The Review
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID HOUSTON, TEXAS PERMIT 9081
The Official Student Newspaper of St. John’s School Vol. 60, Issue 3
2401 Claremont Lane; Houston, TX 77019 | http://sjsreview.net | review@sjs.org
October 2008
Tough Loss A heartfelt effort in a highly anticipated game ends in an emotional loss to the Knights By LEEOR MUSHIN A hard nosed game dominated by running backs ended when the SJS Mavericks came up short against the Episcopal Knights, losing 31-6. In rushing yards alone the Knights were took a definitive lead though the Maverick defensive made some impressive plays. The Knights had 303 rushing yards to 121 for the Mavs. The inability to pass the ball down the field efficiently for the Mavericks led to Episcopal’s ability to focus on their run defense,
capitalizing on three of the four fumbles that depleted any hope of a Mavericks offense. On the other hand, Episcopal was able to run the ball at will and scored four touchdowns on the ground. Reese Henningson ran the ball twenty-six times for 160 yards and had two touchdowns of his own. On top of that, the Mavericks were never able to take advantage of the Knights’ blunders, which included 90 penalty yards, one fumble and two interceptions See EHS p. 5
All CLAY NICKENS | The Review
SJS Faculty Dr. Doina Returns U.S. history teacher Dr. Richard Doina returns to SJS after recovering from brain surgery. | See p. 4
Mr. Center’s Other Job Middle School history teacher Gordon Center shares stories from his time spent as a volunteer firefighter. | See p. 14
The Man Behind the Music A profile of SJS accompanist Donald Doucet. | See p. 13
Index News...........................2 Sports.........................5 A&E...........................7 Photo Spread...........10 Features...................12 Opinions...................15 BeyondSJS................18
Administration continues work towards Ike recovery By GABI CHENNISI Hurricane Ike hit SJS before a clear plan of action could be fully organized. The initial precautions entailed protecting school assets and minimizing property damage by “turning off major electrical equipment to protect them from power surges and brownouts, as well as securing [anything] that could be blown about, causing additional damage to the campus,” Wayne Welch, Director of the Physical Plant, said. Other precautions were also taken in order to anticipate and reduce potential destruction. Anita Walker, Food Service Director, and Susan Medellin, Bookstore Manager and Director of Purchasing, made preparations “in the cafeteria and bookstore to get things off the floor, in anticipation of rising water,” Mr. Welch said. Preparations were also made by Jeff Ritter, Director of Technology, and his team, who secured and protected the com-
Behind the scenes of the Kinkaid Video With less than a month until showtime, students report on the Kinkaid video production. page 8
puters and communication equipment. Despite the precautions, significant damage occurred on the SJS campus. “We have had water in the lower level of [the cafeteria] before, but it had never been this bad. I was not told about the amount of water because the telephone service was down, but what I saw was heartbreaking,” Mr. Welch said. The major damage sustained occurred in the cooler and freezer, ceiling tiles, and some carpet and sheetrock. The cleanup process took three weeks. After the hurricane had passed through the city, Headmaster John Allman took charge of the initial recovery process. He and Assistant Headmaster Mark Reed stepped in soon after the hurricane hit and pumped water out of the cafeteria by themselves. They quickly assessed the extent of the damage, which proved essential in “focusing … efforts to minimize further
SJS green thumbs The underground story about the SJS Grounds Committee revealed. page 12
damage to the facilities,” Mr. Welch said. Debris scattered by the Ike’s powerful winds had littered the campus, and a group of volunteers stepped in to clean the school. “Somebody coordinated a group of people to come over and clean up debris. That was not planned prior; that just somehow came to be [even though] a lot of us left town. Fortunately, enough people were available and willing to help out,” Kef Wilson, Head of Upper School, said. Though the hurricane’s arrival brought a period of relaxing vacation for some, other students and teachers were not so fortunate. With many homes still without power, the school had to make temporary adjustments, such as the evening study hall that allowed students to remain at school until 9:00 p.m. Additionally, the school set up a babysitting program for teachers whose children’s schools had not yet reopened. See IKE p. 3
Lawn Games on the green Seniors take the Quad to a new level with Lawn Games. page 6