Review November 2012 Issue

thereview VOL. 64, ISSUE 3

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL

NOVEMBER 2012

IAN MELLOR-CRUMMEY

Hail St. John’s As the football players turned into a capella conductors, the school’s alma mater rang loud and clear in Rice Stadium. The Mavericks finished the regular season with an overall record of 8-1 (5-1 in SPC). The team played Cistercian in the SPC small-school semifinals, Nov. 3.

First victory over Kinkaid since ‘07 leads to outpouring of emotion

BY ANYA RING After four years of losing to Kinkaid, the Mavericks came into Rice Stadium ready to play the Falcons in a game that meant more to them than any other game this season. Their determination translated into a 27-21 defeat of their rivals.

“I knew a beat-down was coming,” assistant coach Alan Paul said.

“Everything I’ve done since 7th grade, as far as football goes, has all been for this game,” senior captain Nathan Avery said.

Fellow senior captain Jake Horowitz agreed, “Definitely the biggest thing for me is that we’ve all been thinking about this game for a year. Personally, I feel all of last year was building up to [Friday] night.”

With the creation of the new SPC playoff system, Kinkaid is in the large-school division. SJS is considered a small school and is matched against Irving Cistercian (6-3) in the semifinals.

Even though the game did not have significant SPC implications, the importance of this game for the Mavs did not change – the game was never just about SPC. “Coach Paul talked to us before the game and said the coaches had a meeting with the Kinkaid coaches, and their coaches said the game was just a ‘friendly game,’” senior captain Jonathan Newar said. “That’s just not how it is.”

“This game, it’s about pride,” Horowitz said.

For seniors especially, the game represented one last chance to prevail against the rivals that have continuously triumphed over them throughout their high school and middle school careers.

“I thought it was just as important [despite the changes to SPC] because the last four years we haven’t beaten Kinkaid,” senior Will Griffin said. “I have never

beaten Kinkaid in football.”

Newar added, “It does matter. It matters to the team that we beat Kinkaid; it matters to the guys before who had lost to Kinkaid, who had never had the chance to beat them. It couldn’t have possibly meant more to us.”

Part of the importance of the game stems from the hype surrounding it. The week leading up to the game consists of a variety of spirited activities. From decorations to Homecoming to pep rallies to the themed out-of-uniform days, the idea of “Beat Kinkaid” seemed to permeate the school. The excitement, while a welcome release for most students, can distract and add pressure to the team.

“We try to shut distractions out as much as possible,” Avery said.

Continued on Page 14

SPECIAL ELECTION PULLOUT Check out the The Review’s coverage of the 2012 campaign with exclusive results of the mock election. Also find out the candidates’ stances on youth issues.

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2news THE REVIEW

NOVEMBER 2012

HEADING TO GEORGIA

Wilson accepts position as Savannah newsbriefs Country Day Head of School

BY IMAN CHARANIA

ERICA REED

After eight years as Head of Upper School, Kef Wilson will be leaving SJS at the end of the school year to serve as Head of School for Savannah (Ga.) Country Day School.

“I really liked everyone that I met there; I had the chance to speak to some of the student leaders, and they were very enthusiastic,” Wilson said.

He was offered the job on Thursday of Kinkaid Week and accepted that Saturday.

The announcement of Wilson’s departure comes early enough in the hiring cycle that there should be a new Head of the Upper

School hired by the end of this school year.

An advisory search team will be formed to provide feedback on prospective candidates.

At Savannah Country Day, Wilson will be replacing interim Head of School James Hendrix, who served in a similar capacity at SJS from 2009-2010.

“I saw [Dr. Hendrix] the first time I visited. He and I had four or five conversations before I even applied. He gave me information about the strengths and challenges of the school,” Wilson said.

Hendrix advised Wilson to “just be himself.”

“He is a talented, wonderful gentleman and will be a big success here, as he’s been at St. John’s,” Hendrix said.

Junior Sira Ntagha said, “Mr. Wilson is actually my favorite at school. I can’t believe he’s leaving; I’m in shock. He’s such an awesome guy.”

Headmaster Mark Desjardins said, “I really enjoyed working with Mr. Wilson.

He was thoughtful, and I truly appreciated his willingness to be open and direct with me.”

“In terms of advice, I think he has already heard enough from me, but if I were to capture my thoughts in a few sentences as to what he will experience next year,

UP, UP AND AWAY

Juniors, teachers attend fifth annual UP Experience

here is what I would say: ‘If you think you had to juggle [tasks] as Head of Upper School, multiply the number of balls that you are juggling by two, and then do it all in warp speed,’” Desjardins said. “Remember, as part of this act, nobody expects you to drop the ball, and everyone thinks that they can perform better than you.”

Wilson sent an email to the SJS community, Oct. 29 informing them of his plans to leave.

“I will always remember St. John’s with great fondness and plan to stay in touch with the many friends and colleagues I have gotten to know during my time here,” Wilson wrote. “I do take great comfort in the knowledge that I will leave behind an incredibly talented, caring faculty led by competent and dedicated administrators and department chairs. The Upper School students are in good hands.”

Wilson agrees with Desjardins’ assertion that his greatest legacy lies in the staff members he hired or helped hire.

“I am pleased for Mr. Wilson, as he had aspirations to become a head of school,” Desjardins said. “He is well-prepared and well-versed and will ultimately be able to help his new school become even better.”

This year’s Homecoming, the “Freedom Fest,” had students dressing in red, white and blue on Oct. 22.

Head prefect Guan Chen said, “The most special thing we planned for homecoming this year was having the DJs, Jackson Jhin and Andrew Chennisi, come from our own community.”

Jake Chotiner

Middle School performed “Honk, Jr!,” a play adapted from Hans Christian Anderson’s story “The Ugly Duckling,” Oct. 11-12. Junior David Ziemnicki, an assistant director, was pleased with the results of the play.

Ziemnicki said, “The actors and tech crew had great shows and made it an excellent production.”

Anirudh Suresh

Eighty juniors saw Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” at the Alley Theatre, Oct. 14 for AP English Language.

“I was impressed with how real the play as a whole felt,” junior Daniel Treat said.

English teacher Ruth Bellows said, “I was proud to be associated with such well-behaved theatre goers.”

Joseph Caplan

CHAPEL

‘This I Believe’ series opens

BY WINNIE BRANDFIELD-HARVEY

BY REBECCA CHEN AND LYDIA LIU The Stafford Centre auditorium was filled with floating cities, levitating superconductors and computer games that may help unravel Alzheimer’s disease.

Thirteen SJS juniors, along with students from 31 other Houston-area high schools, listened to seven presentations at the Junior UP Experience, Oct. 25.

With speakers ranging from an architect to a quantum physicist to an actor, the UP Experience provided “Unique Perspectives from Unique People.” The mini-conference occurs concurrently with the official UP Experience.

The UP Experience was created five years ago by Ernest and Sheryl Rapp, parents of Cody Rapp (’10) and senior Carly Rapp. The idea formed after Mr. Rapp attended TED, a conference in which speakers share their latest innovations in technology, entertainment, and design.

“The goals from the start were to bring incredible world thinkers to Houston which hopefully would affect the attendees in some way,” Carly said.

Cody initiated the Junior UP Experience one year later.

This year, seven of the sixteen speakers at the UP Experience spoke to the Junior UP attendees.

SJS students and faculty have attended the UP Experience since its inception.

This year, 20 faculty members from all three divisions and 13 students attended the full UP and Junior UP Experiences respectively.

The juniors’ day began with Koen Olthuis, an architect interested in using the 70 percent of the Earth that humans currently do not permanently inhabit: water. To save both time and finances, he recommended moving Olympic stadiums with his proposed floating structures.

Jane McGonigal showed that video games could be used to elevate people’s opinions of their own capabilities. She cited cancer patients who were more eager to take their chemotherapy pills after playing a game in which they destroyed leukemia cells.

The most controversial speaker of the day was Gary Vaynerchuk, a millionaire who advocated putting aside college to pursue true passions.

“The people who spoke were obviously very passionate about what they did,” junior Alezeh Rauf said.

“Mostly what I learned was that it’s entirely possible to follow your passion and be successful with it,” junior April Chang said. “I definitely consider some of the speakers as role models.”

All interested juniors were invited to attend this year leaving school at 8 a.m. and returning at 1 p.m. Teachers missed a full day.

“Missing school is always tough,” junior Jeffrey Fastow said. “But I think the experience gave us something we wouldn’t necessarily learn in the classroom.”

KASEY FRENCH

Good Karma Rohan Ramchand began the chapel series by sharing his beliefs on Hinduism.

“What do I believe, and why? Have my beliefs changed? How do my beliefs shape the choices I make?” These are the questions that Chapel Guild hopes students will ask themselves during the next three weeks of the “This I Believe” chapel series.

The first speaker was senior Rohan Ramchand who shared his beliefs on Hinduism Oct. 31.

In his speech, Ramchand described the essence of Hinduism with the statement, “Do good to the world, and the world will be good to you.”

“I was really hoping to be one of the speakers for this year’s series, so I was very excited to be given this opportunity,” Ramchand said.

In the next two weeks, French teacher Shelley Stein will speak about Judaism, and junior Alezeh Rauf will talk about Islam.

The speakers’ goal is to give others a chance to understand their faiths.

“Chapel has always invited speakers from a variety of religious traditions to speak,” Reverend Greg Han said.

Unlike last year, speakers will have the chance to explain their whole religions instead of just certain traditions and holidays. Explaining how and why their religions are important to them, these speakers will talk about their own experiences.

Adapting the idea from the National Public Radio’s “This I Believe” series, Chapel Guild was eager to bring in more speakers, especially after receiving positive feedback on the first series.

Reverend Han said, “It is the Chapel Guild’s hope that students will be able to listen more easily for commonalities and differences between religious traditions, listen to how speakers describe the meaning of these beliefs and traditions, and be challenged with questions.”

features3

NOVEMBER 2012

THE REVIEW

NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH

A NOVEL

APPROACH Students pursue extracurricular compositions

Looking inside a writer’s mind

BY PALLAVI KRISHNARAO Thirty days. 1920 minutes. 102,857 words. Junior Mikaela Juzswik accomplished the feat of writing a novel in a month last November for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a creative writing project that challenges its participants to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days.

In 2010, NaNoWriMo had a total of 200,000 participants write a combined 2.8 billion words. This internet-based initiative led to the publication of several books, including New York Times best sellers “Water for Elephants” and “The Night Circus.”

Although many students associate writing with toiling over English papers, Juzswik finds comfort in the therapeutic nature of creative writing.

“I was going through a rough time freshman year, and writing gave me an outlet for my emotions,” Juzswik said.

The rules of NaNoWriMo dictate that the novel can only be written in the month of November.

“November was an interesting month because I slept very little, using the excuse of the novel to procrastinate school homework into the wee hours of the night,” Juzswik said.

On top of school essays and play rehearsals, Juzswik devoted at least an hour each day to writing her novel.

“Writing the novel gave me a sense of achievement that made the hard work and lack of sleep worth it,” Juzswik said.

She was so frustrated with the quality of her novel last year that she deleted her entire work after submitting it.

“I definitely was not happy with it because it’s practically impossible to write a quality novel in only a month,” Juzswik said. “I would have to spend at least a year on it for me to be somewhat satisfied.”

Juzswik was pleasantly surprised that she could write so much in a relatively short amount of time, proving to herself that as long as she maintains a commitment to her writing, she can always find time to do it.

“How do I find the time to write? Well, how does [junior] Jack Simmons find the time to compete in two sports at once?

When you are passionate about something,

BY IRIS CRONIN As if we needed any more months with ulterior motives, November became National Novel Writing Month in 2000. And unlike other special celebratory months, novel writing month is something I am actually qualified to ponder on.

Many of you may be thinking, “Hold on. What does this chick know about fiction or novels? She’s some sophomore who cries when she gets B’s on literary analysis papers. That does not qualify her to talk about writing a book.” To which I say: correct. Weeping hysterically over my analytical insufficiencies does not qualify me.

But my legitimacy does not hinge solely on my overreactions to English grades.

You see, in my family, fiction is something you inherit, like blue eyes or a debillitating allergy to cats. My mom and dad met at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, and both went on to teach English. In short, I never stood a chance. And my feelings about my hereditary fiction are mixed.

On one hand, there are many benefits to growing up in an inherently creative household. When my parents discovered that I spent an entire afternoon extensively psychoanalyzing my stuffed animals, nobody batted an eye. My first book, a non-fiction tome titled “All About Bears,” complete with pictures, was met with nothing but praise.

On the other hand, if I need help with my algebra homework or if my graphing calculator is on the fritz, or if a mitosis diagram is giving me trouble, I am up the creek without a paddle. In my house, math and science are like the extended family who descend once a year for way too long: we have no idea what to do with them, but we have to try because they just won’t go away.

We lean decidedly towards the humanities in my family. Every month is Novel Writing Month for my dad, who makes his living writing books that weigh as much as hefty newborns and certainly take as much effort to produce. And while writing a novel is unquestionably Hard Work (caps intentional), one of the great things about my dad’s job is that he genuinely likes it.

That love for what he does is blatantly apparent in his works “The Passage” and “The Twelve,” which have been the other

ANNA HUANG

Time trade-off Forgoing sleep for her creative creations is not an odd scenario for Mikaela Juzswik. For this year’s NaNoWriMo, she plans to keep characters from last year’s novel but with a livelier plot.

time is not a factor,” Juzswik said.

For her submission this year, Juzswik plans to maintain the same characters but hopes to make her plot more compelling and intricate.

Independent study projects (ISPs) provide another outlet for student literary creativity.

Freshman Joe Faraguna completed a novel as an ISP in eighth grade to pursue his passion for writing.

“Finally binding my finished piece was the most gratifying aspect of writing my novel,” Faraguna said. “The satisfaction I got from seeing all my hard work come to fruition was incredible.”

Freshman Natasha Gonzalez also wrote a novel for her ISP in seventh grade, working on it during the long drives back from tennis tournaments. She wrote a memoir inspired by her experiences playing tennis.

“My characters stemmed from real people because I was inspired by events that took place in my life,” Gonzalez said.

“Writing a novel was a very rewarding experience, and I would love to do it again because it helped me grow as a writer.”

Juzswik said, “The feeling you get after completing a piece of writing is indescribable. A mixture of elation and self-accomplishment is the greatest reward.”

ELAINE DONG

JAKE NYQUIST

In the family Iris Cronin is the daughter of novelist Justin Cronin, author of “The Passage” and “The Twelve.” Iris was recently quoted in a New York Times Magazine article about her father.

members of my family since their inception in 2005, something that I had varying degrees of involvement with, depending on what magazines you read (cough New York Times Magazine cough cough).

I actually prefer not to associate myself with my dad’s books. They are his works.

He deserves the credit. My goal in life is to carve out my own space in the fiction-writing world. I love writing. It’s an escape, a hobby, an unhealthy obsession, whatever you want to call it, but I want to be known for stories that are mine. That’s all any author really wants.

It’s an insult to the fates, to the Cosmic Forces, to yourself, to find the thing you’re supposed to do and then ignore it. I don’t know exactly where I’m going with my life, but I know that it will involve the thing I love the most. And that is my hope for all of you patient readers: find the thing that you love. Whether it’s writing, or painting or playing MarioKart for pete’s sake, just go do it. Because it makes you happy.

That’s what National Novel Writing Month is about. It’s not about sitting down to write a novel all in one day, or video taping your creative attempt like it’s some perverse version of the Cinnamon Challenge. It’s about taking a minute to appreciate being able to do something that makes you happy.

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THE REVIEW

NOVEMBER 2012

BRUSHES WITH FAME

Lives of the almost famous

Every day, we see famous people, smiling on the covers of magazines, acting on television and posing for ads on the Internet. Not often, however, are these people our own classmates.

Freshman Chris Gillett had an unexpected brush with fame when he posted a fan picture on Reddit. Gillett drew the character Wesley Crusher from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” that reached Reddit’s front page.

Wil Wheaton, the actor who played Crusher, commented, “This is amazing work! You’ve made Starfleet proud today.”

Wheaton also posted the picture on his personal Tumblr, adding, “This is what living in the future is like, and it’s awesome.”

Gillett made the picture in a couple of days using Sharpies on canvas. Gillett later met Wheaton in person at Austin’s Comic Con. “That was the best part. It took him a bit to figure out that I was talking about [the Reddit photo], but once he realized, he seemed really excited, and we took a picture,” Gillett said.

“Lots of people posted on Facebook that

they saw me on Reddit, and one guy yells ‘Front Page!’ every time he passes me in the hall,” Gillett said.

Gillett plans to make another picture featuring the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” character Data and his cat Spot.

Senior Brigid Hilton was heard by millions when she recorded the “Coming Up Next” promos for PBS. Hilton was in fourth grade when she first made the recordings, which she re-recorded in sixth grade.

“My dad works at PBS as a television programmer, and one of his co-workers is in charge of the recordings,” Hilton said.

“When he needed to get new recordings because of new shows, he asked my dad if I would be interested.”

Her sound bites still play on PBS Kids.

Hilton said, “I’m not 100 percent sure that I’ve heard myself when watching PBS, but there have definitely been points where I’ve thought it sounded a lot like me.”

Hilton said, “It probably would make a great ice breaker, but it’s never something at the top of my mind. A lot of my friends only learn about it pretty late into our friendships since I never talk about it.”

Junior Samantha Neal and freshman Matthew Neal were models for Academy Sports in elementary school. They starred in a few photo ads with Heelies, tricycles, foosball tables and golf clubs.

“I had to try to make a putt for one of the pictures,” Matthew said. “It ended up being really intense.”

Their mother, Elise Neal, was general counsel for Academy, and whenever the company needed a few models, Samantha and Matthew were called to work.

“I really didn’t think it was that big of a deal at the time,” Samantha said.

Senior Natalie Plummer also worked as a model for Academy when she was in middle school, posing roughly twice a month for magazines and commercials.

She was brought into the business by her agent and still gets some work.

“I got the occasional cheerleading commercial; however, my big debut was a poster of me playing badminton [displayed in the] COURTESY OF CHRIS GILLETT store,” Plummer said. “That’s where I got most of my fame. Lots of friends and family Fan trek Social media propelled Chris Gillett to fame when he posted a drawing of “Star saw me there on the sports aisle.”

Trek” character Wesley Crusher to Reddit.

scenes behind The Archives the

BY OLIVER RUHL

CLAIRE DORFMAN

For future generations Unknown to most students, the Archives contain memorabilia from the school’s original charter and nostalgic reminders of the former mascot, the Rebel.

BY SUMAN ATLURI Many students may wonder what lies behind the locked doors of the archives room on the second floor of the Quad.

While the large door seems menacing, behind it hides a treasure trove of history.

Located in the Advancement Office, the archive room contains information dating back to the founding of SJS in 1946.

Minutes of the Parents’ Guild meetings, Kinkaid game t-shirts, Rebel cheerleading megaphones and every copy of the Family Directory, The Quadrangle/Rebel and The Review are just a few of the items stored here. The most prized object is SJS’s original charter, signed by the founding trustees.

In 2007, SJS hired professional archivists, who spent several months sorting through old memorabilia and photos and suggested ways to store the items.

The project was put on hold until Rebecca Jay, former Upper School Administrative Assistant, volunteered to help.

Mrs. Jay began working in the archives last spring. After retiring in May, she now spends one morning each week looking through old photos, arranging information in a systematic fashion and helping people find information.

Her husband Tom became a faculty member at SJS in 1963, and “we have continued on the campus since then. That gives me almost 50 years of memories about people, events, buildings, with which to work,” Mrs. Jay said.

Mrs. Jay asks that members of the SJS community email their old photos, newspaper articles or copies of Imagination to her. Alumni planning reunions are welcome to contact her for photos.

NOVEMBER 2012

THE REVIEW

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SECOND CHANCES As images of physics teacher Erol Turk’s cided to adopt, they faced unique circumseven-year-old twin daughters flash across stances because of their green-card status his laptop screen, he sighs. (both are British citizens). They adopted “Sometimes, I think the world would be American citizen Katie in Tulsa, Okla., in a very different place if everybody had to an 18-month-long process. face the trials adoptive parents do,” he said.

U.S. law requires all prospective adoptive By the time Olivia Paz and Maria Lucia parents to endure an intense home study became members of their family, the Turks process, which involves several interviews had been trying to adopt for over three with social workers and an examination of years, longer than the then two year olds the house to ensure that the parents are fit had been alive. to adopt.

Parents choose adoption for different “I would get up at about four in the reasons, but issues such as infertility and morning to polish things no one would miscarriage are frequently cited. While ever look at, even during the home inspecthe average couple wishing to have a child tion process,” Bigge said. faces a gestation period of nine months, “I tore up the house, but I learned it adoptive parents are subject to the whims wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be,” of a bureaucratic system and spend an Upper School Administrative Assistant average of two years waiting.

Rebecca Leakey said.

“Sometimes people think that adoption Precautions are in place for a reason; the is simple, like Little Orphan Annie and U.S wants to ensure that the adoption Daddy Warbucks. While it may have process is foolproof. been back in the day, now it couldn’t be Coach Ursula Quoyeser adopted her two more different,” fine arts teacher Anthony sons via the public system after deciding Leakey said. she wanted to give children opportunities The Leakeys decided to adopt in 2010 for better lives. She faces trials as a single and were involved in the adoption process adoptive parent. for over two years before being paired with Quoyeser said, “During seasons that I their future daughters. coach after school, it is a huge challenge “When we heard the stories of the kids in to coordinate getting the boys from their the public system and the trials that they’ve schools and then to have to come home, been through, finish homewe realized it work, and eat was the path dinner.” for us,” Mr. Turk said, Leakey said.

“There are good The Leakeys days and bad originally days. When wanted to we showed become direct our daughters adoption pictures of parents, so Colombia, evthey would erybody cried, not undergo but ultimately, the devastawe’re a family tion of deeply no matter connecting what.” He with a foster plans to take child they his daughters Anthony Leakey might lose. back to Colom“We wanted bia when they every kid in are old enough Child Protective Services (CPS). We know to learn about their heritage. that we can’t even make a dent in the numTaylor Heeg was born in Jiujiang, China, ber of kids who need and deserve homes, and has been aware she was adopted by her but we weren’t afraid to work with the blonde-haired, blue-eyed mother from a challenges,” Mr. Leakey said. young age. Although the junior said being The Leakeys and their two young daughadopted is a part of her life, she still faces ters are currently awaiting a permanency moments of irksome naïveté when talking hearing that will confirm their legal status. with her peers.

They are hopefully anticipating completion “Sometimes friends can jokingly use of the process by June 2013. adoption as an insult,” Heeg said. “I’ve While the Leakey’s story has a happy never thought of adoption as my birth ending, prospective adoptive parents have parents not loving me or caring about me.” to endure many ordeals.

The subject of adoption can be difficult “We were unprepared for the heartbreak; to breach for many families. Healthy comseven failed adoption attempts basically munication often depends on openness. dissolved our marriage,” Turk said. After “Katie has great people in her life, and the Turk’s divorce, the twin daughters live she’s lucky enough to have adopted relawith each parent part time. tives. So, we are very open about adoption Applicants undergo extensive psychoand always will be,” Ms. Bigge said. Katie logical assessment and complete reams of has been living with her parents since she paperwork, such as a 500-page emotional was a baby; she is now four. evaluation.

Despite the adversity parents and chil“Even things that don’t change, like your dren face along the way, adoption leads to birth certificate, have to be resubmitted remarkably happy families. every six months. You jump repeatedly “When we go out, we don’t blend very through hoops, experiencing things you well. But people are overwhelmingly wouldn’t want anyone to experience,” Turk accepting,” Mr. Turk said. “We get a said. million little looks and smiles that make a When physics teacher Susan Bigge and difference. And those little things are what her husband Michael, a geochemist, decounts.”

“Sometimes people think that adoption is simple, like Little Orphan Annie and Daddy Warbucks. While it may have been back in the day, now it couldn’t be more different.”

Faculty opt to adopt despite obstacles

BY MEGAN ROUTBORT

COURTESY OF EROL TURK

Twice the love Erol Turk and his mother Hannah Kissam enjoy quality time with his adopted daughters, Olivia Paz and Maria Lucia. Mr. Turk adopted the twins from Colombia when they were two years old.

COURTESY OFSUSAN BIGGE

Trick or Treat Susan Bigge and her daughter Katie prepare for Halloween. As British citizens, Susan and Michael Bigge adopted Katie four years ago while living in Oklahoma.

6entertainment THE REVIEW

FALL PLAY

NOVEMBER 2012

SNEAKING

A PEEK AT

‘TENOR’

theticket 11/9

SNOW PATROL

Bayou Music Center Genre: Alternative Rock Reason to go: “Chasing Cars”

11/10

WAKA FLOCKA FLAME Warehouse Live Genre: Hip-Hop Reason to go: His name

11/14

PAUL MCCARTNEY Minute Maid Park Genre: Rock Reason to go: One-fourth of the most iconic band ever

CLAIRE DORFMAN

Play-ing around Directing his first fall play, Anthony Leakey observes rehearsal. Meghan Chapman and other cast members began working on their roles in late September and will perform Nov. 16-17.

11/14

BY CARA MAINES “SHUT UP!” junior Justin Bernard yelled in his best Italian accent.

“SHUT UPPA YOUSELF!!” senior Carolyn Brooks screamed right back.

Walking past the Lowe Theater on a weekday night, a student might mistake this shouting match for a passionate argument, but Brooks and Bernard are not a feuding couple in real life.

Rather, this is a typical exchange during a rehearsal for “Lend Me a Tenor.”

The comedy combines these screaming Italians with misunderstandings, tranquilizers and singing bellhops for a fun, fast-paced farce.

The play runs Nov. 16-17 in the Lowe Theater, marking a change for director Anthony Leakey. For the past several years, Leakey has directed the winter play in the Black Box Theater.

“I chose ‘Lend Me a Tenor’ because last year we did a drama, and this year I wanted to do a comedy. I’ve seen it so many times and love it, and I wanted to share it with the St. John’s community,” Leakey said.

“It’s a play about mistaken identity.

The audience knows what’s going on, but the characters don’t, which is what makes it so funny.”

Written in 1986 by American playwright Ken Ludwig, the play takes place in 1934. The Cleveland Opera

is about to perform “Otello,” starring world-famous Italian tenor Tito Merelli (Bernard) in the titular role. When his wife (Brooks) mistakes an obsessive fan (Emma Hagemann) for Tito’s lover, she leaves Tito. In misery, Tito takes too many tranquilizers and passes out.

The opera company’s manager (Daniel Bland) makes his assistant Max (Josh Thomas) impersonate Tito. Though

in stitches.”

Junior Meghan Chapman, who plays the seductive soprano Diana, agreed, “The costumes, or lack thereof, will be great.”

Thomas said, “Going to rehearsal is always so much fun, and it’s made even better knowing that the audience won’t be able to stop laughing when they come see the performance.”

So far, rehearsals have not been seamless. The Middle School musical has used the Lowe Theater during several play rehearsals, so the cast of “Lend Me a Tenor” has had to practice in the Lowe Theater Lobby.

“We’ve had to rehearse in several different locations, but the cast has quickly adapted because of its energy and focus,” Leakey said.

“Some of the scenes got some strange looks from passers-by,” Bland said.

Indeed, the scenes range from odd to absurd to just plain bizarre in nature, varying from a character eating wax fruit to an extensive chase around a hotel room coffee table to another character threatening to kill himself with a corkscrew.

Though these scenes – like the scream-fest between the Merellis – may seem strange to passers-by, they will make for a truly hilarious show.

“The first time I sat down with the script, I read it cover to cover and didn’t stop laughing.”

Josh Thomas Max fools the audience, chaos ensues when Tito wakes up, and there are two Otellos running around in face paint and tights.

“The first time I sat down with the script, I read it cover to cover and didn’t stop laughing,” Thomas said.

“The best and most unique part of it is the role that costumes play in the show. They cause serious confusion,” Thomas added. “The audience will be

DR. DOG Warehouse Live Genre: Indie Folk Reason to go: Fill your indie quota for the month

11/20

MATISYAHU House of Blues Genre: Hip-hop reggae Reason to go: Hip-hop reggae

11/23

WIZ KHALIFA Reliant Arena Genre: Hip-Hop Reason to go: He’s dating Amber Rose

11/28

ANDREA BOCELLI Toyota Center Genre: Opera Reason to go: Voice that’ll bring you to tears

NOVEMBER 2012

THE REVIEW

7

INTERNATIONAL MUSIC PATHOGEN

K-Pop fever crosses Pacific

BY AMY KANG As the Electronic Music Club blasts “Gangnam Style” from their speakers during Club Fair, a group of students burst into dance. Yet “Gangnam Style” is only a small part of a larger phenomenon.

In 1964, the Kim Sisters, a South Korean singing trio, penetrated the American music market with an appearance on the Billboard charts alongside household names like Barbra Streisand and the Beatles.

Korean pop music, an East-West blend of Euro-Pop choruses, electric tones and dubstep beats, has made a prodigious entrance into the U.S. with the international “Hallyu” wave, a broad movement of Korean entertainment culture including music and dramas.

K-Pop’s popularity recently peaked with Psy’s viral hit, “Gangnam Style.” It earned the number one spot on iTunes in 31 countries, including the U.S., and gained over a half billion views on YouTube, making it the third most-viewed video of all-time. Seniors John Kim and Caroline Spears also participated in a Gangnam Style flashmob at the Houston Korean Festival at Discovery Green, Nov. 3.

“I think the success of ‘Gangnam Style’ mostly had to do with the hilarious music video – the catchy, repetitive lyrics only helped,” junior April Chang said.

Even before “Gangnam Style,” K-Pop had been quickly garnering popularity in the states, including the Storied Cloisters, despite the language barrier.

“Understanding the lyrics doesn’t matter to me because I think music should transcend language barriers; plus, English words spread throughout the song help me get the general meaning,” Chang said.

For some, the language barrier is a part of what makes K-Pop appealing.

“I mostly like K-Pop because of the dances, but also because bad lyrics really bother me. If they’re in Korean, I can’t tell,” senior Caroline Spears said.

“A lot of the Top 40-type songs in the U.S. have lyrics that are kind of embarrassing to sing. At least in K-Pop, nobody

NICOLE LANG

Oppan Senior Style Seniors Charlotte Amandes, John Kim and Emily Entrekin mimic one of the many iconic shots from Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” The alluring pull of creative music videos, foreign lyrics and easy-to-learn dance moves allows K-Pop to create its own niche in the American music scene.

knows what you’re saying,” junior Claire Jones said.

Some attribute the success of K-Pop to marketing and the framework of the Korean music industry, which is structured differently from its American counterpart.

Girl and boy groups are managed and created by companies whose executives will find talents, dubbed idols, bring them together, train them and manage their debut.

“Idols don’t have a lot of say in the creative aspect of their music, but I will say this for the company approach: It’s never boring,” Jones said. “There are dozens of groups active right now, and each one is constantly changing its look and coming out with new music.”

Companies also manage the day-to-day activities of their idols, including participation in shows, acting in dramas, competing in contests and singing on the radio.

“K-Pop singers never stop working, which is why it’s so easy for people who live across the oceans to fall in love with them; we feel like we know them, which isn’t something I can say about a lot of American singers,” Jones said. “I’ve also developed massive crushes on certain idols after seeing them on variety shows.”

Another characteristic that sets K-Pop apart from American pop songs is its emphasis on visuals and dance.

“In K-Pop, no song is complete until its music video has been released,” Jones said.

“I think the glitter and glamour is what initially attracts people to K-Pop: It’s made to be beautiful and flawless, and people love that.”

Senior John Kim is optimistic that the success of “Gangnam Style” will bring more attention to K-Pop. “It’s all because of ‘Gangnam Style’ and

YouTube,” Kim said, “Once people click on ‘Gangnam Style,’ they’ll wander to other parts of YouTube with K-Pop and discover other songs.”

“More K-Pop artists are venturing into the American market, and with Psy’s explosive fame, only more and more people will know about K-Pop,” Chang said.

Jones is unconvinced that the massive popularity of “Gangnam Style” will translate into increased success of K-Pop as a whole.

“I think it’s great that a K-Pop song has finally become a mainstream hit, but at the same time, ‘Gangnam Style’ is basically a parody that doesn’t take itself seriously.

K-Pop in general does take itself seriously,” Jones said. “Ultimately, ‘Gangnam Style’ is just a viral video.”

MAVERICK MUNCHIES Kobecue Grill 3957 Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77027 Open 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Mon-Sat, until 9:30 p.m.

Sun $7-13 for typical meal

K-Tex cuisine, anyone?

PHOTOS AND STORY BY IAN MELLOR-CRUMMEY You don’t have to go to Gangnam to find Korean food. Located on the corner of Richmond and Weslayan, Kobecue Grill offers Korean BBQ fusion fewer than five minutes from school.

With a variety of offerings ranging from standard rice bowls and dumplings to fusion-oriented chicken wings, burgers, fries and tacos, there’s something to satisfy almost any craving.

The main commodity to try is the hot stone bowl, also known as bibimbap. Consisting of rice, seasoned vegetables, a fried egg, Kobecue’s special sauce and charbroiled meat

or tofu served in a sizzling bowl, Kobecue’s bibimbap is a hearty and balanced meal at the reasonable price of $9.

Throw in any of the half-dozen varieties of sauces available and enjoy. As you eat, the bowl continues to cook the dish, leaving you with bits of burned rice that add crunch and extra flavor.

The only complaint I had was their lackluster and rather watery iced tea.

Regardless, Kobecue Grill is a great, affordable restaurant to add a bit of variety to your culinary adventures.

8beyond THE REVIEW

NOVEMBER 2012

DUCK DUCK ALUM

HOHN FINDS

MOBY DUCK COURTESY OF DONOVAN HOHN

BY LIN GUO Wanted: not the white whale MobyDick but the yellow plastic Moby-Duck.

Ever since 12 cargo containers fell overboard during a storm in the Pacific Ocean in 1992, thousands of rubber ducks have been traveling in the largest bathtub of all – the ocean.

Published in 2011, “Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them” recounts author Donovan Hohn’s (’90) travels around the globe in pursuit of the elusive plastic duck.

Hohn’s first book was the culmination of years spent devoted to writing.

“I was very bookish in middle school; writing became a serious ambition during my sophomore year. I wrote for The Review and edited the literary magazine,” Hohn said.

Hohn spent only two years at SJS. He came in as a sophomore and spent his junior year in Rennes, France, through the School Year Abroad program.

“When I left, it was out of a desire to travel. You get a sort of independence most students don’t get,” Hohn said.

Hohn completed an independent study project with his AP English teacher, Maryanne Lyons, when he returned for his senior year.

“I was such an English geek. My spring semester, I wrote 70 pages about 20th-century poetry for the fun of it,” Hohn said.

After graduate school at Boston University, Hohn set out to write fiction. He moved to New York City for his girlfriend, now wife, Beth Chimera, and began an internship at Harper’s Magazine, around the corner from where he tended bar.

“The internship for me was as important as any schooling that I had; it’s what introduced me to journalism and narrative non-fiction,” Hohn said.

While working on “Moby-Duck,” Hohn received the Whiting Writer’s Award in 2008 for non-fiction.

“My book advance was all gone,” Hohn said. “In a state of financial anxiety, I got this magical phone call from the foundation. At first I thought it was a joke.

I was overwhelmed to discover it wasn’t.

It rescued me and gave me another year to work on my book,” Hohn said.

Hohn first learned about the bath toy spill in the spring of 2005.

He read a news article reporting on the arrival of the toys on New England beaches.

“I didn’t realize there were container spills, and there was charm in the story. It seemed too good to be true,” Hohn said.

Once Hohn received a map of the bath toys’ route from oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer in Seattle, the book began to take shape.

“I began to imagine, ‘What if I actually did this crazy thing?’” Hohn said.

Hohn’s hunt for Moby-Duck was broken into a series of voyages from the factory that manufactured the bath toys in Guangdong, China, to the site of the spill in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean and then to the High Arctic Ocean.

Hohn recalled one memorable voyage to Gore Point, Alaska. He was offered a ride on a stranger’s homemade boat. The impromptu trip turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“As a writer, he was a lucky person to end up traveling with,” Hohn said.

The stranger turned out to be Chris Pallister, one of the founders of the Gulf of Alaska Keeper (GoAK), a non-profit organization dedicated to cleaning up the plastic debris that washes up on the Alaskan coast.

Hohn participated in a clean up at Gore Point, an unpopulated and inhospitable area where Pallister and other GoAK members airlifted trash bags filled with flotsam

“In Moby-Dick, there’s the symbol of the white whale; similarly, in my book, the symbol is the yellow duck. Where did this icon of childhood come from? Why did it become a symbol of childhood?”

Donovan Hohn (’90)

off the coast.

“Pallister, in some ways, had embarked on this grand mission out of devotion to the Alaskan wilderness,” Hohn said.

“There are marvelous quantities of flotsam on the coast; to him this was a blight, this was an eyesore, this was pollution.”

Before writing a single word of the novel, Hohn decided on “Moby-Duck” for the title, a play on one of his favorite books, Herman Melville’s classic “Moby-Dick.”

“I took the pun very seriously. The structure of ‘Moby-Dick’ is essentially a hunt for a white whale, but Ishmael is also trying to hunt for an understanding of whales,” Hohn said. “It combines two hunts into one. My book does the same thing.”

While “Moby-Duck” considers environmental questions like the impact of manmade objects on ocean life and what should be done about the problem, it also addresses more philosophical questions.

“In ‘Moby-Dick,’ there’s the symbol of the white whale; similarly, in my book, the symbol is the yellow duck. Where did this icon of childhood come from? Why did it become a symbol of childhood?” Hohn asked.

Hohn is now at the University of Michigan on a fellowship and has just begun work on a second book. He divulges that the next book is inspired by the Polish-Soviet War of 1920, and, like “Moby-Duck,” the book will be a travel narrative.

He advises aspiring writers to have patience and to read and learn how to write better.

Hohn said, “I thought I would have a book in my 20s. It took until I was 38.”

NOVEMBER 2012

THE REVIEW

9

MUSICAL MUSINGS

From VST to center stage: Elliott harmonizes childhood dreams with current aspirations

BY CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN

Elliott, far right, cradles his mountain dulcimer. His band, Jasper’s Cast, has just released a new album.

COURTESY OF ERIC ELLIOTT

Six years ago, then-sophomore Eric Elliott (’08) strummed his song’s last note on the Lowe Theater stage, and the audience burst into applause. He took his bow in front of the packed Maverick Magic crowd. His wooden, hourglass-shaped, guitar-like instrument – a dulcimer – hung by his side. Little did he know that this performance would ignite his passion for the instrument and for music itself.

Since graduating, Elliott has taken his love for performing beyond the VST. Elliott is one of the founding members of up-and-coming San Antonio band Jasper’s Cast. Their recent album, “Blue Northern,” incorporates “a lot of mountain dulcimer, guitar, a bit of mandolin, a bit of cello and a lot of piano.”

“Blue Northern” is the band’s third release, which Elliott describes as “going in so many directions.”

Elliott said, “The album is hard to classify in

some ways but I’d say it is upbeat and weird and kind of country.”

His dad, Upper School biology teacher Doug Elliott, describes his son’s music as “hillbilly music but with more teeth.”

Jasper’s Cast is a self-described Americana and Newgrass band whose inspirations include Wilco, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin (especially their third and fourth albums).

Elliott, who helps to write Jasper’s Cast’s music, said, “I think there’s something about song writing, at least for me, that makes me want to go back to what I grew up hearing.

Somehow, I try to slip the melodies that have kind of run through my life into the music we are writing today.”

Elliott attributes his love of music and the spark that ignited his musical career to his time at SJS. Jasper’s Cast is not his first band – during high school, Elliott played in a SJS boy band.

Catching Up With Imagination Editors

“Moments to Impact, or MTI, is what we actually called ourselves,” Elliott said. He played drums and sang during the shortlived career of MTI, which also featured Ted Boozalis, Clayton Holz and Tucker Shouse (all ’08).

Elliott’s favorite part of the school week was chapel. “I always really enjoyed the music. I loved just being able to soak it all up with my classmates and having the time to sit down, think about music and think about how I wanted to make music myself.”

Elliott advises anyone thinking about pursuing music later in life to focus on passion.

“It’s all about enjoyment. And you have to do what’s fun,” Elliott said. “The moment music starts becoming a chore is when you need to start doing something different.”

JUSTIN KEELING (’12)

DEANNA ZHANG (’11)

LIZ HAY (’10)

SJS has helped me to know what kind of person I want to become, and Imagination allowed me to explore creative and alternative outlets that continue to guide me in my pursuit of becoming a better and more well-rounded person. The people that I connected with via the publication serve as both academic and creative inspirations in my daily life.

I really enjoyed my extracurriculars at SJS, especially Imagination. Having that experience of working with others to strive for some idealistic, artistic vision really translated over to college.

I’m constantly working with like-minded, motivated peers at Yale to strive for some goal.

As a freshman at Wash U, I was the editor-in-chief of honor society’s academic journal and created the International and Area Studies department academic journal and conference called, WUIR. This year I am consulting the WUIR editorial board and will continue until I graduate. Imagination helped give me the confidence and leadership skills to enhance my college experience.

UNDERSTANDING EXTENDED TIME

BY LYDIA LIU PHOTOS BY NICOLE LANG MODELING BY KORY HAYWOOD AND SARAH GOW

THE REVIEW

ELECTION SPECIAL 2012

e2

THE REVIEW

ELECTION SPECIAL 2012

SIDE BY SIDE

Youth issues sway student opinions

ROMNEY

OBAMA

BY MCKENNA GESSNER Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s plans for education, abortion and college loans attract both criticism and support from youth.

In the political sphere, many will vote for a candidate based on political party. This year’s presidential election is more contentious because many younger voters are fiscally conservative while socially liberal.

“I support Republican values,” sophomore Elizabeth Elrod said. “However, I don’t absolutely support Romney because, although he represents what I consider my political party, I do not agree with everything he says.”

Romney has made efforts to reach out to the youth vote by using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter in much the same way that Obama used them in the 2008 election.

Sophomore Miranda Hurtado-Ramos, a participant in the Global Issues Network, said “Romney was too vague concerning his plan of action to better our economy.”

Romney aims to reexamine Obama’s 2010 student loan policy, one that excluded private lenders. The governor believes the use of private lenders rather than government funds will better aid students who need loans for higher education.

Junior Daniel Bland, who supports Romney, agrees with the private sector approach “because America needs to get its economy back on track.”

Elrod shares this belief. “I think that public services such as healthcare should be left to the private sector so that prices will remain low due to competition between companies.”

Another controversial issue is abortion. The GOP nominee, who currently holds a “pro-life” stance on abortion, believes states should have control over abortion rights.

BY ELLIOT CHEUNG All the hype about this year’s presidential election brings to mind a simple question: Why does any of it matter to students?

Many of President Obama’s policies will significantly affect today’s youth, sometimes in ways that might not be obvious to high school students.

Throughout the past four years, President Obama has been a strong supporter of Pell Grants, a type of student loan from the federal government that does not have to be repaid. Pell Grants can make college much more affordable for students by cutting down expensive college tuitions.

Obama claims to have more than doubled funding for Pell Grants since he took office in 2009, allowing increases in the maximum grant available to track inflation and rising tuition costs.

With many high school students already in the college application phase, Obama’s support of Pell Grants may be an important factor in choosing a candidate.

“Obama tends to value education more,” junior Jeffrey Fastow said. “I feel like he’s more focused on getting the US back to the top in science and math grades. He is also making college aid more accessible.”

Obama’s healthcare plan, commonly known as Obamacare, will further impact today’s youth in the near future. A provision of the Affordable Care Act allows young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until their 26th birthday.

After Obama passed his healthcare plan in 2010, the number of young adults without health insurance dropped by 17 percent within the year, the largest annual decline since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began taking data in 1997.

“I think Obama’s policies will benefit today’s youth more than Romney’s,” said Junior Zack Lee, “especially since Obamacare allows kids to remain on their parents’ insurance.”

ROCK THE VOTE

Thousands of youthful faces with newly minted voter registration cards will be standing in lines at polling stations Nov. 6.

But for all the happy 18-year-olds, there are those who will not turn 18 for weeks, or even days, after Election Day and will miss out.

Senior Jordan Wilson’s birthday is twelve days after the election. “The thought that keeps going through my head is ‘This is so annoying because I’m taking government, so I actually get what’s going on. I should be able to vote,’” Wilson said.

To fellow senior Katie Owens, voting in the presidential election seems useless.

“We talk a lot about the electoral college and the way it’s set up in Texas. If you don’t vote Republican, your vote doesn’t really count. I mean, it’s like, why waste the gas money?” Owens said.

Owens did not register to vote because the first time she attempted to, she was told she could not register until she was 17 and two months.

“It’s not that I’m not interested in the election,” Owens said. “It’s that I’m disappointed.”

For some students, reaching voting age means they just have another obligation to fulfill.

“I feel like I just should vote because

Balloting act: 18-yearolds prepare to vote

BY IMAN CHARANIA

I’m 18, and I should figure it out so that I don’t look like an idiot when I’m older,” Senior Steven Lukens said.

Most seniors, both those missing and those making voting age, agree that voting in the presidential race may not be worth the time or effort because Texas is a red state, but the local races merit turning out.

“Every vote counts,” Wilson said. “For the presidential election, I don’t think it would make a difference to vote Democrat, but for the congressional elections, senate elections and attorney general you should vote for whomever represents your opinions the best,” Wilson said.

Lukens said, “The issues that you want to take precedence are brought to the front, so I think voting is worth it just for that.”

The students who are just barely missing the voting age are not planning to vicariously vote through their parents.

Senior Ian Mellor-Crummey said, “I don’t think there would be a point in influencing how my parents vote since we have almost the same viewpoints.”

“I’m definitely not influencing my parents’ opinions,” Wilson said. “We all respect each other’s beliefs, even if we argue from time to time.”

ELECTION SPECIAL 2012

e3

THE REVIEW

POLITICAL EXPERTS

Upper School debate informs voters

NICOLE LANG

Debate central Eighteen students took to the VST stage in a mission to garner support for their candidate. The debate covered a wide variety of topics and allowed each of the five represented parties to advocate their views.

BY JESSICA LEE The SJS mock presidential debate assembly avoided sounding like a “Saturday Night Live” sketch but still managed to elicit laughs while maintaining a serious discussion about government policies.

Four years ago, only seniors taking government courses were allowed to participate in the debate. The history department and Junior State of America ran the debate and gave the Upper School a chance to participate.

“We wanted to be more inclusive this year so that we had a broader cross section of the student body participating,” Dean of Students Stephen Popp said.

Eighteen students researched and debated as representatives for one of five parties: Constitution, Democrat, Green, Libertarian and Republican. A row of fact checkers

sat nearby waiting to validate claims.

“I want the debate to center around the policies rather than the personalities of the candidates,” Popp said. “I don’t want it to turn into a politics of personal destruction, so we expect civil, respectful discussion about policy.”

The debate started off with Popp making his point about political etiquette and then showed a video with a comical take on voicing political ideas.

“It’s nice to tap into the enthusiasm and interest of the actual presidential election,” Popp said. “My hopes are for students to learn more about the candidates, engage in debate civilly and disagree without being disagreeable.”

History teacher Melinda Sloan served as moderator and guided the debate. Each

question was geared toward a specific party who then had one minute to advocate its platform or rebut others.

Although economic issues took up most of the debate, Sloan also covered social issues.

The Constitution Party’s take on economic and foreign policies inspired laughter in the crowd.

One challenge facing debaters was making their points in the one minute allotted, which was further compressed to 30 seconds during the tail end of the 45-minute debate.

“I did enjoy participating though I would have liked to speak a little more. It was a good experience for me to research, prepare for my debate and further strengthen my views,” junior Daniel Bland

said.

Senior John Kim said, “Because the speaking time for each candidate was very limited, the way the candidates presented themselves was more effective than stating data. It’s a matter of style over substance.”

Even though a majority of the students in Upper School are not eligible to vote in the general election, they had the chance to cast a ballot in the cafeteria after the debate. The tallies were submitted to a national student election database through Project Votes.

Sloan said, “I hope that this [mock debate] informed people or sparked their curiosity enough that they will seek more knowledge about the candidates and their policies.”

NO CAMPAIGN, NO GAIN

Johnson-West recounts political experiences, shares wisdom

While working on Capitol Hill, Gara Johnson-West met Senator and astronaut John Glenn.

Wild electioneering, campaigning and getting out the vote were all a part of Upper School history teacher Gara Johnson-West’s involvement in the craziness of politics.

Johnson-West had a brief political career, lasting from the time she was in high school until 1999.

Johnson-West first volunteered for the Al Gore campaign in 1988. At that time, she was still attending high school.

While in college, she volunteered for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.

“That’s when it really got started,” Johnson-West said. “I started off doing very basic stuff, like handing out bumper stickers or buttons and making copies.

Then I wound up being the assistant to the campaign manager for Texas.”

Her job ranged from basic administrative tasks to more advanced organization of campaign appearances.

Johnson-West moved on to scheduling

BY REBECCA CHEN COURTESY OF GARA JOHNSON-WEST

and later traveling to prepare for Clinton’s visits.

After Clinton won, Johnson-West moved to Washington D.C. and got a job at a political fundraising firm.

In 1994, Johnson-West was hired to do political fundraising for a U.S. Senate campaign in Texas, so she moved back to work with the campaign for about six months.

She met her husband, Blake, soon after, and they worked for a Houston-based political fundraising firm together with clientele ranging from local to state candidates.

Before leaving for graduate school, they worked for the Texas House and Senate.

In graduate school, Johnson-West shifted her focus from politics to history.

“When I was applying to graduate school, the head of graduate school asked me, ‘Why do you want to do history?’”

Johnson-West said. “I told him I wanted to get out of politics.”

“The head said, if you think you’re getting out of politics by going into history, you’re so wrong,” Johnson-West said.

Although she eventually tired of politics, Johnson-West loved being involved in it.

“You’re surrounded by amazingly talented young people, working for a cause and never sleeping,” Johnson-West said. “You live a really hard existence, but it’s fun.

There’s a lot of duality in it.”

“I think SJS students would benefit greatly from it because so many of them are future leaders,” Johnson-West said.

“I think it’s so important to do because I think we should be aware of what politics entails, and that’s key.”

Johnson-West’s career in politics has definitely affected her view of the current political climate.

“I realized that it’s unbelievably important to pay attention to what’s going on in politics,” Johnson-West said.

“I also learned that it’s just a dirty

business, no matter who’s involved,” Johnson-West said. “You realize all the backroom stuff that goes on. You realize the influence of money, of Political Action Committees. You definitely get the sense that it’s not an idealistic system of democracy, and it’s really an eye-opening experience.”

Even with all the insanity of working in politics, Johnson-West does not regret her time spent on the political trail.

“Sometimes it’s really hard, and it’s exhausting and it’s crazy. But my role was so small, and I helped elect a president,” Johnson-West said. “There was always a sense of ‘at least I’m contributing something to my society.’ We should all do that – we should all stand up for what we believe in and be knowledgeable and engaged.”

MOCK ELECTION RESULTS Do you support a Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as between a man and a woman?

Presidential Race

YES 21%

GREEN PARTY 4% LIBERTARIAN PARTY 13% DEMOCRATIC PARTY 37% CONSTITUTION PARTY 15%

Do you think it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, or is that not the responsibility of the federal government?

REPUBLICAN PARTY 31%

The Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission allows corporations, unions, and “Super PACs” to spend as much money as they want to support or oppose candidates. Do you support or oppose this ruling?

Support 35% Oppose 65%

BY VALERIO FARRIS Following the mock student debate, 51 percent voted in the cafeteria during lunch. This total is roughly equal to the national percentage of citizens who frequent the polls on Election Day. Analyzing the mock election results, it is evident that as a student body we vote by issue as opposed to voting along partisan lines.

While Barack Obama edged out Mitt Romney, the independent parties amassed a sizable portion of the pop-

NO 79%

No 55%

The controversial Keystone pipeline would bring fossil fuels from resources in western Canada across the mid-section of the US to refineries in Texas. Do you agree or disagree that the construction of the Keystone pipeline should go forward?

What is the best way for the United States to prevent the development of nuclear weapons in Iran and North Korea?

POSITIVE INCENTIVES 22%

DISAGREE 47%

AGREE 53%

ular vote, a stark contrast to the national average where candidates such as Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein will receive less than 1% of the popular vote in the general election.

Opinions on the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment indicate that a large majority of our school leans liberal on social issues.

Our student body displays conservative tendencies in

Yes 45%

ECONOMIC SANCTION 28%

US MILITARY ACTION 13% UN DIPLOMACY 37%

terms of government intervention, evidenced by their answers to the questions concerning the Keystone pipeline and health care.

Because this year’s election spending has exceeded those of previous years, the majority opposition to the Citizens United case is not surprising.

I

f I had five more minutes on that test, I would have been able to…

Actually write a conclusion. Graph the solution on my calculator. Check my work. The possible options are endless for any student who has heard the dreaded statement, “Turn in your work now.” But a particular group of students does have those coveted extra minutes.

Students with extended time receive their tests in parts, often spending time during lunch or after school finishing assessments. The process of applying for and using extended time is one of the most misunderstood aspects of school policy.

According to a poll conducted by The Review Online, out of 68 participants, 72 percent said extended time is unfair.

On paper, the process for granting extended time seems foolproof. Students applying for extended time have to be diagnosed with a learning disability by a professional. The learning specialist typically runs a battery of tests that include an intellectual assessment, oral and written language comprehension and math computations. All tests are given both timed and untimed.

“You have to be qualified to administer each test,” Karol Musher, a speech and language pathologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, said. “The tests are not done frivolously.”

FAKING LEARNING DISABILITIES Recent media reports have exposed students faking ADHD in order to gain an advantage over their peers. The Daily Beast, a news and opinion website, ran the article “Faking ADHD Gets You Into Harvard.” The story followed one student who, wanting an edge in the college race, tricked his doctor into issuing an ADHD diagnosis. In 2009, CNN revealed a staggering statistic: health economist Todd Elder of Michigan State University stated that nearly 900,000 children diagnosed with ADHD may not have the condition.

For students without extended time, its justifiability depends on the diagnosing doctor’s skill.

“Extended time is fair as long as the diagnosis is not made frivolously,” senior Sonya Bennett-Brandt said.

“I’m not convinced that ADD or ADHD is impossible to fake, at least with

some doctors,” junior Stacie Dudley said.

According to Musher, though, these occurrences are rare.

“It’s very difficult to fool a skilled examiner,” Musher said. “That’s why you have qualified professionals doing and interpreting the testing to minimize inaccuracies.”

FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE For the students with extended time, preconceptions about its unfairness are far from the truth.

“It is impossible to cheat,” a sophomore with extended time said. “Some people think that it is a written test that you can just go slowly on. Actually, you work for many hours with a specialist who looks at how your brain processes things in different activities.”

After receiving the proper documentation, students have up to 50 percent extra time on in-class assessments such as tests and essays. While some use the time for all their classes, others just take the extra minutes for classes in which their abilities are hindered.

“I always take extended time when I have the option to use it,” a junior boy with ADHD and dysgraphia said. “Dysgraphia makes it hard to write, so English and history is where I use extended time the most.”

UTILIZING EXTENDED TIME Not all students with extended time have ADD or ADHD. Some students just take a longer time to read, so prompts for inclass essays take a longer time to process.

“I try to use it only for assignments that apply under the umbrella of things that take a long time to read,” a junior boy said.

Students with extended time find the 50 percent formula accurate.

“If I go carefully, I’ll probably be a page or two behind [everyone else],” a sophomore girl said. “If I’m rushing, I’ll still be

behind, but I’ll make a lot more errors.”

“I’m normally about two-thirds of the way through the test by the time everyone else is done,” another junior boy said.

Teachers notice a similar amount of work completed by the two student groups.

“Students who have used extended time in my classes have, generally, produced about the same amount of writing as students facing regular time constraints,” English Department Head Dan Alig said.

“I don’t see substantially cleaner, clearer prose from extended-timers.”

Math teacher Bobbie Oldfield agreed.

“There is not a great deal of time to work and rework each problem, even with extended time,” she said.

Apart from the extra minutes, the psychological aspect of having extended time is beneficial.

“It makes me know that I have more time, so I don’t need to rush through something. I can actually look at the problem and make sure I have the right answer,” a sophomore girl said.

FAIRNESS AT SCHOOL Though the SJS student handbook asks teachers “to make every effort to administer the additional time in such a way that the student does not gain an unfair advantage,” the reality is not always as delineated.

“Teacher to teacher, there’s a huge inconsistency between what their exact policy is and how that lines up with official school policy,” a junior boy said.

The school’s honor code patches faults in the system.

“For honesty issues, if you’re coming back for another period, you can’t look back at what you’ve already done,” another junior boy said.

“I don’t know of anyone that abuses extra time, and I think our honor code contributes to that,” junior Jonathan Chen said.

Despite the handbook and honor code, a lack of knowledge about the rules often leads to misconceptions.

“I often wonder at the legitimacy of the system that assigns extended time to students,” junior George Davies said.

Extended time students insist that the process and its implementation are reasonable.

One junior boy said, “There is no advantage in getting more time to think. You won’t be able to glean more from the text.”

Students without extended time may lament the lack of time during a test. One extended-time student noted that teachers are fair by giving the class extra time if a majority does not finish.

JUSTIFICATION Across the nation, educators are still trying to deal with how to fairly grant and employ extended time. In today’s competitive high school atmosphere, having extra time may seem like the ticket to a dream college. Combined with the media’s exposure of the system’s flaws, people understandably have been questioning extended time’s validity.

“When extended time is recommended, it is because it has been determined by the evaluation that the student has the ability to perform well but has some kind of difficulty in the ability to process or produce information rapidly, which is required on tests,” Musher said. “By providing students with extended time, we are granting them the opportunity to complete the test and demonstrate their knowledge.”

For those who read just a little bit slower or need more time to process, extended time levels the playing field in school.

“Things that would take others 45 minutes take me a little bit over an hour,” a junior boy said. “That shows in the amount of time I have to put in homework and in studying.”

12opinions THE REVIEW

NOVEMBER 2012

EDITORIAL

Administration: move that bus “Great day to be a Maverick,” read junior Sarah Gow’s Instagram caption Oct. 25, the night the Mavericks swept Kinkaid. In a span of three hours, field hockey, girls’ volleyball and boys’ volleyball all beat Kinkaid in their final home games of the season. The spirit that night was electric.

The enthusiasm carried over to Rice Stadium the next day when the football team reigned victorious over Kinkaid’s behemoth of a team. Tears streamed down the cheeks of players and fans as the Alma Mater reverberated across the west side of the stadium.

The next morning, as elated students continued to revel in the big win, the cross-country teams were celebrating victories of their own: girls’ cross country won the South Zone meet while the boys placed second, ahead of Kinkaid.

Spirit Week proved successful as the Mavs went six for six over Kinkaid. Two teams

(field hockey and girls’ cross country) became South Zone champions.

With SPC approaching, all Maverick sports teams look promising. Because our Kinkaid Week was such a success and all our sports teams stand high in their respective divisions, we want to be able to cheer them on to victory at SPC. There is only one small problem: Fall SPC takes place in Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Whether or not the presence of fans guarantees a win is up for debate, but many students still want the opportunity to support their friends on the court and on the field.

We suggest that the school develop a means by which spirited students can root on the Mavericks at SPC. While this may not be possible on such short notice, the ideal option would be a half-day of classes on Friday, Nov 9. With 30-minute classes and no advisory, a full eight periods

NICOLE LANG

dearreader,

I promise I am not suffering from senior sentimentality. The thoughts that follow are genuine, and I would like to believe I would feel the same way regardless of my grade level.

This past month, our school spirit has been off the charts. And for that, I want to thank both the students cheering in the stands and the athletes playing on the field.

The big event was Kinkaid Week, which was capped off by the football game at Rice Stadium. Never have I seen our student body as pumped up as they were at the Upper School Pep Rally. A great routine by the cheerleaders and the best of the four Kinkaid videos I have watched set the tone for what would turn out to be a spectacular evening.

On a side note, next time you see Andrew Chennisi or Yusef Chabayta, tell them they did a fantastic job on the Kinkaid Movie. Not many people understand how much effort goes into making it. For the first time, somebody has spent more time in The Review room than the

thestaff Andrew Vogeley

Parker Donaldson

Valerio Farris

Lydia Liu

Braden Doyle

Samantha Neal

Anya Ring

Amy Kang

design editor

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online copy editor

Carolyn Brooks

Caroline Cowan

Iman Charania

Nicole Lang

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first two games ever. I am still confused by the penalty shot thing where everybody lines up and runs at each other, but I’ll figure it out.

The Review wants to contribute to this month of success with our most ambitious edition to date. In this issue, you will find a special 2012 election pullout, featuring stories on teen voting and a member of the SJS community with a political background. Also in this issue is a center spread examining and understanding extended time.

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

Andrew Vogeley Editor-in-chief

Member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association-Gold Medalist 2011-2012

design editor/asst. business manager

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editors. Every day when we left, Andrew and Yusef were still there working and editing on the Mac. The Kinkaid Game, I can say with no exaggeration, was the best sporting event I have seen in person. I’ll be frank: coming into the game, not many people thought we had a shot. Kinkaid was undefeated in SPC play and had beaten Episcopal who, in turn, had beaten us fairly handily. To top it all off, Kinkaid had beaten us four straight years. The seniors had yet to beat Kinkaid in football; as a middle school football player, I can attest that we got whipped by Kinkaid in both 7th and 8th grade. So to say this game meant a lot is an understatement.

If you have been living under a rock, we won in dramatic fashion. For once, teenage boys were not afraid to show their emotion. Check out Anya Ring’s front page article on the game and read what it meant to the team.

Our other sports teams have also been doing well. I have a newfound appreciation for field hockey after attending my

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL

editor-in-chief

managing editor

could be completed by 11:15. This option would allow us to watch games both Friday evening and all day Saturday. Granted, this would require the school to find hotel rooms for students. It can, however, be done. Kinkaid brought everybody up for the football championship last year.

Looking forward, the half-day option should be kept in mind for future SPC tournaments.

If this is not feasible, the option of a Saturday spirit bus would be appreciated.

Many of our teams have the potential to win an SPC title. Students would jump at the opportunity to see their friends win.

Students have been great fans this year.

We were gracious in losing to Episcopal, and we followed directions and did not storm the field after the Kinkaid game. We deserve the opportunity to support our classmates.

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Staff

Eugenia Kakadiaris Suman Atluri Winnie Brandfield-Harvey Nikhila Krishnan Daniel Brenner Pallavi Krishnarao Jessica Lee Joseph Caplan Guan Chen Cara Maines Gabe Malek Rebecca Chen Nina Manian Elliot Cheung Jake Chotiner Ian Mellor-Crummey Matthew Neal William Clutterbuck Iris Cronin Kanchana Raja Caroline Reasoner Chloe Desjardins Joshua Dickerson Megan Routbort Elaine Dong Oliver Ruhl Claire Dorfman Emily Sherron McKenna Gessner Benjamin Shou Lin Guo Anirudh Suresh Stephanie Guo Jennifer Trieschman Caroline Harrell Hannah Tyler Scott Hereford Virginia Waller Orion Hicks Tiffany Yue Anna Huang Christopher Zimmerman

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Mission Statement

The Review strives to be an engine of discourse. We seek to inform and engage the St. John’s community.

Publication Info

The Review is published eight times a school year. We distribute 900 copies each issue, most of which are given for free to the Upper School community of 584 students and 80 faculty.

Writers and photographers are credited with a byline. Corrections, when necessary, can be found on the editorial pages.

Submission Guidelines

The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions and staff editorials contained herin 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. 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 without a name, provided the editor knows the author’s identity. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received or advertisments. Either e-mail letters and guest columns to avogeley@sjs.org; give them to Andrew Vogeley or David Nathan in the Review Room (Q-210); or mail letters to The Review, 2401 Claremont Ln., Houston, TX 77019.

NOVEMBER 2012

THE REVIEW

13

UNIVERSIFIED

SAT or ACT: That is the question

BY GUEST COLUMNIST LILY BROWN

ELAINE DONG

In “Universified,” senior Lily Brown chronicles her journey from applications through acceptance. In part three of the eight-part column, Lily offers an inside look at the hassles of standardized testing and gives her opinion as to which is the lesser of two evils: the SAT or ACT. Sitting in that cold, hard chair, tapping my three, well-sharpened #2 pencils against my thigh, I waited in anticipation.

The air-conditioning unit in the corner of the room turned on and off every thirty minutes, and it started dripping the second the test started.

“Welcome. If you’re not here to take

the SAT, leave.” Then came that awkward silence as everyone watched that one kid who misread the room assignments slink out of the room.

Taking the SAT for the first time in November of my junior year was awful.

I realized that prior knowledge and a Scantron machine were in control of my results — this wasn’t a subjective essay on the condition of humanity as seen through the eyes of Holden Caulfield. This was an impersonal assessment of my academic ability.

At the end of the summer right before junior year, my mother signed me up for the SAT course with Ms. Martin and Mr. Alig. The course was two weeks long, for three hours every weekday morning. If it hadn’t been summer, I’m sure I would have gained much more from it. As it was, I was sick of being stuck in a classroom when I could’ve been sleeping or taking advantage of the last few days of freedom that I had before school started.

I took the SAT again this May, and it was much calmer. I knew what to expect, and I was already coming down with what has become a heavy dose of Senioritis.

By the time I took the ACT in June, I was basically a professional standardized

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test-taker. It’s all a matter of experience. If you want to take it more than once, you’re almost definitely going to be much more relaxed the second time.

The SAT and the ACT are different beasts. While the SAT test has three subjects: reading, writing and math, the ACT has five: reading, writing, math, science and English. I found them both incredibly inane and mind-numbingly dull, but the ACT was the less terrible option. Maybe it’s because I’d been doing months of SAT test prep at SJS, and I liked having a different format. Maybe it’s because I’d already taken two college-entrance exams, but taking the ACT was actually a partially pleasant experience.

For the course, we were required to buy the official College Board SAT book, one of the most helpful books I’ve ever bought.

Before I retook the SAT in May, I purchased a couple of small, subject-specific, supplementary books to reinforce and cement everything in my mind.

I was much less prepared for the ACT. A week before I took the test, I bought the Princeton Review ACT book and started taking practice tests. I was shockingly disciplined during that first week of summer, and so I got much more done than I

thought I would. I suggest that you start to review earlier than I did.

Walking in, I knew what kinds of questions would be on the ACT, but I didn’t know any of the strategies that the ACT review books and courses teach.

Before one takes any of these tests, they take the PSAT. Although it’s a fairly accurate indication of your future SAT score, it was somewhat useless for me. I didn’t learn how to deal with the SAT, nor did I gain the head start that the College Board website told me I would.

I still think that the PSAT is a good idea.

It’s a solid attempt at preparing the general public for the SAT. For some, the PSAT constitutes the extent of SAT preparation.

When you decide what tests you want to take, keep your mind open. Don’t think that one test has more credibility than the other, and don’t think that because you got a low score on one of them, you’ll probably get a low score on the other — you don’t know until you try.

I took the SAT twice, and then I took the ACT — just because I was curious to see if I could do better on it than the SAT. I ended up getting similar scores on both tests, but I’m happy that I did both, if only to say that I satiated my own curiosity.

WAYS TO RELIEVE SCHOOL-RELATED STRESS

BY JOSHUA DICKERSON

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Blow stuff up in the name of science Seriously, there is nothing more stress-relieving (and frankly American) than explosions. Some might want to put Mentos in Diet Coke for a classic carbonation explosion, but I encourage you to dream big. Get some buckets of water and sodium or try your hand at a dry ice bomb.

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Just grab the one in the clinic and have a friend push you around for a day. Remember, if you start losing a race, you can redeem yourself by finishing with a wheelie.

Tray Sledding Liberate some lunch trays from the cafeteria and try your lot at any of the banisters around school. Bonus points for sticking a landing off the main science building staircase.

Rave in Taub

Get everyone in the library, check out a laptop and start listening to a mix by either DJ Jhin or DJ Cheesy Cheese Puffs with the volume turned all the way up.

Film a parody of a Nicholas Cage movie

Indulge in cafeteria sweets

I am absolutely not endorsing anyone putting on a bear suit and running around the school punching people, but it might be worth your time to steal something more precious than the Declaration of Independence: the recipe for SAC punch.

Some say that stress eating is bad for you, and they may have some numbers and facts and other mumbo jumbo to dissuade you from eating massive quantities of food when stressed. But you know you want to.

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two

Join Fantasy Founding Fathers (FFF) Imagine all the fun and excitement of fantasy football, except with Dean Popp and Mr. Soliman. To be honest, no one knows exactly how this league competes or why it exists, but with these guys running the show, it’s bound to be fun.

Wheelchair around the school

Have a pleasant political debate and make sure Nikolai Hood is on your side. After making a few points, you can let him take over and just sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

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I recommend cushions from freshman couch, Trammel and Senior Country. The fort should be built to the proper dimensions (21”x 27”) and structurally sound.

Talk politics

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one

Build a fort out of couch cushions

eight seven

I think we can all agree that the best way to relieve stress is to actually get work done, therein eliminating the source of stress. But let’s be honest, that isn’t happening anytime soon. Here are some of the best ways to ignore our work around school.

14sports THE REVIEW

NOVEMBER 2012

BRAGGING RIGHTS

Players triumph under pressure

Continued from Front Page In order to focus on the game, the team went to the wrestling room after watching the Kinkaid Video during the final pep rally and immediately got quiet, thinking ahead to what they would have to do later that evening.

“We handled the pressure well – it’s definitely a much bigger stage than anything we’ve ever done before,” Newar said.

In addition to the activities of Kinkaid Week and the string of losses that they hoped to end, the Mavericks were further motivated by letters from members of the SJS community that Head Coach Steve Gleaves read to them before the game.

“That makes such a huge difference because they’re so heartfelt,” Avery said. “It really gets me going.”

As the 7:30 p.m. kickoff approached, the Mavericks felt confident about the game ahead.

“I was thinking, this is the last time we’re going to be out there, we have to make this one count,” Avery said.

“I had a better feeling about that game than any other game.”

From the start, the defense put their motto – “fight or die” – into action, with Jonathan and his sophomore brother, Michael, each picking up an interception in the first half. The defense also managed to hold Kinkaid to three touchdowns – their lowest this year in an SPC game. “[In terms of defense] we didn’t run too many stunts. We just ran our base coverage and made plays,” Newar said. “We were way more physical than they were.”

“It was by far the most complete defensive game. We stopped them multiple times in the first half,” senior Logan Smith said.

The Mavericks faced a disappointment when Smith’s touchdown run in the first quarter did not count. The run had one benefit, though: “After my long touchdown run that was called back, Kinkaid was flying to the outside,” Smith said. “It opened up the middle for [Senior Captain] Ben [Griffin] and Nathan.” Ben and Avery delivered, scoring two touchdowns apiece.

With Ben’s 34-yard touchdown run, Avery’s 40-yard touchdown run, and a total of over 300 yards of rushing, the offensive line was a major factor in the game.

“It was the offensive line’s best game of the season,” Senior Steven Lukens said.

The true test of the Mavericks’ ability to remain strong and unified under pressure came with less than three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, when the Falcons tied the score 21-21.

“Our victory was less apparent then,” senior Eric Hobby said, “but when Risher [Randall] returned the kickoff, I had a pretty good idea we would score.”

Randall’s 44 yard return set the stage for Avery’s final touchdown of the evening, bringing the score to 27-21. With only 1:34 remaining in the game, the ball went back to Kinkaid.

As the Falcons pressed forward 21 yards, the Mavericks were no longer sure if their lead would hold.

“I get emotional, so I thought I would be bawling all over the place, but I was too tired to even do that.”

Jonathan Newar

IAN MELLOR-CRUMMEY

Tearing up the field Teammates congratulate Carl Bernicker (50) for his game-sealing play. As the clock neared zero, Bernicker secured a win for the Mavericks with an interception.

“We needed someone to step up on the last drive,” said Will, “and Carl [Bernicker] did.”

With 46 seconds left on the clock, Bernicker made a game-saving interception.

“Our defense had been playing great all night, and we had been shutting down their pass in a lot of other areas, so I knew my turn was about to come,” Bernicker said.

“It was slow-motion for everybody watching,” Avery said.

Hobby added, “When Carl got that interception, it sealed the deal.”

As the crowd erupted in cheers and the team began celebrating, one person remained nervous: Avery.

“After that play was over and the offense came out on the field, I was sure we had to get a first down,” Avery said. “Then Ben comes on the field with tears running down his face, he can’t see, and he’s saying, ‘We’re taking a knee, Nathan.’”

With the team running the clock out, the Mavericks finally achieved what they had been dreaming about for years: victory.

“There is not a better feeling in the world,” Avery said.

The emotion proved overwhelming for some. Horowitz said, “Ben and I couldn’t

redzone 101 5 0 It was a really awesome feeling and experience.

We would not be the seniors who had never won against Kinkaid but the seniors who had outplayed and beat Kinkaid in a close game. It’s great that the losing streak is over and it’s time to start a winning streak.

Logan Smith

Number of victories by Head Coach Steve Gleaves at SJS. After beating Trinity Valley for his 100th win, Gleaves’ victory over Kinkaid got him to 101.

Gleaves has been at SJS for 22 years. Previously, he was head football coach at Kinkaid.

The difference in Upper School male students between Kinkaid and SJS, causing the Falcons to play in the LargeSchool Division and the Mavericks to play in the Small-School Division of the SPC playoffs.

Students who ran onto the Rice Stadium field to congratulate the players after the big win. Coincidentally, it is also the number of SJS fans who agreed with the decision by Rice Stadium officials to prohibit this celebratory act.

make it over when everyone was lining up to shake hands. We were lying on the field crying.”

For others, exhaustion prevailed: “I get emotional, so I thought I would be bawling all over the place, but I was too tired to even do that,” said Jonathan.

What the players can agree on is that this game was their best of the season.

“We had a complete game. Special teams, offense, and defense all played well,” senior Harry Elkins said.

The Kinkaid game does not mark the end of the season for the Mavericks this year – they had to quickly get back to work to prepare for their playoff game on Saturday versus Cistercian – the shock, awe, and excitement of the game has yet to wear off.

Horowitz said, “It hasn’t even sunk in. It was surreal – that’s how I would describe it. It was such an out-of-body experience.”

Avery agreed, “I feel like I’m going to wake up any minute.”

And – as Ben gleefully told Coach Gleaves – the football team has one more honor to look forward to pertaining to their win: “Hey, Coach,” yelled Ben, “We’re going to be in the paper!”

NOVEMBER 2012

THE REVIEW

LOOKING AHEAD

15

MAVERICKS RIDE TO SPC

BY TIFFANY YUE

CROSS COUNTRY

FIELD HOCKEY

VOLLEYBALL

Girls’ Captains: Martha Daniel, Kristen Santiago and Catherine Sullivan Boys’ Captains: Blake Actkinson, Ryan Reza and Phillip Taffet

Captains: Sam Night, Robby Rybarcyzk, Carly Gamson and Natalie Plummer

Girls’ Captains: Kate Bres and Jane Labanowski Boys’ Captains: Justin Bernard, William Breckwoldt, Matthew Kreutter and Jason Shyu

Girls’ cross country is intent on winning SPC with the help of some freshmen, including Olivia Havel, Margaret Trautner, Maya Bhandari and Francie Williams.

“We have a really good shot at it. Everyone’s going to have to run the race of their lives, but the talent and the potential is there,” senior captain Martha Daniel said.

“Times are faster than they’ve ever been.”

Despite having a couple of captains on and off the trail because of stress fractures, the girls’ team already won the San Jacinto Battleground Invitational, the Ramble and the Trinity Valley meet and placed fourth at the UTSA Tony Romo meet.

Boys’ cross-country posted promising wins across the board at the 32nd annual Ramble as well as second place at Trinity Valley and SPC Sout Zone championships.

“We hope to finish top three at SPC. We’ve been steadily improving the past three years, going from 11th at SPC to fifth last year,” senior captain Ryan Reza said.

“We got off to a rough start with our top performers, but we have been improving and we’re back to where we should be.”

The boys won second place at South Zone, a favorable outcome as they look toward SPC. “We were only down by 12 points, which is a pretty small gap. We’re trying to close that gap as we get closer to SPC,” sophomore Akshay Jaggi said.

By beating Kinkaid, the reigning SPC champions clinched the South Zone Championship title with their 3-2 win over Kinkaid.

“We hope to win SPC again. It’s always tough to recreate a win, but I know we stand a good chance,” senior captain Natalie Plummer said.

“The toughest moment of the season was definitely losing our first counter game to Episcopal in strokes. We felt physically and mentally defeated losing to a team we knew we were better than,” Rybarczyk said.

“That loss only made us try harder and be even more determined to win,” sophomore Grace VanLoh said.

“We’ve had lots of girls step up this year and increase their level of play immensely,” Plummer said.

Senior Amanda Leavell has returned after two years of not playing field hockey and is now one of the leading scorers, while Plummer, junior Jack Simmons and senior Annie Bernica are major defensive players.

“They’ve helped anchor our defense and led us to many shutout games this year,” Rybarczyk said.

Sept. 7 and 8’s Hockaday tournament was an opportunity for the players to refresh their game for the season.

“Playing about eight games in two days allowed us to quickly adapt to playing with the new members of our team and figure out what types of plays will click for us this year,” Rybarczyk said.

“Our goal at the beginning of the season was to win SPC, and that is still our goal,” sophomore Monica Dayao said.

“This year our conference is significantly more competitive. There are five or six very solid teams battling for the four spots in Division One,” senior captain Kate Bres said. “We are working hard to make the cut.”

“It was tough losing against Houston Christian, but everything really came together for our win against Kinkaid,” senior captain Jane Labanowski said.

At 4-3 in SPC play, the Mavericks will need some help to make Division I, “We’re like sisters, and I think I speak for everyone on the team in saying that this is the closest team we’ve had in years,” Labanowski said.

Boys’ volleyball is also aiming for first, although they, too, are thinking realistically.

“We just want to play our best,” senior captain Jason Shyu said. “I think next year will be much better, especially for the newer players on the team.”

Boys’ volleyball (5-1) repeated as South Zone champions after their victory over Kinkaid Oct. 25.

“Losing to EHS in our third counter game really woke us, and the next time we saw them we were able to sweep them 3-0,” junior captain Matthew Kreutter said.

NOVEMBER 2012

THE REVIEW

RUN LIKE THE WIND

VIRGINIA WALLER

17

CLAIRE DORFMAN

Warming up Whether running nine miles or a series of 400-meter sprints, cross-country captains Ryan Reza and Martha Daniel prepare for their arduous workouts. The girls’ team heads into SPC as South Zone champions while the boys’ team placed second.

Rigor, team unity fuel cross country

BY CAROLYN BROOKS Wake up at 4:45. Get to school by 5:25 for either a nine-mile run or a series of eight 400-meter sprints. Shower, eat breakfast, make it to advisory by 7:45 and proceed with your day.

For any normal person, this routine would be absolutely impossible. But for a Maverick cross-country runner, this rigor is completely normal. Both cross-country teams face long, arduous workouts every day.

The cross-country teams alternate between longer workouts and the faster-paced sprint workouts. They never skip a weekday and even practice on Saturday in preparation for the meets.

Both the rigor of practice and the intensity of competitions and meets can take a major toll on the minds and bodies of the runners.

“Cross country is the most physically and emotionally exhausting thing I’ve ever done,” senior captain Martha Daniel said.

“Workouts are designed to condition your legs and your mind and push the limits of both. You have to be so tough to race

well.”

“When you’re about half a mile from the end of a race, you’re essentially running on fumes, and your body is screaming at you to stop,” senior captain Blake Actkinson said. “It takes a lot of willpower to finish.”

Runners attest that “mile repeat” workouts – running a mile at a hard pace, taking a break, and repeating for a total of three to five miles – are the most intense runs they endure during the season.

Daniel said, “When we do intervals like that, the times are fast, and the rest is short to re-create the feeling of a race. Intervals get really hard really fast and often leave us doubled over and trying not to cry.”

Though these runs are rigorous, surviving the intense workouts is a bonding experience.

“The team is a really close unit,” junior Max Melcher said. “We look out for one another and are there for each others’ best and worst moments. I would do anything for my teammates, and I know they would say the same.”

“We’ve become pretty close through re-

treats and traditions like running in tacky prom dresses,” junior Elise Viguet said. “It might sound silly, but it helps us become closer.”

Though cross country is a sport that seems centered on individual achievement, this team unity is crucial for team success.

“Pack running benefits the fast as well as the slow because the strength of the whole forces the entire team to push itself,” sophomore Vasia Pobedinski said. “Every year, the team goal is to win SPC as a team – a team could have the single first place runner and still finish last if the team doesn’t work together.”

Given the physical and mental intensity of cross country, runners must have a strong motivation to keep them going, and they often find their motivation through the close bonds with their teammates.

“There aren’t a whole lot of people that can say they do what we do,” Daniel said.

“A real sense of family within the team comes from that. I run because I have a team that’s going to be there loving me and supporting me every step of the way.”

Pobedinski said, “Just the presence of even one other runner gives me someone to relate to. Even on days when we have to run individually, I think of my teammates who are putting in the necessary work, and I feel responsible to do the same.”

The incredible feeling of achievement upon finishing a race is also a key motivation for cross-country runners.

“I’ve found that there’s no more satisfying feeling in the world than finishing a long, hard run five seconds faster than my personal best,” Actkinson said.

Ultimately, though, cross-country runners keep going at their intense sport because they simply love running.

“When I run on my own early in the morning, I love the chance it gives me to just think and relax,” said senior captain Ryan Reza.

“Running puts things in perspective and lets me do something constructive with my stress,” Daniel said. “You have a test, a paper and a quiz tomorrow? Run it out.

Go faster, feel better afterwards.” additional reporting by Orion Hicks

18odds THE REVIEW

“ ” NOVEMBER 2012

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WORD FOR WORD

SECONDS

name tashpointoh kumquat (natasha kumar) grade a++ color alizarin music too mainstream movie kinkaid movie 2k12 hero mahatma gandhi sport to play smash sport to watch smash love to hate tomatoes hate to love fanfiction.net happiness fry the falcons sing in the shower adele all day errday superpower sass treasured possession bubbles i collect hugs dream occupation professional harley davidson motorcyclist relationship status mrs malfoy omg ermegerd did you know i was tall in 5th grade feeling down chocolate fixes everything just do it calm down. let’s think about this.

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THE COMIC STRIP BY GUAN CHEN

This is a paper receptacle that my students lovingly refer to as racks on racks on racks.

Jermaine Thibodeaux in the Kinkaid Movie

Dr. Sharp: So what exactly is the interval of convergence for this problem? [pause] I can’t hear you.

Amanda Leavell: Ay ay, captain!

Invoking Spongebob in Calc class

I’m like the tres leches of funny.

Vamsi Mohan on his multi-layered humor

Wait, so you vote on election day? So it all gets done in one day?

Kate Bres

Hail St. John’s!

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SJS Student body after winning the Kinkaid game

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NOVEMBER 2012

THE REVIEW

CHARTED

BY ELAINE DONG

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Wednesday of Kinkaid Week

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Senior Grayson Crady marvels at the heroic horse that saved the day at the All-School Pep Rally.

NICOLE LANG

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FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS 3.

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SJS 27 KHS 21

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Game of the Century

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1. Gotta catch ‘em all Emulating football players, fans snatch foam footballs tossed into the crowd. The middle section of the crowd never sat down, cheering throughout the night.

4. Real Maverick stars The cheerleaders’ half-time routine electrified the spectators. Though a repeat performance from the All-School Pep Rally, it only got better under the Rice Stadium lights.

2. A-very good run Nathan Avery scores one of his two touchdowns as he zips past a Kinkaid football player.

Under the Friday night lights, the Mavericks soared to victory.

5. Winners write history Following their victory over Kinkaid, players were featured by KPRC’s Randy McIlvoy in the Friday Football Frenzy Game of the Week. The excitement from the win and subsequent celebrations drifted into the weekend.

3. Be my boyfriend? Handmade signs littered the crowd and boosted spirit. With these posters, Nathan Avery’s role in the Kinkaid video as a lady’s man became reality.

As we looked across Rice Stadium at our rivals, we were hit by a sense of déjà vu. The opponent’s side was eerily reminiscent of Dress Like Kinkaid Day: gold leggings, outrageous purple boas, sky-high heels. The senior dress-up day was just part of the week that culminated in a spirit-filled milieu on the chilly Friday night. Pep rallies, cheerleader performances and colorful decorations contributed to the excitement that encompassed the entire campus.

When running back Logan Smith carried the ball into the end zone early in the game, we erupted into cheers, hands cupped around our mouths, feet stomping the ground. Suddenly, a ripple of disappointment spread through the crowd: cheers turned to boos as we scrambled to comprehend the penalty.

Every time we scored, Kinkaid responded. Tension was rife. Up by six points, fans sat helplessly as the Falcons drove down the field for a potential game-winning TD. Just as we crossed our fingers even tighter, Carl Bernicker jumped up into the air to snatch an interception with less than one minute on the clock. The crowd exploded. Football players, overcome with emotion, congratulated each other on the field.

Finally, we had won.

photos by Nicole Lang (1-4) Claire Dorfman (5) story and captions by Lydia Liu and Amy Kang