watch Derry Herlihy (’07) dance in Episcopal’s backfield. I guess part of what made arriving on campus on Friday night so exciting was the shear number of fans at the field for both sides. The stands were packed with Episcopal fans in their “Got Blue?” shirts and across the field, Mavericks fans were a sea of red and black. Mavs fans had their pots and pans, were painted up, and were louder and more spirited than ever. The game itself was fantastic. Although we fell behind quickly in the first quarter, we were only down by a touchdown at the half. We tied it up at 14 in the third, and had numerous chances to take the lead before regulation ended and we went into overtime. The Mavs had one last chance to
score in overtime after the Knights put another touchdown on the board, but couldn’t get a first down. The defeat hurts, but for all that the Mavericks lost in fumbles and interceptions, they made up for in effort and heart. The guys played a fantastic game, and stuck with it to the end. The fans were unbelievable, and really created that Friday night football atmosphere that we so often lack at SJS. The Review this month has a photo spread dedicated to the student body’s support of the Mavericks. It won’t take you long to understand just how great the community was in supporting the team on Friday. And, although the football game has certainly been the center of attention recently, there are lots of other stories we’ve covered this month. In News, you’ll find a variety of stories about everything from new disciplinary policies to what the Student Affairs Council has been up to. Sports covers not only the EHS football game, but also takes a look at the NFL and college football seasons which kicked off recently. Arts&Entertainment takes a loot at both the new SJS Tap Dance club, along with a review of ballpark food at the Astros’ Minute Maid Park. On the facing page in Opinions, you can read about two staffers’ take on the new college counseling plan SJS has in place, and in Features, you can read about several interesting people on campus, both old and new. Finally, don’t miss our new section this year, beyondSJS. The section is part of our plan to expand coverage in the years to come, and we’re starting that this month. The section catches up with Scott Rubin, a beloved SJS physics teacher who is now living in Kenya; it also takes a look at SJS students involved in the
Summerbridge program and talks with students who joined our community at this time last year after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. There are many more fantastic stories in the works for this section for the rest of the year, so don’t miss it! We’re getting in to the heart of the fall semester here on campus, and there’s obviously a lot going on. We oftentimes get caught up in the daily routine of life at SJS, but its fantastic that we have opportunities to take a step back from school to unite and cheer on our team, like we had on Friday night. The scoreboard says we didn’t win, but the game will remain memorable for countless other reasons. Go Mavericks—we’ll get ‘em next time!
Editor-in-Chief, The Review review@sjs.org
Corrections: August 2006 In our Arts&Entertainment section last month, we misidentified the staff writers who wrote two of our articles. The Johnnycake article was written by Rebecca Welbourn, and the dance article was written by Tiffany Shyu. In our “Meet the Editors” feature, section editor Ryan Staine was listed as a member of the class of 2007, when he is actually a member of the class of 2008. We regret the errors.
opinions
18
The Review
September 2006
Point/Counterpoint
New college counseling plan: an improvement? Yes, it prepares students By DANIELLE PIKE Staff Writer
In the recently released movie, Accepted, a high school senior is rejected from every college he applies to, so he makes up his own college. Now if this senior had gone to SJS he would have at least been accepted to one of the colleges he applied to due to the expertise of the college counseling staff. Recently, Upper School parents were informed that the college counseling process would start in the fall of freshman year. Not only will increasing the program to four years help the parents along this process, but it will aid students in getting into their college of choice. As the application process for college becomes more competitive, the counseling that is involved needs to be more intense. Although this new plan is more to keep parents informed, it is also designed to get students started on their college quest earlier in their high school careers. I believe that by starting the individual college counseling meetings by the spring of sophomore year, students can have more time visiting colleges and have a greater variety of colleges to choose from. This summer, I was in the northeast visiting relatives so I decided to take tours of some local universities. At every college I visited, there were probably only one or two other rising juniors in attendance at the tours. Most of the students in attendance were entering their senior year and had a pretty good idea as to what they wanted to study and where they were applying. Because there were only a few juniors at these tours, it shows that most schools around the nation start the college process junior year. However because SJS is starting college counseling sophomore year, us students should be a step ahead of the rest of the nation. I wish that I had started my individual visits with my college counselor my sophomore year, so that I would have known what to look for in the colleges that I visited. The seniors at the tours seemed to know more about the college process and asked detailed questions. The only questions I could think of were, “Are there washers and dryers in each dorm?” and “How good is the food?”. I did not even know if the colleges I visited were appropriate for my academic accomplishments. However, I am glad that I visited colleges this summer so
that by the time I meet with my college counselor in the spring I will have an idea as to what I want in a college. By starting college counseling sophomore year, students are given more time to visit colleges that are right for them. If I had not visited colleges this summer, then I would only have Spring Break of my junior year, the summer of my senior year, and a few weekend visits to look at all the colleges that are appropriate for my achievements. However, now students will be given more time to visit colleges because by the end of sophomore year they will know what colleges to look at. I know that my parents are as nervous as I am about taking the SAT’s and applying to colleges. So by starting the process earlier, many questions that parents have can be answered sooner and hopefully ease some of their anxiety. The college application is nerveraking enough; I do not need my parents asking me questions about college every other day. The college counselors have now created a handbook that will hopefully answer all my parents’ questions without them having to go to me for the answer. Also, by being in contact with a college counselor earlier, students will have more guidance in what courses to take. There are so many Advanced Placement courses and Honors courses at SJS that by taking them all students can burn out easily. However, with the guidance of a counselor students can learn what classes they should take without getting burned out. Many students at SJS are stressed and overloaded, so maybe with more guidance early on in their high school careers, students can have a less stressful high school experience. Although, creating your own college may sound like a great idea, getting into college is probably a lot easier with the help of the SJS college counselors. So although, many sophomores may not think they are prepared to begin their college journeys so soon, they will thank the college counselors for starting the counseling process earlier when they get into the college of their choice.
No, it is unneccessary stress By TIFFANY SHYU Staff Writer As much as preparing early for the future is a good idea, sometimes preparing and thinking about something much too early can only prove to be overwhelming. In ninth grade, many students do not have an idea about where they want to go or what they want to do when they are older, so having college counseling so early in time may only give them the stress of having to plan out their futures when it is only their first year of high school. For some, even sophomore year is too early and not a good time for college counseling. Even some juniors I have talked to do not yet know what they want to do in the future or where they want to go to college – and we are expected to know our first year of high school? Many students have not given a thought about what the future brings because in the first two years of high school, students are more interested in finding out where they fit in and trying to get in the mainstream of things. Of course, many also just want to have fun the first two years of high school before the hard work comes junior year. The college counseling plan should be at the beginning of junior year. Many students will really start to think about colleges and what they want to do for the future the summer after sophomore year, and having college counseling at the beginning of junior year will help the students reinforce those thoughts. It is not a good idea to start college counseling so early when the students do not even have thoughts about the future that they can work at. Another downside to starting college counseling freshmen year is that even though college counseling freshmen year may better prepare the students for the future, no one will be writing or probably even be thinking about writing their es-
says for college applications in ninth grade. Even if they were to start thinking about these things, not having a topic to think about would not do much good either. Many students do not even know what they want to do or where they want to go to college when they are only in ninth grade, let alone know what they want to write for their college application essays. Many do not know any of this until they are in junior year, and they cannot decide for sure where they want to go for college until they see how they do through junior year. Therefore, how would a four-year college counseling plan benefit anyone if they do not even know what they want to do in the future yet? Having a fouryear college counseling plan will only unnecessarily take up the time students could be using to achieve other things. Another thing that would prove to be a downside to starting college counseling
Students often cannot decide for sure where they want to go for college until they see how they do through junior year freshmen year is that the transition from middle school to high school is a big one, and adjusting to high school is already a big change, but having to deal with college on top of that will just stress the new high school students out further. As we all know, upper school is different from middle school in many ways. The homework load increases, the learning material gets more challenging, and there are many more papers and projects. Also, in upper school, sports are a big commitment, with many practices taking place after school. There are many more opportunities for clubs, and ninth grade students will want to join many of them. Many of these clubs ask for commitment, and some of these clubs even involve work outside of school. There are also extracurricular activities to consider. Many of us are busy outside of school, too, and a large percentile of the students start drivers education in ninth grade, and that will take up even more time. Take all of that and couple it with college counseling – how will any of the freshmen have time to finish everything they have to do? And not just the freshmen – the sophomores and the upperclassmen are just about as busy as anyone else – in fact, they may be even busier, but they have already adjusted to the stream of high school, so they know what to expect. Starting college counseling the first year of high school is not the best idea because taking into consideration how much the students have going on in their lives, having college counseling so early in the high school career will cause more stress than anyone needs.
Class gift disappears: Where’s the Quad semicircle? By JORDAN THOMAS
Staff Writer The removal of the semi-circle patio in the Quad has, for the most part, gone unnoticed by many in our school. I admit, I didn’t even notice its disappearance until it was pointed out to me. What did happen? What happened to the patio that was a hangout for countless numbers of seniors on nice afternoons? What happened to the patio that was once stage to scores
of graduation ceremonies? What happened to the patio? Headmaster John Allman said, “[The patio] needed to be removed to install new drainage for the building and also to improve the drainage in the Quadrangle.” It is reasonable to remove the patio to fix a serious problem. The only problem is, this particular patio was a class gift, donated by the senior class of 1987. Is it right to simply do away with a class gift? For years it has been tradition for graduating classes to leave behind a gift, a sort of visual legacy, to the school. Scoreboards, benches, an amphitheatre and
entire rooms have been donated to the school. This practice is not singular to the upper school; before middle-schoolers cross the street, they too must leave behind some endowment. Time, thought and money go into the selection of these donations. So how can the school justify demolishing a gift a graduating senior class left behind? “After much discussion, the North Campus Construction Committee decided not to reinstall the patio, because the cost of reinstalling it was high, while the aesthetic and practical benefits of having it were not considered high” said Mr.
Allman. He also added that students “routinely took benches from the patio and put them on the grass” implying that seniors did not prefer the patio anyway. Even if the patio was no longer considered useful, the school should not have so easily forgotten the efforts the class of ‘87 made to donate the gift in the first place. It’s true, some did prefer sitting in the grassy Quad instead of on the patio, and yes, there were those who did not even notice its disappearance; but the idea of a class gift being done away with is offensive to the people who gave it. I understand that the decision to
remove the patio was not made lightly. I trust that the committee put careful consideration into the matter. However, I worry that other gifts may disappear. It is unsettling to think that donations costing many much of their time and money could so easily be disregarded. The rationale behind removing the patio is practical, but the execution of the act can be considered insensitive. Perhaps this year’s class gift, the legacy the senior class of 2007 decides to leave behind, should come with a receipt.
odds&ends Thumbs Thumbs up down Senior tea Homecoming Spirit of the Episcopal game
Word for Word
Episcopal defeat Skirt measuring PSATs loom on junior horizon
Photo of the Issue
“You don’t win the affection of the people you rule by killing their babies. Remember that, George.” - History teacher Wendall Zartman to George Alcorn (‘09) “I’m from New York - most of what I say will be sarcastic.” “Was that sarcastic?” “No, that’s reality.” - History teacher Richard Doina and Clayton Philips (‘08) “And to make it worse, I went to all-boys schools. I have no social skills.” - Math teacher Dr. Doug Sharp “On the tests and on the AP...everyone knows how to BS, right?” - Latin teacher Tony Sirignano “If you took this formula and put it together with this formula, their illigitimate love child would look like this...” - Physics teacher Erol Turk
Staffer of the Issue Hudson Duncan (‘10), new to SJS this year received a challenging assignment for the Sports section and handled it extremely well. The article required him to contact several coaches from regional schools and Hudson do large amounts of reDuncan (‘10) search. See Hudson’s article on page 5. The editors appreciate his hard work and look forward to working with him in the future.
Photographer Daniel Perenyi (‘09) and Staff Writer and Graphics Artist Max Susman (‘10) enjoy eighth period in the Review publications office. Photo by Katherine Kelley (‘08).