October 2021

ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL

THE REVIEW

OCTOBER 20, 2021

Untangling the Roots of Hair Identity VOLUME 73, ISSUE 1

PAGE 8 STORY BY Lydia Gafford & Annie Jones

After “trying to conform,” Kennedy Black, 17, is now comfortable enough to wear her hair in a variety of ways.

PHOTO| Sarah Clark DESIGN | Celine Huang 2401 CLAREMONT LANE

SJSREVIEW.COM

HOUSTON, TX 77019

HURRICANE IDA DISPLACES ALUMS

(WE) BEAT EHS, MAVS UNDEFEATED

Recent graduates at Tulane come home, assess damages

NEWS

3

TEXAS FAILS ITS WOMEN (AGAIN)

Football team off to best start since 1977

Attack on reproductive rights culminates with SB-8

13

OPINIONS 14

SPORTS

2

Campus amid Covid: How student life has changed after a chaotic year

NEWS

By Emma Chang

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When we stop building social skills, it can create a default isolatory state.

ASHLEY LE GRANGE

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Sophomore softball player Mackenzie Rice saw some “comedic” downsides to the relaxed guidelines.

“Because I was wearing a mask, I picked up a really bad habit of sticking my tongue out every time I swing,” Rice said, “so this summer when we were doing batting practice, we didn’t wear masks, and I was sticking my tongue out.”

Many students recognize that masks and other regulations are still needed and appreciate the School’s efforts to maintain a safe environment. The Spirit Club only coordinated online events last year, but on Aug. 27, they hosted their first pep rally on the Great Lawn in two years.

“Pep rallies are usually so much fun,” Spirit Club cocaptain Evie Barrett said, “but everything the school did was necessary, and they tried to provide alternatives for things that were canceled.”

Administrators and medical advisers continue to regularly assess case numbers and vaccination rates, adjusting protocols as needed.

As November approaches, the School will “likely make masks optional for Upper School students and teachers," according to a campus-wide email on Oct. 18 from Head of School Dan Alig. Beginning the week of Oct. 25, “the Upper School will gather together as one division" for Chapel and assemblies, although masks will still be required.

Clubs struggled to gain members last year, especially among freshmen, after the format of Club Fair was changed from an in-person event to a Google Slides presentation.

“There were a lot of clubs I wanted to join,” Godbold said,

THE REVIEW

Armadillo scurries through Plaza

By Annie Jones & Lillian Poag

fter a year of acclimating to life in a pandemic, St. John’s is slowly returning to normal. Gone are the plexiglass barriers and one-directional hallways; back are pep rallies and the student section in the Skip Lee Field bleachers.

Upper School Counselor Ashley Le Grange has witnessed it all — especially how the last year has contributed to social isolation.

“Of course, it depends on the teenager; there are some who thrive in introverted environments and some who really struggle,” Le Grange said. “When we stop building social skills, it can create a default isolatory state.”

When masks cover facial expressions, Le Grange says that it can be difficult to connect with new people — though she also emphasizes their importance in keeping St. John’s safe. A study in the journal Nature found that masks significantly affect the ability to recognize and empathize with people, especially for students who are new to the school or teachers getting used to a new class.

“We don’t feel approachable; there’s a wall up,” Le Grange said. “I can’t read your face, I can’t read your expression, so if you’re already new, that makes it even harder to read the social cues.”

Last school year, students in ensemble classes dealt with modified rehearsals and performances as Covid-19 infection rates rose and fell. Choir groups either practiced in St. John the Divine or outside. Students in band and orchestra rehearsed indoors, where students sat in six-by-six squares taped on the floor.

Sophomore Annika Hensel participated in both choir and band last year. Band rehearsals were always split into different instrument groups, which allowed students to focus more on their individual parts, but the full band was “never able to play together until right before the concert.”

At the height of the pandemic, athletes had to choose between not playing the sport they loved or potentially exposing themselves to Covid-19. Since many restrictions were lifted this year, athletes no longer have to remain masked during practice, and spectators are allowed back at all games.

“It’s more fun to play when I have friends there in the stands,” sophomore volleyball player Zell Godbold said. “They make me more eager to do well. There is a reason there’s home-field advantage in sports — we do better when there are more people cheering us on."

ISSUE NO.1

PHOTO | Sarah Clark “but I didn’t want to be on Zoom the whole year, so I only ended up joining one club, Sports Management.”

After a year that began with no food service for students, only faculty, and ended with limited boxed lunch options, the cafeteria has reopened with a full menu. Students are also no longer required to eat in assigned lunch zones. The new chef, Pablo Peña, has overseen the reintroduction of hot lunch.

“Everyone has to wear a mask and gloves,” Peña said. “At the salad bar, for example, everything is pre-packed in plastic.”

Last year, in lieu of attending Parents’ Night in person, teachers recorded videos for parents to watch.

Parents’ Night returned this year, although only one adult per child was allowed to attend. Head of Upper School Hollis Amley said that, while conditions were not ideal, she “still found some silver linings in the format this year.” “[A] parent mentioned that she was taking extra detailed notes so that she could communicate everything to her husband,” Amley said. “Another mentioned that fewer parents that night meant that hallways were less congested and it was easier to get to classes.”

Katie Nguyen, whose daughter Emma is in 10th grade, said, “I was able to meet my daughter’s teachers in person, see her classroom and experience her rush to get to class on time, all of which gives me a good insight into her day.”

English teacher Mary Mitchell appreciated the opportunity to “have parent interaction.”

“It felt very normal this year,” she said. “It was nice to have people in the room, rather than talking to a camera.”

In one of the most significant changes, the modified five-day schedule is gone, and the School has returned to the sevenday rotation that debuted in 2016.

After spending a year in modified classrooms in the Campus Center on the North Campus, the eighth grade has moved back to Georges Middle School.

Senior Country has yet to reopen, functioning as an English and economics classroom.

“I understand the reason behind it,” Barrett said. “It’s frustrating, but at the same time, we never had Senior Country, so we don’t know what we’re missing.”

Through it all, rules have been tightened and loosened. Events have been planned and canceled. Yet the campus has remained open for in-person learning — a constant in this year of chaos.

“No one really knows what normal is anymore,” Godbold said, “but being with friends and getting out of isolation has already made this school year so much better.”

round 7:20 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 30, English teacher Warren Rawson spotted a creature scurrying past the carpool circle flagpole by the Quad. As Rawson drew closer, he could hear the animal’s claws scratching the pavement as it headed toward the double doors of the Upper School Office.

“I initially thought it was a cat, or an opossum, or even a giant squirrel,” Rawson said. “As I pulled out my phone to take a picture, I saw the bands of armor around its midsection and realized it was an armadillo.”

The armored mammal was spotted a second time that morning running around the edges of the Plaza. Sophomore Carys LeBlanc and her friends, who were sitting outside at 8:39 a.m., saw a “very fast” brown blur.

“We were studying when we saw an armadillo run through the Plaza,” LeBlanc said. “It looked like a huge rat with a shell.”

From the Plaza, the armadillo made its way into a bush beneath the Parent’s Desk window. After students approached it, the animal scampered into a hole in a fence.

Armadillos are normally nocturnal creatures, so its scuttling about in broad daylight indicates that it may have been rabid. Yet rabid armadillos also generally approach humans to infect through direct contact — which may also spread leprosy, salmonella and tapeworms. This armadillo fled from the people who drew near or attempted to photograph it.

According to Richard Still, Director of Safety and Facilities, armadillos do not stray very far since they are territorial.

“It likes to stay where there's a good food source,” Still said. “The trees along the fence line and the landscapes have plenty of grubs and worms for it to eat.”

Because LeBlanc had never seen an armadillo before, watching the ‘dillo roam the campus seemed surreal. Still regularly sees it on campus in the early morning.

“The armadillo has been around ever since it was a baby, and now, it is fully grown,” Still said. “I’ve seen it almost every day since then.”

After about an hour and a half of bustling around campus, it disappeared into a gutter.

Armadillos are known to burrow and tend to inhabit areas with cracks and crevices for protection from predators and harsh weather. They are occasionally active during daylight hours after rainstorms and in cooler weather, ideally under 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This campus visitor had ideal weather conditions for its excursion because the temperature was 75 and it had rained the previous day.

“I smiled while I watched it scurry through the bushes,” Rawson said. “Who doesn't enjoy seeing the ‘official state small mammal of Texas’ on a Thursday morning?”

Additional reporting by Lucy Walker

PHOTO | Lexi Guo

NEWS

OCT 20, 2021 SJSREVIEW.COM

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16 years after Katrina, Hurricane Ida wreaks havoc, displaces alums from New Orleans to N.J.

By Ella Chen & Wilson Bailey

We were hearing a lot about a big storm that was coming to hit us.

CLAIRE HUFF (’20)

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“People took it a lot more seriously,” Deal said. “Did my family and friends not take Katrina seriously? Maybe not as much as they should have, but they heard Ida was coming, and everyone fled to Houston.”

Many members of the SJS community opened up their homes to relatives and friends fleeing the storm. Senior Kenny Burke took in three family members who had evacuated New Orleans two days before the storm hit. Usually a six-hour drive, it took them almost twelve hours to reach Houston due to snarled traffic.

“One of the challenges was keeping them preoccupied so they didn’t have to think about what was happening to their home,” Burke said.

English teacher Allyson LaBorde was surprised when her mother and stepfather called her three days before the storm, to let her know they were coming to Houston.

Unable to find a hotel room, LaBorde’s parents stayed the first night with her and her two cats.

“I was glad the cats were there to

distract them,” LaBorde said. “My mother is 80 and in a wheelchair, and it's not always easy for her to get around.”

The storm not only displaced families, but separated them. When Deal’s family friends’ from New Orleans evacuated, they split up, with half going to Mississippi and the others coming to Houston. After the storm, Deal didn’t hear much from his extended family and friends.

“The lack of communication was worrisome,” Deal said.

“Once we found out where everyone was, it was a sigh of relief.”

Just four years earlier in 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Houston, dropping more than 60 inches of rain and causing $125 billion in damages, second only to Katrina.

Irene Vázquez (’17), whose family came to Houston in the aftermath of Katrina, was at a remote farm for a Yale freshman pre-orientation program when Harvey made landfall.

“We were entirely disconnected from the outside world,” Vázquez said.

“We were picking beans and working with some other volunteers. I told one of them I’m from Houston; they said there was this big storm coming. I had no idea.”

Vázquez is now working as a freelance environmental reporter in New Jersey. When Ida came through Hoboken, she woke up to discover that the streets were still flooded Former Review editor Irene Vázquez discovers flooded streets in her Hoboken, New from the night before. The Jersey, neighborhood. Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana on Aug. 29 as a Category 4 storm; inadequacy of New Jersey’s two days later, the remnants soaked the northeast, causing billions in damage. infrastructure surprised Vázquez.

PHOTO | Irene Vázquez “In Houston, at least we have decent drainage, but there was after, the power went out again due to eight “It’s a unique, strange part of the country, standing water in the street for an entire major transmission lines in New Orleans and you grow attached to it. It’s not day. It rained a lot, but it didn't rain losing power, leaving the city in the dark somewhere that can be written off.” that much,” Vázquez said. “That water for weeks.

While LaBorde agrees that New shouldn’t have been there.”

“Once we lost power, that’s when Orleanians are resilient, she also says When Vázquez first moved away from everything turned into a scrambled mess,” that their resilience stems from an old but the Gulf Coast, she assumed that flooding Huff said. persistent culture of denial that makes it would no longer be part of her life. When Tulane arranged for 37 coach buses to hard for them to accept climate change. she experienced the impact of a hurricane evacuate students to Houston. For Lazear, “New Orleanians have perfected this over 1,400 miles away, she felt emotionally whose family had evacuated during art of living,” LaBorde said. “Sometimes drained. past hurricanes, Ida was the first “bad” I admire that, and sometimes I shake my “It’s just that feeling of helplessness, hurricane she experienced firsthand. head and think ‘your levee should be twice seeing your home underwater and the “Going back to Houston a week after as tall.’” places that you love suffer time and time classes started was frustrating,” Lazear again,” Vázquez said. “It doesn’t get any said, “but I did get to show some of my easier.” non-Houstonian friends from school Deal said that hurricanes hitting near his around here.” family friends’ home in Houma, Louisiana, Tulane moved classes online for one have become the new normal. Within two week, and students either returned home months last year, three separate storms hit or stayed in Houston hotels. the Louisiana coast.

“Some people had to do it last year when they got contact-traced,” Lazear said. “So as weird as it is to live and take classes in hotels, it is not unique.”

It's just that feeling of On Sept. 27, after almost a month helplessness, of seeing... away, Tulane students finally returned to the places you love suffer campus. time and time again.

“It feels like we’ve had three first days,” IRENE VÁZQUEZ (’17) Lazear said.

Even though New Orleans is a magnet “This is not their first rodeo,” Deal said. for hurricanes, many of its residents have “So I think they can come together, rebuild, never considered moving. According to and move to the future.”

English teacher Kyle Dennan, who lived When the sun finally emerged, it revealed there after college, this originates from shattered glass and uprooted trees across their attachment to the city’s culture and the Tulane campus. Huff witnessed history. students walking outside and played the “It’s somewhere that gets ingrained Beatles song, “Here Comes the Sun.” Soon pretty deeply in your soul,” Dennan said.

Hurricane Ida

By The Numbers

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s rain from Hurricane Ida pounded on the windows, Claire Huff (’20) and her roommates grabbed all the brooms they could find to sweep water out of their Tulane University dorm room.

New Orleanians who attempted to evacuate discovered gas shortages and sold-out flights. Huff and fellow Tulane student Sophie Lazear (’19) decided to stay put. Tulane Housing originally assured Lazear that generators would supply power during outages. As she learned hours later, they did not.

“We were hearing a lot about a big storm that was coming to hit us,” Huff said, “but we didn’t truly know how bad it would be.”

Exactly 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana, causing over $161 billion in damages, Ida struck New Orleans. The effects were felt from the coasts of Cuba to the subways of New York.

In the days before the storm, Huff noticed that students who had not lived on the Gulf Coast were unaware of the potential severity of hurricanes.

“I had a lot of people come up to me and say, ‘oh, you know, it’s just rain. It’s going to be okay,’” Huff said. “But there was a time when we thought [Hurricane] Harvey was just going to be rain, and then, obviously, it wasn’t.”

Stuck in their dorm, Huff and her roommates watched the new movies “He’s All That” and “Kissing Booth 3.”

“We just needed to watch something kind of silly and dumb, so we weren’t bogged down with more stress,” Huff said.

In the same building, Lazear discovered five leaks in her room. With her roommates out of town, Lazear scrambled to move their belongings out of the way and place towels where needed.

“It was really stressful because it was spreading a lot faster than I was expecting,” Lazear said. “I was trying to figure out where the leaking was coming from on the floor. The wall is a concrete block, so I thought, ‘It can’t come from a wall.’ But it did.”

Still haunted by the memory of Katrina, many New Orleanians evacuated as Ida approached, but the city’s new levee system protected those who stayed.

According to senior Jon Collins Deal, who has family in New Orleans, these two factors were vital in preventing Ida from becoming “Katrina 2.0.”

NEWS

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ISSUE NO.1 THE REVIEW

‘A sense of urgency’ in the march for women’s rights

Maggie Henneman marches through downtown Houston to protest the enactment of a restrictive anti-abortion law in Texas.

By Lauren Baker & Elizabeth Hu

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aving a “No Bounty on my Body” sign, junior Maggie Henneman marched towards City Hall alongside thousands of protestors chanting, “My Body, My Choice.”

Through a torrential downpour, the protesters forged on.

“People were more animated and more scared than I’ve ever seen,” Henneman said.

On Saturday, Oct. 2, roughly a dozen Upper School students participated in the Women’s March downtown. The peaceful protest began at Discovery Green and ended in front of City Hall.

Protesters focused their ire on the Texas Legislature’s recent anti-abortion law, Senate Bill 8, which went into effect on Sept. 1 and bans all abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat.

“There was definitely a sense of urgency, a sense for our voices to be heard as soon and as loud as possible,” sophomore Ava Mostyn said.

As Mostyn pointed out, the new law mandates that anyone can be sued in civil court if a private citizen anywhere in the country alleges that they have aided someone in obtaining an abortion. Even a teenager spotted at a women’s health clinic could be sued if someone suspected she was getting an abortion there.

“It becomes a bounty hunter kind of thing,” Henneman said.

Mostyn added that people have already begun traveling to other states to get abortions and that clinics in other states have seen an increase in patients from Texas.

“It’s not a ban on abortion, it’s a ban on safe abortions,” Mostyn said.

History teacher Eleanor Cannon commented that the law is not aligned with any legal precedent. Since there are no criminal consequences for abortion laid out in SB-8, the law is confined to civil courts.

Private citizens are incentivized to file civil suits against providers and those who aid and abet

abortions. Victorious plaintiffs may be awarded up to $10,000.

“I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for citizens to be doing,” Cannon said. “It’s one thing to outsource garbage pickup to a private company. It’s another thing to outsource the Justice Department.”

As a march organizer, Henneman recruited volunteers and sponsors, ordered tables and publicized the event.

Mostyn and Henneman's parents, who are attorneys, inspired the students' fight for women’s rights. Mostyn’s mother is a high-profile voice in Houston politics as well as the former chair of Annie’s List, an organization that supports progressive female candidates in Texas. She also is a regular donor to Planned Parenthood. “[My parents] always took me to political events, and I’ve also grown up around political figures,” Mostyn said. “It’s in my blood.”

Junior Jay Love, who also attended the march, emphasized the importance of male allyship.

“People should care about any attack on human rights, even if they’re not necessarily your rights,” Love said. “Women’s rights are as valuable as any other right, and they should not be infringed upon.”

St. John’s students marched alongside local politicians including Texas State Representative Ann Johnson and Judge Lina Hidalgo’s team. U.S. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher ('93), who spoke at the march, was among the protesters.

“Women should have the right to choose and not to be forced into an uncomfortable financial, emotional or personal situation,” Mostyn said.

Cannon said she was glad to see students engaged in political activism.

“We need to have people care, and we need to have people weigh in,” she said. “That’s the basis of a democratic society.”

PHOTO| Carolyn Roch

Former quiz bowl captain wins $125k on ‘College Bowl’

By Arjun Maitra

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or Shomik Ghose ('19), the hardest part of competing in NBC's “College Bowl" was not telling anyone that he had captained Columbia University to the title, earning each team member a $125,000 scholarship.

After taping the show in late February and early March, Ghose had to wait until Sept. 7 to openly celebrate Columbia's 790-775 victory over the University of Southern California in the finals.

College Bowl, dubbed “The Varsity Sport of the Mind,” is a reboot of an NBC show in which eight collegiate teams compete in a mini tournament. Hosted by Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and his older brother Cooper, the competition requires players to have a sharp memory, broad-based knowledge and quick reflexes.

In February, an NBC producer invited Ghose, a junior at Columbia, to audition for the show, during which he attempted to display his enthusiasm and sense of humor.

Just before the competition, Ghose was introduced to his teammates, Columbia seniors Jake Fisher and Tamarah Wallace. The trio had never seen each other before getting off the plane in Los Angeles.

“We met to get to know one another so we could build team chemistry,” Ghose said.

The Columbia team won their first two matches against Morehouse College and the University of Tennessee. They fell behind in their preliminary match but pulled off a comeback in the last segment, known as the “two-minute drill.”

In the semifinals, Columbia trailed Auburn by 160 points but rallied during the two-minute drill, answering 16 questions correctly to punch their ticket to the finals.

“I love the rapid-fire decision-making of the two-minute drill,” Ghose said. “It makes for an exciting game.”

Members of the Columbia team can use their prize money toward furthering their education. Students would have to pay taxes if they chose to claim winnings in cash.

Ghose competed for the SJS quiz bowl team every year of Upper School and is the second-highest scorer in school history (14,260 points), behind only Andy Huff (’17).

At Columbia, Ghose hadn't played quiz bowl in two years: “I was shocked by how much I remembered when I went on the show.”

As quiz bowl captain, Ghose led St. John’s to Top 3 finishes at the state championship in 2018 and 2019. His

After beating USC in the finals, Shomik Ghose and his teammates hoist the College Bowl trophy alongside hosts Peyton and Cooper Manning. The grand prize included a $125,000 scholarship.

PHOTO | Greg Gaynes/NBC experience as captain helped him lead Columbia, keeping his team motivated, especially during close games.

Raunak Kundagrami (’19) was Ghose’s SJS quiz bowl teammate for four years.

“Shomik was a successful captain because he was always willing to take calculated risks,” Kundagrami said. “He was also able to quickly process different answers from multiple teammates to determine which one to offer as the correct answer.”

Due to a non-disclosure agreement, Ghose could not reveal the show's outcome until the final episode aired.

“It was very hard not to give away the results, especially since I wanted to share in the joy of our win with others,” Ghose said. “When we were down a lot in our first game [against Morehouse], I don’t think anyone believed we would go on to win the championship. We definitely felt like underdogs the whole way.”

Ghose watched the finals with his Columbia classmates in New York, who were “hyped” at the victory and offered

to lift him on their shoulders in a celebratory dance.

“It has been a great feeling to see how excited everyone is at our victory, including here in Houston,” Ghose said.

“We were representing Columbia, and at the same time, we were also representing our hometowns. I definitely felt proud to be a product of Houston and of St. John’s."

ROAR, LION, ROAR!

Quarterfinals Columbia 925 - Tennessee 510 Semifinals Columbia 735 - Auburn 695 Finals Columbia 790 - USC 775

OCT 20, 2021 SJSREVIEW.COM

MAVERICKS

5

Alig reflects on bow ties, baseball, ‘Bosch’

By Ella West town. It's been part of our fabric for decades, and it's just a marvelous week and a marvelous night.

What is the oddest thing you have noticed about St. John's since your return?

Two things; one, everybody talks about carriers, but what is a carrier? The other thing is that weird gurgling noise in the old tunnel — it freaks me out a little bit. It's like we have a little Star Wars beast underneath. How long has it been doing that? It's scary.

What is your morning routine?

My alarm goes off at 4:15, and I go on a run, about four, four-and-a-half miles. Then I come back, have a quick breakfast, get to campus and drink coffee. Usually I walk into my office between 6:30 and 6:35, and my meetings start around 7:30, so I have an hour of good reading time there.

What are some of the changes you're hoping to make?

It's funny, I intentionally began this job on July 1, saying I was going to wait, really try to listen, and make sure that I understood what St John's is — what's happening here today — versus what I remember from 10 years ago. It's changed. It's a dynamic place. So I am definitely still in the exploration phase. There's no doubt that as we're coming out of Covid, making sure that we restart things thoughtfully and as quickly as we can, that we maintain as many traditions or restart the traditions that we've lost a year ago. So that's a week-to-week, month-to-month process.

Dan Alig and his new vizsla puppy, Hans Solo, stroll around campus.

PHOTO | Max Stith What is the biggest difference you have seen at St. John's since returning?

Two things come to mind. One is the Upper School's bigger. So there are just more people, more teenagers around. The other is Flores Hall. I mean, it's just transformative. It's an amazing space, and it truly does bring everybody together as much as we can during Covid. It's just an amazing facility.

Tell us a little bit about your family.

I have a wife, who I met here. Her name is Jenine. We met in the gym back in 2001 during the Kinkaid-St. John's college fair. She was a college counselor at Kinkaid for a long time, and I was a college counselor and English teacher here back in the day. We met here in Houston, got married in Houston and had our son here in Houston before we headed to Atlanta. He's in fifth grade. His name is Harrison, but he goes by Harry.

What is your favorite part of returning to St. John's?

Reconnecting with people who I knew many, many years ago and being part of this place again.

This is where I started my teaching career. I've got a lot of fondness for this place. It gave me my start, so, I didn't graduate from St John's, but as a teacher, I kind of did.

What is the biggest difference between being Head of School and a division head?

The magnitude. When I was a division head, I focused on four grade levels and teenagers, but now I am interacting with kindergartners, seventh graders and seniors. It's a lot more people, a lot more moving parts. It also means that I'm not in the nitty-gritty, day-to-day operation. I'm a little bit more removed from that, which has its pluses and minuses. I also have to think about moving the school forward. I work closely with the Board of Trustees, which I didn't have to do as much as a division head.

What's your favorite movie?

“Rear Window" by Alfred Hitchcock What's your favorite book?

“Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens What are some of your hobbies?

I run, follow the Atlanta Braves, cook and hang out with my family. I do a lot of reading, too.

Do you have a favorite sport?

Baseball Do you have a favorite SJS sport?

Cross country What's on your Netflix queue?

On Netflix, it would be “Kim's Convenience." And on Amazon Prime: “Endeavour." I also want to watch the last season of “Bosch."

How much sleep do you get?

Probably six-and-a-half, seven hours What is your favorite SJS meal?

I don't know yet. I haven't had the full experience, so give me some time. I've had a lot of good food. It's definitely better than it was back in the day.

How many bow ties do you own?

60 or 70 What is your favorite bow tie?

I've got a nice red-and-black striped tie.

That's a go-to.

What is your favorite spot on campus?

The Reading Room What is your favorite subject?

English What subject do you prefer, not including any you have taught?

History What's your favorite cheer?

The boom pyramid

Why do you wear bow ties?

I worked in a grocery store in high school, and the owner made us all wear bow ties because he said that they said to the customer, “May I help you?" It just stuck. I like it because I don't even know if I have a tie on except for the tight collar.

Houston or Atlanta?

Houston — more international What's your Zodiac sign?

Capricorn

How do you think being an English teacher and college counselor helps you now as Head of School?

What motivates you?

People, people's stories, being part of people's stories.

Both of those positions involve a lot of writing skills. Being a teacher was an amazing way to understand what a teacher's life is like here, and college counseling helped with understanding what a student's life is like. I worked closely with seniors and juniors and sophomores. I also worked closely with families, so it was a great window into what they grappled with.

What is your go-to song right now?

“Everybody Wants To Rule The World"

by Tears for Fears

What is one of your favorite St. John's traditions?

I remember a festive evening every year where we would finish graduation at St. Luke's and all the faculty and staff headed over to the headmaster's house for a celebration of the end of the year.

When I moved here, I didn't know anybody in Houston. This was my world, teaching here. Those faculty and staff gatherings were hugely important. Those were traditions that I fondly remember and am looking forward to restarting after Covid. There are other things, too. There's nothing like the Kinkaid football game and the entire community coming together. I think it's the purest rivalry in

Rapid-Fire Questions

Dan Alig in 2006 discussing his goals as Dean of Students.

PHOTO | Katherine Kelley

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MAVERICKS

ISSUE NO.1 THE REVIEW

Afghanistan crisis spurs discussion, donations

By Cameron Ederle & Lillian Poag

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fter revolutionaries overthrew the Iranian government and closed the nation's borders in 1979, John Marian’s father escaped to Afghanistan before making his way to the United States.

“My father left due to the terrible conditions that extremist groups can impose on a group of people,” said Marian, chair of the Middle Eastern and North African Affinity Group.

From his father’s experience, Marian understands the current “threat” Afghan citizens face under the new Taliban regime.

“I had a sliver of hope that the long conflict in Afghanistan could eventually be resolved,” Marian said. “With the withdrawal of U.S. troops, that hope was diminished.”

Tom Gorup, former U.S. Army Infantry Squad Leader, felt a “flood of emotions” as he watched the swift takeover of Afghanistan, remembering the “blood, sweat, tears and parts of [his] soul” he left behind while stationed there from 2010-11.

The rapid insurgence in early August occurred during the final stages of withdrawal of all U.S. Armed Forces personnel. The decades-long campaign led to an outpouring of polarized responses.

Veterans who served in Afghanistan had especially strong opinions about the pullout.

“You served there, you did something there, you might be pushing feelings back and playing tough guy, but at the end of the day, you do,” Gorup said.

For nearly twenty years, U.S. troops had been stationed in Afghanistan, including multiple generations of veterans tied to the St. John’s community. Many students and faculty have experienced the emotional struggle of saying goodbye to a deployed family member.

Director of Community Engagement D’Hania Hunt, who served for 23 years in the military, remembers the hardship endured due to her and her two brothers’ deployment to different parts of the Middle East.

“It’s hard on any family to think about your loved ones in harm's way, knowing you can’t reach out to them directly,” Hunt

said. “You do what you can, pray and hope for the best.”

For Hunt, the U.S. Army's departure from Afghanistan “does not take away from the sacrifices of many soldiers, airmen, marines, sailors and families."

“We should be so proud that when our country asked them to do something, they were available to serve,” Hunt said.

Gorup agrees that the U.S. has still made a meaningful impression on Afghanistan despite the Taliban’s overthrow of the Afghan government after U.S. troop withdrawal.

“Right now, Afghanistan knows the cost of freedom,” Gorup said.

The pullout has left a void of rights and security, prompting many refugees to flee the country.

With over a thousand new refugees arriving in Houston, Community Service Coordinator Marci Bahr and the Community Service Board have begun organizing furniture and dry goods drives to help fulfill basic needs.

“Families are coming over without transportation, funds and basics like diapers and food,” Bahr said. “They’re coming into Houston completely unprepared.”

Bahr was delighted when parents and students contacted her within days of the crisis to offer assistance.

“That is so typical of our community,” Bahr said. “They are generous without expectation.”

According to Bahr, the need was so urgent that Head of School Dan Alig overrode the school’s anti-fundraising policy on community service projects.

“Even if you feel like you have no connection, try to do as much as you can to help refugees,” Marian said. “Donating to the drives is a great way to help.”

At the beginning of the summer, senior Rebecca Bollich volunteered for the Partnership for the Advancement and Integration of Refugees, where she worked with elementary and middle school refugee students. Bollich made house visits, conversed with families and gave them activity

Students gather at Unity Council's Afghanistan forum.

PHOTO | Isabella Diaz-Mira sheets and books.

“I've always tried my best to stay up to date with global news and expose myself to the refugee experience from their point of view,” Bollich said. “Talking to children and families was the most genuine way I could have learned more, and it had such a profound impact on my perspective, opinions, and in deepening my empathy.”

Bollich stresses that students have a responsibility to educate themselves on this current crisis.

“It’s important to, at the very least, be informed,” Bollich said. “The information students learn can hopefully expose them to something new and inform their perspective and opinions.”

On Sept. 22, Unity Council hosted a forum about Afghanistan. History Department Chair Russell Hardin opened the forum before students split into small discussion groups.

Unity Council originally approached Hardin to give a brief lesson on Afghanistan’s

history, but he said that “the history is so complex that to try to do it justice in a short amount of time is not possible.”

To supplement Hardin’s presentation, officers provided a few sources on the history of Afghanistan for students to explore further.

At the forum, the Community Service Board announced their drives and promoted the School’s Summer Express program that works with Afghani children within the city.

Gorup agrees that the crisis can be a learning opportunity for young generations and the nation overall.

“We never defined what we’ve been doing there for the last decade,” Gorup said, adding that the U.S. should have revised their objective after troops killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011. “When the next war comes, let's do it for the right reasons and make a conscious decision of what the investment will be.”

MAVERICKS

OCT 20, 2021 SJSREVIEW.COM

7

Havel Exhibits 'Scribbles' at Redbud Gallery

An art enthusiast takes in “Rafter,” one of Havel's collages inspired by vintage photographs and news clippings.

PHOTO | Serina Yan

By Serina Yan & Johnathon Li

new whole. Havel is known for his 2005 work Inversion House and other public sculptures created with long-time partner Dean Ruck. Havel has always been interested in visual transformation, and Excuse My Scribbling, Please was an attempt to explore “fractured but connected family histories.”

“

I hope viewers walk out there with a new understanding of what art can be made of.

DAN HAVEL

“

I

n college, art teacher and practitioner Dan Havel discovered a collection of vintage photographs, letters and newspaper clippings in an abandoned barn in Minnesota. More than 40 years later, these findings are the foundation of Havel’s newest art show, Excuse My Scribbling, Please.

The exhibit is a collection of intricate collages, a medium that involves manipulating pieces of different objects to create a

Havel often dreams about the stories of the people in the photographs. He expresses his own interpretation of them through the artwork.

“I don’t know who they are. I don’t know their past,” he said. “But I’m playing with their histories, fracturing them and shifting them — they're still alive and moving.”

The exhibit’s name comes from a letter Havel found on the deserted Minnesota farm. In the letter, a soldier writes to his mother and signs off with the phrase, “Excuse my scribbling, please.”

“That’s exactly what I do,” Havel said. “I scribble.”

In a piece called “Taking Measure," Havel uses old tape measures to frame portraits of solemn children. North Wind’s centerpiece is an illustration, taken from a picture book, of a boy struggling to gather seeds as the wind blows. Cat teeth are attached to the collection’s titular piece, “Excuse My Scribbling."

“The pieces have titles that hint towards an idea, but they don't illustrate something that is concrete,” Havel said.

“It’s like a poem; everybody reads a poem differently.”

Havel encourages his audience to approach his pieces with imaginative wonder and to internalize every detail.

“I hope viewers walk out of there with a new understanding of what art can be made of,” he said.

Viewers of the show, including senior Sophie Lesniak, English teacher Clay Guinn and Head of School Dan Alig, appreciated Havel’s ability to create cohesion from seemingly unrelated objects.

“It’s incredible how Mr. Havel can take discarded and abandoned moments from people’s lives, like marriage and birth certificates, and turn them into stories,” Lesniak said.

Havel’s project began with simple sketches on the photographs, which he then developed into complex collages, layering pieces to provide unique perspectives.

“He takes an object that you think you've seen a bunch of times and alters it in a way

that, all of a sudden, makes it new,” Guinn said.

This exhibition marks the first time Havel has produced a collection of collages. He worked on it on and off for four years.

Throughout the process, he faced both “mechanical” and “intuitive” challenges.

“The toil is trying to make my inner vision comfortable with what I’ve created,” Havel said. “I have to find the right object and the right position and the right color.”

Now that he has completed this collection, Havel plans to return to drawing and sketching.

“I have to visualize,” Havel said. “I just have to make art.”

Excuse My Scribbling, Please is on view at Redbud Gallery through Oct. 26.

Havel discusses one of his collages, “Catalyst.”

PHOTO | Johnathon Li

8

Untangling the Roots of Hair Identity

By Lydia Gafford & Annie Jones DESIGN | Diane Guo, Celine Huang & Alice Xu PHOTOS | Sarah Clark

A

SPOTL

donai Ross loves ta We’re sitting on about discussing h “I love talking a Like other Black Growing up in predominantly white “I used to hate my hair with a pas Ross asked her parents if she coul “I wanted something that was eas Growing up, Doss became attune mates. When she was in Lower Scho washed her hair once a week, to wh

THE PRICE OF BEAUTY

In 2018, consumers spent $2.51 billion on Black hair care products, according to Essence magazine, and anyone who has ever gone shopping for these products knows that they are often locked in anti-theft display cabinets. Not to mention, curly hair products are generally more expensive.

Planet Curls is one of the most popular hair salons in Houston for people with curls, with women’s haircuts costing between $100 and $120.

As they work, stylists ADONAI ROSS provide a long list of products and chemicals that their clients should either use or avoid.

Gerri Curtis, owner and founder of the salon, said in a phone interview that clients hoping to transition to their natural hair need to avoid sulfates, parabens, silicones and alcohols, which are common in hair products.

“You have to go for the gusto,” Curtis said. “Put your old hair tools in the attic so you’re not tempted to straighten your hair again.”

Since relaxers were created in 1909 by Garrett Morgan, Black Americans have used them to straighten their hair.

Ross says that her great-grandmother used to complain that her daughter’s hair was “nappy,” so she used relaxers. Ross’s grandmother had similar complaints about her daughters, so they too used relaxers.

Ross has been wearing her hair naturally since ninth grade and recently helped her grandmother transition to natural hair. Ross discovered that the supposed nappiness of her grandmother’s hair had been greatly exaggerated. “It was so soft, with looser curls than mine,” Ross said.

Ross worries that her aunt, who still uses relaxers to straighten her hair, has been conditioned to believe that natural hair is unattractive: “In the back of her head she still feels like, ‘my hair is so nappy, my hair is so bad; I don’t have good hair.’”

Curtis estimates that 80% of her clients have had their hair relaxed.

“Even people with looser curls have straightened them,” Curtis said. “In the African American community, that’s just what they do. Their parents tell them to do it; it’s gone on for generations.”

Relaxers, which Curtis describes as “burning” the hair, can cause hair loss, inhibit growth and make hair more brittle and breakable. “We’re in it for the health of the natural hair,” she said. “Every journey transitioning from relaxed to natural hair happens when you say, ‘I’m gonna embrace who I am.’ To embrace your natural hair is something that everyone should do.”

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

Dayton Voorhees started growing his hair long in second grade until his homeroom teacher instructed him to cut it. At the time, male students were required to cut their hair when it reached their collars.

Although Voorhees wanted his hair longer, he kept getting it cut until one day he decided “this is a stupid rule” and sent a handwritten letter to then-Head of School Mark Desjardins.

After receiving no response from administrators, Voorhees continued to send letters over the next two years. In fourth grade, Voorhees received a handwritten letter from Desjardins informing him that the rule was going to

LIGHT

alking about her hair. n couches on the second floor of the Quad when I ask her how she feels her locks. about my hair because, for me, it was a journey,” said Ross, a junior. k students, Ross struggled to form a positive relationship with her hair. e institutions can make hair unintentionally alienating. ssion,” junior Arianna Doss said. “I wanted my hair like everyone else’s.” ld straighten her hair when she was younger, but her mother refused. sier to manage,” Ross said. “But she told me to embrace [my] curls.” ed to the differences in hair maintenance compared to her white classool at Annunciation Orthodox School, she told her classmates that she only hich they replied, “Oh my gosh, it must be so dirty.”

-

be changed.

Over the years, Voorhees has received some intrusive comments.

“I’ve had some friends tell me they liked my hair better short, or it made me look like a girl,” Voorhees said. “I actually had one kid at camp try to convince me I was a girl, but I knew that I liked it long and eventually people would grow up and stop teasing me.”

Male students can now wear their hair as long as they wish, but there are still hairstyles that the School deems inappropriate. According to the Upper School Student and Parent Handbook, “only naturally occurring hair color is permitted” and male students must be clean-shaven.

Noelle Alexander dyed her hair bright blue toward the end of her sophomore year, but during her first week back junior year she was told to dye it back to a natural color.

“I wanted to do something fun, make it a little unique,” Alexander said. “That was the first time dyeing it, and I fully bleached my hair.”

Since Alexander has been straightening her naturally brown hair for years, she wanted to do something else that “showed personality.”

“For a lot of women, your hair is something pretty personal,” she said. “I was getting too attached to my hair as it was. I figured that the easiest way to get it done with was to completely change it.”

Alexander understands that the School has the right to restrict hair colors, but she misses her short-lived Blue Period.

“I don’t think there should be a rule about hair when we already have uniforms,” she said. “When it was blue, I had some fun doing cute hairstyles, but I’m just not excited by my hair anymore.”

her hair for a school function, and a classmate commented that boys would find her more attractive if she kept it that way.

She does not straighten her hair anymore “because that opens the door to those kinds of conversations.”

“They told me that if I were to change a couple things about my appearance and straighten my hair, then all the guys would actually start liking me,” Ross said.

Attending a predominantly white high school made Howard University student Cameryn Burnette (’18) feel isolated and judged for her hair and race.

“I always felt like I was the Black Girl,” Burnette said. “Now that I’m not at SJS, I do feel more freedom to try different hairstyles because I know I won’t face any judgment or weird looks.”

In November 2016, Burnette told the Review (“Splitting Hairs”) that when she wore her natural hair at school she received negative comments.

“One thing about being Black at SJS was that I always felt so scrutinized for every single little action,” Burnette said. “I don’t blame the white kids and adults around me for acting like that because we had such limited exposure to Black culture and Black people.”

Experiences of isolation ultimately pushed Burnette to attend Howard, a Historically Black University in Washington, D.C. “If I really wanted to discover myself and experience life unhindered by the American concept of race, I needed to spend time in an environment where my race was not the first thing people notice,” Burnette said.

Members of the African-American Affinity Group supported Burnette during her time at St. John’s and helped her realize she wanted to attend Howard. “[AAAG] couldn’t shield me from racism that I faced in the classroom, but it did give me a space to vent frustrations and feel heard and seen,” Burnette said.

Kennedy Black, president of AAAG, Eden Anne Bauer, a senior, always wears has always worn her natural hair in Upher hair in a side braid that reaches her per School. In Middle School, she went hips. Her mother’s side of the family is Sikh, a through a period of “trying to conform,” religion that asks adherents not to cut their hair. but she is now comfortable enough to wear “It symbolizes that you’re perfect as you are her hair in a variety of ways. At the time made,” Bauer said. “You don’t need to change of her interview, she sported colorful box anything about yourself.” braids.

Bauer maintains her long hair to honor her heri“For the longest time, I wanted my mom to tage and express solidarity with other Sikhs. press my hair,” Black said. “I would beg her “Men in Sikhism wear turbans to protect their to get a perm. But I’m really glad that she long hair, so they face a lot of discrimination EDEN ANNE BAUER wouldn’t let me get one because I would when they come to the U.S.,” Bauer said. “I like to have regretted it.” keep my hair long to keep a connection to that part of Black said that a faculty member once complimented her me; it makes me feel closer to my family.” hair, and then came up to her and touched it without asking.

While Bauer occasionally trims her hair, she has never cut Touching someone’s hair without permission is always off a significant amount. inappropriate.

“It’s incredible to think I’ve had this hair with me my whole “I’m not a petting zoo,” Adonai Ross said. life,” she said. “Every single morning I wake up and I brush Before she came to St. John’s in high school, Arianna Doss and braid my hair, so it’s nice having that routine. I also just struggled with feelings of isolation at AOS because no one in think it’s pretty.” her grade had hair similar to hers. Today, she finds Black role models on social media.

“Following empowering people on Instagram and social media helped me realize that I do like my hair,” Doss said.

Ross also turns to AAAG for a confidence boost. She recalls freshman year as the point when she “was able to feel comfortPeer pressure often figures able” wearing her natural hair to school. into the relationship between Burnette attributes her strong relationship with her hair to teenagers and their hair, esher family’s support. pecially for Black students.

“It was always important to my parents and extended famClassmates have encourily for the children to have positive imagery around them aged Ross and Doss to get that celebrated all Black skin and Black hair,” Burnette said. their hair straightened.

“I never felt like I needed to change my hair to be beautiful.”

But they warned against commenting on teens’ hairstyle changes.

“Saying you like my hair better when I wear it a certain way is not the compliment you think it is,” Doss said.

Ross once straightened DAYTON VOORHEES

PERFECT AS YOU ARE MADE

THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

9 GUEST COMMENTARY Knot My Style: A Student’s Brush with Hair Conformity

By Arianna Doss

T

he relationship I have with my hair has always been touchy.

As a little kid, I used to complain about the tangles, pain, and maintenance, but after a series of rude comments, I began to truly resent my hair.

In first grade, I took classes at Houston Ballet, and one class in particular still stands out nine years later. My mom and I got up early so she could do my bun for that day’s ballet class.

Like most weekday mornings, I sat on an oversized bear, suffered from butt cramps and fatigue, and complained about my hair’s endless knots. By the time I arrived at dance nine hours later, my bun was messy and frizzy, but it got the job done.

As I stood in a straight line with all the other little ballerinas, the instructor’s eyes lingered in my general direction for an uncomfortable amount of time. Finally, she asked, “Who did your hair?”

I looked to my right and left, trying to figure out who she was talking to when she demanded again, “You! Who did your hair for class today?”

I recognized that I was the “you” she was addressing, and in an unassuming voice, I replied: “My mom.”

The dance instructor appeared taken aback before forcefully responding, “Tell her to do it better next time.”

This encounter sowed seeds of doubt about how the public perceived my hair. From then on, a voice in the back of my mind always whispered that I needed to straighten my hair.

Straight equaled pretty. I begged my mom for permanently straight hair; she understandably said no. Regardless of the damage caused by texturizers and relaxers, an athlete living in Houston’s constant humidity cannot realistically maintain the style, so it did not make sense to straighten my hair in the first place.

As I grew older, I learned more about how and why my hair differed from most of the people around me, but I still looked forward to the couple of times each year when there was low humidity and no sports to play so I could rock straight hair— the style that always yielded the most compliments.

In 8th grade, my mom and I brainstormed different hairstyles for my final middle school yearbook photo. I wanted straight hair, which adhered to Eurocentric beauty standards. At the hair salon, I waited as two other Black teens, clearly friends, got their hair styled. We spoke a little, and I found out that both girls were upperclassmen at St. John’s. They too were getting their hair straightened for school pictures.

I wish I had not allowed myself to feel so pressured to straighten my hair. It was not until I got to high school—where I was not the sole Black woman in my grade—that I even considered favoring any other styles. It took me years to find role models who embodied confidence with their natural hair. I have formed a much more appreciative relationship with the curly strands growing out of my head, and I know now that all hair is truly beautiful. I just wish it had not taken me quite so much time to come to this conclusion.

10

CULTURE

ISSUE NO.1 THE REVIEW

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CULTURE

OCT 20, 2021 SJSREVIEW.COM

Thalie Waters shows off her 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, a hand-me-down from her father.

11

Waters' car restoration project began a year ago.

PHOTOS|Indrani Maitra

Pandemic fuels student interest in automechanics

By Indrani Maitra & Ellie Monday

I'm covered in grease and sweating, but it's my definition of fun because I always create something.

THALIE WATERS

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“

The blunder involved the first of three crankshafts Waters tried to replace.

“It takes a lot of grit to build a car — it’s very scientific and mechanical and just all-around a very arduous process.”

After numerous setbacks, she is nearly finished.

Once she properly assembles the engine case and places it in the car, Waters will have a fully-functioning yellow Beetle.

“It’s hard work, but that’s really what contributes to the sense of accomplishment I feel whenever I complete something,” Waters said. “I can’t imagine how awesome it will feel once I actually get to drive her.”

The pandemic’s ongoing social limitations have fostered a burgeoning car culture — one that extends beyond aesthetics and consumerism and into its engineering complexities.

Garrett Young, also a senior, is repairing a Porsche 928 in suboptimal condition that he bought off eBay Motors for $7,000. Young never intended to repair more than a few parts, but it caught on fire — twice. He decided that he had to take the initiative to restore it completely.

“I didn't realize it was very dangerous until I looked in my rearview mirror while I was trying to get a start, and

there was a bunch of white smoke billowing out from the battery,” Young said. “After I used some guy’s fire extinguisher, I was like, ‘Yeah, I gotta fix this.’”

The collaboration catalyzed Young’s newfound interest in car mechanics. He and some friends formed the Auto Club over the summer. One of the club officers, senior Duncan McLaren, credited Young and senior James Wang for spurring his interest in cars.

“

It's hard work, but that's really what contributes to the sense of accomplishment I feel whenever I complete something.

THALIE WATERS

“

T

wo years ago, Thalie Waters was painting cars for the Houston Art Car Parade. Now, she’s building them every weekend.

The senior has committed to rebuilding every component of her father’s 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, from reconstructing the engine to rewiring the dashboard.

“I go out into the shop when it’s 100 degrees on a Saturday,” Waters said. “I’m covered in grease and sweating, but it’s my definition of fun because I always create something.”

Waters started the year-long project by constructing the crankshaft, which is the backbone of the car’s internal combustion engine.

“Engines are very annoying and finicky and don’t want to work with you,” Waters said. “I always have to be very careful with that, or it could ruin the entire project.”

Putting the crankshaft and other parts — camshaft and lifters — into the engine casing requires precision and dexterity.

“It all has to be perfect,” or the maneuver could mess up the engine, Waters said. The first time she and her dad attempted it, he dropped the crankshaft on the floor and “dented it beyond repair.”

“I started to ask questions about what I was driving and how I could make it better,” McLaren said. “Now, we can sit down in an IHOP and talk for hours about cars.”

The club leadership wants to make automobiles more accessible than the current paradigm.

“You don’t need to be super technical to understand how cars generally function,” McLaren said. “The main goal of the club is to spread awareness about how to do basic maintenance, because those are skills everyone deserves to know.”

Wang is also a connoisseur of car parts and problems.

For two years, he has nurtured a passion for auto maintenance. His first exposure to this niche sphere of car culture occurred when his father gave him a 2012 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the quintessential symbol of the American road.

When Wang discovered that the motorcycle refused to start, he and his father decided to fix it themselves.

“My dad and I just started taking apart the spark plugs and the fuel injectors,” Wang said.

“Eventually we fixed the problem, and it was a really fun feeling.”

There is a natural coalescence between auto-related hobbies and scientific classroom concepts. Wang’s affinity for cars has culminated in his Engineering Capstone project, for which he is building a hybrid car.

“We actually just got our dirt bike engine field manual and our electric motor,” Wang said. “It’s cool getting to do my hobby in the classroom setting and also great that I have flexibility with whether I translate it more into a career, like auto-industry designing, or just keep it as a hobby. I enjoy it either way.”

Complicated gender dynamics exist within

the auto-machine world. Car culture is often conflated with aggressive, hypermasculine archetypes, the most prominent example being the “alpha male” rhetoric found in automobile marketing.

“I grew up watching these ads where super buff men would trek up mountains in their giant cars or pick up women in fancy convertibles,” Waters said. “There’s this level of doubt that women can’t do anything with cars except sit in them, because it takes so much force or strength.”

Waters faces surprise and skepticism when others discover her weekend occupation.

“You want to hang out with other men in the dirt?” her grandparents said.

She remains unfazed.

“I’m building a car because it’s fun,” she said.

Only 12% of Auto Club members are female — an issue that club officers seek to rectify.

“Women have been so involved in automotive history for so long — it was a French woman who actually sparked the whole car revolution in 1889 — and yet it’s still a niche scene,” Young said.

Waters looks forward to that day when she will pull up into Senior Lot in her Beetle. “It’s been a long road, but I’ve enjoyed it so much.”

PHOTO| Indrani Maitra

12

SPORTS

ISSUE NO.1 THE REVIEW

En Garde! Fencing duo duels internationally

By Ella Piper Claffy

A

fter a ballet lesson, five-year-old Wenqing He climbed the stairs outside West University Dance Center and entered Salle Mauro Fencing Academy for the first time. Her parents had signed her up for a group fencing class to expand her athletic horizons.

Today, Wenqing spends up to five hours a day honing the skills that make her the seventh-ranked fencer nationwide in junior U19 women’s foil, as of Sept. 29.

“It’s an odd sport to get good at because it’s very unnatural, position-wise,” Wenqing said. “But once I got accustomed to it, I didn’t take long to realize what an incredible sport fencing is.”

Meeah Bradford got her start as a ten-year-old when her mother found a Groupon for a fencing lesson at Salle Mauro. The deal was “too good to pass up,” so she went in for one lesson. Seven years later, Bradford is still in love with the sport and has signed with the Jamaican Fencing Federation.

“At the time I was doing ballet, swimming and soccer, but once I was a year or two into fencing, I realized it was something I was super passionate about,” Bradford said.

“Everything else just fell away.”

Both Wenqing and Bradford fence foil, a common form in which each fencer must target their opponent’s torso.

Many modern fencing forms have strong connections to medieval combat.

“It all goes back to the knights,” Wenqing said. “When you think about an actual sword fight, where it would be beneficial to strike your opponent anywhere, that’s épée.

Saber is similar to jousting, where you would only want to hit above the hips. Foil is target practice to hit the lethal organs.”

According to Wenqing, each of these styles requires athleticism, creativity and focus, the last of which she says can be particularly difficult. When she is on strip — fencing in a bout — Wenqing aims to block out inevitable distractions and think about the basics.

“I try to focus on being patient and creating an advantage for myself,” Wenqing said. “But sometimes I’ll be on strip and then a random thought, like ‘what’s for dinner tonight,’ will pop into my head.”

Bradford, on the other hand, concentrates on keeping the tempo of her movements steady. She sometimes has to remind herself to breathe during competitions.

Senior Wenqing He represents the U.S. in an international tournament.

Fencing at such a COURTESY PHOTO | Wenqing He competitive level involves both a rigid practice schedule a forum to promote fencing to underprivileged youth in and frequent travel. Wenqing and Bradford have been on Kingston, Jamaica’s capital. Low vaccination rates in the strip in countries around the world. country thwarted this plan, but she and the federation are “I gave my sophomore teachers such a headache because working to reschedule.

I was gone all the time,” Wenqing said. “I would miss “I want to be part of a federation where I can boost the school from Thursday to Monday almost every other week sport,” she said. “The goal is to educate the next generation because I was flying to England or Austria or Croatia.” of Jamaican fencers.”

Access to international competitions has been limited Although Bradford stands by her decision to switch to the since March 2020. Yet, in the past year and a half, Jamaican Fencing Federation, she misses traveling with Bradford has represented Jamaica at the Pan-American USA Fencing during pre-pandemic times.

Championships and Olympic Zonal Qualifiers.

“I love competition so, so much,” Bradford said. “My best Because Bradford no longer competes under the friend fences at a club in Chicago, and we see each other umbrella of the USA Fencing Federation, certain American almost exclusively at competitions.” tournaments are not open to her. She says that it is well Even with fewer competitions over the last year, the two worth the trade-off in order to represent her native remain committed to fencing and are excited to see where country. it takes them.

“I’ve been very intentional from the beginning with “Hard work pays off, and I love fencing to the point that what I wanted to do,” Bradford said. “Since I first started I am happy putting in that effort despite it being hard with competing in sixth grade, fencing for Jamaica has always schoolwork and traveling and losses,” Wenqing said. “At been in the back of my mind.” this point in my life, fencing is a huge part of my identity.”

This past summer, she was scheduled to participate in

Lacrosse All-American, former Mav scores tryout for National Team

By Annie Jones

B

y the time she was in eighth grade, Lindsey McKone ('16) knew she wanted to play collegiate lacrosse. Now that she is wrapping up her lacrosse career at Northwestern, McKone is in the running for the National Women’s Lacrosse team, was drafted by the Athletes Unlimited Women’s Professional Lacrosse League and works at a start-up to help female athletes secure sponsorships.

She was named an All-American by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association, a professional association of Division I, II and III college coaches, for the 2021 season. She was one of only three midfielders selected for the second All-American team.

McKone, 23, started playing in seventh grade to stay in shape for her main sport, soccer. She fell in love with lacrosse the next year when she joined a club team, the Texas Rangers.

“The girls I played with showed me what it meant to be a team and pushed me to be the best player I could be,” McKone said. “That’s when I decided that I wanted to play lacrosse in college.”

In her final season at Northwestern, the Wildcats reached the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, dropping their final game to Syracuse. In the quarterfinals against Duke, McKone had two goals and two assists in the 22-10 victory over the Blue Devils.

The National Team consists of 18 players who will represent the U.S. in international competition.

Of the 60 players invited to try out, 32 were selected for the second phase, a training camp. McKone made the first cut and was also invited to another training camp for the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. According to McKone, the final team rosters will be announced in January.

As an Upper School student, McKone “constantly had a stick in her hand” and spent every Sunday playing wall ball and shooting with friends at Caven Field.

“My friends and I were always first on the field, last to leave,” she said. “I’ve always wanted my team to be successful, so I push myself that much harder. They motivate me way more than I motivate myself.”

At Northwestern, she majored in communications and minored in Spanish and business institutions. She is now working on her master’s degree in data science.

Her fascination with marketing and the quality of Northwestern’s communications department led to her switch from a pre-med track.

McKone will be applying her studies as a business analyst at Parity Evolution in Sport, a startup that promotes female athletes. She moved to New York for the job in September.

“I don’t know what my future in lacrosse will look like,” McKone said. “But as I phase out of my college lacrosse life, I’m excited to do something so important to me. I love that I am a part of a company that is actively helping to bridge the sponsorship gap between male and female athletes.”

Last year, McKone joined a program called Athlete Causes. As part of the program, the Give Lively Foundation matched 50% of McKone’s season bonus in donations to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a charity that supports children with brain cancer. The charity is close to her heart because her brother Will died of brain cancer in 2019.

“It was an honor to be able to give back to something that means so much to me and my family,” McKone said. “It’s definitely a message that I support and want to play for.”

McKone’s teammates were a constant source of support for her at St. John’s. After Will withdrew from school because of an inoperable brain tumor, he and Lindsey designed shirts that read “Where there’s a Will, there’s a way” and donated thousands of dollars to A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure Foundation. After his death, the Mavs lacrosse team wore the shirts before every game to support the McKones.

“We thought only our friends and family would buy them,” she said. “To be able to do that with Will, and to have so many people buy it and help out, was so special.”

McKone also found a supportive community in her Northwestern team. After Will died, all of her teammates came to his memorial service in Houston.

“Northwestern Athletics paid for my entire team to come,” McKone said. “I didn’t ask them to, which made it really meaningful that they went out of their way to make a tragic day a little bit better. They were and still are my second family.”

Lindsey McKone ('16) hopes to play for the National Lacrosse Team.

COURTESY PHOTO | Lindsey McKone

OCT 20, 2021 SJSREVIEW.COM

SPORTS

13

Mavs hang on for first EHS win in 10 years 7-0 start best since 1977; games with ESD, Kinkaid awaits

By Wilson Bailey

T

he undefeated Mavs had reason for optimism heading into their Oct. 8 matchup with Episcopal, even though they had not beaten their cross-town rivals in ten years.

With just over five minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, the Mavs were down 20-17, and the Knights had the ball on the Mavs 5-yard-line.

With pressure from defensive end Blake Masterson, the Mavs flushed Episcopal quarterback Tres Organ out of the pocket and into a dangerous sideline throw.

“I knew that if I just contained him on that play, then I would force a bad decision,” Masterson said.

Safety Cade McMillan reeled in the interception, toetapping one foot in-bounds.

“I held that ball like a baby, but I had no idea the gravity of the moment,” McMillan said. “It wasn’t until I got off the field and realized, ‘Dang, we have the ball. Now we can do something with it. We can come back and we win this game.’”

According to multiple teammates, McMillan does not have a “great reputation” for catching the ball.

“We always make jokes, telling him that he has no hands,” freshman wide receiver and running back Cole Allen said. “But in the game, it really shined through how much work he's been putting in.”

McMillan’s play on the 2-yard-line set up a goahead 98-yard drive, culminating in a 38-yard Allen touchdown run.

“We ran a play that had never worked before,” Allen said.

“This time, the blockers gave me an opening, and I just ran through it.”

On the ensuing kickoff, kicker Caden Perry pinned the Knights at their own 10-yard-line, with McMillan making the tackle.

McMillan sensed that the Knights “folded” at that moment.

“They had just turned the ball over at the 2-yard-line and conceded a touchdown,” McMillan said. “It was devastating for them.”

The Knights still had over two minutes to respond, but they were unable to execute, resulting in a 24-20 Mavs victory.

“They were really deflated,” Perry said. “It felt like they were giving up.”

Blake Masterson made the key second-down sack, setting up two game-clinching Knight incompletions.

“I kind of sped around their lineman, and once I got ahold of their quarterback, it was over,” Blake said. “I looked at the crowd, and they were being so loud — it was amazing.”

Quarterback John Perdue led the Mavs through the air, completing 7 of 12 pass attempts for 123 yards and 20 carries for 61 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter.

Before he exited the game with a foot injury, captain Miles Masterson rushed 12 times for 46 yards.

Senior John Avery Foutch riles up the student section late in the fourth quarter.

PHOTO | Lexi Guo Allen contributed 128 all-purpose yards, rushing for 63 After a defensive stop early in the third quarter, Perry yards on just four carries and 65 yards on four receptions. drilled a 37-yard field goal to give the Mavs a 17-13 lead.

The Mavs 7-0 start (3-0 in SPC) is their best since 1977, “Having a kicker that’s automatic like Caden means that but McMillan says they are still “taking it one game a time” we know that we’re coming away with points most drives,” with key matchups against two of the toughest SPC teams: McGarry said.

Episcopal School of Dallas (8-0, 3-0) and Kinkaid (6-2, 2-1).

Midway through the third quarter, Miles Masterson went The game began auspiciously enough, with the Mavs down with an ankle injury. taking the opening kick and driving into field goal range, “Miles was having arguably the best game of his career,” but a failed 4th down conversion ended the drive.

McGarry said. “We knew that it was the next man up.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Perdue put the Mavs on the Miles knew immediately that he would not return. board with a quarterback sneak.

“When I got to the sideline, I talked to Cole and told him “It was a matter of will,” Perdue said. “They know what’s that he had to go out and make a big play — and he did,” coming, so it’s about taking something from them, getting Miles said. that yard or foot.”

After conceding another touchdown late in the third The Knights struck back with a touchdown of their own, quarter to fall behind 20-17, the Mavs failed to score, and but cornerback Jack McGarry blocked the extra point watched the Knights move down the field. With just a few attempt. minutes left, Episcopal threatened to put the game out of “I had a feeling I would have an opening because they reach. had to either block an intimidating 6-foot-3 guy in Thane Fortunately, the Mavs were defending the north end [Stark], or me,” McGarry said. “My feet got caught on zone. somebody, so I blocked the ball with my face, not my “In my time on varsity, there have been a few gamearms.” winning plays made at the north end zone,” Miles said.

McGarry’s face block gave the team a morale boost.

“There’s something magical about it.”

“Because of the block, we were able to go into the locker McMillan’s goal-line interception changed everything, room ahead at halftime,” McGarry said. “In close games, and led to the eventual game-winning drive. missing extra points comes back to haunt teams.”

The Mavs defeated St. Mark's 49-13 on Friday, Oct. 15 On the next drive, Miles Masterson responded with a and will next play the Episcopal School of Dallas on Friday, 3-yard rushing touchdown.

Oct. 22.

“We joke that John likes to steal our fantasy football points,” Miles said.

“It was nice I got that opportunity at the goal line.”

The Knights regained the momentum by adding another touchdown with 28 seconds remaining in the half. Heading into the locker room, the Knights only trailed 14-13.

“The coaches were pretty livid at halftime,” McMillan said. “We made a lot of errors on defense when the quarterback rolled out the pocket. He was pretty shifty.”

Offensively, the team used the halftime break to focus on fixing their unforced errors.

“We had a pre-snap Senior Miles Masterson evades the Knights' defense. Despite going down with a penalty where our guys foot injury in the third quarter, Masterson added a rushing touchdown. weren't set,” Miles said.

PHOTO |Lexi Guo “That’s inexcusable.”

OPINIONS

14

ISSUE NO.1 THE REVIEW

Texas abortion law inspires fear, anger

ILLUSTRATION | Serina Yan

Staff editorial by the female editors of The Review

W

e have no idea how to cover SB-8 objectively.

As journalists, we feel overwhelmed by the Texas Legislature’s laundry list of hypocrisies in passing this restrictive anti-abortion law. Which abhorrent aspect should we write about?

Do we address how it defies decades of established laws and basic logic in order to further the agenda of power-hungry legislators? Do we comment upon how policymakers cynically eschewed years of scientific research while lobbying for it? Or should we take on the perniciousness of the law’s architects, who have meticulously written the law to shield it from scrutiny in the courts?

We’d like to talk about all of it.

Yet as women, we are tired. So unbelievably tired. We are tired of citing statistics that show the enormous risk that an outright abortion ban poses to women’s health. We are tired of envisioning terrifying hypotheticals that make the post-apocalyptic world of “The Handmaid's Tale” seem possible. We are tired of the disappointment that comes when our voices are collectively drowned out by Republican lawmakers and the alt-right and religious right base that support them.

Not only is SB-8 an egregious assault on bodily autonomy, but it’s also nonsensical and completely unaligned with the supposed beliefs of those who espouse it.

How can the same people that raucously assert their prerogative to remain unvaccinated and unmasked also claim the rights to the bodies of Texas women?

At its core, SB-8 endorses state-sponsored bounty hunting. That we must explain its repugnance is absurd.

The law pits neighbor against neighbor and depends on private citizens filing civil lawsuits against anyone they suspect of “aiding or abetting” an abortion after fetal heartbeat has been detected. Indeed, the effectiveness of SB-8 is contingent upon perpetual suspicion and animosity — or, as the New York Times put it, the law threatens to create a “Nation of Vigilantes.”

To top it off, SB-8 has no basis in science.

Because it was originally called the Heartbeat Bill, one would think that SB-8’s cardiac activity cutoff is something more than emotional propaganda. This is not the case. A fetal heartbeat is not an irrefutable sign of humanity but an arbitrary milestone of pregnancy. By making cardiac activity out to be a turning point in gestation, SB-8 tugs on the heartstrings of the ill-informed.

In May, after Texas passed SB-8, we saw people posting about their experience with abortion. Democratic lawmakers and high school students alike took to social media to describe their or their loved ones’ stories. They explained how the decision to obtain an abortion is heart-wrenching and the reasons are varied and deeply personal.

They criticized anti-abortion advocates for their warped view of the importance of human life. Are the lives of the women who seek abortions not equally important as those of the embryos this law supposedly protects?

On Oct. 6, a federal judge temporarily blocked SB-8, but whatever glimmer of optimism this inspired was dashed two days later when the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the injunction. The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear a rebuttal on SB-8 is a de facto endorsement.

Amid all this judicial wrangling, we must not forget that this siege of dystopian legislation has been coming for a long time. For as long as anti-choice ideology has infiltrated the legislative sphere, policymakers have been chipping away at abortion rights — especially in Texas.

We also cannot forget that our rage is not just for ourselves but also for those the ban

seeks to delegitimize most.

SB-8 has the potential to exacerbate existing healthcare disparities among low-income and vulnerable populations.

By putting clinics that offer abortions in financial distress, the bill prevents women from getting free or affordable cancer screenings and prenatal care. By creating a climate of fear and hostility surrounding access to reproductive health care, this bill puts millions of women, particularly working-class women of color, without lifesaving health care.

We remember Rosie Jimenez, a 27-yearold Latina mother who died in 1977 as a result of the Hyde Amendment, which blocked federal Medicaid funding for abortion services. Unable to obtain an abortion, she turned to an illegal abortion provider who botched the procedure. She died a week later from an infection.

Stories like these used to be common and are especially relevant now for those trying to access abortions. Women’s health is not a game. Abortion is healthcare — timesensitive, essential healthcare. And it’s being denied to millions of women.

All the so-called heartbeat bill proves is how heartless people can be.

Goodbye, Columbus: Teach the real history of America

By Annie Jones

I

n fourth grade, my elementary school performed a play about American history. I was cast as an “Indian Girl” (tribe and name unspecified, of course), and my teacher braided my blonde hair before I stepped onstage.

There I stood in my tan polyester dress next to Christopher Columbus and Leif Erikson (who were born over 400 years apart!) holding hands and singing about peace.

The next year, my history teacher said Columbus discovered that the Earth was round.

I raised my hand and asked, “Wasn’t that Aristotle?” My teacher doubled down, insisting that not only did Columbus determine the shape of the Earth, but he also discovered the Americas.

Columbus actually underestimated the size of the Earth, and his belief that he could quickly reach Asia via the Atlantic Ocean was founded on this faulty theory.

The Italians, Portuguese and English all refused to sponsor his voyage because his calculations of the Earth’s circumference

were painfully, obviously wrong. I was told that European nobility were stuck in the past, foolishly refusing to believe that the Earth was round, as if Columbus were a genius ahead of his time. But if the Americas had not been there, Columbus would have run out of supplies and starved on his way to Asia.

Essentially, Columbus failed upward into a national holiday.

At St. John’s in ninth grade, my history teacher taught me about “founding myths,” the stories that societies tell about their founders. Typically, the purpose of a founding myth is to show how industrious and clever the founders were.

By extension, these myths prove that the nation is Glorious, its fathers are the Best and Brightest and its people are Worthy of the land they live on.

I was spoon-fed America’s founding myth: As a genius adventurer, Columbus discovered America and ushered in a new era of freedom — for anyone brave enough to make the voyage — like a true American.

Columbus found this land for us because

he was smarter than everyone else.

I was taught that this land belongs to us.

Now I know that Columbus never even set foot in mainland America. Even if you ignore the Natives who lived on these continents for thousands of years, Columbus should only be considered the “discoverer” of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

But we will not ignore the Natives any longer.

My seventh grade history teacher taught us that the first Natives that Columbus encountered were called the Taíno, though Columbus called them Indians. He soon claimed their island, declared himself king and summoned reinforcements to attack and enslave them. According to his and his crewmates’ journals, he cut off the hands of Natives who did not mine enough gold and burned at the stake those who tried to escape. He even murdered Native infants and gave Native women to his men as rewards.

Columbus was eventually arrested by the Spanish Crown for his brutal treatment

of the Natives — arrested by 15th century colonists for cruelty — and he was stripped of his governorship of the “West Indies,” as he called the Caribbean.

I’m grateful to St. John’s for teaching me who Columbus really was (though I had to research his more atrocious acts myself), and for giving me the skills to recognize why his story has been twisted into an inspiring tale of hope and freedom.

Unfortunately, many others cannot say the same.

I’m not advocating that we teach kindergarteners about rape and genocide, but we need to stop telling children such blatant lies to perpetuate a false image of America. This country was, in many ways, built by hardworking, hopeful pilgrims — but it was also built on the backs of slaves.

When we idolize the slave owners for the sake of painting a pretty picture, it is an affront to the enslaved.

We cannot move past our brutal history without recognizing it. Going forward, we should honor Indigenous People’s Day — and leave Columbus out of it.

OPINIONS

OCT 20, 2021 SJSREVIEW.COM

15

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS St. John's School 2401 Claremont Lane Houston, TX 77019 review.sjs@gmail.com sjsreview.com Facebook SJS Review Twitter @SJS_Review Instagram @sjsreview

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SNO Distinguished Site 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 Print Editors-in-Chief Celine Huang, Russell Li, Ella West Online Editors-in-Chief Megan Chang and Ashley Yen Executive Editors Ella Chen, Indrani Maitra, Afraaz Malick Assignment Editors Wilson Bailey, Cameron Ederle, Ellie Monday Section Editors Dawson Chang and Ella Piper Claffy Copy Editors Abigail Hindman, Mia Hong, Annie Jones, Lillian Poag Design Editors Alice Xu Photography and Video Editors Sarah Clark and Lexi Guo Business Manager Sophia Jazaeri Staff

Ellison Albright, Georgia Andrews, Lauren Baker, Natalie Boquist, Amanda Brantley, Thomas Center, Emma Chang, Kaitlyn Chang, Virginia Carolyn Crawford, Isabella Diaz-Mira, Turner Edwards, Louis Faillace, Lily Feather, Lydia Gafford, Aleena Gilani, Diane Guo, Nickolas Hensel, Mia Hirshfield, Elizabeth Hu, Smith Inglesby, Natasha Janssens, James Li, Johnathon Li, Richard Liang, Jennifer Liu, Penelope Macpherson, Arjun Maitra, Sloane Merideth, Leonardo Morales, Sierra Ondo, Laura Papeians de Morchoven, David Schaefer, Keval Shah, Thomas Stith, Alexis Triantaphyllis, Annie Villa, Kate Vo, Lucy Walker, Chloe West, Serina Yan, Katharine Yao, Willow Zerr, Evan Zhang and Chloe Zhao

Advisers David Nathan, Shelley Stein ('88) Sorrel Westbrook Mission Statement The Review strives to report on issues with integrity, to recognize the assiduous efforts of all and to serve as an engine of discourse within the St. John's community.

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Policies The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions and staff editorials contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Headmaster or the Board of Trustees of St. John's School. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the entire Editorial Board unless otherwise noted. Writers and photographers are credited with a byline.

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

Submission Guidelines Letters to the editor and guest columns are encouraged but are subject to editing for clarity, space, accuracy and taste. On occasion, we publish letters anonymously. We reserve the right not to print letters. Letters and guest columns can be emailed to review.sjs@gmail.com.

Welcome back: are you okay?

A

fter a year of late starts, shorter school days and lightened workloads, we are now back — full speed ahead!

Just because 2018-2019 was considered our last normal school year doesn’t mean it’s worth reviving.

Students are overworking themselves to stay afloat. The pandemic isn’t close to being over, thanks to stagnating vaccination rates and increasingly contagious variants. We are wearing masks for more than half our waking hours. Remember when those were primarily associated with doctors? And we’re making these lifestyle adaptations while trying to balance our academics, extracurriculars and personal lives.

Each grade has its own specific issues.

Seniors: On top of an increased workload and leading most organizations on campus, college application season is in full swing — early decision deadlines have either arrived or are fast approaching.

Juniors have just begun the hardest year of Upper School (until first semester next year).

Sophomores: Surprise! St. John’s is much more difficult than you were led to believe last year. We wish you luck in the transition.

Freshmen are doing their best adjusting to a brand-new environment, whether they attended St. John’s in middle school or not.

Sometimes things slip through the cracks, and sometimes those cracks turn into the San Andreas fault.

We have to forgive ourselves when we fall short. We can’t excuse our mistakes, but berating ourselves only sharpens our anxiety.

Perhaps we need to treat ourselves as we would treat a friend in need. Give ourselves a hug (metaphorically, of course) and a few words of encouragement to pick ourselves up, try again, and repeat the process if we don’t quite hit our goals. Compassion and self-care will be more beneficial in the long run — even if sometimes we would rather psychoanalyze exactly where we went wrong.

While we don't have a panacea for stress and anxiety, we promise there are healthy ways to cope.

For the editors-in-chief, we use the Review to make our opinions known and sometimes to enact change. We create, and in the process, we leave something behind.

Over the past two years, the Review has never stopped, whether school was virtual or in person.

And we are still here to address the stories that matter to you and be your voice. We’re still your engine of discourse. If you want us to cover a story or issue, let us know.

In this issue, there was plenty to report.

In what feels like an annual article about natural disasters, we share stories from our community about Hurricane Ida. It’s been a stormy fall for women: Afghani women are losing their rights, and Texas women are facing laws that strip them of bodily autonomy.

It’s also a time of new beginnings. We have a new Head of School, the football team is off to its best start in decades and beat Episcopal for the first time in 10 years, and we have had live school since day one. Amid it all, we chose to celebrate identity and the politics of hair.

As these stories keep developing, the Review is here to cover them.

We’ll sign off with a reminder to embrace imperfection and keep looking forward. We aimed for this issue to be perfect and to publish three weeks ago. (Sadly, only one of those occurred, and that’s okay.)

Love,

Ella West

Russell Li

Celine Huang

PHOTO| Sarah Clark

8

9

10

1: Henry Chiao 2: Genevieve Larsen 3: Jack Faulk 4: Alexis Burger 5: Pia Artzer 6: Ally Faulk 7: Ellie Burger 8: Tycho Larsen 9: Caroline Chiao 10: Tess Artzer

KEY

6

PHOTOS | Sarah Clark

7

Can you match the five sets of siblings?

4 1

5 2

3

Seeing double? Class 9 flush with twins

PHOTOSTORY

16

THE REVIEW ISSUE NO.1