The Lodge, Volume 1 Issue 3

Issue 3, volume 1

May 15, 2017

Sidelined by concussions Student athletes speak out

ziggy marley Exclusive interview

Coming out of the Darkness One student’s struggle inspires her activism

The

Lodge St. George’s Independent School 1880 Wolf River Blvd. Collierville, TN 38017

Photograph by Katelyn Grisham

th e

S TA F F Co-Editors-in-Chief Miriam Brown ’17

Annie Vento ‘17

Advisor Dr. Margaret Robertson

Editorial Board Carolyn Lane ‘18 Annie Murff ‘18 Bayard Anderson ’17 Laura McDowell ‘17 Caroline Zummach ’18 Iona Yates ‘17 Merryn Ruthling ‘18 Dawson Smith ‘17 Katie Boyle ‘17

Designers Laura McDowell ‘17 Katie Boyle’17 Carolyn Lane ’18 Kaitlyn Bowman ’19 Katelyn Grisham ’18 Will Brown ’19 Faith Huff ‘17

Photographers Rachel Ducker ’17 Faith Huff ’17 Katelyn Grisham ’18 Matthew Blum ’17

Illustrator Elle Vaughn ’17

Reporters Regine Miller ’17 Lauren Purdy ’18 Emma Bennett ’19 Annika Conlee ’18 Bart Mueller ’18

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Featured Stories

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About Us The Lodge is dedicated to serving as an 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 Scholatic Press Association. The Lodge is funded by advertisers, donors and St. George’s Independent School and is published once every six weeks during the school year by schoolprinting.com. The Lodge prints and distributes 300 copies of each issue to 700 students and faculty on St. George’s upper school campus. Bylines indicate the primary writer(s) of each article. Additional contributors are indicated in the shirttail. 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.

St. George’s Independent School 1880 Wolf River Blvd. Collierville, TN 38017 Tel. 901-457-2000

T

PRESTON TRUELOVE

Bart Mueller

KIRBY BETCHICK

“I keep my books that we’re not using at the time, and if I get any food in the morning or drinks I keep that in there and anything I might need for lacrosse.”

“I use my locker about once evI’m really

ery couple weeks, but

excited about the locker bay

GRIFFIN GILLIAM

transformation.”

he St. George’s Bunkhouse. A place of service, citizenship and now, the home of innovation. There, a group of juniors created a plan to revolutionize study spaces at St. George’s as early as next year.

On the last night of the junior trip to the Bunkhouse, students were asked to come together in groups to brainstorm ideas for school improvements to be presented to the Head of School, Mr. J. Ross Peters.

One group in particular came together to focus on a major problem: the lack of dedicated study spaces. While St. George’s has several spaces for students to gather, the group felt that most were either too noisy for silent study or were not always available for use.

All throughout the night, the group brainstormed solutions.

What they came up with was a plan to remove the lockers from some of the locker bays in favor of study spaces open to all.

The new spaces would likely include a bar on the back wall with comfortable seating that was also useful for study.

The group picked junior Dalton Reese to present for the group, so when the rest of the group retired

for the evening, Reese tirelessly worked on the presentation. The following morning, Reese presented the idea to his classmates and Mr. Peters.

Mr. Peters was intrigued.

“What I really liked about the way Dalton was thinking, [the way] that group was thinking, was about how we take advantage of potential that we already have and how we make it something better,” Mr. Peters said. “Reimagining that space to me is exciting. It gives us something to play with.”

Since his presentation at the Bunkhouse, Reese has spearheaded the project.

“It was a group thing, but I have really taken it on,” Reese said.

Reese followed up with Mr. Peters, meeting with him as well as other members of school staff about the logistics of making the project a reality. “[Mr. Peters] was really supportive of it,” Reese said. “He was really good about hearing me out and hearing why I think we can make this work.”

After several meetings, it was decided that one locker bay will be converted next year, with the ultimate goal being to convert all of them in the years following.

“I want to do the bay closest

HARRISON MULLANEY

“I couldn’t even tell you where my locker bay is.”

“I am concerned because every day I use my locker, and I store all of my books and all of my binders in there.”

Photographs by Iona Yates and Bart Mueller

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Junior Dalton Reese browses a furniture catalogue in anticipation of the coming change to the locker bays. Reese has spearheaded the project.

to the science labs,” Reese said.

“We need more study space upstairs than we do downstairs right now because we already have the two lounges, so I thought starting it off upstairs would be a good pilot for next year.”

Funding for this project will be quite limited in the pilot run, but more funds will likely be directed towards it if it proves successful, according to Mr. Peters. Reese is working with Director of Advancement Mr. Jay Philpott to reach out to families who own businesses affiliated with the school that can help fund and support certain areas of the project.

“Part of this is like any pilot idea, if it works great, you double down on it,” Mr. Peters said.

Of course, the community of those who use their lockers often may be impacted negatively.

“I am concerned because every day I use my locker, and I store all of my books and all of my binders in there,” junior Harrison Mullaney said.

However, many students at St. George’s do not use their lockers, and therefore will not have their daily lives obstructed by this change.

“I couldn’t even tell you where my locker bay is,” junior Griffin Gillam said.

Reese is not too concerned about losing some of the school’s lockers, as he believes most people can do without this storage. As for those who cannot, the project does not call for the elimination of lockers altogether, and there will be locker space available for those who need it.

“I think less than half of the people in every grade use their lockers on a day-to-day basis to where they don’t use it to a point where they couldn’t give it up,” Reese said.

Reese has high hopes for the project as it takes its first steps this summer.

“It’s going to be a change, it’s going to be different and I’m really looking forward to it,” Reese said.

Photograph by Carolyn Lane

ONE NATION, UNDER GRYPH

School spirit goes mobile at St. George’s

Senior Alton Stovall announces Gryph Nation to a crowd of students as fellow innovator senior Isabel Correia looks on. The app was revealed to the student body with much fanfare, including a band and free popsicles.

W

Carolyn Lane hile at Victory Ranch, senior Isabel Correia had an idea: diversify student life and spirit at St. George’s. She didn’t know how to do it, but she was determined.

Now, 13 months have passed, and Correia alongside seniors Alton Stovall, Grace Bennett, Mason Walker and Assistant Director of Student Life Mrs. Emmy McClain have revealed Gryph Nation, a student-run, school-spirit app.

“The function of Gryph Nation can be summarized in one simple phrase: earn points, get rewarded,” Stovall said during the app’s reveal on Wednesday, April 26.

“Using the app, you will now be able to check in and get rewarded for attending school events you would already.”

Gryph Nation uses geolocation and a point system to reward students for attending school-sponsored events, such as games, theater productions and service opportunities.

When creating events on the app, one of the student administrators defines the edges of an event’s

location, such as the pool for a water polo game or the tennis courts for a tennis match. Anyone hoping to receive points for a specific event must be inside of that geographical boundary when they press check-in on the app’s events page, a facet which prevents students at the soccer field from checking into a game at the baseball field.

Alongside geolocation, the app uses a tiered point system to bring up attendance at less popular events by rewarding more points for attendance at certain events.

“Our basic structure is that JV sports get a little more than varsity, and then middle-school sports get a little more than high-school sports,” Correia said. “Within the sports, a cross-country meet will get more points than a home football game, or away games will get more points than home games.

There’s lots of different tiering.”

Once students collect points, they are able to exchange them for prizes in the St. George’s Spirit Shop or with Flik Independent School Dining. Some prizes include skipping the lunch line

when at the top of the leaderboard or getting 20 percent off any purchase at the Spirit Shop.

Mrs. McClain is hopeful that this rewards system will diversify student involvement.

“I know that the sports will automatically do fine, but I think it’s going to bring greater support of those other programs like recycling with Elle [Vaughn] on Wednesdays,” Mrs. McClain said.

“I think that it’s going to build community around some of these other smaller projects that people are working on.”

Junior Bennett Matson, who was elected as Student Government President for the 2017-2018 school year and will play a role in coordinating events on the app next year, believes the app will make school events more entertaining.

“It’s gonna make sports games a lot more interactive for the students,” Matson said. “It will hopefully lead to better experiences, not only for athletes to have their friends come out and go see them, but it will really highlight some of the sporting events or theater

events that are usually overshadowed by some of the bigger ones and give them a spotlight of their own.”

According to Correia, the purpose of the app is to bring recognition to all events, no matter what current attendance is.

“We don’t want to take away student spirit from popular events,” Correia said. “We want to recognize and support their peers in all of the endeavors that we do and are involved in in the St. George’s community.”

A poster advertises the brand new Gryph Nation app. The app was developed to promote school spirit.

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Making Melodies

Ziggy Marley joins all-star lineup at Beale Street Music Festival Annie Vento and Iona Yates After months of anticipation, the day finally arrives: you head into Tom Lee Park, which seems to have transformed overnight into a carnival for music, you pass funnel cake stations and local artist booths and make your way to the stages. From hip hop to reggae, alternative rock to pop, you know that this weekend will be filled with countless performances by bands and singers you have heard on the radio. As the lights dim and the music begins, you yell out in excitement, ready for a weekend you will never forget.

The 41st Annual Beale Street Music Festival, from May 5 to 7 at Tom Lee Park in Memphis, marked the start of the month-long Memphis in May festival. The festival will include subsequent events like the International Salute to Colombia, the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, 901Fest and the Great American River Run. Ziggy Marley led the lineup for Beale Street Music Festival, or Music Fest, and performed on its final day. As the son of Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley got his start in his family’s Jamaican reggae band, The Melody Makers, which included his parents, Bob and Rita Marley, and siblings Sharon, Cedella, and Stephen. He later went solo with his first album, “Dragonfly,” in 2003.

Marley’s Beale Street Music Festival concert was distinctively calmer than any other concert that weekend. Ziggy radiated good vibes and had a unique way of connecting with the crowd through his music that seemed to touch everyone deeply.

Musician, author, entrepreneur, actor and activist, Marley dives into every endeavor head-on. Although he is best known for his music, he aims to spread love through his musical messages, his activism and his company, Ziggy Marley Organics.

“It’s inside of me to do these things,” Marley said in an exclusive phone interview with the Lodge about his inspirations for branching outside of music to movies, television and the Internet. “These are the creative elements of myself.”

In terms of his advice to others on fulfilling their dreams, Marley emphasized treating others with kindness and focusing on being a good person.

“Everyone should think about how we can make the world a better place ... by how you treat people or interact with people,” Marley said. “Learn from your mistakes [and] just be good humans.”

Marley also responded to the current hatred and intense political divisions in America, by speaking of love and its power to overcome hate and identified it as one of the clear themes in his music.

“Love means everything. It’s the foundation of a better person, a better world,” Marley said. “Love makes things better. Love is a very important part of my music and my life.”

One of Marley’s most famous songs, “True to Myself,” from his album “Dragonfly,” was written to remind him of who he was.

“Sometimes, I wasn’t being true to myself,” Marley said. “I kind of wrote that to tell myself I’ve got to be true to myself. I think we all reach that point in life.”

In addition to Marley, Music Fest saw headliners such as Snoop Dogg, MGMT and Grouplove on Friday, Kings of Leon, Wiz Khalifa and Death Cab for Cutie on Saturday, and Soundgarden, Sturgill Simpson and Tori Kelly on Sunday.

In the coming weekends, Memphians can enjoy other festivals as a part of Memphis in May, including Barbecue Fest from May 17 to 20, 901Fest on May 27, and the Great American River Run on May 28. More information is available at memphisinmay.org.

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“Love means everything.

It’s the foundation of a better person, a better world,” Photograph by Mr. Gregory Bojorquez

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Photo Illustration by Katelyn Grisham

Concussions sideline players as sports struggle to adapt

O

Emma Bennett

n May 7, 2016, the St. George’s women’s lacrosse team is playing in the state Elite 8. Only five seconds are left in the quarter-final game for girls’ lacrosse. St. George’s is up by several points. Fans on both sides can be heard screaming their support.

Suddenly, two players swing at St. George’s defender Emily Grace Rodgers, catching her head between their metal sticks.

Rodgers is thrown to the ground by the force of the impact, hitting her head once more.

Inside Rodgers’ head, the impact is strong enough to cause her brain to collide into the side of her skull, resulting in bruising, broken blood vessels and perhaps even nerve damage to the brain.

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Rodgers has just received a mild traumatic brain injury, more commonly known as a concussion.

Rodgers remains on the ground, completely unconscious, for almost three minutes. When she regains consciousness, she has lost her vision.

“They had to carry me off the field,” Rodgers said. “Once I got off the field, I was throwing up everywhere. It was disgusting.”

Since the game is in Nashville, the ambulance takes her to Vanderbilt Pediatrics, where she stays overnight. There, the doctors diagnose her with a concussion.

***

Rodgers’ case is an example of the 25 percent of sports-related concussions caused by aggressive or illegal play, but the majority are received during the course of

CONCUSSION:

n., a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull.

Although

there may be cuts or bruises on the head or face, there may be no other visible signs of a brain injury.

Source: WebMD

regular play. And their numbers are only increasing. According to a recent study of emergency room visits, sports-related concussions for teens ages 14 through 19 more than tripled from 1997 to 2007.

After the enactment of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) legislation that requires student athletes, coaches, parents and trainers to be informed on the risks and symptoms of concussions, the percent of total injuries in high school sports that were concussions increased from 10 percent to over 20 percent. In girls’ soccer, the percentage of concussions among total injuries increased from 13 percent to over 27 percent, according to a paper published in 2017 from the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

***

Despite these preventatives, concussions have still had a large impact on the St. George’s community.

In a survey sent by the Lodge in early March, 28.2 percent of the 163 respondents reported that they believed they had received a concussion while playing a sport, while another 9.8 percent thought that it was possible they had received a concussion.

Out of the 28 percent, 31.1 percent of students had received a concussion while playing soccer,

“

“

It is difficult to pinpoint an exact cause for this increase, but growing awareness about the dangers of concussions is certainly playing a part.

One reflection of that increased awareness is the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s concussion policy, which reads that “Any player who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion (such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion or balance problems) shall be immediately removed from the game and shall not return to play until cleared by an appropriate health-care profession.”

Another is St. George’s own policy, which quotes the TSSAA’s language directly and states that students with severe concussions are required to be cleared by a Clinical Neuropsychologist before returning to play. St. George’s employs two certified athletic trainers who, according to the St. George’s website, “manage all concussions and athletic injuries” and use ImPACT testing to assess students for concussions.

“We have to do online testing.

The NAT requires it, and the CDC also requires us to take an online quiz,” Ms. Tina Cole said, one of the two athletic trainers at St. George’s. “They do require all coaches and athletes to sign off on the continuing education of concussions.”

NO DOCTOR HAS A REASON WHY

while 29.5 percent had received a concussion playing football.

While studies differ on how they track the rate of concussions in each sport, the five sports mentioned most frequently as having the highest concussion rates are football, women’s soccer, men’s lacrosse, women’s basketball and men’s ice hockey. Of these, the risks of football are perhaps the most widely known as the 2015 movie “Concussion” brought attention to the dangers of head injuries in football by telling the story of Dr. Bennett Omalu, who first identified chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

CTE is a progressive degenerative brain disease most commonly found in athletes, caused by repeated brain trauma. The effects of CTE include impulse control problems, aggression, depression and eventually progressive dementia. CTE was found in 87 out of 91 brains of deceased NFL players in a study conducted by Boston University. A study done

by Purdue University found football players are not only at risk of receiving a concussion by a single blow to the head, but that they can also get concussions through repeated contact.

St. George’s alumnus Austin Grisham knows those risks all too well. He played safety while he was in high school and said he received more than 12 concussions from sports during middle school and high school.

“I stopped counting them. I really don’t know the exact number,” Grisham said.

During the state championship game in 2011, Grisham received what he perceived as concussion-level hits to the head on three separate occasions. Two of the three times, Grisham tackled with his head down, which resulted in a blow to the top of his head. “[It] ruined my life. Not ruined

Photograph by Katelyn Grisham

Junior Emily Grace Rodgers shows frustration with the score of the lacrosse game against Hutchison School. Rodgers received a concussion last season and has been unable to play.

Photograph by Katelyn Grisham Junior Emily Grace Rodgers motivates junior Ginny McCarroll in the lacrosse game against Hutchison School.

Rodgers was diagnosed with dyslexia and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder after receiving a concussion last year.

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esigned my life, but affected it greatly. I couldn’t go to school for several months,” Grisham said. “I have effects everyday, and I will have them the rest of my life.”

The risks of soccer are far less widely discussed, though they are just as significant, particularly for women.

Sydney Spadafora, a St. George’s alumna and freshman on the Carson Newman women’s soccer team, said she has received multiple concussions during her soccer career.

In women’s soccer, players are at risk of sustaining a concussion through player-to-player contact, heading the ball or hitting their head against the ground or goal posts. A study published by JAMA Pediatrics found that 52 percent of concussions in girls’ soccer were caused by player-to-player contact.

“I’ve had four in three to four years, and my first three were

“

within a year from each other,” Spadafora said. Her most recent concussion put her out for six months.

“At the time, I couldn’t remember what had happened. My mood changed tremendously,” Spadafora said.

According to Dr. Brandon Baughman, who is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology and an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, mood swings like Spadafora’s are not abnormal.

“People who have concussions may get more emotional than normal,” Dr. Baughman said. “They may get depressed. They may get real stressed out. They may get more irritable and frustrated above and beyond any kind of normal.”

Mood changes aren’t the only effect of concussions. Spadafora also experiences memory problems now because of her

FROM MY RESEARCH, FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, LITTLE CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE PLAYING TACKLE FOOTBALL, AT ALL

“

10 the Lodge

concussions.

“Trying to remember to do simple tasks, when someone asks me to do it later on in the day, [I] completely forget to do it,” Spadafora said. “I used to not be able to drive at night. It was really hard. I’m learning how to work with that.”

* * *

Sports organizations have struggled to adapt to the rising awareness of concussion risks, making changes to their rules, teaching new techniques, and adopting new headgear, though it remains to be seen how effective those changes will be.

The governing body for youth football, USA Football, has begun to implement new rules, including a shortened field and matching players of equal size, in select youth football programs across the nation.

Youth soccer organizations

have made it against the rules for players 11 and under to head the ball and limited the amount of time older players can practice the skill.

The introduction of padded headbands is a different approach designed to try and reduce the number of concussions in soccer.

While these are supposed to prevent concussions, some argue that they might actually increase the chance of receiving a concussion.

“Often times, when the students that I know who’ve worn [soccer headgear] put [it] on, they feel like they can play a lot more aggressive and loose, so they’re not as careful,” Dr. Baughman said.

“That in it of itself is kind of paradoxical, even though you would expect the headgear for soccer to reduce concussions.”

“In terms of the scientific research, the clinical research on wearing protective headgear in soccer, there’s no evidence

Alumnus Austin Grisham celebrates after the St. George’s varsity football team wins a game in 2012.

Grisham suffered several concussions

throughout his football career and

they still affect him today.

Photograph by Mrs. Suzie Cowan

“

how to identify when someone is having a concussion is even more important than the prevention side of things. And we’re getting better at that. The other part of it is there’s been rule changes. I think if anything has helped prevent concussions, it’s changing

“

to suggest that it guards against concussions,” Dr. Baughman said. “It’s kind of like football.

You can get the most high-tech football helmet, and you still might have a concussion because what helmets are designed to do is not to prevent concussions but to prevent skull fractures. There is no concussion-proof helmet.”

MY MOOD CHANGED TREMENDOUSLY

St. George’s makes protective headgear optional for soccer players. Mr. Tony Whicker, head coach for both varsity boys and girls soccer, believes that soccer is not at a point of requiring headgear yet, though he supports requiring it for women’s lacrosse.

Mr. Daniel Wolff, head coach of both varsity boys and girls soccer at Houston High School, believes soccer should already be taking action, which is why he requires his defenders to wear headgear.

“About 2007, I got my first player who had chronic concussions,” Mr. Wolff said. “One of the things I noticed about that was that she didn’t have as much tentativeness about her play as she did when she wasn’t wearing [protective headgear]. I really believe that being tentative is one of the things that’s going to be a contributing factor to concussions. Having whatever apparatus it is hit you is a lot different than you actually being the one who initiates the contact.”

Dr. Baughman is less hopeful about players being able to avoid concussions.

“I think there is not going to be any definitive prevention of concussions. Anything that you do where you’re going to expose your head, there’s a possibility that you’re going to have a concussion,” Dr. Baughman said.

“Understanding and knowing

the rules around.”

Football, specifically the NFL, has made rule changes in an attempt to prevent concussions, including moving up the kick-off line, preventing “defenseless” players from helmet-first hits to their heads and necks and penalizing players that tackle opponents with the top of their head.

The new rules may have been made in response to the declining number of kids playing youth football. According to a USA Football study, participation in youth football dropped from 3 million in 2010 to 2.8 million in 2011. This decline occurred shortly after the first congressional hearings which revealed that the NFL was covering up the connection between concussions and mental illness in 2009.

Pop Warner, which is the largest youth football project in the United States, had a 9.5 percent decrease in participation from 2010-2012, largely due to concerns about concussions.

Grisham thinks the problem is only going to get worse.

“I think you’re about to see tackle football be completely gone until, the very earliest, middle school, if not high school,” Grisham said. “From my research, from my personal experience, little children should not be playing tackle football, at all.”

Dr. Baughman said that families shouldn’t be too hasty in rejecting sports based on concussion risk, however.

“I don’t think the concussion issue is such that the potential

Source: Sydney Spadafora Alumna Sydney Spadafora works hard during a game at Carson-Newman University. Spadafora received several concussions during her soccer career.

dangers of concussions outweigh the positive aspects of being involved in a sport,” Dr. Baughman said.

But based off of Rodgers’ story, some might disagree.

According to a study published online in the journal Pediatrics, it normally takes less than three months for people to recover from concussions, but it’s been over a year and Rodgers still suffers from memory loss, headaches, dizziness, trouble focusing and lack of balance. She also has symptoms of dyslexia and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, which she did not have prior to the concussion.

“No doctor has a reason why,” Rodgers said. “My biggest effect is memory loss, so I can be having a conversation with someone and in the middle of the conversation I’ll have no idea what you were talking about five seconds ago,” Rodgers said. “Or, I’ll be writing down my notes, and then I’ll come to class the next day and I’ll see the notes I have written, but I have no recollection of writing notes. There’s a lot of dizziness, and I faint a lot.”

Before her concussion, Rodgers thought they were a minor injury.

“I didn’t really know anything [about them]. It never really crossed my mind before,” Rodg-

ers said. “I figured you’re out for a week and that was it.”

But both Rodgers and Spadafora have changed their minds on the seriousness of concussions because of the long term-effects of theirs.

“Doctors will tell you the risk, trainers will tell you the risk.

Keep that in consideration,” Spadafora said. “When you have family, do you want to be able to remember to pick up your kids?

This year I was in the hospital once because of my head, and I think that really changed my perspective on everything.”

Will Brown and Carolyn Lane

contributed additional reporting to this article.

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NOAH POPE began his football career in seventh grade. In February, he committed to Yale where he will continue his football journey.

“Yale has always been my dream school, academically, but when I went to visit, I felt like I was going to St. George’s all over again. The opportunity of going to Yale opens many doors for me.”

Photograph by Mrs. Mim Brown

JOHN CARTER HAWKINS has been playing lacrosse since third grade, almost a whole decade. He committed to playing at a division-three level at Rhodes College here in Memphis in early 2017. “I am very excited for this great opportunity to continue my lacrosse career at the next level,” Hawkins said. Hawkin’s signing in January marked the first time a boys’ lacrosse player from St. George’s signed to play at a collegiate level.

Photograph by Mr. Kirk Cotham

ABBIGAYLE ROBERTS committed to play lacrosse at Fresno State in November.

In addition to running cross country her senior year, Roberts has played lacrosse since seventh grade. “I’m excited to go to a new state, especially California. I’ve always wanted to live there,” Roberts said. “I’m excited to play with my new teammates, my new friends and get to learn about everyone and how they play.”

Photograph source Abbigayle Roberts

ESSENCE DAVIS began running track in the sixth grade. “I was fascinated about getting in shape, and I loved the camarderie of a team sport that also had individual components,” Davis said.

Davis will attend Millsaps College.

“I liked that the school wanted me just as much as I wanted the school,” Davis said. “So often in the college process it can seem like you are chasing after a school to want you, but I felt like at Millsaps, it was an equal partnership.”

m m

Photograph by Mr. Skip Miller

WILL MCDANIEL began playing lacrosse alongside varsity football the summer of his freshman year and became interested in the excitement of the sport. McDaniel plays midfield and faces off at the beginning of each game. McDaniel will attend Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, NC next year. “It’s a really nice campus.

They have a good lacrosse team, and I really like the coach,” McDaniel said. “The coach told me that he really liked my game, and he showed a lot of interest in me. I felt like he really cared.”

Photograph by Mr. Kirk Cotham

AVERY WHITEHEAD plays midfield on the St. George’s lacrosse team and in the summer on the Skywalkers, a Baltimore-based team. Whitehead has committed to playing lacrosse at Furman University in South Carolina. “I love sports, and I love teams,” Whitehead said. “I can’t wait to have a whole new team and a whole new group of people.”

Photograph by Sophia Quesada

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LARRY HUBBARD first began playing baseball at the age of four when he was introduced to it through church. He committed to Christian Brothers University in April in part to stay close to family. “I wanted to stay nearby so my family could see me play,” Hubbard said. “I also wanted to stay home to be close to my brother and watch him grow up.”

Photograph by Mr. Larry Hubbard

BEN GLASS began playing football as a child, and and signed to the Naval Academy this spring. His passion for the game is obvious as Glass holds the record at St. George’s for most passing yards and passing touchdowns in both a game and a season.

Photograph by Carolyn Lane

CHASE HAYDEN, taking after his father, began playing football at age five. This past February, he committed to University of Arkansas as a running back.“I chose this school because when I went up there and visited twice, everything was perfect,” Hayden said. “I felt at home. I had a really good bond with the players and the coaches.”

Photograph by Carolyn Lane

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MARSHALL SHANKS began running track in the eighth grade when Mr. Andre Miller persuaded him to run. He was encouraged by his mom to choose Fisk University, a historically black school in Nashville. “The coach at Fisk made me feel at home,” Shanks said.

Photograph by Katelyn Grisham

ELIZABETH EVANS was co-captain of the cheer team her senior year. “I was intimidated going into the [TCU] tryout,” Evans said, “but when I got there I realized that St. George’s cheer team had taught me a lot of skills I needed besides the physical aspect, like being personable, knowing how to talk to judges and how to get a crowd excited .”

Photograph by yearbook staff

SARAH THOMPSON, both a volleyball standout and swimmer, committed the University of Missouri in the fall.

Thompson holds the St. George’s records for the 100 backstroke, 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. “I’m very excited to go to school next year,” Thompson said. “It was really exciting to be done at the beginning of the school year to know where I was going, so I didn’t have to worry about it the whole year.”

Photograph by Matthew Blum

KYLAN MITCHELL has been playing baseball for six years now and will continue his career at Louisiana Tech University next year. “I feel that I have worked really hard to get where I need to be in order to succeed,” Mitchell said. “But I must continue to work harder if I want to be successful at a D1 level. There is still much work to be done.”

Photograph by Mr. Larry Hubbard

COREY JONES began playing football in the sixth grade. “I thought it was fun, and my friends were playing it,” Corey said.

He played wide receiver, which he continued to play when he came to St. George’s.

He will continue his football journey at Murray State University, to which he committed to this past February.

“I felt wanted the most there,” Jones said. “I liked the coaches and the people there the best.”

Photograph by Mrs. Mim Brown

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Coming out of the darkness Struggle with body shame, depression inspires a student’s activism Lauren Purdy

“The problems are taking over your life, and you can’t look at the positives.

It just feels like something is always dragging you down.”

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J

unior Anna Harbert is a typical girl trying to get through high school. She cheers, loves animals and is active in her youth group. Her laugh is infectious, and she is generally a pretty happy person – except when her depression hits her, but that’s not too often.

This was not always the case. Harbert suffered from feelings of depression, self-harm and an eating disorder during middle school and high school.

It all began in the sixth grade.

“I felt like I didn’t fit in. I had weight issues in elementary school going into middle school. I also struggled with my friend group because I had a lot of paranoia, wondering if they [were] talking about me or making fun of me,” Harbert said. “I always felt that way because I dealt with bullying in elementary school.”

Her feelings took her to dark places, affecting her everyday life.

“Honestly what depression feels like is a big cloud over your head, and it feels like something is never going to go away,” Harbert said. “The problems are taking over your life, and you can’t look at the positives.

It just feels like something is always dragging you down, and you can’t escape it. It’s just insane.”

According to reports from the National Institute of Mental Health, 12.5 percent of teenagers ages 12 to 17 had some symptoms of depression in 2015.

Harbert did not realize the severity of her depressed feelings until she was in the eighth grade. By then, she had been self-harming and suffering

from disordered eating for over three years.

“I finally just spoke up,” she said.

“I was way too nervous to tell my mom anything, though. We were at a doctor’s appointment, and I said, ‘Something’s not right with me. I’ve been self harming for [years] now, and I know it’s not normal. I really need help.’”

Harbert’s parents took heed and sought out help from Lakeside Behavioral Health System, a behavioral health care and addiction center in Memphis. Harbert had her doubts about the recovery program, at first, but she attempted to remain positive.

“When I was in Lakeside, I felt very lost. I was kind of scared because I felt like only crazy people went there,” she said. “They literally gave me a list of coping skills, which I had never thought about before. In the moment, I knew that I wanted to do this. I knew it could help.”

Lakeside Behavioral Health System and Daybreak Treatment Centers are two of many treatment centers in Memphis that work with young people struggling with such issues.

Ms. Susie Gregory, Daybreak Treatment Center’s Director of Admissions, has first-hand experience with students like Harbert, as she meets families and assesses the cases of those who enter the program.

“We at Daybreak definitely see spurts in the children that enter our program, where their emotional state and mood state are keeping them from living a healthy life. Children usually are potential candidates if they appear

to be school-avoidant, depressed, suffering from anxiety, experimenting with alcohol and marijuana or harming themselves,” Ms. Gregory said.

“When we body-shame and bully each other, we open a big, black hole, and we see a lot of kids here because bullying has rocked their lives.”

After spending more time at Lakeside, Harbert felt as if it helped her make new friends and connect with her parents over her struggles during her recovery.

“Through that whole experience, I made a lot of good friends, and they kind of helped me through it,” Harbert said. “The outpatient therapy really helped out because they had parent nights, where my mom and dad could understand where I was coming from and what I was actually going through. It really did help, and it’s honestly the best feeling to say I have my parents’ full support.”

It’s hard to escape the pressures that society places on our bodies, particularly when it’s so easy to internalize those pressures. In this day and age, social media is one of the key triggers of negative body image, as teens may feel that they do not measure up to certain goals in front of them or may feel distressed by harsh comments from others.

The consequences of body shame – disordered eating, anxiety, depression, self-harming behaviors and even substance abuse – are especially a concern for teens and young adults, like Harbert.

“Our job is to teach kids not to have thinking mistakes, learn to think about their bodies correctly, empowering kids to maintain their body image,” Ms. Gregory said. “Body image doesn’t exist in a vacuum.”

Since treatment, Harbert has come to accept herself for who she is and has gained a more positive outlook on her depression.

“I feel like I have finally accepted things like my body shape, and I’ve been able to have a better mindset.

I’ve been able to be more optimistic through therapy and just understanding that my mind is going to go a little bit crazy sometimes, and I’m

not alone,” Harbert said. “I used my mental illness and my experiences to just throw myself out there because I want to help as much as possible.”

Harbert’s recovery experience even inspired her to craft her Senior Independent Study around suicide awareness. She plans on working closely with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to help create bills that address mental illness and to share her experience with others.

“My whole point of my SIS is to really stress that these are ordinary people,” Harbert said. “They have lives. They’re not sad all the time.

You don’t know because people don’t want to share that, [and] they know that they may get judged because of it.”

Harbert’s mother, Mrs. Kim Harbert, fully supports Anna’s decision to share her story with other people and believes that mental health, amongst other arising issues today, should not be ignored.

“We feel the more that Anna can speak out, the more that it empowers her that the disease is not going to defeat her. We don’t know if it means that she’s to help someone else through a tough situation by her identifying and telling people her story, but we certainly feel that it is not something that we are ashamed about. We were a typical, normal family, and if it can happen within our family, then it can certainly happen anywhere,” Mrs. Harbert said. “Mental health is something that I think our country is going to have to address because there’s more and more issues that are popping up, and I think that people are hurting and suffering. If Anna’s story can help one person, then, absolutely, we’re all for it.”

Harbert stresses that rebuilding a healthy body image takes time, but in the end, one has to realize that “the ideal body” standards are pointless.

“People have to understand that everyone is unique,” Harbert said.

“Honestly, you just have to be comfortable within your own skin.”

Illustration by Elle Vaughn Illustration title: “One of a kind” The flowers represent various skin tones.

“When we body-shame and bully each other, we open a big, black hole, and we see a lot of kids here because bullying has rocked their lives.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or an eating disorders, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-2738255 (https://suicidepreventionlifeline. org/), the National Eating Disorders Association at 1-800-931-2237 (https:// www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/) or visit a local behavioral center.

Daybreak Treatment Center Phone: 901-753-4300 Lakeside Behavioral Health System Phone: 901-377-4700 Elizabeth Bran, Upper School Director of Counseling and Guidance Phone: 901-457-2012 Email: ebran@sgis.org Amy Michalak, Middle School Director of Counseling and Guidance Phone: 901-457-2129 Email: amichalak@sgis.org

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Opinion

Editorial: Leaving things in good hands

A

sense. When students move up in middle or high school, they are tasked with finding a sufficient leader to take over their responsibilities and lead as well as, if not better than, they did. Many want to make sure that their legacy is maintained when they move on and that all their hard work while leading does not go to waste.

However, we cannot view leaving things in good hands in purely a physical sense with having someone fill in another’s shoes, as it is also important to make sure incoming leaders are ready and able to lead.

Stepping into a new leadership role is daunting, whether it be as the president of a student-run club, captain of a sports team or editor-in-chief of the newspaper. And, often,

these leaders are thrown in blind with little guidance, forcing them to figure things out as they go along. The leaders before them have powerful insight and experience that can benefit their successors, but what typically occurs is the current leaders are in such a rush to be done with their responsibilities that they do not take the time to think about what will happen after them. But, it is our duty to “leave things in good hands” by passing on our accumulated knowledge to our successors, in order to ensure that the new leadership is ready to take on their new responsibilities.

We are excited to pass on the torch of The Lodge to a group of people who we have seen grow so much in this past year on staff and who we are sure

S Gr ee yp yo ho u nl at od th ge e .co m!

s we near graduation and the end of the year, it is easy for seniors to look forward to the end of high school and the beginning of college, forgetting all that they are leaving behind. It’s senioritis but on an emotional front: seniors have been thinking about the day they graduate high school for years, and that day is finally here.

With this, there comes the feeling of wanting to run and not look back, but it is important for seniors to reflect on the shoes they leave to be filled and the ways they can empower those that will come after them.

We have all heard the expression “leaving things in good hands,” and most often, it is understood in its most basic

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will guide The Lodge to new heights! We would like to wish this editorial board, consisting of Annie Murff, Carolyn Lane, Merryn Ruthling, Annika Conlee, Caroline Zummach, Lauren Purdy, Bart Mueller, Katelyn Grisham, Emma Bennett, Kaitlyn Bowman and Will Brown, good luck in their future endeavors. We know The Lodge is in good hands with this strong group of journalists, and we look forward to all that they will achieve for you next year!

It has been a pleasure serving as your editors-in-chiefs for the last two years. The Lodge, both as our school and our magazine, will always be home to us. Thank you.

Signing off,

Annie and Miriam

2059 S. Houston Levee Road

Mark Yates Photography markeryates@gmail.com (901) 336-8414

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PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

Illustration by Elle Vaughn

For athe who’sLodge who, visit gryphonlodge.com.

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We the students of the Class of 2017 hereby will the following...

Henry Adkins wills his curse of being treated as a freshman through all four years of high school to Shaun Burgess. Jodie Albert wills being torn between going to Canada and staying in America to Carly Owens. Erica Alexander wills the winter cheer team to Lauren Purdy and Alexis Turner. Bayard Anderson wills the notorious number 4 to Bartrem Reeves Mueller-may it bring him much happiness and many goals. John Barton wills his outstanding leadership of the swim team to Tyler Wilson. Grace Bennett wills being Dr. Leung’s favorite student to Emma Bennett. Anna Besh wills the veggies to Jacqueline Cole. Matthew Blum wills his GoPro editing skills to Connor Longfield. Chloe Booth wills the title of the best Chloe in the school to Chloe Boggan. Katie Boyle wills her extensive “Grey’s Anatomy” knowledge to all incoming anatomy students. Ryan Bray wills being on the basketball team solely for comedic value to Harrison Mullaney. Chris Broome wills his pottery skills to all future potters.

Miriam Brown wills her terrible sleep habits to Carolyn Lane. Sydney Brown wills her soccer skills to the entire soccer team.

Jimbo Cayce wills his exquisite drawing skills to Anna Grace Porter. Becca Chandler wills her lost art in Ms. Rose’s room to Danielle Chandler. Mark Clark wills his tweener skills to John Kimball. Channell Cole wills softball power posing to Caroline Zummach. Cecelia Cordera wills being the FASTEST cross-country senior to Carson Moriarty. Isabel Correia wills leading senior-led runs and soccer practices in the summer to Olivia Fitzgerald. Grady Cotham wills being the guy who listens to all the Pyros complaints to Spencer Cotham. Deon Crum wills his JV senior captain spot to Daniel Quesada. Anna Darty wills her honorable spot on the softball bench to Claire Rooney and her tiny glove to Ellie Franklin. Essence Davis wills her unending tears to Miaya Smith, her rolly backpack to Timber, and her hopes for a better tomorrow to Christiana. Rachel Ducker wills her ongoing cry count in Dr. Robertson’s room to Emily Grace. Elizabeth Evans wills the luck of the golden bloomers to Allison Evans (bring home a white jacket to match). Caroline Farrell wills the job of finding the next redhead for the cross-country team to Rachel Umansky. Anna Claire Fox wills the title of the best Fox sister at St. George’s to Ella Fox. Hayes Franklin wills the stress of planning prom to Ellie Franklin. (Good luck making it better than this year’s.) Alice Fu wills luck to the next student who haunts Mrs. Smothers’ room during lunch... studyhalls...and after school... Kneeland Gammill wills the ‘driftwood’ in Mr. Peters’ office to the next Prefect of Student Life. Ben Glass wills the position of QB1 to Spencer Smith. Maggie Glosson wills being Eddie’s favorite on the water polo team to Winston Margaritis. Nick Goode wills a single Ticonderoga pencil to Evan Dorian. Brook Goodman wills her broken Lexus to Win. (Good luck!) Jack Goodman wills his infamous beard to Hudson Beaudry. Robert Grissom wills the entire chorus, literally, to Ben Sawyers. John Carter Hawkins wills the Bleacher Creatures to a worthy successor. Chase Hayden wills his football locker to Bryan Payne. Lorin Helfenstein wills his physics PhD to Dalton Reese. JD Hibner wills the leadership of Modern Music Ensemble to Bart Mueller. Gavin Hidaji wills his random one-liners in AP English to whoever is worthy. Shane Horton wills Kenya to Sara Washington. James Houston wills his Flik ID to Preston Truelove and David Fisk. Larry Hubbard wills his red Nike baseball bat to Eli Reese. Faith Huff wills all of the hot sauce bottles in the lunchroom to Chloe Boggan. Cailyn Jackson wills her hugs to Asia Gibson. Devon Johnson wills his title of King of Hearts to Charlie Hancock. Corey Jones wills his touchdown celebrations and #1 to Isaac Smith. Julie Anne Joyner wills her job of setting up the volleyball nets every practice to Kate Seabrook and Abby Walker. Travis Kelley wills his Easton bat to John Horne. Anne Garland Kelsey wills her collection of tardies to Mrs. Taylor. Spencer Landau wills his mediocre programming skills to Theo Carr. Christian Lenoir wills being the better brother to Cameron Turner. Megan Lenoir wills her love of all things Citizenship to Kate Seabrook. Kendall LoCascio wills her “completely school appropriate” Spanish Spotify playlist to Señora Reed. Gracie Maiden wills her height to Sarah McDonald. John Slater Mann wills Christoph’s favoritism to the Tree Frogs. Lauren Marotta wills her amazing breaststroke talent to Gabby Acker. Paige Marotta wills Bayard Anderson to Ann Wallace Scott. Mimi McCarroll wills all of her athletic ability and her job of being a mom to Ginny McCarroll. Will McDaniel wills his role of having the best flow on the lacrosse team to Bart Mueller. HK McDowell wills her tennis racquet and sense of humor to Caroline McDowell. Laura McDowell wills the last of her remaining sanity to Dr. Robertson. Johnathan McNeill wills his FBLA co-presidency to Charlie Hancock. Alex Middleton wills the farthest spot on Ruffin’s bench to Nic Taylor. Regine Miller wills “The Garment” to Christiana Nyarko. Kylan Mitchell wills his making the faculty mad to Tyler Beasley. Eva Neel wills her incredibly fashionable shoe style to Dalton Reese. Grace Optican wills being the recipient of Hannah Grace Howell and Annie Bran’s pranks to Sarah Grace Waddell. Britney Pepper wills her Calculus AB and BC spirals to Lindsey Pepper. Emily Persons wills her record cross-country times to Annie Murff. Audrey Pisahl wills her awkwardness and lewd sense of humor to Will Brown. Noah Pope wills his football locker to Ja’quavious and his shooting ability to Hagan Imorde. Grant Poteet wills his senior spot on the basketball team to Hagan Imorde. Abbi Roberts wills her wisdom to Rachel Umansky. Shoaf Robinson wills his bass-slapping powers to Will Wirth. Will Ryan wills the beautiful tan volvo to Alec White, Steven White and Will Johns. Jacob Saripkin wills making the VA club great again to Hudson Beaudry. Marshall Shanks wills dominating the track program and breaking records to Bryan Payne. Beck Sims wills his honorary Folk’s Folly apron to Robert Weaver. Graham Sisson wills his senior leadership of Nirvana Ultimate to Winston Margaritis. Austin Skinner wills his truck to Jake Notowich.

Dawson Smith wills his guitar-playing abilities to carry on the Ensemble to Bart Mueller. Makayla Smith wills the corner in which she sleeps every other day in the senior lounge to Timber King. Ben Stamps wills the football #55 to Sam Stamps.

Alton Stovall wills his most star-spangled bow tie to Bennett Matson. Matt Sullivan wills the weight room to Peyton Zaugg.

Kai Taylor wills her French notes to Malaisyah Vann (even though she takes Spanish). Sarah Thompson wills always carrying snacks (especially grapes) to Annika Thompson. Megan Umansky wills being the annoying vegan to Rachel Umansky. JR Upton wills having the freshest chop to Darren Ratliff. Elle Vaughn wills all her art talent to Dr. Robertson’s classroom (because she doesn’t need that in college…). Annie Vento wills being the Vento who does journalism to Maggie, the Vento who does Model UN and YIG to Jack, and the Vento who does theater to Kate. Luke Wagerman wills Connor Green’s first-basemen’s mitt to Griffin Gillam. Mason Walker wills his punctuality to Abby. Cassie Warlick wills her ability to initiate deep conversations to Cameron Head. Mary White wills being 5’1” to Iris Brashear. Avery Whitehead wills the care and keeping of her frog, Joseph, to Dalton Reese. Morgan Wirth wills his calculus ability to Bordo. Grayson Woodyard wills her chickens to Mr. Masters. Q Wooten wills his speed to Bryan Payne “so he can actually have a chance of beating me in a race.” Shon Wooten wills his saying “Just Some Light” to Isaac Smith. Iona Yates wills going on a gap year and eating at 3-star Michelin restaurants to Blair Smithwick.

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