November 2015 Issue

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Freshmen unfriend outmoded Facebook

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Social media giant falls out of favor as Instagram and Snapchat gain popularity

In it for the long run

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Faraguna siblings lead the pack as cross-country teams head into SPC

What’s Inside News Features Sports Centerspread

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Culture Opinions Odds & Ends.........

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ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER | SJSREVIEW.COM | 2401 CLAREMONT LANE · HOUSTON, TX 77019 | VOLUME 67 · ISSUE 2 · NOVEMBER 4, 2015

texas Campuses under the gun

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n June 13, 2015, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into effect a law that has triggered a wave of protests, resignations and nationwide controversy. The issue? Next year, students will be allowed to carry guns into their college classrooms.

For 20 years, Texans who were licensed to carry a concealed firearm were allowed to walk around college campuses with their weapon. This new Campus Carry law, SB 11, allows students to carry guns inside buildings as well.

SB 11 is scheduled to go into effect on August 1, 2016, the 50-year anniversary of the 1966 shooting spree at the University of Texas, which killed 14 and wounded 32 others.

Lawmakers cited public safety concerns in passing SB 11, arguing that arming students may prevent mass shootings like the recent ones at Umpqua Community

article by Cara Maines graphic by Matthew Neal College in Oregon and Texas Southern University.

“I am proud to expand liberty in the Lone Star State,” Abbott told the press. “By signing these bills into law, Texans can be assured that their Second Amendment rights will be stronger and more secure than ever before.”

Texas A&M freshman Will Pfieffer (‘15) supports the law and sees it as a deterrent to shooters.

“Law-abiding citizens carrying guns will prevent unlawful citizens from shooting large quantities of people,” Pfieffer said. “Unstable killers generally have been able to massacre a large amount of people without resistance because police are too far away to respond quickly enough. This bill will allow active shooters to be stopped before damage, if any, is done.”

The law was approved 98-47 by the Texas Legislature after being approved in both the House and the Senate.

Not all students see the law as contributing to public safety.

“I think it’ll make things more tense, as you have to start being conscious of whether or not someone’s carrying a gun and how inclined they might be to use it,” A&M sophomore Carlo De Guzman (‘14) said.

“I don’t think the solution to on-campus shootings is more guns.”

UT sophomore Charlotte Amandes (‘13) argues that the law will be abused by college students.

“College students are sleep-deprived, overly caffeinated, and anxiety prone — I don’t think many students are qualified to wield a gun,” Amandes said.

While private universities like Rice can opt out, public universities including Texas A&M and UT will be required to allow concealed weapons.

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THE REVIEW I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

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by Joseph Hlavinka

Nov. 13

New SAT troubles students, parents

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Microfinance travels to NYC

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News Briefs SAC delegation to visit Georgia school, observe schedule Head of Upper School Hollis Amley invited all 22 Student Affairs Council members to visit the Westminster School in Atlanta, Nov. 11-13. As student representatives, the members seek to gain ideas on how a schedule change affects students at a school like SJS. “Three years ago, Westminister dramatically changed its schedule using the same consulting company [SJS] did,” Amley said, referring to Independent School Management Inc. “Compared to SJS, Westminster has a similar student body, grade size and academic curriculum, which is why we wanted to observe how the new schedule affected those students before we implemented a similar new schedule here.”

SAC members will shadow students at the Westminster Schools during their rotating schedule.

“Even though I won’t be here to experience it, I’m hopeful that the new schedule will improve the overall well being of the student body,” Head Prefect Joseph Hanson said.

Freshmen must stay on campus for Advisory Lunches While many ninth-grade students bonded over Advisory Lunch in off-campus restaurants as middle school students, a rule implemented in the Upper School this year requires that freshmen stay on campus.

“Freshmen can’t drive, and getting parents to come help with transportation can be a challenge. Staying on campus makes it a lot easier for freshmen advisors,” Interim Dean of Students Elisa Inman said. “It just makes sense in the larger scheme of things for the freshmen advisories to just stay put.”

Some students were unsatisfied with the new policy.

“We were allowed to eat off campus in middle school,” freshman Sebastian Varma said. “Why would we be stripped of those privileges once we got to Upper School?”

Freshman Kristin Ankoma-Sey was more understanding.

“I could say that it’s unfair, but the upperclassmen and the sophomores should be allowed first to go off campus. Once we reach those grades, we’ll be allowed to go off campus.”

Briefs by Sophia Li and Sophie Gillard

Most Houstonians pumping gas in the late August heat worry about the 100-degree temperatures outside their vehicle. English teacher Linda Carswell had bigger concerns on Aug. 13 at an Exxon station near campus when thieves slipped past her unlocked door.

“There were no other cars on my side of the station when I got there,” Carswell said, “But when I turned around, there was a gray car inches from my car that I had not even heard pull up.”

But the appearance of a car out of nowhere was only the start of her troubles.

“They took off quickly, and I knew almost instantly that something had happened. I checked the inside of my car, and I saw that my school bag and purse were gone. Also, the passenger door was not all the way closed, and that is when I knew they had been in my car,” Carswell said.

Despite Carswell’s attempts to get police to investigate the case, they did not come, and her purse and bag were not recovered. Find My Mac, a program that locates Apple products, provided some clues about where her items were.

“I got a notification on my iPad saying that my computer had been located, and it showed an abandoned lot near a Chase bank,” Carswell said.

“It looked to me like they had more than just my stuff, and that they had been doing this to other people.”

According to the employee working the Exxon station, “things like that happen all the time.” In fact, according to Houston Police statistics, there are about 10 violent crimes at Houston gas stations each day, not including non-violent burglaries like Carswell’s.

Carswell fell victim to a “slider,” an individual who creeps along the ground and into a victim’s car to gain access to their valuables, typically purses and computer bags.

The National Crime Prevention Council recommends that while filling up cars, drivers should avoid distractions such as cell phones and keep valuables out of sight.

“Especially in this area, we’re definitely seeing an uptick in sliders. They’ll slip in, grab what you have, and be gone,” said Officer Chris Heaven, a

BROOKE KUSHWAHA

Upper School Blood Drive

‘Sliders’ threaten public safety

bermuda triangle Ten thefts have occurred in the past two months at the gas stations along the Southwest Freeway and Weslayan where English teacher Linda Carswell was robbed Aug. 13. The proximity to the feeder road provides an easy escape for thieves. member of the SJS security team.

Carswell was at the Exxon at the corner of Westpark and Weslayan, an ideal location thanks to quick access to the Southwest Freeway.

“It turns out that the very next week, at the same time of day, the same thing happened at the Shell across the street.” Carswell said. “All I know is, I’m not going back to either of those stations again.”

With techniques that allow people to get in and out of cars in mere seconds without being seen, Heaven recommends that drivers stay vigilant.

“They look for people who are distracted. So, being aware and locking your doors are pretty much the best things you can do.” Heaven said.

Carswell was not harmed, although she did lose her school computer and a few hundred dollars.

With 293 incidents of violent crime at Houston gas stations this August alone, and a growing trend of sliders at gas stations, drivers should take precautions and safeguard their valuables.

College Coalition challenges Common App

by Brooke Kushwaha On Oct. 14, 2013, high school seniors went into a nationwide panic when the Common App website crashed, two weeks before the early application deadline.

Two years later, in response to the inadequacies of the Common App, a group of 85 colleges and universities announced their plans for application reform by creating the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success.

The Coalition seeks to equalize the application pool for students of all income levels.

The Coalition App would require students to begin submitting portfolio work to colleges as early as freshman year. The application is meant to strip away some of the advantages of well-off students with access to private counseling. By having students prepare so early, colleges will have a more personal impression of their applicants based on their body of work, not the work of a counselor.

Portfolio work will be stored in an online student locker, similar to Google Drive or DropBox. The colleges that have joined the Coalition include every Ivy League school as well as Stanford, Rice and the University of Chicago. In order to join the coalition, colleges must meet a minimum graduation rate and show a low loan-default rate among graduates.

The Coalition Application is set to go live for portfolio work in April 2016, and the application itself will open over the summer.

Aba G. Blankson, director of communications for the Common App, said in an interview, “If the Coalition helps more students go to college, then that’s great. Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about.”

According to Blankson, 32 percent of Common App applicants are first-generation students. The Common App, unlike the proposed Coalition, does not have strict graduation rates that colleges must adhere to in order to join. Many of the colleges that admit mostly underprivileged students do not fit the Coalition’s requirements.

“All students deserve an opportunity to go to college,” Blankson said. “Not all of them are going to be admitted to [Coalition] institutions. Having the breadth and diversity of our membership helps more students find a fit, even if they are not admitted to some of these elite institutions.”

College Counseling Director Wendy Chang does not believe the portfolio aspect will change the approach of freshmen to college.

“Freshmen are already doing a great job of preparing for college,” Chang said. “They are taking challenging SJS courses that interest them, fostering their academic and intellectual interests, doing well in school, and engaging in clubs and activities that they enjoy. The Coalition App − or any other app − isn’t changing that at all.”

The Jesuit High School College Counselors Association (JHSCCA), which includes Strake Jesuit School in Houston, stated their concerns in an Oct. 13 letter to the Coalition: “Based on all adolescent development models, starting to ‘collect items’ and for parents to ‘obsess’ in the ninth grade will most likely produce significant concern/anxiety over the college process at a time when all of our students’ focus should be on the growth of their personal and academic selves.”

The JHSCCA also voiced concerns over the proposed student “locker,” or third-party storage site where students would store their portfolio work over the years. Primarily, they did not feel comfortable with the site’s security.

“We feel that access from any third-party individual will cause more confusion about the application process, especially from people who do not fully understand college admissions,” the JHSCCA letter stated. “We strongly feel that the locker needs to be private, and students need to be able to add and delete items as they wish, with no direct action/supervision from any third party (parents, counselors and especially those within the membership of the Coalition Application).”

Although the alleged purpose of the Coalition is to better prepare low-income students, many

private colleges in the coalition are among those that enroll the fewest underprivileged applicants.

Nationally, around 40 percent of incoming freshmen receive the Federal Pell Grant or need-based student loans. Some colleges in the Coalition have as few as 5 percent incoming freshmen Pell Grant students, according to the Washington Post.

The biggest criticism of the new Coalition is how low-income students with limited access to information and college counseling will maintain a portfolio throughout four years of high school.

Wealthier students with greater resources may overshadow lower-income applicants.

“I have yet to hear a clear logic as to how the Coalition App is going to be accessible to low-income students,” Chang said. “I understand where it is coming from, but while I am personally skeptical and not yet convinced that it will achieve its outreach to low-income and first-gen students that it is intended to do, I want to reserve comment until I get a better sense of the logistics of that outreach component.”

According to Chang, because the Coalition is still in its formative stages, college counseling has not made any adjustments to the way they advise their students.

coalition app at a glance 85 current members 70% 6-year graduation rate required to join 4 years of high school included in the application portfolio

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SJSREVIEW.COM I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

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Trigger-happy Texas gun law disconcerts students, seeks to ‘expand liberty’ on college campuses Texas will become one of eight states with a campus carry, alongside Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin.

Nineteen other states ban concealed guns on campus. These laws — both for and against weapons on campus — have emerged largely in the wake of the 153 school shootings that have occurred in the US since 2013.

“At St. John’s, I always felt safe because there was such a protocol and frequency to lockdown drills, but you obviously can’t really implement that system at a huge public university,” Charlotte Amandes (‘13) said. “I don’t know 99 percent of the people I go to school with, and I feel uncomfortable having armed strangers around me. I don’t think there’s enough evidence to suggest that making college students vigilantes would be sufficient to stop a school shooter.”

SB 11 is only applicable to a small portion of the population: adults over the age of 21 who have obtained a concealed carry license, passed a background check and received instruction in both a classroom and shooting range.

“It’s an invitation, and an incredibly public one, to bring guns onto campus,” UT junior Rohan Ramchand (‘13) said. “On the other hand, every concealed-carry permit holder is over 21 and could carry a gun around campus anyway. Moreover, anyone who wanted to bring guns to UT with destructive intent could do so despite the presence of sanctions.”

Universities can prohibit people from taking guns to certain indoor areas.

“I know that the law allows for the university

CAMPUS CARRY In October of 2016, Texas will join seven other states in allowing a concealed weapons carry on public college campuses.

to designate certain areas to remain gun-free,” UT freshman McKenna Gessner (‘15) said. “So I am hopeful that come fall of my sophomore year, I will still feel safe and the university will be able to maintain a conducive learning environment.”

UT estimates that less than one percent of students have concealed carry licenses. According to their data, only about 500 students age 21 or older live in UT residential halls. Furthermore, the law does not affect private residential facilities like sorority or fraternity houses.

“People leave their laptops out in the library and their bikes unlocked at the racks,” Texas A&M freshman Paige Raun (‘15) said. “This isn’t a place where those who don’t live for guns think about needing one for protection.”

NO FAREWELL TO ARMS Though the University of Texas estimates that fewer than one percent of Students are divided over the issue, students have concealed carry permit, opposition groups have already organized protests. with activist groups ranging from “Students for Concealed Carry” to she finds that she has grown closer to the cam- Chancellor William McRaven calls himself a “Gun Free UT.” pus community as controversy has increased. “big Second Amendment guy.” McRaven told One student has organized a protest for the “I’ve basically gotten to see the capabilities of NPR, “I’ve probably got nine guns and six first day of the fall 2016 semester in which stu- everyone around me when they’re fighting for swords and two tomahawks, so I’m all about dents will bring other taboo objects on campus or against a cause,” French said. “I’ve seen more weapons.” to protest concealed carry. people than ever before on social media. I’ve Yet McRaven opposes the bill.

“This is probably one of the most controversial used it as an opportunity to get to know those In a letter to the Governor, Lieutenant Govhappenings on the UT campus since I’ve been a around me better.” ernor and Speaker of the Texas House, he listed student, but I find myself getting more involved Even some of the most vocal supporters of gun multiple reasons for his position, among them with the overall community because of it,” UT rights have come out against the law. concerns about student safety, mental health sophomore Kasey French (‘13) said.

A former Navy SEAL who organized the spe- and gun storage facilities.

Though French does not support the protests, cial operation to kill Osama bin Laden, UT According to the Houston Chronicle, updating security systems, supplementing campus security units and building storage units for guns could cost public universities more than $47 million over six years.

“In addressing these costs, our campuses will either need increased revenue or be compelled to reduce or discontinue other services or activities,” McRaven wrote in a letter to representative Chris Turner, which was distributed throughout the House.

He also voices concerns that the law will dissuade potential professors from seeking employment at UT. “The presence of handguns on Texas campuses, where we would be one of fewer than 10 states to allow this conduct, may well cause faculty to be discouraged from relocating from other states,” he wrote.

Amidst the protests, one UT professor emeritus, Daniel Hamermesh, has already resigned.

Some professors plan to resign at the end of the year. More than 270 professors have signed a petition to “Oppose Guns in Classrooms.”

Ramchand worries that SB 11 may limit intellectual discourse in the classroom.

Campus may choose to allow concealed weapons “You’d probably think twice about arguing freely with someone if you knew State allows concealed weapons on campuses that they could be carrying a gun.”

STEPHEN KIM

From Front Page

State bans concealed weapons on campuses ASHWINI BANDI

In 2016, state will allow concealed weapons on campuses

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THE REVIEW I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

Changes to SAT spark anxiety for students, parents alike

by Amy Liu

GWENDELYN BUTLER

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or the first time in a decade, sophomores and juniors took the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) Oct. 14 in an updated format. Some felt anxious while others took the test in stride.

“Almost all the parents are freaking out and asking colleges what they think about the new format,” junior Cooper Lueck said. “At St. John’s, I’m not surprised that people are acting like this, but we don’t need to get so paranoid over little things.”

The PSAT has the same basic format as the SAT but does not include an essay. The College Board, which administers both tests, announced changes in March 2014. According to its website, the changes were made to more accurately test skills required in college.

“The SATs were supposed to test students’ college readiness benchmark,” college counselor Jamie Kim said. “But more than half of American teenagers were not meeting the benchmark. So they had to change expectations.”

The College Board released sample tests at the end of June.

“They didn’t give us enough time to prepare,” junior Sunnie Liu said. “For a test that measures three-and-a-half years of high school, a few months is not sufficient.”

Since the summer, sophomores and juniors have taken test preparation classes that provide practice tests in the new format.

“If I were to just start preparing a month before junior year, I might not have enough time. The earlier you start, the better. It’s a skill that has to be developed as opposed to something you can cram for,” said sophomore Samuel Ho, who has been preparing at Testmasters since September.

Many students hope the new format will be similar to the ACT. “I found the ACT much more straightforward than the old SAT, so it’s a good thing if the new [SAT] test copies it,” senior Namanh Kapur said. “The old SAT is made by psychologists that are trying to trick you. You can’t easily tell what you get right or wrong.”

The new SAT will debut in March.

“The juniors have a unique opportunity. If you don’t do well on the old test, you have a new format. If you do well, you don’t have to take it. You can pick whichever one goes better,” said Director of Curriculum Dwight Raulston, who also teaches an SAT prep class.

While the old SAT transitioned between short reading, math and writing sections, the new SAT will test each subject simultaneously.

“The longer test times are going to be the largest change. They’re going to test your stamina,” Kim said.

The new SAT essay will require rhetorical analysis of a passage rather than argumentative writing based on personal experience. SAT graders will also fact-check any claims made by the writer.

“Sure, there are some strategies that can help someone score high, but for this one it’s going

CRUNCH TIME Math teacher Martha Childress goes through a PSAT practice booklet with junior Mary Ann Enerson. Childress teaches a two-week summer SAT/PSAT prep class with math teacher Dwight Raulston. The new SAT will be administered starting in March.

“At St. John’s, students are surrounded by some to take a bit of what you learn in the classroom,” Kim said. “If you use information about a war of the best teachers around and people who constantly want to learn. You don’t always see that in from history class, it needs to be accurate.”

The reading section now includes evi- under-resourced schools in rural Tennessee or indence-based questions, which require students ner-city Chicago,” Kim said. “There’s a systemic to indicate what part of the passage proves their shortage of quality teachers, academic resources answer. The passages cover literature, science and and funding. The learning gap can consequently affect their SAT performance. What you learn in history topics as well as graph analysis.

“The new SAT is trying to use hard-to-under- a classroom can never be replaced.”

The PSAT 8/9, a new test for eighth- and stand passages with formal, wordy English,” Liu said. “We’re not exactly prepared because we al- ninth-grade students, and the PSAT 10 for most never practice reading comprehension. We sophomores will have the same format as the official PSAT taken by juniors. analyze meanings much more While junior scores will count in in-depth.”

National Merit Semifinalist qualSuccess in the old vocabulary The juniors have a ification, awarded to the top one portion usually meant memo- unique opportunity. percent of test takers, the PSAT rizing a long list of SAT-specific If you don’t do well is not designed for college admiswords. This portion will be elimsions purposes. inated and replaced with vocab- on the old test, you have a new format.

“The only thing that really ulary-in-context questions. matters is the final SAT. SJS takes “Vocabulary in context is an If you do well, you National Merit way too seriously important life skill,” Raulston don’t have to take because it’s just another competisaid. “Certainly our kids can tion factor,” Kapur said. memorize well, but we have a it.

Standardized tests may give an real advantage in thinking and Dwight Raulston depth of thought.”

SAT Camp Teacher advantage to students who can afford test preparation and tuThe SAT math section now intoring costs. To combat this includes a no-calculator portion, more word problems and graphs, and questions equity, students on financial aid at SJS are given covering statistics and trigonometry. The section assistance so they can take summer SAT classes. was redesigned to reflect advanced math skills Khan Academy, the only association College Board contracts with, offers free tutorials online. rather than simple reasoning.

Education Facts Minutes 225

Minutes of break 20 % Daily Value Reading 33% Math 33% Writing 33% Year established 1926 Grading scale (no essay) 1600 Test takers (2014) 1.67 mil

Education Facts

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Serving Size: 1 ACT Test Servings per container: 1 (or 2, or 3)

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Serving Size: 1 SAT Test Servings per container: 1 (or 2, or 3)

Ho believes test preparation efforts are justified.

“If the student is willing to put in the work to prepare for the test, they should be rewarded in seeing a better score,” Ho said. “This test should not only measure natural intelligence but also hard work.”

Some argue that the SAT does not evaluate students’ college readiness but rather proficiency on a specific test. The same problem may persist once the new SAT/PSAT format becomes more familiar.

“Although the test may not be the best in determining someone’s intelligence, it’s a good way for colleges to compare students nationwide with something that’s constant,” Ho said.

Even with adequate preparation, standardized testing can still cause anxiety.

“SJS does a good job emphasizing that standardized testing isn’t as important as we think. I see this especially in Chapel speeches when people say that there are better values than a simple test score,” Ho said. “But how can we ignore these test scores in a school environment?”

Some students try not to place overwhelming importance on their SATs. “College is not just based on academics,” Liu said. “People can be successful in various other talents or walks of life, and no standardized test can measure proficiency at that.”

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Minutes of break 25 % Daily Value Reading 25% Math 25% Writing 25% Science 25% Year established 1959 Grading scale 36 Test takers (2014) 1.85 mil

The choice of a new generation

GRAPHICS BY ASHWINI BANDI

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Microfinance organizes national summit in NYC

by Prithvi Krishnarao Members of the Microfinance Club organized the first-ever National High School Microfinance Summit in New York City, geared towards sharing ideas with other like-minded clubs. The summit took place Oct. 11.

“We were looking for other schools to collaborate with, and that’s how we started the national organization,” club leader Christopher Zimmerman said. “We expanded the initiative from the initial three schools to around 14 schools, and so we figured a good way to facilitate this discussion-wise was to have a conference.”

Zimmerman and fellow senior David Lu, who took over the club as sophomores, led a delegation of eight students to New York to listen to speakers and discuss microfinance on a national level. The club normally operates through Kiva, a website that allows people to loan money to low-income entrepreneurs and students.

“Our goal as a club is not only to alleviate poverty but also to raise awareness in students and get them involved in doing something,” senior Natasha Gonzalez said.

Zimmerman and Lu began to seriously plan the conference in June. Collaborating with several other schools, including Greenhill School in Dallas, they collected resources through a crowd-funding website. Exceeding their $750 goal, the group received $900 from 12 donors in less than a month.

“When I talked with David and Chris near the end of

FAB FINANCIERS Microfinance Club attended the National High School Microfinance Summit at the Explorers Club in New York City on Oct. 11. The club has loaned over $4,700 to entrepreneurs from 86 countries.

summer, they already had so many things in place for the conference that for me, it was essentially an advisory role,” faculty sponsor Nolan Harris said.

After a day touring New York City, the Microfinance Club attended the summit.

NYU professor and Managing Director of the Financial Access Initiative Jonathan Morduch spoke about the economics behind microfinance.

“We then had [Mara Mourão] who made a documentary about microfinance talk to us about why she made it, how she made it, and how she got it out to the public,” Gonzalez said. “Our final speaker was [Elise Racine] who works for Kiva, the program we use to do microfinance, and she talked about what she does at her job.”

The summit provided an environment for microfinance clubs to connect.

“The thing that I think was the most important was creating bonds with people from other schools,” junior Austin Zhang said. “Because the club is in its early stages, it’s all about connections right now. Microfinance is growing very quickly, and David and Chris are definitely at the forefront of it.”

The discussions gave the club’s leaders and members ideas for future projects.

“As a result of the conference, we were introduced to the possibility of getting involved in microfinance on a local level, and as a result, we hope to be a larger part of the University of Houston Microfinance Initiative, which addresses the issues of poverty in Houston,” Lu said.

The club hopes that the summit becomes an annual event and leads to more projects being funded.

“It is these kind of gatherings that create public interest in microfinance,” Harris said. “We all agreed that now, as we go back to our respective clubs and spread microfinance to the community, we can try and get more schools interested in the club, and maybe even eventually get those schools involved in the conference.”

MICROFINANCE FAST FACTS • Provides financial services to people in developing communities • Uses real money to give loans to entrepreneurs • Enacts social change • Educates entrepreneurs of basic financial skills so they can effectively develop their businesses • A means of alleviating poverty around the world • Direct student engagement with the Community

KAREN LU

Open Saturdays 8:00am – 2:30pm During the School Year

School Drop Off is available within a 5-mile radius after morning appointments!

Open Mondays 2:00pm - 5:00pm Tuesdays – Fridays 7:00am – 5:00pm

5335 Edloe St. Houston, TX 77005 / 713-­‐668-­‐6878 / www.speckortho.com

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Sophomore competes in runway show

by Claire Furse

Shifting sands of social media

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advice from the pros Chloe Dao, Designer: Start hand stitching, sewing, making basic patterns. Once you understand the foundation, you can get creative, start experimenting and find your voice.

Look online and read about the history of fashion. Fashion comes and goes, so you need to understand current designers and past designers, who is in business and who is out of business.

Ahshia Berry, Magpies & Peacocks: Start trying to intern and find mentors as early as possible.

Get to know photographers and graphic designers who are also just starting out. Know the ins and outs of retail boutiques and all aspects of running a fashion house. Use social media to help get your brand out there.

Jessica McMahon, Glassell School of Design: Don’t give up — fashion is a competitive field, so push through everything.

Immerse yourself into all parts of design and different markets to help you learn where you want to go into the fashion industry.

by Claire Furse

Cameras flashed as models wove gracefully through groups of fashion bloggers, chatting over the pulsing music. Stylists sipped champagne as they examined mannequins draped with the creations of 25 high school and college designers.

Clad in a white asymmetrical dress of her own making, sophomore Caroline Ramirez stood proudly next to the outfit she created for Catwalks and Classrooms, a local fashion design competition.

Students from the Glassell School of Art, Houston Community College’s fashion program, the Art Institute of Houston and other local programs were invited to design and construct a unique garment for the competition on Sept. 24 at the JW Marriott downtown.

A panel of prominent Houston designers, including Chloe Dao, designer and winner of “Project Runway” Season Two, judged Ramirez’s design.

While she did not win the high school division, Ramirez’s dress garnered praise from the panel.

“It was really intimidating because I had a lot of NOEL MADLAND great designers around me, but I liked the challenge,” said Ramirez, one of the youngest design- sewing star Caroline Ramirez begins sewing a new outfit at the Glassell School of Art. On Sept. 24, she participated in the Catwalks and Classrooms competition where she designed ers in the competition.

Each aspiring designer was given a random box a dress using random vintage clothing. containing mostly vintage clothing, which he or she was required to deconstruct and then re-use design, but it has only been a few years since she into bags and gave one to my mom,” Ramirez said.

Jessica McMahon, an instructor at the Glassell to create a more modern finished piece. Ramirez began to design and create her own clothing. Attending Houston Fashion Week shows helped reSchool and a local jewelry designer, has been Carfound a vintage checkered skirt, blue dress and inforce her interest in designing her own pieces. oline’s sewing instructor the past two years. scarf in her box.

“I wondered why a dress could cost thousands of “Caroline understands silhouette, and she un“At first, I was pretty nervous about receiving my box because I wasn’t sure what was going to dollars and how I could make something similar. derstands body shape and has a natural sense of be inside,” Ramirez said, “But once I looked, I re- So I went out, got some fabrics, and made a look- how to dress the figure,” McMahon said. “She also alized that all of the materials could definitely be alike dress,” Ramirez said. “I figured it out on my puts color together very well.” own at first. I never thought that Although St. John’s doesn’t offer a fashion deincorporated into a great design.” designing would come easily to sign class, Ramirez says the school provides a solid Magpies and Peacocks, a I have always loved me or be fun for me.” foundation for her to pursue her passion. non-profit design house, sponsors fashion. It’s a way When her sewing skills couldn’t “I think SJS is a nurturing environment that is the annual competition. keep up with her ideas, Ramirez really supportive of students who are doing things “Throughout the year, people to express who I decided to enroll in a Reconstruc- in all different fields,” Ramirez said. “There are am and my idendonate fashion accessories, and tive Fashion sewing class at the also really great art classes that can help with dewe upcycle them into new prod- tity. The thing that Glassell School of Art to learn the signing.” ucts, which we sell,” Magpies and makes you different techniques needed to go in differRamirez plans to take more classes and compete Peacocks Executive Vice President from everyone else ent directions with her designs. in more sewing competitions.

Ahshia Berry said.

“I have always loved fashion. It’s “My goal is to have my own collection, maybe With the proceeds, the design in the world is your a way to express who I am and my even a fashion show. I just want to learn as much house supports art education pro- style. identity. The thing that makes you as I can right now about sewing and the basics,” grams and other local non-profits. different from everyone else in the Ramirez said.

By providing practical experience, Caroline Ramirez world is your style,” Ramirez said.

Sewing classes and competitions are a big time Catwalks and Classrooms serves as “You can start with the simplest investment, and Ramirez sometimes finds it hard a resource for students who want fabric and go in any direction that to strike a balance between schoolwork and extrato pursue a career in fashion. The you can choose. I’m not limited to curriculars. competition offers an exclusive platform to showwhat stores sell because if I have an idea in my “I sometimes feel that other people do more case their creations among fashion professionals. head, then I can sketch it out and figure out some activities inside of school while I’m doing outside “Caroline’s design is a great combination of activities,” Ramirez said. “I’m different, but this is fabrics and is really modern,” Dao said. “Color way to make it.”

Ramirez gets her ideas from trends and things what separates me from everyone else; this is what blocking is very current. It’s also wearable, which happening in her life. Describing her style as edgy is interesting to me and definitely what I want to is smart because she designed for her age group.”

Designers recognize the challenge and benefits of and feminine, Ramirez also looks to brands like focus on. This is just what I want to do.” working with upcycled materials, which are appar- Balmain, Chanel and Alexander Wang for inspiration. ent in Ramirez’s clothing.

“I’m inspired by events, the seasons and my fam“Working with old materials brings a new life to ily’s travels. When my mom went to Africa and designs,” Berry said.

Ramirez has long been interested in fashion brought back lots of African fabrics, I made them

7

SJSREVIEW.COM I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

PHILIP KENSINGER

Mulligan embraces new chapter in Chapel

TAKE ME TO CHURCH Reverend Ned Mulligan stands at the altar at St. John the Divine. The new Director of Spiritual Life aims to usher in a more open and tolerant view of Chapel, while keeping the same sense of community of previous years. The new outlook would focus on spiritual growth in all areas, instead of one faith or tradition.

by Christian Maines Director of Spiritual Life Reverend Ned Mulligan comes not with an agenda but with an open mind.

“My goal for this year, according to our headmaster, is to see what we do, and how we do it, what we don’t do, and whether we should continue not doing it, and to get a really good feel for the culture,” Mulligan said. “And then to make some recommendations at the end of the year.”

Mulligan came to SJS at the beginning of the school year as an ordained Episcopalian minister, but for much of his early life he was not especially religious.

“I’d been to prep school and spent four years going to chapel five days a week and it ended up having no meaning to me,” Mulligan said.

Mulligan’s path changed when he was 49 and his friend passed away from brain cancer.

“I ended up taking care of a dear friend who had the same type of brain tumor that killed Teddy Kennedy, and it killed him too,” Mulligan said. “I went to his funeral in an Episcopal church, and I was a baptized Episcopalian and very rarely went to church.”

After his experience, Mulligan, a trial lawyer based in New Hampshire, felt compelled to explore his spirituality further.

“When I left the funeral I felt for some unexplainable reason that I should explore getting involved in the church in some way,” Mulligan said. “I ended going to seminary two years later.”

Mulligan did not initially know where his explorations would lead.

“There wasn’t really an underlying desire to pursue theology or to be a priest or anything like that,” Mulligan said. “It was something that just kind of happened out of nowhere.”

Mulligan’s early experience with chapel left him uninspired. Mulligan went away to the Williston Academy, a boarding school in Massachusetts, at 15.

“My chaplain was probably the least appealing person that I ever knew — which scares me, particularly in my own position.”

In high school, Mulligan believed in God, but only later did he come to follow the Episcopalian tradition.

“I was a kind of guy that believed in God but in kind of in a deist, distant way,” Mulligan said.

Mulligan’s mother passed away when he was a freshman in college, and this, too, led him to question his spirituality.

“Those things kind of make you wonder what is out there,” Mulligan said. “I’m glad I finally got around to where I am now, which is very liberal Christian focus with a belief that God is

involved in some wonderful and probably mysterious way in all of our lives.”

The process of becoming an ordained priest was a long one, but Mulligan ultimately left for the Yale Divinity School at the age of 51. Mulligan spent two years working with a committee at his church discussing theological issues and learning about attending seminary.

“It’s really interesting that lay people are on those committees and that they are deciding whether other lay people are called by God to serve God.” Yale Divinity School was an entirely different graduate school experience from law school.

“In contrast with law school, it was the most intensely academic experience I’ve had,” Mulligan said. “I was really committed to it.”

The Berkeley Divinity School within Yale University is a seminary for Episcopal Church.

“The program at Yale is geared towards producing professors and Ph.D.’s,” Mulligan said.

“So it was really hard and really challenging and really good in that way for me from a theological perspective. It was academically intense. There were three hour exams — it was like being at St. John’s.”

After he graduated from Yale, Mulligan worked as Head Chaplain at St. George’s School in Middletown, Rhode Island, the Salisbury School in Salisbury, Connecticut, and the Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Atlanta, Georgia.

This year is a transitional year for Mulligan as he determines the scope of his work. His duties include chairing the Chapel Guild, coaching the 7th grade football team, and teaching a course next year “The spiritual life concept is kind of amorphous, and it’s important to try to help you guys find things that provide sustenance, hope, support and comfort, things that give you peace,” Mulligan said. “It may be chapel, it may not be chapel, it may be God, it may not be God.” Mulligan will not be teaching a course this semester but next semester he will teach ‘History of Religion and Politics in America.’

“My only heartache was not teaching [this semester], because I really love being in the classroom, and it’s really hard to get to know you all without being in the classroom with you,” Mulligan said.

So far, however, Mulligan has become popular with members of the Chapel Guild, among others.

“We all love Rev. Mulligan,” Chapel Guild chair Sarah Bland said. “I think as he settles into the community more and begins teaching, more and more students will recognize the resource he wants to be for guidance.”

Mulligan intends to focus his efforts on spiri-

tual growth as a whole, not directed at any one tradition.

“The school is complicated in a really positive way, and it’s so diverse in so many ways. This is not an Episcopal agenda,” Mulligan said. “I think part of the problem that I’ve had in people trying to define me is that, yeah, I’m an Episcopal priest, and yeah, I’m director of spiritual life, so are we now an Episcopal school. And the answer to that is no.”

Mulligan wants students to look beyond his background.

“I know for a fact that there have been kids that have gone home and said, well, we’re an Episcopal school now, and said ‘oh, he’s an Episcopal priest,’” Mulligan said. “It’s one of the reasons why I’m not wearing a collar.”

Mulligan ultimately hopes to dispel fear about religion and to encourage discussion.

“People are afraid,” Mulligan said. “They’re afraid of agendas, they’re afraid of symbols, and fear is a really powerful emotion.”

Another goal is to encourage religious inclusivity, rather than letting people distance themselves from foreign ideas.

“Without a director of spiritual life, people have gone in their own little places, and are expressing their faith in an exclusive kind of way,” Mulligan said. “I’d like to open that up, say ‘it’s okay to believe what you believe, but let’s talk with this other group and see what they believe.’

We’re an academic institution; this is what we’re supposed to be doing.”

CHAPEL AT A GLANCE “While St. John’s does not seek to indoctrinate students to any particular religion, the School acknowledges the importance of religious faith and a solid spiritual foundation. A weekly chapel service offers the opportunity for individual spiritual development and expression.

The School’s perspective is that piecemeal values do not long survive outside of a comprehensive value system.”

-St. John’s Guiding Principles

8

THE REVIEW I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

FEATURES

Farewell, Facebook: Teenage shift in social media

JARED MARGOLIS

ANTISOCIAL NETWORK Freshmen are increasingly shunning Facebook for other social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram. Students associate Facebook with their parents and older generations, instead choosing simpler alternatives with a younger demographic. While Facebook is web-based, many social media newcomers operate solely via mobile.

by Sadde Mohamed

As people move away from Facebook, they find that different social media platFacebook’s demise may finally be close. forms have different functions.

The perennially popular site where clubs “Tumblr is a blogging site, so you can organize their meetings is now under threat post whatever you like and develop an aesby Instagram and other competitors. thetic whereas Facebook is so basic,” junior This year’s freshmen largely favor Insta- Alex Jones said. “Maybe once in a while I’d gram and Snapchat over Facebook. log onto Facebook to see family photos or “I’ve always seen Facebook as an ‘old things like that. I don’t really want to know people’ social media site,” freshman Lilah about whoever did what today.”

Gaber said. “My parents are on it. It’s just Some students feel that other social media not as fun when your parents are on the outlets facilitate conversations better than same social media platform as you feel kind sites like Facebook. of outdated.”

“Snapchat is an easy way to communicate The consensus among many freshmen is with people throughout the day, especially that Facebook is a relic of the past. Accord- if I don’t have any classes with them,” Jones ing to a Review Online poll of 79 students, said. “A friend of mine, Lauren Biegel, is while 35% use Facebook as their main so- doing School Year Abroad in Spain right cial media platform, 60% favored either In- now, and I can keep in touch with her in stagram, Snapchat or Tumblr instead. a more creative and fun way as opposed to “We all use Snapchat and Instagram to Facebook message or just texting.” connect with each other. My mom is the Some credit the popularity of these sites type of person to use Facebook,” freshman to their speed.

Jack Shea said. “I’ve heard some kids in my “Instagram and Snapchat are just so much grade talk about Facebook, but a lot more quicker, almost instant,” Gaber said. “With talk about and actually use Instagram.”

Instagram you can post something and inSome students see newer forms of social stantly get a ton of likes or you can instantly media simpler to operate than Facebook. get a snapchat back after you send one be“I don’t have a Facebook because it con- cause everyone’s on it. Instant gratification fuses me, and I don’t really know how to plays a key part here.” work it,” freshman Mycah Clay said. “I like While sites like Snapchat and Instagram Snapchat more because it’s a lot quicker, are attracting more teenagers, Facebook is and you can send funny pictures to all your repelling high school students because of its friends. Also, you can see what your friends increasing number of adult users. are up to without asking them by looking “People say that they don’t like Facebook at their stories.” that much because their parents are on it Even upperclassmen identify with the and constantly monitoring what they’re move towards other social media platforms. doing,” Clay said. “Even if they aren’t do“I’ve never acing anything nectually used Faceessarily bad, the social media platform of choice book. When I was parents are there Twitter (4%) in middle school always to see what Tumblr Facebook their kids are up and everyone was (18%) (34%) getting one my to, and I can see parents wouldn’t how that can be a let me,” senior little off-putting.”

Joseph Hanson There are still said. “When I fithose at St. John’s Instagram nally got to high (20%) who prefer Faceschool and I had book. the option to get “I just got a Snapchat Snapchat a couple one I opted out ASHWINI BANDI (23%) because it seemed of months ago, like people weren’t but I use FaceData taken from a poll of 83 subjects on The Review really using it that Online. Subjects were asked to choose their main social book more than media platform. much.” other forms of

social media,” junior Sophia Chang said.

“Facebook is a lot more versatile than Instagram and Snapchat: Instagram is more oriented towards strictly pictures, and there isn’t an effective chatting option, and Snapchat is basically texting but with photos.”

According to the Pew Research Center, Facebook is still the most popular form of social media with 71 percent of high school students using it.

“I know a lot of people are hesitant of Facebook because their parents are on it, but at the same time I know a lot of people whose parents are on Instagram,” Chang said. “My mom has a Facebook account,

but she doesn’t really know how to use it, so it’s not a huge concern of mine.”

Some students mention that Snapchat and Instagram are a lot more fun to use Because of the ambience.

“Snapchat and Instagram are less formal and official. In some ways Snapchat has clearly gained popularity very quickly because it’s a quick and easy way to see what everyone is doing without being really filtered or pre-edited,” Hanson said. “It’s more of a in-the-moment thing where you can get a glimpse into what’s going on in your friends’ lives.”

OR TS P S

S

SJSREVIEW.COM I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

XC runs in the Faraguna family

Nov. 7-8

Sports Shorts VOLLEYBALL

Boys maintain first seed in South Zone The boys’ volleyball team will enter SPC as the top seed in the South Zone.

With a 15-1 record, the Mavs defended their 2014 South Zone title, thanks in part to victories over Kinkaid and Episcopal twice this season.

“Kinkaid and Episcopal have been working their middles a lot more than they have in the past,” Coach Charles Hulett said. “They’ve definitely strengthened their setting abilities.”

Hulett has high expectations for the team at SPC. “We are strong believers that this is a make-or-break season for us where our expectation is winning the whole thing,” Hulett said, “That’s been the expectation for this whole season.”

KINKAID 35, SJS 24

Mavs give up halftime lead The varsity football team lost its season finale, 35-24, to Kinkaid on Oct. 23. The defeat came after the Mavs held a 17-14 halftime lead.

“I could tell the game was going to be a good one after that first touchdown,” junior Jid Ganim said.

By halftime, the team’s spirits were high, even after the Falcons scored a late second quarter touchdown to trim the deficit.

“The touchdown at the end of the half hurt us a little, but we still had the lead, and I was confident in what our team could do,” Captain John Ballard said.

Although the loss disappointed many fans, the final score marked an improvement from last year’s 45-0 rout.

The team finished the season 2-7, which improved upon last season’s 1-8 record.

“Our team improved a lot from last year. I think we have a bright future ahead of us,” junior linebacker Rob Wallace said.

Briefs by Shomik Ghose and Henry Still. Additional reporting by Brooke Kushwaha

Volleyball finishes season on high note

by Gabe Malek As tears filled the eyes of the senior players and cheers engulfed a small portion of the stands, the girls’ volleyball team knew they did everything in their power to prevent their Oct. 22 game at Kinkaid from being their last.

Although the team did not qualify for the SPC tournament, winning their final counter game against their fiercest conference rival was, accodning to senior captain Sydney Moye, the “best note to end on.”

The team entered the game as the seventh seed in the South Zone with a 1-5 conference record, one game back from qualifying for the playoffs. This season is the first time in four years that the Mavs have beaten Kinkaid.

“When we walked into the gym, we had a must-win mindset from the first point,” middle blocker Kara Wollmers said. “The energy on the bus going over was very high; we knew that everybody had to be on, and nobody could be selfish.”

While other teams had the Tuesday after Homecoming off, the volleyball team still practiced in the afternoon to prepare for Kinkaid.

“We took time to watch a video produced by Nike that was all about hustling, practicing and playing, even during tough times,” Wollmers said. “It focused on coming together for the purpose of a team, and we knew that our purpose was making SPC.” By game day, the team had a noticeable sense of urgency.

“You could tell there was higher energy and significance surrounding the game,” Wollmers said. “After the game, I cried because of all the built-up excitement.”

After the Mavericks won a close first set (25-21), Kinkaid rallied back and handily took sets two (25-19) and three (25-15).

“When we entered the fourth set and realized we could possibly be playing our last set of the season, we knew we had to concentrate,” Moye said. “I had never seen our team so focused.”

The Mavs fought their way to a 28-26 victory in set four and took their energy into the final set, beating Kinkaid, 15-11.

Players agreed that the game required a greater team sense of camaraderie.

“You can’t be selfish when you’re playing volleyball,” freshman setter Alexandra Lewis said. “You have to play for the team.”

CINDA MOYE

Fall athletes compete at SPC

P13

SINGER

Astros’ success energizes fans

PHILIP KEN

Online

Full Kinkaid Week coverage

For siblings Sam, Ellie and Joe Faraguna, cross country is practically the family business.

“It bonds us closer as a family,” said Sam, a freshman.

The Faraguna family has become a running dynasty. Both Joe, a senior, and Ellie, a junior, have had success during their careers: the boys’ team won SPC last year, while the girls’ team won South Zone this year and last year.

The siblings not only bond over their shared sport but also train together. Along with family yoga and a common workout schedule, the Faragunas have even taken their training abroad.

“We went on a trip to Peru this past summer, and we trained nonstop,” junior Ellie said.

For her part, Ellie supports her brothers and trains with them to reach her own goals with the girls’ team.

“We’ve always gone to the gym a lot together, since the fourth grade,” Ellie said. “I’m not going to lift the same weights as them, but we can do the same things. It’s easier to train when you have people with you. It’s harder to get motivated by yourself.”

When Joe first started running track, Sam and Ellie were still in middle school, but they soon joined him as runners and teammates.

“I used to be anti-cross-country, but Joe definitely influenced my decision,” Ellie said. “I got to know the girls on the team through Joe, and they were really awesome.”

Sam, too, was influenced by Joe’s success running.

“If he had chosen another sport, I probably would’ve done that,” Sam said.

The similarities between the two brothers are striking — beyond just their physical features.

“People say that Sam’s going to be the new Joe,” Ellie said.

“I’d be so mad if I ever lost to him, though,” Joe said, laughing.

Sam looks up to his older brother yet tries to beat his times.

“I definitely look at the times [Joe] ran and think, ‘okay, this is the time I have to beat.’” Sam said.

Teammates find the healthy competition between the two brothers beneficial: Joe is the team’s

top runner and placed first in the Maverick Ramble and South Zone C h a m p i o n s h i p.

Newcomer Sam placed third on the team and eighth overall at the Ramble.

As team captain, Joe thinks Sam’s successful first season has an impact on the whole team.

“It inspires the team, especially because Sam’s a freshman. A lot of those guys are BROTHERS IN ARMS Joe (right) and Sam (left) Faraguna placed first and neck and neck third, respectively, at the Maverick Ramble. Along with middle sister Ellie, with each other, the siblings will compete at SPC, Nov. 7. and this is just exvidual sport, the coaches and captains stress the tra motivation to work harder.” importance of teamwork.

“Sam’s excellence was expected. When you have “Not only does your first runner have to do well, a strong guy like Joe on the team, his brother’s sucbut your fifth runner has to do well, too,” Mercacess makes sense,” senior captain Pete Bechtol said. do said. “Instead of putting pressure on us, I think New team members like Sam and sophomore that helps us. I think it really adds to our sense of Sean Jackson add to the depth. unity.”

“Sean has really come on strong; he’s up there Mercado and Bechtol also emphasize staying with the top seven or eight guys, which is really healthy, especially as SPC draws closer. good for him,” Bechtol said.

“Getting enough sleep, getting enough fluids, The team is hopeful about minimizing injuries. and eating well are all so important. They’re not So far, there have been no major incidents. going to train well and they’re not going to run “Last season, we faced a lot of injuries and were well if they don’t prepare the right way,” Mercado the underdogs coming into SPC. This season we said. look a lot stronger,” Bechtol said.

Bechtol, too, tries to keep the team on track and Coach Richie Mercado has a positive outlook on focus on more immediate challenges. the team’s chances at SPC this weekend.

“If you look too far ahead and you set winning “We’re going to be hard to beat if everyone runs SPC as the goal, you’ll overlook things like staytogether as a team and stays healthy. But that’s all ing healthy and training the right way in practice, there is to worry about — not winning, just runeating right — the little things that add up to winning well.” ning SPC,” Bechtol said.

Bechtol wants the team to focus on run formation.

“My goal for the team is to do the best they can and to work well as a pack,” Bechtol said.

Though cross country may seem like an indi-

JARED MARGOLIS

by Emma Shea

This unity manifested itself on court.

“I remember countless times holding my teammates’ hands on the bench, waiting for something to happen,” Wollmers said.

“Everyone was so happy, and we were constantly lifting each other up.”

The win surpassed Moye’s previous athletic experiences.

“There couldn’t have been a better way to end the season for me or for anyone else,” Moye said. “It was definitely the best game I’ve played in either basketball or volleyball throughout high school, not in terms of how well I played, but in terms of how we felt as a team.”

Moye hopes that the game will impact her younger teammates.

“I know that all of the non-seniors are going to take that win into next season and use that same energy we had against Kinkaid to excel.”

GET SERVED The Mavs celebrate after defeating Kinkaid, 3-2, on Oct. 22. Although the team did not qualify for SPC, players were content with their final victory.

10

THE REVIEW I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

Refugees written by brooke kushwaha, cara maines, gabe malek and megan shen Design by matthew neal additional reporting by sophia li, christian maines and sadde mohamed

the danger they escaped and the challenges they face today dang’s journey

NYLA JENNINGS

You have no one to represent you, so you’re at the mercy of whatever country will accept you. You have no voice.

KimChi Dang

When Middle School French teacher KimChi Dang found herself on a leaky 11-meter wooden fishing boat in the South China Sea more than 30 years ago, she thought she was on her way to a better life. She was 20 years old and fleeing the Communist regime in Vietnam. But before she could get there, she had to endure yet more challenges.

The 15 Vietnamese refugees and their fishermen guides had no map and no compass. When one of three tropical storms hit and damaged their boat, the silver lining was that they were able to avoid Thai pirates roaming the sea.

Before she could even step foot on Filipino soil, her boat had to wait for 14 days until immigration officers arrived.

Meanwhile, the group started to run out of food, gas and water.

“I thought by the time we got to the Philippines they would take us in because we were in such a miserable condition,” Dang said. “And why not? It’s like your house is here, and on a stormy night there’s a little cat scratching at the door, and you open the door, and you take him in, right?”

When Filipino fishermen arrived, the refugees were unable to bridge the language barrier. A patrol arrived but did not have the authority to allow for their immigration. They gave them gas and water and told them to go further south to another navy base.

Red tape prevented the refugees from finding sanctuary.

“You have no one to represent you, so you’re at the mercy of whatever country will accept you. You have no voice.”

The refugees were taken to a camp in the suburbs of Manila.

“It was a building the size of the middle school, even smaller,” Dang said. “There were 500 refugees and two bathrooms. We lived there for about six months.”

While in the camp, Dang’s family applied to settle in France, Belgium, Australia and the US. The United States government prioritized them in the resettlement process because Dang’s brother was living in the US and attending USC. She counts herself lucky because they only stayed in the camp seven months. Other families stayed for years.

“I went through the US Catholic Church,” Dang said.

“They helped us with food and shelter every day, but the conditions were pretty miserable.”

When the family arrived at the US-Cuban Bay, they had to find an American family to sponsor them.

“Even after that, life was very tough for even up to five years,” Dang said. “The most important thing is to learn English, but in the meantime we all lived together in a little apartment in Houston.”

syrian refugee crisis strains germany, european union by brooke kushwaha The Syrian refugee crisis has dominated the news for months, a casualty of the Syrian Civil War that has spilled into the European Union and neighboring countries. Thousands of refugees have fled, only to find hostile border patrol agents greeting them across the Mediterranean.

“It’s the biggest political issue right now. Everyone is talking about it; every channel is talking about it. I cannot

Dang recognizes parallels between her story and the journeys of refugees coming from Syria.

“You are fleeing from the danger, from the persecution, from torture, from imprisonment for political reasons, and once you’ve fled from it and you think you’re in a safety zone, you’re starting to have a good life, but it was far from that because it is too dangerous.”

beard’s assistance

refu

facts and worldwide

19.5 million

For years, English teacher Brian Beard has been one of the people helping refugees find a home. He finds inspiration from his own experiences in the Peace Corps in Benin, where he had to adjust to a completely unfamiliar environment.

“I was this stranger in a strange land, so to speak. I had enough resources, but I needed the people of the community to help me.

They took me under their wing and treated me like family,” Beard said. “Thirteen, fourteen years later, I’m in Houston, and I see people not from the same country, but from not that far away and speaking [French]. Extending a helping hand felt like the right thing to do,” Beard said.

Beard started working with refugees after noticing a Congolese group in his church who spoke French but not English.

“Since my wife and I speak French, we got to know them quickly and then became involved in a program called Fondren Apartment Ministry,” Beard said. “We’d go to their apartment complex, play with the kids, and help out with various needs that they had.”

Beard now translates and helps connect refugees to resources.

“One refugee I met, Moise, got shot in the leg while running from the military in Eastern Congo and ended up in a refugee camp with his family in Burundi. They spent seven or eight years there and survived an attack by an ethnic minority on the camp, called the Gatumba Massacre,” Beard said.

“When he finally came to the US, his leg during all this time didn’t get the proper medical attention, so I’ve spent time driving him to his orthopedic surgeon appointments as well as translating with him and the doctor.”

Beard primarily focuses on the MATTHEW NEAL humanitarian rather than political aspects of the issue.

“Refugees are people who are by no choice of their own in a tough situation. They’re grateful to be here, but they would be back home if they could, and it could just as well be me. It feels like the human – the right thing – to do is to help them as I would want them to help me if I were in their situation,” Beard said.

watch an hour of TV without hearing mentions of the refugees,” said former German exchange student Anna Szinyei, who attended St. John’s for the 2014-2015 school year. Szinyei is of Hungarian heritage, but lives in Münster, Germany.

As the wealthiest member of the E.U., Germany has been charged with admitting the most refugees and has pledged to accept 800,000 refugees, in contrast with the United Kingdom’s pledge to admit 20,000 and the United States’ pledge of 10,000.

Aside from their material resources, Germany has a checkered past in human rights to overcome.

“Most counties do not want masses of immigrants, but because Germany has a bad history, they don’t want to

refugees

13.9 million

displaced

this year

us refugee population

51% ch

of 20

harris coun refugees u.n hailed from

40 3 countries

in 2014

of a

seem intolerant of other cultures,” Szinyei said. “So they say we’re welcoming, we want them, we need them. They talk about immigrants being well-educated people who want to work here and actually help our economy.”

Refugees often have no recourse but to find homes in other countries. The civil war between Syrian rebels and Bashar al-Assad’s regime has been waging since 2011, with over 200,000 deaths and counting. The Islamic State of Syria has also made footholds in the region on account of its instability, drawing in action from the U.S. and Russia. Airstrikes from both countries against ISIS also threaten civilians.

Even though Germany is the most economically stable E.U. country, housing refugees will cause a considerable strain on their resources.

houston’s open arms

During lunch on Sept. 10, Beard spoke about refugees with Thony Ngumbu, Senior Director at International Emergency and Development Aid (IEDA Relief ) and Timothy Mukule, IEDA’s Media and Marketing Associate.

According to Ngumbu, IEDA empowers immigrant families to become self-sufficient in the long term.

“Agencies like YMCA International receive funding from the federal government to support refugees in their first few months in the US. But what happens is when the agencies stop providing assistance, many refugee families are not yet adjusted to life here,” Ngumbu said. “There are so many needs and gaps, so we come in at that point and try to help.”

IEDA is coordinating Houston’s first-ever Human Rights Day Festival in December, where CommunityService Officers Elizabeth Awad, Grace Amandes, Christina Ru and Katherine Yao will be helping.

The organization decided to establish the event after noticing that Houston lacked a unified celebration of human rights. Their solution was to join in Human Rights Day, which has been celebrated around the world since its creation in 1950 by the United Nations.

“We focused on the same model being used in other cities. On one side you have the academia and municipality. Finally there is the civil society, nonprofit advocate side, and IEDA has really taken the charge on that front,” Ngumbu said.

Ngumbu collaborated with Rice University, the City of Houston and Youth for Human Rights to set up the festival which will include booths from local organizations, educational speakers and performances raising awareness of human rights.

“Our goal is not political. It’s about bringing awareness. We want to show that human rights are really relevant to us in our day-to-day lives and help people fully understand the situations in other countries where human rights are not respected,” Ngumbu said. “We also hope to move into more serious discussions in future installments stats from un of the event, such as having univeror schools organize panels.” refugee agency sitiesNgumbu also volunteered with a refugee organization on his own before seeking a career in the nonprofit sector. Having seen many people gain a strong sense of fulfillment through working with refugees, he encourages students to reach out to organizations if they want to help.

“Many of these refugees have seen family members killed in front of their eyes and have had to leave everything behind, and there are so many challenges to overcome here

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“The government is making reforms, assimilating immigrants into society, setting up Islamic schools, letting them learn German. The thing is, we really do not have the money to do that,” Szinyei said.

The influx of immigrants has also rekindled neo-Nazi parties and far-right conservatives that capitalize on anti-refugee sentiment in the region, holding protests and sometimes violent demonstrations.

Less affluent countries like Hungary have actively combated the refugee crisis. Hungary began building a wall around its Serbian border in July to keep out illegal immigrants.

Hungary is a key area to refugees because it borders other E.U. members, so once immigrants enter, they can move anywhere within the E.U.

with language and cultural differences,” Ngumbu said.

“To transform somebody’s life after their family has gone through such a traumatic experience is really fulfilling for the people I’ve seen.”

Ultimately, Ngumbu hopes that people will realize the long-term value of supporting human rights and refugees.

“People should be aware that refugees are coming legally, so they are here to stay and really become part of the fabric of our community and society,” Ngumbu said. “They are hard-working families who don’t want handouts, just the tools they need to contribute to society. Many end up becoming business owners and leaders that make a real difference in the community.”

summer express’ mission Since 2008, St. John’s has supported refugee children in the Houston community with Summer Express, an academic camp in the first week of June.

Summer Express partners with YMCA International. Student volunteers run the camp and tutor the refugee children primarily in English and math.

“The tutoring, which is the focal point of the project, is a unique way to get to know the kids and grow as a person, so it benefits both the kids and the tutors,” project leader Cameron Cook said. “It’s a really special project.”

While the camp focuses on working with refugees, Jamie Leader and Layne Johnson (both ’08) initially had a broader vision of educating underprivileged kids.

“At the time we were tutoring kids from Will Jones Elementary in the Third Ward, so they were a natural fit for this program,” Bahr said. “Their vision was to bring the kids on campus, show them that learning is cool, and that all things are possible with an education.”

When Will Jones closed in 2009, Summer Express partnered with I Have a Dream, an after-school program for underprivileged kids. After three years, I Have a Dream closed as well.

“We didn’t find out until about three or four weeks before Summer Express was supposed to start,” Bahr said. “Luckily we had been working with YMCA International and called our contacts there. They suggested their refugee program, and we’ve partnered with them ever since.”

Summer Express has expanded its program to include several educational field trips.

“Keeping them active isn’t the only job we have. Giving them an enjoyable experience and bringing fun into education is an important part,” project leader Maya Bhandari said. “Taking them to places like the museum or the zoo is something we do to give them an experience that they otherwise wouldn’t receive.”

The program emphasizes the importance of education to the children.

“Houston is incredibly different from Somalia,” said Sahro Abdi, a Somali refugee whose children attend Summer Express. “There was no education for my kids, and education essentially ended after middle school, even if you were a bright student.”

Additional school projects will serve the refugee population. On Nov. 14, the sophomore class will host a Thanksgiving carnival for the YMCA International refugees, and in the winter, seniors will organize another carnival.

“We’re helping them understand and experience Thanksgiving with all the different foods and traditions,” Bahr said.

“In Hungary, they say they cannot employ refugees because they cannot even employ their own people,” Szinyei said. “They also will only give refugees asylum if they follow European rules and enter through roads, not just cross over.”

According to Vice News, an estimated 80,000 refugees and migrants have crossed Hungary’s borders this year, up from 43,000 in 2014. One of Hungary’s arguments is that many of the Syrians crossing the border are not escaping immediate danger, and are instead entering the EU for purely economic opportunities. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has infamously described the incoming refugees as “looking like an army.”

In a speech to the European People’s party congress, Or-

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[Refugees] are hardworking families who don’t want handouts, just the tools they need to contribute to society.

Thony Ngumbu

ban said: “Right to human dignity and security are basic human rights. But neither the German nor the Hungarian way of life is a basic right of all people on Earth.”

Orban later stated that Hungary would help refugees gain asylum in Turkey, outside the E.U. “The average income for a Hungarian is ten euros a day,” Szinyei said. “It’s not really going well in that country, so refugees don’t want to be there. They think, ‘Why go from one poor country to another poor country when Germany is so welcoming.’”

For now, the Syrian refugee crisis will continue to strain both European powers and the U.S. The Civil War shows little sign of resolution, and refugees will continue to seek asylum and security.

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THE REVIEW I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

Numbers Game

PHILIP KENSINGER

Showcases offer athletes recruiting opportunities

by Irene Vazquez

W

hile his classmates attended the Kinkaid football game the weekend of Oct. 24-25, senior wrestler Yo Akiyama attended the USA Preseason Nationals Tournament at the University of Northern Iowa.

Over 3,000 wrestlers from 43 states attended the tournament. In past years, over 30 college coaches have attended the tournament to watch potential recruits and promote their college programs.

Akiyama wrestled in the junior/senior division and went 5-2, two matches away from becoming an All-American, a qualification that could add to his college prospects.

The college recruiting process varies from sport to sport. While football players can send game film to potential colleges, this option does not exist for most other sports.

“Big showcases are important in the sense that they give you exposure to many different schools,” junior field hockey player Emily Pedrick said. “The smaller camps and clinics are just as, if not more important because they allow you to create a relationship with the coaches.”

While Akiyama began attending showcases his junior year, attendance at these showcases can start as early as middle school for some athletes.

Junior baseball player Joe Gobillot began attending showcases in eighth grade.

“It ramped up really fast going into freshman

year, which is a little weird, since that’s four years from college,” Gobillot said.

For SJS athletes, the process is different than for students at larger public schools.

“If I went to a school like Deer Park, I could have a [college] coach come to my game,” junior softball player Alex Jones said. “A lot of the girls on my [club] team go to private schools, so we go to a lot of camps.”

Student-athletes at small private schools are at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting. They have to stand out on a national level against athletes with a higher skill level than is typically found in the private school conferences.

“The competition at these camps is a lot tougher than what I have experienced in Texas, especially in SPC,” Akiyama said. “But I don’t change the way I train or prepare myself for these showcases.”

Before showcases, athletes have to promote themselves in order to attract attention from college coaches.

“Before I go to a showcase, I have to send a ton of emails. Towards the beginning of the process it was around 40,” Pedrick said. “This was pretty daunting to me at first because you basically have to sell yourself in an email.”

Traveling to showcases and camps provides another aspect of college recruitment for students and their families. An entire sports-recruiting industry, including organizations like the National Collegiate Scouting Association and Perfect

Game, has cropped up, targeting parents and student-athletes trying to get noticed.

The showcases vary in cost, and though some are free, others can set families back as much as $1,000. While some are showcases are held in the Houston area, national programs take place all over the country, which further increases costs.

“Because field hockey is predominantly played in the north, attending these camps can be expensive,” Pedrick said. “Air fare and hotel rooms can be pricy sometimes.”

Money aside, preparing for and attending college showcases can take up a great deal of time.

Gobillot has attended showcases from Maine to Florida.

“This summer was the most laden with travel,” Gobillot said. “I only had 15 days at home.”

Although many camps are held during the summer, showcases are held year-round.

Once at the showcases, some students develop camaraderie with their fellow players.

“Everybody there is going through the same process that you are, so there’s a sense of community at these camps,” Pedrick said. “For the most part, everybody is very encouraging and supportive of the other athletes. You run into the same people over and over again at these camps, so it’s hard not to make friends from all over the country.”

Showcases can have a competitive undercurrent. According to the NCAA, in the 2013-2014

school year, only 6.9 percent of high school baseball players matriculate to the NCAA, and only 2.1 percent of those play for Division I schools.

“At one of the showcases, probably the most competitive one I’ve been to, two guys got into a fight,” Gobillot said. “A kid spilled water on his cleats, and they just went at it. It was bad.”

Competition increases even further when scholarship money is added into the mix.

Wrestling showcases are “designed to break the athletes both physically and mentally to allow the coaches to evaluate how we respond,” Akiyama said. “Everyone is fighting for one of the five spots a coach has for recruits, and people start to feel the pressure.”

In the face of tough competition and even higher stakes, athletes do their best to make a positive impression.

“One of the kids I faced [at a tryout this summer] was the Number One prospect in the 2017 class, and I struck him out,” Gobillot said. “It’s probably my favorite memory from the showcases.”

Ultimately, showcases are just one step in the journey from high school to college competition.

“The showcases I’ve been to have definitely gotten me closer to wrestling in college, but most of the process involves a lot of help from my mom, coaches, college counselor, teachers and friends,” Akiyama said. “I’m definitely lucky to have their support.”

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SPORTS

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Astros’ success re-energizes fans 1995

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The day after the Houston Astros won the American League Wild Card Game over the New York Yankees, a group of juniors wore Astros jerseys to school, days before the entire school did.

On Oct. 9, many Upper School students and faculty donned Astros garb, the first time in 10 years that the Astros warranted any kind of fan reaction.

“The last time I remember the Astros being good was in Lower School,” sophomore Samuel Ho said. “All through middle school, I would follow the Astros, but there wasn’t much to cheer for because I knew they would be one of the worst teams.”

Now that the Astros are a relevant again, students and the city of Houston have changed their perspective. Attendance at Astros games has increased 34 percent since bottoming out in 2012, according to mlb.com.

“I feel like a proud mother,” softball player Alara Burgess said. “We’ve been the ‘Disastros’ for so long, but we’re pulling it together. We’re getting things done, and we’ve made it so far.”

Television ratings have increased as the team improved, a far cry from the days when some Astros TV broadcasts garnered a 0.0 rating.

“Before, not even half of Minute Maid Park would be filled,” freshman Ashton Anton said.

“Now there are so many people. It’s packed.”

A sense of pride emerged in the fan base of a team whose performance has not justified much admiration in the decade past.

“It’s more fun to watch our home team,” Anton said. “It’s exciting now that we’re actually winning.

Naturally, the introduction of new fans has accompanied the Astros’ winning ways. Some may call these fans bandwagoners, but the support they add is unquestionable.

“I’m about sticking with a team, but at the same time, there will be more people at games and that will probably make the players play better, so in that sense, it’s a plus,” Ho said.

With more fans and more success, the buzz around the team has increased.

“It’s cool to have the city excited and talking about the Astros,” said Prentiss Havens, a ball boy for the Astros whose father is a minority owner of the team.

“It has been interesting to see the transition from the team last year to the team this year,” Astros ball boy Jeffrey Paine said. “As we’re winning more games, the players seem to be happier, and it has really changed the mood in the clubhouse.”

Winning has brought a sense of joy and accomplishment to a team that has been through some tough times. But the Astros have never been devoid of confidence. Fans say the Astros have improved because of an enduring belief in their ability.

“Our team has been very confident from the beginning, which allowed them to beat some very good teams and to be a great team themselves,” Havens said.

Younger players have revitalized the team. The biggest contributors on the team are under 30.

Shortstop Carlos Correa (21), pitcher Dallas Keuchel (27) and second baseman Jose Altuve (25) all came up through the Astros’ minor league system.

“All this young talent has really helped strengthen the lineup,” Ho said.

Correa, who only played 99 games after joining the team mid-season, still recorded 22 home runs, 68 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and demonstrated Golden Glove-worthy defense. He is also the overwhelming front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year.

“He’s a five-tool player (an athlete who excels at hitting for average, power and speed, as well as throwing ability and fielding) as a rookie,” freshman Trent Burch said. “He’s not really a leader now, but I’m sure he’ll grow into that role.”

The Astros were eliminated from the playoffs

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after losing the American League Division Series, 3-2, to the eventual World Series Champion Kansas City Royals.

With an influx of young talent and a positive atmosphere, Astros fans are optimistic for the future.

“I think the sky’s the limit,” Havens said. “I would hope to see regular playoff appearances and possibly a World Series in the coming years.”

JOHN HAVENS

by Dani Yan

2011

BALL BOYS OF SUMMER Astros’ mascot Orbit stands with Caldwell Flores (‘12) and seniors Jeffrey Paine and Prentiss Havens at Minute Maid Park. Paine and Havens worked as ball boys for the team this season.

C

‘We want to believe’ in 90s TV revivals

by Emily Chen

Joseph and Nov. 13-14 the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

P15 Behind the scenes: Kinkaid video State of Grace makes opening

SJSREVIEW.COM I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

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Culture Briefs Coffeehouse fosters low-key performance The next Coffeehouse will take place some time in December.

A lunchtime musical performance opportunity open to all Upper School students is produced by Johnnycake and run by junior officer Sophie Worscheh.

According to Worscheh, Coffeehouse was inspired in part by the new Great Hall and surrounding student area.

“The idea of a Coffeehouse has been pushed around for the past couple years,” Worscheh said. “This year, with the new Great Lawn and Great Hall, I figured we should make use of the space.”

Coffeehouse is intended to be a less stressful alternative to the high-involvement musicals and plays.

“It’s a very low-key performance,” Worscheh said. “It doesn’t have to be a cappella, but it’s not a total mainstage performance. This is one of those times when [students] can show how talented they are without committing to a super intense experience.”

With the influx of reboots, sequels, remakes and revivals flooding both television screens and movie theaters, popular culture today feels like the fever dream of a basement-dwelling 30-year-old.

Some of these small-screen revivals are clearly only trying to make money off nostalgia: “Fuller House,” “The Magic School Bus 360°,” and “The Powerpuff Girls,” to name just a few. But other projects seem like earnest but untimely continuations of shows dropped too early.

With both types of renewals, two questions are at the forefront of critics and fans: How popular can this show be today and how long can that popularity last?

Two of the most talked-about projects are revivals of cult 90’s shows. Creators David Lynch and Mark Frost, as well as many of the original cast, are returning to the unsettling classic “Twin Peaks,” which was put on indefinite hiatus after only two seasons in 1991. The show is being shot as a feature-length movie and then broken up into a rumored 18 episodes to be released on Showtime in 2017.

Meanwhile, Fox will air a six-episode “X-Files” miniseries with stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny returning along with showrunner Chris Carter.

The series will premiere Jan. 24, a mere 14 years after the finale of the original.

Out of the 51,201 inhabitants of Twin Peaks, Washington, there are several characters who will not be returning; most notably, town sheriff Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean.)

Many members of the “X-Files” cast are returning, along with some new faces. Especially for older characters, the storyline must adapt to accommodate their decade-plus age change from the last season.

Reboots often overcome the time gap by introducing a new generation of characters and bringing back the returning characters to appease the older generation, but introducing new characters into the web of affairs, crime and family that connects the Twin Peaks residents or the nine previous seasons of the X-Files would seem like a last-ditch

Briefs by Sophie Caldwell and Margaret Gorman

aired 1993-2000 returns Jan. 24 on FOX

aired 1990-1991 returns fall 2016 on Showtime

speaks to the popularity of the show, one cannot help but wonder whether people are getting tired of Mulder and Scully, especially returning 14 years after we thought their story was over. “The X-Files” has also prompted two movies, “Fight the Future” (1998) and “I Want to Believe” (2008). The plot and events of the latter will not be acknowledged in the reboot. The new incarnation is a miniseries, however, instead of a full continuation; hopefully Chris Carter will keep it short and sweet.

This problem will not affect “Twin Peaks.” The main challenge facing David Lynch is recapturing the mysterious small-town atmosphere. One scene from the original series shows Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) and his deputies pulling up to a gas station right out of the 1960’s. How can this timeless little town still survive today? How would it look now, with iPhones instead of glossy black wall-mounted landlines, tight ponytails replacing soft wavy hair, forensic evidence almost impossible

to hide from new police technology?

“Twin Peaks” creators have already asked that fans lurking around the set to stop leaking photos on Twitter. A surprising number of them have complied, but is it really possible to #KeepTheMysteryAlive today? “Twin Peaks” is a completely unique show with an inimitable tone. Some stories are so rooted in the past that transplanting them to the present may do more harm than good.

Even if the revivals can overcome their obstacles, there is no guarantee of success. After every reboot or remake, no matter how well-made, old fans will claim that the original was better. Reboots exist to disappoint.

When it debuted, “Twin Peaks” was a cultural phenomenon with a cult fan base, and “The X-Files,” with its nine-season run, is still wellknown. Both series end with cliffhangers that fans want to be resolved, but the suspense preserves the mysterious element so central to both shows.

It would be better to leave the characters where we left them. I would pay good money to see a third season of “Twin Peaks” from 1992, but a revival is not the same thing. Continuing these stories now may doom them to the pits with along with 2002’s “The Twilight Zone” reboot and NBC’s 2008 disaster “Night Rider.” We may remember them as failed reboots instead of the hugely influential and popular shows they were in their time, and, even if we don’t, the very existence of a revival casts a damper on the original.

“Twin Peaks,” “The X-Files” and other 90’s television revivals face many typical reboot problems: remaining relevant, living up to the original, or keeping up with continuity. While spin-off shows or movies often find success after the original series’ cancellation, these revivals face the struggle of returning as the original television series with over a decade between seasons.

The new secrets and unsolved mysteries of Twin Peaks residents will engross viewers, and the truth out there in the X-Files universe will continue to captivate audiences, but neither series should overstay their welcome.

OPINION

Tinder popularity matches millennial dating culture

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Visual arts exhibition fills new gallery The annual Upper School Visual Arts Exhibition opened in the new Glassell Gallery in the Campus Center, Oct. 13-30.

Pieces from the 2D and 3D art, architecture and photography classes were on display.

“A big part of making art is that you’ve got to let the art communicate to other people,” art teacher Dan Havel said. “You have got to put it out there in the public and start that dialogue.”

In planning the new spaces needed for the Visual Arts program, Havel wanted a platform dedicated to showing and elevating student work.

“When we put all the work up together from one project the class has done, they all support each other, they all relate to one another, they all lift one another up in quality,” Havel said.

Havel thinks that the new exhibition space near the Great Hall may attract more visitors.

“I’m thrilled that we have our own gallery space now that really showcases the students’ work in a professional space.”

effort to recapture some of the glory of the original shows. So much of “Twin Peaks” is character-driven and FBI investigators Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are so iconic that new main characters would ruin the reboot. On the bright side, maybe now society is progressive enough to include more non-white characters.

Without even getting into the plot and continuity issues faced by a show returning to the air well over a decade later, both “The X-Files” and “Twin Peaks” face problems with relevancy. “The X-Files” is the fourth longest-running American science fiction television show (202 episodes). While this

Brooke

Kushwaha

he “dating” app Tinder works off the premise that users can completely judge someone from a half-second glance at a profile picture. Shallow? Yep. Effective? Depends on how

you use it.

Most dating sites like eHarmony and Match. com tout their marriage stats and successful pairings as proof of their credibility. Not Tinder. Tinder is unabashedly honest about its users’ intentions: it’s a hook-up app, most famous for giving socially illiterate frat boys a stage to try out obnoxious pick-up lines.

Most Tinder relationships never leave the messaging stage, although some graduate to Snapchat and Kik exchanges. A few individuals actually go on dates with their Tinder matches, but the level of commitment involved in these relationships is, in a word, minimal. One senior went on a Tinder date with a girl at Subway. Eventually, her phone died, so she borrowed his. Her contact name in his phone was “Girl K,” the 12th girl in his Tinder match alphabet. Surprisingly, Girl K went on a second date, but the story exemplifies an extreme case of Tinder flippancy.

Yes, Tinder provides a means for otherwise socially-limited individuals to interact. In a school of just over 600, it may be beneficial to go out and talk to someone you didn’t first meet in kindergarten. Or if you spent the last three years primarily in a computer lab, it may just be nice to talk to someone.

In today’s dating environment, the simplicity of Tinder lies in its low stakes. Of all the stereotypes about millennials, the notion of “hook-up

culture” is the most accurate. Kids these days aren’t about to marry their highschool-sweethearts — most of them don’t even have a high school sweetheart.

Attraction that can be distilled into a swipe-right or swipe-left is just the kind of low-pressure situation teenagers and young adults can get behind.

Because Tinder is so easy to use, many treat Tinder as little more than a fun way to pass the time, alswiper no swiping The Tinder app takes speed-dating to the extreme. most like any other Users make choices on possible partners by swiping either left (to reject) chat-with-a-strangor right (to like) on a potential date’s photo. er app or website.

Those people aren’t dating apps that require users to be at least 18. looking for a serious Tinder’s website features a section on safety, with relationship (or a relationship at all), just a way to pass the time. And why not? It’s essentially a game tips on how to avoid predators or scammers. Tinof “Hot or Not” featuring the occasional wacky der advocates withholding financial and personal information and being wary of users who adaconversation with an equally bored stranger.

The dark side, however, is when a wacky con- mantly ask to meet in real life. For Tinder dates, versation turns to unwanted attention. Guys on the app also urges users to meet in public locations Tinder are notorious for their lack of tact. It’s and to notify a friend of family member of your not uncommon to receive a lewd comment when plans.

Fraudulent profiles and scammers, when reportwomen match with someone. ed, will be banned from the app. With 26 milAnother issue arises with the near anonymity of Tinder. Although Tinder does not allow users 18 lion matches per day, some predators may slip by or over to view underage profiles, accounts can be unnoticed until it’s too late. Just remember that easily fabricated with a decoy Facebook account. while there are plenty of fish in the sea, there are Tinder’s minimum age is also 13, unusual for most plenty of sharks as well.

BROOKE KUSHWAHA

LTURE U C

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SJSREVIEW.COM I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

Behind the Scenes

JARED MARGOLIS

2015 Kinkaid Video

Powerful sages. Band Director Darrell Parrish in disguise. Responsible Cyrus.

Strange moments like these could only occur in a Kinkaid video.

On Oct. 23, the Upper School gathered in the VST to view this year’s film, written by seniors Paul Labanowski, Gabe Malek and Marcus Manca.

Filming and editing the video was a strenuous process, according to senior Shane Zerr, who was absent from

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school for a day in order to finish editing the video.

“We did a lot of work during free periods, came in [on] weekends, during lunch and after school,” football captain Hunter Kowalski said. “We had to do a lot of re-takes because we kept laughing and weren’t used to all the cameras.”

The plot also strayed from the conventional storylines, with the fine arts

students kidnapping the football players.

“In the past, the Kinkaid video has centered around the football captains,” football captain Cade Luedde said. “Because there were fewer senior football players this year, the film spotlighted more members of the team.”

by Sophia Li

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CULTURE

THE REVIEW I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

Restaurant offers saving grace to nearby strip center

GRACELAND In a space previously occupied by a dry cleaner and a Subway, State of Grace becomes the cornerstone of the Lamar-River Oaks Shopping Center.

The restaurant opened in October to rave Yelp reviews.

by Michael VerMeulen

his new restaurant after his niece Grace van Loh (‘15). Instead, he came up with its name with the help of his graphic designer and a picture of a deer.

“We didn’t want a food-related name. We also didn’t want a name that necessarily meant anything seasonal because we want it to stay classic year-round,” Fry said. “I was shown a picture of an elegant deer, and I thought about the gracefulness of a possible situation in which a hunter would not shoot the deer because of its beauty.”

Due to unfamilarity with the menu and higher prices compared to Crescent City, State of Grace faces a battle in winning over some in the SJS community. Fry embraces the challenge, even serving beignets to satisfy his customers’ cravings.

“I’m in the business of keeping people happy and giving them what they want,” Fry said. “If students who used to eat at the previous restaurants come in with their parents complaining about us taking away their old haunts, we have a replacement ready for them.”

Though optimistic about the new restaurant, Fry knows that it will take time for the place to fully get up and running without his constant supervision.

“Right now, we have to focus on controlling the flow of the restaurant. It takes about two weeks to work out the kinks and get up to speed with the building, pace, and traffic patterns. It then takes three months to get in the groove and six months to fully embed yourself within the community,” Fry said. “Luckily, there’s a lot of buzz about it.”

PHILIP KENSINGER

When restaurateur Ford Fry decided to put his newest restaurant State of Grace right in the middle of the neighborhood where he grew up, he was prepared to face the consequences.

“I’m sure a lot of friends from my past will surface in hopes for that last-minute reservation,” Fry said.

The location, which used to house Crescent City Beignets and a Subway, holds nostalgic significance to Fry, who remembers it even before those direct predecessors occupied the space.

“As a kid, I would ride my bike here to the Laundromat and stop-and-go shop where I would get candy,” Fry said.

Some places from his youth are still standing.

“Of course, I would go to the Baskin-Robbins which seemingly has been here for 100 years.”

Fry attended St. John’s through eighth grade before attending Lamar High School, where he graduated in 1988.

During his sophomore year of college at the University of Arkansas, he decided to pursue his passion for cooking by enrolling at the New England Culinary Institute.

After his training, Fry advanced in the industry by working in resort restaurants

across the nation.

“Usually we worked with whatever we wanted to, and we were always trying something new and interesting in order to adapt with the times,” Fry said. “It didn’t matter whether I went to Santa Barbara or Aspen or Denver, I was always trying to innovate.”

In 2007, after 14 years of cooking in resorts, Fry opened his first restaurant in Atlanta, a southern-homestead joint called JCT Kitchen and Bar. This type of cooking appealed to the people Fry was hoping to serve.

“The balance is not cooking solely for customers while also not cooking selfishly,” Fry said. “Eventually you learn what the customer wants.”

JCT was built out of an old meat-packing plant, the first sign of Fry’s fascination with birthing beauty out of the rundown.

“I like going into old buildings, buildings with character to them,” Fry said.

“Repurposing something that is old is a win for me.”

After five years running JCT, Fry and his team opened eight new restaurants in Atlanta over the next three years. In the process, Fry transitioned from being a chef to a self-proclaimed visionary.

“I am at a cross between the business and creative sides,” Fry said. “I come up with

the restaurant concept by creating the look, feel and food of the restaurants. I work with the chefs to execute my plans.

Then, I have teams that do the rest.”

With State of Grace, Fry and his team open their first Texas eatery. Similar to his Atlanta locations, Fry plans to infuse his cuisine with local tradition.

“This restaurant is inspired by Gulf Coast, Hill Country, and the whole Houston area,” Fry said.

“Even the décor is reminiscent of how I remember Texas growing up.”

As he grows older, Fry feels that sticking JARED MARGOLIS with the basics is an important part of his decision-making process in creating his vision for a new restaurant.

“Food now is more interesting than tasty.

People are skipping the whole foundation and going into innovative cuisine even with little experience,” Fry said. “As I get older and try to cook for my own age, it seems that the trend is less innovation and instead going back to classics.”

Contrary to rumors, Fry did not name

AMAZING GRACE Patrons dine at restauranteur Ford Fry’s first Houston-based restaurant, State of Grace, which has replaced Subway and beignets shop Crescent City.

Catching up with

Students studying abroad

Chloe Francis (‘14)

Elliot Cheung (‘14)

George Davies (‘14)

Studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh is not so different from studying at home. You meet great people and, presumably, go to classes.

I feel like the biggest difference — and the biggest benefit — is the level of diversity. I have met so many people from all over the world, and, because of that, a conversation is never dull. St. John’s provided a lot of diversity, but upon graduating, I felt like I was ready for the next level.

I’ve found that in Edinburgh.

I would encourage everyone to at least explore studying overseas. I understand most find it daunting, but Europe is calling. In all likelihood it is even crooning “Take a Chance on Me.”

Between the college gowns, candlelit dining halls, fancy white-tie balls, and my kind, tall, white-bearded, deepvoiced former Archbishop of a College Master, life at Cambridge may be as close to living in the Harry Potter Universe as it gets. With a few slight differences. Namely, the constant amount of intense work and stress for which not even St. John’s can prepare you. But also the fun parts of uni life in England, even without the magic.

I get to be the foreigner here, the proud Texan who won’t shut up about America, yet when I go home I’m told I sound more British than ever. I’ve discovered the wonder of the “Great British Bake-Off”, a cooking show that people here seem to follow religiously, the finale of which was the most watched show in the nation. To boot, I still get to play ultimate frisbee here, captaining the university 2nd’s team to victory against Oxford last year.

So while it’s not quite like Harry Potter, and while it’s certainly not America, life at Cambridge is good.

Life across the pond in St Andrews, Scotland is quite different than at St. John’s. For one, they serve haggis at breakfast instead of breakfast burritos, and the university campus is completely integrated into the town so in order to get to class you have to pass lots of golf tourists every day.

I am second year undergraduate at the University of St Andrews studying ancient history and archaeology. I am taking classes this term in Roman Imperial history, Roman late Republican literature, and European High Medieval history. I went on an archaeological dig to an iron-age celtic hillfort in Scotland last summer and hope to go to Rome this year to do some archaeology there. I am heavily involved with the university’s medieval reenactment society, of which I am currently the treasurer, and I am currently involved in creating a classical culture society.

P I N I O NS

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ON POINT Campus cat finds a new home Halloween on a Saturday night John Cena Homecoming posters

OFF TARGET Mango Burst smoothie = sugar slush Delayed SAT score reports Study shows hotdogs, bacon raise cancer risk

SJSREVIEW.COM I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

Weighing the benefits of field trips We all remember the excitement of running into an elementary school classroom in the morning, knowing that we are about to abandon school for a half day or — gasp — even a full day in favor of going to a farm, or a museum, or the zoo. These field trips seemed like a way for us kids to get out of school for a day, a fun adventure with some learning layered over it to placate our parents.

In high school, field trips have the potential to be real learning experiences. Students in their late teens are responsible enough and have the mental capacity to visit more advanced sites, which in turn would be more educational and helpful.

Many people, students and parents alike, complain about cultural field trips. They say you can’t force culture, or that the trips are pointless since they take time away from traditional academic subjects. However, these trips are all the more important at St. John’s. Many students here come from similar backgrounds, so learning about other cultures and ways of life is especially important.

Visiting museums or places of worship takes students to see places they might never discover on their own.

Since parents pay tuition for days missed in addition to the activity fee charged on trips, some say these experiences are a waste of time and money, but they provide valuable insights. Other than the freshman history field trip, I can’t think of another trip that is not tailored to a specific course. Is it useless for the Anatomy and Physiology trip to shadow working doctors at a hospital, where some students in the class may see themselves working in the future? Is it a waste of time for the Art History students to visit New York and experience firsthand the culture they learned about in the classroom? We will soon be set free into the real world, and students need as much experience as they can get to be successful. While internships and competitions are a great way to get that experience, not everyone has the time or resources to do so. Relevant field trips or other

emily chen

PRO CON

experiential learning techniques enhance understanding of their subjects and provide students with real applications or possible career paths, which they will need to consider.

These experiences are indispensable.

And even if field trips are just a break from school or a fun experience, what’s wrong with that? When do students need a break more in Lower School, when we had plenty of breaks like naptime and recess, or now, when every test grade or application could decide your future?

That is how many students feel in the latter years of high school. A day off — an educational, but more relaxed day — once a year isn’t going to hurt.

Field trips and experiential learning have positive impacts on students.

Sure, trips may come with a cost or take students away from school for a day, but they can introduce us to different ways of thinking, provide important insights into subjects we study and, maybe, help us recapture some of that excitement we felt when we were worry-free in elementary school.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

sophia

li

Field trips are said to be the pinnacle of experiential learning, an opportunity for students to see in person and interact with material they have studied on the page. In my experience, the downside of field trips outweighs their potential gain.

First of all, field trips cause students to miss essential class time, and they offer little in return. What can you learn on a three-hour trip to the museum? There’s no time to fully immerse yourself in learning; you and your classmates are forced to give a cursory glance to all exhibits, scribble down hasty notes, and leave feeling lethargic.

Now that you’ve missed half a day of school, there are consequences. You’ve missed lectures. You’ve missed a lab. And how can you do the physics homework due the next day when you don’t have the notes?

Pushing back tests makes your factual memory less fresh, making you less likely to perform well, especially if you don’t have time to study. With all the assignments you’ve missed, it’s likely that on one Sunday night, you’ll have 99 problems, and none of them are done.

On grade-wide field trips, a lot less learning is conducted because you’re with 150 kids your age.

Next year, the seventh grade will no longer go to Washington, D.C. This field trip may have been lots of fun, but what were its real academic benefits?

Sure, we visited memorials and museums, where there was potential for learning, but this trip was not me seeking intellectual fulfillment. This trip only lead to raucous conversations and roughhousing.

Compared to the specific lessons taught in class, the benefits of field trips are more nebulous. Certain students do benefit from the experience, but many others don’t care and just want to miss class.

I agree that field trips have the potential to supplement students’ class knowledge, but if not done right, students will just take a field trip as an opportunity to check their phones, chat with their friends, and not pay attention to the intended experience.

Here is how we reform conventional field trips: One: fewer people. Absolutely no learning will occur if a hundred people are crammed together in a room. Divide students into smaller groups, separate them to complete tasks, and rotate accordingly.

Two: field trips should be interactive. Going on a biology trip to the zoo and looking at animal exhibits can be interesting, but how cool would it be if we got to go behind the scenes and actually learn the stories behind individual animals?

Three: field trips should be timed better. Why is a student allowed to miss both a Chemistry Honors test and a history reading quiz for a field trip, yet outrage occurs if the trip overlaps with sports practice?

Going to class is a sure way to guarantee that you learn the material. With field trips, you’re taking a risk. If done properly, do field trips have the potential to expand our learning and be something great? Yes. But if not done properly, do they also have the potential to backfire, where students just text on their phones? Absolutely.

EMMA SHEA

Struggles for gender equality extend locally, worldwide

I

n “Why You Should Care,” a columnist will discuss some of today’s most important issues — locally and around CARA the word — and make the case for how they connect to SJS life. This month, Spanish teacher Cara Henderson takes on women’s rights issues both near and far.

Henderson

I grew up in Houston in the 1970s and 1980s.

If you had asked me then if I considered myself a feminist, I probably would have tried to avoid the question or answered in the negative. The word had such a radical, “bad girl” connotation.

I now understand that feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. This can only be achieved by raising awareness when we observe or experience inequities and injustices. I now proudly and confidently identify as a feminist. It is from this point of view that I share some current events related to justice and equality for all that merit your attention.

HERO comes under Fire THE ISSUE: A veto referendum on the anti-discrimination ordinance known as the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) appeared

on the ballot for Houston voters in Harris County on November 3. The ordinance, known as Proposition 1, would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity—criteria not covered by federal anti-discrimination laws. The ordinance would also make prohibitions against discrimination based on sex, race, color, ethnicity, age, familial status, military status, religion, disability and pregnancy explicit in the city’s code.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: I believe in equal rights for all. Further, I agree wholeheartedly with Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assertion, “Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere.” Thankfully, the St. John’s School Board of Trustees decided to embrace equality by adding sexual orientation to its non-discrimination clause. Perhaps “gender identity” will be added

soon, following the lead of IBM, which has included it since 2002. As the fourth largest and the most diverse city in the United States, I hope that Houston will decide to model tolerance and fairness.

posing those beliefs on others by limiting their healthcare options. Instead, I choose to recognize women’s innate ability and defendable right to make informed choices that relate to their own health and wellness.

Senate will Vote to De-fund Solutions Proposed for Planned Parenthood Trafficking Worldwide THE ISSUE: Planned Parenthood is in the news quite a bit lately. The defunding and misrepresentation of Planned Parenthood has been on the agenda of everyone from the Select Investigative Panel to presidential hopefuls who are willing to reference manipulated video clips in a desperate attempt to advance their own political careers.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Planned Parenthood has a proven track record of providing millions of people with access to preventative health care. Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said “In their obsession with attacking women’s access to health care, extreme members of Congress would take basic health care away from people who need it most — those who are struggling to get by, who rely on Medicaid or have no health insurance, and those who live in areas with few medical options.”

Second, women’s reproductive rights (a sub-category of women’s rights) are worthy of protection. There is room for everyone to have different opinions about abortion without im-

THE ISSUE: The global issue of sex slavery should give us all pause. Nicholas Kristof, in a recent op-ed column for The New York Times, advocates for the rights of young girls to be protected against commodification by those who serve the demands (sexual and otherwise) of both human traffickers and sex slave customers.

According to the U.N.’s International Labor Organization, there are more than 20 million people worldwide (a quarter of them children) who are victims of forced labor. A growing subset of this number is tied to the sex slave trade.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: While Kris-

tof admits that there is no perfect way to combat human trafficking, he argues that “Amnesty International’s proposal for full decriminalization of the sex trade” is not the answer. He encourages us to look at strategies used by countries like Sweden where traffickers and customers are held accountable for their breach of human rights “while providing social services and exit ramps for women in the sex trade.”

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OPINIONS

SJSREVIEW.COM I NOVEMBER 4, 2015

STAFF EDITORIAL

Chapel speeches should spur thought, dialogue The staff editorial differs from opinions pieces in that it is written by the Editorial Board, which consists of the Editors-in-Chief and Senior Design Editor.

With the introduction of a new Director of Spiritual Life, the Editorial Board suggests that we reexamine the role of Chapel. As noted on Page 7, Rev. Mulligan plans to embrace diverse religions and encourage students to think about their own beliefs. While we support this mindset, we would like to go a step further and recommend modifications to Chapel speeches.

As much as students may complain about or sleep through Chapel, we have to admit that Chapel is a special, even important, tradition.

Chapel is a forum for students and faculty to come together to discuss issues that affect the community, both spiritual and not. Most high schools do not have this opportunity for the whole school to unite and think critically about issues and beliefs. In this sense, Chapel has a lot of potential.

English teacher Brian Beard’s Chapel speech about being “heart rich” Sept. 23 had all the elements of a trenchant Chapel speech: it was

funny, engaging and relevant to our lives. But above all, it started a dialogue. Every student — regardless of religious beliefs — took something away from Chapel that day.

Too often, Chapel seems formulaic: another unengaging speech filled with buzzwords and dictionary definitions, another attempt to make some sort of metacommentary about success. A Chapel speech that feels condescending or proselytizing can drive away people with differing beliefs while offering little to those who agree.

Beyond that, Chapel should take advantage of our diverse community in choosing speakers. The Editorial Board contends that outside members of the SJS community be selected for Chapel

only when absolutely necessary, when a speech from a student or teacher will not suffice.

Contrary to popular belief, students here come from a wide variety of cultural and religious backgrounds and life experiences.

Having SJS community members speak more often in Chapel would not only keep students from dozing off but also help them learn about their peers.

For instance, in This I Believe Chapel, senior Casey Mullins mentioned the relevant issue of religion in the media while talking about her personal BROOKE KUSHWAHA experiences within Christianity. Casey’s speech was specific to her life while still addressing issues that all students can either relate to or learn from.

Additionally, teachers should attempt to incorporate Chapel messages into class discussion so speeches extend beyond St. John the Divine.

Class debates on topical issues can expose students to diversity in thought and analysis, which will make speeches even more enriching.

While we do not condone students sleeping through or skipping Chapel, we also do not find it surprising when they do. Chapel can be repetitive, uninformative, and yes, boring.

But there have also been Chapels that have exposed us to other beliefs, taught us about our classmates and made us think. At its worst, Chapel is time that would have been better used studying for a test, but at its best, Chapel starts a dialogue.

With Rev. Mulligan in charge, the Editorial Board is optimistic about the future of Chapel.

The Board, in a 4-0 vote, agrees that with more speakers from within our community, more purposeful speeches and more effort on the part of students to engage, we can elevate Chapel from a mundane tradition to a meaningful space for thought.

From the editors Dear Reader, Kinkaid Week went by in a flurry of feather boas and camouflage. Between the colorful chalk art we admired on the way to class and the somersaults at the pep rallies, everything was loud, fast and spirited. But better than any of the lead-up — getting the jokes in the Kinkaid Video, seeing our friends perform in the pep rally, or even donning polo shirts and tiaras on Monday — was our last Friday night in the stands. We didn’t win, but it wasn’t about winning. It was about screaming at the top of our lungs for the Mavs and the feeling of togetherness.

In the aftermath of Kinkaid Week, it’s been easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated by early college applications, schoolwork that didn’t get done and extra practices for the musical or SPC. In the not-so-distant future, there are synthesis papers coming, midterms and, of course, more college applications. Unless we’re in it, going to an athletic event or theater performance is basically the last thing on our minds.

But we shouldn’t just sit back. With SPC around the corner and the stage for the Fall Musical already con-

structed on the Great Lawn, let’s reignite the fervor from Kinkaid Week and cheer for our friends. Go support a sport you’ve never watched before. Make a card for a friend in “Joseph.” Cheer as loud as you can. Wouldn’t it be amazing if the band concert had at least half as many fans as the Kinkaid game?

Take interest in issues on and off campus. As we suggest in our editorial, actually listen in Chapel instead of sleeping in. Maybe you’ll have something to talk about with your teacher, or maybe you’ll learn something new. Chapel is a rare opportunity to learn without having to take notes.

Get involved in your community. Take some time to learn about the obstacles refugees face across the world and right here in Houston. A good place to start would be our centerspread (page 10). Living in a city with over 70,000 refugees, we can’t afford to ignore our environment and people around us.

As we mention in the editorial, one of the best things about attending St. John’s is being surrounded by amazing students with diverse talents and experiences. Although Kinkaid week might be over, our school spirit doesn’t have

to dwindle. When we think back to that cloudy night at Rice Stadium, let’s remember what we all belted out in perfect unison, “Mavericks are we, proud as can be.”

Let’s embrace the often hectic month of November and come together again.

Peace,

Love,

Joy,

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JARED MARGOLIS

Spirited devotion

The Review · St. John’s School · 2401 Claremont, Houston, TX 77019 · review.sjs@gmail.com · 713-850-0222 x373 sjsreview.com · Facebook SJS Review · Twitter @SJS_Review · Instagram @_thereview Member Columbia Scholastic Press Assn.: Crown Finalist 2016, Gold Crown 2015, Silver Crown 2014 · National Scholastic Press Assn.: Pacemaker Finalist 2015; 4th Place Best of Show, All-American 2014-2015

Editors-in-Chief Cara Maines, Gabe Malek, Chris Zimmerman Managing Editor Brooke Kushwaha Senior Design Editor Matthew Neal Senior Assignment Editor Megan Shen Assignment Editors Christian Maines, Irene Vazquez Online Editor Amy Liu Design Editor Ashwini Bandi Photography Editors Philip Kensinger, Jared Margolis Copy Editors Sophia Li, Michael VerMeulen Assistant Online Editor Sadde Mohamed Business Manager Grace Amandes Video Editor Max Westmark

Staff

Roosh Bhosale, Gracie Blue, Gwendelyn Butler, Sophie Caldwell, Ryan Chang, Emily Chen, Iris Chen, Ellie Davidson, Andrew Duong, Sam Foshee, Claire Furse, Shomik Ghose, Sophie Gillard, Catherine Gorman, Margaret Gorman, Kate Habich, David Hammer, Joseph Hlavinka, Nyla Jennings, Reygan Jones, Alexander Kim, Stephen Kim, Prithvi Krishnarao, Kyra Link, Sukul Mittal, Anish Nayak, Saswat Pati, Daniel Poag, Robert Rae, Emily Ragauss, Caroline Ramirez, Emma Shea, Maddie Shen, Henry Still, Gray Watson, Dani Yan, Austin Zhang

Advisers David Nathan, Shelley Stein (‘88)

Mission Statement The Review strives to report on issues with integrity, to recognize the assiduous efforts of all, and to serve as an engine of discourse within the St. John’s community.

Publication Info The Review is published seven times a school year. We distribute 1,000 copies each issue, most of which are given for free to the Upper School community of 607 students and 80 faculty members.

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

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

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

Submission Guidelines Letters to the editor and guest 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 (Q210); or mail letters to The Review, 2401 Claremont, Houston, TX 77019.

19

ODDS AND ENDS

Word for word

Gabby Otey: I went to see “World War Z” because I thought it was a documentary about World War II, then I walked out because it had zombies. I didn’t realize the Z stood for zombies.

Budding physicians in Physics I “Lip Gloss” by Lil’ Mama is on my cooking playlist.

Joe Faraguna puts some fire in the kitchen

Dept. Profile Fine ARTS Dept. Head Bill McDonald 32 yrs, Acting I & II

PHILIIP KENSINGER

Sixty Seconds

History rewritten

Ms. Bigge: The class did really well on the test this time.

Matthew Garnett: That’s because we’re really good physicians!

with Juliette Draper

NAME GRADE STATE OF MIND KNOWN FOR COLOR HATE TO LOVE LOVE TO HATE HAPPINESS MISERY OLYMPIC SPORT DREAM DATE RELATIONSHIP STATUS COMFORT FOOD PLACE TO LIVE SPIRIT ANIMAL MOVIE PHOBIA I WISH FOLLOW US?

Juliette Draper 9 Ready for Christmas Bad puns (please don’t pun-ish me) Baby blue Disney Descendants the words fam, boi, and clown Debates in Hardin History 8th period Geo trig worksheets Track and field Beyonce Fully committed to Beyonce I’d be happy living in a giant dumpling Amsterdam Fox Gone with the Wind Oversleeping on morning practice days I wish... more than anything more than life *Into the woods* Facebook confuses me, but sure!

Veterans Linda Woods 35 years, Art

Darrell Parrish JARED MARGOLIS

22 Years, Band

Dan Havel 20 Years, Art

Key Additions Alex Arizpe 2 years, Theater

Brittany Garmon JARED MARGOLIS

2 years, Theater Shop

Laura Bohlmann rookie, Music



CAROLINE RAMIREZ

Soundbites around campus

Kushwahaha

By Brooke Kushwaha

GO FOR THE GOLD

2.

1.

3.

4.

While football players can get a big head from all the attention, four other sports are going to SPC this weekend.

Captain Paul Labanowski leads boys’ volleyball as the top seed (photo 1). Carson Copeland and the field hockey team finished second in South Zone (2). Cheerleaders E Robins

4.

and Phoebe Myers rally the crowd from the sidelines during the Kinkaid game (3). Led by Sam Fallon, Pete Bechtol and Ian Thakur, the boys’ cross-country runners are the favorites in Austin (4). The girls’ XC team is also a top contender for an SPC title.

Photos by Gwendelyn Butler (2), Jared Margolis (Center, 4) and Emily Ragauss (1,3) | Story by Cara Maines