January 2017

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P3 FCD stimulates meaningful discussion among students P5 Preston Boyer (‘13) puts his best sneaker forward P16 Students re-create archival photos around the school

grace sanders

Review • St. John’s School • sjsreview.com

2401 Claremont Lane, Houston, TX 77019. Vol. 68. Issue 3 January 13, 2017

TRUE COLOR S Houston is the face of a changing America:

What greater diversity means for St. John’s

Photos by | Jared Margolis, Jesus Benitez, and Philip Kensinger Design by | Jared Margolis Story by | Irene Vazquez Story on Pages 8-9

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News 2

In Brief

Women march for rights

By Natasha Faruqui

​ It​ ​began​ ​with​ ​anger​ ​and​ ​a​ ​ Facebook​ ​page.

The day after the election, while Hillary Clinton supporters were still mourning the loss of their favored candidate, Hawaiian Teresa Shook decided to take action. She created a Facebook event inviting 40 of her friends to march on Washington in protest of Donald Trump’s election on Inauguration Day. Her​ ​idea​ ​gained​ ​momentum​ ​and​ ​eventually​ ​reached​ ​ Pantsuit​ ​Nation,​ ​the​ ​3 ​million​ ​ member Facebook​ ​group​ ​of​ ​ Clinton​ supporters,​ ​and​ ​suddenly​ ​there​ ​were​ hundreds of​ thousands​ ​of​ ​women​ ​across​ ​ the country​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​march.

Senior​ ​Mary​ ​Elizabeth​ ​Dawson​ ​plans​ ​to​ ​travel​ ​the​ ​1,408​ ​ miles​ ​to​ ​Washington​ ​D.C.​ ​to​ ​ march​ ​in front​ ​of​ ​the​ ​White​ ​ House on Jan. 21.​ ​She​ ​will​ ​be​ ​ staying​ ​with​ ​a​ ​friend​ ​who​ ​lives​ ​ near​ ​the​ Capitol.

“It’s​ ​a​ ​good​ ​way​ ​to​ ​get​ ​involved​ ​politically​ ​without​ ​ spending​ ​a​ ​ton​ ​of​ ​money,​” Dawson ​said.

Dawson​ ​discovered​ ​the​ ​march​ ​ on​ ​Facebook.​ ​A​ ​GroupMe​ ​of​ ​ fellow​ ​future​ ​Barnard​ ​College students​ ​persuaded​ ​her​ ​to​ ​attend​ ​the​ march.

March-goers ​hope​ ​that​ ​the​ media attention will bring to light the women’s dissatisfaction.

“We’re​ ​sending​ ​the​ ​message​ ​ that​ ​we​ ​as​ ​women​ ​are​ ​not​ ​going​ ​to​ ​go​ ​away​ ​or​ ​stop​ ​fighting​ ​for​ ​our rights,”​ ​said​ ​junior​ ​ Elise​ ​Lanier,​ ​who​ ​hopes​ ​to​ ​ march​ ​closer​ ​to​ ​home​ ​in​ ​Austin in a similar event.

People ​attending​ ​the​ ​march​ cite ​the​ ​president-elect’s​ comments about ​women​ ​based​ ​on​ ​ their appearances ​and​ ​intent to criminalize abortions as the​​ source​ ​of​ ​their​ ​motivation​ ​to protest.​​​ “The​ ​way​ ​that​ ​he​ ​describes​ ​ women​ ​is​ ​very​ ​degrading,”​ ​ sophomore​ ​Sophie​ ​Gillard​ ​ said.​ “He​ ​has consistently​ ​ shown​ ​a​ ​disregard​ ​and​ ​disrespect​ ​for​ ​their​ ​accomplishments​ ​and​ ​their​ ​rights.”

Gillard​ ​plans​ ​to​ ​be​ ​among​ ​ those​ ​marching​ ​in​ ​Austin.​​​ ​ To​ ​her,​ ​the​ ​march​ ​symbolizes women​ ​standing​ ​up​ ​for​ ​their​ ​ beliefs​ ​in​ ​the​ ​face​ ​of​ ​a​ ​president​ ​who​ ​does​ ​not​ ​support​ ​ them.

Gillard ​believes​ ​that​ ​the​ ​president-elect​ ​values​ ​women​ ​only​ ​ on​ ​a​ ​superficial​ ​level.

“Hundreds​ ​of​ ​thousands​ ​ of​ ​women​ ​across​ ​the​ ​country​ ​ showing​ ​up​ ​and​ ​demanding​ ​ respect​ ​is​ ​a message​ ​that​ ​[Donald​ ​Trump]​ ​will​ ​hear,”​ ​she​ ​said.

Visit sjsreview.com for further coverage

Review | january 13, 2017

Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

Spring SAC Elections

There are plenty of candidates for 10thand 11th-grade SAC representative — but only one for 9th grade.

Jan. 20 Presidential Inauguration Visit sjsreview.com for daily news updates

Lone freshman runs for SAC Prithvi Krishnarao

Lack of time, interest leads to solitary campaign By | Isabelle Andrews and Natasha Faruqui Athena Adrogué nervously stood in front of her peers, notes in hand, as she delivered her speech for freshman representative of the Student Affairs Council.

After the applause died down, Dean of Students Elisa Inman stepped forward to announce that there were no other candidates.

For the first time in recent memory, current freshman representatives will be replaced by only one representative. What makes the situation more puzzling is that there were 13 candidates who ran in eighth grade to serve on SAC. Many students who ran last year but did not run again in January attribute the low turnout to the strains of the first year of high school.

“People are still adjusting,” freshman Marina Ring said. “We’re all adjusting to the new building, new schedule, heavier workload and influx of people.”

Freshman Sarah Jane Lasley decided not to run because it would be too time-consuming.

“People were turned off by the amount of time that would be taken out of their lives,” she said.

“I wanted to make sure I had time to hang out with friends.”

Students also cited the stress of preparing a speech and speaking in front of their class, the largest in school history, as a reason they sat out this election.

Students who ran at the end of eighth grade spoke in front of people they had been in class with for three years, whereas this semester, there were many unfamiliar faces in the audience.

“Running for SAC can be intimidating,” freshman class President Mark Trautner said. “It’s not easy to write a speech and deliver it in front of the entire class, so I congratulate Athena for running.”

Students who ran last year were eligible to become president or vice president, positions that are held for the entire year. SAC bylaws state that

Eric hang

Athena Adrogué was the only freshman to run for SAC in the spring. She joins Class President Mark Trautner and Vice President Jordan Fullen as class representative. underclassman representatives only serve for one semester.

Students may have been dissuaded by the seemingly minor position of class representative, said freshman class Vice President Jordan Fullen.

He stressed that titles do not carry much weight in SAC meetings.

“Your title is frankly irrelevant,” he said.

“Together, we attempt to work as a cohesive group of problem solvers.”

Senior prefects expressed dismay at the lack of enthusiasm shown by the freshman class.

Head prefect Cam Cook spoke to the freshman class after Dean Inman informed them there was only one candidate. Cook encouraged the freshmen and said that SAC is a rewarding experience.

“I honestly have no clue [why no freshmen ran this semester], and this is truly a first,” senior prefect JaDa Johnson said. “I don’t want people

to let their fears stop them from being part of one of the most important student organizations on campus.”

Senior Prefect Camille Dawson told the freshmen in attendance that, beginning in seventh grade, she ran for SAC five times — and lost every time — before finally being elected junior year.

Eleven juniors ran for spring semester representative. Their election took place on Jan. 12.

Sophomore elections will be held Jan. 17. Twelve sophomores are vying for the two representative positions.

Johnson urges the freshmen to run in future elections.

“Run because it’s not for you, it’s for your classmates,” she said. “It’s no secret where freshmen stand on the totem pole, so if you, as a freshman, want to make the difference, run.”

Facebook post to the club. “I would like to open my room to any and all who would like to talk during lunch.”

Counselor Kelli McCarty reported that only a handful of students sought post-election counseling through her office.

The lyrics from Zac Brown Band’s “Remedy” Several faculty members found themselves at a resounded through St. John the Divine Episcopal loss during classes on Wednesday, with some noChurch during chapel the day following the ticeably tearing and choking up. presidential election, as Capt. Wesley Hunt (’02) Some took to social media to publicly declare delivered a message on the importance of unity their sentiments in an effort to console others. among Americans.

“For those of you who are disappointed tonight, In the front row, some seniors openly wept. do not forget the rage you have felt, the tears you Others smiled and nodded along. Some looked have shed, the outcome and the change you have on and held a steady gaze with Hunt. These were desired,” senior WHEE leader Mary Elizabeth the immediate reactions to Donald J. Trump’s vic- Dawson said in an Instagram post. “Do not fortory in the presidential elecget because in four years tion, Nov. 8. it will be your time to reAlthough Democratic The first 24 hours after claim freedom in Americandidate Hillary Clinton the election were quite ca.”According to the New received over 2 million more surreal votes than Trump, the ReYork Times, 51 percent publican candidate won the of white women with electoral vote, 306-232.

-Allyson LaBorde college degrees voted for On Jan. 20, Trump will Clinton, while 62 perbe sworn in as the 45th President of the United cent of women without a degree voted for Trump.

States.

“Honestly, nothing proves to me more right Some members of the community did not know now that sexism is still blatantly rampant in our how to react. nation. Clinton is over-qualified for the job,” se“The first 24 hours after the election were quite nior Elysa Tulek said, “But people just don’t want surreal,” English teacher Allyson LaBorde said. “I a woman as president.” was fortunate enough that day that in my classes While many students were disheartened, othstudents and advisees seemed respectful to each ers found reason to celebrate. Young Conservaother even when it was clear that someone was tive Club officer Joseph Coselli recalls a distinct having an emotional response.” “warm and fuzzy feeling,” but still noticed the Several clubs and organizations on campus held mood of the student body. impromptu meetings to help the distressed.

“Immediately, it was a very happy atmosphere “I know that a number of you are feeling up- at the YCC watch party event,” Coselli said. “At set,” WHEE sponsor Eleanor Cannon said in a school the next day, students seemed to be largely

depressed and not taking it well.”

YCC officer Samuel Samson-Williams reconciled his surprise with the election with international trends.

“I had the sense that this would happen based on what we saw with Brexit and what we’ve seen in the Philippines,” Samson-Williams said. “People are kind of rejecting the establishment and going for the outsider candidate.”

Students who did not support either candidate felt conflicted about the results.

“I couldn’t find it in me to support either Hillary or Trump, but after the election, it was a very happy moment for me to see Hillary lose because of the overbearing confidence that people had that Hillary was going to win,” senior Henry Morris said. “To see the biggest bamboozlement in the history of the U.S. was something I enjoyed to an extent, but obviously there are several concerns to having Trump as our president.”

The day after the Inauguration, 200,000 protesters are expected to join the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. Simultaneous protests are scheduled throughout the country, including Austin, Texas.

“It is a historic moment that I wish I could witness,” LaBorde said. “I will be here praying that good will come from this change because, regardless of what we think of how the election went and who won it, there is a remarkable change underway in how the presidency will be lived out by the person in the White House.”

After Capt. Hunt’s chapel speech, students discussed the importance of unity.

“Mr. Hunt made me realize that this is my country,” senior Maddie McZeal said. “We have as much right to be here, to live here and to love here as anyone else, and part of that responsibility is acting like this is our country.”

Election spawns emotional reactions By | Sadde Mohamed

With a little understanding We can break these chains That we’ve been handed.

I’ve got the medication Love is the remedy.

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sjsReview.com | JANUARY 13, 2017

Breakthrough bridges achievement gap

News 3

By | Andrew Duong and Eli Maierson

On Saturday, sophomore Jackie Ferrufino makes a quick breakfast, prints out her lesson plan and hops in her parents’ car to get to Episcopal High School. She arrives at 8 a.m., takes one final look at her lesson, then heads to a conference with her fellow teachers.

An hour later, Ferrufino meets students in the gym to begin the morning assembly. Then, she reports to a classroom to help eighth grade students prepare for the ISEE test, the exam for private school admissions. Later, she goes to another classroom to teach seventh grade Pre-AP math.

Ferrufino teaches at Breakthrough Houston, an educational organization aimed at teaching underserved children throughout the Houston area. It consists of three main programs: a six-week summer program, a school-year course that meets every other Saturday and a college-bound program.

Ferrufino was a Breakthrough student and now teaches in the school-year program.

Morris Nwogwugwu, Director of Student Services, is passionate about Breakthrough’s main goal: to cater to students in the Houston area who are educationally disadvantaged and to get them accepted to selective high schools and colleges.

The summer program is no easy task; students attend class for six weeks. Teachers have an additional two-week orientation for summer classes. Students in the summer program commit to more than two hours of homework a night.

According to Nwogwugwu, the program’s benefits vastly outweigh the workload.

The program exists partially to prevent what Nwogwugwu calls the “summer slide,” in which students take a few months off and don’t engage in academic activities.

“What we do is deliver a rigorous academic curriculum during our summer programs that really prepares them to excel once school starts up again in the fall,” Nwogwugwu said. “We help to develop student character strengths and life skills, and we really have a lot of fun.”

Breakthrough also recruits and trains teachers like Ferrufino who are interested in pursuing careers in education.

By teaching career at Breakthrough Houston, Ferrufino has learned more about what it takes to be an educator.

“As a student, I took for granted all the work that my teachers did, and I never paid attention to what really happened behind the scenes,” Ferrufino said. “Once you’re in that teacher position, it’s nerve-wracking, and you realize that you have to prepare and spend a lot of time on lesson plans. I’ve become very grateful for everything my teachers do, even the ones outside of the Breakthrough program.”

Sophomore Juliette Draper, a first-year assistant teacher for Breakthrough, has not achieved full teacher status yet. She is determined to rise through the ranks to help kids in a subject she herself wrestled with.

“I teach algebra to eighth graders because, as a child, I really struggled with math,” Draper said. “I really wanted to help people like me who have challenges with the subject.”

Despite being a novice educator, Draper acknowledged she was well prepared for the task at hand.

“We had a six-hour orientation on different teaching tech-

alex thrift

Breakthrough students celebrate on campus. Breakthrough offers summer and school year programs that help underpriviledged students get accepted into prestigious high schools and colleges. niques,” Draper said. “The orientation was very nice because we weren’t thrown into a situation with no idea what to do.”

Founded in 1996, Breakthrough aims not only to teach, but also to help create strong student-teacher relationships and build a community through education.

Activities such as morning assemblies, cheers and dress-up days in which teachers and students sport everything from “Crazy Hair” to “Silly Socks” are key components of the Breakthrough experience.

“I love the community. I love being a part of a group of people that accepts me for who I am,” Ferrufino said. “They always encourage me to do everything and anything I can.”

To Ferrufino, the center of the community is the Teacher Bridge, in which faculty put up their arms in two single-file lines as the students run through.

“The bridge is symbolic to the program — we’re trying to cross a bridge of education in preparing these children,” Ferrufino said.

“We do it every morning to remind ourselves what we’re trying to accomplish.”

The bridge tradition also calls to mind the Breakthrough program’s original name: Summerbridge.

Breakthrough began in Houston 20 years ago under Headmaster Phillip Cannon Sr., father of the current head of the middle school. When it began, it was solely a summer program. In 2008,

it expanded into both a summer and a school-year program.

Over the last eight years, Breakthrough Houston has grown from a small educational program to a city-wide organization.

It accepts 60 new students per grade level. Since adding a college-bound program for high school students, Breakthrough now serves over 250 students in grades 7-12. Breakthrough Houston at St. John’s and Episcopal High School recruits students from 22 schools throughout the Houston Independent School District.

The number of teachers at Breakthrough in the summer program has tripled from 12 to 36. 10 Upper School students at SJS teach during the school-year program, including six sophomores.

Breakthrough extends beyond the borders of Houston, including 24 locations nationwide and one in Hong Kong.

Locally, Breakthrough Houston opened a second site at KIPP Connect this summer.

According to Breakthrough Executive Director Kathy Heinzerling, the new KIPP site uses “the same curriculum, same teacher training, same instructional strategies, as the original SJS/EHS site. There are many qualified students in Houston that deserve a program like this, [as well as] a critical need for good teachers in the public school systems where there are under-served students.”

FCD speakers discuss substance use, promote healthy student behavior By | Amy Liu

In October, the Freedom from Chemical Dependency presented data from a survey that measured drug and alcohol usage by Middle and Upper School students. As the next phase of their prevention program, FCD speakers visited campus and held seminars from Jan. 3-6 to educate students about the relationship between substance use and social environments.

Through a week of hour-long workshops, five prevention specialists in the Upper School and three in Middle School worked with groups of about 30 students. The prevention specialists addressed each grade level separately.

The school chose FCD because of its long history of working with students. The organization has been in business for 40 years and presented to over 2 million students around the world.

The seminars were envisioned to provide an open environment for students to talk about drugs and alcohol. Teachers and administrators were not present during the sessions so students could feel more comfortable.

“We know that when the school’s administration or teachers try and teach about this topic, it can sometimes be difficult for students to be as open,” Counselor Kelli McCarty said. “By providing outside professionals to teach the classes, it allows students to get great information from experts while not feeling like they can’t ask certain questions.”

The prevention specialists sought to give accurate information about substance use but allow students to reach their own conclusions. That information could help students notice early

and late-stage signs of addiction among themselves or their peers.

“I don’t want students to think that we’re pointing fingers or pushing an agenda,” said Drew Bowie, a prevention specialist who is six years in recovery. “We’re able to talk about substance without taking a side.”

Students appreciated the neutral attitude of the speakers.

“Our instructor made sure students knew that they were able to voice their opinion and that she was not there to tell us what to think,” senior Arisa Sadeghpour said. “Students would not have had these conversations or thought critically about drug use if it were not for FCD.” FCD specialists focused on addressing perceptions of drugs and alcohol in a straightforward manner. The specialists urged students to realize that substance use is not as prevalent as they think.

“It’s natural to want to be part of a group.

If you perceive that the majority of people are doing drugs and alcohol, you’re more inclined to do it yourself,” Bowie said. “If you think that the majority of people are not using substances, you’re going to be less likely to use them.”

Internal pressure, social media and entertainment can distort perceptions and prevent students from making informed decisions.

“You’re more likely to hear about someone partying and drinking the past weekend than someone just chilling at home,” Bowie said. “That small group of people who use alcohol and drugs has the louder voice. They get more attention

JARED MARGOLIS

FCD speaker John Tummon leads a group of freshmen in an exercise on the Great Lawn. Tummon and other speakers emphasized open conversation and education about substance abuse in their presentations. from their peers, the school and the news.”

FCD suggests that St. John’s create an intervention team of faculty members selected by students. Anyone could write referrals to the prevention committee if they felt concerned about a peer’s substance use.

Another possible step would be implementing Students Advocating Life without Substance Abuse, an organization of students who no longer use drugs or alcohol or have never used them.

Rather than punishing unhealthy decisions, the group emphasizes policies rewarding healthy decision-making. FCD considers that such a student-led group would positively influence students.

Bowie also suggests that, no matter how much information students receive from groups like FCD, their peers have the most external impact on the decisions they make.

McCarty contends that the school has taken important steps to address substance use.

“Teenagers are at a vulnerable and crucial time in their life when many of them are making decisions to use [drugs or alcohol] or not.

Students at St. John’s are no different,” McCarty said. “Our students need to understand the risks, effects and outcomes of drug and alcohol use so they have accurate information to make such decisions.”

Review | JANUARY 13, 2017

“

In late October, many loyal Vine viewers were disappointed to hear Twitter announce that Vine will be discontinued on Jan 17.

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-Read the Review Online for story by Sophia Kontos

Grace sanders

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Features 4

P5 Students showcase sneaker fashion sense Online Photo gallery of alumnus fashion designs Visit sjsreview.com for more community profiles

Alum directs Rice interdisciplinary arts center

Jared Margolis

Alison Weaver (‘89) runs the Moody Center, where she works to interweave the sciences, humanities and arts. The building will open on Feb. 24. Initial exhibits include a body-responsive laser installation, a collaborative workshop about the refugee crisis and scientific landscape photography.

By | Claire Furse

The Moody Center for the Arts will open to the public Feb. hopes that having extra free space will allow for more move“The range of her experiences, her passion for the arts, 24. Rice University’s sleek new interdisciplinary arts center is ment and dance at Rice, starting with the performance of the and of course her SJS education were all factors we consida modern, 50,000-square-foot building featuring airy work- Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre at the Center’s opening. ered,” Leebron said. “Her experience with the Guggenheim shops, flexible classrooms and naturally-lit galleries.

“Our design choices are based on flexibility, because who gave us a lot of confidence that she had an ability to relate At the helm is Alison Weaver (’89), the founding executive knows what will happen in the building in 50 years?” Weav- to all different parts of the art community and that she knew director of the center. Weaver has shaped the Moody Center er said. “Everything could be virtual — maybe we’ll all be how to think creatively about what artists and exhibitions program since its inception. wearing virtual reality glasses and be doing art in our imag- can contribute to Rice and Houston. She has gotten off to a “It’s gratifying to be part of both Rice University and Hous- ination.” spectacular start.” ton’s thriving arts community. I’m excited to be able to make The Japanese “teamLab” exhibit exBefore leading the Moody, Weaver was a positive contribution,” Weaver said. plores the relationship between art and the director of affiliates for the GuggenThe mission of the Moody Center is to explore the inter- technology. Laser projectors shoot beams heim Museum in New York City, where section of art and ideas, to create interdisciplinary dialogue of light onto the walls of a darkened gal- Moody Center for the Arts she led programs and operations in Berusing art and to inform existing campus conversations with lery, creating digital flowers that grow lin, Bilbao, Las Vegas and Venice, as well a cultural perspective. and die on visitors’ hands. The expeas managing several New York departUpcoming Events Rice President David Leebron envisions the Moody as a rience is entirely personalized for each ments of the Guggenheim. hub of the arts in Houston. visitor, generated by body-responsive Weaver has built a business network Olafur Eliasson’s Green Light Project “We see the arts as integral, from an educational point of computer programming rather than a through her experience at the New York view, for students in all disciplines, but we didn’t really have looping video. consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

Thomas Struth’s a structure that engaged students and faculty from across the “Computer science and engineering “I really value having benefited from a campus or any consistent way of reaching out into the Hous- are the most popular majors at Rice, so Scientific Research Photography combination of practical and creative exton arts community,” Leebron said. “We want the Moody the exhibit is a chance to attract students periences, working in the business world Performance by Center, together with our campus art program, to be one of interested in technology, as well as memat McKinsey and the art world at the Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre the arts destinations in Houston.” bers of the public who are fascinated by Guggenheim,” Weaver said. “Those two The ambitious opening program includes a body-responsive the process of creating art,” Weaver said. perspectives help me in my current role, laser installation, a collaborative workshop about the refugee The Moody Center will partner with where I am managing a startup while imcrisis and photography of man-made, scientific landscapes. the Menil Collection to create an artist-in-residence pro- plementing a creative vision for the Moody’s art program.”

To find projects, Weaver looks for quality artwork that can gram, first featuring London-based Palestinian sculptor and It was not always easy for Weaver to find a clear professional create a dialogue between disciplines. installation artist Mona Hatoum, who explores human rights path. When faced with a choice between passion and practi“Projects at the Moody center will explore how art can and power dynamics in the Middle East through her art- cality, she urges students to follow their passions. foster conversation, whether it be around human rights and work. Hatoum will stay with the Moody for six weeks and “Doing what you love is how to succeed,” Weaver said. “If a politics in the Middle East or around internal landscapes and return for an exhibition at the Menil six months later. job is enjoyable and engaging, you are more likely to be sucthe impact of technology,” Weaver said.

The partnership with the Menil signals the start of the cessful. Just be open to letting the path unfold and following To further collaboration, the building will not house any Moody’s collaborative relationship with Houston art insti- what you enjoy.” single department and will bring different departments to- tutions.

After graduating from St. John’s, Weaver earned a bachgether by modeling a campus quadranAccording to Menil executive director elor’s degree from Princeton, a Master of Arts degree from gle format, with rectangles circling a Rebecca Rabinow (’84), the Menil and the Williams College, a Masters in Philosophy in art history central area. have much in common. from the University of New York and an MBA from Yale With all of our projects, Moody Instead of using the rose-colored brick “One of the wonderful things about the University. we want to indicate present in much of the existing Rice arHouston arts community is how supportWeaver credits her St. John’s education in helping her chitecture, Los Angeles-based architect ive the institutions are of one another, and achieve professional and educational success. Weaver’s how art can foster Michael Maltzan opted for brick glazed how much everyone looks forward to col- daughter, Talia, is a sixth grade student at St. John’s. conversations. in magnesium oxide, which changes laborating,” Rabinow said. “The more art “SJS provided me with an incredible education that has shades from gray to purple, depending we put on view and the more cultural offer- benefited me throughout my academic and professional caon the atmosphere.

-Alison Weaver ings that are available, the more interesting reers. The writing and critical thinking skills I learned there “We love that it’s dynamic, experiand attractive Houston becomes.” have served me especially well,” Weaver said. mental and ever-changing because that Weaver is not alone in directing the The opening exhibits will be on public display from Feb. reflects the nature of the program we hope to present,” Weav- Moody Center. A group of 20 students from different dis- 24 to March 3. er said. ciplines will help with student engagement. Other opporCorrection: In the November article “Splitting Hairs,” it was Maltzan also incorporated Rice’s signature tree canopy into tunities for Rice students include internships and docent incorrectly stated that the Student Handbook rule regarding the Moody’s design by adding modern, tree-like columns fea- programs. unnatural hair color had been suspended last year. According turing radiating lines on both sides of the building.

Leebron recruited Weaver and was enthusiastic about her to Dean of Students Elisa Inman, the rule regarding unnatural Flexibility was a key aspect of the building’s design. Weaver candidacy. hair color has not changed.

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SJSReview.COM | JANUARY 13, 2017

A Tale of Two ‘Sneakerheads’

Features 5

Alum breaks into local fashion scene

Junior banks on selling rare shoes

By | Dani Yan

By | Dani Yan

By his junior year in high school, Preston Boyer (’13) was mak- challenges. ing $500 a month from his YouTube channel, writing sneaker “I thought I had to be a tormented soul in order to spew crecolumns for a radio show and styling rappers like Chief Keef and ativity because a lot of people who I looked up to in music and Pusha T for their Houston concerts. fashion lived what I perceived as lifestyles like that.”

Now a fashion designer, Boyer has released two collections unBoyer decided to fight his addiction as he advanced towards his der his Preston Douglas brand while also taking classes at the career goals.

Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Houston.

“I chased that lifestyle until the bitter end about two and half At 21, Boyer has already accumulated notable experience in the years ago when I decided I would quit and change my life,” Boyer sneaker and fashion industries, but his journey has not been easy. said. “I didn’t do that on my own, but really creativity comes Boyer’s passion for sneakers began in middle school when he from within your soul and adding all these chemicals to your started collecting. body really is only taking away from that creativity.”

“I was really into skateboarding and playing basketball, and I Boyer transferred to the University of Houston’s Bauer Business was not very good at either, but I was really obsessed with the School and entered the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship while footwear,” Boyer said. “The only way that I could express myself expanding his Preston Douglas brand. with my creativity and be a skater or basketball player at St. John’s “I never would have considered going to U of H from St. John’s with the uniform was through my sneakers.” because I felt like I would be looked down upon,” Boyer said.

In eighth grade, Boyer dealt with his father’s cancer diagnosis “I’ve been able to build my brand by asking for help and ignoring and being bullied at school. what I don’t agree with while making mistakes and still having “I had stuff going on at home. I was transitioning from be- the motivation to put in daily work. ing a kid to being a teenager. I shaved the sides of my head, I Boyer aspires to be a modern designer who combines luxury wore bright shoes and tailored my pants,” Boyer said. “Being at and streetwear fashion.

St. John’s, where most kids are really cookie-cutter and look the “I want to be the 21st century Ralph Lauren; I want to be the same, I really looked different and was different and felt different.” 21st century Tommy Hilfiger. That’s my end goal,” Boyer said.

Boyer began making YouTube sneaker videos to deal with his “It’s going to look totally different.” depression, and the initial reception to his channel was not posWhile it has only been one year since his first fashion show in itive.

January, Boyer’s brand has been growing quickly. In the mean“All the kids would make fun of me and call me names. It was time, he is focused on getting his degree at U of H and running all really rude, and I was already gohis consulting company. ing through a lot.” Boyer said. “Then “I’m a startup. I’m like Mark Zuckerberg the kids at Kinkaid and other schools living in his dorm. I’m Preston Douglas livI was really obsessed with ing in my parents’ house with my showroom found out about my YouTube channel and were making fun of me as well, so the footwear. The only way downstairs,” Boyer said. “It’s becoming more it was really difficult.” that I could express myself and more real every day.”

Boyer eventually gained the admiBoyer is currently focused on producing with my creativity [...] was more collections. Boyer has stopped collectration from his peers when they saw the legitimate progress he was making ing sneakers and clothes because he puts all through my sneakers. through reselling shoes and making of his money into his business. videos.

“I design stuff that I wish I could buy,” “People started to see that I wasn’t -Preston Boyer Boyer said. “Part of that deprivation leads to joking around, and I was turning my my creativity.”

YouTube and my reselling stuff into a Boyer is confident that his business acumen business,” Boyer said. “People realized that I was actually onto and quality of work will carry his brand. something and started to actually respect me for following what “Fashion is a business. Being able to marry the two, to be able I was passionate about.” to have both sides of my mind working, is my advantage,” Boyer After graduating from SJS, Boyer attended Southern Method- said. “I aim for my stuff to always be quality and to have a develist University for two months before withdrawing and moving oped brand. It’s all about slow momentum and working to make back to Houston where he enrolled in HCC’s Fashion Design my brand better every single day.” program.

Far removed from his days of hunting down Nike SB’s in mid“At SMU, I was very depressed; it was like ninth grade all over dle school, Boyer still follows Nike’s slogan. again. The partying had gotten to a ridiculous point,” Boyer said.

“I live by the Nike mantra — Just Do It — which is funny “I thought that doing fashion at HCC would solve all my issues, because I started with Nikes and the Nike mantra has permeated doing something that I thought I liked, but it turns out I don’t my life,” Boyer said. “I believe my God and my energy will put really like sewing stuff together.” me in the right place at the right time or my clothing on the Boyer also began a struggle with substance abuse as his artistic right person at the right time if I keep putting in the work while career blossomed. maintaining faith and positivity.”

“Being a creative person, I thought living that lifestyle, drinking a lot, doing a lot of drugs, getting in trouble, was part of the lifestyle I had to live to be creative,” Boyer said.

Ultimately, Boyer began to come to terms with his emotional

“ ”

Reygan Jones

Last fall, junior Jackson Ramirez spent $440 on two pairs of Yeezy Boost 350 V2s. While $220 may seem like a substantial price for a pair of low-top, mesh-based shoes, the Kanye West-designed Adidas sneakers are some of the most highly sought-after shoes worldwide.

People who weren’t able to buy a pair for the retail price are often willing to pay thousands of dollars to get their hands on a pair through the secondary or “resell” market.

Within a week of the initial release, Ramirez, a self-proclaimed “sneakerhead,” had stored one pair of the Yeezys for himself and added $700 to his bank account by selling the other pair.

Ramirez’s $480 net gain marked the second highest profit of his resell experience, behind the $700 he made on a sale during his sophomore year.

Ramirez’s love for sneakers began in middle school when he bought a pair of red Nike flyknit trainers. The fall of his sophomore year, he discovered the lucrative business of reselling rare shoes. Ever since, he has approached the releases of highly-anticipated shoes looking to acquire for his personal collection and to sell for profit.

“I mostly look for brand collabs, especially with Supreme,” Ramirez said. “I don’t really look for general releases to resell because there isn’t enough potential for profit there for me to spend my time. I only try to resell things I know will have a good profit.”

Ramirez rarely does resell deals in person and instead relies on the internet to buy and sell his shoes. Acquiring limited shoes on their initial release through the internet presents some challenges, as the most hyped-up releases often sell out in a matter of minutes or even seconds.

“The whole idea of camping out and waiting in line has died down, and people have turned towards digital methods of copping limited releases,” Ramirez said. “On mornings where I’m just trying to get something into my cart and the website keeps crashing, there’s always that sense of frustration.”

While Ramirez often buys shoes just to sell, he still collects sneakers for himself. Ramirez cites Adidas, New Balance and Nike as his favorite brands.

“I’m more into stuff that’s not super out there, mostly just shoes that have a clean, minimalist look,” Ramirez said. “Shoes are a good way to express your sense of style or fashion.”

Ramirez often faces the dilemma of deciding between selling a pair of rare shoes or keeping them for himself.

“For me, if I sell a shoe, I’ll never buy that shoe again because I’m not into paying ridiculous resell prices,” Ramirez said. “I can make $500 some other way, but I’ll most likely never be able to have those shoes again, so if I really like a pair of shoes, I’ll keep them instead of selling them.”

Ramirez’s shoes are the centerpieces of his outfits, especially with the school uniform’s restrictions on clothes.

“I build my outfits from the ground up. Shoes are my favorite thing to wear, they’re my favorite piece of fashion, so I base everything else off of them,” Ramirez said. “When choosing shoes to wear for school, I first consider the weather, but it’s mostly what I’m feeling. If it’s something more grail-esque or rare, I won’t wear it as often.”

According to Ramirez, a common love for shoes makes for effortless discussion with other sneakerheads.

“Every time I meet someone with a nice pair of shoes, I can have a nice conversation with them about it,” Ramirez said.

“They’re super easy to talk to.”

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Sports Shorts Wrestlers eye state championship The wrestling program has enjoyed unparalleled success over the last four years, winning three SPC titles in that span.

In November, the team notched a 132-34 victory over crosstown rival Kinkaid in the annual War on the Floor.

The team also won the Mayde Creek Duals in December.

At the TCA Invitational on Jan. 7, the team placed sixth.

Sophomore Malcolm Sturgis and junior Peter Chen placed third and sophomore Harrison Fernelius finished fourth.

“It’s a tough tournament,” junior Frank Willey said. “It was a good chance to scope out the competition and get seeded for Prep State.”

No longer satisfied with just winning SPC, the captains have their sights set on Prep State. Their biggest rivals are Bishop Lynch of Dallas and Liberty Christian of Argyle, Texas, who defeated the Mavs at State Duals last year.

The Mavericks head to Dallas this weekend for the St. Mark’s Duals.

Swimmers poised to win first SPC title After finishing third in 2015 and second in 2016, this year’s swim team wants to be the first in school history to nab the SPC championship.

The top point scorers for the boys are freshman Will Sampson and senior Cooper Lueck.

Freshman Katie Shelburne and sophomore Lexi Pickens are the lead point scorers for the girls and set the bar high for the rest of the season in one of their best meets on Jan. 11.

Shelburne and Pickens joined Sydney Buchman and Betsy Hook in edging out Kinkaid in the girls’ 400 relay by less than half a second.

Junior Henry Philpott, a former gymnast who began diving this year, scored nine points.

Although SPC has relaxed the requirements for entry, schools can only enter four swimmers in individual events, so the pressure is on to qualify for the competition.

Both teams swim against Kinkaid and Episcopal at Lamar High School on Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.

By Irene Vazquez and Andrew Duong

review | JANUARY 13, 2017

Jan. 17 Swim meet against Kinkaid and Episcopal

January Sports Stars

Wrestling: Peter Chen (right) starts season 16-0 Basketball: Cliff Guidry racked up 35 points in a 53-46 win over St. Stephen’s Swimming: Eric Wang led a comeback in close victory in 200 Medley Relay against John Cooper Soccer: Gabrielle Heal scored two goals in a 3-0 victory over Houston Christian

IRENE VAZQUEZ

S Sports 6

Jan. 20 Soccer, basketball play Episcopal Visit @SJS_Review for breaking sport scores

Mavericks help coach young athletes

By | Gracie Blue

While many students hit the gym or playing field you can’t really tell beafter school, not all are training for their own ath- cause each day is going to letic achievement. An increasing number of stu- be different,” Molly said. dents are coaching youth sports during their free “Someone has a good time, channeling their energy and sports knowl- workout one day and edge into training younger athletes. not the other, and with Student coaching jobs can be beneficial for both basketball, you’re good at students and players: teens get job experience and dribbling or you’re not. create a comfortable environment in which in- You know who is good at experienced players learn from coaches closer to what.” their own age.

Several Maverick athJunior Molly Isaac coaches middle school letes work with younger cross-country at St. Lawrence Catholic School in players within their own Sugar Land three afternoons a week in the fall. The sports clubs. Many field team won its division championship. hockey players coach for Molly ran cross country at St. Lawrence in middle Texas Pride, while sisschool. Head coaches of the team are Joy Smith, a ters Bettyann and Mary Jared Margolis family friend, and Kathryn Isaac, Molly’s mother. Leonard coach lacrosse Molly Isaac, center, gathers with the St. Lawrence middle Molly and a longtime friend from St. Lawrence with Swizzle Sticks, their work as assistant coaches. Both girls are used to former club lacrosse school cross-country team at the Maverick Ramble. Molly, rushing back to Sugar Land to make it to practice. team. The program con- along with her mother Kathryn Isaac and family friends Joy The co-ed team is made up of 40 runners with a sists of players from third and Kylee Smith, coached the team to a division championthrough eighth grade. wide range of abilities. ship. Molly also coaches middle school girls’ basketball.

“We have nationally-ranked triathletes on the Bettyann plays midtyann wrangles energetic younger players. team and people we need to pull off at the mile fielder and Mary is a goalie for the girls’ lacrosse “It is definitely hard to coach the third and mark because they can’t finish the race,” Molly said. team. In the fall, they can be found teaching funfourth graders because they only have an attention Since Molly was five years old, her mother has damentals of the sport on the backfield together. span of about three minutes,” Bettyann said. “I “It’s a fun way to connect,” Mary said. “It probeen her running coach, but they have developed a sometimes have to make the activities into a convides us with an opnew dimension of their test just so they will be motivated.” portunity to bond in a relationship by coachFEATURED STUDENT COACHES Coaching not only provides a work experience; different way.” ing together. it also adds to the Leonards’ own playing skills.

The sisters run prac“It’s a lot of fun, sort Grade Name Sport “Being the goalie, a lot of the time it is just tices every Saturday of a different aspect me, so I do not get to see how other people play 10 Mary Leonard Lacrosse from September to than we’ve ever had,” my position,” Mary said. “Coaching teaches me November. They even Molly said. “We’re not how the mistakes I make really look and affect my 11 Bettyann Leonard Lacrosse take on responsibilities equals, but we’re workgame, and how I can change the way I play.” within the club apart ing at the same job 11 Molly Isaac XC/Basketball Bettyann sees both the coaching side and playfrom coaching. trying to do the same ing sides of lacrosse in a new way after coaching “Sometimes I go on things.”

Swizzle Sticks.

Molly also coached middle school girls’ basket- water runs, work check-in or take pictures for the “I have a newfound respect for my coaches, espeball last winter. The shift from running, where ev- Swizzle Sticks Instagram,” Mary said. cially for their patience,” she said. “I also realized During practices, they set up cones, lead stretcheryone is repeating the same action, to basketball, that as a player, having a positive attitude really where each player has her own position, meant es, demonstrate drills and offer tips for improveaffects the team and the coaches.” ment.

Molly had to adjust her coaching techniques.

While Mary works with older players who could “With basketball you can practice concrete things, you can practice skills, but with running potentially become her future teammates, Bet-

GameDay Films captures the action By | Alexander Kim

Jorge Ortiz (’08) started making money in fourth grade by flipping baseball cards.

In 2000, with the internet becoming more widely used for commerce, Ortiz profited on the values of baseball card prices provided by rival websites. He compared the prices and bought cards that were cheaper on one site, then sold them on the other site for a higher price.

Today, as the managing director of GameDay Films, Ortiz blends his love for business and sports.

“I’ve always been entrepreneurial-minded, and sports was my first love, so mixing them both together is a dream come true,” Ortiz said.

GameDay Films is a sports media company that employs freelance photographers and videographers to photograph and film youth sports.

“GameDay Films was an awesome product, a great business model, but it had a lot of inefficiencies,” Ortiz said. “When our group of buyers broke down the business model, we realized there was more to it, so we decided to buy it as a group.”

GameDay Films currently films sports games for the Mavericks and has contracts with many other schools in the Southwest Preparatory Conference, as well as sports organizations in the greater Houston area.

GameDay Films has strong ties with the Mavericks. Both Ortiz and former Director of Filming and Content Helen Modesett (’11) are recent graduates.

Modesett developed a love for movie making at a young age. At St. John’s, she took Digital Applications and Video and filmed the Kinkaid video.

“At St. John’s, they instilled in us a certain work ethic — a certain way of looking at things — which has helped me tremendously since then,” Modesett said.

Modesett has interned at NFL Films and worked on the Texas Christian University football video crew. She worked at GameDay for 10 months before deciding to focus on her freelance video career.

“I learned a lot about how to run a startup,” Modesett said. “It was an amazing learning experience.”

Ortiz appreciates the opportunity to return and contribute to St. John’s.

“The school did a lot for us,” Ortiz said. “This is just a cool way to get into business with the institution that basically helped me grow.”

GameDay Films hires student interns over the summer through the St. John’s Alumni Internship program.

Because GameDay Films is a start-

Jared Margolis

Jorge Ortiz (‘08), managing director of GameDay Films, edits and films sports games for the Mavericks and other Houston youth sports organizations. up, there are a lot of responsibilities available to students. Ortiz makes sure to not give the interns a bunch of busy work.

“It’s cool as a St. John’s alumnus to bring in a 16- or 17-year-old and give them some responsibilities besides just filing paperwork,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz values the opportunity to preserve athletic experiences for

their clients.

“Being able to provide film and create something special for the players and families has been one of the most incredible parts of the job,” Ortiz said. “I never thought that I would run a business that provides a product that so many people are passionate about.”

Sports 7

sjsReview.com | JANUARY 13, 2017

Students harness equestrian passions By | Saswat Pati

One of the most common assumptions about Texans is that we all ride horses. For three St. John’s students, this cliché hits home.

Sophomore Arabel McFarland first began riding horses at the age of 10.

“I was a bit nervous at first, but riding has become a really big part of my life,” McFarland said.

McFarland competes in five to six competitions every year across the nation. In September, she took first place in the Hunter-Jumper division at the Southampton Classic in Bridgehampton, New York.

Hunter-Jumper is judged on the presentation, position, jumping form and number of rail knocks of the horse and rider.

Judges also analyze their collective style and movement, and emphasize riders’ manner and dress. Hunter-Jumper judges value precise technique more than show jumping judges, who value speed over accuracy.

Sophomore Sophie Caldwell also rides Hunter-Jumper once a week at Southern Breeze Equestrian Center.

“Jumping is the closest you can get to flying besides being in an airplane,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell used to ride competitively, but since the death of her previous horse in 2012, she only rides recreationally.

Junior Sarah Sult participates in competitions year-round, primarily competing in Texas, Florida and across the Northeast.

“Being an equestrian is a rewarding experience,” Sult said. “I was very nervous for my first competition, but it ended up being great.”

Attention to detail is crucial in Hunter-Jumper shows, and equestrians are penalized for the smallest mistakes.

“It is difficult, but it is always satisfying to run a perfect course,” Caldwell said.

Riding involves a significant time commitment, since riders are expected to attend competitions during weekends, at times missing school.

“Sometimes I have to fly to Florida after school on a Thursday, compete over the weekend and fly back Sunday night,” Sult said.

“It is very stressful, but the experience is great.”

In order to compete, many equestrians choose to drop out of school or be homeschooled so that they can practice more and attend competitions.

“The competitions can really be a big time commitment, and sometimes — even though I have qualified — I have not been able to go,” McFarland said. “If I had more time to ride, I think I could get much better.”

Equestrians develop tight bonds with their horses. McFarland has two horses: a jumper named Caspian and a foal named Wanda. Because her horses are stabled in New York, McFarland has to travel to see them.

Susan Sult

Junior Sarah Sult cares for her horse Don Johnny before the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. Sult has been riding horses since she was five and participates in competitions year-round.

“Seeing them after two months made me so happy and made me realize how valuable they were to me,” McFarland said. “I am looking for a barn here so I can be with my horses.”

Caldwell’s current horse is named Curly, and Sult’s horses are called Don Johnny and Fidel.

“I love my horses, and I always look forward to seeing them,” Sult said.

Sult notes the exceptional support she receives from her family and friends at school and the greater equestrian community, especially when she travels to events.

“At competitions it’s great to see someone who you have not seen for a year who competes with you,” Sult said.

Teaching Drivers Ed in Houston/Bellaire Since 2002 • Teen Third Party D.P.S. Road Testing • Teen Drivers Education Onsite At St. John's • Teen Driving Tutoring Lessons

For equestrians everywhere, horseback riding is more than just a sport; it’s a passion.

Sult finds the equestrian experience unique.

“Horseback riding is a different kind of sport because it requires the rider to be a teammate with their horse,” she said.

McFarland finds that the hard work she puts into riding has taught her important skills.

“Being an equestrian is a really big part of my life,” McFarland said. “It has shaped who I am.”

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SPACE CITY, METEORIC DIVERSITY Houston has over 600 square miles of bayous, freeways and city streets. Inside the city limits, you could fit the cities of Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Detroit.

“This is the blob that ate East Texas,” said Stephen Klineberg, the founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

Its massive size, along with immigration rates that have been rising since the post-World War II area, contribute to Houston’s ethnic diversity.

Population Net Change in Houston from 1990-2010 +14.5%

+3.1%

-9.7%

Anglo

Latino

Asian

-0.7%

African American

Data provided by Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas

BAYOU CITY BREAKDOWN According to Jenifer Bratter, director of the Kinder Institute’s Race Scholars program, Houston is one of a handful of majority-minority cities, where Anglos represent less than 50 percent of the population.

Of the five major counties that make up the Houston metro area, Fort Bend County is the most ethnically diverse. In Harris County, Latinos are the largest group (40.8 percent) followed by Anglos (31.4), African Americans (19.5) and Asians (7).

Within the metro area, Missouri City and Pearland both outstrip the Houston as the region’s most diverse cities, according to the Kinder Institute report. Pearland went from being the second least diverse city in 1990 to the second most diverse in 2010.

A CITY OF IMMIGRANTS While cities like New York and Chicago have long conjured images of waves of immigrants entering the country since the 1800s, in the post-World War II era, cities like Houston began to attract immigrants on a large scale. Immigration to Houston in particular, which features the country’s second-largest port, has only accelerated since 1945.

According to a 2014 study by the Brookings Institute, 37 percent of immigrants to the US live in one of the six post-World War II gateways, all of which are located in the West or South.

These metro areas have longer-residing immigrant populations, with higher rates of naturalization, which leads to growth of minority ethnic groups.

“Houston has had 30 years of being a city of immigrants,” Klineberg said on Houston Matters. “The great growth of Asians and Latinos is no longer new immigrants coming here […] but 100 percent American kids of immigrants who came here 20 to 25 years ago.”

With increased diversity comes a variety of ramifications.

“America has always imagined itself as a white nation, and the shock of it becoming something other than a white nation has been great and has profoundly affected people’s politics and culture.”

According to the Kinder Institute study, 70 percent of Anglos under the age of 30 say that immigration strengthens American culture, compared with 65 percent of Anglos over 60 that say it threatens American culture.

9

SJSReview.COM | JANUARY 13, 2017

Review | JANUARY 13, 2017

UNITY IN THE CITY “The single most powerful predictor about comfort with diversity and support for immigration is age,” Klineberg said in an interview with the BBC. “Younger Anglos grew up in a world where they take it for granted. There’s a law of human nature that says ‘what I am familiar with is natural and what I am unfamiliar with is unnatural.’”

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ While Houston boasts high levels of ethnic diversity, ethnic integration has not followed suit. Though segregation between ethnic groups has declined from 1990 to 2010, segregation is still considered extreme in Houston between African Americans and Anglos, Anglos and Latinos, and Asians and Latinos. This segregation has vast implications when it comes to practical aspects like access to services as well as broader notions like cross-cultural understanding.

Overall, the increased diversity comes with growing recognition that the government needs to work to fix income inequality. As a result, Harris County is becoming more Democratic, with Hillary Clinton winning the county in the presidential election by over 160,000 votes.

“They don’t vote for us because they’re black, brown or gay,” Chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party Lane Lewis said in a statement to the Texas Tribune. “They vote for us because we speak in concert with things that are important to them.”

Klineberg said, “Houston is at the forefront of the transformations that make the 21st century a different place.”

7%

Students for whom English is not their first language

Data gathered by the Review.

PUBLIC TO PRIVATE While no one ethnic group claims over 50 percent of Houston’s population, only 36 percent of SJS students self-identify as being people of color (POC).

For many minority students, especially those who make the move from public to private school when they come to SJS, this comes as a bit of a shock.

Senior Sunnie Liu, who was born in China, came to SJS in the sixth grade from a public school, Roberts Elementary.

“Most of my friends in elementary school were minorities,” Liu said. “We often bonded over things that were more geared towards that perspective.”

Senior JaDa Johnson, who identifies as African-American, was aware of this demographic shift when she came to St. John’s from Lanier Middle School. Though Johnson praised the International Baccalaureate system at Lanier for its ethnic diversity, she noted that the gifted and talented program she had been part of through middle school was not so diverse.

“I had always been a minority in classes,” Johnson said. “And I knew coming into St. John’s that’s how it was going to be.”

The same can be said for teachers who make the switch from public to private. Physics teacher Nolan Harris, who identifies as mixed-race, previously taught at the School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.

“Socially and economically, it’s a very different set of circumstances,” Harris said.

“There’s a lot of racial tension that exists there even though the student body comes from a diverse mix of Houston areas.”

Percentage of Students Who Self-Identify as People of Color

36%

St. John’s

46% 36%

25%

St. Mark’s Hockaday Kinkaid Data provided by official school websites

WHERE WE STAND

HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE As students transition from high school to college, they are exposed to different perspectives, though the diversity of the environment might not change all that much, especially at elite institutions.

Columbia sophomore Vinay Gajula (’15) said, “I wouldn’t say either school is incredibly racially diverse, but St. John’s was definitely more strikingly white and wealthy. Part of the difference I feel at Columbia is that there are many vocal student groups on campus that contribute to more of a dialogue surrounding race and social justice that I never really heard during my time at St. John’s.”

Minority students getting ready to go to college are also aware of the impending transition.

“The higher you go in education, the less diverse it gets,” Johnson said. “That’s a conversation I’ve had with my parents.”

People of Color at St. John’s School

0.40 40%

In terms of diversity, SJS outpaces crosstown rival Kinkaid, where only one in four students identify as POC which is the average for schools on the Independent School Data Exchange. Fellow SPC school St. Mark’s School of Dallas boasts 46 percent identifying as POC. This in a city that, while one of the largest metro areas in the country, remains over 50 percent white.

Many POC cite socio-economic differences that go hand-in-hand with the lack of ethnic diversity.

“There is a culture that comes with being a privileged white person,” Liu said. “The values and the things people talk about, and even the way they dress and the cars they own. You don’t really realize unless you’re new to this environment.”

0.35 35%

AFFINITY GROUPS

20% 0.20

30% 0.30 25% 0.25

‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17 Data from St. John’s Admissions Office.

Many minority students make use of affinity groups as a support system in their time Data is self-reported. at SJS. “[African-American Affinity Group] is home base for me,” Johnson said. “You can’t rely on it for everything, but we come back there and let all of our steam out. You still have to be strong enough to go into a classroom and deal with it on your own, but you can always come back to home base.”

Most students remain hopeful that the school is becoming more diverse. As St. John’s, Alumni of AAAG share this sentiment. Fordham sophomore Isabel Wallace-Green (’15) Houston and the United States change, more people will have stories like Liu and her cites the group as one of her favorite parts of high school. family. The three of them became U.S. citizens this past summer.

“Affinity groups can be incredibly supportive and necessary for minority students,” “St. John’s has become more open to diversity,” Liu said. “I think that this is a result Wallace-Green said. “But the power and safety of that group was created solely by stu- of the shifting culture in Houston too. The school is just exemplifying that transition.” dents and faculty sponsors who shared a certain affinity. We’d have these great conversations about issues African American Affinity Group that we face as East Asian Affinity Group True racial/ethnic Statistical Measure minorities at SJS, Jewish Affinity Group diversity is guided Data provided but it felt like we of Diversity Multiracial Affinity Group by both the number

by Kinder couldn’t do anySouth Asian Affinity Group of ethnic groups Houston Institute for thing to change Student Association for Latin Social Affinity that live in a region Urban Research those problems.” as well as the even- New York Data gathered from St. John’s website and the Hobby ness of said ethnic Center for the National groups.

Study of Texas

HIGH HOPES

6

Cultural Affinity Groups

.874 .872 .709

The Kinder Institute Joint Report is largely guided by a value that they call the Entropy Index. The index is designed to measure on a scale from 0 to 1 both the number of groups and their evenness.

Eight of the 10 largest metro areas in the United States have a higher entropy score than the national average.

Houston boasts an Entropy Index of 0.874, edging out New York (0.872) and Washington, D.C. (0.859).

Story by Irene Vazquez | Design and Graphics by Ashwini Bandi, Jared Margolis, and Nyla Jennings

C

Culture 10

Culture in brief

French classes visit Degas show at MFAH

By Sophia Lima

French III and AP French students toured the Degas exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts just days before it was set to close this month.

The students visited the exhibit with docent Anne Breux, who presented the works entirely in French.

The MFAH is the only U.S. venue for “Degas: A New Vision,” which displayed some 200 pieces from private and public collections from around the world.

“The Degas exhibit was very, very extensive and interesting, and it displayed all parts of his collection, showing how his art grew and changed over time,” sophomore Lucy Curtis said.

Sophomore Juliana Aviles appreciated his many paintings of muscular horses and lithe dancers.

Other works on display include pencil studies, photography and sculptures from the beginning to the end of Degas’ career.

“There was a little sculpture of a ballerina girl that people were critical of at first because it was a depiction of someone of the lower class,” Aviles said.

Breux explained that the young dancer was almost certainly headed to a life of prostitution, which added to the scandal.

French teachers Shelley Stein and Jacqueline Vest organized their field trips on different days, and incorporated the visit into their curriculum.

“In French III we talk about French history, art and literature, and the French Impressionists are very important in French art, so I think it is very important to see these works in person,” Vest said.

Vest’s students prepared for the exhibit with presentations that included the necessary vocabulary. Stein’s AP students listened to a podcast describing one of the paintings on view, “The Cotton Office in New Orleans,” before the exhibit, and presented their favorite pieces in class the next day.

“Hearing someone else besides me speak French is a very good experience for them to see that they can speak French with anyone,” Vest said. “Mme. Breux often involves the students as she presents, so they were able to give their opinions and ask questions.”

The Degas retrospective closes on Jan. 16

Review | JANUARY 13, 2017

“

It’s a setup for pure comedy, definitely not appropriate for all ages.

”

Jan. 13-14 Regional choir clinic, concert April 2018 ’Hamilton’ finally comes to Houston

-Alex Ham

‘Black Comedy’ makes light of the dark By | Hrishabh Bhosale

On the first day back from winter shenanigans ensue.” break, the cast of “Black Comedy” Junior Ian Toubin plays Colonel struggled mightily to complete 45 Melkett, Carol’s straight-laced father. push-ups.

“Black Comedy” marks Toubin’s first The cast was not trying to get in acting credit. shape or work off holiday pounds — “It’s a different atmosphere, to act the actors were atoning for not being as a character,” Toubin said. “You “off book.” Every missed line result- can’t hold anything back; you have ed in an additional rep. to put everything out there. It’s an The one-act farce features Brindsley uncomfortable feeling the first time.”

Miller, a young artist, and his airToubin’s inspiration for performing headed fiancée Carol Melkett. The came from the HBO series “Entoutwo have stolen antique furniture rage,” which he watched in eighth from a neighbor’s apartment in order grade. to impress an art collector coming to “After that I decided to take Acting view Brindsley’s work.

I freshman year,” Toubin said. “My When the power goes out, the dad convinced me to do the play. I neighbor returns early, and Brinds- didn’t think I was going to be in it. ley’s ex shows up. Things quickly take I just thought, well, this is going to a turn for the worse. be fun.”

Although acting in the play takes “Everything goes downhill very quickly,” said sophomore Alex Ham, significant time and effort, Toubin who plays Brindsley. “It is a setup feels that the experience has brought him closer to for pure comedy, definitely not new people. appropriate for “It’s really People are stumbling all ages.” s u p p o r t i v e ,” around in the dark, and Toubin said.

Kat Cordes directs the show, “There’s an inshenanigans ensue. which will be teresting mix performed in of different the Black Box on people. I’m able -Director Kat Cordes to hang out Jan. 26 and 27.

Cordes joined with people I the theater department at the be- wouldn’t normally hang out with. ginning of the year and previously That’s cool in itself.” assisted with fall play “Blithe Spirit.”

“Black Comedy” is also Ham’s act“People are falling all over the ing debut.

“Brindsley is a very frantic characplace,” Cordes said. “People are stumbling around in the dark, and ter who gets into a terrible situation,

“

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Grace Sanders

Junior Ben Cohen (left) and sophomore Alex Ham run through a scene in “Black Comedy.” Directed by Kat Cordes, the one-act farce premieres in the Black Box on Jan. 26. but he is a very good problem solver despite all his franticness and nervousness,” Ham said. “I am the butt of every single joke.”

Because of the farcical nature of the show, the actors move through their lines at a clip.

“Everyone is the extreme version of the person they might be,” Toubin said.

After winter break, the cast began doing full runs of the show, preparing for the fast pace they would have to achieve to maintain the momentum of the farce.

Two of the actors also had to learn accents for the show. At the audition, all the actors were asked to give their best German accent, and sophomore

Gray Watson and freshman James Redding fared the best.

Watson plays Franz Schuppanzigh, an electrician who comes to fix the lights. “[Ms. Cordes] can do many accents,” Watson said. “I’ve never done an accent before and having to move your mouth in a way you’re not used to is very difficult.”

One of the biggest challenges Cordes has faced as director is the small size of the Black Box and the ensuing difficulty of placing many people on a small stage.

“It’s fun, but a total mess,” stage manager Jason Souvaliotis said.

‘Zine’ presents marginalized perspectives By | Sophia Lima

For a small group of senior girls, we wanted the zine to look like,” seeing a zine on the shelves of BraMcZeal said. zos Bookstore is the culmination of Zig Zag is also accessible online. months of hard work.

Lahoti designed the website and conThe cover of the Maverick-founded tinues to edit and update it.

Zig Zag Zine is hard to miss. It feaThe editors understand that being tures a shrouded woman sporting a outside the norm can be difficult, and gem-encrusted tiara against a yellow they want to provide an outlet for those backdrop. who are struggling with their identity.

Zig Zag Zine is an entirely stuThe editors convey this understanddent-run literary and arts print publiing through their slogan: “The course cation, independent of St. John’s,that through adolescence; bent, crooked, gives voice to marginalized identities, running. Simply put: not straight.” including people of color, women and The zine also gives back to the commembers of the LGBT+ community. munity. They personally funded the The zine was the brainchild of four printing of the first issue, and all of the current seniors — Maddie McZeal, profits go to different charities.

Emma Boehme, Irene Vazquez and Since the first zine came out around Nyla Jennings Nina Lahoti, as well as Brooke Kushthe time of the Houston flooding, the waha (’16). The students were chatting Seniors Maddie McZeal (left) and Emma Boehme were editors decided to donate the profits over GroupMe about various “zines,” among the founders of Zig Zag Zine. The zine’s goal is to to the Houston Flood Relief organismall independently run magazines, provide a platform for the works of minority writers. zation. they had seen.

Two issues of the zine, along with a anywhere other than my blog. That first submission The group decided to make one themselves.

Halloween-themed mini issue are available online motivated me to submit to other literary magazines, “All of us together decided that we wanted to at magcloud.com. Both issues are for sale in Brazos which has been an incredible experience so far,” Schcreate an outlet for people who aren’t usually repBookstore for $15 apiece. nabel said. “Seeing the amazing pieces that the other resented in the media and give “I hope to sell enough issues and get enough succontributors to the zine have people a space to express themcess that we get to give back to the communities produced is so inspiring to selves,” Boehme said. we are trying to represent,” Boehme said. me, and has pushed me to We all seemed to have Artist and poet Margaret SchAlthough all of the editors are seniors and will be the same vision of what keep experimenting and im- heading off to separate colleges this year, they hope nabel from Indianapolis decided proving.” to participate in the zine when to continue the zine. we wanted the zine to Emma Boehme took on McZeal reached out to her.

“Through this process I learned that I really like the task of designing the look like.

“I’d published some of my art putting magazines like this together and exploring zine because she was familother people’s artwork, and so I hope it continon my blog before, but I hadn’t iar with the desktop pub-Maddie McZeal ever thought about submitting ues,” McZeal said. lishing software InDesign. to literary magazines, so when Designing the first issue took Boehme around 20 she told me about the zine I was so excited to be a hours, but she was able to design the second issue part of it,” Schnabel said. much more quickly.

Schnabel has had a few poems and many of her Two of Boehme’s own abstract paintings serve as art pieces published in the zine, as well as a short the back covers of the two issues. film on the Zig Zag website.

All editors contribute their ideas to the design.

“It’s given me more confidence: before submitting Visit zigzagzine.co.vu to “We all seemed to have the same vision of what to the zine, I’d never published my art and poetry purchase copies

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SJSReview.COM | JANUARY 13, 2017

Culture 11

Students lend voices to downtown art project By | Manar Ansari

Three seniors contributed to an art installation in downtown Houston that is so subtle, passers-by might not notice it as they walk past.

“The Houston Oracle in Two Parts,” designed

by Stephen Korns, is located on the East and West sides of the walls of the Bagby Street Underpass, a pedestrian walkway through Bayou Place.

The installation includes two visual parts: on one side, an industrial building is shown, and on the other, the front of a house is shown.

Senior Matthew Fastow’s mother, Lea Weingarten, is on the public art committee of the Houston Arts Alliance, a non-profit organization that funds cultural community organizations and cultural tourism initiatives. Weingarten was tasked with finding young voices for the audio component of the piece, which is composed of recorded questions that play throughout the tunnel.

She invited Fastow and fellow seniors Emma Boehme and Irene Vazquez to contribute to the installation.

“The questions you hear are ones that are fairly simple — ones that we would ask of a friend or acquaintance — but they are also mysterious as the voices are anonymous,” Weingarten said.

Questions such as “Do you ride the bus?” and “Do you wash your own clothes?” echo through the underpass as pedestrians walk by.

“It seems like a really interesting perspective on what Houston means to people, and it causes people to reflect on themselves and the importance of Houston on them,” Boehme said.

Former mayor Annise Parker commissioned the installation in an effort to enhance the pedestrian experience and to encourage people to get out of their cars more. The installation features pictures of Houstonians from 1970-2013 projected onto screens on opposing walls, primarily in black and white. The exhibit’s lighting matches the lunar phases at night, with white light representing the full moon and progressing to blue on the new moon.

Korns has created designs for other parks, plazas, bridges and highways. He is responsible for many other large-scale landscaping projects, including installing lights stilts in the Hudson River, a lunar lighting system at Sabine Promenade at Buffalo Bayou and a sound installation in a church in Southern Italy.

Gwendelyn Butler

Bagby Street Underpass, a popular downtown pedestrian walkway, features “The Houston Oracle in Two Parts,” designed by Stephen Korns. Matthew Fastow, Emma Boehme and Irene Vazquez contributed their voices to the installation.

Korns entertained the idea of creating the site-specific “Houston Oracle” for many years.

He liked the idea of an installation that was tied to a location and provided information about that place.

“I wanted to collect historical and present-day materials and bring them together in a relatively raw state so that people can think about their own conditions and what was possible for the Houston community,” Korns said.

Korns was inspired by photographs from the archives at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, which has 4 million photographs from Houston’s history.

“It’s taken this whole space and made it into an experiential environment,” Korns said. “Rather than creating something that was decorative, I

wanted it to draw people in to investigate the place for what may be hidden here.”

Korns used Houston buildings for the residential and industrial building facades. The windows in these panels display videos.

“I looked around Houston for building walls that I could put up in the tunnel, like paintings that could be lit from the front, like valuable features from a gallery,” Korns said.

The cars that pass through the underpass can be noisy and distracting, sometimes drowning out the questions, but Korns says they are part of the installation.

“I really wanted to make a space that people could spend time in and consider the clues that are given in the building materials, videos and audio questions,” Korns said. “It makes you feel

there’s something to be discovered if you look closely.”

Unlike many of Korns’s other installations, “Houston Oracle” is permanent. It is also more subtle than most of his other works — someone could walk past it without realizing it was art.

“It’s meant to be more subdued so that you have to notice it in order for it to draw you in,” Korns said. “In many ways, this space was like a theater set. My approach was like taking a blank stage and putting in scenography. All it lacks is the actors, and in this case, an active person walking through and contemplating it is like an actor. The people make it come alive.”

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Culture 12

Review | JANUARY 13, 2017

Chevray sashays into Terpsichore

By | Sophie Caldwell

For the first time in three years, a fresh- thought of being the youngest member of man has made Terpsichore, the most selec- Terpsichore. After spending time with the tive of Upper School dance ensembles. other dancers, she found that they were In addition to performing and training at very inclusive, which soon put her at ease. the Houston Ballet for the last seven years, “At first, I wasn’t really sure what I should Yuki Chevray has studied several other va- say, but they’re all really sweet, and I’ve rieties of dance. gotten to know them so much better beChevray has danced for 11 years, exper- cause of all the rehearsals.” imenting with contemTerpsichore reporary and jazz before hearses five days evchoosing to focus solely ery rotation, which It really forces you to on ballet. She has been rarely conflicts decide what you want with her commiten pointe for the last to do. You have to three years, which inments at Houston volves wearing rigid balmake tough decisions. Ballet. let shoes that allow dancChevray used to ers to remain on the tips perform in dance of their toes.

-Yuki Chevray competitions, but Chevray currently she stopped in ordances five days a week at Houston Ballet der to specialize in ballet. For Chevray, for 20 hours a week. competitive dancing was fun but also la“One of the big things about ballet is bor-intensive. Competitive dancers often that it’s very time consuming, so I feel practice many different styles of dance like it really prompted me to learn how to rather than focusing on one, so Chevray’s balance schoolwork and dance,” Chevray background in competitive dance gives her said. “It’s just something I love to do, so it’s versatility. always there, and something I can always “It was so exciting to be able to be onrely on.” stage so often, but at the same time, it was Encouraged by her mother, Chevray be- a lot of work because it was extra rehearsal gan dancing when she was three. In De- hours, and it would take up most of the cember, Chevray performed in five dances weekend,” Chevray said. “I do miss it in the Student Choreography Showcase, sometimes, and I’m glad to be doing other and played a party child in the Houston styles of dance at school now.”

Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.”

Chevray credits ballet for teaching her “I’ve had years to learn how to balance how to make difficult life choices. everything, but I really try to utilize my “It really forces you to decide what you time and just do what has to get done,” want to do. You have to make tough deChevray said. cisions,” Chevray said. “It helps you learn Chevray does what she can to maintain how to make hard decisions.” her friendships, and easily stays in touch Every day after school, Chevray attends with her dancer friends in Houston Ballet. practice. She spends an hour and a half “I have a group of really close friends in in ballet class, which can include barre dance, and it’s always great to spend time work as well as jumps and turns. Then she with them,” Chevray said. “We’ve been to- spends an hour en pointe, which usually gether for about two or three years now.” involves pas de deux, or partner work, as Chevray was initially intimidated by the well as basic pointe work and variations.

“

”

Chevray’s friends and family are supportive of her ballet talents. Though Chevray has little time outside of school to spend with her school friends, they make an effort to attend her performances.

Though Chevray did not choreograph a dance in the Student Choreography Showcase, she would like to give it a try in the future. She plans to choreograph a lyrical dance, which combines aspects of both contemporary and ballet.

Chevray does not intend to pursue a career in dance but aims to dance through college and continue as long as she can.

“It’s made me so much stronger, enduring exhaustion and the amount of time it takes,” Chevray said. “It has made me a stronger person.”

Emily Ragauss

Yuki Chevray (above and below center) performed five dances at the Student Choreography Showcase in December. Chevray is the first freshman in three years to make Terpsichore.

Emily Ragauss

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Opinions 13

SJSREVIEW.COM | JANUARY13, 2017

ON POINT

OFF TARGET

FCD sessions

Starting school on Jan. 3

S’mores in Great Hall

Already breaking New Year’s resolutions

Staff Editorial

When an alumnus promotes hatred

Richard Spencer is one of the leading figures of the socalled alt-right. He dismisses terms like “Nazi,” “racist” and “white supremacist,” in favor of “identitarian.” In a video filmed at the November meeting of the National Policy Institute, Spencer is seen chanting, “Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!” as members of the audience raised their arms in a Nazi-esque salute. Spencer then instructed his followers to “party like it’s 1933,” the year Hitler was elected German chancellor.

Richard Spencer is a 1997 graduate of St. Mark’s School of Dallas, an SPC member.

The Editorial Board commends St. Mark’s as well as the editorial leadership of its student newspaper, The ReMarker, for taking Spencer to task. Recently, Headmaster David Dini rejected the bigotry that Spencer has espoused in a letter to the school community.

Spencer’s high school classmates started a fundraiser in order to condemn Spencer’s actions, raising $60,000 for refugee relief. Their cause has garnered national attention from publications including the Washington Post.

“We are of different political parties and views, but unite in recognizing that these values are under attack by our white supremacist classmate Richard B. Spencer ’97,” reads the fundraiser’s description on Crowdrise, an online crowdfunding platform. “Spencer’s views are un-American and a threat to civil society. We reject them and urge everyone to join us in condemning him and his agenda.”

stephen kim

Most importantly, the ReMarker was allowed to respond to the situation and how it reflects on them as members of the St. Mark’s community.

The power of the press starts at the student level, and the staff of the ReMarker refused to ignore Spencer’s hateful views.

The Editorial Board further commends Texas A&M University for its response to Spencer’s speaking engagement on Dec. 6. Because a Texas A&M parent invited Spencer to appear, the university could not prevent Spencer from speaking on campus. But A&M leadership stood up to Spencer’s

virulent actions.

In a statement to CNN, Texas A&M Senior Vice President Amy Smith said that the school finds Spencer’s views “in direct conflict with our core values.” Smith also participated in the Aggies United protest event that took place at Kyle Field at the same time as Spencer’s speech.

The name “alt-right” is but a guise for normalizing white supremacist neo-Nazi groups on the mainstream political spectrum. “Alt-right” sounds more like a punk band, not a hate group. And after the election of Donald Trump, these groups continue to gain traction.

Names have power, they shape group image, and the term “alt-right” gives them a legitimacy they do not deserve.

The Editorial Board calls on the members of the St. John’s community to exercise discretion when consuming the news, including the Review. Look beyond the headlines and determine if what is said is being represented.

A neo-Nazi is a neo-Nazi is a neo-Nazi, no matter what fancy clothes he’s wearing, what name-brand schools he attended, or what he calls himself.

Now more than ever, the media must lead the same way the ReMarker did. They didn’t just cover the story; they put the story on the cover. Everyone must be held accountable.

Especially when people like Richard Spencer deride the media with terms like “Lügenpresse” (a political pejorative term used by German media that means “lying press”), it is up to news outlets to call hate groups what they really are.

Letter From the Editor

Jesus Benitez

It’s never too early to make your mark

Dear Reader, Going into 2017, it can be surreal to think about the future that lies ahead of us — for seniors, that means college and careers, for juniors, it means the realization that the college process is beginning, and for underclassmen, it means figuring out high school, which is tough enough.

There are some simple facts about high school that rarely change from year to year, and one of those is that upperclassmen sometimes treat underclassmen pretty harshly. Seniors are entitled to privileges like Senior Tea and Senior Country, while freshmen are stuck with Honors Biology and awkward lunch-table dynamics.

With all that in mind, here is some advice to our ninth grade compatriots.

Freshmen, the world is yours.

You have so many opportunities in high school and beyond. Push yourself, but don’t waste your time stressing out about your grades. Reward yourself, but don’t forget why you’re in high school. Know that your teachers and classmates are here to help you.

It can be easy to lose focus when the stress of school and extracurriculars ramps up. Sometimes it’s easier to think that teachers are out to get you or that a classmate is determined

to sabotage your group project. It can help if you pretend for a minute — just one quick minute — that you’re in the other person’s shoes. Try to envision why they’re acting the way they are.

Be an activist. It doesn’t matter what your cause is, but find something that you’re passionate about, be it politics, environmentalism, community service or something else entirely. The high school years are some of the most important times to learn what matters to you.

Join some clubs. Don’t just join the first one that your parents tell you to so you can put it on your résumé. Follow your heart, whether it takes you to Terpsichore like Yuki Chevray or to The Review, like Isabelle Andrews and Natasha Faruqui, who covered the freshman SAC election on Page 2.

Consider that last year the current freshmen had 13 candidates run for positions on SAC to represent their classmates.

This year, the same class had only one individual, Athena Adrogué, run to represent her classmates for the second semester. Congratulations to Athena for taking on the responsibilities that her classmates abdicated.

Stay informed. By reading the Review, you are already taking the first step towards being a citizen of St. John’s and

your community. Plenty of people will tell you that the news media is biased and full of misinformation.

Freshmen, we hope you understand that our staff works every day to bring you news that will make you as informed as possible. Even when we occasionally make mistakes, we hope that you will cut us some slack and help us make 2017 more factual, productive and informed year than ever before. À la prochaine,

Christian Besitos,

Irene

Opinions 14

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Review St. John’s School 2401 Claremont Lane Houston, TX 77019 sjsreview.com Facebook SJS Review Twitter @SJS_Review Instagram @_thereview Snapchat sjsreview

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Izzy Andrews, Manar Ansari, Maggie Ballard, Hrishabh Bhosale, Gwendelyn Butler, Eli Desjardins, Andrew Duong, Jackson Edwards, Mia Fares, Natasha Faruqui, Sam Foshee, Lilah Gaber, Sophie Gillard, Thomas Grannen, Mia Guien, Kate Habich, Eric Hang, Shani Israel, Reygan Jones, Sophia Kontos, Sophia Lima, Eli Maierson, Will McKone, Sinclair Mott, Saswat Pati, Robert Rae, Caroline Ramirez, Grace Sanders, Louisa Sarofim, David Seo, Jack Shea, Henry Still, Soraya Stude, Alex Tinkham, Aileen Zhang

Advisers David Nathan, Shelley Stein (‘88), Chuy Benitez 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 631 students and 80 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 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 hand-delivered to an editor or adviser in the Review room (Q210).

REVIEW | JANUARY 13, 2017

Adiós 2016, you won’t be missed By | Sophie Gillard

I am tired.

If you survived 2016, chances are that you’re exhausted too. I know you probably don’t want to revisit this awful year. I’ll be honest, I’m not too excited to relive it either, but we need to examine all the times things went wrong and realize that we will need to be vigilant and proactive if we want to make 2017 less nauseating.

To recap: We lost many icons unexpectedly, including David Bowie, Muhammad Ali and two of my heroes, Prince and Gwen Ifill.

The death of trustworthy journalist Ifill on Nov. 14 seemed even more ominous in a year that marked an alarming rise in fake news.

Then in December came the back-to-back deaths of Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds. Losing Princess Leia was the final sucker punch that 2016 delivered.

One of the most devastating events in America came with the murder of 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando. It was the deadliest mass shooting in American history and served as a depressing reminder that if 2015 was the year “love won,” then 2016 was when hate made a comeback America was not the only country to experience tragedy. We saw a steady stream of images of terrorized and persecuted people, from the Bastille Day terrorist attack to bloodied Syrians displaced by civil war.

For me, the 2016 election topped a truly disheartening

FLY, YOU FOOL!

Aileen Zhang

dimension to this remarkably sad year. From the outset, this circus exposed the hatred, fear and disparities in our society.

I spent an inordinate amount of time obsessing over the election. I lost hours on Politico, analyzing every development, every scandal.

And while I volunteered for campaigns and causes that I believed in, I’ve realized how much time I wasted passively absorbing information when I could have been proactive.

This epiphany leaves me with many questions. For example, what if instead of watching CNN, I had registered more voters? Trump won Texas by

nine points compared to Romney’s 16 in 2012. If I had registered more people to vote, could I have turned Texas blue and stopped the outcome of this election?

The answer is, of course, no.

Which leads me to the second reaction I have: overwhelming cynicism. I do not believe that this country will “come together,” and I refuse to be united if it means I must accept the normalization of the sexist and racist rhetoric that flooded this election.

As the progress that has defined most of my life is threatened, all I want to do is crawl under a rock and never look

at the New York Times again.

But as Capt. Wesley Hunt, who spoke in Chapel on Nov. 9, reminded us, “To whom much is given, much is expected.”

Our school equips us with the resources to affect change in our community, even if most of us are too young to vote.

Here, we can join and support organizations that provide safe spaces for marginalized people.

Together we can advocate for the policies we want to see in our city and our state.

My engagement with current events benefits no one if I don’t act to preserve the ideals and policies that I value in our society. My hope is that those who are shocked, saddened, outraged and made weary by 2016 will channel that frustration into action that supports what they believe.

Yes, 2016 was awful. It made me realize that the progress I have taken for granted over the last eight years is fragile. It made me uncomfortable to be with close friends whose views were different than mine. It made me scream. It made me cry.

But the new year is not the time to surrender to the impulse that tells us to disengage.

Instead, we must be vigilant.

Here’s to 2017. I hope it’s better than the last 12 months because, truthfully, I can’t deal with this again.

CoverGirl lays foundation for diversity By | Lilah Gaber

Picture this: a city is threatened by an unidentifiable force. There’s a man, white, hyper-masculine, who is predisposed to save humanity. Somewhere in his heroic journey he is accompanied by a conventionally attractive woman who is able to help him but never oversteps her secondary role.

Recognize the movie? It’s Superman, but also Iron Man, and Batman, and Mission Impossible and almost every action movie ever. Pop culture has a problem: the prevalence of conventional, Eurocentric, patriarchal imagery.

That may sound overdramatic, but it’s something I have really struggled with. For years I tried to fit in with this standard I set for myself based off of all the pretty white women I saw in magazines and on TV. I wanted long, curled hair. Not my type of curls — the type I could only attain with a starting point of straight hair (cue years of singed fingertips and split ends). I wanted to be skinnier. I used to look back on summer photographs of myself and hate how dark my skin looked.

Accepting myself was hard when I saw no one who looked like me on television or in magazines.

It completely mystifies me when anyone tries to tell me a lack of diversity in mainstream media is a thing of the past. Though the recently announced CoverGirl ambassadors are a good start, we have to consider why their new representatives are such a big deal.

It’s great that Nura Afia is the first ever CoverGirl who wears a hijab, and James Charles is the first male to represent the beauty brand. This is a huge step for Muslim women and for dismantling traditional gender roles.

Yet very few major brands offer any variation from the female Eurocentric beauty standard.

Minority groups and women are expected to be satisfied with their token character or model. I am expected not to complain about movies like Harry Potter and their overwhelmingly white cast because there was a black kid in a scene somewhere.

I’m tired of movies and shows consistently assigning some average looking white man the savior role. Harry Potter is the perfect example — the kid is applauded throughout the entire movie for his averageness. Hermione could cure cancer and every other disease in the world while Harry is off destroying buildings and getting people killed, and they would still make up an award to give him instead of Hermione.

Our media has established a formula for “girl power” that is just the right amount of radical, and in doing so, creates a slew of two-dimensional female characters who

are forced into a heterosexual relationship.

And I’m expected to be satisfied with this.

That’s just embarrassing.

Sometimes we don’t even get this lazy version of diversity, and we are left with token characters, who are often offensive exaggerations of crude stereotypes. The sassy black friend, the smart Asian friend with strict parents, the super effeminate gay best friend. They are but foils to highlight the better qualities of the main (typically white male) character.

This pseudo-representation is even more harmful because it influences the public perception of these groups. If women are constantly portrayed as submissive, women will be treated as inferior. It then becomes a struggle for these individuals to defy the role and image our media has constructed for them.

Should minority actors and actresses have to settle for playing a demeaning, oversimplified version of their gender, race or orientation?

As consumers, we have the initiative to create that choice. At the end of the day, the consumers decide what airs and what doesn’t. If it doesn’t sell, it won’t get made.

Production companies check to see which demographics their movies and shows are attracting, so there is no need to be complacent.

There is no reason for girls in 2017 to feel the need to fit a cookie-cutter mold in order to love themselves because there is no shortage of talented women of color who could serve as excellent role models.

I’m not asking for a recall on all white, heterosexual, cisgender, male actors. I’m asking for a little more effort. I’m asking for equal opportunity and for the privileged to use their platform to lift up the voices of the underprivileged.

Emma Shea

O &E

Art School Rejects

By | Aileen Zhang

60 Seconds

FLASHBACK: Dec. 31, 2015

with Gray Watson

grade Tenth known for Slay Watson color Gray, obviously hate to love Seven Brides for Seven Brothers love to hate Whataburger happiness WHAP misery hour and 20 minute period sports team JV Golf guilty pleasure Panda Express olympic sport Race Walking cafeteria food Wing Bar comfort food ice cream place to live New York City the best thing curve in Chemistry (H)

Odds & Ends 15

sjsreview.com | January 13, 2017

i wish I did well in Spanish treasured possession mi telephono spirit animal Maddi Speed as Meriwether Lewis zoo animal giraffe hero Hodor superpower flying fictional character Franz Immanuel Schuppanzigh tv show Game of Thrones movie The Dark Knight or any other superhero movie video game Overwatch motto “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”

- Ricky Bobby doppelgänger Connor Watson i’d rather be Shrek

Charted: Sleep Data

“I see ... death.” “I see ... discord.”

“I see ... Pokémon?”

Word for Word “

“

A York Peppermint Patty is chocolate with toothpaste in the middle.

See the whole thing about thinking — besides the fact that you don’t want to do it — is...

- Senior Johan Fotso

- English teacher Dwight Raulston

”

”

“ ”

“ ”

Is that the nacho cheese?

Do not Naruto Run into my theater!

- FCD counselor Drew Bowie learns about queso

- Black Comedy director Kat Cordes

By | Aileen Zhang awake

Night before synthesis papers are due productive panic

“To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come” (Shakespeare III.3, 66-67)

emergency Starbucks words lose all meaning

light sleep

awake

Night after synthesis papers are turned in

collapse onto keyboard, get impression of spacebar on cheek

“For years now, I’ve wanted to fall asleep.”

(Palahniuk 134)

light sleep

“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.”

(Homer 11.430)

deep sleep

deep sleep 11pm

7am Mid-July

awake

9pm Second semester finals week

awake

no more interesting new content on Tumblr

7am

finally too tired to stay awake

light sleep

light sleep

deep sleep

dream about SAT II subject test scores

3am

dream about first day of school

2pm

deep sleep

woken by alarm (recording of terms and vocab) fall asleep reciting vocab

12am

stress dream about failing finals, teeth falling out of head

8am

Photostory 16

Review | January 13, 2017

back to the future 1

2 As St. John’s celebrates its 70th year, it’s an excellent time to pause and reflect.

The student body may have changed over the years, but the passion for learning and friendship has remained the same.

These photos are re-creations of a few of the images from around the Quadrangle.

Review staffers plan another issue (1).

Juniors Ben Cohen, Griffin Cowan and Jacob Brown recreate a Lower School photo (2). Sophomores squeeze into a window (3). Two students chat on the Quad during a free period (4). Students examine a brochure for Sweet Briar College (5).

For extended coverage and more archival photo recreations, go to the Review Online.

4

3

5

Story by Irene Vazquez | Photos by Grace Sanders (1), David Seo (2), Reygan Jones (3), eric Hang (4, 5)