Graduation Issue 2009

The Review

The Official Student Newspaper of St. John’s School

Final Issue || Graduation 2009

APOLOGY: Please see page 3 for an apology regarding the front page article last issue. pg. 3

Index

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID HOUSTON, TEXAS PERMIT 9081

News...........................2 Sports..........................5 Features.....................7 Spread......................10 Beyond SJS...............12 College....................14 Opinions....................15 A&E.........................18

news

2

The Review

Graduation 2009

SJS administration reacts to swine flu Sickness scare prompts rescheduling of SPC, changes in school health policy

By CAROLINE GIBSON Over the weekend of Saturday, April 23 an Episcopal student was treated for novel influenza A, or swine flu.

This flu, which was contracted by 642 people and responsible for the deaths of two children nationwide, has made the entire population fearful of an epidemic, though fatalities from the disease are unique to Texas.

With two fatalities, the outbreak in Texas is comparatively severe and led the Texas state government to suspend public education gatherings for sports until last Monday, May 11.

A few days later, private schools followed suit and the Southwest Prepatory Conference was postponed until Saturday, May 9.

According to their website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “expects that more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur.” Their approach to the outbreak is containment of the illness, and prevention of its spread in the nation’s population.

The CDC previously advised schools to close if a student or

faculty member contracted the disease.

However, it has revoked this order and is allowing schools to reopen. Schools are to remain open unless extensive absence due to illness “interferes with the school’s ability to function.”

SJS has already demonstrated its policy toward the swine flu by asking some visiting Episcopal students to leave.

Mr. Wilson said, “If you’re closing a school, you want the people at the school to stay home.”

The CDC, while loosening its policy for schools, suggests an ill student or faculty or staff member to stay home, except to receive treatment, for seven days as a precautionary method for containment of the disease.

If faced with an outbreak at

SJS, Head of Upper School Kef Wilson affirms that SJS will follow the CDC guidelines as suggested by the state. “[SJS] would have shut down, [if] required by the CDC,” Mr. Wilson said.

SJS has already demonstrated its policy toward the swine flu by asking some visiting Episcopal students to leave.

Mr. Wilson said, “If you’re closing a school, you want the people at the school to stay home.”

Headmaster John Allman established a special committee to asses SJS’ response to the possibility of a crisis.

If the school were to shut down, in response to any crisis, Mr. Wilson said that the committee has toyed with the idea of using the internet to keep the school functioning by sending work to students on Whipple Hill.

To protect the health of the school population, the administration has installed Purell hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the school. The increased availability of disinfectant was intended to help decrease the spread of illnesses in general at SJS, not as a direct response to the swine flu.

The “heightened awareness”

of hygiene brought about by the flu “helped seal the deal” according to Nurse Rhonda Jones, who has been trying to get dispensers like these installed for years.

Disinfectant dispensers first

The increased availability of disinfectant was intended to help decrease the spread of illnesses in general at SJS, not as a direct response to the swine flu. The “heightened awareness” of hygiene brought about by the flu “helped seal the deal,” according to Nurse Rhonda Jones. appeared at SJS in the Lower School cafeteria a few years ago. Now, hand sanitizer will be available throughout Lower, Middle and Upper School

as soon as the rest of the shipment is delivered to accompany the thirteen dispensers already present in the Upper School.

The brand Purell was chosen because it offered the best and most economical type of automatic dispenser at originally $30.50 each, but the school was able to get a lowered price of a around $23 each.

Nurse Jones hopes all students will use the hand sanitizer, but cautions that it is not meant to replace hand washing.

The dispensers will hopefully increase the overall hygiene and health of students, especially Upper School students who are sick most often “probably due to heavier schedules,” Nurse Jones said.

In order to stay healthy, Nurse Jones advises getting adequate rest, nutrition, hydration, exercise and avoiding sharing drinks, arguing that students should just use “common sense” when it comes to health and hygiene.

Though no one at SJS has come down with the swine flu, this new virus has served as a wake up call, reminding the community to take care of themselves and the people around them.

M.S. foreign exchange students adapt to life at SJS

By ARIANA DICKEY On Saturday, April 4th, two English teachers and ten students arrived from Quebec to participate in an eleven-day exchange program with SJS eighth graders.

Five boys and five girls from François-Bourrin, ranging from seventh to eighth grade, came to SJS from April 4th to April 14th. Each student was paired with an SJS eighth grade French student of the same gender. While at SJS, the students from Quebec followed SJS curriculum.

Valerie Delisle, the English teacher from François-Bourrin, said, “Many of my students found doing SJS work to be very difficult…The [SJS] curriculum is significantly more difficult that the one we have in Quebec. What the eighth graders learn here in math is what we teach our kids in tenth grade.”

English teachers Ms. Delisle and Dominique Guimond attended classes as well. Both teachers went to at least one class of every subject with their students. When not in class, they had meetings with Head of Middle School Eric Lombardi and French teacher Kim Dang about what has gone well with the exchange and what improvements can be made.

“The purpose of this exchange was to learn about the differences between American and French-Canadian culture, and of course, to practice English.

Also, we thought it would be fun for the kids to be away from their parents for eleven days…it’s what every kid at their age dreams!” Ms. Delisle said.

The Canadian students participated in a variety of activities outside of school, ranging from visiting NASA to shooting paintballs for the first time. “It was so easy being with all of the SJS families.

They really paid attention to the little

details, which made us feel very comfortable. Every day, my students would come up to me and say ‘I told my host family that I had never had so-and-so food, and that’s what they would serve me for dinner’,” Ms. Delisle said.

The thing that Ms. Delisle said she found most surprising about American culture was the discipline of the students. Having taught in Ontario and Alberta in addition to Quebec, Ms. Delisle had a good sense of the Canadian school system and the attitudes of the students.

She said, “I found that here in the United States, the students are much more polite and respectful, as well as dedicated to their learning than the students in Canada.”

Getting to the U.S.A. proved to be a difficult task.

Photo courtesy of Kim-Chi Dang In order to enter the America with the students, Ms. The exchange students from Francois-Bourrin and SJS Middle School students visit NASA Delisle and Ms. Guimond had on a school trip. to keep track of many differDelisle. Afterwards, the group flew for est desire to be involved and pay for the ent forms of documentation aside from three hours to reach their final destina- exchange. passports, including insurance informa- tion of Houston, Texas.

This summer, from June 1 to June 11, tion and notes from parents agreeing to To be a part of the exchange program, all of the SJS students who hosted a Casend their children across the border the students from Quebec had to have nadian student will get to participate in with a non-family member. displayed a genuine interest in learning an exchange and fly to Quebec. There, On April 4, Ms. Delisle, Ms. Guimond English, as well as good behavior. they will be attending classes with their and the students had to wake up at five “I wasn’t looking as much at grades Canadian host. in the morning to catch their flight from as I was looking for kids who would Ms. Delisle said, “I was really pleased Quebec to Chicago. There, they had a genuinely enjoy the experience and be with our exchange to Houston, and I two-hour layover where the students pleasant towards the families that were cannot wait for the SJS students to visit shopped for souvenirs and explored housing them,” said Ms. Delisle. us in Quebec. That should be a blast as Chicago’s giant O’Hare Airport.

In the end, Ms. Delisle and Ms. Gui- well.”

“The airport in Chicago was huge, mond had to choose ten students out of which my students loved since the air- a pool of twenty who showed the greatport in Quebec is so small,” said Ms.

news

3

Graduation 2009

APOLOGY The news story “Admin warns against off-campus party” in the April issue of The Review contained a number of inaccurate quotes and facts. On the front page, Ted Curry was quoted as saying, “Students were infuriated by this move, and some burned effigies of Mr. Williams on Skip Lee field.” Following the interview, Mr. Curry clarified that this was not an accurate description of events – a fact that The Review failed to communicate. The article also contained facts that additional sources had asked us to omit. The Review sincerely apologizes for this failure to communicate the truth.

Sophomore launches teaching assistant program

By SARAH WINDHAM SJS student Stacy Fish (’11) has recently initiated a new volunteer program for SJS students tentatively dubbed Maverick Teacher’s Assistants or ‘Mav T.A.s’ for short. Any student with a study hall or free period can sign up to volunteer with the program, which allows upper school students to be teacher’s assistants in lower school academic or P.E. classes.

Fish was inspired to create the program after going on the Costa Rica community service trip this past summer, during which she had the opportunity to work with children. Upon returning to Houston she discovered that all tutoring opportunities offered by SJS were after school “which, for a large group of students that includes myself, who have sports after school, that just doesn’t work,” POOJA SALHOTRA | The Review Alice Fogler (‘10) helps a Lower School student with a class project.

Fish said.

Fish decided to provide stu- kindergarten classes, that’s the “Sometimes teachers just need tion was an important part dents in this situation an al- grade that the most teachers an extra pair of hands or eyes, of being a Mav T.A. “I know ternative, so with a little guid- had signed up, so we have been they cant help everyone and sometimes it’s hard giving up a ance from Head of Community working on their authors’ tea they can’t watch everyone so study hall or something because Service Ms. Marci Bahr, Fish books, helping them to write we pick up the slack,” Emily you want to do work, but you founded Mav T.A.s. and found their stories” she said. “They Boyce (’12) said. Boyce helps have to consistently come back lower school teachers who just help out where ever the Mr. Rice’s fourth grade science to your same kids every time so were interested in the program teacher needs,” she added. class set up experiments on they get to know you and then and sent out e-mails to all of her “It is really nice to have some “experiment Fridays”. Students suddenly, when they see you friends who she thought might extra help on those crazy days can also choose to help coaches around campus, they can wave be interested. Then she as- like chapel days and ‘experi- during P.E. classes with activi- and be like ‘oh I know a upper signed each student to a lower ment Fridays’” Mr. William ties like rock climbing that re- schooler’,” said Fish. school class during one of their Rice, the fourth and fifth grade quire extra hands.

“It’s been really cool for my study halls or free periods. science teacher, said.

Fish said that dedica- fourth graders to see some up“We have a lot of people in

Two seniors win awards from Writers in the Schools

By BHAGWAT KUMAR Catherine Cocke (’09) and Bryce Hollingsworth (’09) both won creative writing awards from Writers in the Schools in a city-wide competitive writing contest. 25 Students were nominated from SJS, with only Hollingsworth and Cocke winning the award.

Members from the organization go to various schools to check in on writers and nominate students, and that is how both Hollingsworth and Cocke were nominated by Melanie Melanowski, the representative who visited SJS. 10,000 students from Kindergarten through twelfth grade were nominated, with only 80 students being chosen as winners. The winners were asked to read their pieces on May 3 at Discovery Green’s Young Writers Reading.

Cocke was given a card with a magical-realist picture on it and was asked to write about the picture for 30 minutes.

Cocke was not sure why she specifically won the award, saying “When I was chosen I was kind of in shock, but I’m kind of flattered I guess.”

Hollingsworth was asked to write a short story about the first memory that came to mind. Hollingsworth wrote

Photo Courtesy of Elise Glattier-Hollingsworth

Bryce Hollingsworth (‘09) poses with Melanie Melanowski. his piece on baling hay on his uncle’s farm in Kentucky.

Cocke chose not to attend the reading while Holling-

sworth did attend. “It was different,” Hollingsworth said, “It was kind of cool.”

per school kids and interact with them besides just being run over by them in the tunnel” said Mr. Rice. He added, “Knowing someone else survived, someone else made it through, it kind of makes them think about how they will grow too and how things will change, and all the things they have to look forward to.”

Mr. Rice said that he and his students enjoy the program, although for different reasons.

“There have been times when I am teaching a lesson and the aids can tell a story that kind of goes along with what they’re learning” said Mr. Rice.

“Mr. Rice was my teacher, I was a fourth grader once, so the kids look to me as someone who has done this all before and knows what to do, so that’s a really cool feeling” said Boyce.

Fish has high hopes for the program’s future. “I’d like it to become a pretty big thing” said Fish.

“I think a lot of teachers will be interested and I hope a lot of students will be interested too,” Mr. Rice said. “I think the first time is always going to be pretty small, because, initially, who really wants to give up a study hall? Everyone who has done it has just loved it and they have come back to me with great things, and the teachers love having students there, and the kids really love it,” Fish said.

4

Graduation 2009

news

SJS’s latest catch Dr. James Hendrix ponders future goals at SJS Photo Courtesy of Dr. James Hendrix

Dr. Hendrix poses with a fish he caught. Fishing is one of his favorite pastimes.

By JESSICA ALLEN With two of its most important leaders, Headmaster John Allman and Assistant Headmaster Mark Reed, leaving the campus next year, SJS finds itself in a time of change and new developments. Next year, the SJS community will look to interim Headmaster Dr. James “Jim” Hendrix for leadership and guidance in its time of transition.

Next year, Dr. Hendrix said his main goals will involve “continuing initiatives that are underway out of the 2008 strategic plan.” Accomplishing such goals will involve working in conjunction with the Board of Trustees and the entire administration, as well as the faculty. In June, he will return to SJS to meet with the full administrative team and discuss specifics. For right now, however, his main goal remains “to do all I can to maintain the excellence of St. John’s, and be part of a productive, enjoyable year for us all.”

Dr. Hendrix calls teaching his “first love” and said that even today tries to avoid the term “high school administrator,” preferring to think of himself as a teacher who has additional duties.

Growing up in Durham, NC, Dr. Hendrix was constantly surrounded by academic life as both of his parents taught at Duke University. After high school he left Durham to attend Davidson College, where he majored in history.

Dr. Hendrix then ventured to Louisiana to attend Louisiana State University, where he did a combined southern history and literature program, earning a M.A. and Ph.D. It was at LSU where he first took a seminar on the Trans-Mississippi West and was introduced to the subject that would later influence his life a great deal: Lewis and Clark. LSU was also where his

teaching career began when he first taught a US History survey course.

His last permanent job was at the Lovett School in Atlanta, GA. Mr. Allman, the current headmaster, is a graduate of the school and also came to SJS from Lovett. Dr. Hendrix was head of the Lovett School for twelve years, and he believes that the similarities between Lovett and SJS will aid him during his interim time at SJS. Dr. Hendrix said that SJS prominence and reputation first attracted him to the school, and after visiting he realized how much he missed the academic atmosphere.

“While I have much enjoyed my years of semi-retirement, I greatly miss interaction with students and faculty, [and] indeed the overall culture of schools,” Dr. Hendrix said. “As I visited SJS what attracted me most was the vibrancy of the place, the obvious high quality of students and faculty, and the dedication of the Board of Trustees.”

He was also enticed by the prospect of living in a more urban environment. Although he said he greatly enjoys nature, Dr. Hendrix confessed to looking forward to a change of scenery in Houston. In his very small town situated in the mountains of North Carolina, he said he was annoyed with having to drive for half an hour to see a movie and even longer if he wanted go to the symphony or an art museum.

Although Dr. Hendrix is daunted by the prospect of having to assimilate so quickly to a completely foreign place, he is up for the challenge.

“My hardest task will be to get to know some 250 employees, over 1,200 students, and the parents, board members, alumni, etc. that come with all of that,” he said.

Determined to jump right

in to the SJS community, Dr. Hendrix will take a proactive approach when attempting to get to know the students and faculty. During his most recent visit, he had lunch with students from the Middle and Upper Schools. Next year, he plans on having lunch at least once a week with students, rotating between the Lower, Middle and Upper schools. Dr. Hendrix said he looks forward to attending many athletic, arts, and other student events, where hopefully he will have the opportunity to learn countless names.

Dr. Hendrix also said that the opportunity to teach again “is something I greatly anticipate.”

Next year he will teach one section of United States History, giving some students what he hopes will be an opportunity to get to know him even better.

Teaching is not Dr. Hendrix’s only passion; he also said that he enjoys nature. He was able to combine his love of both Lewis and Clark studies and the outdoors by participating in countless “retracing” journeys, where he engaged in some of his favorite pastimes, such as fly-fishing and backpacking.

When he was head of the history department as well as Academic Dean at Greenhill in Dallas, Dr. Hendrix coached basketball and founded their outdoor education program, which led backpacking trips to Colorado and New Mexico.

For students that are very interested in one particular field of study, Dr. Hendrix has one simple piece of advice: “Follow your passion.”

And although he shares his name with a famous musician, Dr. Hendrix says students will soon discover that he has little in common with the famous guitarist Jimi Hendrix. He is also amused at the number of people who make remarks about his conspicuous name.

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Rautio

“I am constantly amazed how people your age, when I encounter them as clerks in stores and they see my credit card, react to ‘J. Hendrix,’” he said. “The dude has been dead almost forty years!”

However, like his namesake, Dr. Hendrix confesses that he has a great love for music. He insisted that he is a “lousy mandolin player,” playing mostly bluegrass, and that he wished he “could do some of [Jimi Hendrix’s] licks!” A fan of Jimi Hendrix, he cites Hendrix’s rendition of the Bob Dylan song “Like a Rolling Stone,” performed at the Monterrey Pop Festival, as his favorite Hendrix song.

While Dr. Hendrix is both “ex-

cited and a little nervous” to enter the SJS community next year, he remains committed to the task at hand: getting to know as many people as possible and upholding the excellence of the school. Dr. Hendrix might be coming to SJS during trying times, but he remains optimistic and energized about the school’s prospects, despite the fact that he knows that he has big shoes to fill.

“The excellence of the school is so lofty that I want to do my best to meet and maintain that standard,” he said. “I think Mr. Allman is one of the finest headmasters in the country so following him [will be] intrinsically difficult.”

Graduation 2009

sports

5

The Review

SPC Review: Spring ‘09

By BHAGWAT KUMAR and SHEILA NEWAR

Boys Track and Field

The SJS Mavericks boys track and field team finished seventh at the Southwest Preparatory Conference Meet with 50 points, 2.5 shy of winning sixth place. “These boys really came through with a great finish to a long, strange season in less than ideal circumstances over the last week,” Head Coach Richie Mercado said.

The meet was marked by several personal bests for the Maverick team.

Patrick Flam (’11) set a new personal record in the pole vault with 11 feet and in the triple jump with 40 feet, 9 inches.

Ethan Edmondson (’09) set a personal record with a time of 11.24 seconds in the 100 meter dash, earning third place and All-SPC honors as well.

Bowden Kelly (’10) set a personal record in the pole vault, jumping 14 feet and finishing in second place. Kelly also earned All-SPC honors.

Carlos Falcon (’09) set both a personal and an SJS record with a time of 4 minutes, 27.43 seconds in the 1600 meter run.

The 4x100 relay team of Kelly, Jonathon Ong (’11), Travis Foxhall (’09) and Edmondson set a season best with a time of 43.97 seconds.

Lukmon Babajide (’09) set a personal record of 16.22 seconds in the 110 meter hurdles. Foxhall had times of 16.25 seconds and 44.64 seconds in the 110 meter hurdles and the 300 meter hurdles, respectively. Both were personal bests.

“We had a great meet despite the week’s delay and the problems of preparing during AP’s, the heat, etc. We even had some places where we could have improved more and scored a few more points,” Mercado said.

Girls Track and Field

The SJS girls track team left on Friday, May 8 for Dallas. Originally, the SPC tournament would have been the weekend before, but due to the Swine flu outbreak, SPC was postponed.

The team placed fourth in the North and South Zones, and many new personal and team records were set.

In the 4x800 relay, Anne Johnson (’11) set a personal record for her split, and the team, which included Kelley Harrison (’09), Sara Patterson (’10) and Meredith Gamble (’10), set a new school record and received All-SPC honors with a second place time of 9 minutes, 33.94 seconds.

Tope Emiola (’11) set a new school record with her second place discus throw of 107 feet, 11 inches.

Khortlan Patterson (’12) placed first in the shot put with a throw of 33 feet, 3 inches.

In the 4x100 relay, Mackenzie Hicks (’10), Tola Emiola (’10), Charlotte Iupe (’10) and Jasmine Larry (‘10) recorded a season best time of 51.7 seconds for eighth place.

Daniela Covarrubias (’11) set a personal record with a long jump of 14 feet, 7 inches, Nicole Gras (’11) set a personal record with a time of 63.99 seconds in the 400 meter, Emmie Proctor (’09) set personal records with times of 18.11 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles and 54.58 seconds in the 300 meter hurdles and Meridith Viguet (’12) set personal records of 17.81 seconds and 51.13 seconds to finish ninth and tenth in the 100 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles, respectively.

“It was hard getting everything together last minute. We missed a few practices and had to make some last minute changes on who would be competing, but we ended up doing really well,” Larry said.

Girls Golf

Entering SPC, the SJS golf team was seeded seventh. The golf SPC tournament was held in Plano, Texas. Six girls traveled to Plano to compete, including Susan Frost (’10), Helen Modesett (’11), Julie Smith (’09), Amber Malloy (’09), Hannah Smith (’09) and Lauren Lepow (’09).

The team left Houston early on a Sunday morning and returned on a Tuesday.

“We left at around 6:00 a.m. on Sunday morning and arrived in Plano at 11:00 a.m.

We had lunch and played a practice round to get familiar with the course,” Frost said. On Monday, the team was supposed to play at 9:00 a.m., but because of rainstorms and major thunder, everyone was delayed until 1:00 p.m.

The team played again on Tuesday, teeing off at 8:30 a.m. Hannah Smith placed fourth individually, the team placed sixth and Helen Modsett is the 2010 captain.

The girls placed seventh overall.

Boys Golf

The SJS varsity boys golf team finished in seventh place at SPC. The team played eighteen holes of golf two days in a row and finished as a team with a score of “about 140 each day,” Head Coach Mark Reed said.

At the start of the year, Reed said he was not sure what to expect from his team.

“I had no real expectations this year as we graduated four varsity golfers last year,” he said. “I had no idea who would be playing.”

But as the season progressed, Reed became progressively more confident with what he saw. “After tryouts I became very hopeful and pleased with the talent in our new comers,” he said.

Coach Reed was happy with the way the team finished the season. “I’m pleased with the way they finished but even more excited about the future for them,” he said. “We had a wonderful season and with the addition of a new and knowledgeable coach, Mr. Soliman, the golf team looks to a very bright future.”

This was also coach Reed’s last season with the golf team. “I have loved coaching SJS students and golf might have been the sport I enjoyed coaching most,” he said. “After ten years or so of coaching the team, I’ll really miss working with our students.”

Boys Tennis

The SJS boys varsity tennis team finished first at SPC, winning the Division II bracket.

The team beat Oakridge by a score of 4-1 in the first round. They proceeded to win the semifinals against All Saints 4-1 as well. In the finals, the team defeated Cistercian 4-1 also.

The team never lost a match in which its members actually played, as each match lost in the three rounds of the tournament was by forfeit.

Head Coach Steve Gleaves said that the team’s goal before the season was “to make it to the Division I tournament.”

“Since we fell short of that goal to be one of the top four teams in the South Zone, we had to shift our goal to winning the Division II championship,” he said.

The postponing of SPC was an inconvenience for the team, as only six of the ten players on the team were able to make the tournament due to scheduling conflicts.

“To have a complete team for the matches, you need 7 players,” Gleaves said. “Having only 6 players meant we had to forfeit one match so we were starting each match already down by one.”

Gleaves believes that this disadvantage may have helped the team. “I think this made the players really focused and intense knowing they had to overcome each match starting with one loss,” he said.

Gleaves added that he was proud of the way the team played at SPC, saying that they played “consistent and smart,” and with “passion and intensity.”

He said that Captain Shea Smith (’09) was one of the reasons for this. “It started and finished with great leadership from the team captain Shea Smith,” he said.

“I could not have asked them to do more. They left it all on the court,” he said. “I have nothing but admiration for their accomplishments this year.”

Softball

Maverick softball finished the season with a record of 11-8-1. The team entered SPC as the third seed in Division I. Captain Allie Adkins (’09) said, “Swine flu did affect our teams plans. It was frustrating to have the schedule messed up, and we missed a couple of practices, but I think overall we were able to put it behind us and were able to just focus on the games.”

Due to the swine flu outbreak, SPC was limited to two games for the mavericks when otherwise it would have been three.

“We won our first game against Trinity Valley which was really good. That was the first time we had won our first game of SPC since I had been on the team,” Adkins said.

In the second game the Mavericks had, the team lost to Episcopal. “We had a couple of great innings and a couple of not so good innings and some pretty bad calls,” Adkins said.

If SPC was not cut short, the softball team would have gone on to play a third game to determine if they were third or fourth place. “We didn’t get to play that third game, so technically we would have taken third or fourth, but we like to call it third,” Adkins said.

“Overall, I’m really proud of how we did; we worked around the delays and other complications and came out in third or fourth place,” Adkins said.

The captains for the 2010 season are Savannah Erwin (‘10), Pascale Rucker (‘10) and Angela Ha (‘09).

Baseball

The SJS boys varsity baseball team won Division II at SPC, winning all three of the games they played.

In their first game, they defeated Saint Mary’s Hall in dominating fashion, winning 13-2. Next, they beat Holland Hall by a score of 12-7. Finally, the team beat Oakridge 9-8 to win the Division II bracket.

Although the team was somewhat disappointed by not qualifying for the Division I bracket, they were still proud of winning Division II. “At the beginning of our season, one of our goals was to make the Division I bracket,” head coach Timothy Riley said. “We were disappointed that we did not make Division I. However, after we did not get Division I, our next goal was to win the Division II bracket.”

Coach Riley added, “We had an up and down year, but we finished the season strong with three tournament wins.”

Coach Riley also added that the team hopes that their strong finish to the year will carry over into next season. “We hope that this builds some momentum for the team going into next year,” he said.

Girls Tennis

The SJS girls tennis team finished the season 11-7. The team went to Dallas for SPC as the second place seed in the South zone.

The team invited ten girls, but due to rescheduling issues caused by the Swine Flu, only nine were able to attend. “I really, really wanted to go to SPC, but I couldn’t because the team left on Friday while I was in the midst of taking the Modern European History AP,” Lindsey Warden (‘10) said.

The Swine Flu also cut SPC short; the games were all played on Saturday, May 9.

Typically, the tournament lasts for two days.

The team drove up to Dallas on Friday afternoon and returned to Houston late Saturday night. The Mavericks placed second out of the North and South Zones, losing to Greenhill in the finals 3-2.

“We had a great season, and I’m so proud of us for placing third,” Warden said. The captains for the 2010 season are Ann Hewitt (‘10) and Jody Rybarczyk (‘11).

6

Graduation 2009

The time has come to welcome the new generation of athletes. These freshmen came into Upper School and established themselves as talented competitors worthy of playing with the big guys. Here’s who’s

sports

NEXT

By SAM DUNN Photos by Clay Nickens

Kris Slaughter As a freshman, Kris Slaughter (’12) helped the girls varsity basketball team immensely.

Helping to take the place of five graduating seniors from last year’s team that placed fourth at Division I SPC, Slaughter received significant playing time on this year’s relatively young team.

Having played competitive basketball since 5th grade, Slaughter is known for her dribbling skills and ability to find the open player, making her a very effective point guard.

Slaughter’s best game of her season occurred when playing against cross-town rival Episcopal Knights. She had a double-double (a feat achieved by posting double digits in two statistical categories) in points and assists as the Mavericks blew out the Knights, 63-26.

Slaughter said she thoroughly enjoyed her experience as a freshman on a varsity team. “It was really fun being on a varsity team as a freshman. Hanging out with the upperclassmen was the best thing about it.”

Besides playing varsity basketball, Slaughter also played on the JV field hockey and lacrosse teams. “It was actually kind of surprising [to be placed in the JV lacrosse team] because I had never played before.”

However, she has decided to drop lacrosse next year in an effort to further improve her basketball skills.

James Fallon Known for his abnormally large calf muscles, his ever present smile and his various attempts to rap, James Fallon (’12) joined and started for the varsity soccer and varsity baseball teams this school year.

Fallon stepped in to help fill the voids left by twelve graduating seniors from last year’s soccer team as well as four graduating seniors from the baseball team. He played as a defender and midfielder on the soccer team and a myriad of positions on the baseball team.

Fallon said he is drawn to playing sports because of “the competition it brings and the team environment of being on a varsity team.”

As a starter on the baseball team, Fallon had one of his best performances against the Cypress Christian School as a pitcher. In five innings, he surrendered just two hits and one earned run.

Although a season-ending injury prevented Fallon from being able to throw the rest of the season, he still helped the Mavericks as a pinch hitter en route to another Division II championship.

Fallon said he has no plans to drop either baseball or soccer while at SJS and hopes to be able to play both in college. Despite being a starter on two Mavericks varsity sports teams, he said that curling remains his favorite sport and that he tries to play as frequently as possible.

Dan Tweardy Freshman Dan Tweardy (’12) started out playing on the JV baseball team due to an ankle injury that occurred in the last game of his JV soccer season. However, team complications led to Tweardy taking a varsity role for the latter half of the season.

Due to injuries, he quickly assumed a starting position, which he later solidified with solid hitting and fielding. He remained on the team throughout SPC and helped the Mavericks win the Division II tournament for the third time in four years.

Tweardy was pleased to be moved up to varsity, and saisd he “loves the benefits, especially the clothing.” He added that being on varsity “takes up a lot of time” and is “zero fun, sir.”

Besides playing baseball and soccer, he also played JV Football. When asked why he is so dedicated to playing sports, Dan responded that the “thought of Friday nights” keeps him going.

Tweardy has no plans to drop any of his three sports; instead he says he’s thinking of adding another sport. Although he does not plan continuing Football, Soccer or Baseball in college, he does plan on taking up Crew just like his father.

When asked what people should think about when they hear the name Dan Tweardy, he replied that they should “know I got some soul power!”

Catherine Dawson Brought in to help replace the ten graduating seniors from last years girls varsity soccer team, Catherine Dawson (’12) excelled.

Not content with watching her teammates, Dawson made an impact on her team’s success. A forward for the Mavericks, Catherine scored the winning goal against SPC rival St. Mary’s Hall to send the Mavericks into the Division I bracket at SPC. When asked about the experience of being on varsity as a freshman, she responded, “It was one of the highlights of my year. I loved how close the team was.”

Dawson also played JV field hockey and JV lacrosse where she helped the two teams to winning records that included only one loss and two ties.

When asked what she enjoys most about playing sports, she said she “loves running around on the field competing and forming bonds with teammates.”

Still, she says she loves all the sports she plays and although she has been playing soccer the longest, she says she would love to play field hockey in college.

With twelve seniors graduating from the varsity field hockey team and six from the varsity lacrosse team, Dawson is poised to become a possible three letter athlete as a sophomore.

Boys and Girls Lax play in championships

By HUDSON DUNCAN The SJS boys lacrosse team finished in fourth place out of four teams at SPC., losing 11-6 to the Episcopal School of Dallas and 1-9 to Episcopal High School.

Head coach Sam Chambers said that the team’s expectations before the season began and before SPC were the same.

The team’s expectations are to “always get it done, no matter

what the circumstances, opponent or weather.”

Coach Chambers believed the team could have done better at SPC, saying the team “did not wake up until it was too late: a costly mistake in preparation.”

The team had hoped to win the City Championship, but lost 17-11 against Strake in the finals, ending the season.

The Maverick girls lacrosse team finished their season with

a record of 18-2. The team entered SPC as the number one seed in the South Zone.

Hannah Clarke (‘09) tore her ACL the week prior to the tournament and was unable to play.

“It was terrible timing; Hannah is one of our best players so we were a little nervous going in,” Lacey Rybarczyk (‘10) said.

The mavericks played three games, and the first was against St. Stephen’s at St. Stephen’s,

which they won 15-2.

The second was against St. Andrew’s at St. Andrew’s, and the team won 15-9. The final SPC game was against Episcopal at St. Andrew’s, and the Mavericks won 13-10 and won SPC. “It was a really exhausting day; three games is a lot. But we were all so happy when we won, especially against Episcopal,” Rybarczyk said.

The following day, Sunday, the Mavericks played two games for the state title. The team played St. Andrew’s again and won 18-13, and advanced to play Hockaday in the finals, where they suffered their first loss of the weekend, 6-15.

The captains for the 2010 season are Krissy Incavo (‘10), Catherine Franklin (‘10), Joan Scheirman (‘10) and Lacey Rybarczyk (‘10).

features

Graduation 2009

7

The Review

Elimari Sanchez-Ortiz SJS foreign language teacher bids farewell to SJS By VERONICA CHU After teaching at SJS for five years, Elimari Sanchez-Ortiz will be leaving next year to return to her native home Puerto Rico.

During her time at SJS, Ms. SanchezOrtiz has taught Spanish II, French I, French II and French III. Although she has fond memories of all her classes, she admits that she has always loved her French I groups for their smallness and personal feel. “My first year here, I had a group of all girls, ten of them. It was fun because when you have such a small group you can really get to know the students and the class is a lot more personal,” she said.

“I cherish all my students though. Every year, it’s a new adventure with new personalities and characters,” she said.

In her time at SJS, Ms. Sanchez-Ortiz has made many friends who will miss her dearly when she leaves.

“It’s one of the most devastating things to happen,” history teacher Gara Johnson-West said. “She’s so powerful, empathetic and just a great friend. She really cares about the students here, and she’s passionate about not just her subject but also about teaching and helping students mature both intellectually and

emotionally.”

Ms. Johnson-West and Ms. SanchezOrtiz co-sponsor the club Women Helping Empower Each Other. Ms. JohnsonWest described WHEE as “a fun girls group that gets together and talks about girl stuff.”

“It’s one of the extracurriculars closest to my heart,” Ms. Sanchez-Ortiz said, adding “I’m definitely going to miss the girls in WHEE.” Spanish teacher Jessica Lopesuarez shared an office with Ms. Sanchez-Ortiz during the construction of the Quad and they soon grew close. “I love her enthusiasm and I consider her one of my best friends,” Ms. Lopesuarez said. “Some of the moments that I treasure most are the lunches the language office had together where we would talk and catch up. She makes it even more pleasant to come to work every day, and I’ll miss her and the way she makes me laugh,” she said.

Ms. Lopesuarez also mentioned Ms. Sanzhez-Ortiz’s dedication to her passions. “I love her accent and how proud she is of being Puerto-Rican,” Ms. Lopesuarez said. “She’s outspoken in a good way, and if there’s a cause that she feels strongly about, she’ll make it a priority,

POOJA SALHOTRA | The Review

like she and Ms. Johnson-West did by founding WHEE.” Spanish teacher Aline Means said she agrees. “She brings a pride of who she is,” Ms. Means said. “She’s very altruistic and devoted to her students. She also teaches two languages, and she brings a passion for teaching that adds so much value to our program. Some people come and go, but I think she’s really made an impact on this school with her classes, WHEE, and just being a positive influence on the student body by making sure that everyone has a voice.”

“She’s just so brave, sweet, and she’s an amazing friend,” Ms. Means added.

“She’s one of my greatest and dearest friends, and it’s going to be hard.”

In addition to forming lasting bonds with fellow Spanish teachers at SJS, Ms. Sanchez-Ortiz has influenced countless SJS students. “I won’t get to visit her next year, which makes me sad,” Elyse Lopez (’12) said. Kasey Wolff (‘12) added, “I’ll miss her green sheets.”

Regarding her feelings about leaving, Ms. Sanchez-Ortiz said, “It’s bittersweet.

This is the best job that I’ve ever had and I’ve loved working here because of my colleagues, the students, the environ-

Along with Ms. Sanchez-Ortiz (left), French I teacher Lisa Blomquist will also being leaving SJS after this school year.

“She was very engaging in class and made it fun for us. She was always open to our suggestions and geared class toward how we learn,” her student Emily Cain (‘09) said. She is moving with her husband Gustav to Birmingham, Alabama, where he will be completing his fellowship.

Ms. Blomquist and Ms. Sanchez-Ortiz will both be missed by the SJS community next year.

ment, and the respect that I get.”

Although she is sad about leaving, Ms. Sanchez-Ortiz said that she is relieved that she will be able to take care of her young children. “I’m looking forward to having more time for my family,” she said.

Ms. Sanchez-Ortiz is expecting her third baby boy who will join brothers Javier and Nicolas, ages 5 and 3 respectively. “I’m going to follow the Allman tradition,” she said jokingly. “His first name is going to be Pablo because my husband and I have always liked that name, and his middle name is going to be Frederico because that’s my dad’s first name. So it will be Pablo Frederico Nazario.”

Although Ms. Sanchez-Ortiz will not be at SJS next year, she’ll be traveling back and forth between Houston and Puerto Rico. “I hope the foreign language program keeps driving and growing,” Ms. Sanchez-Ortiz said. “Working with such smart and motivated students and making great friends like Ms. Johnson-West, Ms. Means, Ms. Lopesuarez, and Ms. Henderson—these are memories that I know I’ll treasure forever.”

Adios, Au Revoir: Exchange Students Return Home By ANN-CHARLOTTE PROFFITT

said they were upset about leaving. They will miss their friends they made here in Houston as well as the families they are staying with. “I am going to miss my host family and Laura especially,” Torres-Pinto said. “For the moment we don’t really think about leaving because it is going to be sad,” Raedts said.

You’ve probably seen Laura Raedts (’10) from Belgium and Daniela Torres-Pinto (’10) from Chile, chattering in the English, yet each in entirely different accents, throughout the school year.

They stood beside us during our hard losses in Maverick football, and our triumphs in Houston “Yeah, Rockets basketball. After a year I expected there to thousands of miles from home, Raedts and Torres-Pinto are fibe more nally returning home.

Upon originally coming here, .” the girls admit expecting the Tex- Torres-Pinto an stereotypes such as cowboys, rodeos and riding horses and cows to school. This was the first visit to Texas for both Torres-Pinto and But leaving will be bittersweet, Raedts. “I thought it was more after not seeing their own families like a big ranch or something,” while in Houston except for a one JENNY LEWIS | The Review Raedts said. Torres-Pinto jokingly week visit, Raedts admitted she adds, “Yeah, I expected there to Foreign exchange students Raedts (‘10) and Torres-Pinto (‘10) will return home this summer couldn’t wait to see her friends after a year abroad in Houston be more cowboys.” and family again. “You’ll always When they arrived in Texas, find negatives in everything, it’s It’s really hard,” Torres-Pinto said. cially ordered to say “Class of 2009”. however, the lone star state was comnormal, but there are positives too,” Another thing that stood out to Raedts During her stay in Houston, Torrespletely different than what they’d imag- and Torres-Pinto was the tremendous Pinto stayed with Alexis Bailey (‘12) Torres-Pinto said. ined. But the lack of cowboys and cattle amount of spirit shown in all aspects and her family. “I love my family!” TorThe girls, who leave at the end of June, roaming the streets was not the only of the lives of SJS students from sports res-Pinto said. Raedts stayed with the definitely want to come back to visit at thing that surprised the pair. to nerd squad to senior tea. “Here they Davies family who has one daughter at some point. “There are a lot of people I “You think that you know a lot of Eng- make everything about the school, it’s AOS. want to see again,” Raedts said. “I’m not lish, but when you’re here it’s complete- crazy!” Raedts said, remembering when When asked if they were excited about sure if I can come back, but everybody ly different because you talk all the time. she saw lollipops from senior tea spe- going home, Raedts and Torres-Pinto is welcome in Belgium!”

cowboys

8

Graduation 2009

features

2008-2009: in Review

By SARAH KOSLOV As school starts winding down and students start hitting the books for the last exams of the year, The Review does a little reminiscing over 2008 and 2009: the ups and downs, the wins and losses, and the memories of our high school days that will last us forever. Well, at least until next year.

AUGUST

JANUARY

School started with a bang; the new plaza and landscaping was added a twist to the north campus vibe. New faculty such as Ms. Arouty, Ms. Blomquist, Mr. Kehs, Mr. Han, and Mr. Soliman joined the SJS community, quickly becoming friendly faces about campus. Students returned to school with enthusiasm and purpose. Music and laughter could frequently be traced to Senior Country, and the juniors made themselves at home in Trammel.

The new year ushered in a rush of excitement for the Class of ‘09. College applications were in, and they were ready to relax. But the fine arts department was busy at work. Maverick Magic and the first annual student choreography showcase took place. Additionally, 2009 became a historic political year with the inaguration of Barack Obama, our nation’s first black president.

Hurricane Ike caused quite a stir come September. An unexpected week-and-a-halflong “hurrication” provided people the opportunity to truly take stock of the important things in life. Without power or cell phone service, families and neighbors grew closer in this rough period. This change of pace, while inconvenient, proved the resilience and close-knit nature the SJS community possesses. Meanwhile, two new students from abroad joined the SJS student body: Daniela Pinto from Chile and Laura Raedts from Belgium. With the football season came a new member of the sidelines; a mascot horse Maverick (Mac Loftin) who was a pleasant addition to the Friday night football experience.

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day this year, so we had more winter than usual. The freshmen busted a move at the Valantine’s Day dance, while the seniors conducted an extreme makeover community service project. Additionally, the Chorale/Instrumental concert took place in February, leaving the audience in awe. Outside of SJS: Slumdog Millionaire won best movie at the Academy Awards.

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

The field hockey and volleyball teams continued through the month with winning streaks, and Lawn Games on the Quad became a popular senior past-time. After being rescheduled thanks to hurricane Ike, the bookfair this year at Barnes and Noble was a big hit. School spirit came to a peak during Kinkaid week. With two amazing pep rallies and winning girls sports teams, students couldn’t help but feel pumped.

Although the outcome was less than desirable, the Halloween game at Rice Stadium brought the school together to cheer on the Mavericks.

NOVEMBER

Girls feld hockey became SPC champs. Additionally, SJS football won for the first and last time in the season against Greenhill. Overall, a very successful month in Maverick history. Outside the storied cloisters, the historical election process between John McCain and Barack Obama ended.

DECEMBER

While several schools did not have exams thanks to Ike, SJS decided to stick with the tradition of midterms. Regardless, The Christmas spirit reigned throughout the Upper School. Chemistry classes sang carols, as did the vocal ensembles on campus.

Juniors found a christmas tree to warm up Trammel where homemade ornaments and paper decorations abounded. And Community Service provided a delicious hot cocoa bar with whipped cream and sprinkles included.

FEBRUARY MARCH

The spring musical, Two Gentlemen of Verona, took place. There were fire-breathing dragons and a shakesperean dialogue, and all things fabulous. LAX season in progress, both Boys and Girls starting out with great winning records. The seniors went on a retreat mid-march—a pioneer trip thanks to SAC’s hard work. Alas, spring break rolled around, giving students a much needed week off of school.

APRIL

Hockey Club’s pioneer meeting was a great success with 50 members. SJS beat Episcopal in boys lacrosse (twice), girls lacrosse won the City Championship. So, sportswise, the school was feeling pretty excited. Arguably the best day in the cafeteria came to pass—Italian day (product of international club) included delcious breads, gelato, and other treats from Italy for the whole school to enjoy. On the other hand, whispers of APs, synthesis papers and swine flu fill the storied cloisters.

MAY

Although the month began with a swine flu scare, SJS remained open while other Houston area schools closed down; however, the virus stopped neither prom nor APs from occurring. May started out with prom for the upper classmen. With summer break on the horizon, students and faculty close on a bittersweet note this time of year. The eager anticipation of holiday can be felt as we cram for AP’s, synthesis papers, and final exams, but it is hard to say goodbye to the class of 2009, Mr. Reed and The Allman Family. This year has been full of ups and downs ranging from natural disasters to a threatening epidemic. Yet, SJS has proven on countless occasions the strength of our community; we can now set our gaze on a promising upcoming academic year, 2009-2010.

As senior year comes to an end...

By EMILY FOXHALL Walking into Spanish class, I was completely unprepared. Having forgotten about my presentation over the story Chac Mool until the night before, I barely had time to throw together a handout, much less read the story.

I spent that morning yelling at my mom and brother about trivial things (like the fact that we were out of milk) and grew more and more desperate as the minutes ticked closer and closer to 7:45 a.m.. Speeding to school, I desperately racked my brain for things I could talk about. I parked, then rushed up the stairs and threw open the door to Q223.

It’s amazing how easy it is to get caught up in the SJS routine. Facing assignment after assignment, we often become absorbed in a long list of deadlines to meet.

But really, there are many more important aspects of our school that we should not be taking for granted.

The SJS family is one-of-a-kind.

Throughout the seven years I’ve been a student here, I’ve built upon the strong relationships one inevitably forms with both peers and faculty. Along with the famed senioritis, a side effect has been nostalgia. There was no other day than the one when I burst through the door of my Spanish class, that I understood

more clearly just how hard leaving behind this community will be.

About to begin listing the many reasons I had invented as to why my presentation was so awful, I immediately stopped when I saw the look on my teacher’s face. Eyes cast downward, elbows bent on her desk and head in her hands, Ms. Means obviously had something else on her mind.

Offering a hug, I already knew what had happened. Ms. Reynolds soon came in to tell us Ms. Hethcoat had died.

An inspirational teacher, Ms. Hethcoat taught our Spanish literature class last semester. Only on our last day before the final did she tell us she was going to have surgery. She never told us she had cancer. Truly devoted to her students, she refused to prioritize anything above helping us succeed.

In my mind, Ms. Hethcoat exemplified through her work as a teacher at SJS what our school is all about. She pushed us to our limits and expected quality work but her passion for the job was evident. Nothing was clearer than the fact that she honestly cared about her students.

I am terrified of college for many reasons. I don’t know how to wash clothes, I’m afraid of having to start the process of making friends all over again, and I

have no idea what I want to study (not to mention where my life is headed).

But all of these pale in comparison to the inevitable fact that I will no longer be waking up in the morning and driving to 2401 Claremont Lane (yes, I have the phone number memorized too).

So, to the freshmen, sophomores and juniors: take advantage of the time that you have left with the amazing faculty and wonderful students. 7:45 a.m. may seem awfully early, Sue Mills uniforms may not seem the ideal clothing choice, the workload may be too much and the lack of sleep simply overwhelming, but hopefully the senior class has shown you just how rewarding the SJS experience can be. Just throw yourself into the community full force, giving everything you’ve got. Your family there won’t let you fall.

As a class, we’ve experienced it all.

Progressing from the horribly smelly and dangerously crowded freshman hallway to the sophomore cubby to Trammel and finally Senior Country, we’ve grown closer than ever both with one another and the other students and teachers around us.

The memories are priceless: pots and pans, man fort, nerf guns in the St. Luke’s parking lot, lunch bunch, beating Episcopal lacrosse in double over-

time, lip plumper, Buddy and Aaron’s dance moves, Blaine Finley’s name the only thing listed on the homecoming theme suggestion list, the joy that comes when sprinkles appear in the cafeteria, Kinkaid week complete with Jose’s performance as the falcon, having “Tear It Up” perpetually stuck in our heads, Will Brown’s senior retreat outburst, Jimmy and the slew of natural disasters (ice day, monsoon morning, Hurricane Ike, swine flu). Just to name a few.

We are no longer surprised when we see Darth Vader, Clifford, a cow or a tall guy in a pale yellow suit. The phrase “It’s gon’ be tite” does not phase us.

Avoiding any more lists, I’ll cut back to the point: SJS, in truth, can be a tough environment. Challening in every sense of the word, there is no argument that this school requires your all. But that’s what makes SJS unique. We are surrounded by inspirational people like Ms. Hethcoat every day, everyone having something unique to offer. As she gave so much of her time to helping her students, so do many other faculty members and student leaders, all with the same priority: helping SJS students.

Take the time to appreciate what’s truly important: the people around us. No doubt, you will realize just how special a place this is.

features

Graduation 2009

This Summer’s Top

A

9

10

By CAROLINE GIBSON

s a people, summer has always seemed to have a distinct affect on us. The sunlight makes us happier, the days are longer and more relaxing, and there are no worries, no responsibilities. But there’s also the Houston heat. The rising temperature shortens fuses, makes people more irritable and, arguably, more irrational. It’s no wonder many of American history’s war protests and the counter-culture demonstrations of the ‘60s, were made in the dog days of summer when the heat makes all other problems unbearable. However, with the air conditioning intact, you probably won’t be doing any political protesting this summer, leaving you with a whole lot of time on your hands. Well, at least the time that hasn’t already been invested in the building of your college resume. So, with your boredom in mind, I’ve compiled a list of atypical things that might be worth doing this summer.

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Go Putt-Putting: Putt-putt golf always gets a gold star in my book. It’s golf without the stressful etiquette- there’s no worrying about tearing up the green, wearing a collared shirt or talking too loud. You can putt that ball as hard as you want and you can cheat as much as you want. Mini golf, in its purest form, is the satisfying release that you get from hitting something with a club while spending time with your friends.

Explore Kemah Boardwalk: It almost got swept away in Ike, after all. Isn’t it about time you paid your respects to this survivor? What’s more fun than riding a roller coaster while feeling the salty Gulf Coast breeze? Kemah is not only riddled with mildly thrilling roller coasters, but also with junk food and shops selling various mass-produced items as well. Every minute spent on the ocean-themed Kemah Boardwalk is a happy one. Also, on the nights of June 5, 12, 19, and 26 there are fireworks!

Learn How to Operate a New Mode of Transportation: Freeline skates, ripsticks, longboards, unicycles and wave-razors all provide hours of entertainment. Sure, you’re probably thinking that you already drive, but the 21st century is all about going green and conserving energy. So, riding or learning to ride one of these masterpieces will help save the earth and the human race. Instead of driving or walking to somewhere relatively close, you should ride one of these contraptions and show up in style.

Take a Tennis or Golf Lesson with Friend: Tennis and golf are the sports we don’t leave behind with high school, but take with us into our adult and professional lives, along with pool and ping pong. So why not start practicing for the real world, now? Even better, these outdoor activities will allow you to simultaneously work on your tan, socialize and work on your swing/serve.

Listen to Live Music: Live music as entertainment is an obvious choice, but instead of going to a concert of a band you already know, check out the lineup at smaller venues such as Walter’s on Washington, Numbers, Warehouse Live, the Meridian and the House of Blues. Kemah Boardwalk also has special “Rock the Dock” concerts of local variety bands on Thursday nights throughout the summer. Look up one of the bands online and if they seem good, take a chance and see them live. Even if they’re not going to hit number one anytime soon, nothing compares to live music.

Visit The Zoo: The last time you went to the zoo was probably when you were still throwing temper tantrums when you didn’t get to see Simba. This is a chance for you to go back and appreciate the iced lemonade and train ride all over again.

Make a Splash at Splash Town: This place is the Houston area’s best theme park. It’s a relatively small water park with a wave pool, a fifty-foot drop and countless other water rides for when the summer starts really heating up.

Take a Trip to the Woodlands Mall: While the Woodlands Mall might be a good drive from Houston, a day-trip to the Mall is well worth the drive. The mall is large and has every store imaginable. But the carousel, water taxi and the movie theater within walking distance make it worth the long car ride and set it apart from the Galleria.

Visit an Art Gallery: Houston is brimming with funky little art galleries showcasing local artists’ work. Just on Colquitt Street, there’s a sculpture gallery, a photo gallery and three other spaces that showcase 2D work. And if the local stuff isn’t inspiring enough, a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts, Rothko Chapel or the Menil should do the trick. Plus, art teacher Dan Havel has work displayed at the Contemporary Art Museum until October 4.

Experiment with Tie-dye: Lower school, those were the days.

Bring back the good times with a tie-dye kit and a white t-shirt.

Too many of us spend money on tie-dye when we could do it all by ourselves. If you want to get really creative, try other types of clothing or shoes.

10

Graduation 2009

photo tribute

In Memoriam: A “She was an incredible teacher and an amazing woman, and I will never forget her.”

-Stacy Fish (’11)

“Mrs. Hethcoat was never afraid to push her students to their greatest potential... She would always tell it like it is, and for that I will miss her dearly.”

-Catherine Cocke (’09)

“Mrs. Hethcoa colleague, a tru knowledgeable

-Señor

“It was as if she were overjoye that I took an interest to delve dee into the Spanish language becau she wanted everyone to love it as much as she did. I truly appreci her dedication to us as student and her firm desire for us to lear and love the Spanish language.

-Nelly Kontchou (’09)

photo tribute

Graduation 2009

11

Amalia Hethcoat “Mrs. Hethcoat was not only my advisor, but a mentor, inspiration and friend. She was always there with a hug, smile, laugh or whatever I needed and for that I will be endlessly grateful.”

-Mel Lilienstern (‘09)

at was an ideal ue friend and a mentor to me.”

r Kehs

ed eper use t iated ts rn .”

“Mrs. Hethcoat was a devoted teacher, a mentor and a friend.

She just loved people.”

-Señora Means

12

beyondSJS The Review

Graduation 2009

Comic Relief

SJS alumna Jacqueline Barnard (’97) leads a double life as a comedian in New York City

By VERONICA CHU After traveling through the storied cloisters of SJS, alumna Jacqueline Barnard (‘97) has forged a career in comedy.

Ms. Barnard has loved comedy from a young age, even if the humor was a bit too ma-

“Good comedians, I think, should have the ability to roll with the punches, laugh at themselves, and stand up for themselves. And they have to have great hair and makeup, of course.”

- Jacqui Barnard

ture for her to appreciate.

“As a kid I stayed up late to watch Evening at the Improv and other HBO Comedy specials,” she said. “Even though I’m fairly certain I didn’t ‘get’ much of the humor, I just loved watching in case there was an idea or joke I could use.”

Ms. Barnard started performing comedy after college when a friend signed her up for a contest.

“It was an opportunity to perform at a DC Improv,” said Ms. Barnard, “and I was awestruck by the talent that performed there, the comedians that would drop in for a few sets, and that exciting chance to make some slightly inebriated people pay atten-

tion to me and my stories for six to twelve minutes.”

She added, “Plus, I got free drinks, which at the age of 22 was extremely important.”

Ms. Barnard’s style of comedy centers on life in Washington DC as a college graduate.

“I never had a specific shtick like being the fat unhappy woman, the man frustrated with his wife, or the dateless but quirky attracting person,” she said. However, she remarked that it helps to have a good sense of humor and be Jewish.

“We own most media companies and talent agencies, and most entertainers consider themselves Jewish, if only for the connections,” she joked.

“It was an opportunity to perform at a DC Improv. I was awestruck by the talent that performed there, the comedians that would drop in for a few sets, and that exciting chance to make some slightly inebriated people pay attention to me and my stories for six to twelve minutes.”

- Jacqui Barnard

Ms. Barnard finds inspiration from Eddie Murphy,

saying that he “pushed the boundaries so many times and made them acceptable.”

“Good comedians, I think, should have the ability to roll with the punches, laugh at themselves, and stand up for themselves,” she said.

Being a comedian requires an intellectual curiosity about life and the dedication to articulate to others what I find hilarious or ironic or absurd.

- Jacqui Barnard

“And they have to have great hair and makeup, of course.”

However, the life of a comedian is not without its drawbacks. Ms. Barnard said the disadvantages of being a comedian include facing pressure to continually come up with interesting lines.

On the other hand, the best part of life as a comedian, according to Ms. Barnard, is making strangers laugh so hard that they clap. In fact, the audience members themselves can be an advantage to working in comedy. Ms. Barnard’s favorite place to perform is the New York City Gotham Comedy Club.

“The energy is contagious and the crowds make the events so fun,” she said.

Ms. Barnard attributed SJS

Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Barnard. to preparing her for a life in works in a consulting job, but comedy. She said, “Being a she still finds time to travel comedian requires an intel- and perform occasionally. lectual curiosity about life “Oddly enough, comedy and the dedication to articu- opened the doors for me to late to others what I find hi- get into graduate school for larious or ironic or absurd. my MBA and to also get a Writing…and getting my sto- consulting job,” she said. “But ries edited by others helped I miss performing—it was a me refine my style tremen- real pleasure to make people dously.” laugh and know that I had Nowadays, Ms. Barnard caused it.”

beyondSJS

13

Graduation 2009

Ivy

Insiders SJS alums return from Ivy League schools to tutor high school students in their hometown

By MARIAM MATIN Four SJS alums have teamed up to help high school students tackle one of the most formidable challenges of high school: the SAT. This summer, Laura Díez (’08), Patrick Hayes (’07), Jeremy Slawin (’07) and Yijing Sun (’07) will be both instructors and branch managers of the Houston branch of Ivy Insiders.

Ivy Insiders is a program that utilizes the strategies and insights of Ivy League undergraduates who have recently taken the SAT in order to help high school students achieve similar results. The program was founded by Nicholas Green in 2003 when he was an undergraduate at Harvard University.

“Being involved with this program allows me to accomplish all of my summer goals—being with my family and friends in Houston, gaining great business experience, teaching, making money, in general doing something really cool— these are all things I can accomplish in one summer. It was really a no-brainer.”

- Jeremy Slawin

Over the last four years, Ivy Insiders has worked with over 4,000 students from 27 states and has raised scores by an average of 265 points.

“The unmatched score improvements of Ivy Insiders come down to two things— the right instructors and the right curriculum,” Mr. Green said. “Our instructors are the top test takers in the country, and because we hire them as undergraduates, they are both closer to the tests and to the students they teach than instructors at other companies.”

Mr. Green added, “Our curriculum, meanwhile, was developed at Harvard and is built around what we call ‘test-taking game theory.’ We focus on the specific

Photo courtesy of Linda Carrion of the Columbia Daily Spectator.

Jeremy Slawin (‘07), a rising junior at Columbia University, tutors a student in algebra. concepts and question types that appear every time the SAT is given and equip students with the strategies and tricks to approach them with confidence.”

Ivy Insiders selects instructors based on their 99th percentile SAT scores, experience in tutoring and mentoring, and exceptional communication and leadership skills. Over the past four years, they have had 400 undergraduates work for them from universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Yale, Stanford, and Dartmouth. These instructors are sent to their hometown to work during the summer.

Slawin has extensive experience with tutoring. He has volunteered for Double Discovery Center, is a private tutor, and will be a teaching assistant at Columbia for a biology laboratory course next fall.

He is currently deciding between attending medical school and pursuing a teaching career.

“Working with fellow SJS alums is definitely a perk because I already know and trust my co-workers.”

- Patrick Hayes

He first heard about the opportunity at Ivy Insiders after the company sent out a recruitment email. “I was instantly interested. Like everyone else, I was trying to figure out how to spend my summer, and this had pretty much everything I was looking for,” Slawin said.

“With Ivy Insiders, I will be getting real business experience, be able to construct my own work schedule, be at home to see friends and family, all while doing something I love—teaching,” he said.

“I’m interested in finance, and especially since this recession has made internships in that industry scarce, I thought I’d get my hands into something that I could work really hard at and then hopefully see the fruit of.”

- Yijing Sun

Slawin said he is looking forward to working at Ivy Insiders. “I think it will be really cool to interact with my classmates this summer, as the four of us are branch managers,” he said. “This will be my first experience ever where I have to keep things in mind like ‘business relations’ and the like. Since I will know the other managers, this learning experience should be eased.”

The alums all joined the program for various reasons. Sun, who currently attends Harvard and is majoring in economics and minoring in math, said Ivy Insiders was a wonderful opportunity to gain experience and do community service.

“I’m interested in finance, and especially since this recession has made internships in that industry scarce, I thought I’d get my hands into something that I could work really hard at and then hopefully see

the fruit of,” she explained.

“In addition,” she said, “Ivy Insiders has an Ivy Scholars program that’s really cool and gives low-income students the same training for free. I remember the stress of junior and senior year and I just want to make it easier for them.”

SJS played a role in influencing Díez’s decision to apply to be an Ivy Insiders tutor. Díez volunteered with Breakthrough Houston starting her sophomore year at SJS, but this is her first large-scale tutoring job.

“Before this job I had the typical teenager jobs,” she said. “Now it’s as though I’m an actual adult...but I’m sure I’ll be able to handle it.”

Hayes too cited SJS as sparking a passion for tutoring. “Because I’ve been lucky enough to study at schools that encourage cooperation through collaborative assignments, I’ve had the opportunity to tutor before.” Hayes said.

He continued, “I’ve enjoyed helping others learn so much that I also applied (and was hired) to be a Resident Tutor in a freshman dorm here at Stanford next year. I’d say that my experience at St. John’s fostered a love for learning and an appreciation for the value of teaching, which has given me the capability to tutor as well as the desire to do so.”

Hayes said that he is looking forward to working with fellow SJS alums this summer.

“With Ivy Insiders, I will be getting real business experience, be able to construct my own work schedule, be at home to see friends and family, all while doing something I love—teaching,” he said.

- Jeremy Slawin

“Working with fellow SJS alums is definitely a perk because I already know and trust my co-workers. I’m co-managing my branch with Jeremy Slawin who has been a good friend of mine for a long time, so that should make this summer even more fun,” Hayes said.

Slawin echoed these sentiments, adding, “Being involved with this program allows me to accomplish all of my summer goals—being with my family and friends in Houston, gaining great business experience, teaching, making money, in general doing something really cool— these are all things I can accomplish in one summer due the structure of the program. In addition, since I can formulate my own schedule, I can take a vacation or allocate my time to other commitments around Houston. It was really a no-brainer.”

14

college The Review

Graduation 2009

Destinations of the Class of 2009

Allie Adkins – The College of William & Mary Ted Agerton – Colorado School of Mines George Alcorn – University of Notre Dame John Allman – Northwestern University Lukmon Babajide – Davidson College Kaitlin Bahr – University of Texas at Austin Shanice Beasley – Rutgers University Brittany Beavers – Stanford University Eric Berdinis – University of Pennsylvania Ali Berkman – Colgate University Timothy Bernica – University of Virginia Lila Blum – University of Texas at Austin (Liberal Arts Honors) Megan Breckwoldt – University of Texas at Austin William Brown – University of Colorado at Boulder Laura Burdine – University of Southern California Beau Bush – University of Colorado at Boulder Emily Cain – Texas A&M University (Honors Program) Katherine Carmichael – Washington University in St. Louis Alexa Carrasco – New York University Jennifer Carroll – Gap year Buddy Carruth – Texas Christian University Adam Cauble – Colorado School of Mines Parker Chambers – Washington & Lee University Shannon Chen – Northwestern University Gabi Chennisi – Rice University Kema Christian-Taylor – Harvard University Hannah Clarke – The College of William & Mary Jeff Coburn – Rice University Catherine Cocke – Vanderbilt University Sydney Collie – University of Virginia Ryan Cordill – Kenyon College Peter Crain – Sewanee: The University of the South Cameron Cuenod – University of Texas at Austin Zach Curry-McDougald – St. John’s College Melissa Davidson – Northwestern University Elise Drexler – Columbia University Brenden Duncombe-Smith – Georgia Institute of Technology Geoff Dunn – Texas A&M University Ethan Edmondson – Amherst College Liz Ehrhardt – Furman University Taylor Eichenwald – Occidental College Carlos Falcon – University of Houston (Honors Program) Bubba Fish – University of Southern California Olivia Flores – Southern Methodist University Caroline Flowers – Massachusetts Institute of Technology Wren Fondren – University of Texas at Austin (Plan II) Aaron Foote – Washington University in St. Louis Emily Foxhall – Yale University Travis Foxhall – Yale University Gracie Fraser – University of Texas at Austin (Plan II) Will Geer – University of Southern California Julia Gibbs – Middlebury College Will Harrel – Princeton University Kelley Harrison – Brown University Ethan Harry – Middlebury College John Hawkins – New York University Aneel Henry – Vanderbilt University Georgene Hergenroeder – University of Texas at Austin (Plan II) Shea Herlihy-Abba – Colorado College Kylie Herzik – Colorado School of Mines Katherine Hine – University of Georgia Bryce Hollingsworth – Wesleyan University Abigail Hook – Case Western Reserve University Amanda Hu – University of California, Berkeley Maddie Jorden – Georgetown University Mark Kim – Emory University Sage Klement – North Carolina State University

Vail Kohnert-Yount – Georgetown University Nelly Kontchou – Duke University Kelly Krohn – Georgetown University Eric Lai – University of Texas at Austin (Plan II) Jade Law – University of Texas at Austin (Plan II) Lauren Lepow – Columbia University Melanie Lilienstern – Rhodes College Matthew Lindley – University of Southern California Sam Linn – New York University Cynthia Mai – University of Pennsylvania Amber Malloy – Syracuse University Phoebe Massey – Trinity College Maddie McDowell – University of South Carolina (Honors) Caroline Melo – University of Texas at Austin Angus Mitchell – University of Virginia Leeor Mushin – University of Texas at Austin (Plan II) Sarah Nasser – Tufts University George Netscher – University of Texas at Austin (Plan II) Jose Ordonez – University of Texas at Austin (Plan II) Kat Oshman – Yale University Lizzy Palmquist – Cornell University Caroline Parks – University of Texas at Austin Alex Pearson – Eastman School of Music Carter Pearson – Austin Community College Dan Perenyi – University of Texas at Austin Emmie Proctor – University of Texas at Austin (Plan II) Nihal Ramchandani – Fordham University Alex Reiss – College of Charleston Ben Rice – University of Texas at Austin (Business Honors) Patrick Ryan – University of North Carolina Neeraj Salhotra – Rice University Alexa Sassin – Yale University Brooke Schuler – University of Virginia Ethan Shear – Texas A&M University (Honors Program) Hannah Shepard – Carnegie Mellon University Tiffany Shyu – University of Chicago Anoushka Sinha – Middlebury College Hannah Smith – Duke University Julie Smith – Southern Methodist University Shea Smith – Dartmouth College Christian Solcher – Vanderbilt University Kyle Sparks – University of Miami Alexander Stadnyk – Stanford University Hannah Starke – Texas A&M (Honors Program) Michael Steves – Wesleyan University Matthew Symmes – Duke University Alec Tanner – Washington & Lee University David Thomas – Colorado School of Mines Nick Tutcher – Texas Christian University Alex Unger – Vanderbilt University Emily Viehman – Rice University Bret Vollmer – University of Virginia Henry Waller – Hendrix College Rebecca Welbourn – Princeton University Allison Wells – University of Texas at Austin Patrick Wilkey – Austin Community College Edward Williams – Southwestern University Grant Williams – Texas A&M University Elizabeth Windham – Washington University in St. Louis Clay Wolcott – University of South Carolina Christian Woo – Rice University Jeff Wu – Texas A&M University (Business Honors) Justin Yang – Georgia Institute of Technology Hilary Young – University of Southern California Isaac Zhukovsky – University of Tulsa Anna Ziemnicki – Southern Methodist University

15

opinions The Review

Editorial Give a hand for hand sanitizers In the wake of a recent panic over a potential pandemic, the installation of hand sanitizer dispensers may be seen as reactionary or unnecessary, particularly as initial concerns subside. However, with illnesses of all types forcing students to miss school throughout the year, these steps towards improved sanitation are not only commendable, they are, if anything, long overdue.

Admittedly, washing hands with soap and water should remain a top priority in preventing the spread of illness; however, the common usage of a number of surfaces at SJS makes readily available hand sanitizer a great advantage. These convenient dispensers will no doubt drastically increase the number of

students cleaning their hands daily at SJS, not only because it takes less time, but also because it is fun.

However, behind this added enjoyment looms the potential for misuse, or even vandalism, of the hand sanitizers themselves. With this in mind, the Editorial Board strongly advises that students refrain from abusing the sanitizing fluid in any manner.

With the potential threat of devious use aside, the Editorial Board would like to commend the administration for their insightfulness in this endeavor. The hand sanitizers will certainly combat potential illness spread throughout the course of a school day, and most likely will be seen as a resounding success.

Graduation 2009

The Review

The Official Student Newspaper of St. John’s School 2008-2009 Editor-in-Chief: Bret Vollmer (‘09) Managing Editor: Rebecca Welbourn (‘09) Business Manager: Allie Adkins (‘09) News Editor Jade Law (‘09)

Arts&Entertainment Editor Sports Editor Anoushka Sinha (‘09) Hudson Duncan (‘10)

Features Editor Emily Foxhall (‘09)

beyondSJS Editor Opinions Editor Leeor Mushin (‘09) Vail Kohnert-Yount (‘09)

Copy Editor Liliana Varman (‘10)

Photo Editor Katherine Carmichael (‘09)

Staff Writers Jessica Allen (‘11), Alexa Carrasco (‘09), Gabi Chennisi (‘09), Veronica Chu (‘12), Stuart Dickerson (‘10), Ariana Dickey (‘12), Allegra Fradkin (‘11), Meryl Gibbs (‘12), Caroline Gibson (‘11), Sarah Koslov (‘10), Bhagwat Kumar (‘11), Joe Martinez (‘11), Mariam Matin (‘11), Arvind Mohan (‘10), Ann-Charlotte Profit (‘12), Sarah Nasser (‘09), Sheila Newar (‘10), Andrew Perry (‘11), Tiffany Shyu (‘09), Sarah Windham (‘12), Blake Wulfe (‘10), Melissa Yuan (‘11) Circulation Manager Caroline Parks (‘09)

Advertising Manager Ryan Cordill (‘09)

Promotions Manager Melanie Lilienstern(‘09)

Assistant Manager Lizzy Ehrhardt (‘09)

Business Staff Richard Bilger (‘11), Parker Chambers (‘09), Allie Deluca (‘11), Geoff Dunn (‘09), Christy Lee (‘11), Meagan Longoria (‘10), Phoebe Massey (‘09), Tim McDugald (‘11) Neeraj Salhotra (‘09), William Wallace (‘11), Jack Waller (‘11)

Photographers Jennifer Lewis (‘10), Clay Nickens (‘10), Daniel Perenyi (‘09), Bobbie Richardson (‘11), Pooja Salhotra (‘12) Illustrator Kat Oshman (‘09) Advisor Kyle Parrish (‘01)

As the student newspaper of St. John’s School, The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions (signed) and staff editorials (unsigned) contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Headmaster of Board of Trustees of St. John’s School. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the paper. Letters to the editor and guest columns are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and good taste. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received. Either e-mail letters and guest columns to review@sjs.org; give them to Bret Vollmer, Rebecca Welbourn, Kyle Parrish or Leeor Mushin in the office of The Review (Q-210); or mail to Editorin-Chief, The Review, St. John’s School, 2401 Claremont Lane, Houston, TX 77019.

The Review congratulates the members of the 2009-2010 staff!

The Review

The Official Student Newspaper of St. John’s School 2009-2010 Editor-in-Chief: Liliana Varman (‘10) Managing Editor: Stuart Dickerson (‘10) Business Manager: Christy Lee (‘11) News Editor Arvind Mohan (‘10)

Features Editor Melissa Yuan (‘11)

Opinions Editor Blake Wulfe (‘10)

beyondSJS Editor Mariam Matin (‘11)

Arts&Entertainment Editor Sports Editor Joe Martinez (‘11) Hudson Duncan (‘10) Copy Editor Bhagwat Kumar (‘11)

Staff Writers

Photo Editor Jenny Lewis (‘10) Clay Nickens (‘10)

Jessica Allen (‘11), Iman Charania (‘13), Veronica Chu (‘12), Ariana Dickey (‘12), Braden Doyle (‘13), Samuel Dunn (‘10), Allegra Fradkin (‘11), Zach Gaitz (‘10), Meryl Gibbs (‘12), Caroline Gibson (‘11), Ben Grotta (‘11), Stephani Guo (‘13), Avery Hinricks (‘12), Sarah Koslov (‘10), Robert McNiel (‘12), Henry Morris (‘11), Sheila Newar (‘10), Andrew Perry (‘11), Megan Rech (‘11), Pooja Salhotra (‘12), Andrew Vogeley (‘13) Circulation Manager Meagan Longoria (‘10) Advertising Manager Allie DeLuca (‘11)

Photographers Hannah Degner (‘11), Erica Reed (‘12), Bobbie Richardson (‘11), Sarah Windham (‘12)

Illustrator Caroline Clutterbuck (‘11) Business Staff Morgan Allen (‘11), Lindsey Collie (‘11), Spencer Lepow (‘13), Annabel Massey (‘11)

Advisor Kyle Parrish (‘01)

As the student newspaper of St. John’s School, The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions (signed) and staff editorials (unsigned) contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Headmaster of Board of Trustees of St. John’s School. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the paper. Letters to the editor and guest columns are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and good taste. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received. Either e-mail letters and guest columns to review@sjs.org; give them to Bret Vollmer, Rebecca Welbourn, Kyle Parrish or Leeor Mushin in the office of The Review (Q-210); or mail to Editorin-Chief, The Review, St. John’s School, 2401 Claremont Lane, Houston, TX 77019.

opinions

16

Graduation 2009

What’s wrong with Affirmative Action

By Tim Lin Guest Writer

C

ollege admission in the past few years has grown increasingly competitive.

At Yale University, for example, the acceptance rate for the Class of 2012 was a disheartening 9.7 percent. Although an extreme example, it is nonetheless reflective of the increased competition at colleges across the nation. With this increase

At Yale University the acceptance rate for the Class of 2012 was a disheartening 9.7 percent. in competition has come an increase in controversy over admissions policies, in particular affirmative action.

Critics of affirmative action typically argue that it discriminates against whites and Asians by accepting underrepresented minorities that have markedly lower test scores. Other critics argue that affirmative action devalues the accomplishments of minorities because other people automatically assume that affirmative action is the only reason they have succeeded.

While these arguments remain debatable, affirmative action’s real problem lies in its inability to help the groups of people it sets out to benefit.

Affirmative action was originally created for African-Americans to compensate for past discrimination that put them at an economic disadvantage in today’s society.

However, current affirmative action policies overwhelmingly benefit wealthy minorities. According to a 1998 study by William Bowen and Derek Bok, former university presidents of Princeton and Harvard respectively, “86 percent of blacks who enrolled in twenty-eight selective universities they studied were middle or upper-middle class”.

What is the difference between a black upper-middle class student and a white upper-middle class student in terms of the advantages they both enjoy?

Affirmative action fails to address this

question.

If past discrimination has truly disadvantaged minority groups such as African-Americans, as affirmative action purports, then more-advantaged minorities must have faced less discrimination in the past. Consequently, privileged minorities don’t require help from affirmative action.

In reality, low-income Americans,

Affirmative action’s real problem lies in its inability to help the groups of people it sets out to benefit. black or white, face the most daunting roadblocks in college admissions. Many of these students attend sub-standard high schools that don’t adequately prepare them for the rigors of a college curriculum, and this lack of preparation shows in college applications.

Low-income students are less likely to have parents who have finished college, or even high school. As a result,

they are more likely to grow up in an environment that does not place such a high premium on education. This comes back to bite them on standardized tests like the SAT, on which low-income testtakers tend to score lower than wealthy test-takers. We can continue to assume that a person’s skin color determines how disadvantaged a person is, but in reality it all boils down to money.

We can correct the flaws in our current affirmative action policies by basing affirmative action on an individual’s socioeconomic status, which is determined by income and parental education level. Not only does economic affirmative action offer a solution to the under-representation of low-socioeconomic status students at the nation’s top universities, it also admits more minorities who actually need affirmative action’s help.

The fundamental problem that economic affirmative action attempts to remedy is the sub-standard quality of education at the K-12 level. But until President Obama comes up with his own version of the No Child Behind Act, we have to rely on programs like economic affirmative action to bring as much equality to the U.S. higher educational system as possible.

17

Graduation 2009

opinions

The Review Awards ‘09 The Mr. Grinch Award For Holiday Theft Junior thievery of SAC Christmas Tree

Curse of the Bambino Award Madeline Wareing

Juan and Evita Peron Power Couple Award Patrick Ryan and Daisy Wolf

Special Achievement In the Area of Not Being a Band Not A Real Band

Matthew Ziemnicki Award for Incomprehensible Cheering Cordes Symmes

SJS Athletic Lifetime Achievement Award Jeff Coburn, for attempting every sport

Excellence in the Field of Innuendo Purple Team

Dynamo Diesel Award for Unknown Mascot Maverick the Maverick

SJS French Fry Award for Unexpected Departure John Allman and Mark Reed Jim Hendrix Award for Name Resembling That of a Celebrity John Mayor Hawkins

Fever Pitch Award for Devoted Attendance to a Soccer Team’s Games Patrick Flam The Dark Knight Award for Excellence in Filmography Mav TV 20 Questions Award in the Excellence in the Field of Query Nelly Kontchou, Myles Lewis, Daisy Wolf The New York Yankee Award for Repeated Failure at Regaining Champion Status Black Team The SJS Football Team “A For Effort” Award Clay Nickens, for unfortunate joke during Prefect Speech

Farewell From the Editor: I never really had much of an inclination to run for SAC, but whenever elections came around I would spend that time thinking about what I would say if I changed my mind.

Now that it is apparent that this won’t be the case, I would be content to know that by printing it, I hadn’t wasted all that time I could have spent listening to actual speeches.

I first became involved in student government in fourth grade. It was my first year at St. Mary’s Hall, a private school, and I was coming from a public school. So as the new and therefore presumably tough, cool kid, I was elected to be the class representative to Baron’s Council. Don’t ask me what authoritative powers were endowed to this group; if it was anything important, I was never

made aware. But I suppose this is just as well since a couple of months later I was shamefully kicked off of Barons’ Council for disciplinary reasons.

In my defense, I stand by my initial conviction that no one should be forced to sing in a choir.

So that was that, but then a couple of years later, the same thing happened: in seventh grade I switched to River Oaks Baptist from a public school when my family moved to Houston, and I was again elected to Student Council based on these credentials. This time, though, I never got kicked off of Student Council, nor was it as meaningless. (Though the letter that informed me that I was being kicked off of Baron’s Council emphasized the symbolic significance of the group.) Rather, Student

The SAC speech I never had a reason to give

Council at ROBS was given the important responsibility of making sure students’ birthdays were recognized – a task that included making signs and goodie bags. (Ask Aaron Foote about it. He was in charge of folding T-shirts and executed this duty with alacrity). Following Aaron’s example, I enthusiastically began making the posters that were hung up in the halls on students’ birthdays. I think I used orange pen to write on gray paper – “Gray doesn’t get used enough,” I had reasoned – and wrote “Happy Birthday” half in cursive and half in print which I thought was pretty artistic. Upon seeing my work, though, my science teacher and the sponsor of Student Council said, “Bret, you cold at least try to make it look good.”

Not only did her words hurt my

feelings, they prejudiced me against student government – a prejudice I maintain.

I could never think of anything to say beyond this point, since all I’ve really established so far is why I should not be on SAC. But that’s alright; I don’t regret not running for SAC simply because I’m so grateful for the experience I’ve recieved on The Review. It has been an invaluable opportunity and I would like to sincerely thank Mr. Parrish, the Editorial Board, the Review staff and anyone who has taken the time to read The Review this year.

Thank you, Bret Vollmer Editor-in-Chief

a&e

18

The Review

o c r e a d t i n m g r o t i d ps e f in

‘09 T R A V I S

or

N

Graduation 2009

BOBBIE RICHARSON| The Review

By ALEXA CARRASCO

Heading off to college can be a daunting experience; you’ll meet new people, new friends and most importantly new roommates. Over the months of your freshman year, you’ll probably be living with the same person, so it is a good idea to get started on planning your dorm as soon as possible. Here are some tips on the best ways to get started on the rest of your life.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Collaborate with your roommate. Sure, it may be scary, but calling or Facebooking your roommate will potentially help both of you sort things out. For example, you can decide who is bringing what; it would be pointless to bring two TVs or two refrigerators. By just picking up the phone, you can easily save yourself a lot of hassle.

The second thing that would be beneficial in making your dorm room a great reflection of yourself would be to get acquainted with your room beforehand. Most dorms are already furnished, and it is a good idea to think about where everything is located inside the dorm room. You must first know your space before you will be able to design it.

Involve organization in your dorm décor. Sure, it may not look as hip as you want it, but trust me you will definitely be needing some type of storage unit for your dorm. Unfortunately, when most colleges planned their campuses, they did not leave space for mansion-sized rooms. That said, a helpful possibility would be to visit any retail chain that specializes in storage and organization such as The Container Store. From everything to shoe racks to bins, the Container Store is sure to keep your dorm nice and tidy.

The best way to add a little spice to your room is to add color. However, if the campus rules prohibit you from painting your room, try pinning up vibrant fabrics or hanging up signs and posters. It is a quick and easy way to liven up any room, and the installation and take down is super easy. You can also use this fabric to create makeshift curtains to block out the sun on those lazy Sunday mornings.

Hit up Bed Bath and Beyond for all of your college needs. The best thing about Bed Bath & Beyond is that they provide a college checklist for you, describing all of the things you may need or want during college. With great prices, Bed Bath & Beyond is truly a one-stop shop.

Find out what is considered contraband. Unfortunately, that big incense holder you bought while globetrotting is probably not allowed to be in your dorm room. Before you leave, you should find out what is and is not allowed in your dorm. This will save you time, money and face, as you do not want to be the person who caused all of the sprinklers to go off because you decided to burn your incense.

Coordinate color schemes. For another easy way to add life to your room, think about coordinating patterns and/or color schemes with your roommate.

Do your homework. As SJS students, this has got to be the easiest tip of them all. Make sure you check out lots of stores and websites before buying anything; it would be awful to buy something you really like, rip the price tags off and then try to glue them back when you find something you like even better. There are so many college dorm websites out there, it would be a shame to settle for the first thing that you find.

Make a plan and have fun. Your freshman year is such a big turning point and exciting time in your life. You definitely need to have fun decorating your dorm, as it will be a constant reminder of who you are while you are away from college.

19

a&e Michael Steves’ latest plays Graduation 2009

take aim at life

By TIFFANY SHYU

On April 27th and 28th, student playwright Michael Steves (’09) debuted DirtySexy Short Plays, a collection of five pieces that are “essentially a celebration of life,” Steves said.

“I ended up directing a cast of thirty actors,” Steves said. “No auditions were held, as I handpicked all of the actors.”

Some were asked simply because they had acting experience, others because they had theatric potential, and others because they were simply interested in being the show. Finally, there were some who were chosen because there were parts that required a specific type of actor. “For these parts … I simply asked people that I didn’t really know via Facebook. And there ended up being three parts that I had to act to fill in for dropped-out actors.”

The actors themselves also had much to say about the play.

Christain Woo (’09), who acted in First Kiss, said that she was hesitant to be in the play at first when Steves asked her because the last time she acted was playing the part of “Rizzo the Rat” in a fourth-grade play, but decided to join “because it was senior year and I wanted to do as many new things that I could.

Michael was a really patient director, and you could tell that he was very passionate and dedicated to his work,” she said.

Kema Christian-Taylor (‘09) also said that the main highlight in her experience was seeing everyone getting in character. “I honestly can’t think of a single person who didn’t play his or her part well. The energy that you get from other actors is pretty essential; it feeds your own energy, and helps you to sort of step up your game,” she said.

Ben Marek (’10) said that his favorite part was “getting to see people who I never knew could act get up on stage and do an amazing job. I was really impressed by my classmates’ acting ability, and it was a joy to watch them perform.” Marek was also impressed by Steves’ scripts.

“He is a truly talented writer, and being a part of his cast was a great experience,” Marek said.

At the same time, however, Steves said that his experience did have some stressful and scary moments.

For example, most of Steves’ cast did not have their lines memorized even the night before the show. The first performance was the cast’s first run through.

“The funniest stressful moment was two hours before the Monday night performance,” Steves said. “At 5:30 p.m., with a 7:30 performance, I asked John Allman if he had his lines memorized.

To this he responded, ‘Eh… mostly.’

He memorized his lines almost entirely while sitting in the audience during the first half of the performance and didn’t miss a single one when his time on stage came.”

Despite the stressful moments, Steves said, “Seeing the plays finally come together and watch the hard work of over thirty people finally pay off was a phenomenal feeling.”

JENNY LEWIS| The Review

Testing the

Water

By BHAGWAT KUMAR & ANDREW PERRY

ANOUSHKA SINHA| The Review

Water. We know that it is essential to all humans, but we have a reached a point in time where we no longer have to simply settle for whatever infected, bland water we can find. We now have the power to choose between various kinds of water, and with that ability to choose comes the stress that usually accompanies such power. We are forced to distinguish between the hundreds of brands promising the cleanest, tastiest water, and without proper guidance, one can find themself drowning in a swirl of colorless, odorless liquid.

I set out to find the truth about the various types of water available to us, not only to help myself but my fellow students as well. I chose four brands of water, Deja Blue, Ozarka, Evian and Fiji, and tested them for taste, smoothness, and cleanliness. My results are as follows.

In my opinion, the worst of these four waters was Ozarka. Its promise of using “30 percent less plastic” to help reduce waste did nothing to improve its taste. I was unimpressed by the water and confused as to how 70 percent of the usual amount of plastic could still make a drink taste so much like plastic.

The next underachiever was Deja Blue. Déjà vu is defined as “the illusion of having previously experienced something actually being encountered for the first time,” and that is exactly what you do not want to feel when you are drinking Deja Blue. One sip was more than enough for me, as the water had somewhat of a bitter aftertaste that I could not stand.

The second place finisher was Evian water. Evian’s slogan is “untouched by man, perfect by nature,” and from what I could taste, I would prefer a lot more touching by man and less involvement from nature in my water. Though Evian was better than the previous two waters that I tested, it still left me thirsting for something more.

The final water that I tried was Fiji.

Fiji, if you’ll excuse the pun, blew the rest of the competition out of the water. It combined a rich, decadent taste with a cleansing feeling, easily making it the best of the four. After my long search, I finally found the perfect water.

For anyone wondering what water they should use to quench their thirst, Fiji is by far their best option. Not only is it tastier than all of its competitors, but it also gives one a clean, wholesome feeling with every sip. Water may be necessary for the human body, but the only water I’m willing to drink is Fiji.

odds&ends Thumbs Thumbs down up SJS Baseball: DII dynasty? Swine flu Rockets winning a series Hairline fractures Episcopal back in school Synthesis papers

Photo of the issue

Word for Word Ms. Chan: Who’s in your group?

Emily Foxhall (‘09): Me, Timothy and Brooke...

Ms. Chan: Tim? Timothy Bernica (‘09): Yes? George Netscher (‘09): You’re not friends with them!

– During AP Biology “I hope someone becomes deathly ill with swine flu so we don’t have to take AP exams.”

– Mai Bui (‘10) Matthew Symmes (‘09): “You usually only need the last names for these athletes: Waller, Harrison, Wu... Smith, Mitchell, Williams, just to name a few.”

“Tanner.”

– Alec Tanner (‘09), from the audience at Senior Assembly

sixty seconds with spencer rasmussen (‘10) CLAY NICKENS| The Review

name spencer rasmussen grade 11 relationship status single sjs cafeteria item beef fajitas sport to play basketball sport to watch basketball if i did an olympic sport it would be curling professional sports team houston rockets music country movie role models tv show prison break book da vinci code radio station 92.9 Q restaurant freebirds comfort food s’mores vegetable eucalyptus leaves breakfast food huevos rancheros Facebook or MySpace? facebook holiday easter color green dream date jessica alba drink dr. pepper hero larry bird sing in the shower? no kids? eventually 3 kids’ names? tucker and let my wife choose the rest when i grow up i want to live in a tree favorite spot on the sjs campus the trees motto “there are 86,400 seconds in a day. it’s up to you how to spend them.” do you read the review? blake’s articles

CLAY NICKENS | The Review

Lacrosse athletes respond to swine flu and its effect on their games.