The
Gryphon Gazette
November 2013
Top
Stories
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The Newspaper of St. George’s Independent School •
Volleyball goes to state following outstanding season
Opinion • What does Google say? Entertainment • “Bee” prepared for the fall musical
Features
Sutton Hewitt ’16
• Moderation proves important for working students
Sports • Boys’ golf takes home state championship
Student Life • St. George’s-isms: Unique features of our school
Obamacare sparks controversy Lexie Marotta ’15
T
he Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as “Obamacare,” is currently a widely disputed issue in the media. It has been debated since its proposal, and is considered the biggest reform to healthcare since Medicare, which provides health insurance for adults over 65. This new healthcare reform law provide tens of millions of uninsured citizens with access to affordable and high quality health insurance through the marketplace. Some of the more popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act have already gone into effect. One of these is the provision that allows young people to stay on their parents’ health insurance until they are 26 years old. Previously many young adults had been cut off at age 19.
Cont. on Page 6
Volume XII, Issue II
The v-ball team proudly taking silver.
Sutton Hewitt ’16
I
f you walk in to the field-house this time of year, your senses are overwhelmed with the shouts of enthusiastic fans, the waving of talon towels, and the smell of free pizza. This means one thing … it’s time
Source: Rebecca Wood
for Gryphon volleyball again. This year the Gryphon volleyball team, more commonly known as the NetGryphs, who hoped to take back state this year, started their journey with the help of their slogan “Get it
Back.” This year’s team captains, Madison Lathum ’14, Alexandra Smith ’14, and Roxanna Wood ’15 thought up this clever slogan. When I asked Coach Emmy McClain about the phrase, she said, “Get it back is something that you say a lot when you’re playing, when you lose the serve you say ‘come on guys get it back, get it back.’ We decided to put up a poster that says ‘Get it Back’ in the gym. And then anytime that someone is struggling in practice or misses a serve, they run and they touch the poster. That reminds them that their goal is to ‘Get it Back’ and it’s like a reminder to remained focused.” The captains agreed that their collective role was mainly to be there for moral support for the team and to keep everybody on track. Wood said, “I feel like everyone pitches in to being the captain.”
Cont. on Page 9
Dress code debate continues: Should we be uniform or unique? Meredith Gatlin ’14
E
very morning I walk into my closet perplexed. I face the dilemma of trying to find the right outfit for school. I must choose clothing that meets all of the dress code requirements, and some days I release a sigh of frustration when I can find nothing to wear, and I resort to grabbing a skirt or pants that I wore earlier that week. Each year there are the occasional complaints from students and parents about the dress code at St. George’s. I admit that I am one of those students who grumbles and complains about the dress code. It seems that there is always a debate amongst the students of St. George’s about our school dress code. Should the dress code be changed, or should we have uniforms? In my personal opinion I think St. George’s students should wear uniforms. Uniforms save time. Most students at St. George’s have busy schedules with all the AP classes, sports or jobs a student may have to juggle. Uniforms would eliminate the wasted time that comes with finding clothes that fit the dress code requirements. Eighth graders Kirby Betcheck and Claire Murphy said, “I think we should have uniforms that are like the spirit
skirt. I end wearing the same thing everyday anyway.” Eighth grader Emily Grace Rogers said, “It is too much work finding anything that works around the dress code.” Middle school girls are not the only ones that want uniforms, Senior Ethan Cohen said, “I think it would be easier if we had a uniform.” However, not every student agrees that there should be a uniform. Many of the boys prefer “free dress.” Eighth grader Graham Smith said, “I want less restrictions, like no belts.” Students who are on this side of the debate argue that with uniforms we are not able to express individuality. Junior Julia Spinolo said, “There are occasionally days when you just feel like putting in more effort and looking especially good. For this reason, I think the dress code should stay the same.” There are a wide variety of opinions on the topic of dress code amongst the students at St. George’s. To end all the complaints and questions on why our dress code is the way it is I decided to sit down with the administration to get their point of view, because at the end of the day they are the ones who decide what the dress code
is. I talked with Mrs. Jill Reilly, Mr. Tom Densford, and Mr. Tom Morris. Some of the reasons they mentioned are understandable. For example one reason they thought was important was our dress code is designed to help the students make good decisions. Mr. Densford said, “It doesn’t matter whether we have a dress code or uniform; it is about preventing the distractions that come with it.” Some of those distractions mentioned by the administration are a girl wearing a short skirt, or a boy who is not clean-shaven. Another important thing to remember is we are in a learning environment, so the dress code is designed for us to wear appropriate clothing for our specific environment. Mr. Morris said, “There is a lot of thought and work that designs this process that is able to account kids for individuality yet set the tone for the environment we are in.” It is important to remember that this is a learning environment, so that affects what the dress code should be.
Cont. on Page 3
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November
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St. George’s Independent School
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Editorial
Change your mind, but keep the dream First
Virginia Whitsitt ‘14
Regan Hewitt ’14
“D
id you want to be a journalist when you were younger?” asked the blondeheaded St. George’s third grader. It is an appalling simple question to the students sitting in front of me, who have listened to my every word as I praised the Gryphon Gazette. Yet, I am stopped dead in my tracks, left scrambling for an appropriate answer. It is 9:30 on a Wednesday morning and I am speaking to a group of third graders at the St. George’s Germantown campus. I have explained the process of creating a newspaper and the work that goes into each issue.
When I open the floor to questions, the students clamor to ask theirs, until my mouth is left dry from answering. The questions are more complex and insightful than I expect, as they ask for clarifications about the newspaper process. These questions are part of my job, though, and fairly easy to answer. However, it is the question that requires a more personal response that I cannot fathom. The truthful answer to this smiling child’s question is that no, that is not what I wanted to be when I was younger. When I was nine, I wanted
Corrections and Retractions for Volume XII, Issue I
The Features image of Coach Carter on page 7 was actually taken by Mrs. Mim Brown. The staff here at the Gryphon Gazette apologize for this mistake and any other published inaccuracies.
Newspaper Staff Editor-in-Chief
Regan Hewitt
Copy Editors
Leah Hodgkiss Virginia Whitsitt
Layout Editors
Caroline Cannon Kellen Young
Photo Editors
Caroline Cannon Lindsey Cayce
Features Editors
Dagny Vaughn Lexie Marotta
Opinion Editor
Emily Dickey
Sports Editor
Taylor Owens
Student Life Editors Entertainment Editors Staff Writers Advisor
Maggie Courtney Meredith Gatlin Courtney Harshbarger Zoe Leake Anna Marie Beard Preston Vihlen Dr. Margaret Robertson
to own hotels and write novels. However, as I grew up, I was forced to face the realities of the world, forced to realize that building hotels was expensive and that novel-writing might be the least profitable of all the “writing careers.” I felt an internal panic bubble within me. Can you tell a group of third-graders that you were wrong? That what I wanted to do at age seven, I will probably never accomplish? I decided that you can because dreams are allowed to change. I explained to these third-graders that I never saw myself in a newsroom or interrogating an administrator when was younger, that, instead, I imagined myself in an elaborate hotel lobby, shaking hands with important guests. However, I proceeded to explain that I’ve always loved English and that this led me to a new dream, one that formed when I was much older than a thirdgrader. It is a dream about a bustling newsroom with clacking keys, scribbling pens, whirring fans and a smudge of ink rubbed across my cheek. I wanted these kids to realize that it was completely normal to change your dreams, modify them with age or experience. I want everyone else to realize this as well, particularly seniors as they deal with the pitfalls and triumphs of the college process. It is alright to change your dreams, as long as you don’t stop dreaming completely.
New science teacher has a history in politics Zoe Leake ‘14
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ake a quick first glance, and all you might recognize about Mr. Peter Melcher are his extraordinary scientific abilities. Mr. Melcher has joined the St. George’s team this year as the newest member of the science department; teaching Biology, AP Biology, and AP Chemistry. Do not be mistaken, though, Mr. Melcher has an extensive history beyond teaching. In 1990, Melcher ran for Congress as an Independent Environmentalist in the third district of Tennessee, which stretches from Knoxville to Chattanooga. He ran again in 1992 and ’94. Marilyn Lloyd was the Republican candidate, and current Congress representative in 1990, so Lloyd was Mr. Melcher’s top opponent. Not only was she the biggest competition in the game, but more importantly she was Melcher’s sole reason for running in the first place. Lloyd had the seventeenth worst voting record for environmental issues brought to Congress. In other words, Lloyd was no green giant. “Once I had a child I began to get concerned with environmental issues, whether [my son] would have a future,” said Mr. Melcher. He was teacher at McCallie Boarding School in Tennessee at the time, and with his teacher’s salary, he waged war against Lloyd and her poor green standards with the support of his students. He also sought financial aid for his campaign from local pollutants who, “wanted to shut me up,” said Melcher, such as Olan Mills photograph developing company in Chattanooga, a known chemical pol-
luter at the time. A close friend of Mr. Melcher’s at the Chattanooga Times published, “anything and everything I wrote,” said Mr. Melcher, which allowed him to spread his pro-nuclear dependency ideals to the masses. This stance stirred up some trouble, though, as any mention of nuclear power tends to do. Nuclear power was necessary and very important to the Tennessee district in order to transition away from fossil fuels, “even if just in transition,” said Mr. Melcher. Although he was not elected, his influence on the campaign was astronomical. After deep discussions with Mrs. Lloyd, Mr. Melcher was able to secure pro-women and pro-green votes from Lloyd in her years to come as Congresswoman. “Individuals can make a difference, and that’s an important thing to make clear to students,” said Mr. Melcher, who fought for stronger green standards for Tennessee, despite losing the vote. When asked how we at St. George’s are doing with our green standards, Mr. Melcher responded, “because of our campus and our surroundings, people here are more aware than other schools I’ve been in.” Melcher also suggested that St. George’s take part in energy conservation competitions in order to “cause more awareness about energy percentage usage.” Mr. Melcher’s campaign should show us that with or without actually reaching our ultimate goals, such as wining an election, we can still be instrumental for change in our world. “One person can make such a huge difference,” said Mr. Melcher, which should remind us to never lower our standards.
impressions Dagny Vaughn ‘14
S
urprisingly, the cab ride to the university was the most stressful part of the morning. For weeks I had tried to convince myself to be calm about interviewing at my dream school, but upon arriving, my pep-talks proved to be unnecessary. I had expected an interrogation from a stone-faced man who would be less than interested since I had yet to cure a rare disease or build a rocket, but instead I was sitting with a young alumnae who called the interview a “casual chat” and actually enjoyed hearing my talk of literary magazines. Relieved and assuaged by the interviewer’s efforts to make me feel comfortable, I felt prepared for any question that she could throw my way. What I did not realize, however, that no amount of ease could prepare me for what I was about to be asked. “Tell me a little about yourself,” she requested, and all at once, my mind went blank. We have all been told about the power of first impressions, that the first few things a person notices, or is told about you causes them to make a judgment that is hard to reverse. The technique is called “thin-slicing,” or the gathering of little pieces that enable a person to make an accurate assumption within minutes, or even seconds. But how much can really be gathered in a single impression? Sure, it is safe to say that the way a person presents or carries him or herself provides us with enough information to infer a little about the person’s interests or intentions toward us. But in the case of an interview or a task as simple as making friends, is a first impression really enough? When I sat in that room with the smiling interviewer sifting through all of the possible qualities that make me who I am, I knew that no summary I could give would actually capture who I am. But perhaps it is a good thing that we cannot pinpoint what makes us who we are in a single interview. We are complex and interesting individuals, not simply a list of interests or accomplishments, and maybe the admission representatives know this. Maybe with their experience of “thin-slicing” as a career, they have realized that what a person leaves out of an interview answer is actually where much of their substance lies.
November
St. George’s Independent School
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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.
Maggie Courtney ’14
W
hen you search for something in the Google search engine, you may think that whatever comes up is completely random and is there because of the exact phrase you entered. Wrong! There is a much more detailed process behind what search engines do and do not display. Many websites and companies pay popular search engines such as “Google” and “Yahoo!” to have their website appear closer to the front page when someone searches for information that may concern their website. This may come off as a standard business strategy and a good way to advertise, but how many of us choose the first website that pops up because we think it is the best match? If so, when you choose that first website and solely use it for the information you are seeking, you may be looking at biased and flawed information. Today, just about anything can
and will be on the internet, meaning a lot of what you find is written out of opinion rather than fact. This is okay when reviewing a blog or social media, because the user knows that the information is not always factual, but do not be fooled by savvy websites that display information as fact. In order to be a responsible Google user, you need to be a critical reader and fact-check the information you see. If search engines such as “Google” and “Yahoo!” have the ability to display websites in a way that benefits them, then what kind of discrimination is coming from this? Recently, there has been a lot of controversy about companies and websites paying to have their information be displayed as primary resources, but there may be a deeper social issue that Internet users are not aware of. If most of us are using the Internet for our information about a political leader, what
kind of dog to get, or even what sickness we may have based on our symptoms, then who is feeding us all of this information we are too often accepting as fact? We never read articles about President Obama or the qualities of a Golden Retriever while thinking about the motives of the writer. For instance: If a national dog survey ranked a Golden Retriever 65th out of 100 in correlation to how well the dog acted in a family scenario, then you would probably decide that one of the dogs above the 65th mark would suit your family better. However, this seemingly legitimate survey does not take into account the other qualities a dog needs to have to be a family dog such as obedience and shedding habits. Do not forget that search engines such as “Google” and “Yahoo!” are parts of companies and run on business-like agendas. Ultimately, the point is that we all need to reevaluate how much information we get from the Internet and from what sites. Because just about anything can and will be said on the Internet, we need to think more critically about what appears to be factual and what a writer’s motives may be.
Political Ponderings with Emily Dickey ’14 Government shutdown
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n case you missed it, in mid October, the United States government shut down for the 18th time since 1977. Why did this happen? Under our Constitution, if Congress does not agree on a spending bill, the government cannot spend money. This is not the first time our economy has tiptoed on the brink of default, and it will likely not be our last. From October 1st to October 16th, mail was still delivered, our troops still served our country, people still went about their dayto-day lives, but the repercussions of Congress’ and the President’s inability to compromise are still being seen as you read this today. The severity of our government’s inability to cooperate did not simply result in the shutdown of various government entities. Although a government shutdown is bad news, October 17th marked the date by which a decision had to be made about whether or not to raise the debt ceiling. This debt ceiling caps the amount of capital that our country can borrow. Because the government is currently borrowing around $4 billion per day, the nation really had no choice but to raise that limit; otherwise, the United States would default on its debt, and that would be catastrophic. United States treasury bonds are currently, and always have been, the safest investment in the world. Why? Because we have never defaulted on our debt. We have always paid our bills. To refuse to raise the debt ceiling would be bad for our rep- to put it nicely. Thankfully that ceiling was raised, but that does not mean that we should just forget about the situation in its entirety. Thus, here are some repercussions to consider as we go forward… One of the absolute worst things that can happen to a free market economy like that of the United
States is uncertainty. Uncertainty in the markets causes investors to be much more weary of investing, which can dangerously hinder economic growth. The sixteen-day shutdown is said to have knocked off at least 0.6 percent of the annual growth rate for this quarter, ultimately costing our economy about $24 billion. The blow this shutdown has dealt to the faith and credit of the United States will make itself more apparent as uncertainty and doubt cause investors to question the reliability of our nation’s economy. In the mean time, Wall Street has already begun to see some improvement. In the days shortly following the October 17th deadline, the Dow Jones industrial average jumped 206 points, and the yield on one-month Treasury bills sharply dropped. Over the next few months the markets will be riddled with these ups and downs; we have not yet seen the worst of it. Because this January, our country will be faced with the same problem once the legislation halts its funding. Which leads us to another important repercussion to consider: the unfavorable shadow this ordeal has cast on Washington. The Republican Party was seeking to defund the President’s healthcare bill, using the debt ceiling as leverage. The President, on multiple occasions, refused to negotiate with House Republicans on the matter at all. This dysfunction seen in Washington is certainly a cause for concern, as another budget fight is looming right around the corner. The fact that our government can only manage to fund itself for a little over three months at a time is absurd, and the American people are growing weary. As lobbyists ready themselves for a new fight on United States spending and Wall Street licks its wounds from this tiptoe to the brink of default, Americans are hoping that our congressmen and women can put aside their differences and create a solution for the betterment of our country.
Dress code debate
Taylor Owens ‘15 and Regan Hewitt ‘14
For the past few years,
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Cont. from Page 1
How many times a week do you drink caffeine?
there has been a persistent rumor that St. George’s will soon gain a coffee shop. Despite being unable to validate these rumors, the Newspaper Staff was able to prove that it might not be the best investment for the school. As it turns out, many St. George’s students do not consume that much caffeine.
Percentage of students (244 responses)
When I stand in my closet each morning, I would much rather be grabbing a uniform rather than trying to figure out what to wear. After talking to some students, I know I am not the only one that wants to do the same. However there are many students on the other side of the argument that are perfectly fine with taking the time of picking out an outfit for school. The administration made a good argument, and I was able to understand why the dress code is the way it is. Whenever I let out those sighs of frustrations in the morning I will keep in mind the administration’s point of view and try to limit my complaints about the dress code. But I still wish that St. George’s had uniforms or that we had fewer restrictions on the dress code.
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November
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St. George’s Independent School •
The hunt is on: Memphis’ best salsa and chips
Source: Courtney Harshbarger Courtney Indulges in salsa from La Taqueria Guadalupana.
Courtney Harshbarger ’15
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or the past few years I have made it my goal to find the best salsa ever, and it was not until last month that I finally found it. Many of the salsas I tasted had very specific qualities that I liked, but they were not exactly perfect. I needed a salsa that had all of the best qualities together.
After years of going from restaurant to restaurant and tasting different salsas, I was almost ready to give up. Then one day my grandma brought me some salsa from her favorite Mexican restaurant, and when I took the first bite, I knew without a doubt that I had finally found the best salsa in town.
The homemade salsa from La Taqueria Guadalupana has a surprisingly unique flavor that allows it to totally surpass other salsas in every category of deliciousness. The secret ingredient, disclosed to me by the chef, gives the salsa an incredibly delicious flavor that I have never tasted anywhere else before. The secret ingredient gives it an almost smoky flavor that really completes the taste. The salsa is quite spicy, but just enough that it makes the experience even better. Strips of cilantro really bring out a nice fresh taste that contrasts from the tomato and pepper overtones. Small pieces of diced white onion serve to spice up the salsa even more and unlike most salsas, but the onion does not overpower any of the other flavors present. The homemade chips are instrumental in order to have the best possible salsaeating experience. They have a certain indefinable quality that makes them so much better than average store-bought chips. The chips were also just salty enough so that they had a little flavor, but did not at all mask any of the salsa’s original taste. La Taqueria Guadalupana on Winchester Road is sure to satisfy any salsa-lover in town, but be warned: no other salsa will ever taste as good as this.
Maggie Courtney’14
As
much as I love to watch fiction movies, I try to watch a documentary every once in a while because they offer insight to real life people, events, places, and just about anything you can possible think of.
Recently, I watched a documentary called “Terms and Conditions May Apply,” which challenged the validity and lawfulness of those daunting Terms and Conditions that we all agree to, but never actually read. What exactly are we
Mark your calendar: Upcoming theater events
Collierville Campus “The Putnam County Spelling Bee” Nov. 21-23; Upper School Musical “The Diviners” Auditions Dec. 1-3; Upper School Drama Christmas Concert Dec. 9; Middle School Chorus and Band Christmas Concert Dec. 10; Upper School Chorus and Band “The Diviners” Performance Feb. 6-8; Upper School Drama “Pied Piper” Auditions March 3-5; Middle School Play “Pied Piper” Performance May 1-3; Middle School Play Germantown Campus “Annie” Performance Nov. 1-2; Lower School Production SK/1st Grade Christmas Program Dec. 13 3rd/5th Grade Christmas Program Dec. 17 Memphis Campus PK - 1st Grade Christmas Program Dec. 5 2nd - 5th Grade Christmas Program Dec. 19
scure? It seems as if comagreeing to? For starters, if you read panies are trying to work all of the Terms and Condi- around something you tions of every single web- might not like… the use of site, app, mobile device, etc. your personal information. Almost every website, that you use, then it would take you a month out of including Google, twitter, every year. As soon as you start using any t seems as if companies website, you have agreed to are trying to work around the Terms and something you might not Privacy policies that most of- like... the use of your ten appear ob- personal information. scurely on the home page. If you have read the Terms and Condi- and Facebook can use your tions of Instagram, which I personal data entries to ream sure most of you have member, learn, and docunot, then you would have ment information about noticed that they have to you so that it can be used in right to sell and use any forms such as advertising photos uploaded to this and personal profiling. app without compensation If you did not already know, the CIA and NSA to the user. Why might you ask use Google and Facebook would companies make information that you volthese terms and policies so untarily post and search, long, hard to read, and ob- mainly to “red flag” people.
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Documentary Review
Entertainment
However, this way of finding so-called criminals can be flawed. For example, a man who writes for the popular T.V. show, Cold Case, is interviewed with a series of questions about what he might have Google searched when creating a past episode. Based on his searches, he might be “red flagged” as a murderer, but no one will take into account the possibility that he is a writer. Interestingly enough, the point is that we all can be a little more mindful about what personal information and thoughts we post on social media sites. This documentary wants people to stand up to those taking our personal information and say, “Can you please not?” We need reasonable terms and conditions that support our democratic society, and we need to be asked first before our information is taken and used.
November
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St. George’s Independent School •
Entertainment 5
“Bee” prepared for the fall musical Colton morgan’14 Fall is that time of the year when the colors of the leaves change, the pumpkin spice lattés fly out of Starbucks, and Daylight Saving Time puts a dark shadow on the cold and windy afternoons. However, this dark shadow will not cover up the bright stage lights that will be shining on the SGIS fall musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Produced by Rebecca Feldman and based on the novel by Rachel Sheinkin, this show focuses on stereotypical spelling bee contestants and their personal experiences throughout the chaotic and nerve-wracking county spelling bee. For those of you who follow the schedule of performances done by the Producitons, you can see that this year has been switched up quite a bit. The musical that was once in the spring is now early in the fall
trimester. Not only is the new timing for the musical a surprise, but the thespians who managed to snag parts in the show were a surprise as well. New thespians, senior John Hankes, freshman Robert Grissom, sophomore Sutton Hewitt, and junior Sarah Moon will warm up their singing pipes and take the stage. I was curious about the new changes and surprises buzzing around in this production, so I went to a rehearsal and interviewed a few of the actors off-stage. I found the new thespians rehearsing and asked them how it felt to be in their first St. George’s musical production. Grissom, playing the part of Leaf Coneybear, said, “No words can describe it really. It’s very fun, plus I’m not too scared.” Hankes, playing the lead male role of Vice Principal Douglas Panch, said, “The music is harder than I thought. It’s
the same amount of effort as Before I left, I wanted to hear chorus. The cast is really cool, what the choral director Mr. plus I love Mr. Brown.” Dennis Whitehead had to say Returning thespian senior about this cast. Regan Hewitt, Mr. Whiteplaying the female head said, “I his group has love the enerlead role of Rona Lisa Peretti, add- the potential to gy of the new ed, “It’s nice havthespians. Plus, put on a hilariing new people working with that haven’t done ous and fantastic the students plays or musicals.” outside of the show. I then interclassroom is so viewed the cast much fun. The as a whole and tried to find transition from a teacher to stuout what kind of funny things dent relationship to a director we can expect from the show. to student-actor relationship is Junior Matthew Turner, who amazing.” I could not have said has taken up “method acting” it, (or sang it) better myself, Mr. to portray the part of William Whitehead. Barfee, jokingly said, “Me. I’m I highly recommend that evamazing. Everyone else is a eryone come out to see this permortal.” formance. The new cast comWith my experience in the bined with the directing team drama department, I have to of Mr. Brown and Mr. Whitesay this ensemble has to be the head will no doubt bring a most diverse I have ever seen. whole new musical experience. This group also has the poten- The dates for the performance tial to put on a hilarious and of the Spelling Bee are Novemfantastic show. ber 14 - 16.
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Music for moods: focus and study Lexie Marotta ’15 Leah Hodgkiss ’15 1.“Intro” by The xx 2.“Ezra” by Flume 3.“All these things” by mmoths 4.“Crystalize” by Lindsay Stirling 5.“Icarus” by Bastille
6.“Eyes on Fire” by Blue Foundation 7.“Au Revoir” by One Republic 8.“Spanish Sahara” by Foals 9.“Agape” by Bear’s Den 10.“Fight the Feeling” by Mac Miller 11.“Iscariot” by Walk The Moon 12.“Is there a ghost” by Band of Horses 13.“Loud Pipes” by Ratatat
Students’ funniest tweets
Zoe Leake ’14 Alexa Basinger ‘14
A
s members of the greater media community, many St. George’s students are active Twitter frequenters. The following tweets, found by senior Alexa Basinger, are some of St. George’s funniest from the Twitter feed. 1.“WHOEVER STOLE MY ONE DIRECTION PENS, I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOU BRAVE SOUL” -@kbdadchick (Kirby Betchick ‘18) 2.“Since there is no government I’m not doing it... (picture of precal homework)” -@Ttaylor211 (Troy Taylor ‘15) 3.“SLOW DOWN HOLD THE WALL GLEE IS ON AND IM STILL NOT DONE WITH HOMEWORK” -@itsbanapplee (Annie Ventro ‘17) 4.“wow I have so much homework... good thing I spent 20 minutes making a club penguin account????” -@emdickk (Emily Dickey ‘14)
The Daily Grind by Preston Vihlen ‘15
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November
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St. George’s Independent School
Obamacare sparks controversy
nies. Before these companies could refuse to cover people with pre-existing conditions; now they are required to provide health insurance to them, which can be expensive. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, some insurance companies have drawn attention to the possibility of more layoffs due to the expenses associated with the new insurance requirements. This may disqualify these workers from receiving health insurance from their employer. President Barack Obama has said that the healthcare law would lower premiums by as much $2500 a year for some families. Not all people would experience this decrease, however. In fact, premiums may increase for some, especially those who do not qualify for subsidies. Lexie Marotta ’15 Subsidies are certain amounts of The United States government expemoney granted by the government to rienced a partial shutdown for 16 assist people who have a low to moddays in part due to continuing deerate yearly income with purchasing bate over the pros and cons of the insurance. Qualifications for subsidies Affordable Care Act. vary from state to state. Those opposed to the law have been Continued From Page 1 skeptical since the beginning. When the initial debate regarding the AfThe healthcare law also prevents fordable Care Act began in 2009, some health insurwere uncomfortance compaable with the speed nies from dropoung people are the at which the bill ping people, was presented and particular targets of denying coverpassed. age or chargThe government these recruitment ing more when promised to release efforts because they are the lengthy bill at they get sick. Additionally, least three days belikely to be healthier... the Affordable fore the vote so that Care Act procitizens would have vides free pretime to read the bill. ventative care and eliminates the difHowever, within less than 24 hours of ferences between the cost of insurance releasing the bill on the government’s for men and for women. website, Congress began the voting However, to compensate process. for these new rules, health Since 2009, there have plenty of insurance companies changes to the law and it has faced must both legal and poi n litical hurdles succrease cessfully, including the cost a Supreme Court of everychallenge. one’s insurOn Oct. 1, ance or find 2013, Washington many new opened the online healthy health insurance people to join the pool. marketplace to the public. The website Young people are the aimed to provide an easily accessible particular targets of forum to apply online for health covthese efforts because erage. they are likely to be Upon the release of healthcare. gov, healthier, and therethe website experienced technical diffore less expensive, ficulties. than their older counterPresident Obama commented on the parts. matter saying, “there’s no sugarcoatThe Affordable ing it. The website has been too slow. Care Act is controPeople are getting stuck during the apversial in part beplication process.” cause it puts ecoObama administration officials have nomic pressure pointed to the overwhelming amount on insurance of applicants as one of the reasons for compathe website’s crash.
Y
“There’s no
sugarcoating it. The website has been too slow.”
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Features
Moderation proves important for working students •
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Virginia Whitsitt ’14
Monday
ployment during the school through Wednesyear are at increased risk of day: Wake up. Go to school. lower grades and higher subCome home. Do homework. stance use.” In this study, Eat dinner. Do more homeBachman defines “long hours” work. Roll into bed. Pass out. as working more than twenty Repeat. hours in a given week. Thursday and Friday: Wake Shorter hours, however, up. Go to school. Go to work. seem to be less of a problem Come home. Do homework. for working students. Senior Eat dinner. Pass out. Repeat. Jason Crawford said, “I work That is my weekly schedas a math tutor at Mathnasium ule. Like many other students for about 10 hours a week. It across the nation, and here at makes my life a little more difSt. George’s, I have a part-time ficult, but it isn’t that big of a job. deal.” It is a common Additionexpectation at St. t is pretty stressful ally, workGeorge’s for stuing also can dents to partake with school and I feel help boost in athletics, clubs, like I don’t have time a student’s service, and other for anything else but confidence leadership opand proportunities, all in school and work.” ductivity addition to strivlevel. Senior Danielle Cafferty ing for high academic achievesaid, “I think that having a job ments. Students who choose is not detrimental to my mento take on part-time jobs along tal health, and might even be with these expectations add helping it. I have less time to another item to their already do homework, but my extra extensive list of priorities. study halls this year makes up Junior Heather Schaefer, who for it.” works at the extended daycare Students at St. George’s have at the Germantown campus opportunities to participate said, “It is pretty stressful with in a wide variety of activities. school and I feel like I don’t However, with great opportuhave time for anything else but nity, comes great responsibility school and work most weekand expectations. days.” According to Bachman, Schaefer is not alone in her working more than twenty feelings. University of Michihours a week can be detrimengan student Jerry Bachman tal to a student’s social and conducted research concernacademic life, ing the life of working stutudents who spend yet like all research, much dents, specifiof this is relacally in terms long hours in paid employment during the tive based on of their acasocioeconomic demic well- school year are at inbackground, being. Bach- creased risk of lower personal habman compiled grades and higher subits, work ethic, two decades and genuinely worth of statis- stance use. the student as tical data from an individual. When it comes some 600,000 high school stuto work, it appears that moddents in order to consider the eration is key. Maybe I should benefits and risks that holding remember that next time I offer a job may have. to pick up an extra shift for my Bachman reported in his boss. study that “students who spend long hours in paid em-
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November
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St. George’s Independent School
Students urged to look beyond college sticker price Virginia Whitsitt ’14
T
he college search is intimidating, but for many students across the country, that stressful experience is only intensified when they see the potentially extortionate cost of yearly tuition for the school of their choice. Where St. George’s prepares its students for all things collegiate, even we are incapable of truly preparing ourselves for the heart-wrenching conversation in which parents plainly say, “You can’t go to [insert dream school here]. We just can’t afford it.” However, there is hope yet. Many dream schools appear more expensive on paper than they are in reality. “For high-achieving, low income students, some of the cheapest places to attend college are the ones with the highest list prices,” wrote David Leonhardt, Washington bureau chief of the New York Times. As it turns out, ‘elite colleges’ receive a large endowment fund, which funds the college tuition for lower to middle class students. Mr. Timothy Gibson, Head of College Guidance agreed, “College is expensive. [The] sticker cost [might be] $63,000, but [colleges] will be quick to tell you that the financial aid package might be $40,000.” Unfortunately, it is the high sticker price that scares many qualified students out of applying for these colleges. According to Leonhardt, “Many low-income families imagine Harvard – or Pomona, Haverford, Wellesley and dozens of other colleges – to be beyond their financial reach. A recent study, [dis-
cussed in “Better Colleges Failing to Lure Talented Poor], that most lowincome students with the academic record to be admitted to such colleges never even apply.” “I don’t know that it’s college costs that freak people out so much as it is the loans that students are having to take out, or they hear the average debt that students are graduating with,” said Ms. Beverly Brooks, who is the Associate Head of College Guidance here at St. George’s. Students are advised to investigate tuition costs thoroughly before discounting any college choices. In September, Wellesley College put forth a college cost calculator that may be helpful for students. “Officially, the calculator applies only to Wellesley. Yet financial-aid policies are similar enough across elite colleges that the calculator will offer a rough estimate of how much families would pay to attend any one of dozens of such colleges,” said Leonhardt. Regardless, college guidance stresses that you get what you put into your education. Mr. Gibson said, “Once you make your final college decision it is about what you do when you’re there. If you go to Memphis, it’s about being the absolute best you can be at Memphis.” Ms. Brooks added, “No matter whether you’re in a class of seven or seven hundred, you can be the one who goes to the front of the room and speaks to your professor and be the one that they remember.”
Seeing what’s real: The reality of body image Zoe Leake ’14
Taylor Owens ’15
“Fat.” “Pudgy.” “Huge.” “I hate my-
self.” Familiar with any of these thoughts? If so, you are not as alone as you might feel, seeing as 50-70 percent of normal-weight teens see themselves as overweight. It is no wonder, really, when our minds are influenced by the constant media flow of public icons who are attempting to establish a ridiculous social norm. According to PsychCentral, one-quarter of icons today meet the weight criteria for anorexia, and models weigh 23 percent less than the average woman. Surprisingly enough, though, the average woman today weighs more than in the 1950’s. Body obsession in teenagers, not excluding young men, seems to manifest itself during the middle and early highschool years. St. George’s, like any other high school in the United States, has its fair share of issues amongst its students concerning the issue of body obsession. According to Mrs. Elizabeth Bran, Director of Counseling and Learning Services, “There have been cases over the years of “students seriously struggling with anorexia, bulimia, over-eating, emotional eating, and exercise anorexia.” These cases were described as “few and far be-
tween” with other problems presenting themselves more frequently throughout the student body. “But much more common is students who are dissatisfied with their bodies, boys and girls, who want to be someone else or fit a certain body type,” said Mrs. Bran. “Weight or fashion often sets the standard for what is popular,” said Mrs. Bran. The media, ranging from Victoria Secret ads to ads for diet and weight loss, have negatively influenced how teenagers view themselves. Despite these detrimental ads, many campaigns have been created to promote body acceptance and peace. Seventeen magazine’s Body Peace Pledge campaign and Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty are campaigns that serve to encourage a love for one’s body and a healthier way of life. As a school, even as a generation, we should commit to loving ourselves, and stay away from using words like “fat” or “pudgy” to describe ourselves or others. Finding peace with your body and not focusing on what is considered as “popular” is the ultimate example of living a healthy life.
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Features 7
Coming home: Former students return as teachers
Lindsey Cayce ’14 Mr. Slatery and Mr. Taylor engage in a riveting game of checkers while reminiscing about their days at St. George’s.
Dagny Vaughn ’14
For many, St. George’s is a magnetic
place. It tends to draw people in with its distinct character and tight community, and after it has sent them out into the world, it often tends to draw them back. For two St. George’s teachers, coming to work is like coming home. Both Mr. Kyle Slatery, Religious Studies and Philosophy teacher, and Mr. Wilson Taylor, sophomore English teacher, attended St. George’s and later returned. Graduating in 2007, Mr. Wilson Taylor was a member of the second class to attend and graduate from the Upper School. “It was a great experience, very student centered and tight knit,” he said, “It was the type of place that was intensely academic, but supportive, much as it is now.” Since there were merely forty students in his class, Mr. Taylor remembers being able to spend a lot of time with everybody. “We had campouts as a class and we went to a lot of football and basketball games,” he said, “It was a pretty chilled out experience.” As a college student, Mr. Taylor attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. “Bowdoin was much bigger than St. George’s, but it was still very similar with its liberal arts education,” he said. “The school really encouraged communication, creative engagement, collaboration- many of the things I learned at St. George’s.” As a History and Religion major with a minor in English, Mr. Taylor always considered being a teacher. However, he had no idea that the future would take him right back to where he began. When asked why he returned to St. Georges, Mr. Taylor admits that it was all very much by chance. “My girlfriend at the time got a job at Hutchison, so I moved back to Memphis. I started looking for jobs here, and ended up with a subbing job for Mr. McGraw,” he remembers. “It really was by chance that a position became available when former sophomore English teacher, Dr. Cort Casey, moved to teach at Christian Brothers University.” Having attended St. George’s as an elementary student, Mr. Slatery saw a very different end to the St. George’s experience. He too admits that many things are still as he left them. “My senior kindergarten teacher, Ms. Field, is still here teaching, and Mr. Ferguson was the headmaster when I was here,” he said. Mr. Slatery also remembers St. George’s as a very exciting place. “We didn’t have a cafeteria then, so when we got one it was an
exciting time,” he said. “My 6th grade year all of our exams got cancelled because we had an outbreak of lice, I played in a band called Vectored Spirits, and one kid got on the Jay Leno show or the David Letterman show.” Besides these special events, Mr. Slatery also remembers participating in Tough Enough, Invention Convention where he invented a rack for roller blades, and his teacher Mrs. Blen who would send kids out of the room if they entered without a smile. Similarly to Mr. Taylor, Mr. Slatery also attended a college much like St. George’s. “At Colorado College a lot went on outside of the classroom. We collaborated with out professors a lot, and they gave you the freedom to pursue your own line of study, but you really had to put forth a lot of effort just to get by.” With a major in Religion, Mr. Slatery did not originally intend on becoming a teacher. “I really didn’t know what I wanted to do, but that’s okay according to my standards,” he said. Much like Mr. Taylor’s story, Mr. Slatery returned to St. George’s by chance. “I was living in Washington D.C. where I worked in an admissions office at a school called St. Alban’s. I decided I wanted to get into the classroom, but there really weren’t any opportunities there at the time, so I started looking around.” When former Religious Studies teacher, Scott O’Reilly, moved to D.C., Mr. Slatery was contacted and he decided to take the position. “It was a really great chance occurrence for me,” he said, “I’m able to teach and work as the head lacrosse coach too.” Though, we may not always be aware of what it is about St. George’s that tends to bring us home, we cannot doubt that there is, indeed, some magnetic force to this place we know and love. “I don’t know exactly what it was that brought me home,” remarked Mr. Slatery, “but whatever it was, I’m glad it did.”
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November
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St. George’s Independent School
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Sports
Coach Whicker wins coaching award
Source: Suzie Cowan Coach Whicker supports the varsity girls’ soccer team at the game for a cure.
Lindsey Cayce ’14
Head coach of the boys’ and girls’ var-
sity soccer teams, Tony Whicker, was recently awarded two prestigious coaching awards. He was named The Commercial Appeal’s Best of Preps Boys’ Soccer Coach of the Year, as well as the Private/Parochial Schools’ Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Coach Whicker has coached the girl’s soccer team to state every year since the program started in 2007 and has won two state championships. The boys’ soccer team has been to state four times since their program started in 2007 and has brought home the title twice. Soccer has always been a part of Coach Whicker’s life. He played club soccer throughout high school before playing at the collegiate level for Belhaven University. His coach there was an extremely influential figure in his life. “My coach was a very godly man and a very relationship-oriented person, which is what I try to be like now as a coach,” Coach Whicker said. After college, he was drafted and played professional soccer for six years. His professional team held camps in the summer, which made him realize that he enjoyed working with kids and this eventually led him into be-
coming a coach. He continues coaching because he loves the process. Coach Whicker said, “I love watching the progression and progress and the end result. I like watching what the players learn and how they grow through the work.” Coach Whicker does not simply teach the “x’s and o’s” of soccer, he strives to subtly teach his players life lessons. “In sports there are so many things you go through, like you go through in life – the ups, the downs, the highs, the lows, the work, and what you get from the work. Sometimes you work really hard and you don’t get what you think you are going to get, but how do you handle that? That’s why I enjoy coaching, I like watching that process,” he said However, try asking him what he thinks leads to his team’s continuous success, and you will receive a humble reply. “I’m just blessed,” he admits. It is not his ability to understand the game, or the relationships he creates with his players, or the extra forty-five minutes that are tacked on to normal practice times. Coach Whicker simply believes that, “God has given me an opportunity to do something and I feel completely blessed to be in the situation I’m in. So I don’t want to take credit for anything that goes on, I think it’s the Lord.”
Two fencers size each other up.
Source: Courtney Harshbarger ‘15
Fencing fights its way into St. George’s Leah Hodgkiss ’15
When you walk into a St. George’s
sports practice, two students poking each other with swords is not what you expect to see. However, this is the typical in the life of the members of the St. George’s fencing team. Fencing was introduced to St. George’s by former student Jake Doan, and current captain, junior Courtney Harshbarger, who joined forces to create an official team. “[Jake] had been trying to start a team for awhile, but no one did fencing. I practiced at the same place as him, so we were both excited when I came to St. George’s,” said Harshbarger. The basic goal of fencing is to poke the opponent with a sword five to fifteen times, depending on the bout (the fencing equivalent of a tennis match). Fencers try to reach this number without being touched themselves.
While this may sound dangerous, participants are covered in padding at all times. “We look like astronauts,” said Harshbarger. All competing individuals wear a large mask that covers the entirety of the face, a bib that covers the chest, and pads that cover the rest of the body. Practice for the St. George’s fencing team occur at the Collierville Arts Academy on Mondays and Wednesdays. It is a year-round sport, and welcomes new and interested fencers continuously. In order to join, prospective fencers must go through a quick introductory course where they are taught the very basics of how to fence. This year’s team consists of Harshbarger, junior, Josh Walker, and sophomore, Alex Merino. When asked why she liked to fence, Harshbarger’s answer was quite simple: “I like getting to stab people.”
Football starts young at St. George’s
Regan Hewitt ’14
In the United States, particularly in
the South, football is undeniably popular. The passion for the sport starts very young and many elementary school boys grow up playing football, whether in the backyard or on a school team. The boys on the fourth grade St. George’s football team are no different. Coach Scott Franklin, the head coach of the current fourth-grade team, said, “The three coaches – Coach Hayden, Coach Williams and myself – had kids who played together in the GFL. So, we decided to start a team.” By the start of the 2011 football season, there was a CrossCheck St. George’s second grade football team, who played “up” in their league, meaning that these second-grade boys were playing third-grade teams. Currently, the team boasts 19 St. George’s students. Many of these students have been playing together for multiple years. “They’ve really learned to work together and that’s so great to watch,” said Coach Franklin. The fourth graders are completely focused during their practices and strive to work together as a team. Their practice consists of independently running plays
and practicing drills, while still paying attention and learning from their coaches. “I like games better but practice can be fun,” said Dallan Hayden, one of the team’s running backs. It is obvious that the practices are paying off. The team is playing excellently this year, hoping to measure up to their 10-0 record from last year’s season. Thir record is 5-0 as of October 24th. However, Coach Franklin wants his players to realize that winning is not the most important aspect of the game. “We want to see kids improve year after year. I mean, it’s fun to win, certainly, but we’re preparing them for future football experience, like playing in high school.” said the coach. The majority of the fourth-grade players confirmed that they want to continue playing football through at least middle and high school, if not professionally. Wilson Whittemore, the quarterback, said that he wants “to go pro in baseball and football.” When Coach Franklin gently told him that might be hard to go pro in both sports, Whittemore just shrugged. It is the true St. George’s ethic shining through, even in the youngest athlete – dream big and work hard.
Fourth-grade football team runs defensive drill at practice.
Regan Hewitt ’14
November
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St. George’s Independent School
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Sports
9
Girls’ cross-country victorious at regionals for second time On October 23rd, the St. George’s Varsity Girls’ Cross Country team placed first in the Shelby Country Regional Championships. The team is now a twotime regional champion team, having placed first in the 2012 Regional Championships as well. Junior Caroline Cannon (4th ), sophomore Sarah Suddoth (5th), sophomore Francesca Healy (6th), and freshman Caroline Farrell (9th) medaled by placing in the top ten. Cannon broke her current school record of 21:02 with a time of 20:56 for the 5k, and 6 of the 7 female runners received personal records. The St. George’s Boys’ Varsity Cross Country team placed 3rd in the Regional Championships, with senior Steven Joe placing 10th. The two teams will compete at the State Championships in Nashville, Tennessee at the Percy Warner Steeplechase Cross Country Course on Saturday, November 2nd.
Golf team takes the gold at the state tournament.
Source: Josh Warlick
“Perfection, perfection!” Boys’ golf team brings home state championship Maggie Courtney ’14
The St. George’s golf team “[We] still played bad before, this year is arguably the best so we knew we weren’t going team ever to have stepped on to slip-up that bad.” campus. With a record-breakDuring state, Hirschman’s ining win streak of 52 and 0, it is dividual state title was between only fair to say this year’s team him and two other people from deserves some recognition. USJ and ECS. There was a oneThroughout the season, there stroke difference the whole was a medalist in every single tournament and on the last match or tournament played. hole, Hirschman said, “I pretty On the overall season, senior much knew I had to make the Walt Kearney said, “Perfec- putt, and I did, so I won.” tion, perfection!” This season Some of the seerfect way to end was marked niors’ favorite in high school golf — by success matches included after sucgoing undefeated and the Fellowship cess, which of Christian Ath- winning state.” would not letes tournament have ocat Windyke, where the team cured without a confident, shot nine under on eighteen united team. holes and the Gryphon InvitaOn ending their last season tional. At the Invitational, the of high school golf, Warlick team beat Evangelical Chris- said, “[It was a] positive seatian School by around seven- son, a good way to go out,” and ty strokes and both Houston Hirschman said, “Perfect way High School and Christian to end in high school golf — Brothers High School by over going undefeated and winning twenty strokes. state.” The team continued their As this extraordinary season streak throughout state, where comes to a close, the seniors they won first place with se- can only hope that what they nior Grant Hirschman placing have accomplished will live on first in individuals. On the first throughout the years to come. day, the team was surprised They leave next year’s team to find they were only beat- with hope that teams to come ing Knoxville Webb by eight come will, “Carry on the trastrokes, but their confidence dition of having a strong St. never faltered. George’s golf team.” Senior Josh Warlick said,
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ZoË Leake ‘14
Volleyball goes to state Continued From Page 1
Smith added, “It’s not a lot of telling people what to do, we have three captains and we all work to be leaders on the court.” All the girls get along on and off the court and they all are there for each other. Wood said that one of her favorite things about this team is that they all get along really well, but are all extremely competitive. Being close and trusting your teammates is an extremely important aspect of the game. Sope Adeleye’16 commented on how
rambunctious fans affect her playing by saying that, “There comes a point where you just tune out the crowd… the only thing you can hear is your teammates.” This team is incredibly talented and as player Sophia Quesada’16 said, “I don’t think we realize how good we are.” The volleyball team had an outstanding season and placed as runner-up in the state competition. Taylor Owens’15, said, “We are so ready for next year. We still want to ‘get it back’.”
Committed to college
Compiled by Taylor Owens ’15
Mia Bargiacchi ‘14 Gymnastics University of Arkansas
Connor Green ‘15 Baseball University of Mississippi
Grant Hirschman ‘14 Golf University of Oklahoma
Roxanna Wood ‘15 Volleyball Elon University
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November
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St. George’s Independent School
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Student Life
Students share campus with wildlife
St. George’s remains unique as you step into its woods and wetlands. The woods on our campus are full of flora and fauna. On a normal day, you can spot families of deer prancing through the trees. They can also be seen drinking water at the lakes and at the Wolf River that runs through campus. Red cardinals, robins, blue jays, mourning doves, sparrows, warblers, and other birds can be heard singing and calling in the trees. Mr. Bill McClain Tall grasses and A deer decides to call the collierville Campus home. reeds surround the lake, where swans, mallard ducks, Julia Spinolo ’15 and fish swim. Hickory, oak, sweet gum, and maple trees are found in As all of the members of the St. abundance in the woods, and they George’s community well know, provide homes to birds and squirour school is anything but typical. rels.
Mr. William McClain, Sustainability Coordinator and science teacher, has spotted some remarkable species on campus. “Bobcats and wild turkeys are very reclusive animals and work very hard at avoiding human contact. The fact that they are residents here on campus indicates that we have done a good job of minimizing our footprint and leaving a pristine habitat for these species.” Mr. McClain has seen bobcats both in the woods and around the buildings and boardwalks. He has also sighted about 20 turkeys at once below a ridge in the woods. Snakes are also a fascinating part of the ecosystem here on campus. “There have been many different types of snakes spotted on campus from harmless corn snakes, rat snakes, and king snakes, to venomous snakes such at cottonmouths and copperheads,” says Mr. McClain. A few years ago, he was out in the woods with his Environmental Science class, when a
student spotted a large snake close to the group. Mr. McClain responded appropriately with, “Holy moley, that’s a cottonmouth!” The St. George’s Conservancy goes mountain biking about once a week and does trail maintenance as needed. “It’s fun to get outside, bike, and be in nature with my fellow St. Georgians,” says Chris DiNicolantonio, class of 2015. Cross-country and track runners also take advantage of the trails through the woods. “It’s majestic to run out there, it feels like you’re in Terabithia,” said Hallie Gillam, class of 2015. Junior Kathryn Heard agreed, saying, “It’s such a privilege that we can take advantage of the woods and the great trails we have on campus. It’s definitely something that other schools don’t have, and it makes us unique.” The woods and wildlife at St. George’s, the trails, lakes, rivers and the people who enjoy the environment truly make St. George’s an extraordinary place. If you get the chance, I encourage you all to experience our ecosystem for yourself, and appreciate it fully.
St. George’s-isms: Unique features of the upper school
Caroline Cannon ’15
Anna Marie Beard ’15 Caroline Cannon ’15
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utside of the library, there is a model farm. It is older than anyone here, and it has quite a story. The farm’s proper name is “Uncle Julius’s farm,” and it is older than you, your parents, and even perhaps your grandparents. “Uncle Julius,” its creator, is actually a member of the Brown family. He was a World War I veteran, crippled during the war. This farm is his legacy. He crafted it himself, carving each figure and assembling the system that makes it move. The farm came to this school from a museum in Connecticut, thanks to the efforts of the Brown family and Mr. JP Culley. It is still very dear to the Brown family, and is a powerful reminder of the past.
Caroline Cannon ’15
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or the average student, the wetlands surrounding St. George’s Collierville are shrouded in mystery. One such mystery is the case of the outdoor office. Up until now, the outdoor office had only been a hint of a rumor. The story lies deep within the forest, where few have dared to go; yet a desk has been found. It is a fully stocked office desk, complete with an outdated computer, plugged into nothing. There is nothing else around this mysterious desk, nothing to indicate any purpose. Very mysterious… Anyway, if you ever want to know
something about the woods, Mr. Gorham is the man to see. He knows every trail, and has cleared many of them himself. He is also the sponsor of the new St. George’s Conservancy Club, dedicated to the maintenance and management of the wetlands. Unsurprisingly, he has known all along about the mystery desk. Apparently, he is the one who put it out there and was suprised it had been found so quickly. It turns out that the desk and computer are what he calls a, “guerilla art project.” It is symbolic of “staying unplugged.”
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Lindsey Cayce ’14
ave you ever wondered why there is a stuffed bear just down the hallway from the library? Or how it came to be there? The bear came to St. George’s from Dr. Wilkinson, the grandfather of a former student. On one hunting trip, he killed a bear, and promptly had it stuffed. Dr. Wilkinson then donated it to St. George’s. Apparently, this is not as strange as one might think. Schools receive gifts all the time; the swordfish in the main middle school stair arrived under similar circumstances. Either way, the bear is a part of the St. George’s community and we are glad to have it. (In writing this article, it has come to our attention that this bear does not, in fact, have a name. If you are a middle schooler and would like to suggest a name for the bear, email us at gryphongazette@sgis.org)
November
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St. George’s Independent School
Student promotes one million minutes of service
Calla Michalak ’14 holds a bag of rice, where each grain represents one minute of service.
Leah Hodgkiss ’15
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he idea of a Million Minutes of Service is a new one to the community of St. George’s, though it is a program sponsored by the federal government that has active participants everywhere. Simply put in the name of the program, the goal is in fact for the community as a whole to log one million minutes of service collectively. It was college guidance counselor Timothy Gibson’s idea to initiate this program in the St. George’s Community. Calla Michalak, senior, was speaking to him one day about ideas for her Senior Independent Study (SIS). Gibson, being a definite enthusiast for the program, steered Calla in this direction. He needed
help spreading the word and getting more people within the community involved, in order for everyone to actually set out and put forth effort to reaching the goal of one million minutes of service in the 2013-14 academic year. Calla never expected to have to deal with something as frustrating as the government shutdown, though, which makes things more difficult not only for her and her SIS, but for the program on a federal level as well. With the government shutdown came the shutdown of the program’s website. This prevents people from logging on and recording their amounts of service, as well as preventing people from reading about the program on an official website. One million minutes is quite a lot. However, Calla and Gibson believe that with the right amount of participation and effort from the community as a whole, it is definitely achievable. When questioned about what would happen if the St. George’s community did reach one million minutes, Calla had an interesting answer. “Something very exciting. Right now, my focus is on getting people started and involved with the program, rather than looking ahead to the finish line.”
Service opportunities widen for students Molly Courtney ’15
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t. George’s offers many opportunities to serve the community. Whether they are ongoing or one-time events, many students and teachers participate in the variety of service opportunities. Something particularly special about the service here at St. George’s is that it is mostly lead by the students. Students create organizations, meet outside of school, and promote their service ideas. This year, many student organizations have risen in order to serve the community. Juniors Emma Irby and Maria Kramer created the Lovin’ Lebonheur Club that engages students in various activities at the FedExFamilyHouse. Senior Catie Wilcheck and junior Madeline East are in charge of the Smile Train Club, which raises money to pay for a child’s cleft palate surgery. Junior Owen Miller and senior Zoe Leake lead the Shrine School Club, where members go to the Shrine School a couple times a year to help and entertain the children. While these are only a few of the many service clubs, many more are yet to come. I, along with a team of interested students, am in the process of creating the Women of Hope Club in order to promote Women of Hope International, which educates disabled women in Sierra Leone. St. George’s is a wonderful place to get involved in service. Service binds us together as a community since we all work together for a greater purpose.
Trendy at St. George’s
Compiled by Anna Marie Beard ’15 and Caroline Cannon ’15
Caroline Cannon ’15
Girls - Sheer shirts - Maxi skirts - Linen pants - Saddle oxfords
Source: Kathy Knowles
The Class of 2024 showed off their theatrical talents in October by performing their very own play, “Goin’ Buggy.” Bailey Boone starred as Miss Muffet.
Guys - Collared shirts - Shorter than necessary shorts - Cole Haan Gunnisons
Caroline Cannon ’15
All Students - The plague - Tardies - Procrastination - Stress - Food scavenging
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Student Life
11
A path to go somewhere Preston Vihlen ’15
W
e all know that one person who knew exactly what they wanted to do since they were in kindergarten. That’s all fine and dandy, but what about the rest of us who have no idea in the world where we want to go for our college experience, or if we want to go to college at all? It is such a frustrating decision to make at a young age because it is what will influence the rest of our lives. Where we will go for college, what we will declare as a major, and what career we will pursue when we finally graduate and are set free into the world. So the big thing we wish to know is how in the world do we not stress out about this daunting question, and how do we discover where we want to go to pursue our passion? Thankfully we don’t have to go through this process completely alone. We all have the ability to seek out help to point us in the right direction. The best help is provided to us here at St. Georges through the excellent duo of Mr. Timothy Gibson and Ms. Beverly Brooks who head the College Guidance office and help ease the pressure of going through the college process, or maybe just life in general. They give excellent advice for all of us who do not know where to start our search for what we want to do in college and later on. Ms. Brooks said, “I recommended to get outside experience,” and Mr. Gibson advised students, “to go into the college process with an open mind.” They both touched on the topic that students should definitely know what they are looking for in a college. Ms. Brooks also said, “If you can’t think of the things you do like, my experience with teenagers is that you can think of the things that you don’t.” Of course it gets truly difficult when we have no idea what we want to study in college, and that makes the college search that much harder. But what we need to understand is that it is absolutely okay to go into the college experience undecided. Ohio University released a statistic that says about one third of students go into their freshman year of college undecided. There are plenty of steps we can take to decide on what we want to study in college. One big thing would be to go get experience in some way. Many people have done this where they study abroad for a summer, or attend a writing camp. This way, they will get a feel of what they like to do and what they dislike. All of these experiences will help them discover what they truly want to do. The most important thing to understand when going through the college process and studies is to follow what you love. Whether it be graphic design, chemical engineering, or Spanish, colleges will make sure to make your studies relevant and prepare you for future careers.
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November
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St. George’s Independent School
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Student Life
student programs Homecoming Court 2013 New emerge at St. George’s •
Lexie Marotta ’15
S
t. George’s has always had an outstanding extracurricular program. However, the new student activities program set up by Mrs. Kelly Majuri this year separates these extracurriculars into three categories: student organizations, clubs, and academic teams. The following are a few organizations that have been created by students at St. George’s that aim to provide service and educational opportunities for students.
Homecoming court dons rain boots to brave the muddy football field during halftime of the homecoming game. From left to right: Madeline East ’15, Hallie Gillam ’15, Elizabeth Powe ’15, Shelby Sims ’14, Mia Bargiacchi ’14, Catherine Cantu ’14, Lindsey Cayce ’14, Maddie Skudder ’16, Sophia Quesada ’16, Keely Cox ’16, Grace Optican ’17, Caroline Farrell ’17
20 Fantastic Facts
Kellen Young ’14
As we approach the
halfway mark of the school year, many of us often feel overwhelmed. The main idea of school is to provide students with a full education, but a healthy serving of interesting factoids can help the rigors of school go by more easily. So when you parents ask, “What did you learn today?” you can say something with a little more flare and flavor than a math formula.
6. The word laser is an acronym for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.”
print odd objects like food and biologic tissue or organs.
15. Technically, every 7. The Amazon Rainforest person’s electrons repel produces half the world’s objects at a distance of oxygen supply. 10^-8 cm. Therefore, you are always hovering. 8. The correct past tense form of “dare” is “durst.” 16. Green is the color used for night vision goggles, 9. In Australia, there is a because it is easiest for golf course pond with live humans to distinguish sharks that were washed different shades of it. in during a flood. 17. Peanuts are important 10. Mexico’s first and curingredients in dynamite, 1. Chocolate milk was inbecause the oil is used to vented by an Irish physi- rent official name is the “United Mexican States.” make Glycerol in Nitrocian, Sir Hans Sloane, in glycerine or gunpowder. the 1680s. 11. German chocolate 18. The average person 2. You can only taste food cake is actually named after it’s creator, Sam Gerfalls asleep in seven minif it is mixed with saliva, man, and is not related to utes, but the ideal time is otherwise it is unrecogGermany. between ten and fifteen nizable. minutes. 12. Some jellyfish are 3. Every time there is a biologically immortal, 19. Nearly, 4.7 billion full moon, you see the and can regenerate cells people watched at least exact same side of the indefinitely. part of the 2008 Summer moon. Olympics, more than half 13. Carrots were original- the world’s population. 4.Tennessee borders the most states with a total of ly purple, but the modern vegetable has an orange 20. In 2007, a clam, named eight. genetic mutation. Ming, was identified as the oldest animal to have 5. You spend roughly 14. Scientists have devel- ever lived at 405 years thirty minutes blinking oped 3D printers that can old. every day.
Investment Club Eric Matula ’16 and William McBride ’16 lead this newly formed club with Mr. Aaron Thompson and Ms. Rhonda Charnes as faculty sponsors. Club members are educated about how the investing world works, especially the stock market. Each member is given an allotted sum of “money.” Throughout the year, members track their investment return and analyze the success of their investment strategies. Heifer International The Heifer International Organization works to provide animals and tools to impoverished countries in order to teach citizens new skills and provide a better way of life. This year, Roxanna Wood ’15 and Taylor Owens ’15 run Heifer International and are hoping to raise funds for the organization as well as educate the community about Heifer International. Owens said, “We plan to take part in a learning program, known as “Read to Feed,” and use it to educate the younger students at the Lower Campuses.” Seasons of Service This club strives to touch the local community with handson seasonal service experiences. Each season, members complete a different service project involving the community. The first fall service project will be writing letters to World War II veterans who
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are flying from Arizona to Washington, D.C. to see the World War II monument. Two sophomores, Katherine Clayton and Alexis Margaritis, created this club with the help of their faculty sponsor Mrs. Leah Allison. Flying Gryphons This club’s goal is to promote interest and knowledge of aviation while serving the St. George’s community. The student organization will perform aviation related activities throughout the school year. This club will give important responsibilities and tools to its members that they will use in the future such as organization, communication, and most importantly, leadership. Korean Club The Korean Club helps to enlighten students on the culture, traditions, recent news, music, and food of both North and South Korea. Its founder, junior Sarah Moon, says, “[I hope] it will be not only a good learning experience for everyone, but a fun and appealing club.” Veterans Club The goal of this club, founded by junior Daniel Hutchison, is to help support veterans by going to the VA Hospital and either talking to the veterans or helping out around the hospital and VA cemetery. The slogan for the club is, “Support those who fought to protect our future.” St. Georges Conservancy The St. George’s Conservancy was created by Mr. Brendan Gorham to help students get involved in the woods around the school. It involves a variety of outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, and gardening. Junior Anna Marie Beard currently heads the Conservancy.
Seasons of Service logo Source: Alexis Margarites ’16