Graduation Issue

THE REVIEW

College bound In our annual college pull-out, we map the fall destinations of the Class of 2014.

ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER 2401 CLAREMONT LANE · HOUSTON, TX 77019 · VOLUME 65 · ISSUE 8 · MAY 19, 2014

Two premature baby boys beat the odds in a struggle for survival

JARED MARGOLIS

Premature pair History teacher Jon Peterson hoists his six-month-old son Henrik, who was born 100 days earlier than his projected February 26 due date, making him a “micropreemie.” Peterson and his wife, Anna, had been through a trip to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before with Henrik’s older brother, four-year-old Anders, who was born 90 days early.

by Iris Cronin and Oliver Ruhl

S

ibling rivalry began early when history teacher Jon Peterson’s two sons, Anders and Henrik, competed to win the most death-defying medical feat of their lifetime: their birth.

The Peterson’s first son, Anders, weighed 2 pounds, 5.5 ounces at birth. Their second son, Henrik, weighed 1 pound, 12.5 ounces. Both were born prematurely.

Anders was scheduled to be born on Oct. 23, 2009. But in utero he contracted chorioamnionitis, a bacterial infection that often leads to premature birth.

“The doctor told us, ‘It’s like when a house is on fire, you need to get out of the house,’” Peterson said. “Anders was ready and waiting. He did the right thing.”

After the diagnosis, the family prepared for the possibility of an early birth but did not expect the day to arrive as early as it did. On July 25, 2009, Peterson was 150 miles away from his wife, Anna, when he heard that she had been hospitalized.

“I considered driving so fast that I would get pulled over just so I could get a police escort,” Peterson said.

When Peterson arrived at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, the gravity of the situation became apparent.

“For a while the doctors were talking about stopping labor,” Peterson said. “But then her contractions were coming quicker, and they started talking about delivering the baby that weekend, then that day, then that morning.”

Anders was born at 12:09 p.m. on July

Online this Month Summer movie previews, relocation of library books, senior graduation package

25, 2009, exactly 90 days before his due date.

“When you have a preemie birth, this cast of thousands comes in, one member of which is the NICU team, who will come and take the baby away after he’s born,” Peterson said.”

NICU, or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, is a specific ward for babies born preterm.

“Anders did cry when he was born, and we did get to hold him briefly,” Peterson said. “By that time my mom and my inlaws were there, and they got to see him too. The nurses showed him to them on the way to the NICU.” Afterwards, Peterson and his wife spent the night in a recovery room.

“It was a surreal experience. I felt like I was staying in a hotel room,” Peterson said.

“We didn’t have cable where we were living, and they had it in that room, which was weird and nice.

We watched a Golden Girls mar-

athon.”

Three years later, the Petersons were ready for a second child. After a month of visits to a high-risk clinic, doctors decided that both mother and baby were out of the danger zone, and Henrik “graduated” back to regular obstetrics with a due date set for Feb. 26, 2014.

“We went to the doctors so much that we joked that Anna’s part-time job was being pregnant,” Peterson said.

On Nov. 18, Peterson received the news that his wife was in the hospital as ninth period began.

“The instant I looked at my phone and saw I had a message, my heart sank,” Peterson said.

“The last thing I remember at SJS was Dr. [Dwight] Raulston whistling in the tunnel.”

Peterson arrived at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and began to fill out a

mountain of paperwork.

“I made the conscious decision to keep my work clothes on,” Peterson said. “I remember thinking that this couldn’t happen again if I didn’t change my clothes.”

The two were transferred to Memorial Hermann Hospital, pushing through rush hour traffic.

“They were prepared to deliver the baby on the side of the road,” Peterson said.

Once the ambulance arrived at the hospital, everything happened quickly.

“After just a short while, the doctors told her to push, and my wife got this look on her face like Michael Jordan at the end of the fourth quarter. Cold assassin eyes,” Peterson said.

What doctors hadn’t told the Petersons was that Henrik’s umbilical cord had wrapped around his neck, endangering his blood and oxygen supply. The baby was at risk for “brain bleed,” or intracranial hemorrhage, a birth injury caused in premature infants from inadequate blood flow to the brain. Most infants with brain bleed show no symptoms, but possible signs include lethargy, poor feeding and seizures.

“They wouldn’t come out and say what the problem was, but there was a doctor there talking about a 92 percent survival rate. All I could think about was that eight percent,” Peterson said.

Continued on Page 3 H is for Henrik Despite initial worries about brain bleeding and preterm complications, Henrik is now a healthy six-month-old.

COURTESY PHOTO

NEWS...............................................2 FEATURES........................................4 ENTERTAINMENT.............................7

IN FOCUS ...............................................8 BEYOND.........................................10 OPINIONS.......................................11

SPORTS.........................................13 ODDS & ENDS ........................................14 PHOTOSTORY................................16

THE REVIEW GRADUATION 2014

2

NEWS

In Brief News around campus Underground Gas Leak Results In Early Dismissal An underground gas leak occurred May 6 at the intersection of Claremont Lane and Westheimer Road, right outside the Mewbourne building. Administrators ushered students into the plaza at the end of lunch.

“It was eerily similar to the school evacuation in ‘White Noise,’ a book we read in English this year,” sophomore Amy Dong said.

Students on campus for AP exams were in the Quad building when Dean Stephen Popp announced an evacuation of Mewbourne and the science building.

“I was writing the essay on my Spanish AP when the evacuation was announced,” sophomore Natasha Gonzalez said. “I was honestly more worried about the essay than the gas leak.”

Most students simply saw the leak as a chance for an early dismissal.

“It was fun,” freshman Grayson Christ said. “I thought the school handled it well, as there didn’t seem to be much confusion.”

Eco-Marathon Team Builds Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Thousands of innovative students from across the nation harnessed fuels ranging from conventional oil and natural gas to hydrogen and solar power in designing cars for the Shell Eco-marathon competition.

The SJS team, led by seniors Jake Nyquist, Jake Peacock and Michael Timte, started preparing their car at the end of last year’s competition. This year’s event was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, April 25-26.

Despite problems with the motor control panel and brakes, the team received compliments on their fuel efficiency.

“The car ran very smoothly, and they even described it as ‘whisper-quiet,’” freshman Marisa Murillo said.

The team plans to reuse their frame and participate in the competition next year, which will be held in Detroit.

eryone on that bus ride to and from Dallas gave it their all. I couldn’t be more proud of us and the work we’ve put in.”

The Director’s Cup is calculated using an algorithm that awards points to schools for the place they receive in each SPC sport.

With championship titles in girls’ cross country and wrestling as well as impressive placements by other teams, including a runner-up trophy for boys’ cross country, SJS snagged the honor.

Therapy Dogs To Visit Stressed Students

JAKE NYQUIST

Fast and Furious 4 Seniors Jake Nyquist and Jake Peacock, and juniors Raymond Yuan and Vasia Pobedinski, spent many late nights toiling over their solar-powered car. The team competed in their third Eco-marathon, April 25-26.

Murillo said, “Seeing the car go from an outline on paper and all the other parts coming together to make a fuel-efficient car was very satisfying.”

Simulated Curling Tourney Draws Sizeable Turnout Curling enthusiasts battled for supremacy in the inaugural SJS Curling tournament. Freshman Samuel Samson-Williams hosted the first intramural curling tournament, May 9. The tournament consisted of eight teams organized in a bracket

by Samson-Williams. The teams competed on an online curling simulator.

“We had a large turnout,” Samson-Williams said. “To be honest, I really didn’t expect this many people to show up.”

Freshmen Grayson Christ, Ethan Wang and Matthew Fastow won the tournament.

“This will be our last curling tournament for this year, but we will be releasing a line of T-shirts and beanies,” Samson-Williams said. “We hope to expand our horizons this coming year and hopefully play at some real curling venues.”

New Security Head Chosen Officer Andy Blitch will be leaving the Houston Police Department and the school campus this summer to move to Naples, Florida, with his family.

SJS has hired Richard Still to take Officer Blitch’s place. Still is a senior HPD officer with over 30 years of experience on the force. For much of that time, Still was employed by Baker Botts as coordinator of their security services.

SJS Three-Peats as Coed Director’s Cup Recipients Buoyed by stellar drought-breaking performances from both girls’ golf and boys’ track, the Mavericks laid claim to their third consecutive SPC Director’s Cup title for the 2013-2014 season.

Boys’ track placed second, receiving a trophy for the first time in 27 years.

“It was so surreal. It really is an indescribable feeling, knowing that you’ve worked so hard for something and your work has come to fruition,” junior Lee Hampton said. “I can honestly say that ev-

Man’s best friend will soon be student’s best friend when the Faithful Paws agency brings in therapy dogs, May 27, to help students relax during exams. Director of All-School Wellness Dr. Jennifer Welch arranged the dogs’ visit as a wellness initiative.

Welch said, “The purpose of bringing the therapy dogs to campus is to offer an opportunity to de-stress for students and faculty and to take better care of ourselves and each other.”

Student Leaders Elected “Here are your new SAC representatives,” Dean Stephen Popp said as the audience began to applaud its new student leaders.

Serving as prefects for next year are juniors Ben Bieser, Gabe Bennett-Brandt, Tanvi Varadhachary, Dara Ladjevardian, Stephen Wang and head prefect Akshay Jaggi.

Representatives in the rising junior class are Natasha Gonzalez, Reed Brace, Gabe Malek, David Lu and president Joseph Hanson. Representatives from the rising sophomore class consist of Matthew Fastow, Claire Melcher, Sadde Mohammed and president Cam Cook. Incoming freshmen representatives are John Boom, Grace Melcher and president Samuel Ho. “They all gave great speeches and really put themselves out on the line,” SAC sponsor Barbara DiPaolo said. “They are definitely going to try to get a lot of stuff done.”

Compiled by Christian Maines, Matthew Neal, Megan Routbort, Megan Shen, Matthew Steiner Irene Vazquez and Michael VerMeulen

Faces in the Cloisters

Get to know your classmates better

Abigail Moorhead

Lindsey McKone

Luke Kramer

Freshman Abigail Moorhead’s theatre performances have taken her beyond the storied cloisters. After participating in the Middle School play, “The Odyssey,” Moorhead was cast by director Chris Hutchison in a public service announcement. The PSA was for an anti-bullying campaign with Positive Works, a non-profit organization founded in 2010 by Sarah Fisher and SJS parent Trish Morille.

“The PSA was a very fun experience for me,” Moorhead said. “It provided me with the opportunity to educate people about bullying while doing something that I love.”

Moorhead, a member of Advanced Caprice and JV cheerleading, is also active in community service. This summer, she will travel to Africa to do volunteer work for a fifth time. When she returns, she will host Voices for Zambia 4, a benefit concert to raise money for a school in Zambia.

When sophomore Lindsey McKone first played lacrosse in seventh grade, she did not think she would stick with the sport.

“After seventh grade, I thought I was going to do track,” McKone said, “but that summer I played club lacrosse and fell in love with it.”

McKone was recently named Lacrosse Magazine’s Nike/ US South Girls’ Player of the Week. The midfielder, who plays for Texas Rangers and Tenacity outside of school, is a starter for the Mavericks. As the offensive MVP of the Division I state tournament, McKone aided the team in clinching their 13th championship, May 11.

“It was a total team effort,” McKone said. “The week before, we worked on trusting each other and trusting our team, and all that came together in our first game against St. Andrew’s, then against Hockaday, and we never looked back.”

Sophomore Anthony Edwards wakes up every morning at five o’clock to cook breakfast for his mother and grandmother. After that, he catches the Metro bus for school. If he misses the bus, he walks.

Edwards is one of the students that junior Luke Kramer tutors as a part of his summer community service project at Cristo Rey Jesuit School, which caters to low-income students. Kramer set up Cristo Rey tutoring to provide extra help to summer school students getting back on track.

“Cristo Rey has 100 percent college acceptance, so it’s ideal for students to stay,” Kramer said.

Last year, 25 tutors from 5 schools helped make a difference in the lives of students and caught them up to the school’s rigorous academic standards.

“We’re still hiring,” Kramer said. “It’s not too late to sign up for this year.”

Compiled by Lydia Liu, Megan Routbort and Irene Vazquez Photos Jared Margolis and Lori Kramer

GRADUATION 2014 THE REVIEW

3

NEWS (SO LO)NG TO HAN

Reverend leaves strong foundation for chapel Chapel Guild sponsor departs for position at Interfaith Ministries

by Megan Routbort

I

don’t want students to come to be ‘spiritual’ in Chapel for 40 minutes and something else the other 39 periods of the school week,” Rev. Gregory Han said.

This sentiment of wanting to maintain a community that is constantly vigilant about the importance of maintaining faith and virtue in every aspect of school life has come to define Han’s six-year tenure on campus. He has been integral to maintaining a program that echoes the mission of the school’s founders with respect to religion.

“Spiritual development is one of the key pillars in the Mission Statement, but if you look at various school reports over the years, it is a facet of school life that everyone agrees needs more attention,” Han said.

As the sponsor of Chapel Guild, Han poured his time and energy into making Chapel a place where both the religious and secular could feel accepted.

“Chapel must be a sacred place and space

of reverence and respect,” Han said. “It is the place where our voices and thoughts can be expressed, where we can feel that we are connected with one another while also being connected with those great forces of God and the good.”

In order to fulfill the mission of Chapel, Han increased community involvement in constructing the program. He gave the members of Chapel Guild significant decision-making power in arranging each service.

“To use a sports metaphor, I tried to establish the boundaries of the playing field, but I wanted the Guild to know that there were many ways the game could be executed and still be playing by the rules,” Han said.

Students appreciate Han’s efforts to give them relatively free reign in organizing chapel ceremonies.

“He manages to be a faithful man who also respects and celebrates other religions.

That has been really inspiring to me,” future Chapel Guild co-chair Emily Sherron said.

Plans for Han’s successor are still undetermined, but his legacy lives on in Chapel’s structure. One of his most important contributions to the program was the establishment of the “This I Believe” Chapels.

JARED MARGOLIS

Leading his congregation Rev. Greg Han takes the podium at St. John the Divine. Han led Chapel Guild for six years and introduced aspects such as the “This I Believe” series.

“We wanted the messages to be as much about how faith is formational as well as just information about the faith,” Han said. “Not just talking about Islam but also discussing why being Muslim is important.

Not just defining what Shabbat is, but also why Shabbat is important. I hope that the series continues.”

Reverend Han is leaving to become the

Director of Interfaith Relations at Interfaith Ministries of Houston. The center’s mission is to facilitate dynamic interfaith learning experiences for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Han said, “The work of interfaith dialogue and understanding is crucial. These are issues that have been fascinating to me for years.”

Despite setbacks, Peterson brothers emerge as fighters Continued from Front Page months were a time of fear and frustration.

Unlike his brother, Henrik was “The first time it happens, it’s a Chapel immediately removed to the NICU, where speech,” Peterson said. “Character builddoctors began trying to bring his heart rate ing, life-affirming, all that. The second up from a dangerous 30 beats per minute. time it happens, it’s an expletive. It’s ‘my “We didn’t get to hold him this time,” god, this again?’”

Peterson said. “But I watched them One of the most difficult moments came working on him through the window. at Thanksgiving, when it was discovered Everything was very hushed, and all I that Henrik might have a subdural could do was stare at the heart rate hematoma, or bleeding in his brain. monitor.”

“The images doctors took were After a few minutes, the NICU team inconclusive. All we could do was wait,” managed to bring Henrik’s heart rate back Peterson said. “We were on pins and neeinto a healthy range. dles all week.”

“I knew things would be okay when peoWhen Peterson got the text confirming ple stopped whispering and started talking that Henrik was fine, he was in the library. in normal voices,” Peterson said.

“All the air went out of me,” he said. “I Henrik, born earlier and smaller than his just collapsed on the desk and said a prayer brother, fell into a subcategory of premaof thanks.” ture babies Henrik called a “micame home cropreemie.” for good in Micropree“They’re already competing. ‘Oh February. mies share the “He’s pretty you were a preemie? Well, I’ll be mellow,” distinction of being the Peterson said. a micropreemie.’” smallest and “Being in the youngest Jon Peterson hospital for so premature inlong got him fants, usually on a regular under 2.25 pounds and younger than 33 schedule as far as eating and sleeping, so weeks. he’s actually easier than many kids his age.

“We joke that they have a sibling rivalry,” He’s not feisty like Anders was, but that Peterson said, “They’re already competing was good. Anders needed to be a fighter.” with each other. ‘Oh you were a preemie?

Anders is now four years old.

Well, I’ll be a micropreemie.’”

“He’s slight. And there were some gross Like Anders, Henrik was in the hospital motor delays. But the physical impacts for exactly 96 days following his birth. have been pretty negligible,” Peterson During this time, the school community said. “I think he compensates through rallied around the Peterson family. his intellect. He reads chapter books, can “The Mother’s Desk made a sign-up count to 100 in Spanish and knows half sheet, and a ton of teachers brought us the presidents.” meals every Tuesday,” Peterson said.

Henrik too appears to have minimal “Students asked about Henrik, but never physical setbacks. too much. The gifts and cards I received “For now, he seems just fine,” Peterson were amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a said. “For a while after he came home he better group.” was on oxygen as a precaution, but one Even with the support, those three day he just ripped off his mask, and we

COURTESY PHOTO

Brotherly love Henrik Peterson (bottom) returns home to his brother Anders (top) after spending three months in the hospital. Both were born approximately three months early.

never put it back on. You could tell that it was what he wanted.”

Any physical or cognitive differences between preterm infants and their full-term peers tend to even out by the age of two, although scientific studies at the University of Rhode Island have indicated that premature babies may even grow up to be more resilient than their more punctual peers. The resilience of their parents is less in question.

“It’s funny because right now Henrik is about the size of a two-month old, which would have been his age with his original due date,” Peterson said. “But in his face he looks his actual age, which is about five months. He gives these withering looks.”

Advances made every year in neonatal medicine allow premature babies to

recover more quickly and completely.

In the last 50 years, the mortality rate for low-weight infants has dropped to 55.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. This is about one-third of the rate in the 1960s.

Generally, premature babies born with less than 26 weeks of gestation have a much greater chance of survival than in previous decades.

“I just want people to know that there is an amazing group of doctors out there.

Things really can, and do, turn out okay,” Peterson said. “They certainly did for us.

We are so unlucky to the point of being supremely lucky.”

THE REVIEW GRADUATION 2014

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FEATURES AU REVOIR

Graduates pursue college experiences abroad

International institutions attract students with ‘desire to explore’

by Irene Vazquez

Each year a few seniors take leaving home for college a step further by choosing to study abroad.

The class of 2014 has five students attending college outside the U.S. Stacie Dudley will attend McGill University in Montreal, and Ryan Friedman will attend New York University Shanghai. Three seniors will be studying in the United Kingdom: Chloe Francis at the University of Edinburgh, George Davies at the University of St. Andrews and Elliot Cheung at the University of Cambridge.

“What it came down to was just that Cambridge is a great school,” Cheung said.

“It’ll be different from American colleges for sure, but the decision to go there wasn’t primarily based on that.”

Francis noted that simply leaving home is the biggest part of going to college.

“I don’t think my worries are any different than any other kid leaving home,” she said.

Cheung has his share of worries about both visiting home and missing out on the typical American college experience.

“I’ve always been told that college will be the best four years of my life,” Cheung said. “My biggest worry is that college [in

England] won’t be like that because the culture is different.”

Friedman will return to China after spending his junior year in Beijing with School Year Abroad (SYA).

“One of the largest factors was simply the desire to explore,” Friedman said. “I was tired of the SJS routine and was ready to move and try something new.”

Alumni currently at international institutions agree that studying abroad has exposed them to experiences that would not have otherwise been available in the U.S. Sam Burkett (’13) is studying at the University of Edinburgh. Spending his junior year with SYA France influenced his decision to go international in college.

“I had always known that I would probably end up outside of the U.S. eventually,” Burkett said. “There are a lot of advantages for me, such as more individual freedom, the ability to specialize earlier and the opportunities in Europe that are more easily available to me.”

Burkett only applied to universities in the United Kingdom and narrowed down his choices from there.

“I love Edinburgh and the cultural and dance opportunities that are available here,” Burkett said.

Though Burkett did not have to surmount a language barrier, the different grading system came as a shock.

“You need 40 percent to be able to pass an assignment or exam, which makes it seem easy,” Burkett said, “but average

COURTESY PHOTO

Texas to Scotland University of Edinburgh student Sam Burkett (’13) took his love of dance abroad, performing in the Pleasance Theatre Edinburgh. A growing number of students opt to pursue their college degrees at institutions outside the United States.

grades usually range from the high 50s to the low 60s.”

While Burkett crossed the pond for college, Rebecca Sheinbaum (’11) stayed in North America, choosing McGill University. Sheinbaum’s family is Canadian.

“Coming to university up here was an option that was always on my radar,” Sheinbaum said. “I knew I wanted to live in a place that would provide me with an entirely new set of experiences but still be comfortable enough that I could easily make the transition.”

The opportunity to study abroad allows students to broaden their global perspective.

“If one wants to be a world citizen, studying abroad is an ideal way to achieve that,” Director of College Counseling Bryan Rutledge said. “Studying abroad, whether in the SYA program or for university, provides students with a variety of diverse experiences and takes them out of their comfort zones.”

Behind the Scenes Graduation Changes

512.473.2775 w w w. w i n n t u t o r i n g . c o m

KELLY BUCKNER

Caps and gowns Senior Daniel Jellins tries on his graduation cap. This year, Commencement will occur at The Hobby Center instead of its former venue, St. Luke’s.

by Matthew Steiner

Construction strikes again — but this time the construction is at St. Luke’s instead of SJS. Due to the ongoing renovations of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Commencement this year will be at The Hobby Center, May 20.

“We changed the location for two reasons: St. Luke’s is under construction, and we wanted more space,” Commencement coordinator Wendall Zartman said.

“The Hobby Center is huge. People won’t be jammed up in the pews, so I think we should be more comfortable while they’re watching the seniors graduate.”

There are also practical reasons that make The Hobby Center more accommodating.

“Because we have it in such a big place, the seniors will be able to invite more people,” Interim Head Ann Louise Hagerty said. “Last year, seniors were allowed to invite only eight people, and now they’ll be able to invite basically as many people as they want.”

Having graduation in the Hobby Center may give the ceremony a more secular feel.

“There won’t be candles, hymns or an altar,” Zartman said. “There won’t be as much draping and stuff related to church services. The religious aspect this year is mainly just part of the Baccalaureate.”

Wesley Hunt (’00) will deliver the Commencement address. Unlike previous years, the head prefect will not give a speech to the class at Commencement, which may make the ceremony shorter.

Although the details of the 2014 graduation are set, the location of graduation for the class of 2015 is still unknown.

“They might use the Great Hall. They also could use the quad, but that would be very weather-dependent,” Zartman said.

“They would go back to St. Luke’s, but the class sizes are growing.”

The switch in location for graduation will probably not be a long-lasting change.

“From what I can tell, it won’t be a permanent change,” Hagerty said. “The move to the Hobby Center is just something we have to do.”

GRADUATION 2014 THE REVIEW

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FEATURES DOUBLE THE FUN

Senior twins split to attend far-flung colleges Twins bid farewell to their cradlemates as they spread across country to pursue disparate interests

by Brooke Kushwaha and Amy Liu

In September 2010, The Review featured a story on five entering freshmen twins. The sets of twins—Connor and Paige Albert, Claire and Stuart Jones, Maudie and Sam Shepherd, Victoria and Vincent Zhang, Carson and Jake Peacock—consist of one boy and one girl. Today, they reflect on their high-school experiences and their expectations for the years to come.

F

or many of these senior twins, college is the first time they will be separated, and all will be attending schools in different states. Yet this change may be a welcome respite for some because sibling pressure can intensify the already competitive school atmosphere.

“We stopped taking the same classes as upperclassmen, and it made us less competitive,” Stuart Jones said. “We don’t want our parents to have to break us up when we get too contentious.”

“We’re both competitive people by nature. At the end of the day, we’re happy for each other,” his sister Claire said.

Carson and Jake Peacock learned to drop rivalries and help one another as they grew up in high school.

“When we were younger, I was a little competitive with Jake, but I have since learned that you can never compare yourself to another person because everyone’s different,” Carson said. “The last three years, I think we supported each other rather than competed with each other.”

“We were competitive, but we would also help each other. In the end, our competitiveness was advantageous. We weren’t incredibly close the first two years, so that was a bummer looking back,” Jake said.

Despite occasional contention, the twins have tightened their bonds by providing academic and moral encouragement during the high school rollercoaster.

“Some of the best memories I have are just driving home from parties while it’s really late, and rambling in long, thoughtful conversations with Stuart,” Claire said. “I remember very particular, subtle moments that are not necessarily rare or dramatic.”

Growing up with a twin may affect how people see individuals. As twins who have attended the same school for at least the past four years, if not their entire life, the Zhangs learned to branch out and distinguish themselves from their sibling.

“SJS is bigger than our middle school was, so we don’t have all the same classes, and we’ve deviated in our interests,” Vicky Zhang said. “At T.H. Rogers we didn’t have much more identity other than Vicky’s twin and Vincent’s twin. At SJS, we have more individuality.”

With the variety of courses and extracurricular activities available, it did not take long for the twins to develop diverging interests and form their own identity.

“My academic strength is math, and I’m also in choir and theatre,” Connor Albert said. “Paige is more into world language and English classes. She’s also more of the athlete.”

Rather than confining themselves to their respective talents, siblings often influence one another’s interests.

“Claire does quiz bowl, dance and has been in choir since she was seven, but she isn’t into sports,” Stuart said. “I tried to get her into playing golf, and she persuaded me to get interested in theatre.”

Jake said, “Although we’re academic opposites, Carson and I both loved running track together.”

Twins now find themselves moving onto different paths, sometimes thousands of miles away. The college application processes contrasted greatly for the Alberts and Shepherds.

“Paige stressed athletics, and I was going purely off of academics. I applied to 11 schools, whereas she applied to one,” Connor said. “It wasn’t easy for either of us.”

The Shepherds had opposing preferences in regards to school size and community.

“While Sam was looking at big and medium sized schools, I looked for small schools because small class sizes were important to me,” Maudie Shepherd said.

“We were also looking for different social scenes. I am going to Pepperdine, and Sam is going to SMU.” College choices mark a more pro-

nounced divergence as they prepare for a life away from their family and siblings.

No twin shares the same career goals.

“I was looking for a liberal arts school because I’m still unsure what profession I want, but Jake knew that he wanted to go to an engineering school with a computer science program,” Carson said. “Also, I wanted to play college field hockey, which sped up my decision process.”

While Claire wished to attend a northeastern school with a strong history program, Stuart envisioned his college life as being near the coast, studying marine science.

“Claire hopes to become a lawyer after college and was accepted to Princeton through early action,” Stuart said. “I will be at William and Mary in Virginia next fall.”

Vicky and Vincent Zhang will attend Northwestern and Duke, respectively.

“I’m studying economics because it gives a strong foundation for pursuing business later on,” Vicky said.

“Though I’m not completely sure what I want to pursue, biomedical engineering seems like a promising major for me at Duke,” Vincent said.

Despite their differences, the siblings are grateful for a family member’s trust and unconditional support.

“Don’t be afraid to talk to each other and lean on each other,” Maudie said. “St. John’s is too hard to get caught in rivalry.”

Stuart recommended a balance between individuality and solidarity with your twin.

“Freshman year, we had the same friend group, and teachers thought it was so cute when we hung out. Try to branch out from each other and find something that’s your own, but appreciate what you have.

Don’t tire it out, but be grateful for trust,” Stuart said.

After all, having to leave a sibling after a whole childhood of sticking together, or being stuck together, can be difficult to endure.

Carson said, “It will be hard not to have the person who has been there for you for your entire life.”

JAKE AND CARSON PEACOCK

VINCENT AND VICKY ZHANG

CLAIRE AND STUART JONES

MAUDIE AND SAM SHEPHERD

CONNOR AND PAIGE ALBERT

Iambic pentameter The five sets of senior twins (the Shepherds, the Jones, the Zhangs, the Alberts and the Peacocks) will separate the first time as they head off to college in the fall.

MATT SNIVELY

Above photos by Marisa Murillo (1 and 3), Jared Margolis (2), Erin Haney (4) and Austin Zhang (5)

THE REVIEW GRADUATION 2014

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FEATURES LISTENING TO BLUES

Synesthetes weave senses, words with color

SUNNIE LIU

Students visualize colors as a result of neurological anomaly

by Gabe Malek and Christopher Zimmerman

T

he same phenomenon that caused Vincent Van Gogh to hear different sounds as he painted also helped senior Anna Huang memorize Greek and Latin vocabulary for Certamen.

Known as synesthesia, the condition causes an involuntary association between two seemingly unrelated senses, often causing a link between words or music and color.

Junior Martha Jamail and Senior Zack Lee are two other SJS synesthetes.

“When I listen to music, each pitch has its own color without even thinking about it,” Lee said.

Synesthesia does not always involve a connection with colors.

“I have ordinal linguistic personification synesthesia which means I associate specif-

vocab words for Latin and Greek because I ic personality traits to individual digits,” can make an association between [a] word Jamail said. and a color,” Huang said.

Jamail and Huang faced problems early Synesthesia helps Lee add a nuance to in their lives before understanding their his violin playing. condition.

“For major pieces I feel warm colors, and “When I was little, it was tough to for minor pieces I feel cold colors, so it learn the colors because the word green helps me put a causes me lot of emoto see blue, tion into my and that was playing,” Lee confusing,” “It was tough to learn the colors said. “I don’t Huang said. think it’s a huge Jamail also because the word green advantage. It struggled becauses me to see blue.” just helps me cause of her a bit with my subconscious associations Anna Huang musicality.”

Because “Math can synesthesia sometimes be tricky because I like to group certain occurs subconsciously, many people may be unaware that they have it, and instead numbers together, especially when I was assume that everyone makes those same younger. It’s a subconscious thing,” Jamail associations. said.

“I didn’t know I had it until Mr. [Scott] Over time, students have learned to use Bonasso pointed it out to me in seventh synesthesia to their advantage. grade,” Lee said.

Hence Huang’s superstar status at Cer“He was playing notes and chords on a tamen. “I actually use it to help me learn

piano to test us on musical pitches, and I got every single one right,” Lee said. “He asked me if I had perfect pitch, which I knew I had, and then he asked if I had synesthesia. He told me what it was, and then I figured out that I had it.”

Huang discovered that she was a synesthete last year.

“I used to think that everyone had it, but then junior year I wrote an English paper about the association I made between words and colors, and Dr. Bellows told me that I had synesthesia,” Huang said.

In order to raise awareness, scientists at synesthete.org have developed the synesthesia battery, an online survey used to collect data from synesthetes.

“If you think you have synesthesia, you take the quiz, and then the website will send you an information packet,” Lee said.

It’s an attempt for synesthetes to learn more about what they have.”

All three students have reached a point in which they can tune out their synesthesia.

Lee said, “It’s usually not a big deal for me unless I really focus on it.”

FAMOUS SYNESTHETES Mary J. Blige: “I see music in colors.

That’s how my synesthesia plays out.”

Duke Ellington: “When I hear sustained musical tones, I see them in textures.”

Billy Joel: “When I think of different types of melodies which are slower or softer, I think in terms of blues or greens...When I [see] a particularly vivid color, it’s usually a strong melodic, strong rhythmic pattern that emerges at the same time. When I think of these songs, I think of vivid reds, oranges and golds” Frank Ocean: His first album, Channel Orange, named as such because Orange is the color Ocean reportedly sees when falling in love.

Vincent Van Gogh had technique-timbre synesthesia. Van Gogh would hear different sounds as he drew and painted different things.

Kanye West: “Yeezus, though, was the beginning of me as a new kind of artist, stepping forward with what I know about architecture, about classicism, about society, about texture, about synesthesia—the ability to see sound—and the way everything is everything.”

Pharrell Williams: “I could always visualize what I was hearing… it was always like weird colors.”

Stevie Wonder is pop culture’s most famous example of a blind synesthete.

The blind often get synesthetic impressions in their mind’s eye when their other four senses are stimulated.

Source: Wikipedia (famous synesthetes)

GRADUATION 2014 THE REVIEW

7

ENTERTAINMENT STUDIO TIME

MYTH founder flies solo to produce mixtape

Musically inclined alumnus adopts new recording persona, takes year off to develop personal style

COURTESY PHOTO

King of Nothing Daren Napier (’12), who enjoyed minor stardom with his high school rap group MYTH, signed with Wavey Media Group and is currently working on his first solo mixtape, “Ashli Orion.” Since splitting with MYTH, Napier has released three songs and opened shows at the University of Texas in Austin for Waka Flocka Flame and A$AP Ferg.

by Gabe Malek and Christopher Zimmerman

F

rom headlining Upper School music chapel to opening for Waka Flocka Flame, Daren Napier (’12) has climbed the ranks of the music industry.

Napier started the rap group MYTH as a high school junior with classmates Matt McKinney and Henry Morris (both ’12).

“MYTH was kind of an accident in a lot of ways, but it just worked out,” Napier said. “I have always been a fan of music, and I always used to mess around and write my own stuff.”

Although the group continued after they graduated, after the release of their album “We the Mayans” last May, the trio decided to go their separate ways.

“We were all a bunch of kids trying to be serious musicians, but we didn’t have the product or the know-how,” Napier said.

“All of us had kind of sensed that MYTH had realized its full potential.”

Napier’s love of music pushed him into pursuing a solo career. He took a year off from school at Columbia University and released music to improve his technical skills and develop a unique style.

“By the time I was finished with this transformation, I felt like I couldn’t continue branding myself as ‘D-Naps the King,’” Napier said. “At the suggestion of

“Nick and I are a unit,” Napier said. “We my close friend, I changed it to ‘King of have such a great understanding of each Nothing.’” other musically and as people, and we both Although Napier abandoned his former work incredibly hard to achieve the best moniker, his past work helped him garner possible sound.” the attention of Sam Davidoff, the CEO Over the past few months, Napier has of Wavey Media Group. Napier eventually been focusing on his latest project, “Ashli signed with the record label. “[Davidoff] initially offered to help fund Orion,” which his first solo mixtape. “‘Ashli’ is so long in the making that I and distribute my mixtape when it was can honestly still being say that you written and wouldn’t be conceptuready even if I alized, and “Ashli is so long in the making told you how I declined,” Napier said. that I can honestly say that you good it is,” “When I Napier said. wouldn’t be ready even if I told had come During the close to finrecording you how good it is.” ishing and process, Napier began to Daren Napier (’12) partnered with realize how Grammy good the Award-winning project was, I reached out to Sam because sound engineer Mickael Zibi, famous for I needed as much help as I could possibly his work with artists such as Paul Wall, Lil get.”

Jon and Chris Brown.

Past work with MYTH even helped Na“He’s been a huge mentor to me and pier establish a new team of producers and helped me really refine my sound and valmusicians. Napier met his current produc- idate that it is what we think it is,” Napier said. er Nick Nañez while working on the song Nañez has also played a part in the “Invest in Me” for “We the Mayans.” mixtape.

Nañez and Napier united to honor the “Nick really challenges me as far as legacy Ali Mirza, a friend who passed away in 2013 production, so all the songs flow very well

but sound entirely different from one another,” Napier said. “It’s just so much more genuine and serious than anything I’ve ever been a part of, and I can’t wait for it to be heard.”

Although “Ashli Orion” has not yet been released, Napier has already opened shows for Waka Flocka Flame and A$AP Ferg at the University of Texas in Austin. The three songs that Napier has released, “Ridin’ with my Fadie,” “GT” and “Carol and Sullivan Freestyle,” have already garnered thousands of plays on King of Nothing’s SoundCloud.

Napier’s high standards and desire for perfection motivate him in his music.

“My plan is to keep working as hard as I possibly can and always push myself to release great projects,” Napier said. “The goal is never to stop whatever I’m doing that particular day until it’s not good but great. I had hundreds of verses that I threw away just because I knew that they were decent as opposed to excellent.”

Napier plans to take his career as King of Nothing as far as possible.

“The general consensus of me, my team and my family is that this is what I’m supposed to be doing,” Napier said. “I’m confident that if I keep making connections and spreading my name, then ‘Ashli’ will be the catalyst for some huge opportunities.”

THE REVIEW GRADUATION 2014

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IN FOCUS

1 MR. BASKETBALL

SJS MOVERS

Students packed the stands of Liu Court, Nov. 21, eyes fixated on the five caps sitting atop the table. Over 7,000 viewers watched The Review Online’s Livestream, awaiting the decision from senior basketball phenom Justise Winslow.

Multiple media outlets showcased Winslow’s selection of Duke University over Florida, Texas A&M, UCLA and Arizona.

“I decided to make the best decision for my family, me and my future,” Winslow said.

In February, Winslow led the basketball team to its third SPC title in four years. He was named Texas Mr. Basketball in May by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

2 ART IS IN THE AIR Over 3,800 hipsters and band geeks flooded the school for the ISAS Arts Festival, April 3-5. As balloons floated through the air, music blasted from speakers around Skip Lee Field and the gym. Attendees watched student performances and attended workshops.

“It was a new way to meet new people and share your interests with others,” junior Quincy Cotton said.

Even though teachers lost three days of classes, many students found ISAS an enriching experience.

Sophomore Isabelle Draper said, “I thought it was a great opportunity to see a lot of different art from other schools.”

5 BILDUNGSRO(MEN)

Physics teacher Erol Turk saw that the school lacked a support and instructional group for boys and decided to fill the void with the creation of Boys to Men. “One of our big goals, right from the beginning, [was] to establish trust,” Turk said. “Guys treat each other differently and have different interactions than those that women have.

They have to feel safer in order for them to open up.”

Boys to Men has dealt with issues varying from dating advice to fighting techniques.

Junior Peter Cordill said, “It is good to know you have a teacher who understands and can sympathize with some of the situations teenagers find themselves in.”

7 DINING AL FRESCO

2014 8 MASTERS OF ART: BENITEZ AND HAVEL

Despite the absence of a true cafeteria since March, students have fully embraced the outdoor lunch experience.

The wooden tables provide a fresh outdoor scent to the plaza area. On stormy days, students scurry inside to avoid the downpour, which has led to more student-teacher bonding.

Some miss the variety of the old cafeteria.

“I have never eaten as much unhealthy food as with the new cafeteria,” Latin teacher Mindy Wolfrom said.

Despite the more limited menu, some students enjoy the change in scenery.

Sophomore Jacob Pesikoff said, “I like [the new cafeteria situation] because it provides an opportunity to be outside when the weather is good and enjoy the outdoors.”

Visual arts teachers Chuy Benitez and Dan Havel received prestigious accolades this year.

Havel was named an Art League Houston Artist of the Year along with collaborator Dean Ruck.

“He doesn’t stick within the borders, and he allows us to do crazy things,” sophomore Lauren Jhin said. “Like when Winston was being torn down, he let a class paint on the walls.”

Photography teacher Chuy Benitez also brought home the hardware with a Houston Press Mastermind Award.

Benitez said, “I knew that I wanted to be a photographer once I realized what I wanted to say, to communicate artistically.”

11 CALENDAR CRUNCH

12 SJS BRAIN TRUST

Thanks to a combination of “snow” days, ISAS and a gas leak, students enjoyed lots of bonus time off this year.

Although having only 12 days of school in March (11 for seniors) seems nice, some students felt that the time crunch caused work to pile up with the return to classes.

“I actually hated missing school because it just ended up being another day when I stayed inside, did nothing and worked, or in the case of ISAS, was forced to not work,” sophomore Isabelle Draper said. “In chemistry, we were rushing through material, so then it was really difficult for me because I was studying on my own time, which is not as productive.”

SJS has always been known for its academic prestige. This year many Mavericks were acknowledged nationally for their intellectual achievements.

Senior Fred Lang won $10,000 by placing sixth in the Siemens Competition for research on brain tumor treatment. Lang plans to continue his research this summer.

“I want to get back in the lab as soon as possible because I actually have three projects that I’m trying to work on,” Lang said.

Fellow senior Carlo De Guzman is the top Quiz Bowl player in the state.

Junior Deven Lahoti won the regional Citizen Bee and placed fourth in the nation in the Linguistic Olympiad.

GRADUATION 2014 THE REVIEW

COLLEGE SPECIAL

GRADUATION 2014 Our Journey Begins Here

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THE REVIEW GRADUATION 2014

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COLLEGE SPECIAL

Caroline Walsh Colgate

Gustavo Anaya Cornell

Vicky Zhang Northwestern

Christie Dawson Stanford

Jo Chen Fordham

Daniel Jellins UChicago

Joshua Hanson Stanford

Cameron Hull Fordham

Lydia Liu UChicago

Pallavi Krishnarao Stanford

Sloan Barna

Katherine McFarlin UChicago Sarah Gow Pepperdine

Elisabeth Andreeff NYU

Daniel Bland Notre Dame

Danielle Rubin UChicago

Claire Dorfman NYU

Kriste Colum

Srini Kumar NYU

Ch

Maudie Shepherd Pepperdine Harsha Bandi UCLA

Cole Johnson Duke

Kathryn Boom Wash U in St. Louis

Jinni Kim UCLA

William Clutterbuck Wash U in St. Louis

Mary Ellison USC

Connor Albert Stevens Institute of Technology

Matthew Kreutter Wash U in St. Louis

Ryan Schick USC

Andrew Chung Princeton

Isabelle Metz Wash U in St. Louis

Gracie Voss USC

Claire Jones Princeton

Justin Vincent Wash U in St. Louis

Sean Yuan USC

Janine Louie Carnegie Mellon

Fred Lang Samantha Duke Duke

Wes Wallace North Carolina Douglas Moody Wake Forest Sam Elkins Vanderbilt

Paige Albert Davidson

April Chang Penn

Anna Huang Vanderbilt

Hana Wolf Sewane

Virginia Waller University of San Diego

William Ehrhardt Andrei Osypov TCU UT Dallas

Brooks Arnold Texas

Wain Wanguri Houston Baptist

Carl Bernicker Texas

Francesca Ervin Houston

Michael Bloom Texas

Daniel Halevy Houston

Zack Lee Texas

Meg Bres SMU

Sira Ntagha SMU

Cad

Carlo Zach Coton De Guzman Clay Hatcher Connor Landrum Max Melcher Christop Texas A&M Texas A&M Texas A&M Texas A&M Texas Texas A&M

Justin Bernard Aaron Chu Erin Haney Lauren Hodgson Rice Rice Rice Rice

Kasey French Ginny Griffin Texas Texas

Virginia Claire DeLuc College of Charlesto

Elise Viguet Arkansas

Taylor Heeg Colorado School of Mines

Austin Allday Texas

Thomas Dawson Texas

Caroline Owen Sewane

Meghan Chapman Penn

Bonnie Bering Chapman University

Caroline Craddock Texas

Will Dus Belmon

Carolyn Martin Texas

Caroline Reasoner Texas

Nikolai Hood Rice

Charlotte Paine Preston Ray Texas Texas

Mikaela Juzswik Rice

Jack Kaplan Rice

Jack Miller Sara Reddy Texas Texas

Stuart Stedman Texas

Legend

SENIORS 2014

Polar Express

Southern Hospitality

Airport Transfer

Texas Spur

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GRADUATION 2014 THE REVIEW

S3

COLLEGE SPECIAL

Joseph Caplan Tufts

Celia Lewis Tufts

John Peavy Tufts

Xavier Amy Gonzalez Kang Harvard Harvard

Helene Snyder Boston College

Caroline Labanowski Harvard

Alyyah Malick Harvard

Alezeh Rauf Wellesley

ne Gustafson ard

Jack Simmons MIT

Parker Donaldson Boston University

en Santiago mbia

hloe Desjardins Trinity College

Carson Peacock Middlebury

Jeffrey Fastow Dartmouth Eden Epner Johns Hopkins

a Neal Justise Winslow Vincent Zhang Duke Duke Abby Avery Washington and Lee

Risher Randall Washington and Lee

Andrew Warden Maryland

Virginia Reynolds Catholic University

son nt

Kelly Buckner Virginia

St. John’s School Houston, Texas

ns ee

ff ee

Preston Neal Georgia

ca on

Sam de Shanks Shepherd SMU SMU

Meredith Lloyd Georgia Tech

Molly William Vitek Trieschman Georgia Tech Mercer

Caroline Harrell Virginia Jim Mace Virginia Stuart Jones William and Mary

Helen Galli American University Christina Moss American University Jay Bhandari Georgetown Nikhila Krishnan Georgetown

William Underwood SMU

Camilla Manca Trinity University

pher Rech Daniel Treat Matthew Urdahl s A&M Texas A&M Texas A&M

Chelsea Livingston Jake Nyquist Jake Peacock J.T. Trauber Rice Rice Rice Rice

William Mercado Rustic Pathways GAP Program

Ryan Friedman NYU Shanghai Chloe Francis University of Edinburgh

Elliot Cheung Cambridge Stacie Dudley McGill University

Michael Timte Texas

Kristen Willson Texas

Grace Winston Texas

Pacific Line

Betwixt and Between

David Ziemnicki Texas

George Davies University of St. Andrews

Map Design by Parker Donaldson and Jake Nyquist Cover photo by Bonnie Bering Senior group photos by Matt Snively Colleges choices as of May 16 Cover modeling by Jo Chen, Parker Donaldson, Jeffrey Fastow, Sarah Gow and Hana Wolff

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COLLEGE SPECIAL

THE REVIEW GRADUATION 2014

Senior members of The Review will be reporting to both domestic and international locales for their next assignment.

Pictured are Srini Kumar, Amy Kang, Samantha Neal, Alyyah Malick, Lydia Liu, Pallavi Krishnarao (front row), William Clutterbuck, Jake Nyquist, Parker Donaldson, Elliot Cheung and adviser David Nathan (back row).

Prefects Daniel Jellins, Jo Chen, Joshua Hanson (front row), Jeffrey Fastow, Nikolai Hood (middle row) and Head Prefect Sira Ntagha (back row) take their SAC expertise from coast to coast.

Pallavi Krishnarao, Virginia Waller, Gracie Voss, Christie Dawson, Maudie Shepherd, Bonnie Bering (front row), Joshua Hanson, Ryan Schick, Mary Ellison, Sean Yuan, Sarah Gow and Jinni Kim (back row) pursue their California dreams.

Students attending the University of Texas at Austin

Students playing sports in college

19

20

Students attending a public univeristy

47

Students attending colleges in California

13

Risher Randall, Virginia Waller, Caroline Reasoner, Lydia Liu, Andrew Chung, Alyyah Malick and Carolyn Martin gather for the final Senior Tea of the year.

GRADUATION 2014 THE REVIEW

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IN FOCUS

3 GOODBYE, REVEREND

4 WRECKING BALL The Campus Expansion project displaced the Admissions, College Counseling, Breakthrough Houston and Business offices, as well as art classrooms and the cafeteria.

Though the work has resulted in the closing of Blanco’s and the demolition of the River Oaks Plant House and Winston Hall, many look forward to the Great Lawn, 5,000-square-foot arts complex and new cafeteria.

“I think the Great Hall is going to look great, and having a cafe will be nice after an all-nighter,” sophomore Kyra Link said. “But the main thing I can’t wait for is to not have loud construction going on all the time.”

6 POPP INTO ACTION

The Review reflects on the impressive events, noteworthy figures and awe-inspiring accomplishments that have made 2014 outstanding.

Campus was full of upheaval this year, from construction to ISAS. Yet Dean of Students Stephen Popp was always ready to provide support for each class.

Popp worked extensively with Student Affairs Council to plan the transition of Senior Country to Trammel. Then he worked to find a compromise on parking that made both students and faculty happy. He even parked in Caven out of solidarity with students.

“Although we call Dean Popp the Dean of Students, he really has the task of managing the needs of both the students and the teachers,” Head Prefect-elect Akshay Jaggi said.

9 LONG LIVE SENIOR COUNTRY

10 MAVERICK FILMMAKERS

& SHAKERS

Reverend Greg Han is departing to assume the position of Director of Interfaith Relations at his beloved Interfaith Ministries.

Han’s six-year tenure has been characterized by spiritual growth and development both inside and outside the classroom.

“This year we had some really successful services that excited the student body and gave us something to ponder throughout the week,” incoming Chapel Guild co-chair Emily Sherron said.

Among the Chapels that stimulated the spiritual thinking of students were the “This I Believe” series.

Reflecting on his time at St. John’s, Han said, “I have learned more and more the difference between intelligence and wisdom, between information and understanding, and that questions are as important as answers.”

After years as a haven for seniors to sleep, hang out with their peers and, of course, play Super Smash Bros., Senior Country was closed on Feb. 26.

The class of 2014 left their mark on the now-demolished icon of senior status by spray painting the walls. Truthfully, Senior Country lost its productive atmosphere long ago.

Students plan to create an environment conducive to both studying and socializing. Representatives from grades nine through eleven met three times to discuss the design of the new Senior Country. They met with architects from Kendall/Heaton Associates and went to McCoy Workplace Solutions, a furniture store that specializes in office design.

“I’ve been greatly impressed by the efforts of the student committee,” Dean Popp said. “The students are providing great insight and perspective, and I’m excited to see the finished product.”

Continuing his impressive legacy, Wes Anderson (’87) released his critically acclaimed “Grand Budapest Hotel” on March 7, which became his biggest box office success, earning over $53 million as of May 16.

New to the movie industry were graduates Gabi Chennisi, Bubba Fish, and Michael Steves (all ’09) with their indie horror-comedy “Clinger.” The film was shot on campus and included many students and faculty in small parts or as extras.

“It was really fun even though the hours were crazy,” sophomore Maya Bhandari said.

Topping an impressive year in film, Zach Heinzerling (’02) earned his first Oscar nomination for the documentary feature “Cutie and the Boxer.”

13 PROCRASTINATION STATION

14 FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Productivity waned as students played games ranging from Clash of Clans to Flappy Bird to 2048.

“I generally play an emulator on my phone, which allows you to play old-school Gameboy games like Pokemon, and Hearthstone’s now on the iPad, so I tend to not get any work done when I have electronics around,” sophomore Jordan McLemore-Moon said.

The simplicity of this year’s games made them more addictive.

Lastly, The Review would like to recognize Headmaster Mark Desjardins for his open-mindedness and support. We have published many thought-provoking and potentially controversial articles, such as gambling and drunk driving.

The editors were initially nervous to approach Dr. Desjardins with these ideas, but we were relieved by his approval and his enthusiasm.

We are grateful for the support we have received from the administration especially because private schools are not bound by law to grant student newspapers freedom of the press. We have strived to make The Review an honest source of news and draw attention to important issues. This would not have been possible without Dr. Desjardins’ trust in our journalistic abilities. We thank him for his willingness to treat us as professionals and foster a collaborative relationship between the student press and administration.

“A lot of games I play are easy but hard to master,” sophomore Alex Hammerman said.

“These apps like 2048, Flappy Bird, and Don’t Step on the White Tiles don’t take much time per each play, but accomplishing the objective can take weeks or even months.”

Stories by Editors|Photos by Priyanka Jain, Amy Kang, Jared Margolis and Jake Nyquist

THE REVIEW GRADUATION 2014

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BEYOND TRUE SOUTHERN BELLES

Debutantes curtsey way towards high society

by Inaara Malick

friendships but also rekindle relationships they had in Middle and Lower School. ong gowns, elegant gloves, glass “The best part was that one of my best slippers, but no disappearance at friends, Briana Williams, who also gradumidnight necessary. Welcome to the world ated from SJS with me, was one of my deb of debutantes. sisters,” Lockett said.

A debutante is a girl who has reached the There are traditions unique to debutantes age of maturity and is introduced to sociin each state. One of the most challenging ety at ball. Originally, being a debutante traditions that Texas debutantes have to meant being eligible for marriage. The master is the “Texas Dip.” ball was designed to introduce the girl to The Dip is a bow in which a young prospective suitors. Although the number woman kicks her leg back, cricks her knee of debutantes has decreased as the meaning forward, throws her arms apart, and drops of the title has evolved, they are still a part to the floor. The deeper the dip, the better of society, especially in the South. the bow. Girls drop so low that their chins A select group of students pursue becom- almost touch the ground before they face ing debutantes after they graduate. the challenge of getting back up again.

Annabel “It’s a thrill Massey (’11) getting up said, “Being there on stage a debutante in front of “Being a debutante was never was never everyone and a lifelong a lifelong dream, but it was defi- having to dream, but it do the bow,” was definitely nitely an honor and a privilege.”

Massey said. an honor and Olivia a privilege.”

Flores (’09) Annabel Massey (’11) did the bow The process is different with a broken for everyone; collarbone, some girls have been planning their balls one arm in a sling, wowing everyone in the for years. Others started only months audience. before their debut.

Despite all the pomp, circumstance and “My community rallied around ‘their grandeur, debutantes will most cherish girls’ and the debs really supported one an- the memory of being surrounded by their other. If anyone needed help, you had five friends and family. girls jumping up to do it,” Sofia Frommer “The most memorable part was the ball (’11) said. and getting to have all my family and Debutantes go through a set of etiquette friends with me in that special moment,” classes, dancing lessons and self-confidence Lockett said. and speaking workshops before their ball.

The dads of the debutantes escort their “Initially, I did it just because it was a daughters on stage. ritual for girls in my chapter of the Jack Massey said, “It was a very special moand Jill organization, an African-American ment with my dad walking me around and family organization, but I ended up really escorting me.” liking it,” Lauren Lockett (’13) said.

Even though not all the girls had a Each debutante needs to find the perfect dream of becoming a debutante, they were dress for her ball. all glad they did it.

“Dress shopping was the most interesting “I came out with a totally different persince you kind of find a gown that speaks spective after the whole thing,” Frommer to you, that fits your personality, and that said. “What I found truly amazing about you could see yourself being presented in,” the entire deb process was the spirit of Frommer said. community. You really felt like you beThrough debuting, debutantes form new longed to something bigger.”

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COURTESY PHOTO

Belles of the Ball Annabel Massey (right), a 2011 graduate, celebrates at her debutante ball with her two sisters, Phoebe (left), a 2009 graduate of SJS, and Daria (center).

Catching up with

Former Review Editors-in-Chief

Andrew Vogeley (’13)

Pooja Salhotra (’12)

Mariam Matin (’11)

I’m at Stanford and I’m undeclared, although I’ll probably end up majoring in Political Science, History, or Psychology.

In the fall, I covered student government for the Stanford Daily. I became a desk editor this spring. The college newspaper cycle is quite different from that of The Review. For one, the Daily publishes five issues a week, which means, as an editor, I’m editing a story at least every other night. At the college level, it’s more difficult to write longer, more involved stories because we are so focused on getting the paper out every night.

The skills journalism teaches are valuable no matter the career one pursues. Perhaps I’ll pursue a career in journalism — I’ve got some time to figure that out, though.

Even if I don’t, I’ll always be indebted to my time on The Review.

I go to Yale University and I’m double majoring in Psychology and Economics.

I did not do any student journalism during my freshman year, but I joined the Yale Daily News in the fall of my sophomore year. I write for the city desk, specifically covering the “Town-Gown” beat which focuses on YaleNew Haven relations. This has been an amazing beat because I’ve gotten to cover issues ranging from how students approach homelessness in New Haven to Yale alums running for city council. Writing for a daily college paper is so different from writing for The Review just because we are on a different timeline.

Right now I’m not sure what I want to do after graduation, but journalism is definitely something I’m considering. I’m keeping my options open — not closing any doors.

I’m a rising senior at Georgetown University and am majoring in Psychology and Economics. A bit of strange mix, certainly, but for me I see it as unique opportunity to examine human behavior.

I no longer do student journalism, but I think my time on The Review has been incredibly valuable in other ways. When I was EIC, I was overseeing our largest staff of record, which offered me an incredible opportunity in management and project supervision, skills that have carried me far since leaving SJS. I learned how much I enjoy the challenge of overseeing big groups of people and major projects, and that has pushed me to be a leader.

Because The Review gave me the leadership skills, and more importantly, the confidence, to follow my passions in a big way long, it will always have a special place in my heart.

GRADUATION 2014 THE REVIEW

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OPINIONS EDITORIAL

Weekly chapel should become more inclusive Each Wednesday morning, the student body takes 40 minutes to escape from the pressures of the classroom and gather together, from freshmen students to senior teachers, all congregated as one. Sometimes we’re in the sanctuary, sometimes in the VST, greeted by organ or piano music as we enter. Some sing, most don’t, but week after week students are handed bulletins with hymns printed on them.

And, despite the community’s mosaic of beliefs, the weekly gatherings incorporate Christian traditions.

Chapel is a long-standing tradition.

Though the school has never been denominational, it has had a close relationship with the neighboring St. John the Divine church since 1946 when SJD donated the land that would become SJS. Chapel exposes students to ideas from outside the community and helps them learn from each others’ experiences. It is a wonderful outlet for students to explore their own spirituality as well as gain an understanding of the practices of others; however, we believe that this search for spirituality does not necessarily need to be pursued in a religious manner.

According to the school website, “while SJS does not seek to indoctrinate students to any particular religion, the School acknowledges the importance of religious faith and a solid spiritual foundation.”

IAN MELLOR-CRUMMEY

Hail St. John’s Every Wednesday, the Upper School congregates in St. John the Divine for Chapel, a long-standing tradition that brings all students together under one roof.

But the inclusion of the Lord’s Prayer and hymns in our chapel services excludes rather than includes all members of the community, divides rather than unites as chapel is intended. With our diverse community, having chapel follow a predominantly Christian format — though it may be that of the majority — impedes universal participation. For many who are not part of a Christian belief system, the weekly Chapel can feel alienating.

With Chapel Guild entering a transitional period, next year offers an incredible opportunity to reevaluate the purpose of Chapel.

The Editorial Board believes that a weekly service in the church could be replaced with a weekly assembly that would bring the community together in a more secular setting, such as in the VST. Key components, such as a speaker, the alma mater and a moment of silence, would be retained, but the assembly would proceed without the Christian overtones that Chapel currently possesses. Changing Chapel to more of an assembly does not entail a complete elimination of any religiously affiliated speakers; however, we think there is a serious conflict when, for example, a Jewish speaker comes to the

podium after the congregation has recited The Lord’s Prayer.

Spirituality is a difficult, if not impossible, term to explain, and we’re not going to try to define it. However, we do think that finding one’s spirituality is an individual journey that can be pursued in any way, religiously or not. We recommend that the “This I Believe” series, which allows students to hear about others’ spiritual lives, be retained and expanded to explore other beliefs. Meaningful lessons can be gleaned from any and all speakers, even without the Christian tradition that Chapel currently follows. By ridding Chapel of aspects that excludes members of the school community, this gathering would be more inclusive and effective at accomplishing its goal of developing a sense of community and spirituality.

SJS is not primarily a religious institution and has not been marketed or advertised as such. The school is renowned for its excellent academic programs, not for the religious fervor it instills in its students. Some are reluctant to deviate from a tradition that has been an integral part of the school since its inception; however, we have changed longstanding traditions in the past, such as the mascot. Just because Chapel is a tradition does not mean that it should be immune to change.

From the editors

Taking a minute to say goodbye

We’ve been saying goodbye all year, but it still doesn’t feel real.

Everyone has (almost) made it through another school year, and the seniors are graduating. To see where the members of the class of 2014 are heading off to college, see our special section.

For Sally, The Review has been a defining part of our senior year and our entire Upper School experience. We worked on articles and layouts in Q210 past sunset on countless school nights and came in on school holidays, including the last days of Winter Break and Spring Break.

Maybe it was the countless 60 Seconds that we’ve read over the years, but we were excited to write our own: Name Sally Grade Seniors State of mind *wringing hands* Known for Being “the face(s) of the Review” Color Review red Hate to love Late nights Love to hate Brown color schemes for a newspaper Happiness When the paper exports successfully

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Misery Word for word Sports team Everyone puts mavericks Olympic sport Rock garden raking Fav spot on campus Q210 Dream date Clylan Dark Relationship status Fourth wheeling Comfort food Beck’s Prime Guilty pleasure Dark chocolate pomegranate seeds Cafeteria food We only order in Place to live Review couches We wish The senior editors could stay together next year Treasured possession Quotes from justise winslow The best thing Unlimited supply of sweet potato fries Spirit animal The stuffed dog in the Review room that sings christmas songs Hero Tristar web graphics Superpower Timeliness Fictional character Trello Book We only read the newspaper TV show Jaywalking Movie Rushmore Website The Review Online

Phobia InDesign Stress reliever Listening to Jake’s stories Hidden talent Photoshop cutouts Motto “Engine of discourse” Anthem A$AP Rocky Doppelganger Each other Sing in the shower? Only Anya’s export song We are One person Item of clothing Review quarter-zip Secretly we Know everything about everyone We’d rather be At an NSPA convention Follow us? Because we can’t post anymore Thanks for a great year!

Love,

Samantha Neal, Alyyah Malick and Lydia Liu

The Review · St. John’s School · 2401 Claremont, Houston, TX 77019 · review.sjs@gmail.com · 713-850-0222 blogs.sjs.org/review · Facebook SJS Review · Twitter @SJS_Review · Instagram @_thereview

Member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown 2014, Gold Medalist 2012 & 2013 · National Scholastic Press Association-6th Place Best of Show (2012), First Class 2012 & 2013 Editors-in-Chief Lydia Liu, Alyyah Malick, Samantha Neal Senior Design Editor Parker Donaldson Online Editor Amy Kang Assignment Editors Rebecca Chen, Pallavi Krishnarao, Megan Routbort Design Editors Jessica Lee, Christopher Zimmerman Photography Editor Jake Nyquist Video Editor Emma Gobillot Copy Editors Iris Cronin, Tiffany Yue Asst. Online Editor Cara Maines Online Copy Editor Oliver Ruhl Social Media Editor Srini Kumar Business Manager William Clutterbuck Asst. Business Manager Gabe Malek

Staff Suman Atluri, Jay Bhandari, Kelly Buckner, Joseph Caplan, Stefania Ciurea, Elliot Cheung, Jake Chotiner, Chloe Desjardins, Claire Dorfman, Caroline Harrell, Anna Huang, Priyanka Jain, Eugenia Kakadiaris, Brooke Kushwaha, Mikaela Juzswik, Amy Liu, Christian Maines, Inaara Malick, Jared Margolis, Katherine McFarlin, Isabelle Metz, Matthew Neal, Andrei Osypov, Kanchana Raja, Megan Shen, Emily Sherron, Benjamin Shou, Matthew Steiner, Jennifer Trieschman, Irene Vazquez, Michael VerMeulen, Virginia Waller, Max Westmark Advisers David Nathan, Shelley Stein (‘88), Steve Johnson

Mission Statement The Review aims to inform the St. John’s community, prompt discussion, and recognize achievements and struggles through our print and online presence.

Publication Info The Review is published eight times a school year. We distribute 950 copies each issue, most of which are given for free to the Upper School community of 574 students and 80 faculty.

Policies The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions and staff editorials contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Headmaster or the Board of Trustees of St. John’s School. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the entire

editorial board unless otherwise noted. Writers and photographers are credited with a byline.

Corrections, when necessary, can be found on the editorial pages. Running an advertisement does not imply endorsement by the school.

Submission Guidelines Letters to the editor and guest columnists are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and good taste. On occasion, we will publish letters anonymously, provided the editor knows the author’s identity. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received. Either email letters and guest columns to review.sjs@gmail. com; give them to David Nathan in the Review Room (Q-210); or mail letters to The Review, 2401 Claremont, Houston, TX 77019.

THE REVIEW GRADUATION 2014

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OPINIONS DAWN OF A NEW SCHOOL

T-shirt day shows skewed college perspective Graduation becomes expectation for students not accomplishment

by Iris Cronin

Everyone waits with bated breath for T-Shirt Day. Even for underclassmen it has elements of holiday and spectacle. Yet for the most part, we ignore the assumption upon which this tradition operates — that everyone will show up in a shirt.

Our school is one of a handful in the country—perhaps in the world—where college attendance is viewed as the default outcome of higher education. The question is never if, but where. Where are you going to college? Where did you get in? Where are you looking? The other options, like vocational school or employment, are so ignored and so underrepresented as to be nonexistent.

This is not how the larger world operates. For millions of students outside these walls, high school graduation is not a starting pistol. It is a finish line.

Some will go to vocational school. Others will get a GED. Some will just disappear; the nationwide high school dropout rate is around seven percent. Yet the fact remains that at most schools, college is just one option in a sea of possible futures.

Here, we are an anomaly.

So, culturally, what does this mean about us? About the tone of our school community? As graduation draws near, these are questions worth examining.

On one hand, a milieu of academic achievement can be a great place to grow up. Everyone around you operates with the assumption that you will not only succeed in high school but also in the education-

TIFFANY YUE

al world beyond it. This can produce a culture of effort and innovation: teachers are attentive and available. Peers are challenging and engaging. At SJS, we have the luxury of rigorous preparation for a future no one questions. In short, nobody slips through the cracks when there aren’t any cracks.

But are there side effects? In a culture with such an intense emphasis on achievement, do we suffer even as we succeed?

Certainly with academic excellence comes competition, and it is not always of a healthy sort. Often, in the pressure cooker environment of our school, friendships are undermined and challenged by constant comparisons like grade sharing, award nominations and leadership appointments.

And the intense focus placed on success can actually distort the definition of

success: here, it translates not to personal achievement but to how much better you do than others. This is a profound and damaging loss of perspective.

By the same token, there is one success that everyone is robbed of: the success of graduation. Again, our perspective is distorted. Here, graduation isn’t a milestone or a momentous occasion. It’s a basic expectation. At other schools, especially those with high dropout rates or lots of first-generation college attendees, graduation is the epitome of celebration. It represents a major accomplishment, sometimes the first of its kind for a family, and sometimes the last of its kind for a student.

After high school, many students never attend another graduation.

Here though, graduation is just another event on the calendar. Why should you

celebrate accomplishing the bare minimum of what is expected? Seniors barely get a minute to congratulate themselves and appreciate their efforts before they are plunged into yet another aggressive, achievement-oriented environment: that of the competitive college.

And yet they should congratulate themselves. Completing four or more years of school here is no small feat; it is an exhausting, relentless, frustrating climb.

When successes come, they are always conditional. Yes, but what else can you do? Yes, but you’re still not as good as this person. Yes, but everyone can do that.

Graduation should be joyous, a moment of liberation from a vicious cycle. Instead we minimize it, the same way we minimize our other achievements.

So, yes, on T-Shirt Day, everyone has a shirt to wear. On T-Shirt Day, the perennial question is answered: Where are you going to college? The answer: somewhere.

Definitely somewhere.

But maybe we are asking the wrong questions. Maybe we should really be asking what it cost us to get there.

REVIEW ONLINE POLL How much attention do you pay on College T-shirt Day? Tons I love seeing where people are going (89%, 78 Votes) A little it doesn’t really pertain to me (11%, 10 Votes) None I don’t care (0%, 0 Votes) Poll taken from The Review Online.

Total Voters: 88 as of May 16.

Review collects accolades from national press associations

by Samantha Neal

This year, The Review has garnered accolades not only from within the school community but also from national organizations.

For the first time in the paper’s history, The Review was recognized as a Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Silver Crown winner. Crown awards are given to a select few student publications for overall excellence in visuals, design, coverage, photography, writing and editing.

The Review also received individual awards from CSPA. For the 2013 scholastic Gold Circle Awards, Nicole Lang (’13) received first place for single feature photograph and Anya Ring (’13) received a certificate of merit for sports news story and feature page design. Carolyn Brooks (’13), Ring and Lang were also honored with a certificate of merit for the “Sleepless in Houston” centerspread from the September 2013 issue.

In CSPA’s digital media category, junior Rebecca Chen won second place for her personality profile on Assistant Alumni Director Lorin Leatherwood. Junior Jessica Lee received third place in sports news for her article on wrestling’s SPC victory and a certificate of merit for her personality profile on senior Sloane Gustafson’s internship at Oscar de la Renta. Check out these award-winning articles on The Review Online.

In November, The Review attended

the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Fall Journalism Convention in Boston and submitted our October Issue and the Review Online for Best in Show.

Both our print and online publications received sixth place Best in Show from among 500 entries.

At the convention, editors entered write-off competitions, which required contestants to interview speakers and write articles in two hours. Those receiving a Superior rating included Chen in sports writing, junior Megan Routbort in review writing and senior Amy Kang in news writing.

NSPA also held a national contest honoring individuals for their journalistic work. Guan Chen (’13) received second place for her cartoon about SJS Confessions featured in the March 2013 issue and an honorable mention for her Graduation Issue comic. Senior Alyyah Malick and Iman Charania (’13) took home fourth place in the Story of the Year category for their article about the purchase of the Taub property, which appeared in the February 2013 issue. Ian Mellor-Crummey (’13) won fifth place in the Sports Reaction photo category for his picture of the football team celebrating their victory over Kinkaid that appeared on the cover of the November 2012 issue.

The Review received a First Class rating from the NSPA for the second straight year and a gold medal from the CSPA for the third consecutive year.

JAKE NYQUIST

In with the new Pictured above are the new editors. Editors missing are Iris Cronin, Oliver Ruhl, Megan Shen, Emma Gobillot, Irene Vazquez, Inaara Malick and Lucy Elkins.

New Editors 2014-2015

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Members on the Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Rebecca Chen, Megan Routbort Deputy Editor Iris Cronin Senior Design Editor Jessica Lee Online Editor Cara Maines The Editorial Board consists of those filling senior leadership positions. The Board is responsible for writing editorials as well as determining In Focus content and voting on all important decisions for The Review.

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Total number of Review editors Assignment Editors Brooke Kushwaha, Oliver Ruhl, Megan Shen Design Editors Tiffany Yue, Christopher Zimmerman Photography Editor Jared Margolis Video Editor Emma Gobillot Copy Editors Gabe Malek, Matthew Neal, Irene Vazquez Asst. Online Editor Amy Liu Social Media Editor Inaara Malick Business Manager Gabe Malek Asst. Business Lucy Elkins

GRADUATION 2014 THE REVIEW

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SPORTS

DIAMOND DREAMS

After Temple axes baseball, Halevy finds home at UH

by Gabe Malek and Christopher Zimmerman

D

aniel Halevy thought he had hit a homerun; he did not expect to be thrown a curveball.

In early fall, Halevy accepted a baseball scholarship to Philadelphia’s Temple University. But in November, Temple cut seven sports teams, leaving hundreds of student-athletes scrambling — the senior included.

“I was sitting in Ms. [Gara] Johnson-West’s room when I found out on ESPN that Temple decided to cut baseball and six other sports,” Halevy said. “Thirty seconds after that aired, I got a text from the assistant coach asking if I could call him. That was when I realized it was real.”

Halevy saw Temple as a good fit both athletically and academically.

“I went up on an official visit in October, and I loved it,” Halevy said. “They were in the new American Athletic Conference, they were playing in a minor league stadium, they had a spot available and they had a good business school.”

Prior to committing to Temple, several other schools, including the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and the University of Houston (UH), expressed interest in him.

“At the end of the summer, I decided that Penn was something that I wanted to do, but Ivy League schools don’t have scholarship money, so you have to get a likely letter,” Halevy said. “Unfortunately I did not get a likely letter, so it left me in a weird situation in September.”

Likely letters are notices from admissions offices ensuring students of their impending acceptance.

Division I and II schools that offer

baseball scholarships are allowed funds to provide 11.7 full rides that can be broken into 40 percent or more to spread the wealth among more students.

Halevy started the college recruitment process in junior year with the help of baseball coach T Riley.

“Starting at the beginning of my junior year, he helped make my recruitment video, and he was always calling and emailing people,” Halevy said. “He was there every step of the way, and he helped out with everyone.”

During the summer between his junior and senior years, Halevy played on a select summer team, the Columbia Angels, alongside fellow senior John Peavy.

“We played about eight weekends of showcase tournaments, and that is how you get in touch with college coaches,” Halevy said. “The coaches can’t contact the players until July. It was a really long process that summer, of playing baseball and talking to people.”

Temple allowed all seven programs to present their appeals to the Board of Regents and the university. Temple reinstated men’s and women’s crew, but terminated the baseball program effective July 1, 2014.

“My parents were very shocked after the Temple ordeal. They wanted me to quit,” Halevy said. “That’s sort of what parents should do though because I wouldn’t expect them to keep on pushing me to play college baseball. They wanted to see as many possible options, baseball or not.”

After Temple cut its baseball program, his college counselor, Bryan Rutledge, worked with him to find a new school.

“He actually got me in touch with the Trinity University program, which is a very good DIII school, and they had actually

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JAKE NYQUIST

Reaching base safely Senior Daniel Halevy boasts a four-year varsity batting average of .416. He will play for the University of Houston Cougars next season.

seen me throughout the summer,” Halevy said. “He was very proactive in finding as many avenues as possible, baseball or not.”

Other Texas schools also contacted Halevy following Temple’s athletic downsizing.

“The UH coach called me the day after the program was cut,” Halevy said. “He was pretty honest and straightforward and told me that they didn’t have scholarship money available, but we might be able to work out a deal.”

In January, Halevy went on an unofficial visit and workout at UH. Two weeks later, Halevy was offered a spot.

“I chose UH because it was an opportunity to try Division I baseball at a legitimate program that wants to be very good,” Halevy said.

Ultimately, Halevy is satisfied with the outcome.

Halevy said, “The worst-case scenario ended up working out.”

THE REVIEW GRADUATION 2014

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ODDS & ENDS

Extras JAKE NYQUIST

Work in progress An aerial shot of what has been affectionately dubbed “The Pit” shows the construction space that will be home to the Campus Center planned for Fall 2015. The construction has been a force to reckon with on campus, but, thanks to the efforts of students and the administration, coping with the disruption has been mostly manageable.

SAVE THE DATE

Sixty Seconds

May 19

with Sira Nubari Ntagha In our last feature of the year, we bequeath unto the SJS community a treasure trove of information about our Head Prefect, the one and only Sira Nubari Ntagha, who has improved life within the cloisters with her brilliant smile, sharp sense of humor and fearless leadership. Farwell to Sira and all of our other lovely seniors!

Name Sira “Siri” Ntagha Grade Senior State of mind Senioritis Known for Being in the hallway Color Blue Happiness Senior sign-outs Misery The drive home Sports team New Orleans Saints All Day Baby...Who Dat?

Baccalaureate (4:30 PM) in St. John the Divine Church

Olympic sport Racewalking Fav spot on campus Head Prefect Quarters (Doesn’t exist...or does it?)

Dream date Fro Yo Relationship status Married Comfort food My homemade brownies Hate to love Super Smash Bros.

Love to hate Isabel Wallace-Green lol Guilty pleasure Random Wikipedia articles Place to live Prague, Czech Republic I wish I could rule the school...oh wait Treasured possession My grandmother’s painting of Nigeria The best thing Senior Country Spirit animal Tiger Hero Stephen Popp Superpower Invisibility

Fictional character Dijonay Jones Book Day of Tears TV show Scandal Movie Rush Hour Trilogy Video game Super Mario Bros. Wii Website Facebook Phobia Snakes Stress reliever Kanye West Hidden talent Photographer Motto Make you feel some type of way Anthem Independent Women, Pt. 1 Doppelganger Michelle Obama I am Sira Nubari Ntagha and you better respect me I’d rather Do 20 hours of chores than drive the 30 miles to school Secretly I’m always in class Follow us? Of course!!!

I wanna be a sugah daddy, but not a baby daddy, because then I’d have to take care of the babies.

Mr. Soliman loses momentum in his discussion of locomotives I was talking to Dean Popp about the recent mono cases going around and I told him, you know, this is St. John’s and people are so competitive that it’s only a matter of time before people start showing up with “duo”.

Mr. Turk speculates on the future of disease

Shehzad Charania ranks his life priorities in the Patel advisory.

He submitted his essay at 2:56 a.m. last night. I wish someone would have told him it was due at 3 p.m., not 3 a.m.

2014 Graduates of St. John’s

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Reading Day and Headmaster’s Breakfast

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Math Exams 8th Grade Celebration

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US World Language Exams

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Memorial Day- No Classes K-12

Science Exams Therapy dogs in the Traditions Room

My son Anders likes to count the presidents on his table mat. He’ll happily go along until he gets to Grover Cleveland. Anders really hates Grover Cleveland. We think it’s the whole two presidencies thing.

Dr. Peterson speculates on the origin of his son’s dislike of our 22nd (or was he our 24th?) commander-in-chief

Dr. Bellows pities a night owl who seems to have misheard the Dropbox deadline

By the numbers

Commencement (5:00 PM) in Sarofim Hall at The Hobby Center

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Word for word Soundbites around campus Construction of the American railroads didn’t really pick up steam until the 1850s...no pun intended.

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History Exams

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English Exams Class 11 End-of-Year Party at the Ladjevardian Residence Class 10 End-of-Year Party at the Bayou Club Class 9 End-of-Year Party at the Bellaire Aquatics Center

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Used Uniform Sale Used Book Sale Make-Up Exams

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Free Press Summerfest starts

June 2

Summer Express begins Berry Elementary Tutoring begins

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Kantorei Farewell Conference in St. John the Divine

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Last Day of Summer Express

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Kantorei Leaves for Italy

9 Cristo Rey Tutoring starts MATT SNIVELY

So long, farwell Senior boys’ tennis players Ryan Friedman, Preston Ray, Xavier Gonzalez, Elliot Cheung, Michael Bloom and Daniel Jellins (left to right) are among the 142 seniors who will walk across the stage at Sarofim Hall on May 20 to receive their diplomas.

GRADUATION 2014 THE REVIEW

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ODDS & ENDS

Blast from the Past

Recalling the zeitgeist at the end of the ‘60s with Dan Friedman I graduated from high school in Brooklyn, New York, way back in 1973. A long time ago? Sure. But some of what went on that year might sound eerily familiar: A ceasefire was supposed to end a deeply unpopular war (Vietnam), but combat (and the draft) lingered on. Television news was full of government scandal and cover-up (Watergate). Terrorism and war in the Middle East led to an oil embargo and an energy crisis. Apollo 17 was our last trip to the moon.

Among the top songs were “You’re So Vain,” and “Crocodile Rock”; further down the charts, but big among the kids I knew were Pink Floyd’s “Money,” Edgar Winter’s “Free Ride” and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” (s/o to Astronomy class!)

But the truly hip couldn’t get enough of Series in seven games. But we celebrated “Reelin’ in the Years” and “Monster Mash.” as the NY Knicks beat the hated Lakers to Some noted the passing of an obscure become the NBA Champs (they haven’t author named J. R. R. Tolkien. “The God- done that again). father” won several Oscars, but Marlon The first cell phone calls were made from a portable phone (nicknamed the ‘brick,’ it Brando rejected his award, protesting movie depictions of Native Americans. The weighed 30 ounces). A computer communications system (TCP) was designed, but Miami Dolphins’ Super Bowl win capped it was 10 years before it worked (you call it off the NFL’s first perfect season (no one’ ‘the internet’). has done it again). George So have a great sumSteinbrenner bought the mer, but pay attention Yankees, bringing overDid you know? to what’s going on in the the-top player salaries to baseball. The Mets gave us Tolkien typed “The world. You never know when you’ll look back heart attacks, coming back Lord of the Rings” and wonder when that from 12.5 games out to win the NL pennant, latest and greatest using only two only to lose the World thing got started.

fingers.

Charted 

By Tiffany Yue

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McComic

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Film 25%

Photobook 12.5%

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Novel-writing 37.5%

Art 12.5%

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SJSproblems

Taking the AP Statistics and AP English Language exams back-to-back ...

Not being able to play Frisbee in the plaza anymore because of the picnic tables ...

Trekking to the VST to get your soda fix ...

No more Subway or beignets ...

Surviving two months without Country Cookies ...

Getting your school-sanctioned outerwear back out for 60-degree weather in May ...

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Turning in your last synthesis paper right before getting on the bus to SPC ...

Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits are only sold for twelve hours of the day ...

Senior Cotillion forms are due eight days after school ends ...

Being grossly underprepared for our exams in AP Sleeping ...

You recognize John Green from history cram sessions, not from his novels ...

You study all of Memorial Day Weekend

Featured Website The Review Online

In 2011, The Review took an astronomical leap from paper to pixel with the launch of The Review Online. In an effort to cover more stories on campus, report on breaking news and release more timely content, we created a single page to house articles and photos, accessible through the school’s website It was one giant leap for The Review, one small step for the SJS community.

We began with little pomp and fanfare, garnering an average of little more than 40 views per day.

Since its inauguration, The Review Online has grown exponentially. This year has brought the shattering of several records. We now see an average of over 300 hits per day. Our Livestream broadcast of Winslow’s signing drew over 17,000 viewers, our biggest number yet by far. Our presence on social media has grown; we have amassed over 500 Twitter followers and 600 Facebook likes. We’ve published over 300 articles.

For the second time since its launch, The Review Online is undergoing yet anoth-

er site redesign, this time with a more accessible domain name. Although the site is currently under maintenance, it will be ready to launch in September.

Moving from a linear homepage organization to a modular design will allow easier navigation through sections. The new design will provide a better framework to showcase our growing multimedia content, including photo galleries and video.

With the launch of our new site, we hope that The Review Online will continue to grow.

REVIEW ONLINE Facebook SJS Review Instagram _thereview Twitter @SJS_Review Website blogs.sjs.org/review

THE REVIEW GRADUATION 2014

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REARVIEW

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BLOOPERS

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For every good picture that goes into the newspaper, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of others that failed to make the cut. In our final Rearview, we look back on the memorable shots that made us smile throughout the year.

Sports shots often fall into two categories: award-winning or laugh-worthy. From junior Andrew Jing’s intense concentration during track meets (3) to sophomore Yo Akiyama’s headgear blocking his vision (2) to senior Jake Peacock’s gaping expression following a grueling cross-country race (5), sports photography does not always capture athletes at their most glamorous moments.

To combat the sleep deprivation that comes with attending or teaching at SJS, occasionally we just need a little downtime. Director of Curriculum Dwight Raulston and senior Jake Nyquist lounge at senior retreat in a style that would make Kate Winslet in “Titanic” jealous (4) while Director of Experiential Learning Marty Thompson takes a power nap on the couch in the History Department office (6).

Sorting through pictures is never boring.

Sometimes we’ll find something that we’d like to save for ourselves (if it weren’t against our policy). Senior Justin Bernard donning a Tigger suit and recreating a Lion King-esque moment with a Winnie the Pooh stuffed doll would definitely qualify as one of them (1).

We hope you enjoy the pictures that made us chuckle every time we saw them.

Photos by Kelly Buckner, Pallavi Krishnarao, Jared Margolis and Jake Nyquist | Story by Lydia Liu and Samantha Neal