April Issue 1985

2

The Review I

Picture-of-the-Month

Calendar APRIL

18-20 24

ISAS Fourth midquarter

MAY

3&5 4 6

Safe Rides

by Kaffy Mize No! Safe Rides does not send its reports directly to Mr. Lee and Mr. Meriwether.

No! The coaches cannot find out who calls Safe Rides and have them kicked off the team. No! Safe Rides is not something used only by wimps who do not know how to drink.

Many unfounded rumors about Safe Rides, such as the ones already mentioned (I did not make them up), have been circulating around school lately. Just to set the record straight, Safe Rides is an organization formed to serve the St. John's community in a capacity that will prevent any accidents resulting from drunkenness. And fulfilling that capacity, every ride given is completely confidential.

In fact, confidentiality is the backbone of the entire program. The reason a "safe ride" home is provided without revealing the identity of the passenger to anyone outside of those working that night is so that drinking will never be the cause of an accident, fatal or otherwise. If a person were hesitant to call Safe Rides for fear of being revealed, the program would never be used and eventually be stopped. It is true that records of the pickups are kept, but only for legal reasons, and they are filed in a locked cabinet to which no one has access.

April 1985

Also untrue is the comment that Safe Rides is used only by people who are so far "gone" they could not even find their car.

Most of the auto accidents that are caused by drunken driving occur because a person has misjudged the level of their intoxication or refused to acknowledge it. Safe Rides is here to make sure that no one is hurt as a result of someone who had an impaired driving ability yet risked driving anyway. So even if you are not sure whether or not to call Safe Rides, go ahead and be safe.

Since the original idea was conceived, Safe Rides has broadened its horizons and the organization is more complex. A Governing Committee of seven people was elected by the eighty-nine members and this body is now working on some other projects. For instance, there will be a movie night in late May designed as a fund raiser and several other programs are being developed. Other schools are being considered for joining the program next year. An addition of more schools would raise the level of usage and let people from other schools join the program and get to know other students while doing a worthwhile service. Safe Rides is an organization with a great future ahead that will continue to uphold the idea that whatever goes on in the organization is to fulfill the purpose of serving the student body.

22 23-29 30 31

Johnnycake Spring Musical CEEB Achievement Tests Prefect Talks AP's begin Baccalaureate Exams Award's Night Commencement

The Review Editor-in-Chief John Reuter Asst. Editors David Conner Lindsay Martin Copy Editor Shannon Liss Sports Editor Kaffy Mize Business Manager Susan Finley Advertising Manager Cara Smith Photography Editor Susie Georges __ Faculty Advisor Mrs. Maryanne Lyons Headmaster Mr. James Maggart

The Review

3 words from the middle ...

Hypocrisy in SAC? This has been a bad year for SAC. The council has recommended suspension for more students than ever before for more days than ever before, and the rash of Honor Code violations shows no sign of abating. According to two recently suspended seniors the Administration has also begun to ignore SAC's recommended punishments. Perhaps the reason for the Administration's attitude is the undue severity and base hypocrisy of SAC's recommendations. A change in SAC's procedure might force SAC into more reasonable interpretations of the Honor Code and prevent the administration from being forced to overrule SAC's recommendations as often. If SAC Honor Code Hearings were open to public, the peer pressure of the upper school might force SAC to make recommendations that would seem appropriate to the students that elected SAC members and might act as a deterrent to potential offenders.

One senior who was suspended earlier this year for plagiarism and lying to faculty discussed the severe punishments that SAC has recommended without the moderating influence of public opinion. This student said the SAC recommended expulsion though the student had never before been convicted of breaking the Honor Code and that the Administration mercifully intervened and reduced the punishment. SAC attempted to deny this student's right to attend St. John's, rather than grant a second chance as has always been done in the past.

Another suspended senior recalled a similar case of extremism in SAC. According to the notice on the upper school bulletin board, this senior was convicted for Honor Code violations that took place in the course of a "practical joke that was neither practical nor a joke." For theft and forgery, the recommended punishment, as this student understands it, was fifteen days in-house suspension for him and his accomplice. Fifteen days were recommended for theft of property that the accused claimed would have been returned and for forging Mr. Meriwether's signature to a

I

note delivered to Mr. Kinsey. Forgery is a crime not addressed in the Honor Code and, as the student understands, SAC at one time admitted was not within its jurisdiction. This year's SAC is the only one in at least seven years to be overruled, and it has been overruled twice. As these and other cases illustrate, SAC's recommendations are sometimes out of line.

These recommendations seem even more severe when one considers the behavior of the prefects who made them. Most Prefects, though not all, have committed violations of the Honor Code, some trivial, some grave. Several have lied to teachers about reasons for missing class; have stolen athletic clothes from school; and virtually all have foregone turning in a peer for violations. These violations may be forgivable.

What defies forgiveness is that these same prefects are the proponents of such harsh punishments for the same crimes.

There is a simple solution for SAC's problems. If all meetings were open to all students, the student body would benefit in two distinct ways. This change in procedure would limit, if not eliminate, the selfrighteous hypocrisy common in Honor Code violation meetings.

Interested students in the room would force SAC members to consider the what an audience knew about them and their hypocritical appearance before climbing into the pulpit of honor and righteousness. A SAC member would not be as quick to propose an unreasonable punishment before an audience that knew his flaws and, possibly, his own honor code violations. Currently we

suffer under a unicameral government that has risen above it constituents; the presence of these constituents might lower the student representatives to the level of their peers.

What at first may appear to be a grave problem with this proposal, the loss of the privacy of the accused, might in fact be its strongest benefit. If a prospective violator is faced with the added deterrent of a completely public trial, then he might not break the Honor Code and become another statistic in SAC's victim list. The aforementioned plethora of violations demonstrate that stiffer penalties are not effective deterrents. Perhaps the threat of an open trial would be. SAC's small committee, like a United States Grand Jury, confidentially reviews all accusations to ensure that there is sufficient evidence for a trial. One who is clearly innocent will never face a public trial, and one whose innocence is in doubt will have the opportunity to clear his name publicly. If the truth is visible for all to see, rumors of the guilt of innocence of a student will be destroyed.

SAC members could, like a jury, deliberate in private and decide upon a recommended punishment in private before returning to a public hearing to voice the verdict they had agreed upon. With this safeguard, SAC members as individuals would not be influenced by the friends of the accused; only the body as a whole would be responsible for the recommendation because the votes of individual members would be confidential.

SAC has had its problems with hypocritical extremism, but these problems can be solved by opening all SAC meetings.

This proposal would protect the reputation of the innocent, deter possible offenders, and prevent SAC from proposing unreasonable penalities. The problems that SAC considers are not easy ones; SAC had quite a task in solving them. Opening the Honor Code meetings would help.

NOTE: The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of SAC, The Review, or the administration of the school. & April 1985

4

The Review

THE HONO: Why Follow the Rules?

Escudero strikes fear into the hearts of SJS students!! Up come the socks. Behind the back go the soft drinks, cups, Fritos, etc. Feet propped up on library tables drop to the floor. Earphones are pulled out of ears. Talking in chapel drops to a dull roar (at least within one pew on either side of Escudero). The list could go on and on. At times, I think that I must embody the consciences no longer living in SJS bodies.

Reactions to my presence tell me that students know that their behavior is unacceptable, but why do they go ahead and "break the rules?"

I truly care for this school - "love" would not be too strong a word. And yet, it hurts me to see a school with such potential grasp for mediocrity in general conduct.

True, we win contests, score well on tests, have record numbers of National Merit Semifinalists, but, at the same time, we litter the hallways, isolate some students, break the Honor Code in ever escalating numbers, and steal from each other. At least we don't mug teachers or carry weapons, or have security guards like the

"Public Schools."

My perception of the problem is a simplistic one. Ignore or break the small, seemingly insignificant rules, and soon, we break more vital ones, and finally, we have destroyed the moral fabric of the school.

Chewing gum and being out of uniform may lead to "borrowing" someone's book or notes (usually just before a test), and

Escudero strikes fear into the hearts of SJS students ... this, in turn, to a general ignoring of the Honor Code. We may move from a caring St. John's family to a place where "I" am number one and no one else counts.

Students blame teachers for not enforcing the rules; teachers blame the Headmaster and Administration for not supporting them and not giving a sense of direction to the school; the Headmaster and Ad-

ministration may not perceive these prol lems as serious. We all share the blame. Th advisor who doesn't notice uniform viols tions in advisory is as much at fault as th student who doesn't wear the prope uniform. Teachers who look the other wa in the hallways are not showing care an concern for the students. They are all COI ping out, compounding the problem.

In the future, when I stop and confror you with some sort of violation of a rule please realize that I do it because I truly car for you as an individual and, above all, would like you to help me make of S John's the BEST school. We have th potential to be the best.

Wear the uniform with pride! Keep th building clean! Build positive traditions Make welcome the many new students wh join us each year! We may not be able t prevent a nuclear holocaust or bring lasting peace to the world, but we can sur make of St. John's a model mini-world tha the rest of the world can emulate.

by Mr. Ed. Escudero

A Liberal's Revenge

by Dr. Orson Cook

It's not easy being a liberal - some would say the "house liberal" - at a place like St. John's. People like Review editor John Reuter are forever asking me to give the "liberal line" on this or the "bleeding heart" view of that. I also suspect that I am the "token liberal" at many a cocktail party and more than an occasional luncheon.

Frankly, I think it's time to turn the tables - let's call it a liberal's revenge ...

I'll say it plainly at the outset: there are simply some things - indeed, many things - about which I am disgustingly conservative. Among those are standards of stuApril 1985

dent behavior, including the uniform and the Honor Code. Like Mr. Wilt in his recent chapel talk, I think rules and traditions are important at St. John's. We are, after all, in many ways exemplary; at least we say we are. And if it is so, then we ought to be willing to act the part, (unless of course we aren't really terrific, in which case it is quite acceptable to be mediocre). That means that we ought to rise above the petty competition of dress and malicious grade grubbing, and be willing to see the school, colleagues, and even the administration as educational partners, not legal adversaries.

In fact, now that I think about it, put me down for an even more spartan uniform

than we now have: let's say, for the sake discussion at least, a respectable khaki. white shirt outfit for everyone - tho right, your choice of trousers, shorts, skirt, and a uniform sweater while we're it. I'll even go for shoes and socks if must! Include the faculty too; now tho real conservatism! As for the Honor Co let's strengthen it and streamline it so t all understand that cheating is cheating ~ stealing is stealing and both are intoleral I say these things not because I h finally seen the conservative light or CI verted to a new intolerant credo, but rat because I think that these questions hi gotten far more attention than they deser

The Review

5

CODE

"Why won't teachers let us grow up?" is a popular refrain, "Why are they always so unfair?" Teachers and administrators sometimes find it equally useful to wail about the steady erosion of standards. A colleague at another school once expressed to me the most extreme version of that view when he said that gum-chewing led to heroin and that if we didn't draw the line at Spearmint, God only knew what would come to pass. But the indisputable facts are that learning takes place more effectively

under orderly environments than under disorderly ones. What's there to debate?

Surely rules can become enhancers of education as easily as we have made them to be obstacles. Must the perennial debate on "rules" always be so self-serving?

My point is simple. It is time we put these questions to rest for another year at least and spend some of our valuable energy teaching and learning under whatever circumstances are best for our task. I believe there are questions of curriculum,

pedagogy, and intellectual development that demand a higher priority than pleats and gathers. If education is a fragile process as we think, I fear we will upset its rather delicate balance. Perhaps, then, what we really need is a simple, articulated set of standards which everyone parents, students, teachers, and administrators included - understand and support, so that we can return to the rather compelling and, dare I say it, conservative business of education?

Faculty Inconsistency?

by Dr. Dwight Raulston It is a perennial April topic: discipline and standards. The seniors feel the urge to make one last contribution to the school by improving it for the next class, and the faculty are tired of what some see as a progressive deterioration since the fall.

There is a general, though not universal, perception among the faculty that discipline is more lax now than it has been in the past.

A particular problem that was cited by many faculty members can be summed up as a flagrant disregard for the rights of others. Instances of this behavior directed against fellow students range from borrowing gym clothes and forgetting to return them to stealing books and notes from someone's locker immediately before a test.

A lack of respect for the school campus is seen in the large amount of trash and litter and graffiti that accumulate in the halls and classrooms. Behavior in Chapel is a clear example of the disregard for the feelings of others, whether students or adults. A prevalent attitude seems to be "It's not my church," so why bother to respect the wishes of those to whom it is a sanctuary.

The uniform and its many variants are also popular topics these days. The reaction to Messrs. Cullinan, Escudero, and Meriwether for their reknowned enforcement of the letter of the uniform code ranges from annoyance to grudging respect.

Faculty adherence to the enforcement of the small, daily rules such as automatic lunchroom duty for chewing gum, out of

uniform, or talking in study hall range from non-existent to strict. The inconsistency of the faculty response is a matter of irritation to both students and Administration alike, though some do feel that the faculty deserve a commendation for managing to prompt this rare show of unanimity between the two often-opposing groups.

How do the faculty see their role in this situation? Some appear to feel that they are here strictly to teach and that any additional responsibilities are an imposition.

Others agree with the general purpose of the rules but are reluctant to enforce ones

The answer may lie, then, in simplifying the rules ... that they personally feel are irrelevant.

Some are bothered by what they perceive as inconsistencies in the punishment of students whom they send to the Administration. Most do the best they can in a difficult situation.

There is strong support among many of the faculty for the proposition that the rules are too complicated or, in some cases, inappropriate.

Mr. Cullinan expressed a widespread sentiment when he said, "If we're going to have rules, then we have to enforce them. If we're not going to enforce them, then let's get rid of them." Mr. Meriwether expressed a similar thought at a recent Upper School faculty meeting: "No

matter how many rules you have, they won't be effective unless the faculty as a whole agree that they are important and decide to enforce them."

Perhaps, then, the faculty need to consider which rules they feel are valid. With solid support for certain positions, enforcement of those rules would be much more likely to be consistent. Rules that are generally disregarded should be removed.

It is a consistent position among the faculty and Administration alike that allowing flagrant abuse of even small rules tends to encourage an attitude in students that the adults are not serious about what they say.

Several teachers and Administration carry this reasoning. a step further and feel that the inadvertent inculcation of such an attitude about lesser matters leads some students to conclude that the school is not serious about more important matters either, such as cheating or lying. Such students discover that they were grievously mistaken.

The answer may lie, then, in simplifying the rules that set out to govern behavior at St. John's. With uniform support for such a set of rules from the faculty, students can be assured of consistent treatment from their teachers. Most students do not strenuously object to even demanding expectations from their teachers as long as such standards are perceived to be fair and equitable.

April 1985

6

THE REVIEW TRIVIA QUIZ 1.'who p ayed Esmeralda on ewitched?

2. What was Astro's original name?

3. What did Dwight "Doc" Raulston make on the SAT? 4. What night is viewer mail on Late Night with David Letterman?

5. What is Hulk Hogan's real name?

6. What current hit is sung by Chrissie Hynde's husband?

7. What group was formed by the former lead singer of the Jam? 8. What was Bo Derek's first feature film?

9. What was the initial on Trixie's shirt?

10. Who was St. John's School first chairman of the Board of Trustees?

11. Who was Ronald Reagan's first wife and mother of his children?

12. Name the lead singer for the heavy-metal group Spinal Tap? 13. How much did Karen Ruby spend at Avalon during January?

14. What is the name of the dog on the Cracker Jack box?

15. What police chiefs headquarters were set up in the lolani Palace?

16. Name Morgana's measurements.

17. What two rival architects designed buildings on opposite sides of Post Oak Blvd.

18. What year did St. John's field its last baseball team?

19. Who said: "I don't know which will go first, rock and roll or Christianity?"

20. Who was Ricky Ricardo's landlord?

21. Who was St. John's first football coach?

22. What was Buddy's last name on The Dick Van Dyke Show?

23. What pope died the day the Yankees beat the Braves 4-3 in the sixth game of the World Series?

24. Who was known as the Lizard King?

25. Who played Batman on the television series?

26. What is Peter Tosh's real name?

27. Who has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated's swim suit issue the most times?

28. What was Milo Minderbinder's least successful business venture?

29. What was Gumby's horses name?

30. Who played Gee-Tar in Johnnycake's 1984production of "West Side Story"?

31. What Houston oilman donated the original land for St. John's School?

32. What is the song "She-Bop" about?

33. In the song "We Are the World", who sings the line "As God has shown us by turning stone to bread?

34. Who is the lead-off runner for this year's SJS sprint relay team?

35. What was the name of David Bowie's wife?

36. Who choreographed the movie version of Hair?

37. What was Greg Brady's stage name during his brief career as a rock star?

38. What is the name of downtown's Dubuffet sculpture?

39. What kind of wood doesn't float?

40. What legendary TV anchorman attended Lanier High School?

41. Name the only member of U2 that isn't married.

42. How did Albert Camus die?

43. What is Bernhard Goetz's home subway station?

44. If the SJS Girls' Track Team wins the SPC Conference this year, how many years will they. have won it in a row?

45. Name the most decorated soldier of World War II. 46. Who plays the sitar on Tom Petty's song "Don't Come Around Here No More"?

47. What was the profession of the founder of Vassar college?

48. What is the only movie filmed in Odorama?

49. What St. John's graduate won a silver medal in sailing at the 1976 Summer Olympics?

50. Who prints the Review?

$50 CASH PRIZE Answers must be turned into Mrs. Lyons by May 20, 1985.

April 1985

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The Review

7 from the Prefect point of view ...

The First Proposition Despite popular opinion, rules were not made to be broken. This year, the Honor Code of St. John's has been tested to the utmost. Through student action and reaction, it appears that this code of honor which St. John's is privileged enough to have is not completely accepted by the students. This attitude of nonacceptance is wrong and shows a lack of integrity in the characters of those students who are not capable of accepting a moral code which is a required part of the existence of any civilization of intelligent human beings.

The lack of discipline regarding the rules at St. John's is found both in those people who have been disciplined for breaking the Honor Code, and in those students who

treat the Honor Code too lightly. Far too often, students cheat without being caught.

In other instances, students are not brave enough to turn in those whom they see cheating or stealing.

Although many students have broken the rules of the Honor Code, far more students show their lack of self-discipline by disobeying the disciplinary rules other than the Honor Code. There is probably not a person at St. John's who has not broken a school rule; however, there are too many students who show a blatant disregard of these school rules. Far too often students skip classes, leave school without permission, or break training rules.

When a person willingly dedicates so

much of their time and effort to such things as school or sports, then they should be willing to make the sacrifice of accepting all the rules that come with their dedication.

This notion of sacrifice should be expected of those who pursue excellence. St. John's is not a Utopia, and not all of the rules make sense to everyone. For example, students feel that rules regarding uniforms or presence on campus are too restrictive.

The few of us who are privileged to attend this great educational institution should animate our motto of Faith and Virtue. We should devote more of our energy to ammending school rules and less energy to breaking them.

An Interview With Maffln Muffie

by Caroline Winn

As I'm sure many of you have noticed, St. John's has a new Junior girl spending the fourth quarter with us! Muffie Brown, from Cincinnati Country Day School in you guessed it - Cincinnati, is living with Susie Georges for the rest of the spring on the Junior exchange program that sent Sarah Knolle to Seatle third quarter and Meredith Attwell to Washington, D.C. this quarter. Muffie is very conspicuous in a crowd with her blonde hair, blue eyes, and bright smile, and in the words of a certain junior boy, "She's awesome. She's cool.

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She's a cool girl." Thanks, Rand.

At any rate, I talked with Muffie to get her impressions of our school so far, and she had some interesting things to say about St. John's.

When asked what she liked about school so far, Muffie said, "I like the people and the friendliness," and also the "unity" St. John's seems to have. She also said it was a good learning environment, but her one complaint was the "academic pressure."

(Sound familiar??) She said the atmosphere is very competitive, citing the track team as an example. "I felt like the competition was too severe at first. But then 1 got to know

some of the people, and it lightened up."

Cincinnati Country Day is smaller than St. John's, with 49 people in her class, and she said the people here were "much more friendly," sheepishly adding SJS students have a sort of "southern hospitality." Muffie also commented, "At home, people are much more worried about appearance-s."

SJS students, she says, are much more "individualistic." The social life here compares about equally to her life in Cincinnati, and "the parties are similar and they do the same things at the parties ... " But the work is harder here, and she says, "they're strict at Country Day, but you can't get away with things here." (She's caught on already! !).

Muffie decided to do this program to meet new people and to get used to being away from home and her mother, whom she's very close to. She said the "change and newness appealed most," and when asked if she was glad to be here, she replied quickly, "Very!!"

Well, we're glad you're here, too, Muffie. Right, Rand?

April 1985'

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The Review In conclusion ...

In the past year, more Honor Code violations have been brought to light than ever before. Some maintain that these violations have always existed but are just now being noticed. Others feel that basic disregard for not only the Honor Code, but also the rules of the school, are responsible for this type of behavior. Regardless of the cause, however, a definite change is in order.

Perhaps it would be useful to remind students that the Honor Code was designed by students, for students, and is still maintained by students. If students are no longer capable of upholding basic standards of honest behavior, then the problem is indeed greater than it seems. At a school of St. John's calibre, this problem should not under any circumstances - exist. More importantly, in order for civilization to continue to exist as it is known today, each person must make a conscious effort to conduct himself in a responsible and honest manner.

If St. John's is to maintain the standards of excellence that it is known and respected for, the Honor Code must not only be maintained, but conscientiously supported.

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April 1985