March Issue 2018 by The Review

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ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL 2401 CLAREMONT LANE HOUSTON, TX 77019

SJSREVIEW.COM MARCH 2, 2018 VOL. 69. ISSUE 4

3 for spc wrestlers claim fifth championship swim teams win first-ever titles girls’ soccer reaches first finals

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CAROLINE RAMIREZ

From left to right: Lexi Pickens (Swimming), Layo Laniyan (Wrestling), Eric Wang (Swimming)

Road to recovery: Turk returns to campus (P8)

INSIDE NEWS 2 FEATURES 5 SPORTS 9 CULTURE 13 OPINIONS 17 PHOTOSTORY 20

Student entrepreneurs resell streetwear (P16) GRACE SANDERS

Alumni of Color advise students on post-SJS life

Six alumni of color returned to speak to current students of color last month in the Chao room about how race and ethnicity have affected their lives. The Office of Advancement and Office of Community and Inclusion co-hosted the Feb. 6 event along with student-run Unity Council as part of this school year’s efforts to strengthen inclusivity. “We have a number of alumni of color who have gone on to extraordinary experiences in universities and their professional lives,” Director of Community and Inclusion Gene Batiste said. “We were particularly interested in hearing from our younger alumni of color, and how their experiences here at St. John’s helped or didn’t help them in their professional lives.” Batiste, who led the first half of the discussion, encouraged students to ask the alumni their own questions, most of which prompted the panel to give advice on how to handle difficult situations. The event was only open to students of color in order to facilitate connection between the alumni and students. “We wanted students of color to feel free to have an open, honest conversation without the encumbrance of those who don’t have the experience of being a former or current student of color,” Batiste said. Director of Alumni Affairs Lorin Crater and Head of Upper School Hollis Amley culled participants from alumni based in Houston and nearby cities since the event was held during the school day. “We believe that a natural connection between the alumni and students of color will help not only support our current students of color to navigate their future, but to use our alums of color as a resource to serve as mentors,” Batiste said.

AIM survey assesses inclusion

On Jan. 30, the school conducted the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM) Climate Survey, which assessed aspects of the school climate, including a sense of belonging and safety. All members of the school community were invited to complete the same survey, including parents, alumni and board members. Only students above the age of 10 completed the survey, and those between the ages of 10 and 12 participated in the Younger Students AIM survey with fewer and more age-appropriate statements for rating. Director of Community Inclusion Gene Batiste helped develop the survey during his time working at the National Association of Independent Schools. In April, Headmaster Mark Desjardins will provide an update about AIM to the Board of Trustees, and a final report along with recommendations will be presented in Sept. 2018. By Laney Chang and Claire Furse

Protestors ﬂock to Women’s March

KATIE SMITH

Seniors Ellie Gershenwald, center, and Mary Shannon Tompson, right, hold signs with their friends at the Women’s March in Downtown Houston. The event attracted students, faculty and parents who protested for women’s rights and in solidarity with the #MeToo movement and the fate of undocumented immigrants.

By Sophie Gillard More than 20 Upper and Middle School students, along with a smattering of teachers and parents, joined throngs of protesters in downtown Houston on Jan. 20 for the second annual Women’s March. Decked in pink knit hats and campaign buttons, some 20,000 protesters showed up for the 2018 march, the follow-up to last year’s record-breaking event. People of all ages and backgrounds carried colorful signs demanding gender and racial equality as they marched through downtown, chanting slogans and sporting signs with such taglines as “No Uterus No Opinion” and “Strong Women Scare Weak Men.” Participants marched from Buffalo Bayou to City Hall, where they attended speeches by advocates including Mayor Sylvester Turner, former mayor Annise Parker and a tearful Rose Escobar, the wife of an undocumented immigrant who was deported to El Salvador in March 2017. While demonstrators in last year’s march focused on then newly-elected President Donald Trump’s comments about women and minorities, the 2018 march centered around Trump and Congress’s policies in the year since the inauguration. Protesters particularly opposed new regulations allowing employers and colleges to eliminate birth control coverage from their healthcare plans due to moral or religious opposition, as well as the end of Obama-era regulation that fought employer discrimination against women and minorities. The march was also a demonstration that women could not be silenced amidst the #MeToo and #Time’sUp movements. Freshman Rachel Tompson attended the march this year with her sister, senior Mary Shannon. “It was really inspiring to march with people from so many walks of life and to see all the different issues represented,” Tompson said. For many marchers, this year’s demonstration celebrated a year spent resisting attempts to discriminate against women and minorities, as well as finding new ways to empower women. For junior Kristin Ankoma-Sey, supporting women and girls in the SJS community has been an ongoing effort. Ankoma-Sey is a leader of Women Helping Empower Each Other. In the last year, WHEE has engaged in projects to engage women and girls on campus. Members cre-

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ated post-it notes with positive messages about success and body image and put them in the girls’ bathrooms. They hosted meetings at lunch to introduce freshman and sophomore girls to juniors and seniors who can look out for their younger classmates and give them advice. “Everyone struggles in high school, and WHEE is a place where we can help each other, uplift each other and empower each other,” Ankoma-Sey said. “There are a lot of teenage girls who are insecure about different aspects, whether it be body image or confidence. WHEE is here to help.” This year, WHEE encouraged its members to become politically involved by hosting Congressional candidates like Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (’93) and Laura Moser (’95). Ankoma-Sey said that the decision for the club to become more political seemed like a natural progression. “It’s been interesting for WHEE KATIE SMITH to take a more political role this One of the youngest participants puts the year. We’ve been talking more older generation on notice. about these big issues and how to riety of challenges and triumphs that womfix them,” Ankoma-Sey said. Chemistry and environmental science en deal with. “People do not always recognize that there teacher Elizabeth Spike attended the Women’s March, seeing it as a chance to celebrate is such a tight intersection between pure the fight against discriminatory laws in the women’s issues and the wider range of issues last year, as well as a reminder of much fur- that affect women, such as racism and climate change,” Spike said. ther women have to go. She encourages students to advocate for “There is no doubt in my mind that women are equal, but we don’t have the laws to women throughout the year by joining organizations like National Organization for enforce that,” Spike said. Gender equality and women’s issues should Women that focus on women’s issues. Spike be at the forefront of national discussion, herself volunteers at a women’s health clinic, she said. According to Spike, politicians and wants students to know that it is imneed to fight for equal pay for equal work, portant to fight for the causes they believe women should be able to make their own in every day. Demonstrations like the Women’s March reproductive choices, and there should not be any tax on feminine hygiene products. are one way to commemorate how far womThere should also be better access to child- en have come and to motivate advocates to care, and families must be protected from continue the fight for women’s rights. Ankoma-Sey agreed that girls should not the effects of climate change, Spike added. Recognizing the swath of problems that be afraid to get involved in feminist causes. “We have a bigger voice than ever and are categorized under the umbrella of women’s issues is important to Spike. She was it’s really important for us to share our voice glad to see that the diverse group of speakers and show people what we believe in,” Ankowho spoke at the March represented the va- ma-Sey said. “We have so much power, and we can change the world.”

NEWS

MARCH 2, 2018

IN MEMORIAM

‘Screenagers’ warns of cell phone ﬁxation

For Aquino, SJS was a true family aﬀair

By Mia Fares

By Abigail Poag and Laney Chang Brenda Aquino, the Facilities and Events Coordinator for St. John’s School who organized functions ranging from Senior Tea to on-campus weddings, died in her home on Jan. 24. She was 26. While results from an autopsy have not yet been made available, the family suspects she died from flu complications. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, this year’s flu season has been responsible for more than 2,300 deaths in Texas. Aquino was hired as Events Coordinator in 2015. Her father, Salvador Aquino, started working at St. John’s as Facilities Supervisor earlier that year. In 2017, her mother Isabel joined the cafeteria staff. According to Richard Still, Director of Safety & Facilities & Physical Plant, Aquino set up and planned school events and meetings with unrivaled skill and dedication. Even on her days off, Aquino would come to school for the sole purpose of running the sound board at Chapel. “She took the bull by the horns and got things done,” Still said. It did not take long for Aquino’s work ethic and potential to be recognized, and she was promoted to the position of Facilities and Events Coordinator in January 2016. “I couldn’t tell if she worked for me or I worked for her,” Still said. Aquino frequently joked about having two dads at work: her father and Still. She was known to tease Still about his obsession with ketchup and affectionately chided him for putting the condiment on tacos, which she deemed the “gringo” way to eat the meal. When Aquino learned that Still was hiring someone to design the logo on Owsley Court (the Old Gym), she volunteered to paint the logo herself. An avid art-lover, Aquino brightened up the ceiling tiles of her office in the maintenance shop with paintings of sunshine. From a young age, Aquino showed a passion for the arts, teaching herself how to weld and paint. She received a formal arts education at the University of Houston, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in arts and graphic design in 2014. Carrying her devotion to the arts into her professional life, Aquino coordinated the YMCA International’s refugee and immigrant art show in the Glassell Gallery in the fall. “She could bring people together, touch a lot of people,” her father said. “She was there for everyone, and she loved helping people succeed.” Aquino’s generous disposition motivated her to volunteer at the Talento Bilingue de Houston Theater. Her memorial service, which was attended by dozens of faculty and staff members, was held at the theater on Jan. 28.

ERIC HANG

A makeshift shrine honoring Facilities and Events Coordinator Brenda Aquino was created by coworkers in her oﬃce in the maintenance shop. Aquino died at the age of 26 on Jan. 24. “You realize how much someone is a part of your life, and you don’t always recognize that until they’re gone,” Lower School Administrative Assistant Kathy Brothers said. At Aquino’s memorial, Headmaster Mark Desjardins announced that the school will create a scholarship for freshmen in her honor, as well as engrave her name on a table and display a plaque in Flores Hall. Born and raised in Houston, Aquino maintained close ties with her family in Puebla, Mexico. Aquino was known to say, “If you don’t know where you’ve come from, how do you know where you’re going?” While visiting Mexico over winter break, Aquino and her father attended a funeral. Greatly moved by the experience, both father and daughter expressed a desire to be laid to rest in Mexico with a funeral like the one they attended. Aquino’s family honored her request and held her service in Puebla on Feb. 1. “She was the angel among us, an angel God gave us for 26 years,” her father said. “Maybe God needs her help up there planning events.”

Ice days spark conversation about climate By Abigail Poag

When students first heard that school had been cancelled on Jan. 15 due to concerns about icy roads, climate change was likely the last thing on their minds. Because the second semester began a week later than last year, students had been back in classes only a week before the three-day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend turned into a five-day break. Having a shorter week helped students reacclimate to the routine of school. Students shunned the cold weather by staying in, watching Netflix and avoiding the slick roads. In a post-Harvey Houston, people are especially cautious about unusual weather phenomena. “After the hurricane, people are still traumatized by the thought of ice or any sort of natural [disaster], and the fact that we’re not going to take the risk, we’re going to play it safe — that made me very happy,” English teacher Kemberly Kemp said. “We’re not used to being around ice.” The St. John’s Political Education Club had originally asked biology teacher Graham Hegeman to give a presentation about climate change on Jan. 16. Junior Jackson Edwards, the co-president of SPEC, took Hegeman’s biology class freshman year and made it his goal to include a speech about climate change on SPEC’s agenda. After the ice days, SPEC rescheduled Hegeman’s presentation for Jan. 22. Hegeman took the opportunity to connect his presentation to the snow days. While linking Houston’s unseasonably

cold weather to global warming may seem counterintuitive, the two are actually related. The warming polar ice caps disrupt the low pressure system traditionally present at the North Pole, causing the polar vortex, a section of rotating air, to break into smaller vortices that move south. These polar vortices bring short blasts of cold weather, like the “bomb cyclone” that hit the Northeast in early January. “It’s a normal thing that happens,” Hegeman said. “It’s just happening more frequently now.” The 2018 Houston cold snap will probably not be the last of its kind. Despite the rise of weather phenomena directly linked to global warming, critics perceive climate change as more of a political statement than a global issue. “Most people think that not very many climate scientists agree, while in reality, climate scientists [do] agree,” Hegeman said. “This is what’s happening. We caused it. That’s it. There’s not much that anyone can do besides get the facts and relay the facts to people who don’t have the facts yet.” For SPEC co-president Jack Trent, finding a middle ground on issues like climate change is key to increasing awareness about environmental problems. Trent praised Hegeman for making climate

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change less of a political issue: “He made it clear that this isn’t a partisan issue; this is an issue we need to deal with if we want to keep living on Earth.” The unusually cold winter comes less than a year after the United States announced it would withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord. “We’re looking at potentially the worst catastrophe in human history,” Hegeman said. “Once people start voting with this in mind, that is when we’ll see a change. It’s really about changing the entire system.” Students sometimes shy away from discussing global warming. Environmental Coalition of Students co-president Gracie Jing said that the environment is not widely talked about on campus. “Having more people talking about it is definitely a way to help,” Jing said. Presenting the facts about climate change is a good strategy for making students aware of the problem and may help people perceive the severity of the situation, Hegeman added. “People don’t understand that this is a problem, that it is real.” Hegeman said. “It’s a wake-up call to the vast majority of people.”

It’s a wake-up call to the vast majority of people. -Mr. Graham Hegeman

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MARCH 2, 2018

At the peak of his video game addiction, senior Michael Meaux was playing eight hours of “Team Fortress 2” every day. “I was focusing on video games in times of stress rather than focusing on my friends and getting help,” Meaux said. “I realized I was addicted when I would sit alone at lunch and play the video game instead of sitting with my friends.” Meaux, who shared his story with Middle and Upper School parents and a handful of students at a panel discussion last month, is not alone in his addiction. The American Association of Psychiatry is considering giving the condition a diagnosis: Internet Gaming Disorder. Meaux was part of a panel that followed the Wellness team’s showing of the film “Screenagers,” an award-winning documentary that probes the struggles over social media, video games, academics and responsible use of technology. The Wellness team decided to hold the screening after faculty and parents expressed their concern for widespread screen overuse. The screening is a part of a series of events to raise awareness for various mental health topics. Screen overuse can affect sleep and mental health, Nurse Tesa Stark said. “Students are growing up in a different age,” she said. “It’s really important to bring that awareness.” The film recounts the struggles of several families to set limitations on screen use for their teenagers. According to the film, which chronicles one boy’s downward spiral into addiction, teenage boys spend an average of 11.3 hours every week on gaming. The film concluded that screen use dangers are different for girls, who are more drawn to social media. The film emphasized girls’ fixation on online validation through platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. “Social media is a good thing, but spending too much time on it can be bad because it creates this online socialness vs. real socialness,” sophomore Kat Johnston said, From 2010 to 2015, the Centers for Disease Control reported a rise in suicide and severe depression rates, especially among girls: suicide rates rose by 65 percent and the number of girls with severe depression rose by 58 percent. There appears to be a correlation between the increased use of social media and the decrease in mental health. The film pointed out that addiction to social media and video games extend past teenage years. Meaux eventually snapped out of his fixation after he noticed he was losing close friends. He deleted the game, but in moments of weakness, he would reinstall it. Meaux had to take extreme preventive measures, such as not bringing his laptop to school. Meaux said he considers himself lucky to have escaped his gaming habit when he did. “It is more common than most people think,” he said.

Jamail Grants enrich faculty exploration

AMY MALIN

SUSAN TALLMAN

AMY MALIN

The Jamail Grant is an endowed fund that finances global summer travel opportunities for faculty members. The grant was awarded to six faculty members. Amy Malin explored her roots in Germany, while Susan Tallman sought spiritual growth in Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route in Spain.

By Claire Furse

Tallman treks through Spain

Last May, third grade teacher Susan Tallman hiked through the rolling hills of the Camino de Santiago, a historic pilgrimage route in northwestern Spain. While she had wanted to participate in the pilgrimage for a couple of years, work and family commitments prevented her from undertaking the journey. Thanks to the support of a Jamail Grant, however, Tallman finally completed her trip last summer. Established in 2003 by the Robert and Louise Jamail family, the Jamail Grant is an endowed fund that helps finance significant summer enrichment opportunities for teachers. After a selective annual application process, around six faculty members are chosen as recipients of the grant. Some faculty members, like coach Brenda Mercado, sought spiritual renewal by exploring Alaska’s natural beauty. Others pursued new skills, like physical trainer Virgil Campbell, who practiced yoga in Thailand. Other adventurers included Upper School history teacher Amy Malin, who retraced her ancestors’ footsteps in Germany, Musical Accompanist Donald Doucet, who took in London’s vibrant music scene, and Middle School English teacher Amy Gray, who studied immigration in Vietnam. In her quest to reach the venerated Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Tallman hiked up to 18 miles a day, but she said her experience was more challenging mentally than physically. “I’m married and have kids and grandkids, so very rarely do I do things by myself. But here on this trail, when you’re traveling by yourself, everything is on your shoulders,” Tallman said. “That part was the most eye-opening for me. I don’t have as much time to be alone with my thoughts because life is busy, and I don’t usually put that as a priority.” Tallman saw solitary moments on the trail as opportunities for religious and personal reflection. “You sense who you are and look at that bigger picture: it’s not just that business of coming to school, teaching kids, going home and preparing dinner,” Tallman said. “You actually have time to think about where you’re going, what you want to accomplish and why you’re here.” Tallman meditated on finding joy and gratitude as she walked. “In my life, I’ve been fortunate to achieve happiness and joy,” Tallman said. “Joy is the deeper part of happiness, and I have a lot of joy. When we see what we have and show gratitude, it promotes that same well-being that comes

through all of your life and influences your actions.” Tallman also reflected on her purpose in life after many years of teaching. “A lot of my friends have already retired, but I’m just not there yet. I love the interaction with the kids and my colleagues, and having a place to go every day that I’m contributing to,” Tallman said. “I could find things to fill my time, but I don’t know if they would be as meaningful to me as teaching. I’ve known that I was going to be a teacher all my life, so it just fits into who I am.” Spending weeks in such a spiritual environment inspired Tallman to consider her relationship with God. “I’m usually not so aware of how God fits into my life and influences my decisions, and I had the time to reflect on it to see God’s hand at work. Out there on your own, it’s a different kind of reflection and you’re totally bare,” Tallman said. “I’ve probably felt closer to God there than I have in any other time in my life.” Tallman’s journey culminated in a moving noon mass with her fellow pilgrims at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. “Coming into the city, we were awash with lots of emotions,” Tallman said. “The sun seemed brighter, the sky bluer. We had that sense of accomplishment that comes with actually getting to that point, and we mellowed in it all day, had a big meal and hung around like couch potatoes.” Having sharpened her trekking skills during the Camino, Tallman plans to tackle other trails in Europe. “It was a wonderful, life-changing experience,” she said. “When you come back, you see things differently.”

Malin traces German lineage

Malin used her Jamail Grant to traverse southern Germany and eastern France, where she explored her family’s ancestry and the rich history of the region. Malin and her parents traveled to more than 10 different towns, from Marburg, Germany, where Malin’s grandfather was stationed in World War II, to Trier, the oldest town in Germany, which boasts Roman ruins and Constantine’s old churches. In Aachen, the westernmost city in Germany, the trio explored the remains of Frankish king Charlemagne’s palace, including relics such as Charlemagne’s arm and the tusk of an elephant gifted by Harun al-Rashid.

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“It was very cool because the things I taught in World History I were coming alive,” Malin said. “I got to see the throne that Charlemagne sat in, and all of the other emperors who were crowned Holy Roman Emperor came and sat in that throne. Just to be there and know how long people had been using these spaces was pretty incredible.” A special moment for Malin was when she visited Beethoven’s home in Bonn, Germany to explore the history behind one of her favorite composers. “It’s so inspiring to visit and know that you’re standing in a place where somebody else had done something really great,” Malin said. Malin and her parents felt a connection to their ancestors when staying in Kassel, Germany, and as they learned about the culture of the Alsace-Lorraine region in Strasbourg. “It was more emotional for my mom because she was able to put herself in that place and think, ‘These are the sights that my ancestors saw,’” Malin said. “At the park in Kassel, my great-great-great-great-great grandfather would have seen the same things and been able to travel to that park too.” In Worms, Germany – where Martin Luther once refused to recant in front of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V – Malin arrived just in time to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Luther nailing a copy of his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg Castle. The experience proved useful when Malin covered a Religion and Politics class this year. “They were watching a movie on the Protestant Reformation, and I was like, ‘I was there!’ I felt much more connected to the video and the history because I had been in those places,” Malin said. Malin could also speak from personal experience when teaching the Nuremberg trials in her Global Issues class, as she visited the Nuremberg Palace of Justice where the historic war trials were held. Malin said that she has learned much more about Germany before its unification in 1871, including topics like art patronship, printmaking and dissemination of knowledge. “I’m so grateful that the school has provided an opportunity for me to experience something I wouldn’t be able to experience on my own. Because I chose to use it to expand my knowledge of history, I’ll be able to pass that information on to others,” Malin said. “Being able to enrich yourself in ways that move beyond the classroom helps you to refresh and get rejuvenated and reinspired to teach.”

STUDENT MODELS, MODEL STUDENTS

Seniors balance classroom with runway 1

MEGAN TIPPS

ELIZABETH GALTNEY

SUSAN SULT

By Maggie Ballard Backstage at a New York Fashion Week show, a frenzy of models, designers, stylists and agents prepared to awe the crowd. Among them was senior Ella Rose Arnold. With nails freshly polished, makeup immaculately painted and hair pulled into an updo resembling a bird’s nest, she peeped around the scene of up-and-coming designers, hoping one would ask her to model their work. After six hours of waiting, Arnold was chosen to walk for several designers that night. First she modeled a sheer black-and-white shawl for designer Robert Camanara, after being instructed on how to drape the garment over her shoulders. She then walked for Carlton Jones, wearing pants that she re-tied into a different style on the runway. Finally, she slipped on a fringed, silver silk dress from Cesar Galindo’s collection to cap the night. Arnold was drawn to modeling from a young age. Though she was scouted in eighth grade by Page Parkes Agency, her mother urged her to wait until she turned 16 before signing with the agency. As kids, Arnold and her younger sister Ruby would dress up and take pictures of each other. “I always liked being around fashion and photography,” Arnold said. Despite lower pay, Arnold prefers runway work over print because she gets to see new fashion trends up close and experiences a “performance rush” when she’s up on stage. Although pay depends on experience and job type, Arnold might be paid $200 per runway show and has been

paid $700 on average per photoshoot. Sometimes, she doesn’t get paid at all. Arnold has made sacrifices in order to attend auditions and photoshoots, which often take her out of the classroom. Senior Sarah Sult faced similar challenges with juggling her modeling career with her studies. When Sult was 12 years old, she attended an open call at the Neal Hamil Agency in Houston. Sult worked with the agency for four years but chose to leave because of school conflicts. “I would really only do [shoots] after school or if I could make sure I didn’t have a big test or anything,” Sult said. “It just wasn’t working.” According to Sult, instead of finding her jobs, her former agency was always getting her interviews with agencies in different cities. Sult decided to work independently for a while before signing with BEAZ Talent, a small agency that represents roughly 50 models. In their modeling experiences, both Sult and Arnold have encountered body-shaming. Sult once had an interview with an international agency. One of the agents told her that she “needed to lose two inches off [her] butt.” Sult said that she wanted to reply, “You know it doesn’t work like that?” While starting a career at a young age can provide a head start for aspiring models, Arnold said she worries that being around the industry for so long can negatively affect a

model’s self-image. Although Arnold has never been told to lose weight, she has felt pressure to be thin. She feels safe with her current agency, Page Parkes, and acknowledges that competition in Houston is less intense than in other big cities. “I walked in New York Fashion week, and they said that if [my hips] hadn’t been 35 inches, they would’ve recommended a trainer to me.” Arnold learned that posing naturally is much harder than she expected and admitted she had no idea what she was doing during her first few photoshoots. “Now when I get on camera, I know how to move,” Arnold said. “The best way to pose is to just kind of make stuff up and hope that it looks good.” On days when Sult goes on a photoshoot, she prepares by practicing her poses. “You really do feel quite awkward at first and very stilted, but a lot of the time they’ll play music, and as you get to know the photographer, you’ll get to know what they like,” Sult said. “I mostly just have to work on coming out of my shell by the end of the day before I can tell what they want.” Depending on where she attends college, Arnold might find an agency near campus in order to continue her career, but at the moment she does not see herself pursuing modeling full-time. “I love modeling, and if I was signed by a huge agency or got a huge offer, then maybe I’d consider that as my career,” Arnold said. “Anything can happen.”

SUSAN SULT

MEGAN TIPPS

SUSAN SULT

Sarah Sult (pictures 3, 4, and 6) prepares for a photoshoot. Sult has been modeling since she was 12 and currently works for BEAZ Talent. Ella Rose Arnold (pictures 1, 2, and 5) struts down the runway and poses for the camera. Arnold is employed by the Page Parkes Agency.

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Debate class fosters sense of community By Noura Jabir

Early in the morning, while half of the debate team was still groggy, sophomore Pranav Konduri was busy playing devil’s advocate. The sophomore was on his feet, working the room and challenging debate coach Andrew Stubbs. Stubbs tried to explain what could have been a simple lesson, but the conversation became a mini-debate with Konduri questioning the logic of his argument. Stubbs remained patient, providing a level-headed response to Konduri’s every word. Some students sat quietly at their computers, researching their cases. Stubbs inquired students about debaters from other schools, trying to rouse the sleepy team. About 10 minutes in, the debaters began to wake up, their conversation growing livelier. For the debate team, meeting early in the morning was not possible until last year when a change to the master schedule gave the program the protected time they needed to recruit more members. Debate has always been a club with participation limited by the time restrictions of those who wanted to participate. When the new schedule was implemented in 2016, the debate class was given three Ensemble and Da Vinci periods per cycle for students to meet with coaches and teammates. During class time, members of the debate team exchange ideas about their individual and group arguments, discuss strategy for upcoming tournaments and work with Stubbs and faculty sponsors Alice Fogler (’10) and Clay Guinn (’92). Senior captain Andrew Wan notes that it can take up to three weeks to fully prepare for a tournament. “With the hectic schedule, it’s nice just to have a set time to work on debate,” Wan said. “Even if you don’t get to work on debate as much as you like during the week, you’ll always have that class time set aside.” Another benefit of having class time for debate is that students can properly prepare for the weekly debate tournaments in the Houston area and across the country. Last month, 11 members of the team traveled to Harvard University for one of the largest tournaments of the year. Sophomore Mehak Batra earned a gold bid, the highest award any SJS debater has won this year. Two gold bids qualify a debater for the Tournament of Champions. Novice sophomore debaters Reeti Mangal and Jack Kagan advanced to the double octafinals. As of February, five debaters have earned a spot in the

Tournament of Champions, hosted at the University of Kentucky in April. The qualifying students are Batra, sophomores Asher Moll, Konduri and Robert Garza, and junior captain Clara Brotzen-Smith. The team is excited to debate some of the best in the country. “The judges there are generally very experienced,” Moll said. “So it will be nice to be able to get valuable criticism from them.” A talented group of sophomores represent the future of the team, CAROLINE RAMIREZ according to Wan, who Debate coach Andy Stubbs advises senior team captain Andrew Wan on his said that their strength is case. Since the implementation of the new schedule, the debate program has their versatility, excelling grown, leading students to garner a number of awards at local tournaments. in both partner and indiincluding two first-place wins at the Dekaney and Dobie vidual events. High School tournaments. Konduri and Moll won compe“Debate tends to be an all-encompassing term,” Konduri titions in public forum at Elkins and in policy at a tournasaid. “There are specific categories within debate, but many ment in Katy. people don’t realize that it’s not just one thing.” As April approaches, debate activity reaches its peak. Konduri and Moll compete together in public forum as Tournaments become more rigorous, and debaters have well as individually in extemporaneous speaking, an event more opportunities to gain recognition. in which debaters are given 30 minutes to prepare an imWhile students welcome success, they have not lost sight promptu argument on a current event topic. of what drew them to debate in the first place. Guinn helped bring in Stubbs, a debate specialist, to “Debate offers you life skills and gives you a forum to coach the team. Before joining the program, Stubbs had try out new ideas on people and see how they’re received worked with many members of the team individually outbefore applying them to your real life,” Garza said. “You side of school. Stubbs was an accomplished high school learn how to appeal to all types of people.” debater and former coach at Kingwood High School. Guinn explained that while victories are nice, they are Guinn and Fogler create a supportive space in which not the main goal. students can flourish. Guinn, an English teacher, started “I want students to feel that they have a group of friends as debate team sponsor in 2015. Fogler, a math teacher, and sort of a community around debate,” Guinn said. “And joined in 2016. According to Stubbs, “They have done a if they happen to find victories along the way, that’s great.” wonderful job at ensuring that the classroom is a learning environment.” Members of the team have won an array of local honors,

Students proﬁt from CFO’s economic expertise By Eli Maierson Greg Swan is a financial jack-of-all-trades. As the school’s Chief Financial Officer since 2004, Swan oversees a number of non-academic programs including security, the Spirit Store, human resources and the business office. He is also in charge of allocating financial aid funds. But Swan finds the most joy teaching a one-semester senior economics elective which provides background information on both micro- and macroeconomics. According to Swan, the elective can be used as a bridge between a high school-level education and a collegiate one. “It’s a different kind of class than many of the classes taught here,” Swan said. “I am trying to get the kids to have a basic understanding of economics, not dive too deep into the math of it. We focus on [how] there’s not one right or wrong answer, but there are different ways to look at it.” An accountant by trade, Swan remains passionate about education. He especially enjoys discussing economic and political issues with his students. Swan spends the majority of his time on campus working in the modular building in the Taub lot, so he finds it energizing to teach on the North Campus and get to know the seniors. “The most fun I have and the most ex-

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cited I am at this point in my career is that hour I get to spend with them,” Swan said. “Being able to interact with 40 or so seniors in the year is incredibly rewarding.” Swan also enjoys helping students through the financial aid program. He is responsible for making the initial assessment of awarding students financial aid and determining how much those awards should be. “We have such a generous community that enables us to provide this support to families who otherwise wouldn’t be able to send their kids here,” Swan said. Swan originally co-taught the economics class with former Assistant Headmaster Mark Reed. Swan then worked with former history teacher Ted Curry before finally teaching the class solo. Swan eventually left the classroom to focus on the school’s issuance of debt and various constr uction projects. This school year marks his return to teaching, and according to Swan, he couldn’t be happier. “Not being a full-time faculty member, I don’t think there is anybody in this school that enjoys spending an hour [almost] every day with the students [more] than I do,” Swan said. “It’s my favorite part of my day.”

the most fun i have and the most excited i am at this point in my career is that hour i get to spend with them. -Mr. greg swan

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CAROLINE RAMIREZ

Greg Swan gives a lecture to his senior economics class. Swan, who also serves as the school’s CFO, returned to teaching this school year. The elective provides an introduction to both micro- and macroeconomics. Senior Avery Morris, who plans on attending business school, took Swan’s class in the fall to get a sense of what a collegiate business class would be like. “It helped me figure out the path that I want to take,” Morris said. Morris recommends Swan’s class to anyone interested in economics or business: “He’s pretty low-key but really excited to be here,” Morris said. “He likes to escape the building at Taub and come over here.” Morris also praises the real-world focus of the class. While typical homework consists of textbook readings concerning the more technical side of economics, in-class discussions

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focus on how economics shape current events. Students also learn how to divide up a salary to have adequate savings and how to choose the best Medicare plan. “All the things we learned were really applicable, which we never discuss in other classes,” Morris said. Swan is appreciative for the opportunity to serve as both teacher and Chief Financial Officer. “I have the best job in Houston,” Swan said. “I had the best job in Houston anyways, but now that I get to teach economics, it makes it an even better job.” Additional reporting by Andrew Duong

Round 2: Turk trains for ﬁght of his life

ERIC HANG

Erol Turk returned to campus in January after being paralyzed from the waist down last spring. He recently returned to school and currently proctors a study hall and helps out in science classrooms. On Feb. 14, he spoke at a Unity Council forum about his life since his motorcycle accident.

By Dani Yan

rol Turk holds still as his body is adjusted toward an upright position. His feet strapped to the base of a metal frame as cushions support him, Turk cannot feel his legs, but they are almost straight for the first time in months. His body is being conditioned to sustain a vertical alignment using the standing frame. He is unable to stand on his own — for now. In the nine months since a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the waist down, Turk has been steadily recovering. For weeks, he needed medication to use the standing frame without passing out. Now, he spends hours in physical therapy without any drugs to stabilize his blood pressure. He returned to SJS in late January and works on campus two days a week. Turk has undertaken his rehabilitation with the same intensity he brought to teaching and kickboxing — he has regained some sensation in his torso as well as strength and movement in his arms — but he is anxious to progress faster, even if his doctors suggest otherwise. “The most challenging thing has been getting my therapists as motivated as I am,” Turk said. “Some of them want to be more cautious, but I always want them to just push me harder because I’m in a hurry to get better.” Being surrounded by other patients struggling through therapy helped Turk put his circumstances into perspective. His positivity comes from a revitalized appreciation for life. “I didn’t have to live through that accident, so every day since then is a bonus. I get to see my kids, I get to come to SJS, I get to see all the people I care about,” he said. “How can I be mad at the world when I have that going on?” Members of the SJS community often visited Turk during his lengthy hospital stay. Many were struck by his optimism and persistence. “He has made incredible progress. And frankly, it’s all been because of his attitude, which has never been negative,” Director of Spiritual Life Ned Mulligan said. “I was worried he would get depressed, but his amazing attitude never wavered.”

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Turk’s students remember a teacher who was active in and out of the classroom. While he will likely never break cinder blocks with his bare hands or step back in the ring as an amateur kickboxer again, his students insist that his fighting spirit has not changed. “When I visited Mr. Turk, he was always trying to take steps towards recovery, whether mustering up the energy to chat with us after a physical therapy session or working on maintaining posture while talking to us,” senior Gracie Jing said. “He seemed genuinely excited to see us despite his situation. He cracked jokes, and it felt like we were in class and nothing had changed.” Turk says his students and colleagues have prompted him to work harder and stay hopeful. “It’s really hard to think I can fail with all the support holding me up,” he said. “I can’t go anywhere without feeling that love.” While Turk has maintained his confidence, his recovery has not been without its hardships. Once he woke up in the middle of the night needing to get up, only to find his home health worker had left the house without telling him. “I felt very helpless and a prisoner of my condition, which I hated,” he said. Turk made the resolution to do as much as possible without assistance. In November, he moved from his townhouse to an apartment. “Instead of being trapped on the first floor of a three-story townhome, I could get to the kitchen, get to the restroom, brush my own teeth, just do those types of things, which make me feel more independent,” he said. “That has been supremely helpful for me mentally.” Mulligan, who visited Turk every day in the spring after the accident, is excited to have Turk back on campus. “His entire focus from the first time we talked about it, just a few days after the accident, was to get back to St. John’s,” Mulligan said. “My hope for him is that he figures out what’s best for him without sacrificing his health getting there. He really wants to be here — being with students is invigorating for him.” Headmaster Mark Desjardins officially welcomed Turk back during the All-School Chapel on Feb. 1 when he pre-

It’s really hard to think I can fail with all the support holding me up. I can’t go anywhere without feeling that love. -Mr. Erol Turk

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sented Turk with the T.C. Evans Award for spirited devotion to the school. The entire gym stood in ovation. “I was totally blown away. I didn’t think the support that I was getting from the St. John’s community could be greater than it has been for the past nine months,” Turk said. “But I was definitely wrong.” Turk hopes to return to teaching as soon as possible, but his role is limited for now. He proctors a study hall and helps out in the physics classrooms. “We’re trying to figure out what I can and can’t do, with an eye towards teaching next year. We can work out all the kinks and figure out what’s needed from both sides in order for me to be successful in the classroom again,” he said. “The school has been so good to me that whatever they ask me to teach, I’d be happy to do it.” On Feb. 14, Turk spoke at a Unity Council forum, where he detailed his experiences since the accident and answered questions from students. “I try to stay positive because there’s not really another option,” he said. “I see everything I do well or do better as a victory, and I try to celebrate it.” His presentation was punctuated by anecdotes and jokes, such as when he told the juniors in attendance, “If you can’t find parts for your Rube Goldberg project, they’re probably in my neck.” Students, some of whom had not seen Turk since the accident, were moved by his message. “It was powerful,” junior Lethan Hampton said. “I appreciated his perspective and hearing how he stays so grateful even in such a difficult situation.” Turk wants to walk — he made that his foremost goal when he found out his spinal cord was fully intact. A few months ago he dreamed about walking across the Great Lawn, but even if he never stands again, Turk intends to find solace in his effort. “If circumstances dictate that I can’t walk, I want to know that I can live with the situation because I gave everything I possibly could to get there,” he said. “To know I didn’t fail due to laziness or just feeling bad about myself or hating life.” Turk has competed in dozens of kickboxing matches in his life, but he is proudest of this fight. “There’s a saying that you don’t really know who you are as a person until you’re challenged,” Turk said. “I’m happy to say that the person that I aspired to be before the accident is actually the person that I am now.”

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Banner day for swimmers at SPC

Sophomore swimmers shine

BRUCE SCHWARTZ

Eric Wang

CLAIRE SEINSHEIMER

Both swimming teams won SPC for the ﬁrst time ever, with the boys beating reigning champion St. Mark’s by four points. Pictured from left to right: Will Sampson, Katie Shelburne, Eric Wang, Sydney Buchman and Jordan Fullen.

By Gracie Blue and Stephen Kim After winning SPC for the first time, members of both the boys’ Sampson and freshman Rhys Beauchamp (both 100 backstroke) all and girls’ swim teams chanted the Alma Mater, splashing in the pool dropped their times to take the lead going into the final relay. where they just made history. The team relied on Ho as their strongest breaststroker to beat two Even Coach Ron Raper joined in on the fun, jumping in fully strong St. Mark’s swimmers. When the short, fast series of whistles clothed to celebrate the dual championship. was blown to call his heat to the blocks, Ho stood before lane seven In order to clinch their first SPC titles, all the boys had to do was on the opposite side of the Mavs bench. Before Ho dove in, senior break school records in 10 of the 12 events, while the girls broke captain Paul Schwartz gathered both teams to motivate Ho. Before school records in all but three events. he mounted the block, he saw the whole team waiting in nervous The girls knew that Kinkaid would be the team to beat. After excitement and anticipation. The team erupted in cheers as Ho hit the first eight events, the Mavs were leading in points, but Kinkaid the water. stacked many of their best swimmers in the last two relays. With 11 “Every time I would come up to breathe, I could hear the roar of events completed, the Falcons held a four-point lead. the team cheering,” he said. Junior Lexi Pickens was ready to accept defeat, but coach EvangeThe team thundered on as Ho continued into the final 25 yards. lia Skaribas explained that if the girls won the last relay, they would Lungs burning, Ho pushed towards the end and touched the wall tie the Falcons for first place. .18 seconds before the St. Mark’s swimmer behind him. Ho finished “We recognized that we needed that sixth, earning three crucial points. Before championship banner on the St. John’s he even saw his time, Ho felt support rawall,” Pickens said. “We were hyping diating from the sidelines. each other up. Everything rode on this “Everybody’s race had equal imporfinal relay.” tance,” Ho said. “When you win by four The championship depended on Pickpoints, you need everybody’s contribuens, freshman Georgianna Matthews tions.” and sophomores Katie Shelburne and With an eight-point lead entering the Sydney Buchman. The girls needed to 400 freestyle relay, all the boys needed to swim their best times, or close to them, do was earn enough points to hold on. to pull off the win. The Lions finished the relay in second Pickens led off and swam close to place, earning 14 points. her best time (53.47). Members of Meanwhile, the Mavs’ relay team of the boys’ team stuck to the sidelines, sophomores Will Sampson and Eric screaming and cheering on each girl. Wang, and senior captains Paul Schwartz The next two swimmers each shatand Michael He broke a school record to tered their personal records: Matthews finish fourth, earning 10 points, more swam a 52.82 leg, followed by Shelthan enough to secure the SPC title. burne, who recorded a 54.83, allowing St. Marks had won the SPC meet every the Mavs to build a more than six-secyear since 2009. ond lead over the Falcons by the time The narrow margins of victory by both Buchman, their anchor, dove off the teams highlighted the importance of evblock. ery event, as each point proved essential “Sydney kept us in the lead,” Pickens to the Mavs’ win. The added points by said. “She flew across the water. She’s divers senior Henry Philpott and fresha fighter.” man Cai Flowers were also invaluable to As soon as Buchman’s fingers brushed the final scores, giving SJS an edge over the wall after her final lap, the crowd at the teams that lacked divers. the Conroe ISD Natatorium erupted “We wouldn’t have won without our in cheers. The relay team emerged from diver,” senior captain Pearse Higgason the water to greet their teammates who said. “We needed Henry.” were waiting with open arms. Underclassmen, like freshman Josh “It was actually a magical experience,” Schwartz and sophomore Eric Wang, Pickens said. were key contributors to the Mavs sucGRAPHICS BY AMELIE PERRIER AND SIENA ZERR cess. The Falcons finished the relay in second place, almost six seconds behind the Mavs’ record-setting pace. Josh dropped significant time in the 200 freestyle to place eighth By breaking the SPC record set in 2012 by .11 seconds (3:34.12), and score one point, and in the 500 freestyle to place sixth and score the Mavs earned 18 points to tie with the Falcons. three points, while Wang overcame a one second lead by Deniz Atay The boys’ team earned their SPC trophy by knocking off power- of Trinity Valley in the final 50 yards of the 200 individual medley house St. Mark’s, gradually changing the tide of the meet through a to place first by a full second. series of record-breaking performances. “The team was firing on all cylinders to win the meet,” Raper The Mavs had finished a distant second to St. Mark’s in the last said. “We are not hanging one but two banners. We are now being few years, and the Lions threatened to run away with the meet be- represented.” fore senior captain Samuel Ho (100 breaststroke), sophomore Will

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Eric Wang holds school records in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley. Wang and sophomore Will Sampson also hold the school record for the 400yard freestyle relay. “When I break a record for St. John’s, I feel like I am contributing to the team in a real way,” Wang said, “Every time I swim in a meet, I have the opportunity to help my teammates, and that is what I aim to do.” Wang trains with the Swim Houston Aquatics Center instead of with his teammates at school practice. He enjoys the intense and competitive club environment.

Katie Shelburne Shelburne began swimming for Rice Aquatics when she was nine years old. Now, she is one of the up-and-coming stars on the school team. Shelburne prefers long distance races over sprints. For St. John’s, she competes in the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle, but she competes in the 1000-yard freestyle for her club team. This year, Shelburne helped capture an SPC title with a personal record in the 4x400 relay. “My coach swears that I was born with endurance, and I train to build up my stamina in practice,” Shelburne said. “Over time, the long-distance races have become both doable and enjoyable.”

Sydney Buchman Buchman was the anchor of the winning 4x400 relay that clinched the first SPC swim title for the Mavs. She also helped secure a win in the 200-yard medley relay and claimed first in the 200-yard individual medley. Instead of attending practices with the St. John’s swim team, sophomore Sydney Buchman trains throughout the week with her club team, the Dad’s Club Swim Team. Buchman begins practice at 5:45 each morning before school and attends additional practices in the afternoon from 4:00 to 6:30.

BRUCE SCHWARTZ By Sinclair Mott

Wrestlers dominate SPC, clinch three-peat By Noura Jabir

On the strength of 10 wrestlers reaching the finals of their weight class, the Maverick wrestling team won their third consecutive SPC championship and fifth title in the last six years. St. John’s finished the tournament with 221 points. Episcopal (131) finished a distant second, and Casady (125) took third. The most exciting match of the day was the finals of the 160-lb division, which pitted senior Matthew Mercado against Kinkaid senior Noah Chan. Chan will be wrestling Division I at Franklin and Marshall College next year. “Matthew had that boy on his back,” coach Alan Paul said. “We were all very proud to see that.” Freshmen Ken Matsunaga (106), Michael Daichman (120) and Sebastian Jimenez (126), sophomore Thomas Grannen (132), junior Wesley Gow (220), and seniors Layo Laniyan (145), Evan Hammerman (170) and Dani Yan (195) won their weight classes. Sophomore Ishan Shah (113) also qualified for All-SPC. “Being a senior has been an interesting mix of being the leader of the team while really trying to enjoy the short time we have left with each other,” Laniyan said. After celebrating another SPC title, seven Mavs went on to the National Prep Wrestling Championships at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania from Feb. 23 to 24. To qualify for Nationals, wrestlers had to place in the top three at Texas Prep State. Laniyan, Gow and Yan each won two matches and finished in the top-16 of their weight class. The other Nationals competitors were Jimenez, Hammerman, Grannen and junior Roman Lewis. To begin their run of five SPC titles in six years, the Mavs snapped St. Mark’s 40-year winning streak in 2013. They repeated the victory in 2014 and won again from 2016 through 2018. Paul says that confidence was key to dethroning St. Mark’s in 2013. “It was the first group that truly believed they could beat St. Mark’s, and instilling that belief gave them the confidence to travel to Dallas and pull that upset off,” Paul said. Paul attributes the team’s success this year to the emergence of talented younger wrestlers. Freshman wrestlers

STEVE HAMMERMAN

Michael Daichman works to pin a Casady opponent in the SPC finals. Daichman and seven other wrestlers captured gold to help the Mavs win the SPC title for the third consecutive season. scored a significant portion of team points in both duals and individual tournaments. Senior captain Peter Chen suffered a season-ending elbow injury but still provided guidance to underclassmen with his fellow captains. “The key to harnessing that potential is through the leadership of older, more experienced wrestlers who can foster a continued love for the sport and guide the team to continue pursuing excellence in wrestling,” Chen said. Freshman Thomas Chang, who placed third in his 182-lb weight class, started wrestling in seventh grade. He is one of the the team’s four freshmen and has placed in nearly every tournament he entered. “The coaches teach you starting in middle school that individual responsibility translates into a more focused team,” Chang said. Jimenez recognizes the leadership of the seniors.

“The senior leaders have shown us the way, and we’re ready to continue our winning tradition,” he said. Nearly every wrestler at SPC has participated in the Maverick wrestling program for at least three years, so they have lofty goals. “The SPC championship has become an expectation for them,” Paul said. “Anything less would be a disappointment for this group.” Between a promising group of underclassmen and an experienced coaching staff, Paul says that he has no doubt the team will continue its winnings ways for years to come. “Every time we win a championship, we think about how we can do it again, and we know that every other team is looking at us, and we have a target on our back,” Paul said. “But we accept that challenge, and we thrive under that pressure, and we continue to be one of the best programs in the state.”

Comeback falls just short in historic SPC finals

By SJ Lasley

Road to the SPC Finals

Just before SPC, girls’ soccer coach Susan Quill led her team to Liu Court Gym and showed them the SPC banners. One of the only teams missing a banner was girls’ soccer. Before the championship game, the Mavs had only two regular-season losses and had won all of their SPC games. “There’s just a fire,” senior captain Grace Melcher said before SPC. “We want it, and we’re not afraid to say we want it.” The Mavs defeated Greenhill on Friday morning, 5-1. They won their next game that afternoon against the Episcopal School of Dallas, 4-0, to reach the finals for the first time in school history. The win was doubly historic because the Mavs ended the ESD Eagles’ streak of 50 consecutive counter game wins and four SPC championships. The victory set up a rematch against archrival Kinkaid, who won a hotly contested 1-0 decision in the final regular season game. A core strategy for the Mavs this season has been to score in the first five minutes, but the Falcons turned the tables by scoring their first goal 23 seconds into the game. By the end of the first half, they had extended their lead to 3-0. The Mavericks didn’t have much luck closing the gap in the second half until the last 10 minutes of the game. Junior Shelby Desroches scored with six minutes left in the second half to finally get the Mavs on the scoreboard. Soon after, freshman Olivia O’Reilly scored on a penalty kick, cutting the deficit to 3-2. With just seconds left in regulation, a Kinkaid player received a red card, giving the Mavs a one-player advantage. Despite a furious few minutes of extended time, the final whistle came before the Mavs could score again.

Promoting a winning mentality

“My priority as a senior is just to finish out the season and enjoy it, and we don’t need to win a championship to do that,” Melcher said. “Soccer season is my favorite

because it’s just so fun. We hang out all the time; it’s a cute little family.” Every year, team bonding begins with a trip to St. Mary’s Hall of San Antonio to integrate new players into the team with team bonding exercises. Two years ago, the team added an annual one-night trip to Galveston to promote team cohesion. “Our team this year is the closest team I’ve been on all four years,” senior captain Claire Crane said. “After everyone left the house in Galveston to go back home on Sunday, I stayed with two sophomores to go to Pleasure Pier. Everyone is friends; it doesn’t matter if you’re a senior or a freshman.” The team maintains their friendship with team dinners at Central Market. “There aren’t any cliques on the team,” Quill said. “It’s just a bunch of down-to-earth girls who genuinely like each other.” The senior class attributes their success to their underclassmen-heavy team and their strong sense of competition. Nearly every player on the team has participated in an out-of-school league, heightening their knowledge of the sport and their ability to remain focused in aggressive games. “The underclassmen know what pressure feels like, and they deal with it really well,” Melcher said. The players contribute to the team both on and off the field with their enduring support. “We call our bench ‘hype bench,’ and we make sure that we’re standing and cheering the whole time,” Crane said. “Everyone on the sidelines is constantly yelling, jumping and cheering.” The class of 2018 brought the girls’ soccer program to new heights. Quill joined the coaching staff four years ago, when the current seniors were freshmen. Quill strove to promote a winning mentality, introducing regular fitness to practice and making it a competitive environment every day. “It all started with this group, and they’ve embraced it,”

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BENNY HE

Centerback Sara Lichtarge, a three-year varsity player, helped the Mavs reach the SPC championship game for the first time in school history.

MARCH 2, 2018

Quill said. “They’ve been leaders in that, and it trickles down. If you’re on St. John’s soccer, you’re expected to compete, and you’re expected to win.”

Swimmers sweep, wrestlers repeat at SPC

BRUCE SCHWARTZ

Sophomore Eric Wang placed first in the 200 individual medley and third in the 100 butterfly to help the Mavs win their first SPC title, 106-102, over perennial power St Mark’s.

BRUCE SCHWARTZ

Members of the 400 medley relay team celebrate as anchor Sydney Buchman reaches the finish line in record time. The Mavs scored a dramatic tie with Kinkaid to win a share of their first SPC title. STEVE HAMMERMAN

Heavyweight Roman Lewis pins an Episcopal opponent in the third-place match. The wrestling team captured their third consecutive SPC championship and fifth title in the last six years.

BENNY HE

Junior forward Stephanie Sarkar dribbles past a Kinkaid opponent in the SPC finals. The Mavs made history by finishing second, losing to Kinkaid 3-2 in the championship game.

CLAIRE SEINSHEIMER

Junior captain Gabriela Long prepares to shoot free throws in a 39-35 win over Hockaday. The Mavs lost in the quarterfinals to Kinkaid before defeating St. Andrew’s to finish fifth.

LEILA PULASKI

Junior forward Genson Hooper-Price throws down a dunk in a 66-55 loss to Oakridge in the opening round of SPC. The Mavs rebounded to defeat St. Stephen’s and John Cooper to finish ninth.

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Junior forward Jack Trent attempts a steal in a 3-2 loss against Cistercian. The team defeated Fort Worth Country Day 1-0 before falling to St. Mark’s 1-0 in overtime. The Mavs finished sixth.

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Recruited athletes handle life after commitment By Gracie Blue

Division I

By September of her sophomore year, Kennadie Jake-Turner had already received multiple offers to play collegiate volleyball. Many college-bound athletes like Jake-Turner decide where they will play before senior year even begins. College coaches can revoke offers to committed athletes before National Signing Day, but for the most part, the future is secured for the remainder of their high school careers. University of Connecticut volleyball coach Kris Grunwald first contacted Jake-Turner’s club volleyball coach in the fall of 2015 to convey their interest and invite her to UConn for an official visit. After considering multiple offers, Jake-Turner chose to play for the Huskies, primarily because of the school’s commitment to women’s sports. On Nov. 13, 2017, two years after her first contact with UConn, she signed her National Letter of Intent in the Chao Room in front of dozens of family, friends, teachers and classmates. While Jake-Turner’s college plans have been in place for years, she maintains her dedication to academics. At St. John’s, the fixation of students on college admissions is pervasive. The school describes itself as “college preparatory” not “admissions preparatory.” Because Jake-Turner made her college decision so early, she could pursue whatever genuinely interested her rather than amassing resume-padding activities. In 2016, Jake-Turner established The Core Academy, a nonprofit mentoring organization that helps minority girls navigate external influences. “Some people could have used that for college, but if I told my coaches or admissions about my activities, it would really speak to my character,” Jake-Turner said. “I don’t just do things to put on a piece of paper and never finish them. I do things that speak to my soul.” Jake-Turner wants her high school experience to prepare her for studying biomedical engineering in the future. “I have to go to school for four more years, so there’s no point in slacking off,” she said. “My work ethic and my grades are a representation of who I am.”

Ivy League

While Ivy League schools are Division I, the league has different policies from other DI schools. No academic or athletic scholarships are awarded to Ivy League students,

and recruited athletes do not sign a letter of intent. Ivy rules are also more restrictive than NCAA rules regarding the length and scope of the practice, playing seasons and off-season activities. NCAA rules only limit the number of weeks of practice and competition, while Ivies define starting dates for practice and competition. Senior Isabel Windham also committed early in her high school career. The day after she was cleared to play field hockey after recovering from a season-ending ACL tear, the Cornell field hockey coach was watching. It was the August before her junior year, and despite her ERIC HANG limited mobility, Windham was invited to Ithaca for two Kennadie Jake-Turner committed to play collegiate volleyball for the clinics. By October, she had University of Connecticut Huskies during her sophomore year. She received an offer and verbal- continues to push herself academically while excelling on the court. ly committed to Cornell. offering support in the admissions process during July beWindham’s work ethic in school remained consistent affore a recruit’s senior year. This past summer, Tufts swimter accepting Cornell’s offer. Her commitment was continming coach Adam Hoyt emailed Schwartz early in the gent on compliance with Ivy League standards, so she had morning on July 1. to maintain her grades and achieve a baseline ACT score. Thanks to Hoyt’s phone call, Schwartz entered his senior “When I committed, there was a handshake and that year without significant pressure on his grades. He was rewas it,” she said. “It was good to know I had a plan going lieved from one burden but found another. in, but in the back of my mind, I was still a little worried “I was really scared because I’ve heard horror stories knowing it wasn’t for sure yet.” about coaches telling people what they want to hear and Colleges perform a pre-reading process in which they annot meaning it when they express interest,” Schwartz said. alyze the applications of prospective recruits to determine “What I lost in academic stress I gained in athletic stress, whether they are academically qualified to receive support which was a hard way to start off the school year.” from coaches, who then must verify this support and inAfter Tufts pre-read Schwartz’s transcript and suggested form athletes of the likelihood of admission. he was in good position for admission, his friends assumed that he had nothing more to worry about. Division III “It was still nerve wracking,” Schwartz said. “I was panFor athletes attending Division III schools like senior icking as much as anyone, but it’s natural to be nervous Paul Schwartz, coaches are only officially allowed to begin about the whole process.”

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SPORTS

MARCH 2, 2018

Local artist leads installation project

‘The Music Man‘ returns to the Lowe Theater By Fareen Dhuka

CAROLINE RAMIREZ

Sculptor Patrick Renner works on an installation in the Glassell Gallery. Renner is the ﬁrst artist to participate in the Artist-in-Residence program, which oﬀers art professionals the chance to teach students about their work.

By Laney Chang Tucked away in the Glassell Gallery, lit only by crevices in the ceiling and candles on the floor, is a three-dimensional, dark cave that provides a pocket of tranquility away from the bustling Flores Hall. Houston-based sculptor and installation artist Patrick Renner visited campus during the week of Feb. 5-9 as the school’s first artist-in-residence, part of a program that offers local artists an opportunity to teach art students about their work. “We wanted to create something that allows students to imagine that the display is an actual cave,” Renner said. “We created it as a fantasy, a narrative of a culture that never actually existed. Any viewer could have a different experience in the cave.” Art teacher Dan Havel described Renner as the perfect fit to work with students across all three divisions. Renner has experience running workshops for art students at summer camps and through the Young Artist’s Apprenticeship Program at the University of Houston’s Blaffer Gallery. “My goal was to have my students meet professional artists,” Havel said. In his residency, Renner taught students about his life as a professional artist and helped the students assemble the interactive cave. In order to finish the project in just one week, art classes worked on different parts of the cave using foam board, paper, wire, clay and glue. The Lower and Middle School art students focused on decorative elements, such as painting walls and creating artifacts inside the cave. Meanwhile, Upper School students in Havel’s classes prepared structural elements. The 3D Studio Art class created the struc-

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ture by bending foam board pieces and taping them together, and the 2D Studio Art students painted the cave to create a stone-like quality. Renner worked with students to refine parts of the cave and put all the pieces together. Outside of the cave, Renner made a piece out of recycled materials to be displayed on the wall and invited people to help him paint it. He also added some of his own smaller pieces of art, including CAROLINE RAMIREZ a painting made out of recycled canvas drop Laurel McKelvey and Caroline Pacha help assemble small art works, including a nest-like sculpcloths. For Renner, the art- ture, to surround the large cave centerpiece. ist-in-residence program self. His grandfather, a hobbyist woodworkdiffers from his other teaching experiences. er, inspired Renner to explore sculpture and “This project was completed in a much installation. Since then, Renner has created shorter time overall,” Renner said. “It was several large-scale three-dimensional instalalso a lot of different age groups; it was neat lations like his 180-foot-long Funnel Tunto move between nel, which was made of wood and steel. the groups and When it comes to sculpture, Renner said see how they aphe most enjoys working with physical maproach art differterials to create “an image out of something ently.” that I manipulated and transformed.” Renner grew Renner returned to campus on Feb. 27 up surrounded to meet and talk to passing students about by art: his moththe cave, which remained in the Glassell er has a master’s Gallery until March 1. Although Renner’s in painting and stint on campus lasted only one week, the printmaking, program had been in the works for approxwhile his father imately six months, and studio art classes was an illustrator had been preparing for weeks in advance of and high school the artist’s arrival. art teacher who Both Havel and Renner said they hope now paints in his that the program will continue in the fuspare time. ture. Renner found his interest in sculpture and “I encourage other artists to come to the installation art through printmaking at the school because they bring different [aspects] High School for the Performing and Visual of art,” Renner said. “I want the students to Arts, where he enjoyed cutting wood and be excited about other visiting artists, too.” linoleum plates more than printmaking it-

We created [the cave] as a fantasy, a narrative of a culture that never actually existed. -artist-in-residence Patrick Renner

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CULTURE

MARCH 2, 2018

Seventeen years ago, “The Music Man” was the first musical performed in the VST. This year, the musical returned to the stage, this time featuring two casts of students from Classes 4-12 with an opening scene led by administrators. In Meredith Willson’s musical, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a music instructor, tricks Iowan townsfolk into buying instruments and uniforms to form a band, but his plan backfires when he falls in love with librarian and piano teacher Marian Paroo. Directed by Bill McDonald, the musical opened on March 1, and will continue in the Lowe Theater through March 3 at 7:30 p.m., with a Saturday matinee at 2:30. Both Harold and Marian are played by two actors, with different casts performing on alternating days and times. Seniors Ben Cohen and Frank Willey play Harold, while seniors Katy Shafer and Nicole VerMeulen play Marian. According to the lead cast, having a second actor play the same part is beneficial because they have a support during the rehearsal process. “It’s interesting to see how Nicole interprets the character as opposed to how I interpret it because I can use some of what she does,” Shafer said. “Seventy-Six Trombones” and “Shipoopi” are two energetic songs performed in “The Music Man,” with complex movements choreographed by dance teacher Victoria Arizpe. According to Arizpe, “Shipoopi” has a Western hoedown feel with silly moments, while “Seventy-Six Trombones” is an intricate yet animated dance that resembles a marching band. “It’s challenging, and I probably go faster than the cast is comfortable with sometimes, but they’ve worked really hard, and I’m really proud of what they’ve done,” Arizpe said. Members of the cast and crew, such as stage manager Emily Ragauss, said they looked forward to seeing the dance numbers during the final production. “The dancing is always my favorite part,” Ragauss said. “They’ve rehearsed so much, and everyone is in sync.” The entire cast, along with the crew and directors, encouraged each other throughout the production and performance process. “We just have a lot of support, and all these people who want us to succeed,” Willey said. Willey added that he was excited to perform the play in its entirety in front of an audience. After five months of preparation, the cast finally saw the culmination of their work. “It always comes together at the end,” Shafer said.

See Page 20 for photostory.

THE REVIEW

MARCH 2, 2018

Havel transforms another house into art

CAROLINE RAMIREZ

Art teacher Dan Havel and his art partner, Dean Ruck, have worked on several installation pieces together, but â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rippleâ&#x20AC;? took the longest to finish. The project opened on Feb. 23 at the Cherryhurst House (1603 Cherryhurst St.) and will remain open on weekends until Jan. 6, 2019.

By Iris Chen While some artists create pieces that can fit into the palm of a hand, art teacher Dan Havelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s canvas is a house. Havel works with his collaborator Dean Ruck to create installations, unified art pieces that fill entire galleries and create intense environments that center around the viewer. Over the past 12 years, the duo has worked together on more than 10 projects. Their newest installation is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ripple,â&#x20AC;? a former two-bedroom house that Havel and Ruck transformed into a largescale abstract sculpture through â&#x20AC;&#x153;negative spaceâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; cutting holes into the ceilings, walls and floors. The final product was something Havel compared to Swiss cheese: visitors can look through the house and see all of its layers. Havel said his goal was to â&#x20AC;&#x153;create this idea of a force thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rippling through the house.â&#x20AC;? The installation explores the power of nature and its relationship with science, spirituality and human-made objects. The gallery opened on Friday, Feb. 23, and will remain open to the public on the weekends until Jan. 6, 2019. On opening night, the house was filled with hidden lights that illuminated the house as visitors walked through. Havel is most excited to see the movement of people through the holes in the walls and to speak to viewers about their reaction to the piece. One of Havelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite sayings is â&#x20AC;&#x153;artists donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give answers; they ask questions.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always looking forward to learn about the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reaction, and through it, about the art itself,â&#x20AC;? Havel said. The project commenced in July, when the owner of Cherryhurst House (1603 Cherryhurst St.) invited Havel and Ruck to use the property for their creative process as part of her artist-in-residence program. The program included a stipend of $15,000, spread out through the year, to compensate the pair for their supplies and time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We got lucky this time,â&#x20AC;? Havel said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rare that we do get paid, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we have our day jobs.â&#x20AC;? Through a dozen years of collaboration, Havel and Ruck have accumulated a host of ideas. Ultimately, for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ripple,â&#x20AC;? the pair settled on an idea Havel

had that was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. As he brainstormed, Havel asked himself who the first artist who drew the deconstruction of architecture was. Havelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research led him to da Vinciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Delugeâ&#x20AC;? series, which examined the way storms and floods can destroy what mankind has made. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the beginning of the project, it was difficult for [Ruck] to see where it was going, but once we got involved with the dialogue of the rippling lines, we fed off each other as we went,â&#x20AC;? Havel said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to figure out how to meld two peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideas into one. Dean and I say that CAROLINE RAMIREZ when we start a project, we hang our egos at the door and Dan Havel inspects a cut in his installation piece â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ripple.â&#x20AC;? Havel started we become a unit that thinks the project in July after seeing Leonardo da Vinciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Delugeâ&#x20AC;? sketches. differently, but together.â&#x20AC;? time on any piece,â&#x20AC;? Havel said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of our pieces are After creating a scaled cardboard model, the artists began very ephemeral; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there for the experience of seeing working in the house over the summer, holiday breaks and them â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and they get documented very well â&#x20AC;&#x201D; then they weekends. disappear.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do put a lot of time in, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just what I do,â&#x20AC;? Havel and Ruck usually take two or three months to creHavel said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m tired at the end of the day, but I know I ate an installation that gets torn down after a few months. didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t waste any time.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rippleâ&#x20AC;? took eight months and will be on display for a Havel said he enjoyed discovering how each room and year. sculptural action changed the look of the entire house. Havel and Ruck are considering altering â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rippleâ&#x20AC;? over â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of the pleasure we find in the project is the physical the spring, but for now, they are working on a new project challenge of taking on something so large by ourselves,â&#x20AC;? with the Houston Downtown Management District to atHavel said. tract more attention to the historical homes in Sam HousAlthough â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rippleâ&#x20AC;? sometimes felt like a conglomeration ton Park. From April to May, they will move a house to the of previous projects, it involved more time-consuming cutpark and â&#x20AC;&#x153;cut it upâ&#x20AC;? for visitors to walk through. ting than their other installations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rippleâ&#x20AC;? is open by appointment on weekends through â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rare that we have such an extended period of work Jan. 6, 2019.

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CULTURE

MARCH 2, 2018

Students reap revenue from streetwear market

PHOTOS BY REYGAN JONES

Exclusive streetwear brands, like Supreme, sell out limited-edition items online within minutes. Student entrepreneurs take advantage of the streetwear craze by reselling those items for proﬁt. Lethan Hampton, left and right, and Ken Matsunaga, center, don their streetwear apparel.

By Isaac Blue On any given Thursday morning at 9:55, while students across campus study quietly or settle into their 80-minute classes, junior Ben Ledig starts counting down the minutes until his next purchase. By 9:59, Ledig logs onto the website for Supreme, an iconic streetwear brand worn by celebrities from NBA athletes to rap artists. Ledig repeatedly refreshes his browser until the clock strikes 10. In a matter of seconds, he adds items to his cart and makes his purchase. As one of many enterprising students who have mastered the art of acquiring limited-edition streetwear items from brands like Supreme, Ledig resells most of what he buys but keeps a few items for himself. Other popular brands include Bape, Palace, Kith, OffWhite and Stussy. Adidas has built an empire within the streetwear culture through its popular Yeezy shoe line, promoted by rapper Kanye West. On one recent drop, Ledig purchased eight pairs of Yeezys, turning a profit between $160 and $300 on each pair. According to Greg Swan, Chief Financial Officer and economics teacher, these items are so expensive because of their exclusivity and high demand. “There is a limited supply, and someone can capture that supply and resell it on the open market for more money,” Swan said. “It is a simple model that has proven to work in general terms with the way people’s minds work.” Once an item sells out, the resale prices skyrocket. A resale store in Las Vegas once turned down a $20,000 offer from Houston rapper Travis Scott for a rare gold-on-mustard Supreme hoodie. While some students resell items, others choose to indulge in the trend themselves.

GRAPHIC BY AMELIE PERRIER AND SIENA ZERR

“I rock that Gucci headband and Supreme headband,” junior Lethan Hampton said. “I’m just myself. This is just how I roll.” The acquisition of these items requires skill, and those who take too long during the check-out process are often left empty-handed. “It has taken me a bit of time to learn tricks on how to check out an item that sells out within five to 10 seconds,” Ledig said. “All you really need is a laptop with an autofill extension, and you are ready to start.” Freshman Ken Matsunaga prefers a less risky but more expensive method to acquire limited-edition items. He uses computer programs called “bots” that automatically purchase the items once they are released, eliminating the possibility of missing out while he’s in class. Bots can cost anywhere from $50 to $300 to install. Matsunaga typically sets up a bot on his home computer.

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CULTURE

Once purchased, students use different platforms to sell their goods. Reputable websites for trustworthy transactions include Grailed, StockX and eBay, as well as GOAT, a popular phone application primarily used for sneakers. Freshman Will Scotty was once part of the streetwear craze but has backed away from the resell game entirely. “It was a little too time-consuming,” Scotty said. “If you are not focused, you are not going to get anything.” Those who find a way to profit from buying and selling streetwear consider the payout worth the effort. Ledig, whose endeavors led him to join the Investment Club, wants to study finance in college. Swan sees a bright future for the students selling streetwear. “You are dealing with a group of people who could be the next big group of entrepreneurs,” Swan said. “They surely have the education and mindset for it.”

MARCH 2, 2018

A perfect person’s pointers for apologies

By Lilah Gaber

As a completely perfect person who has never made a mistake in her perfect life, I’m shocked — utterly shocked — at how difficult writing apologies seems to be for the many men who have never given one. As a wave of accountability is finally holding people (men) publicly accountable, we’ve seen a slew of apologies that range everywhere from a screenshot of the notes section of a iPhone (Logan Paul) to a three-paragraph statement that never once includes the word “sorry” (Louis C.K.). While those are not inherently invalid, any time a statement ends with an emoji, it’s safe to say it is not much of an apology. And while I myself am so perfect that I have never needed to write an apology, I’m not unfamiliar with them. One time in first grade I was wearing a skirt that, in the regrettable style of the early millennium, had drawstrings on it. A boy was teasing me and ended up ripping one of the drawstrings off. The apology that this boy, who at recess used to walk around with a perpetual red Gatorade stain on his mouth, was forced to write was more sincere than the statements coming from grown men nowadays. I never thought I would have explain, step by step, how to write an apology, but apparently doing horrible things is far easier than owning up to them. Step One: Actually start writing. This step has proven to be the hardest to complete, so wipe the Dorito dust from your guilt-laden fingers and use them to open up a document. Not the notes section of your iPhone. Not Twitter. Use a real Word document. This will show that you actually care and truly want to grow from your mistake. Step Two: Acknowledge the mistake and your specific role in it. Be careful, though — this is where many people tend to go wrong. Do not say you’re “sorry if people were offended” or try to deflect blame onto the victims. If you’re still confused, consider the apology from the boy who ripped my skirt in first grade. He did not say, “I’m sorry you were upset about my attempt to redesign your skirt,”

or “I’m sorry, but you never expressly told me not to rip your skirt.” His scrawled note read, “I’m sorry I ripped your skirt. That wasn’t very nice.” I may need to temper my expectations, but I would hope for more sophisticated language from grown men. Step Three: Proofread. Make sure you actually include the word “sorry.” Then actually look over what you’ve written. Reading through your apology more than once makes it less likely you will say something stupid. Proofreading can also catch spelling and grammar mistakes that, unedited, could make your apology seem less sincere. I can’t really give you an example from the first-grade boy’s apology because I’m not sure he could even decipher his own writing after he finished. But again, I’m hoping for more sophistication from people more than three times his age. These steps should be simple enough to get anyone started, but if you find yourself needing to write an apology, you’re liable to make some other mistakes that will warrant a future apology. So, in the interest of pragmatism, here are some additional tips that might help you avoid digging a deeper hole. Don’t announce your sexuality in the middle of your apology (“The Spacey”). There is no correlation between apologizing for sexual harassment and your sexual orientation. That would be like confessing to a murder but ending your statement with, “But, hey! I’m a Libra!” (but honestly, Libras would). Do not brag about never having made a mistake like this before. We know you haven’t made that same mistake before, that’s why we’re addressing it now. Besides, it is not the job of the marginalized to educate you; descend from your tower of privilege and try showing the bare minimum of human decency.

LILAH GABER

Lastly, people don’t have to accept your apology. You should not expect to be forgiven all the time. The kid who ripped my skirt in first grade ended his apology by hoping we could still be friends. Spoiler alert: I haven’t seen him in 10 years. I shouldn’t have to be friends with the type of kid who rips a little girl’s skirt — just because he apologized does not entitle him to my friendship. And while most of you may also be perfect people, there might come a point in your life when you encounter someone who is not-so-perfect, or a time when you yourself do something less than perfect. If that time comes, recognize that you have made a mistake and take it seriously. The reason for the recent slew of inept apologies is that people seem to be saying sorry only to save their careers. Maybe the reason the red-mouthed, first grade boy’s apology to me was so successful was because he didn’t do that. The reason he didn’t do that may be because he did not have a career in the first place, but the sentiment is still there.

Bitcoin: volatile risk or gold mine of potential?

By Matthew Giordano

I lost $40 on cryptocurrencies. If I had held onto my cryptocurrency instead of selling back in 2014 when I thought crypto was dead, I would have made $400. Some of my friends held and made a lot of money. It hurts, but nobody could have predicted the skyrocketing value of cryptocurrencies. For those of you who don’t understand what cryptocurrencies are, they are a type of money, just like the American dollar or the Euro, that live on the internet separate from governments or banks. The people who use and trade cryptocurrencies give them value due to their media hype and limited supply. Bitcoin and all other cryptocurrencies run on a system called the blockchain, which publicly records every component of every transaction in all of Bitcoin’s history, including the sender’s Bitcoin address, the recipient’s address and the amount sent. Although this seems to raise privacy concerns, people can make as many addresses as they want and manage them using Bitcoin wallets. When a transaction occurs, it must be verified and linked to the rest of the blockchain through a process called mining. Anybody can “mine Bitcoin,” which channels one’s computer resources into adding a new transaction to the blockchain. In order to entice miners, each miner gets a small amount of Bitcoin as compensation for their work every time they help complete a transaction. Critics have argued that since Bitcoin is not associated with any currency directly, it has no real value.

PRITHVI KRISHNARAO

But in reality, no currency does. The American Dollar is a piece of paper that our society imposes some intrinsic value on because it is used by everyone and enforced in legal matters. Even precious minerals like gold or diamonds only have value due to rarity and beauty. Similarly, Bitcoin only has value because of its rarity and because it’s currently a hot topic among traders. Even though Bitcoin does have value, I would not advocate investing in it right now. Bitcoin is volatile. It has gone through countless price jumps since its inception in 2009. It has been artificially inflated through pump and dump tactics, priming it for its recent crash (Bitcoin’s value fell from almost $20,000 per Bitcoin to $8,000 per Bitcoin in early 2018). According to the Bitcoin Foundation, Bitcoin was created to be a “globally accepted method of exchanging and storing value which will operate without the need for third parties,” but most people all have never seen a store accepting Bitcoin, which shows just how underdeveloped the currency is. To complete a transaction, six miners must verify the transaction and identify, or hash, it before it is accepted into the blockchain. Then, the new addition to the blockchain is sent out to every single user of Bitcoin in order to update their blockchain. In Bitcoin’s original design, a block (essentially one-sixth of a transaction) should be mined every 10 minutes, so each transaction should take an hour. Due to the rising popularity, recent transactions have reportedly taken over 16 hours. Since Bitcoin’s value derives from the opinion of its users, as transactions slow down, Bitcoin’s value falls. To make a Bitcoin transaction, the sender must pay a transfer fee. In August 2017, the average transfer fee to send Bitcoins was $4, but as the value of Bitcoins jumped, the transfer fee rose to $28, which goes against Bitcoin’s philosophy of being used as regular currency. Until this issue is resolved, Bitcoin will not become the great monetary

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OPINIONS

STEPHEN KIM

equalizer it was meant to be. At the moment, Bitcoin is a tool for speculators, but as Bitcoin ages, its value will either stabilize and be truly usable or crash beyond repair and be replaced by other cryptocurrencies. These flaws are not the end of the line of Bitcoin (yet), nor do they make Bitcoin inherently detrimental to the economy. The immense technological innovation that went behind the creation of Bitcoin and the significance of having a semi-successful cryptocurrency prove that cryptocurrencies can work. With the recent Bitcoin collapse, although many people lost money, some were able to identify the perpetrators of the crash due to the blockchain’s public nature, allowing traders to create programs to identify and stop this price gouging from happening again. While Bitcoin itself might not have long-term potential, it demonstrates that similar technology is here to stay. Ethereum may be the next Big Thing. It is an alternative to the blockchain system whose efficiency and transfer fees are much better than those of Bitcoin. Its price has jumped from roughly $8 to $950 in the past year, and it has stayed more stable than Bitcoin. In our lifetimes, I foresee a future based on a stable and efficient cryptocurrency that becomes widely adopted and acceptable as legal tender, and thus the creation of a truly global economy.

MARCH 2, 2018

STAFF EDITORIAL

A message to our Parkland peers On Valentine’s Day afternoon, fire alarms resounded through the Upper School. Students shuffled out of class and into their designated parking lots. Because there had been a fire drill just two days prior, students figured that this might be an actual fire alarm. As some students speculated about the cause for the alarm, others checked their phones and saw news notifications about a fatal shooting at a Florida high school. That same afternoon, alarms blared for the second time at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. As students began to walk out of their classrooms, the unrelenting sirens were interrupted by a series of gunshots from an AR-15 wielded by a 19-year-old former student. When his rampage ended, 17 students, teachers and faculty were dead. As the news of the Parkland shooting began to spread, we received the all-clear to head back to class. We later found out that our fire alarm was set off in an elevator shaft, a

problem quickly addressed by maintenance workers. The chilling parallels between the two situations pose a sobering question: could this happen to us? In the January issue of The Review, our cover story focused on campus security. In our centerspread, science teacher Doug Elliott noted that lockdown drills, armed security guards and security cameras were “the price we pay for living in the 21st century.” As the number and magnitude of gun-related tragedies continue to grow — with seemingly no end in sight — a school shooting is no longer a distant hypothetical but a terrifying reality. Parkland demonstrates that we can no longer afford to pay the price of poor gun control. After seeing their beloved friends, teachers and coaches killed, students of Stoneman Douglas High School did not rest. Less than a week after the massacre, busloads of students made the seven-hour trip to the state capitol in Tallahassee to advocate for gun reform. During a televised

town hall meeting on Feb. 21, Florida Senator Marco Rubio fielded questions and grievances from Parkland students and parents. To those intrepid, selfless students: we are sorry that the burden of change has fallen upon you. No one should have see their classmates gunned down in school — your response to the situation is inspiring. Your words cast a national spotlight on gun control, sending the resonating message that despite what the NRA says, the time is now. Pay no attention to those small-minded people who deride your actions or claim that you should remain silent in your grief. You are warriors fighting against outdated, imprudent laws, and your impact is already making a difference. Your peaceful protests and refusal to be quiet proves the importance of standing up for what you believe. You are role models for a better America, and we stand with you in mourning and protest.

LETTER FROM THE ONLINE EDITOR

A mindful guide to making informed decisions “Mindfulness” has become a part of our common vocabulary, from mindfulness cards that prompt advisory discussion to mindful meditation on Wellness Days. But what does mindfulness mean outside of school activities? To me, the most important part of mindfulness is always being aware of your impact on others, whether it’s stopping for a second to think about whether a coffee cup is recyclable or holding back a possibly offensive comment. If we can all be mindful of our impact, we can create meaningful change in the world. Like the majority of high school students, I cannot yet vote, but as Ian Toubin discussed in his chapel speech last week, our generation still has a great deal of power. We can make a difference by contributing to “small acts of political activism.” You may not be able go to a polling station in March to cast your vote in the primaries, but you do have power as a consumer to vote with your dollar. Money is power, as the saying goes, so don’t give power to causes you do not morally support. In the wake of last week’s school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, many companies have cut corporate ties with the National Rifle Association. United Airlines, the First National Bank of Omaha, several rental car companies and other corporations responded to a trending #BoycottNRA hashtag by ending policies giving discounts and preferential treatment to NRA members. These corporations are using economic action to show their lack of support for NRA attitudes. Dick’s Sporting Goods announced on Feb. 28 that the retail chain would no longer sell assault rifles and would raise the age for gun buyers from 18 to 21 in direct response to the Florida mass shooting. Hours after the announcement, the stock value of Dick’s was up one percent, while gun manufacturers like American Outdoor Brands and Sturm, Ruger & Co. fell the same amount. The choices consumers are obviously making show how economic decisions can also be socially conscious. Buying sustainably sourced clothing or organic, locallygrown food all the time is not realistic because of higher prices and limited availability, but it doesn’t cost anything

CAROLINE RAMIREZ

to mindfully restrict your consumption. Even something as simple as not clicking on some YouTube channel or disreputable news site can make a difference. Just like traditional voting at the ballot box, voting with your dollar requires you to be informed. In the wake of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, there are now websites (like Rotten Apples) where you can search a movie or television show to find out if anyone involved has been accused of sexual harassment or assault. The reprehensible actions of people like Harvey Weinstein go unpunished for so long because of their immense influence, so let’s stop giving them power. Hollywood will feed the masses Transformers and Fast and the Furious spinoffs for the next hundred years because the billions of dollars these franchises rake in make any concern about

THE REVIEW

Staff Izzy Andrews, Manar Ansari, Mehak Batra, Max Beard, Hrishabh Bhosale, Isaac Blue, Clara Brotzen-Smith, Laney Chang, Katina Christensen, Eli Desjardins, Fareen Dhuka, Sara Doyle, Nicholas Echeverri, Mia Fares, Matthew Giordano, Joe Griffin, Mia Guien, Eric Hang, Jackson Humphries, Thomas Hunt, Noura Jabir, Reygan Jones, Tyler King, Ethan Kinsella, SJ Lasley, Noël Madland, Scotty Malcolm, Lily McCullough, Camille McFarland, Will McKone, Sinclair Mott, Neel Pai, Amélie Perrier, Abigail Poag, Lucas Pope, Leila Pulaski, Eloise Reasoner, Claire Seinsheimer, Henry Still, Eric Strawn, James Sy, Mira Thakur, Sacha Waters, Shelby Wilson, Siena Zerr

Advisers David Nathan, Shelley Stein (’88), Chuy Benitez

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With hope,

Emily Chen

Member Columbia Scholastic Press Assn.: Gold Crown 2015, Silver Crown 2014 & 2016 | National Scholastic Press Assn.: Pacemaker 2015, 4th Place Best of Show, All-American 2013-14, 2014-15

St. Johns School | 2401 Claremont Lane, Houston, TX 77019 sjsreview.com | Facebook SJS Review | Twitter @SJS_Review Instagram @_thereview | Snapchat sjsreview Publisher Gracie Blue Executive Editors Assignments Dani Yan Design Ashwini Bandi Writing Claire Furse Assignments Editors Sophie Caldwell, Iris Chen, Alexander Kim Design Editors Stephen Kim, Prithvi Krishnarao Copy Editors Maggie Ballard, Natasha Faruqui, Sophie Gillard, Eli Maierson Photography Editor (Print) Caroline Ramirez Photography Editor (Online) Grace Sanders Business Editor Sukul Mittal Asst. Business Editor Andrew Duong Online Editor-in-Chief Emily Chen Asst. Online Editor Ryan Chang Online Section Editors Shani Israel, Sophia Kontos, Sophia Lima Social Media Editor Lilah Gaber Video Editors Jack Shea, Alex Tinkham

artistic integrity irrelevant; let’s not sanction morally bankrupt behavior by continuing to give money and support to bad people. You might feel that purchasing a $12 movie ticket or a five-dollar footlong does not matter, but if we all be more mindful of where our money goes, then we can all make a difference. The decisions you make at the ballot box may not cause noticeable change for years, but the decisions you make with your money can have an immediate effect.

Mission Statement The Review strives to report on issues with integrity, to recognize the assiduous efforts of all, and to serve as an engine of discourse within the St. John’s community. Publication Info The Review is published six times during the school year. We distribute at least 1,000 copies of each issue, most of which are given for free to the Upper School community of 662 students and 98 faculty members. Policies The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions and staff editorials contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Headmaster or the Board of Trustees of St. John’s School. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the entire

OPINIONS

MARCH 2, 2018

Editorial Board unless otherwise noted. Writers and photographers are credited with a byline. Corrections, when necessary, can be found on the editorial pages. Running an advertisement does not imply endorsement by the school. Submission Guidelines Letters to the editor and guest columns are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and taste. On occasion, we will publish letters anonymously. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received. Letters and guest columns can be emailed to review.sjs@gmail.com or handdelivered to an editor or adviser in the Review room (Q210).

60 seconds with:

ERIC HANG

Jaya Krishnan

Nickname Jaysh Next Netﬂix Binge Sherlock Comfort Food Milk and Cookies Dream Job Getting paid to travel Favorite Spot on Campus Spike ball court Weird Hobby Making toothpick models of famous landmarks Quirk Frown smile Favorite Word Excellent Spirit Animal A stag Song to Describe Your Life Good Life by Kanye West Love to Hate The cold

Hate to Love Taylor Swift Relationship Status Single Celebrity You’d Want to Meet Kanye West Olympic Sport Gymnastics Dream Date Picnic in the park Phobia Getting kidnapped Doppelganger My sister Known For Being extremely gullible Book Precious Thing Movie Interstellar Follow Us? On all my social medias ;)

Word for Word

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apples to apples

dog years are like nautical miles -junior genson hooper- price

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Naveen Krishnan

Nickname Nav Next Netﬂix Binge It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Comfort Food Hot Dog Dream Job Spy Favorite Spot on Campus Plaza Weird Hobby Driving Quirk My thumb Favorite Word Baboon Spirit Animal Monkey Song to Describe Your Life Mr. Rager by Kid Cudi Love to Hate Nav (the rapper)

gray discovers irony

i’m afraid to talk in front of review people because i’m scared they’ll turn it into a word for word -junior gray watson

Stephen’s Universe

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Hate to Love Drake Relationship Status None Celebrity You’d Want to Meet Jack Black Olympic Sport Ping Pong Dream Date Restaurant Phobia Caves Doppelganger Jaya Known For Sideburns Book Tenacious D: The Book Movie Interstellar Follow Us? No

legend of zelda grows

SO MY PIG MAY HAVE EATEN SOME OF YOUR QUIZZES... -MRS. KERR

By Stephen Kim

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ODDS AND ENDS

MARCH 2, 2018

The Music Man 2018

PHOTOS BY ERIC HANG

By Sophie Gillard

The Music Man is the story of a charming con man named Harold Hill who livens up the small, narrowminded town of River City, Iowa when he starts a boys’ band while attempting to woo the town librarian. The musical, which runs from Mar. 1 through 3, features a double cast. Seniors Frank Willey (Harold Hill) and Nicole VerMeulen (Marian Paroo) will play the leads on the Friday night show and Saturday matinee, while seniors Ben Cohen (Harold) and Katy Shafer (Marian) perform on Thursday and Saturday nights.

THE REVIEW

Cohen drives into town to sell musical instruments to locals (1). Cohen and senior Will Rippeto (Marcellus Washburn) perform two characters who reunite in River City (2). Administrators Greg Swan, Mark Desjardins and Gene Batiste are also performing in the show alongside senior Sean Paul Gras (3). The musical contains a large dance ensemble who perform in many of the show’s most well-known numbers, including “Shipoopi” and “Marian the Librarian” (4).

PHOTOSTORY

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SPECIAl section

Culture of Silence how a lack of consent education harms high school students story by sophie caldwell design by ashwini bandi ‘you have no idea what it’s like’

nne had never been kissed until she was 15. A year later, she blacked out just as she was finishing dinner with her boyfriend of several months. She woke up, confused and in pain, in the back of his car. The evening began at the movies, yet she couldn’t understand why, after dinner, they were back in the movie theater parking lot. She asked her boyfriend why they had returned, but he maintained they had never left. Too afraid and disoriented to push further, she asked him to drive her home and tried to put the disturbing incident out of her mind. Over a month later, the pieces fell into place. Anne realized that she had been drugged, then sexually assaulted. “I was sobbing on the floor of my room, trying to keep denying it, but knowing I couldn’t,” she said.

Almost a year later, Anne, whose real name has been changed for this article, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. She has graphic nightmares and often comes to school exhausted and scared. Since she was too confused and traumatized to immediately report the assault, lawyers told her that the case would be too difficult to prove in court, so she chose not to pursue legal action. More than anything, Anne wants to stop being afraid. “If it hasn’t happened to you, you have no idea what it’s like,” she said. “Every day, I have to fight what I feel, not to act like my life is destroyed, even though it feels like it is.” Anne is constantly anxious around men and fears she will never be able to love or trust anyone again.

Everyone knows a victim Anne is far from alone.

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Twenty million American women are victims of an attempted or completed sexual assault, according to a 2007 Department of Justice study. That’s one out of every five women. Over 42 percent of women who have been assaulted were assaulted before they even reached the age of 18, or one out of every eight high school girls. High school is an especially dangerous time for young women: in a 2008 study, 53 percent of the high school girls in the study were sexually assaulted by a peer, and 39 percent of these assaults took place at school. Teenage girls ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of sexual assault. According to the 2012 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 28.8% of girls who were sexually assaulted were assaulted by current or former intimate partners. Whether we are aware or not, nearly every high school student knows a victim. Continued on Page S2

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AGE OF C ‘No Means no, yes means yes, and maybe means no’

with regard to consent. In general, a person’s ability to consent decreases as their level of intoxication increases, but it is often difficult to discern a person’s level of intoxication. As evidenced by drunk driving rates, many people believe that they are far less impaired than they actually are. Since sober people are more able to resist unwanted sexual advances, many perpetrators of sexual assault drug their victims by placing a “roofie,” usually a sedative or mind-altering drug, into a drink without their knowledge or consent. Drugs used as roofies vary, but victims generally experience a sudden onset of extreme intoxication and are often unable to remember anything the next day. Once roofied, acquiring consent is impossible.

Teenagers inhabit a difficult space regarding sex. They are too mature for the purely biological sexual education presented to middle school students, but many schools are reluctant to fully delve into the deeper physical and emotional ramifications of sex with high school students. Many educators and parents prefer not to acknowledge teenage sexual behavior at all. The danger in denying teenage sexuality is that many teens go through high school without a clear understanding of what consent is — and is not. Though most students can defer to the old standby “no means no,” the concept of enthusiastic consent is less ingrained. In order to give students a clearer idea of ‘Don’t Be Afraid To Say Something’ consent, St. John’s brought in Speak About It, a traveling performance group that delivers Without consent education, victims of dynamic presentations about consent, healthy sexual assault might not even realize what has relationships, boundaries and communication happened to them. to teens and college students. At 15, Moira Pyhala woke up the morning Consent is not simply after a party with no memory the absence of a “no,” of the night before, but her A truly consensual sexual nor is it the presence of a friends filled her in: a boy single “yes.” A truly consituation includes enthusi- had handed her a beer, flirted sensual sexual situation with her all night and then astic, ongoing consent from includes enthusiastic, they had left together. All she ongoing consent from knew was that she had had both parties. both parties. sex, and she needed help. According to Speak Her immediate thought About It, “no means no, yes means yes, and was that she needed to get Plan B, an emermaybe means no.” gency contraceptive. Past the basics, power dynamics play a major Not wanting to involve her parents, Pyhala role in consent. Age differences as well as social walked to the Planned Parenthood in her small status affect teen relationships, and teens often town of Soldotna, Alaska. She told a doctor feel pressured to follow through in sexual situ- that she had had unprotected sex, which she ations even if they have changed their minds. didn’t remember. The doctor expressed conConsent is one of the most difficult areas of cern that she had been sexually assaulted and sexual literacy to govern. The “no means no” offered counseling. Only then did Pyhala realslogan leaves many sexual scenarios open to in- ize that the boy had sexually assaulted her after terpretation, especially when alcohol or other likely drugging her drink. behavior-altering substances are involved. The sexual assault rate in Alaska is 2.5 times Intoxication creates a difficult gray area the national average, yet Pyhala’s high school

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sexual education program only taught abstinence: she learned about sexually transmitted diseases and raised virtual babies. She was never taught how to distinguish between normal sexual encounters and sexual assault. Pyhala became involved in sexual assault advocacy during her freshman year at the University of Alaska in 2015. She joined Generation Action, a nationwide program funded by Planned Parenthood that focused on sexual education and sexual assault prevention, as well as helping implement a Take Back the Night event and starting several other sex ed programs. Recognizing the value of sharing her story, she participated in a video for the Speak Out campaign that quickly gained traction. In June, Pyhala testified on Capitol Hill before the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Pyhala is currently working with Planned Parenthood and the state of Alaska to implement federally mandated sexual education. Before the Speak Out video, Pyhala had not even told her parents about her assault. After the video went public, she faced backlash from her high school classmates, who accused her of lying, yet she also received over 25 messages from other peers telling her their own stories of sexual assault. “This issue isn’t just a personal situation,” Pyhala said. “This is a community health issue and a national public health issue.” To Pyhala, the most important aspect of sexual

Girls are

86%

more likely than the general population to be victims of sexual assault

percentage of female rape victims know their abuser

DATA TAKEN FROM TEENHEALTH.COM

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CONSENT education is consent and positive relationships. “If we don’t learn about healthy relationships, we can’t live a healthy lifestyle,” Pyhala said. According to Pyhala, a lack of sexual education can lead to domestic violence and unhealthy gender norms. Pyhala strongly advocates bystander intervention training, and emphasizes the importance of looking for troubling behaviors that could indicate that someone is in a dangerous situation. “When you’re at a party, or even if it’s out in public, if you see somebody who doesn’t look like they’re in the right situation,” she said, “don’t be afraid to say something.”

Changing the Way People Think Alyssa Crain (’13), the former head of the Rape and Sexual Assault Network at Williams College (RASAN), defines consent with five points: “clearly communicated, verbally stated, this act, right now, with you.” Crain advocates comprehensive sexual education, especially focusing on consent, before teens enter college. “If you’re learning the word ‘consent’ at your freshman orientation, it’s too late.” One of the most important factors that determine the effectiveness of consent education is getting students to “buy in,” Crain said. At Williams, athletes have a significant impact on campus social life, so RASAN collaborated with the school-run Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Committee on events, workshops and discussions with team captains and members of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Crain emphasizes the

importance of involving all students in sexuwhen she didn’t want to. al wellness training. She worked to publicize After seeing a therapist, Leslie came to terms workshops for Williams students who might with the fact that she had been coerced and not otherwise be motivated to attend. sexually assaulted. After he broke up with her “The same people showed up every time for (he had been cheating on her), whenever she workshops, which is great because you want saw the boy in the hallway she felt like she had people to get involved, but you also want the been punched in the stomach. Even after he people who wouldn’t even think to come,” graduated, she sometimes thinks she sees him Crain said. “It’s long-term changing the way walking down the hall. people think and view According to Leslie, the issues.” consent education Crain advocates begin- Each person must be fully aware, will only be effective ning the conversation if boys take it seriequally free of coercion, communiin elementary school. ously. She worries “Talk about boundaries cating clearly and unambiguously, that even if sex ed is and respect to lay the taught, the people and sincere in their desires. who need consent foundation for how we should treat each other. education most are -Krystal Hernandez Kids should learn how those who will absorb to respect themselves it the least. She wishand others.” es that her school had emphasized the imporWith RASAN, Crain ensured that students tance of consent to all students. understood the complexities of consent. Learning to speak about it “‘Yes means yes’ ignores possible power dynamics and coercion,” she said. “People might just be saying ‘yes’ because they were asked Prior to bringing Speak About It on camrepeatedly and worn down or if their partner pus, sexual assault prevention training at St. holds power over them.” John’s was limited to seniors who attended a class in the spring semester taught by a police Coercion, not Consent officer. According to Head of Upper School Leslie (not her real name) had been going Hollis Amley, administrators wanted to exout with her boyfriend for just a week when he pand the breadth of the program to include asked her if she wanted to have sex. Leslie said the entire Upper School. no. He asked three more times. Her answer On Feb. 2, Speak About It visited campus was always the same. No. Finally, she relucto perform an hour-long series of skits and tantly acquiesced. He didn’t use a condom. monologues for upperclassmen that delved The next day, he told her to take Plan B, into the intricacies of teen sexual relationships. which she bought herself. The high dose of The performance was held during an assembly hormones made her feel horribly ill. period, with students given the opportunity to Leslie buried her emotions about the inciopt out. dent for months, even while continuing to Freshmen and sophomores, divided by gendate the boy. She told herself that she was der, attended a different assembly with outside simply distraught over losing her virginity. consultants Ashley LeGrange and Stephanie Her boyfriend continued to pressure her into Larsen on Feb. 27. The next day, LeGrange sex, even asking her in front of his friends. She and Larsen attended a Parent Wellness Coffee. can’t remember how many times they had sex Continued on Page S4

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one out of every eight high school girls is sexually assaulted

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42%

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percent of women who have been assaulted were assaulted before they even reached the age of

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According to Amley, the age-appropriate underclassman discussions cover many of the same topics as Speak About It, including healthy relationships, boundaries and how to be an active bystander. One of the Speak About It performers, David Picariello, said that their presentations usually include banter about each school’s culture and feature real stories about teenage sexual relationships. The skits are interspersed with factual information, monologues about sexual assault and scenarios demonstrating how to create consensual sexual situations and how to be an active bystander. In one monologue, performer Krystal Hernandez defined and emphasized the role of consent in any sexual encounter. “Consent is an affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual ac-

tivity,” she said. “Each person must be fully aware, equally free of coercion, communicating clearly and unambiguously, and sincere in their desires. Consent must be ongoing and can be revoked at any time. The more intoxicated a person is, the less they are able to give consent.” In another skit, performers Hernandez and Adrian Peguero portrayed two students who successfully and clearly communicated their boundaries during a sexual encounter. “This isn’t a roller coaster,” Hernandez said. “You can change your mind and get off whenever you want.” Speak About It was recommended to Upper School Nurse Tesa Stark by colleagues at peer schools. The school researched Speak About It by watching video recordings of their performances, reading scripts and speaking with their director, Shane Dia-

mond. “We liked Speak About It because it emphasized healthy relationships without using scare tactics,” Amley said. After the assembly, the Speak About It team held a question-and-answer session in the Frankel Mezzanine during lunch to facilitate further conversation with interested students. About two dozen students attended. Speak About It also offers peer leadership workshops, which may take place next year. Amley appreciated the Speak About It message, which covered healthy relationships, consent and lack thereof, effects of sexual assault, and bystander intervention. “It gives students an idea of how they can make a difference,” she said.

Director of Alumni Philanthropy Lorin Crater suggests students begin the conversation on a peer-to-peer basis. “The more people talk about it, the less it can be ignored,” she said. Crater was sexually assaulted as a sophomore in high school. She and her friend had met a group of college students on a weekend tubing trip while vacationing with her friend’s family, and Crater became unconscious after consuming alcohol with the group. When she woke up, one of the boys was sexually assaulting her. Crater went to a nearby hospital and called police. Her attacker was later tried and imprisoned. Crater grappled with a sense of guilt over the incident. In her mother’s and grand-

mother’s generations, sexual assault was a source of shame only for the victim, and it was never to be spoken of. Crater emphasizes that sexual assault is never the victim’s fault. After attempting to erase the assault from her memory to no avail, Crater, with the support of her family, learned that talking about it helped her heal. “No matter what the girl does, whatever choices she makes, whether you think they’re smart choices or poor choices, the perpetrator still chose to rape her,” she said in a 2013 interview with the Review. “He made a decision, and none of her decisions ever justify that decision.” Above all, Crater emphasizes communication. “One thing we always talk about is how

girls can protect themselves, but most of all we need to be teaching men to always ensure that they receive a clear yes. It needs to be a conversation with both sexes.” Crater spoke to WHEE about her experience in 2013. She emphasizes the importance of survivors sharing their stories in order to break the silence. Sexual assault dramatically affected Crater’s high school experience, and she suffered from nightmares and emotional trauma for years. “It took away my innocence,” she said. “I had to grow up so fast.” By sharing her story, Crater hopes to start a conversation. If students of all genders can discuss the way they relate to sexual wellness and consent, they can help protect each other.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEPHEN KIM

‘Everything is Haunted Now’ It has been almost a year since Anne was sexually assaulted, and she’s still trying to process what happened. When Anne confronted her assailant via text message, he denied sexually assaulting her. Even now, months later, she doesn’t think that her former boyfriend knows what he did was wrong. “I was knocked out; I never said no. But I

never said yes. I didn’t say anything because I was unconscious,” she said. “So many boys keep going until you say no, but what if you’re unable to say no?” According to Anne, schools should educate students about consent to prevent what happened to her from happening to others. Since his crime went unreported, Anne fears for other girls who might come in contact with him. She is angry that while she is still suffering from his actions, he walks free. “I wish I made a big deal about it,” she said.

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“I wish I had done something more because now he’s doing fine and living his life, and I’m being destroyed by this. I can’t imagine, if I didn’t tell, how many other girls haven’t told.” In retrospect, his reaction to her accusation made her suspect that this was not the first time he had sexually assaulted someone. Even now, she fears for her safety. “I lost my peace of mind, which was something I never really valued or noticed until now,” she said. “Everything is haunted now, when I used to be so happy.”

MARCH 2, 2018