The Lodge Issue 6.3

Co-Editors-In-Chief

Anna Schmiedicke ‘23

Sienna Lightman ‘24

Arts Editors

Trinity Cannon ‘23

Erin Johnson ‘23

Photography Editor

Seth Taub ‘23

Design Editor

Natalie Howard ‘23

Web Editor

Hannah Morrison ‘23

Copy Editors

Mary Beth Skelton ‘23

Livi VanSteenberg ‘25

Social Media Editor

Emily Zhao ‘24

Staff

Mayyadah Alzaben ‘23

Libbie Davis ‘23

Reese Dlabach ‘23

Jordan Giles ‘23

Reagan Goodwin ‘23

Ella Straub ‘23

Lauren White ‘23

Darryl Williams Jr. ‘23

Kate Winstead ‘23

Olivia Vitale ‘24

Kirklyn Moore ‘25

Abbi Whitehead ‘25

Adviser

Mr. Zack Adcock

Cover Photography by Darryl Williams Jr. ‘23

About Us:

The Lodge and gryphonlodge.com are dedicated to serving as an unbiased and authentic voice for the students of St. George’s Independent School. We at the Lodge 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. The Lodge is affiliated with the Tennessee High School Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. The Lodge is funded by advertisers, donors and St. George’s Independent School and is published once every eight weeks during the school year by schoolprinting. com. The Lodge prints and distributes 300 copies of each issue to 700 students and faculty on the St. George’s Collierville campus. Bylines indicate the primary writer(s) of each article, and additional contributors are indicated in the shirttail. All of our content is written, edited, and designed by our staff unless otherwise clearly stated. The Lodge provides free advertising for student clubs, events and activities and paid advertisements for local businesses. The Lodge welcomes letters to the editor and article submissions. To submit a letter, article or request for advertising, email our staff at thelodge@sgis.org.

Memphis is a city with a unique culture made up of a diverse blend of foods, music and language born from a combination of countless communities.

Despite the diversity our city represents, the Memphis community often feels overshadowed by the devastation that comes from violence and tragedy.

Haley Gilmore, middle and upper school Wellness coach and Assistant Boys Varsity Basketball Coach, explained that despite not being directly affected by the violence in Memphis, her family is still very much impacted.

“Just the fear that exists because of recent newsworthy events … it’s easy to kind of hide behind that. [Thinking] ‘well, that happens to other people, right?’” Coach Gilmore explained, “More recently, that hasn’t been something that’s been comfortable enough to make you feel secure.”

Because St. George’s is made up of students and faculty that are able to undertsand the

Findingjoydespite acomplexnewscycle

current news, the community feels compelled to address everything that happens in Memphis.

In order to facilitate openness in the community, St. George’s has to navigate these complex conversations with specificity and care.

Junior Kewan Randolph explained that sometimes certain topics are overshadowed by others.

“There are some topics that we talk about but then there are some topics we don’t talk about,” said Randolph.

He feels that the school only addresses the things that garner big headlines. While having the school step in helps facilitate conversations, some students don’t seem to truly engage and connect.

“There are people that are sympathetic, but there are some people that are just like ‘oh it’s Memphis, it’s going to happen,’” said Randolph.

Following the murder of Tyre Nichols, solidarity has grown in the grief and desire for change among citizens of the Memphis community.

Andre Lott, Assistant Athletic Director and Head Varsity Foot-

ball Coach, commented on the impact these events have had on the Memphis community.

“I think a lot of people [were] affected by the events that happened… you don’t expect something like that to happen in your own city, but it’s definitely very dangerous,” said Coach Lott.

Finding ways to deal with the pain and grief of the seemingly endless hardships faced in Memphis is a burden that not only impacts adults but also falls on the younger people in the community.

“It’s all about social media and seeing what people post… [people] are hurting that this is happening constantly in a city that we live in, and most of us have lived in since we’ve been born,” said Randolph.

As technology continues to evolve, the access to limitless information can feel suffocating when it seems like there is a constant cycle of suffering.

“I wasn’t being bombarded constantly by social media, updating me on this murder, or that tragedy or this global catastrophe…y’all have a lot of stuff that’s coming to you,” Coach Gilmore said.

Balancing such a massive inflow of content with school, extracurriculars, friends and family is a tedious effort. Managing content that carries such weight adds a whole new level.

“That…can be really hard to process, especially when you’re not even fully developed, like, how does a sixth grader process that differently than a twelfth grader?” added Coach Gilmore.

To combat the ever-present

negativity that comes with social media, outlets expressing appreciation for Memphis have erupted across social media.

Marques Cook, creator and CEO of Unapologetically Memphis media platforms, shared that the goal of the unapologeticallymemphis Instagram page is to show the positives in our community.

With the abundance of news outlets that already cover crime in the city, Cook wants to “keep [their] audience informed of the happenings of Memphis, but also not let that be the main focus of the page.”

By “[trying] to find the positivity in the city rather than just [focusing] on the negativity,” he aims to “bring [the Memphis community] together through knowledge, education and of course laughter.”

“I feel we are connected to the community culturally,” said Cook. “That was part of the reason we created Unapologetically Memphis. We wanted people to see Memphis’ life and culture from the lens of a black person and learn the unique, yet fascinating, aspects that make people fall in love with the culture of Memphis” explained Cook.

Cook’s goal appears to have been achieved, showcasing the parts of Memphis that students in our community enjoy.

Junior Roselyn Higareda is one of the many St. George’s students who follows Cook’s content on his unapologeticallymemphis Instagram account, and explained that it is important to go and enjoy the positives of Memphis.

By Reese Dlabach

Illustration by Kate Winstead

Photography by Darryl Williams Jr.

“It’s just going out and just doing the stuff that’s around, like the barbeque fest, … like Memphis in May” she said.

Engaging in activities in the community ties everyone together. “Music and doing stuff around Memphis, like Beale Street Music Fest … I feel really connected whenever I go,” shared Higareda.

Opportunities for people all across the Memphis area to come together serve as reminders that it’s not all bad. One of the most well known and adored of these is the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team.

“The Grizzlies, the grit and grind, [that’s] the kind of thing that we build up as a city.” explained Coach Lott.

As Memphians come together to build up the city, people also build up each other, creating a tight-knit environment.

“[The Memphis community] is like a family… when you have that family environment, you care about every single person in that community and the events that go on.” Coach Lott continued.

Memphis is a city with rich history, most famously known for its role in the Civil Rights Movement and the life and death of Martin Luther King Jr. In more recent history, Memphis has garnered a reputation as one of the most dan-

gerous cities in the United States. This status creates discrepancies between the way Memphis is viewed by the people who live here and the way Memphis is viewed by outsiders.

Cook explained that the unapologeticallymemphis Instagram account was originally started to showcase businesses and events happening around the city.

“It evolved into much more as we began spotlighting the different neighborhoods, language unique to Memphis (Memphis slang), etc. People became so intrigued with the history of the different neighborhoods,” he said.

Providing not just Memphians, but also people outside of the city, with information and insight about daily life in Memphis helps expand its image to a more accurate representation of what it truly is, instead of just a city plagued by violence.

The recent controversy surrounding Ja Morant unfortunately perpetuates the violent image of Memphis seen by people outside of Memphis. The NBA suspended Morant for eight games following an Instagram live where he showed a gun while at a nightclub, describing Morant’s behavior as “conduct detrimental to the league.”

This kind of behavior is not

only dangerous, but it has serious consequences because of Morant and the Grizzlies’ massive following. This creates a complex combination of feelings: disappointment because of the reinforcement of the negative perception of Memphis despite having a platform with the power to make it positive, but also sympathy because the Grizzlies is an organization that will have its faults – just like any other.

Following his suspension, Morant has opened up about steps he’s taken to correct his behavior and start his healing journey. Morant shared that he felt like he was releasing stress in an unhealthy way and is now seeking treatment to deal with his stress in ways that are better for his mental health.

The image of Memphis is not a problem that can be solved with a few quick changes. It’s a continuous and ever changing obstacle. Taking strides to combat it is a constant process.

“Violence and police brutality have become common issues in the black community. We cannot allow TV shows, music, and movies to depict how black people are in life and have people believing that we are a threat,” Cook said.

As in every city, Memphis has its faults, but the people here eagerly embrace not only the aspects of the city they love, but also the people.

“Despite where we rank in terms of crime and poverty and all these lists that the media likes to put out…The people here are great people. They fight hard and I love it.” said Coach Gilmore. “I truly believe there’s more good in this city than there is bad. I’ve seen it, I feel it. Those things are the ones that are newsworthy.” she continued.

Leaning into the tight knit community that is already so strong can ultimately push Memphis in a positive direction.

“I think uplifting each other and supporting one another and being a space of safety…I feel like that’s a huge thing for our school community,” explained Higareda.

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s last speech – colloquially referred to as “The Mountaintop Speech” –given in Memphis, he stressed the importance of coming together to help each other.

“We’ve got to stay together. We’ve got to stay together and maintain unity,” said King.

The people of Memphis know better than anyone that enacting real change comes from joining together and pushing forward as a united community.

How does neurodiversity affect our school’s population?

disorder can be especially chal lenging within the school setting.

Forbes shared her observations about the treatment of neuro divergent students, specifically autistic students.

diverse] people… that I have observed at the school has been a very difficult thing to witness. It’s been really rough with too many of the students,” Forbes said.

By highlighting neurodiverse

Monk added that people misun derstand the behavior of neurodivergent individuals, especially when they are experiencing what is known as overstimulation. Ac-

cording to the Oxford Dictionary, overstimulation is when an individual is stimulated psychologically or mentally to an excessive degree.

“Their behavior is a reaction to the overload. They are not being disrespectful and neither are they trying to be disruptive in a classroom. They’re simply coping with the situation that they’re in,” Dr. Monk said.

Misconceptions can also come in the form of using terms incorrectly or misinterpreting aspects of disorders. Mr. Johnson, who has OCD and ADD, addressed common misconceptions surrounding these disorders.

“I think a lot of times people think that [ADD] means that you’re always like bouncing off the walls… and in fact, you can be a very quiet still person and have trouble focusing on reading or gathering comprehension,” said Mr. Johnson.

Another disorder that was frequently brought up was OCD. A common misconception is that OCD revolves around being orderly and neat. While that is true in some cases, the disorder can be much more complex than neatness. Some habits that were mentioned by HelpGuide.org were excessively checking things (locks, ovens, etc) and “doubters,” who fear that something terrible will happen if things are not done just right. These actions can be bothersome to these individuals and are beyond impulsive thoughts.

Molly Gorham, who has OCD, shares some insight into her experience with the condition.

“I know a lot of people will say ‘Oh I have to organize this like I have OCD or something,’” she said. “That can be really frustrating because I’m sure [that] maybe you do have an obsessive compulsion to organize, but it might not be the disorder [since] it’s a lot more than organizing.”

Gorham also discussed how other people have watered down a

common struggle with OCD.

“When someone describes lighthearted thoughts as intrusive thoughts in comparison to impulsive thoughts, it downplays the effect they can have on people physically and mentally,” Gorham said.

When asked about our community’s resources and support, other than some misconceptions, there was an overall positive response.

However, there are ways to fight back against these misconceptions. Forbes suggested a way the school can do that.

“I think providing more figures who are neurodivergent… would just combat those misconceptions.”

verse may have theirs amplified in a setting where disorders are easily misunderstood and not accounted for. It is more valuable to place effort into working together to create an environment where everyone has the chance to grow and be supported.

What can we do to support the neurodiverse community at our campus? Dr. Monk presents a classroom solution.

“[The classroom] becomes a universal design, so rather than labeling students as neurodiverse, we just take a classroom and make sure that the classroom fits all of the different learning styles and learning needs of students,” Dr. Monk said.

Mr. Johnson suggests the school do this by “making students and faculty … aware [that]we have students with these particular situations in our groups.”

and that in itself is a great step towards making a better and more supportive community.

Want

Eighth grade history teacher Traci Erlandson manages to turn her OCD and ADD into a positive. In her eyes, it can even help with student-teacher connections.

“[It] helps me to be able to relate to [my students] on a more personal level and help them see that they don’t, they can’t, and they shouldn’t be using it as a crutch,” Ms. Erlandson said.

On the topic of addressing neurodivergence, she also adds, “I feel like we could be a little bit more thoughtful on how we approach it through how we do character-building lessons… just talking about different learning styles.”

Dr. Monk also encourages that we see neurodivergence as more than a limitation.

“Sometimes we automatically put labels on them, and start talking about the things they can’t do as opposed to looking at it as being a positive and accepting the fact that all brains are different.”

Every person has their struggles, but those who identify as neurodi-

Ms. Erlandson added that we should address it directly with students.

“It could be approached in an advisory capacity, and then teachers need to be aware of who’s dealing with what and make sure that they’re observant about if… ridicule or targeting is happening so we can make sure to stop it, and then have a conversation with whoever the kid is,” she said.

Gorham adds that being supportive and respectful of others is highly important.

“It’s just important to always be supportive of everyone around you, and treat everyone with kindness and respect.”

Neurodiversity is an extremely complex issue, but there is no need to make a big deal out of someone’s condition. In Gorham’s words, “[making] a big deal out of it or [drawing] more attention because that can make it a lot worse.”

It is important to understand the background of neurodivergent people and their specific needs,

“Sometimes we automatically put labels on [neurodiverse students], and start talking about the things they can’t do as opposed to looking at it as being a positive and accepting the fact that all brains are different.” - Dr. Brenda Monk

Dress to Express

Students find stylish workarounds to the new uniforms

By Livi VanSteenberg

The uniform is a new concept at St. George’s, consisting of three different colored tops — red, black and white — plaid, tan and gray skirts, tan and gray pants and shorts and a couple of quarter-zip pullovers. These limits on clothing offer a degree of simplicity to designing a wardrobe. Some students may feel these uniforms stifle their creativity; many middle and upper schoolers, however, have been able to incorporate their personal styles into the uniform.

Junior Thomas Densford was one of the first students to look over the male uniform when it was announced.

“I wasn’t a fan of [the uniform],” he said. “I expressed concerns to some faculty in the school.”

Densford [left] is pictured posing in cuffed khakis and a red, slouchy sweater with the lapels of his St. George’s shirt tucked in.

Densford — despite his initial reservations — looked for ways to incorporate his style in between the polo shirts and khaki pants.

He explained, “I experiment where I can… just trying to stretch the boundaries or the rules while still staying in them.”

“I’m a big fan of personal expression… [A higher level] of self-expression isn’t really allowed anymore,” said Densford.

Ninth grader Halligan Bulthaus, a recent transfer from a local public school, said she felt like her own person in her uniform.

“I feel like an individual in a group of people. I feel connected to a group of people while still feeling like an individual, specifically with our uniform because it’s very fluid.”

Her school wardrobe mostly consists of cardigans and Dr. Martens, with striking, hand-drawn eyeliner in the shape of twinkling stars.

Bulthaus [right] is featured posing in her uniform, a black cardigan and vibrant rainbow socks standing out against the monotony.

“I’m not that much of a confident person, but my makeup allows me to be more confident, and it allows my style to be more reaching, so I don’t tone it down if I am a bit worried about the environment or the people I may be around,” she said. “It’s helped me change my style… and find different styles.”

Thomas Densford ‘24 poses in cuffed khakis at the picture window.

Halligan Bulthaus ‘26 poses, showing off her rainbow socks and Dr. Martens.

Photography by Livi VanSteenberg

Freshman Haley Jeanne Webb spoke on the way she expresses herself.

“I’m a complete hippie, and it goes with environmental care. I like to preserve everything, so I designate a lot of my style and my outfits to that, and a lot of my jewelry too,” she said.

Webb’s style blends casual and dressy; she has layers of necklaces and bracelets on — including a large gem-toned pendant that jingles as she gestures — over a baggy cream hoodie with a large tote bag. Her clothes are indicative of her style with earthy tones and a braided hair wrap tucked behind her ear.

“I definitely think it brings the school together a lot more, and it is unifying to have a dress code,” she said.

Even with restrictions on her dress, Webb still manages to stand out with a kind of confidence that she only really discovered this year.

“I used to care so much, and I’d even dress down and sacrifice what I liked… I’ve really discovered myself, and I am completely free and don’t care about what other people think anymore.”

Sophomore Mary Frances Forbes, a Gryphon since she was six months old, has seen St. George’s in all its phases, now including the uniform.

“I was obviously not a vote to have a uniform,” she said. “I’ve been around St. George’s, I’ve seen all of the discourse regarding dress code and I think that to minimize a lot of conflict… the uniform was necessary.”

“I don’t really know how to define my style, but it’s usually darker,” explained Forbes. She poses [left] with her guitar, a large rhinestone drop earring prominently featured.

“A good thing about the uniform is that it’s helped me explore accessories a lot more. Big earrings, pearl necklaces, and makeup [are] very big thing[s] for me” she said.

Within a highly limited uniform, there is still pressure to conform further, particularly for female students.

“I feel like I can only wear a skirt,” Forbes remarked. “I’m having to zero in on what’s being presented to me.”

It can feel overwhelming, trying to navigate a sea of nearly-identical, school crest-emblazoned hoodies and shirts after years of fluidity and choice. Pink and yellow have been replaced with red and beige, blouses can now only take the form of whatever a Feminine Fit Short Sleeve Tech Mesh Polo is. It’s difficult to style Irvington Flat Front Dress Pants. Some people don’t care and that’s perfectly fine—personality is about the willingness to find a way around boundaries. Students have had to adjust from colorful patterns and different styles to just three: typical london day gray, somewhat free choice khaki, and might be ECS plaid.

Style rarely exists in a vacuum, and often doing what you can with what you have is equally indicative of your personal flair as having infinite options. Uniforms may limit a student’s options, but these students prove that personal style doesn’t end when they step into the school.

Mary Frances Forbes ‘25 poses with her guitar on the St. George’s beach.

Haley Jeanne Webb ’26 poses by a collapsed tree, feeling at home with nature.

Painting the Picture

An Introduction to our Visual Artists-in-Residence

EditorialNote:Thoughthisstoryfocusesonthevisualarts,the“artists-in-residence”titleencompassesmusicalartsandtheatreart teachersaswell.ThisstoryisthethirdinaserieswehavewrittenthisyearontheseartsprogramsattheSt.George’sColliervilleCampus.Seeissue6.1forfeaturesontheAmericanMusicEnsembleandTheatreArts.

By Natalie Howard

Our artists-in-residence here at St. George’s consistently learn with their students, creating new ways to make learning fun and interactive daily, but what does “artist-in-residence” even mean?

The term “artist-in-residence” allows art teachers to promote their artwork and produce art outside of what they primarily teach, while also educating kids with different lesson plans.

Fine Arts Department Chair Mrs. Allison Webb described St. George’s uses this title as interesting.

“It gives credence to the fact that we are working artists, so we are not only teaching but also working on and honing our skills outside of the classroom,” she said.

According to Mrs. Webb, the ability to create with her students instead of just teaching “enhances the experience of everyone in the classroom.”

While the term sounds prestigious, St. George’s has deemed it appropriate for our school’s art teachers. Mrs. Webb and Mr. Danny Broadway, another one of our upper school art teachers, have made quite the mark at our school.

While she is mainly a painter, Mrs. Webb dabbles in many art forms but has always had a passion for fashion.

“I paint and I sell my artwork and all that kind of stuff. And then I also really like to sew. So my original passion, before I became a teacher, was put in that direction or that trajectory.”

Before teaching at St. George’s, Mrs. Webb studied in Florence,

Italy, at the Florence Academy of Art, and later became a middle school art teacher. Yet she expressed how the transition to teaching high school emphasized the varied needs of different age groups.

“Oftentimes, middle schoolers tend to be more creative because they don’t care. Upper schoolers tend to be more self-guided in their art,” she said.

Mrs. Katy Simmons-Carroll, the middle school art teacher, has had numerous experiences with both age groups. She agrees with Mrs. Webb.

“Middle school is a little wilder, but I find them to be a little more willing to try something new. I sometimes think that high schoolers, they’re calmer. But they already know what they’re good at, so they’re not as willing to jump into something new and not be so good at it,” she said.

Mrs. Simmons-Carroll had many teaching opportunities at schools such as Dexter Middle School and a high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. She names both experiences as exciting and a privilege to do.

She said, “It’s both a reward and a challenge.”

As great of a teacher as Mrs. Simmons-Carroll is, she is also an active artist learning every day and challenging herself in and out of the classroom.

“I’ve done shows in New Orleans when I was there. Most recently, I’ve made jewelry, and I’ve done a couple of Memphis Modern Markets and things like that. I’m still trying to balance. I’m committing more of my planning time during the school day.”

Many students find the artists-in-residence to be understanding while also persistent.

Senior Juliana Carpenter is a

student in Mrs. Webb’s Pottery A class, a beginner-friendly class, and Pottery B, a more experienced class. Carpenter describes her experience in Mrs. Webb’s class as a positive one.

“She’s super hardworking, kind and encouraging” she said.

The Memphis Botanic Gardens, Memphis Brooks Art Museum and Playhouse on the Square are just some of the many places Mrs. Webb’s creative work has been showcased. As a mom of two, she has doubled back on creating as much as she likes to concentrate on her family.

“To focus on my family, I’ve

had to take a couple steps back. I dabble here and there but mostly watch after my littles. It’s important for my daughters to see me. I like pursuing my passions, because I want them to grow up and be women who are confident enough to pursue their own passions.”

However, she mentioned how much she looks forward to returning her art to total capacity when her children grow a little older.

“I’m going to be excited for the time when I get back to that. But right now it’s just sort of something that I’ve had to set to the side for a little while because my littles are important.”

Mrs. Webb throws clay with her Upper School pottery class.

Photo by Seth Taub

She isn’t the only art teacher with big things on the way. Many people don’t know about the work Mr. Broadway does and what he is involved in outside of his title at St. George’s. As a Memphis artist, Mr. Broadway has been commissioned to create an original work of art that will become the official poster for this year’s 2023 Beale Street Music Festival, as announced by Memphis in May.

Mr. Broadway identifies George Hunt as one of his main inspirations. Mr. Hunt, who died in December of 2020, created the poster art for Beale Street Music Festival for 28 years before his passing. While Mr. Broadway has his work cut out for him, he is honored to be selected this year and looks forward to creating more never-before-seen artwork for the show.

“I am honored to be selected to create the art this year. George Hunt was one of my mentors, and his shoes are difficult to fill. I hope to honor his legacy but with my own stylistic twist,” he said.

While even the most famous artists endured trials and tribulations throughout their careers, sometimes artists and their work

go overlooked. Mrs. Webb emphasized the impact of the work-life balance is one of the obstacles for working artists.

“There is sometimes a culture around schooling where students forget that teachers have a life outside the classroom,” she said.

Mrs. Simmons-Carroll agrees, going deeper into the teaching culture and how her peers can sometimes unintentionally ignore the arts or use it for their lesson plans.

“Sometimes, being an art teacher, there’s a sense that your job exists so that other teachers can have a planning period.”

At times, she has felt unwelcome by teachers in all subjects, even in the arts, but St. George’s has progressively made efforts to increase the seriousness of the artist-in-residence title.

“In my experience as an art teacher, oftentimes artists haven’t taken me seriously. And sometimes, neither have teachers. It was an uncomfortable liminal space to occupy.”

Mr. Broadway, while experiencing the same feelings, believes St. George’s fully supports him and his art.

“[St. George’s] takes me and my art equally serious.” He continued, “it allows room for me to grow.”

Mrs. Webb spoke more about how her title has allowed her to create what she wants when she truly wants.

“The artist-in-residence title allows instructors to use their skills as artists to better their teaching performance.”

Mr. Broadway and Mrs. Webb agreed when asked how well our school balances its creative freedom and teaching styles.

“The school tends to be respectful of our growing artists and the constant changing and growing they dabble with throughout their career,” Mr. Broadway said.

The title has also had an impact on Mrs. Simmons-Carroll. St. George’s has allowed her to own her art and increase the importance of the art program.

“The title of artist-in-residence has given me permission to take my own work more seriously, while also acknowledging the value of my contributions to

the St. George’s community as a member of the faculty. Although I am still working to find balance, this experience has been revolutionary for me as a person.”

Creativity comes fluently to our artists-in-residence, and the ability to be in such a field has been a blessing, according to Mrs. Webb.

“I think we’re all grateful for this title. There’s really nothing else like it.”

Mr. Broadway etches clay for a sculpture.

Photo by Sienna Lightman

Mrs. Simmons-Carroll checks over her student’s art during a middle school art class.

Photo by Seth Taub

The Cap-tivating Dynamic of a St. George’s Senior The Many Hats of Jamez Jordan

By Trinity Cannon

When walking the halls of St. George’s, no matter how big the sea of people may be, it’s always easy to spot a certain senior thanks to his booming voice and contagiously bright personality.

Some know him as the class president while others recognize him as an actor in the lead roles of Frozen Jr. and Beauty and the Beast, both highly praised St. George’s theater productions from earlier this year.

If you haven’t guessed already, our star senior is Jamez Jordan, and he’s way more than meets the eye.

Merriam Webster defines a “wearer of many hats” as an idiom that describes one that has many jobs or roles.” A more common expression would include “jack of all trades” although its continuation, “master of none”, makes this phrase only half applicable when describing Jordan. This professional is a master of steadfastness- a quality that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Since middle school, Jordan has been an active member of the St. George’s football, track and field and wrestling teams. As of right now, football is his main focus.

“I been playing football since I was a little boy. I think the first time I played for a team was when I was five, so I’ve been playing ever since. It’s just that it’s a sport you can’t replicate anywhere else.”

Jordan placed first in the region as a defensive lineman his junior year, and this year he was named First Team All Region and First Team All Metro.

Sports aren’t the only thing Jordan tackles in life. In his spare time, he’s busy balancing the All Southwest and All State Honor Choir.

The All Southwest Honor Choir is a compilation of the best singers in the southwest regions of Tennessee. “You have to go audition and listen to four pieces of music and they take specific parts of the music and you have to learn it. After that, you wait for them to get back to you usually a month after. And that lets you know if you made it or not.”

Top scoring members within All Southwest are afterwards selected to be a part of All State. “It’s a collection of the best singers around Tennessee. I made All Southwest four times and I made All State once.” Jordan recalls his recent experience in All State. “We preformed at Opry Mills Orpheum. We stayed there for four days and we practiced for eight hours a day.” Although it sounds like hard work, Jordan takes this challenge head on. “Hard work pays off. The better the pool of singers are, the better the potential is to make better music. If you can make music better, you can be more inspirational to the audience. Just by being in the spirit of it and being in the midst of all those singers and you’re singing your

part, but you essentially become one voice overall.”

As far as the future goes, Jordan is confident in his path. “I’m going to major in business management,” said Jordan. He’s begun his process. For his Senior Independent Study, a passion project that also doubles as a graduation requirement for all St. George’s seniors, Jordan started his very own company.

“I own a moving business called Accountable Movers of Memphis. I started roughly right before Christmas my junior year.”

The entrepreneur credits his dad with inspiring his start to begin his research.

“I looked it up and I was like, alright this is something that I could do. It was also something that I could afford.” Jordan admits things weren’t easy at first. “I didn’t get my first job until March 2022. So, for months I was working on paperwork and just getting my name out there to the big moving companies like U-Haul, Movers Elite, etc. The customer calls them and I’m a third party vendor. So after the customer calls them, company calls me.” His hard work pulled through and as of now, his company is extremely successful.

“I got to the point where I don’t really do normal jobs anymore. Most of my jobs now are like VIP relocating somewhere. That’s when a company has sent down someone they want to move into Memphis, or out of Memphis.

And they’re paying for the whole trip and I’m just helping them to load or unload to wherever they’re going.”

As most would say, confidence and proper planning is definitely key to making goals a reality. Leveraging his time meaningfully has led this senior far. To keep track of all these activities this senior has a method.

“Every Sunday night, I go through my schedule for everything and map out what times I’m going to do everything.”

This guide has served him well throughout middle and highschool. Even so, this lifestyle doesn’t come without difficulties.

“Making sure I’m putting as much time into my extracurriculars as I do in school is the most pressure I face doing all this.”

His steadfast optimism makes these struggles worthwhile.

“You only live once. This is probably the only chance I have to do everything that I want to do, so I’m just going to do it now,” said Jordan.

The concept of time is also a major playmaker in this busy teen’s life.

“I don’t want to miss any opportunities now and regret it later,” said Jordan.

If you feel yourself drained from constant ‘what if’s’ and ‘I wish-es’, try and take a page from this senior’s book: focus on what you believe you can achieve and seize the day.

1) Photo by Bella Taylor ‘23

2-4) Photography by Seth Taub

Illustrations by Hannah Morrison

1) Jamez Jordan ‘23 preforms as the lead in Beauty and the Beast.

2) Jamez Jordan ‘23 on the football field.

3) Jamez Jordan ‘23 pins down an opponent during his wrestling match.

4) Jamez Jordan ‘23 performs “Bridge Over Troubled Water” during the Spring Choir Concert.

TAKE BALLGAME! THE UT T ME

The St. George’s softball team sees new changes on and off the field.

By Emily Zhao

The softball team is making a comeback. Though the team has been historically small, St. George’s is revamping the program to make their softball team bigger and better.

Senior and first baseman Madline Clarke remarked that new changes have taken place on and off the field.

“We are doing a lot more conditioning, a lot more strength training to build our stamina which I think is great, and [our coach] is not going easy on us,” said Clarke. “She’s really holding the hammer down and holding us accountable and not treating this team like a joke.”

Jessie McGuire, Head Varsity

Softball Coach, added that the team is working on improving their communication skills.

“Communication is something we have really started focusing on hard this year,” she said.

Not only is the team expanding, but St. George’s has improved facilities for the team to utilize.

Coach McGuire also noted the installation of a new turf bullpen.

“We will be able to use [the new bullpen] whether it’s been raining or not. Last year, we had issues with [the old bullpen] flooding, so the girls are really excited.”

Excitement is a recurring theme this season.

Sophomore and right fielder Jada Olende shared what she is

looking forward to this year.

“I am excited for the new team members to feel the joy that we feel as seasoned players, and for us to be a team and a family,” she said.

Junior Avah Lareau, a catcher, also shared her excitement about the new developments this season.

“I am very excited for all the new things we are getting… The new bullpen is… a really big deal for me… We also got completely new uniforms. And there [are] also just so many new people so it’s like an opportunity for people to play different positions,” she said.

Coach McGuire is also optimistic about having a larger team.

“This year we’re able to… start with more difficult things. So instead of teaching [the players], like, ‘Hey, you run from first to second when the ball is hit’, now we can teach them other things like… taking more risks, and pushing them in terms of pitch locations… trying to hit the ball in different spots instead of just making contact,” she added.

There are also changes taking place off of the field, like a push for more attention to the softball program. The softball team has historically been a lot smaller than the baseball team, and according to some, less represented.

“The baseball boys...[went] to Florida during spring break to do more scrimmages. The softball

Jada Olende ‘25 speeds to home plate.

team doesn’t get that opportunity…we’re not really getting those chances,” said Olende.

Will Bladt, Interim Athletic Director, shared the St. George’s athletic travel policy.

“The school will fund one outof-town trip (transportation and hotels) per varsity sport for a 3-day duration,” he said.

Regardless of the softball team’s travel situation, Lareau agreed, expressing the difference between the representation of the baseball and softball teams.

“I don’t think I’ve really heard anybody talk about softball unless you play the sport.” Lareau said, “There are always a lot more people at the baseball games and the only people in the stands at the

softball games are parents.”

To try to get more people excited about softball, the team increased its social media presence.

“We have an Instagram account to post our workouts and fun videos and pictures to try and get people to see it on their phones because… it’s gonna help us get a crowd … [which is] something we are really working on,” Clarke said.

But arguably, the biggest change this year is the sense of community that the team has built.

“I like that it’s such a wide range of people who are [playing this year]... there [are] freshmen and there [are] also

seniors and people who haven’t played and there [are] people who [have]. So we get to talk to everybody and it also helps us like talk more in school… It’s a nice support system,” expressed Lareau.

Clarke expanded on the fact that the team works to build a community.

“Every time we’re on the field we make it as family-like as possible and… [be] as encouraging as possible,” added Clarke. Coach McGuire mentioned importance of building a strong support system for the team.

“The girls are really good at supporting each other in terms of … like everybody makes mistakes. It’s okay. Yeah. And

saying, hey, let’s just have fun, like, it’s gonna be okay,” she said. Though they might not get the recognition they desire, the softball players know that they will always have each other.

“I think not winning as many games allowed us to appreciate each other more because that’s what we had, whether we won or lost,” said Olende.

Gracye Thompson ‘24 reaches home plate.

Melissa Villa ‘26 makes a break for third base.

Photography by Jordan Giles

The Experimental Class of 2023

What’s the difference between the seniors and some guinea pigs?

By Erin Johnson

Ever since eighth grade, when the school replaced the annual Six Flags trip with a trip to Camp Widjiwagan, the Class of 2023 has felt like Adam, Bree and Chase. If you don’t get the reference, it’s from a show called “Lab Rats”, a good nickname for the seniors.

2019 was the start of the senior’s freshman year, and when all seemed to be going well, COVID-19 hit in March 2020 and everything stopped. With this, we slowly saw the Class of 2023 fall into what feels like an endless hole of frustration.

Next came junior year. That year, we weren’t given a Junior Retreat even though pretty much all of the COVID restrictions had been lifted. Then, to top it off, the eighth grade St. Louis trip had been brought back for the Class of 2026.

Now this year, the Junior Retreat has been reinstated for the Class of 2024. On top of that, the Upper School lounge was off limits as it was turned into the robotics practice area. Now, it is a conference room.

Nearing the end of junior year, the Class of 2023 began to prepare for the long awaited choosing of the prefects for our senior year. Prefects are seniors chosen to represent certain aspects of our school community such as student connections, academics, diversity, athletics, chapel and the arts. Everyone was excited to see who the student body would elect to represent them at a higher leadership level, but when the time came, we were all blindsided.

The administration announced through an email that there would be an application process and that the students could only apply for one prefect position. The year before, you could apply to multiple prefect positions. On top of that, students did not have a voice in electing their prefects; this was up to the past prefect of that position to choose.

In years past, a Google Form would be sent out to the Upper School, with every senior’s name listed under each of the prefect positions they wanted to run for. The student body would then vote for who they wanted to represent them in those positions.

The Class of 2023 felt utterly blindsided by this change and wasn’t sure how it would work. It felt like the faculty was also confused on how the process should work.

Multiple seniors have said that in their interviews for prefect, the prefect in the position they were interviewing for wasn’t even there, and the amount of people in their interviews varied from person to person.

Prefects weren’t the only leadership positions that we were robbed of.

Typically, the Bleacher Creatures will their titles to the rising seniors. But this year that changed. Rather than making a decision based solely on the input of last year’s Bleacher Creatures, the decision was made by the Athletic Department while taking into account the last Bleacher Creatures’ suggestions.

Along with Prefects and Bleacher Creatures, as seniors, we’ve grown and evolved in more ways than just through our leadership. We’ve also grown creatively. The last four years have been spent building up our own individual

styles and finding what works for us and makes us stand out.

So when the school announced that we would be transitioning into uniforms for the 2022-2023 school year, a lot of students were understandably upset. No group of students, however, were more upset by this than the Class of 2023.

While there were a few students ready for the change, the majority were not fans of having to spend at least 100 dollars on uniforms for only one year of high school. This is yet another way the senior class feels we’ve been cheated.

It’s not just about the uniforms though. As I said earlier, leadership positions and trips have been taken away from us. Even if it is all just one big coincidence, it still hurts to feel like your class has been kicked to the curb in favor of others.

There’s probably plenty of other things that the Class of 2023 has had taken away from them, but in the end, it’s our final year and after feeling like we’ve been kicked around, we’re just glad to be graduating and starting the next chapter of our lives.

OPINION POLICY: The Lodge opinion section is a venue for the free expression of the student views at St. George’s Independent School. The opinions represented in this section are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the Lodge staff or of the St. George’s community at large. The Lodge strives to be an open forum for the thoughtful and deliberate exchange of comment and criticism and therefore welcomes letters to the editor. Letters to the editor will be printed in the opinion section of the newspaper, should not exceed 300 words and must be signed and accompanied by a verifiable email address. These letters will not be printed if the content is judged obscene, violates the privacy of others or encourages physical disruption of school activities.

Illustration by Kate Winstead

Exam Exhaustion

Stressed and depressed: a critique on the current exam policy

By Emily Zhao

Picture this: you stayed up late last night, cramming for your big exam today, but you woke up with a pounding headache. You go to school hoping the pain will subside, but it only worsens.

As you take your exam, you feel sickness creeping in, and the headache impedes your ability to focus. Exhausted, you slog through the exam, too ill to properly think about each problem. You fail.

You didn’t do anything wrong – you studied hard, showed up on time and tried your best – but you still failed. Isn’t it so frustrating that your grade dropped because of a situation you couldn’t control?

Exams are a wildly inaccurate illustration of a student’s academic prowess. There are many external factors that can influence your mindset on exam day: a death in the family, an illness or a study session into the wee hours of the morning – the list goes on and on. The broader context in which you take your exam is completely out of your control.

Plus, exams don’t account for people’s different skill sets and learning disabilities. Some students fly through classwork but struggle with tests, while other students can do really well on a test with a minimal understanding of the subject. It all boils down to whether students are good test takers or not.

Classwork, discussions, projects and experiments are much more representative of a student’s understanding of a subject. A year’s worth of grades is reflective of

you as a student, whereas an exam is only reflective of you in that moment.

If you can’t control the context in which you are taking the exam and the exam is only two hours out of your many months of being a student, then why should it determine so much of your grade?

As most St. George’s students know, exams are 20% of your grade in the Upper School. That

might not sound like much until you actually do the math. In order to keep the grade you have in that class, you need to score that exact grade on your final exam. For example, if you have a 95% in a class, you would need to get a 95% on your exam to keep a 95% in the class.

Isn’t that frustrating? Though you can master 95% of a unit,

it’s so hard to completely master 95% of all of your coursework and show that on the exam while not making any careless mistakes. You work hard all semester just for your grade to inevitably drop after taking your exams.

But St. George’s is home to high achievers who refuse to let their grades drop over one week of exams. As a result, they will pull hours-long study sessions, take minimal breaks and stress themselves out attempting to keep their grades high.

Though these tactics may increase students’ chances of achieving their desired exam grades, they are wholly detrimental to students’ mental health.

For example, the Mayo Clinic lists the effects of high stress on your body and your behavior, including headaches, fatigue, sleep problems, disordered eating, social withdrawal and substance abuse. Plus, the Sleep Foundation states that all-nighters “can harm your thinking and cognition, your mood and emotions, and your physical well-being.”

In short, students sacrifice their mental and physical health to achieve unhealthy, unrealistic expectations for their exam grades. Exams are a singular two-hour instance of a student instead of a year-long portfolio, and the context in which students take their exams is completely out of their control. So, why should they have such a large impact on a student’s final grade?

STAFF EDITORIALS represent the opinion of the editorial board. Letters to the editor in response to the editorial are encouraged. The Editorial Board: Anna Schmiedicke, Sienna Lightman, Erin Johnson, Trinity Cannon, Emily Zhao, Livi VanSteenberg, Natalie Howard, Seth Taub, Hannah Morrison and Mary Beth Skelton.

Dear readers,

I can say, with full confidence, that signing up for Newsmagazine Journalism at the end of my sophomore year has been one of the most important decisions I have made throughout my high school career. And now my time with The Lodge has come to an end.

If you don’t know me already, my name is Anna Schmiedicke and I’m one of The Lodge’s two co-editors-in-chief. I’m a senior who will be, at the time of this publication, graduating in less than a month.

Like the majority of seniors, I’ve been spending a lot of time recently reflecting on my highschool experience, and I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t leave The Lodge without any acknowledgement.

To an onlooker, my position on the staff might seem a bit odd. I take as many STEM classes as my schedule allows and I plan to major in engineering in college, so how did I end up on the staff of a newsmagazine?

If I’m being honest, I couldn’t really tell you, but I do know that it’s made me a much more complete person.

This letter, more than anything, serves as a thank you to everyone who has read this far. Putting your work out in the world is a scary thing, but it’s a scary thing that I like to do now. In my time with The Lodge, I’ve learned to accept criticism and be okay with people not liking my work. But, more importantly, I’ve learned just how many people are thinking the same thing as me and staying silent.

That, to me, is the reason for this letter. Thank you all for giving me the platform to share what I’m thinking, whether it’s my favorite songs on Taylor Swift’s new album or my thoughts on the ethicality of standardized testing being factored into college admissions.

I wouldn’t have wanted to do anything else with my last two years of high school. So, to all of the staff members and readers, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Signing off, Anna Schmiedicke

OPINION POLICY: The Lodge opinion section is a venue for the free expression of the student views at St. George’s Independent School. The opinions represented in this section are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the Lodge staff or of the St. George’s community at large. The Lodge strives to be an open forum for the thoughtful and deliberate exchange of comment and criticism and therefore welcomes letters to the editor. Letters to the editor will be printed in the opinion section of the newspaper, should not exceed 300 words and must be signed and accompanied by a verifiable email address. These letters will not be printed if the content is judged obscene, violates the privacy of others or encourages physical disruption of school activities.

class of

Anna Schmiedicke wills running The Lodge to Sienna Lightman. Lauren White wills being the grade’s resident horse girl to Kate Barton. Libbie Davis wills having the best showmanship on the cheer team to Payton Carstensen. Hudson Downs wills being the most steeze to Jordan Thomas. Emerson Schaffer wills high spirit to Profe Sedeño.

Reagan Goodwin wills being the funniest person at SG to Rosy Higareda. Erin Johnson wills the imaginary word “transportate” to Emily Zhao.

Britt Ferguson wills his #2 jersey to Ayaan Aman.

Madline Clarke wills being the cheer team’s designated hair goddess to Payton Carstensen.

Virteryious Reddick wills I love you to Virteryious Reddick. Mariah Nellessen wills her stash of sparkly highlighters to Payton Carstensen.

Justin Bourdeau wills DN to Jordan Thomas.

Caleb Degan wills having the coolest car at SG to Jake Bello. Reese Dlabach wills the square root of Reese squared to Reese Regner.

Huffman Smith wills being the best Smith at SG to West Smith.

senior wills

Bella Taylor wills the Baking Club to Lily Anne McCollum. Jordan Giles wills being the pro soccer nerd to Will Love. Sophia Barry wills being the best softball manager to Ella Coons. Walker Hawkins wills being Head Lacrosse Manager to Darryl Cooper.

Megan Yost wills being the best upcoming tennis star to Elise Pate.

Abigail Finch wills being Cypress team leader to Kiki Finneran. Seth Taub wills being the favorite Taub to Ari Taub.

Mary Caroline Collier wills being the best Collier to Maddie and Jane Collier. Elizabeth Kilmurray wills Bess White’s wig to Kate Barton.

Deacon Larson wills being the best Larson in the history of the world to Arabella Larson.

Natalie Howard wills being captain of the Winter Cheer Team to Zaria Wilkes.

Mary Wilkes Dunavant wills wandering the halls to Zay Poindexter.

Kate Winstead wills giving rides to underclassmen after tennis to Sydney Murray.

Hannah Morrison wills managing The Lodge’s website to whoever has the fortitude to deal with it. Mary Alice Murphy wills being the soccer captain who never touches the field to Rosy Higareda. Ella Curran wills being an Ella twin to Ella Keane.