The
Gryphon Gazette
October 2014
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The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School
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Volume XIII, Issue II
Administration shakes things up with new half-day schedule Miriam Brown ’17
T
Katie Boyle ’17
Students strategize while playing Risk on the half-day before Fall Break. On the halfday, students participated in two sessions of classes based on their interests.
his year, instead of attending a shortened class schedule on half-days, students attended an elective of their choice offered by a faculty member. “[Last year] the community consensus was that going to every single period for a really short period of time didn’t lead to any kind of learning,” said Mr. Will Bladt, the associate head of school. “The people whose parents decided to leave early for break left early for break, and everyone else was here going through the motions.” In response, St. George’s
has decided to give students a completely different experience on half-days. According to Ms. Kayla Irvin, the assistant dean of students, there are about 40 offerings for students to enroll in, ranging from cooking to gaming to art classes. Through these exploratory classes, students are getting the opportunity to see a completely different side of teachers that they do not ordinarily see. Cont. on Page 2
Middle school carpool pushes for safety and efficiency Heather Stevenson ’16
During
dismissal, middle school carpool students are no longer allowed to cross over into the parking lot to their parents and cars are now filed into a double line for pick-up. The middle school administration is hoping to establish safety and efficiency to the carpool line with these decisions. Middle School Director Genevieve Hoppe said that long lines, extensive waits, and unsupervised
children were major problems in previous years, which prompted these decisions to be made. “In the afternoon for dismissal, the issue we were facing was that either the carpool line would be really, really, long or we would have a lot of kids that were crossing over the crosswalk and into the parking lot,” said Mrs. Hoppe, “and when you have parents that are Cont. on Page 3
Parents in the middle school carpool wait for dismissal in the new double line. Student safety and efficiency have been the main focus for the new changes.
Heather Stevenson ’16
Top Stories News
Features
• Mr. Luther Mercer an- • True BPI story renounces departure
vealed
Sports
Entertainment
• Fall sports’ team cap-
• Avett Brothers perform
tains reflect
at Snowden
Opinion • Don’t shoot!
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The Gryphon Gazette
NYU visits St. George’s for the first time
Grant Webb ’16
College flyers line a hallway for all students to see. Students met with the NYU representative to understand more about the school.
Grant Webb ’16
The
morning of October 2nd Philip Hughes came to St. George’s Collierville campus to represent New York University. Philip Hughes began with a brief introduction to the school. This lead into an explanation of its abroad campuses in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. and Shanghai, China. The group was told that these campuses were in very Westernized areas. This minimizes culture shock, but it allows the students to experience a large range of diversity. His session covered general information on the school. This ranged from their population of 20,000 undergraduate students to their 400 clubs. Mr. Hughes said that “there is an 18 to 1 student teacher ratio”. The classes are typically smaller so the students could get to know their professors. The massive number of clubs allows people to form friendships around common interests. He later spoke on how the students are encouraged to form a relationship with the city. He told the group that “students don’t feel like this is our university and that is New York
City,” but rather that the university and the city are the same. NYU also encourages students to explore around by offering them a card similar to the one issued to students in the past years. This card is recognized by local businesses who will offer discounts to NYU students. Students would be encouraged to be a part of the city and explore around the city and to venture away from the campus. NYU’s first visit went over well with the students. Senior Nathan Weinreich said that “NYU’s visit was helpful because it answered many of my questions.” It is leading St George’s into a year of many more visits. College Guidance has been busy setting up college meetings and arranging for students to be exposed to different kinds of schools. “We are very excited about the number of options available to students.” said Mr. Gibson. “We’re on track to surpass last year’s visits,” said Ms. Beverly Brooks, associate director of College Guidance. It is only October and the school has already hosted more than 60 percent of last year’s visits.
Administration shakes things up with new halfday schedule Continued from page 1 Eighth-grade English teacher Ms. Leanne Ricketson offered a Scrabble class. “I want to expose more students to how fun Scrabble can be, even though it has kind of a boring reputation,” said Ms. Ricketson. Mr. Pat McGraw, middle school language arts teacher, offered a gaming class. “I figure everybody in my class should be bored, so we’re doing board games,” said Mr. McGraw jokingly. “I want to make enough money in Monopoly so I can retire.” Mr. Kyle Slatery and Ms. Beverly Brooks, however, are going a drastically different direction with their class - a tour of the sites and tastes of Memphis. “I think being a suburban campus, I am most excited about getting to parts of Memphis that I think a lot
Corrections and retractions
Mission Statement The Gryphon Gazette is dedicated to serving as an authentic voice for the students of St. George’s Independent School. We at the Gryphon Gazette strive to be an open forum for student expression, to act in the best interests of the student body and to embody the principles of journalistic excellence.
In our September edition in the “TTYL: teacher-student texting banned” article, it was published that Mrs. Bladt worked at a school when she actually attended said school. To clarify, the teacher at that school was fired from another school at which he had recently been hired. The photo displaying the iPads at the front desk photographs students checking in or out rather than all visitors and students to the school. Changes at St. George’s include this new checkout procedure to ensure student accountability.
Newspaper Staff Layout EditorsCaroline Cannon Features Editor Katie Boyle & Kai Taylor
Co-Editors-in-Chief Lexie Marotta & Taylor Owens
Advisor
Dr. Margaret Robertson
Copy Editors
Tatum Nix
Juliana Wall
Sports Editors Juliana Wall
News Editor
Nathan Weinreich
Entertainment Editor
Opinion Editor
Anna Marie Beard, Heather Stevenson, & Annie Vento
Photo Editor
of students don’t really get to see and encounter,” said Mr. Slatery. Students attended their chosen classes for the first time on Oct. 7, the Wednesday before Fall Break. Students and teachers expressed excitement about what the rest of the half-days hold. “I enjoyed both of my sessions because they were not only fun, but we also received more freedom than we normally do,” said sophomore Sydney Brown. Ms. Genevieve Hoppe, the Middle School Director, said, “I’m hoping it increases people’s participation, but I think there will be some people who, because of flight prices, or distance traveled, or whatever it might be, end up leaving early anyway. However, I’m hoping it’s so powerful that kids want to be here.”
Miriam Brown & Annie Vento
Courtney Harshbarger
Staff Writers Zach Obaji, Grant Webb, & Emily Persons
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News
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Middle school carpool pushes for safety and efficiency Continued from page 1 coming and going and then student drivers, it was causing a safety issue.” Parents and students have responded to this in various ways, a majority alluding to the overall improvement of safety. Amy Griffen, parent of a sixthgrader and a ninth-grader, responded to the change and said, “it’s probably a good idea for safety. “I think it’s keeping kids stay safe,” said sixth-grader Ummu Bah. “It makes things flow much easier.”
The middle school also went through with the decision to make a double carpool line to make sure dismissal moves quickly. “We are getting the carpool through very quickly,” said Mrs. Hoppe, “the longest wait we’ve ever had, from when the bell rang to when the last car came through, was 18 minutes and that’s 300 kids in 18 minutes.” As the school year progresses, communication between parents and students will have to become a priority for the middle school.
Mr. Luther Mercer announces departure
Mr. Mercer is taking his Citizenship class down Wall Street. This was his final New York trip that he led with St. George’s.
Anna Marie Beard ’15
Anna Marie Beard ’15
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r. Luther Mercer, director of the Institute for Citizenship, announced on October 14th that he would be leaving St. George’s. Mr. Mercer was originally hired seven years ago as a World History teacher. Three years later, he founded and assumed directorship of the Institute for Citizenship. The Institute is a two-year program consisting of junior and senior students that fosters awareness and activism through classes, guest speakers, and field trips. The reason behind Mr. Mercer’s
departure was an opportunity to become the Managing Director of the organization New Leaders for New Schools, Memphis division. He said that he “will be working… with other organizations in the city to try to reform educational processes in Memphis”. The offer came very suddenly, which was why he had to leave so abruptly. Mr. Mercer regrets that he had to leave in the middle of the year, and wishes that he had the opportunity to finish out the year at St. George’s. “The hardest thing [about] leav-
ing the school was to leave [the students],” said Mr. Mercer. However, he said that he felt that this job would provide him with better opportunities to grow and to impact a broader community. Students have expressed concern about how Mr. Mercer’s departure would affect the school. “I think the school is losing a lot by losing Mr. Mercer,” said senior Hallie Gillam, “I feel like a lot of the originality in the school comes from Mr. Mercer and from his experiences in the Citizenship Institute, and I don’t
think it will be the same even if we get someone new in that position.” Currently, the position of Citizenship teacher is being filled by Mr. Mark Chicoskie, and administration is actively looking for another candidate to fill the role. Mr. Mercer has asked the Challenge 20/20 team to keep in touch, but beyond that the club is without an adult sponsor. “It’s disappointing and sad that he’s leaving,” said junior Courtney Miller, “but if he’s doing something better, I’m happy for him.”
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Features
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Students wore black to display their participation in BPI. St. George’s did not condone this divisive behavior when it occurred several years ago.
Juliana Wall ’15
BPI sorority strives to emerge from the shadows New leadership promises to restore reputation Lexie Marotta ’15 Taylor Owens ’15
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ach year, a message goes out to the sophomore girls asking if they would like to participate in an organization. This group is not endorsed by the school and has had a questionable reputation in the past and has been existing underground for the majority of its existence. BPI is the high school sorority that is comprised of tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade girls at St. George’s. The real purpose and mission of the sorority has been confusing to those who are not a part of it, and even those who are, while others do not even know about its existence. There are several different sororities at other high schools in the Memphis area, whether they have a prominent presence or are completely underground. The BPI sorority at St. George’s has existed from the early years of the school. In the past, the sorority has had a rocky status and many rumors surround it, but new leadership this year plans to bring big changes to improve the association, as a whole. The BPI sorority at St. George’s, made up of tenth through twelfth grade girls, is not officially acknowledged by the administration. Starting during their sophomore year, female students are recruited to join BPI sorority as a social organization, extracurricular activity and service opportunity. “It’s not a school entity. But we recognize that the people who make up BPI are all school students. It’s distinctive in that regard,” said President Bill Taylor. The BPI sorority began during the earlier years of the St. George’s upper school campus when the first graduating class
were tenth graders. From the sorority’s inception, St. George’s has never been affiliated with BPI due to the issues that arose at the school, including instances of hazing, exclusion and divisiveness. “They all wore black one day, or they didn’t brush their hair or use makeup. It created a visible signal of who was in and who was out. This is why the school spoke out about it,” said Mr. Taylor. The separation and exclusion amongst the students were some of the biggest issues that the administration felt were not in accordance with the school’s mission and values. “When kids were excluded from it, when certain girls were asked to be in it and certain girls were not asked to be in it, that became a divisive issue,” said Mr. Taylor, “but the school spoke out on the divisiveness as counter-productive to the goals of the community here.” One of the controversies associated with the sorority concerns their previous means of fundraising and their work with charity. Members are required to raise a certain amount of money by the end of the year for the designated charity and for the various fees that the sorority requires. “We were supposed to raise up a certain amount of money,” said senior Rebecca Matson, “but we all just ended up writing checks by the end of it.” The issue for many was that the sorority did not take part in any events that would allow the sorority, as a whole, to raise money. This caused the members to find their own means of fundraising, individually. “It is very, very, very expensive, and they made you pay fee after fee after fee so they could fundraise,” said junior Sope Adeleye,
“but it just ended up being my mom writing checks three or four times.” Despite these previous missteps, new leadership seems to be steering the sorority in a positive direction. Seniors Elizabeth May and Elizabeth Powe are the current presidents of BPI and are striving to change the reputation of the sorority for the better. Beginning this year, with the absence of the neighboring school sorority at Briarcrest Christian School, May and Powe have been put in charge of organizing the plans for the winter formal that the sorority takes part in every year. “SKS is Briarcrest’s old high school sorority, and they’re not doing their sorority anymore,” said Powe. “They were always in charge of formal so now we’re in charge of formal.” The winter formal has been a source of problems in the past due to the behavior and events that surround it. Several high schools were invited to winter formal; however, this year the winter formal will only include students from Houston High School and Collierville High School. “Over the years, the winter formal associated with this sorority has created opportunities for poor and unwise and unhealthy choices,” said Upper School Director Tom Morris. “What the school has always spoken out against is the party that’s associated with it in December because every year there are problems associated with that party, sometimes impacting St. George’s students, sometimes impacting others,” said Mr. Taylor The school sent a letter to parents at the school to inform and warn of the “unac-
ceptable behavior off campus at functions sponsored by the sorority.” In years past, the dance seemed to be the only function that occurred and acted as the only means of fundraising other than the initial entry fees. “Really you just sign up for a dance and you pay multiple fines,” said Matson. May and Powe are taking steps to avoid such issues in their event planning and hope to steer clear of conflict and opportunities for bad behavior in the coming year. The pair are looking to bring the sorority into a more positive light than it has been previously. Instances, such as the winter formal and hazing, have been a few of the reasons that the sorority has been cast in a negative light. “In years past, I know there has been some hazing, and we don’t agree with that,” said Powe. “There’s no hazing,” said May, “Every girl in the sophomore class is invited.” “In the past, I think that the sorority has lost touch with its main focus, and the main reason why it exists is for charity,” said Powe “This year we are a lot more involved with charity,” said May “We plan to have a lot more charity events, like a motherdaughter brunch, a Christmas party, maybe a powder-puff football game.” May and Powe hope to mend past issues and clarify the role of the organization and clarify its goals. Time will tell if these changes take root and whether or not the sorority will be able to come above ground and make its presence known.
October
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The Student Voice of St. George’s Independent School
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Academics to the extreme
Features 5
Seniors graduate with 10 AP courses
Emily Persons ’17
Junior Carter Burgess works hard during his independent study hall. He signed up to take four AP classes his junior year.
Emily Persons ’17
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any consider one Advanced Placement class a challenge, but senior Kelsey Pepper hasn’t seen so few APs since her sophomore year. Pepper is coming to end of her high school road having taken 10 AP courses total: one sophomore year, four junior year, and five senior year. “I love challenging myself,” said Pepper, ”and if you want to challenge yourself, go for it.” A typical night’s homework for her is about four hours or more depending on the time of year. Though she is able to get to bed around ten like her other friends, Pepper spends most of her time on academics and studying. She also holds high standards for the various clubs she is in and is captain of the St. George’s varsity softball team. “If you take APs right, then they don’t take any more time than normal classes,” said senior Josh Walker. Walker, with five AP courses in his past and five this year, said he is focusing his AP courses on math and science in order to basically skip his freshman year of college, getting him closer to his career-focused classes. He, like Pepper, is one of the few taking on so many AP classes. However, sometimes taking the maximum amount of AP classes does not go as planned. Senior Nathan Weinreich went from five AP classes this year to three his senior
year. “I was basically forced into all of my AP classes.” Weinreich felt that his heavy course load ended up causing him to lose leadership opportunities, thus causing him to fail to meet the requirements of the Cum Laude Society and National Honor Society. He said that all rising AP-takers should know what they are getting into by asking questions to teachers. Junior Carter Burgess is jumping from one AP class last year to four this year hoping for the best. “In order to set myself apart, I am taking the maximum difficulty classes,” said Burgess. He is keeping his eye on Yale for his first choice of schools, and also plans to take four or more APs next year. Hoping to take a similar road, freshman Hudson Beaudry wants to be able to get into any college, keeping current seniors as his role model. “I just wanna see how many college credits I can get,” said Beaudry. On the other end of the spectrum is freshman Maggie Vento who views those who load up on AP classes as crazy, has no desire to take any AP classes. “In the end I want to learn the material and just ace it,” she said. Vento plans to take all the standard classes and do well in order to understand the material. With her own perspective of the ideal AP student is Mrs. Charnes-
Martin, teacher of AP United States Government and Politics. “They have to have a strong work ethic,” she said. She said in order to succeed like the so-called crazy students taking four and five AP classes, the student needs to put forth equal effort for all classes and not just towards the AP courses. Mrs. Charnes encourages those who can handle and succeed with a heavy course load to go for it. College Guidance has a thoughtful opinion on the topic too. “It is important to take healthy risks when considering the courses in which you’re interested. It is always good to push yourself, but it should never be unmanageable,” said Ms. Beverly Brooks, Associate Director of College Guidance. There is not a set number she recommends for everyone. However, Brooks said that, typically, students looking at highly selective schools should take two to three AP classes junior year and three to four senior year. For the ones taking on more, Brooks said that it takes diligence and discipline to do well when taking a large course load like that. However, some students never take AP classes. The course load all depends on the student. Senior Cole McLemore, taking five AP classes said, “AP courses aren’t for everyone,” said Cole McLemore, “and that’s okay.”
FRESHMAN SURVEY:
What do you consider “too many” AP classes?
1 AP
class- 2%
2 AP
classes- 2%
3 AP
classes- 35%
4 AP
classes- 33%
AP 5 classes- 63%
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Sports
Fall Sports Juliana Wall ’15
Eric Reed ’15
Kyle Mehmed ’16
Catherine Mann ’15
“Since last year, the boys’ cross country team has become more united as a team and more determined to perform to the best of our abilities during every practice and meet.”
Sarah Moon ’15
Juliana Wall ’15
Madeline East ’15 Suzie Cowan
“I think we now understand the concept of not getting too upset over a bad hole or a bad round and making sure to try our best the next time around.”
“The highlight of the soccer season so far was beating St. Agnes in our first game of the season, as we have never beaten them in school history.”
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Sports
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Caroline Cannon ’15
Kyle Mehmed ’16
“The girls have really been pushing themselves in the hard workouts in practice. I am so proud of all of them.”
Derek Dixon ’15
Mim Brown
“I think we will be successful because of our fans. The fans make the game whether they know it or not. There’s no feeling like making our fans proud.”
Roxanna Wood ’15
Ashley McDuffie ’15
“I’m excited for the game when we not only shock the crowd, but shock ourselves. It’ll be the game when everything clicks. We will be successful and we will feel it.”
Source: Peyton Boucheck
“If we continue to stay motivated, this team has the potential to be the best we’ve ever been.”
“Once we all come together, I think it could be scary to see what we can do.”
Suzie Cowan
Juliana Wall ’15
Peyton Boucheck ’16
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Entertainment
Two comedians take center stage: is live comedy really worth it?
Aziz Ansari poses for the audience to take pictures. The comedy show was very successful and produced many laughs.
Jim Gaffigan Taylor Owens ’15
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any love comedy, comedians and the specials that they create; however, live comedy is not worth your time or money when you can enjoy the same shows in comfort and as many times as you please. Along with the recent show by Aziz Ansari, Jim Gaffigan recently hit the stage at the Orpheum. His recent special, called “Obsessed,” highlights everything that Gaffigan is known for and does well. Food. “Obsessed” is filled with jokes about eating food, cooking food, good food, bad food, and kale food. Gaffigan transitions from food jokes about donuts, Chinese desserts, hot dogs and buffalo-wings to hilarious material about the normal things we do every day but never thought to make a joke out of it. “On a good day, I’ll snort twice, maybe thrice, but Jim Gaffigan has me snorting once every five seconds...and that’s impressive,” Senior Allie Buckmaster said. However, Gaffigan’s comedy is available on Netflix and Comedy Central, which you can watch in the comfort of your own home and in your favorite pajamas. Actual, live comedy by Gaffigan was a big surprise because it seemed as if I was just watching the television. Despite Gaffigan’s amazing jokes and one-liners, I could not help but feel that paying to come and see him live was a little bit of a waste. It felt like I was looking at the television screen like a normal day; however, this time, I had to pay money to watch my favorite show. Live comedy isn’t the way to go if you can watch all of Gaffigan’s great material on Netflix, in your comfiest clothes, and not spend any money to go along with it. Gaffigan’s comedy changes the way you look at normal things you encounter every day, from ketchup to escalators, and turns it into something so hilarious that you are unable to look at anything the same way again. “Obsessed” and Gaffigan’s other specials are definite must-sees on Netflix or television for all comedy aficionados, or those who just want a good laugh. Despite Jim Gaffigan’s great material and hilarious jokes, live viewing of comedy is not worth the time if you can enjoy it even more at home.
“It felt like I was looking at the television screen like a normal day.”
Courtney Harshbarger ’15
Aziz Ansari Courtney Harshbarger ’15
C
omedian Aziz Ansari visited the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, TN on September 10. Ansari has always included comments on society throughout his comedy routines that call people out for being offensive, and going out to see the live show is definitely worth the time and money. Ansari has touched on a wide range of social problems, never skirting around the subject, simply stating how people are much too intolerant in general. Somehow this material remains hilarious when Ansari incorporates them into his jokes. In his most recent tour, “Modern Romance,” the “Some of my bulk of Ansari’s jokes refer to vegetarians, be- biggest laughs ing single and men doing happened when he creepy things in attempts to attract women. He had made up jokes on the audience laughing the spot.” throughout the show, even when calling people out for being creepy. Ansari constantly asks the audience questions and allows random people to speak up, incorporating their personal experiences into his routine. This time he even took a woman’s phone and read her texts aloud to show how awkward it can be to text someone for the first time and ask them out. His improvising skills are amazing during the parts when he talks to random audience members. Some of my biggest laughs happened when he made up jokes on the spot, showcasing his comedic ability. Purchasing tickets and attending a live show is definitely worth it. The interactions with the audience and the knowledge that Aziz Ansari was right there onstage made the experience much more personal than watching comedy routines on TV. I look forward to seeing many live comedy shows in the future. This was Ansari’s first time doing a show in Memphis, and fans were extremely satisfied with the performance.
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Entertainment
Avett Brothers perform at Snowden
The Avett Brothers performed at Snowden Grove Amphitheatre on September 21. Their next album is set to release in late 2015 or early 2016.
Tatum Nix ‘15
Tatum Nix ’15
The Avett Brothers performed
at Snowden Grove Amphitheatre on Sept. 21.The Avett Brothers are an alternative folk band with members including the brothers Scott and Seth Avett, double bass player Bob Crawford, cello player Joe Kwon, violinist Tania Elizabeth and keyboardist Paul Defiglia.
I was invited to their sound check five hours before the concert, and every moment of their rehearsal was full of energy. There was never a dull moment; at least one band member was constantly jumping up and down or going crazy on stage. I was able to speak to some members of the Avett Brothers about playing in Memphis.
“Memphis has become our second home since my daughter (Hallie) has been receiving treatment at St. Jude. I have met so many great people here and am always happy to be back to play music,” said double bass player Bob Crawford. When the Avetts came on at around 8:15, I decided to find a seat on the lawn with my fellow peers and fans. Their concert consisted of many of their oldies, which was very pleasing to everyone I was there with as we could sing and dance along. “Live and Die,” “Down with the Shine,” “Slight Figure of Speech” and “Head Full of Doubt” were some of my personal favorites because of their enthusiasm and energy exhibited on stage. Their encore performance, especially “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight,” was a spectacular closing to the concert. Senior Julia Spinolo could not contain her excitement the entire concert. “I really enjoyed all the dancing and hand clapping and foot stomping. I lost my voice from singing and cheering too loudly,” Spinolo said. “They always play with so much en-
ergy and put on an awesome show.” The opening act for the concert was David Mayfield Parade. David Mayfield’s sense of humor and spontaneity kept the audience laughing more than singing along. The most notable song was “Trapped Under the Ice” with the irregular repetition of “I’m a Monkey in a Cage” almost to the point of annoyance. Senior James Cloutier enjoyed Mayfield’s performance but the Avett Brothers outshined him. “He was a real funny guy, but I preferred when he played with the Avett Brothers later in the concert.” Mayfield’s opening performance was forgetful after the Avett Brothers performed, outdoing themselves not only during the concert but the sound check as well. After the concert, my fellow peers and I wanted more. We went backstage to ask double bass player Bob Crawford when they would release their next album. “We hope for our next album to be out at the end of 2015 or the beginning of 2016.”
There was something strange in the neighborhood
Ghostbusters celebrates thirtieth anniversary Nathan Weinreich ’15
The classic comedy “Ghost-
busters” celebrated its thirtieth anniversary on June 1, 2014, and to celebrate its anniversary, Malco cinemas brought the film back to the big screen for the first few weeks of September. The showings were limited to a select few theaters such as the Paradiso in Memphis. I found that re-watching a film is a completely different experience in the theater than a viewing at home. The smell of the popcorn, the rows of seats, the uneven steps that, for some, cause tripping in the dark of the theater; these things all add to the film’s overall feeling that it belongs, as if it were coming home for the first time in years. Ghostbusters being a classic film almost integral to the childhood of people spanning two generations, its return to the big screen was by no means my first
viewing, yet it felt as if it could have been. The audience’s reaction around me guided my emotional journey through the film so much that I laughed at every joke as if it were the first time I heard it. The sense of nostalgia that came with the viewing was astound-
“everybody has three mortgages nowadays” previously flew over my head, I was fully able to enjoy the hilarity of the film as the writers intended upon this viewing. Films’ stays in theaters are fleeting, and the experience of the theater is one unmatched by the experience of a viewing at home. Movie tickets may be expensive, and theaters are generally far enough away from a residence that they require the effort of driving, but experiencing a film in theaters can be the best way to view it. Although Ghostbuster’s return Nathan Weinrich ’15 to theaters has since concluded, the film’s hilarious, age-defying ing; memories of my fear of the quality warrants another viewing ghosts, my love of the characters even limited to the small screen. and my naivety towards some of The film itself, while it admitthe jokes aimed at a more matedly lacks the animation capature audience filled my head, bilities of the modern day, has and a sort of euphoria overtook aged to perfection, and thus me. Where mentions that Ray is remains an important collec“not gonna lose the house” because tion to this reviewer’s library.
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Opinion
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The opinions expressed in this section reflect the views of individual writers and are not necessarily those of the Gryphon Gazette or its staff.
Student uses the “Don’t Shoot” stance used by protesters in Ferguson. People from across the nation travelled to Ferguson to take part in the protests that lasted 16 days this past August.
Juliana Wall ’15
Don’t shoot!
America’s persistent issue of racism Kai Taylor ’17
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acism and racial profiling are just a few issues that America has faced over the last several decades, the most recent case being the death of Mike Brown, a black teenager who was shot down during a police confrontation in Ferguson, Missouri. Earlier that day on Aug. 9, 2014, Brown was allegedly involved in a petty robbery at a gas station. He was walking home with a friend when Darren Wilson, a white cop, approached them and an altercation started. Wilson ended the quarrel when he shot Brown six times, killing him. Though America’s attention is currently centered on Ferguson, racism and racial profiling are issues that occur continuously nationwide, and they have even impacted students and faculty of St. George’s. “[The officer] shouldn’t shoot anyone defenseless. Period,” stated sophomore Marshall Shanks, an African-American student, when asked how he felt about the situation specific to Brown. When asked if he ever felt judged
because of his race, he replied, “Yes, I have.” “It’s bad, of course. It shouldn’t have happened because of the circumstances the boys were in,” said sophomore Devon Johnson, another African-American student at the school. Regardless of the fact that this problem impacts the black community directly, there are others outside of this community who are against racism and the problems it causes. “I definitely think it was completely unjust. The officer should be punished if Mike Brown did not do anything wrong,” said sophomore James Harris, a white student at St. George’s. These kinds of cases have caused young black men to be more careful when going out in public, and have even caused second thoughts on something as simple as wearing a hoodie at night. They are being judged for playing their music too loudly, their choice in wardrobe, and the tattoos they adorn their bodies with. In run-ins with the police, they are sometimes pulled over for “driving while black.’ Mem-
bers of the black community are worried that their sons could become the next Martin or Brown. Ferguson is a community 65-70 percent black and has a police force where only three out of the 56 policemen are black.
Racism and racial profiling are issues that occur continuously nationwide. “It creates a problem, especially if we have an underlying issue of communication,” says Mr. Luther Mercer, who up until recently was the school’s head of the Institude of Citizenship. Mr. Mercer has been a victim of racial profiling in his hometown of Jackson. “Oh yeah, I’ve been stopped for
driving in a certain area,” states Mr. Mercer. At the age of 16 while driving his mother’s Jaguar through a nicer area of town, he was pulled over and questioned about whether or not that was his car. These issues have served as precedents for American people and they are impacting their viewpoints, opinions, and how they live their daily life. In order to end these problems, Americans need to speak up for what they know is right regardless of their race or their social status. If people worked to stop immediately jumping to the conclusion that every black teenager is a threat or a nuisance, we could avoid so many complications. We could rise above the petty behavior our ancestors have had towards each other regarding race. “I think it’s a microcosm of issues that continue to exist. How black males are viewed, particularly the fear that has established how young black men are seen as a threat,” Mr. Mercer concluded.
11
October
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The Gryphon Gazette
Opinion
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The opinions expressed in this section reflect the views of individual writers and are not necessarily those of the Gryphon Gazette or its staff.
Victim blaming must stop Annie Vento ’17
O
n February 15, 2014, former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and his fianceé were arrested on charges of assault after an altercation at an Atlantic City hotel. A video of Rice dragging her unconscious body out of an elevator was released by TMZ.
lence and victim blaming. While some have defended Palmer and demanded that justice be served, others have blamed her for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or for allegedly egging her fianceé on by yelling at him. “The message is, take the stairs,” said one Fox News anchor in response to, not only this fight, but other domes-
50 percent of teenagers who had committed sexual violence felt that their victim was entirely responsible. Then, on September 8, TMZ released an additional video from inside the elevator, which revealed Rice’s fianceé, Janay Palmer, to actually be the victim of an assault from Rice. Following the release of this video, the Baltimore Ravens announced that they were terminating Rice’s contract, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated they would be suspending Rice indefinitely. However, this is more than an NFL issue: it is an issue of domestic vio-
tic violence incidents in the past involving celebrities. Rather than Rice being held accountable for his actions, the anchor blamed the victim of the crime and even turned this case of domestic violence into a joke. “There’s something called the just world phenomenon,” said Emily Philpott, who teaches AP Psychology and AP World History at St. George’s, “[where] we tend to want to see the world as a just place where people get what they deserve and deserve what
they get. We don’t want to think that we can be a good person and going about our day and something terrible could happen to us... We are less stressed, less anxious and happier if we think if we believe and follow that phenomenon.” While the villain of these crimes can be encouraged to stop committing these violent acts, which could completely cease these problems from arising in the future, others will blame the victim for saying the wrong thing, wearing the wrong clothes, or going to the wrong places, which is the reason why it is imperative for victim blaming to stop. According to a study conducted by JAMA Pediatrics, 50 percent of teenagers who had committed sexual violence felt that their victim was entirely responsible. Therefore, these situations are dangerous because criminals continue to commit these offenses without any repercussions, serving as exam-
ples that it is possible to get away with domestic violence, sexual harassment, and other similar acts. After familiarizing ourselves with the toxicity of victim blaming, we are still left to wonder how we can change this flaw in our society. “Often it’s more complicated than... the media can make stories seem,” said Philpott. “We just need to be aware of the way that we process information and the way that we think about things.. before making quick judgements and assumptions.” In order to rid the world around
“We tend to want to see the world as a just place where people get what they deserve and deserve what they get.” us of its habit to blame the victim, we must continue to discuss these cases and make it clear to others what victim blaming is and why it is so hazardous to society.
Victim blaming continues to poison our society as many innocent victims are blamed for acts they had no responsibility for. In the past, many victim blaming cases have revolved around cases of domestic violence, gun violence and sexual assault. (Manipulated photo)
Juliana Wall ’15
12
October
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The Gryphon Gazette
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Entertainment
Editors’ Choice Fall Recipes
These are original family recipes from the homes of our editors-in-chiefs. These recipes reflect our family traditions during the fall season. We wanted to share them with the student body, from our homes to yours.
Kutia
Apple-Pie Pumpkin Soup
2 cups wheat 3 quarts water 2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup honey, dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans (optional)
3 large brown onions Half a stick of butter 2 large granny smith apples 1 tsp of pumpkin spice 3-4 minced garlic cloves 5 small butternut squashes Olive oil Salt and pepper 6 cartons of chicken broth Heavy whipping cream nutmeg
1. Dry wheat in 250˚F oven for 1 hour, stir occasionally. 2. Wash, soak in cold water overnight. 3. Next morning, bring wheat to boiling point, simmer 3-4 hours, until kernels burst open. 4.Combine honey and sugar in hot water. 5. Set aside. Before serving, add sweetened mixture (and nuts) to cooled, boiled wheat.
1. Caramelize garlic and onions in butter, cook in saucepan for 25 minutes. Stir constantly. 2. Process both apples in food processor, very finely chopped. 3. After 15 minutes, add apples to onion/garlic mixture. 4. Add pumpkin spice. 5. Bake the squashes, halved, at 400˚F with salt, pepper, and olive oil for 30-45 minutes 6. Purée onion mixture and add onions and chicken broth in a pot. Mix. 7. Purée cooked squash. Add to pot. 8. Add any additional salt or pepper to taste 9. Garnish with cream, pumpkin spice and nutmeg. Juliana Wall ’15