September 2015 issue by The Review

VIEW E R

Hitting the right notes

Donald Doucet, accompanist since 2002, now takes center stage

Freshmen in Football

A talented trio navigates the turbulent waters of high school football

What’s Inside News Features Sports Culture

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Beyond Opinions Odds & Ends......... Photostory

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ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER | SJSREVIEW.COM | 2401 CLAREMONT LANE · HOUSTON, TX 77019 | VOLUME 67 · ISSUE 1 · SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

LOOKING BACK AT KATRINA

How destruction in New Orleans impacted the St. John’s community GRAPHIC BY BROOKE KUSHWAHA

Irene

Vazquez

n Aug. 29, 2005, my family and I took a weekend trip to visit my grandma in Alabama. We left early in the morning, just after 4:00 a.m., so we could beat the traffic. We loaded up my dad’s SUV with my Barbie suitcase, my parents’ duffel bags, and some documents and family pictures. It was still dark as we took to the freeway, taking Interstate 10 East the same way we always did. It wasn’t until I got to my grandma’s house and my family gathered around the TV that we realized all our lives would be changed forever. Hurricanes were a fact of life in New Orleans. One of my favorite childhood memories from that time was when school was canceled because Tropical Storm Matthew had hit. With the power out, my mom and I (clad in rhinestone-studded Lizzie McGuire flip-flops) had to traipse up and down the street looking for somewhere to eat. No one knew that Katrina would be different. Most of Katrina’s heartbreak happened because no one knew what was coming, and I know that this has changed me irrevocably. I learned that nothing in life is permanent: not happiness, not sadness, not the homes we’ve lived in our whole lives. Katrina forced a shift in focus to the things I can control. I call myself a writer. Everything I create is an attempt to preserve the life I’ve made for myself here in Houston. When I inevitably move on from here, the writing will remain when all else is lost. Every time I get melodramatic about Katrina, I remind myself that I was one of the lucky ones, and I feel somewhat guilty for my feelings of distress. Our house didn’t lose a single shingle, yet people close to me lost everything they had. A family friend of ours lost a piece of furniture that dates back to the 1700s and was owned by a relative who signed the Declaration of Independence. What did I lose? A middling sense of place. I go back to New Orleans every once in a while. We have family friends who live there, and it’s amazing to see how the city has changed and grown without me. Sometimes walking through the French Quarter, I see it through the eyes of my childhood, and it feels a bit like time-lapse photography. Even now, it’s hard to believe I’ve lived in Houston for nearly 10 years. When people ask me where I’m from, I tell them that I live in Houston, not that I’m from here. But I can’t call New Orleans my home either. How can you call something home that you can hardly recognize anymore? There’s a Front Bottoms song “Maps.” The very first line sings out that there is “a map in my room on the wall of my room and I’ve got big, big plans.” Likewise, I’ve got a map on my wall with a title that reads “I was born very far from where I’m supposed to be, so I guess I’m on my way home.” And I suppose that I am. I’ll spend the rest of my life looking for something to fill the void that Katrina created, though I know I may never find it.

N E WS

THE REVIEW I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

Review nabs national recognition by Staff

P4 New counselor promotes wellness Justise speaks to freshman class

News Briefs Prom moved amid schedule conflict Prom will be moved from its originally announced date, April 23, amid “unprecedented” schedule conflicts. After a senior vote, Prom will take place on Sunday, April 10. In a lunch meeting with seniors on Sept. 28, Head of Upper School Hollis Amley and Dean of Students Elisa Inman explained the reasons for the change. The original prom date resulted in numerous conflicts, and alternate Saturday dates were not feasible due to overlapping with Spring SPC, the ISAS Art Festival and holidays. The senior class voted to have prom on a Sunday rather than Saturday, April 2, which would have taken place during the weekend of Men’s Final Four. With the NCAA Tournament in town, many limousines and restaurants would have been booked. Furthermore, organizers would have had to stage Prom on campus in Flores Hall. With Prom taking place on a Sunday, students who attend will have an excused absence on Monday, April 11.

Briefs by Brooke Kushwaha and Prithvi Krishnarao

Pacemaker Finalist Finalist for Best Cartoon Brooke Kushwaha

COLUMBIA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION 1st place single subject news or feature package, 3 or more pages Jessica Lee

1st place brief writing Alexander Kim Christian Maines Irene Vazquez

2nd place News Writing Brooke Kushwaha

2nd place typography Jessica Lee

Commended In-depth news/ feature writing Brooke Kushwaha Rebecca Chen

Nurses, ambassadors ensure student safety

JARED MARGOLIS

Unity Council addresses ableism Disability advocate Angela Wrigglesworth spoke in Chapel on Sept. 9, discussing spinal muscular atrophy and her own experiences with disability. Unity Council organized the event and followed up the assembly with a forum on physical and mental disabilities. After being established last year, the Unity Council seeks to shed light on issues facing youth today. “This year we are especially focusing on race. We seek to improve our student body’s understanding of race and intend to bridge racial differences while respecting racial identities,” faculty sponsor Melinda Sloan said. “We also seek to address ableism and issues of disability whether they be physical or mental.” Although the Unity Council is still in its early stages, students have noticed results. “I realized the positive reaction to our speaker, and the continuation as people applied what they heard her say to their own lives,” Unity Council member Miranda Allegar said. “St. John’s is a pretty special place in terms of how we accommodate people, but there is still is a long way to go.”

NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION

PHILIP KENSINGER

Sept. 30Book Fair in Oct 1 Campus Center

The Review has been named a Pacemaker Finalist for the first time by the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA). Teams of professionals judge publications based on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership, design, photography and graphics. Pacemaker Awards recognize publications from the 2014-2015 school year. Last year’s editors-in-chief were Rebecca Chen and Megan Routbort. “When I realized we had been nominated for a Pacemaker, it finally felt like all those late nights despairing over font size and formatting were worth it,” Routbort said. The winners of the Pacemaker Awards will be announced on Nov. 14 at the NSPA Fall Convention in Orlando. Fifteen Review editors will attend the convention. The NSPA gave its first Pacemaker award in 1927 to honor student publications that have excelled overall in content and design. It has since become one of the most prestigious honors in high school journalism. With the nomination, The Review joins the likes of The ReMarker (St. Mark’s in Dallas) and The Echo (St. Louis Park High School in Minnesota). Last spring, The Review Online was a Pacemaker Finalist. According to the NSPA website, these awards recognize “the best individuals in scholastic journalism.” “The quality of the content we put out during this past year was simultaneously challenging and rewarding,” Routbort said. “Despite the many times I wanted to tear my hair out over the past four years, I could not have been more rewarded by participating in The Review.” Cartoonist Brooke Kushwaha is a finalist for Best Cartoon for her illustration “Map of SJS Parking,” which was her first cartoon published in The Review. The drawing depicted the epic distance be-

tween Caven Lot and the main campus. In 2013, cartoonist Guan Chen (‘13) won second place in the same category. “It was really surprising to have my first comic published get the nomination. I’m proud of it,” Kushwaha said. “I’d like to dedicate the award to everyone in my grade who had to brave the walk from Caven to North Campus.” The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) announced its Gold Circle Awards in September. The Review won five awards. Former design editor Jessica Lee (’15) won two awards: first place for special section design and second place for typography, both for the special pullout section on depression in April 2015. “In retrospect, the late nights spent designing at The Review were worth it,” Lee said. “What draws me to design is the challenge of brainstorming innovative ways to convey the content.” Lee’s design award was the first time The Review won a first place Gold Circle Award. “My biggest challenge last year was the depression spread, and I’m so proud that I was recognized for that design.” The Review received another first place award for news briefs, written by Alexander Kim, Christian Maines and Irene Vazquez. Kushwaha won second place for her exposé on e-cigarette use, and Kushwaha and Chen (’15) were commended for their in-depth news feature, “Shedding Light on Depression.” This summer, four Review editors attended the CSPA summer workshop at Columbia University in New York City. The week-long workshop included classes on editorial management and new techniques in journalism. “I found CSPA to be a very enriching experience because I was able to collaborate and exchange ideas with other top student journalists,” editor-in-chief Chris Zimmerman said. “It was remarkable to see how alive the journalism industry is, especially among teens.”

SAFE AND SOUND Upper School nurse Tessa Stark (left photo) examines junior Maddie McZeal. Ambassador Steven Bazaldua (right) directs a parent through the carpool circle. The school has hired two new nurses and 10 new ambassadors, who are all with the Houston Fire Dept.

by Alexander Kim Some days they rush into burning buildings to save lives. On other days, the campus ambassadors aid students crossing the street. The 10 new ambassadors come from the Houston Fire Department. They will serve as the eyes and ears of the school and direct campus visitors. Security Coordinator Rick Still, Jr., says that the ambassadors can help during emergencies. “We’re here in case something happens and we need an emergency response,” Still said. “We’re trained to deal with medical emergencies.” The ambassadors have numerous reasons for working in a school setting. The Houston Fire Department makes it possible for employees to work a second job at. Their professional schedule involves two 24-hour shifts in the span of four days at the fire station, followed by five days off. During those five days, many of the ambassadors work on campus to supplement their income. Several also said they enjoy being in a school environment. “I’ve worked with a few schools in the past, and I like being around young people,” Shelby Powell

said. “You guys keep me young.” Steven Bazaldua has worked at several schools and also enjoys being around students. “I like the interaction with the students and staff; it’s unlike any other school setting.” Bazaldua said. “It’s rewarding to be able to serve in a positive environment for students that care about their studies.” Ambassadors consider working at a high school a respite from the chaos of the Houston Fire Department. “At the station we stay pretty busy. Coming over here, it’s a lot more mellow,” Austin Resendez said. According to Still, the ambassadors and nurses hope to maintain a “safe and professional” environment. “We try to make a good first impression for anyone’s first time visiting on campus.” Nurses also solve medical issues, albeit usually on a less dramatic scale. Two new nurses join the community this year: Tessa Stark (Upper School) and Lorri Wolff (Middle and Lower School). Wolff was previously a transplant coordinator at Methodist Hospital.

Wolff is the mother of a sophomore, Cara, and three graduates: Kasey (‘12), Hana (‘14) and Amanda (‘15), so she knows the school well. “I’ve been a parent here for 15 years,” Wolff said. “I thought that it would be awesome to give back to the school as a nurse.” Stark previously worked as a nurse at Kamehameha School in Honolulu. Stark acknowledges that the job at St. John’s is ideal, not just professionally, but also for her children. “I love school health,” Stark said. “The nursing job at St. John’s provided a good opportunity not only for me, but for my kids’ education as well.” Because many students visit the nurse’s office during the school year, both Wolff and Stark have many opportunities to interact with students. “I have seen many students with insect bites, scrapes, stomachaches and headaches,” Wolff said. “But it’s sweet to hold a little hand that might have had a torn blister from the monkey bars and help make it feel better. It’s incredible to have them around.”

NEWS

SJSREVIEW.COM I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

by Sophia Li Six innovation classrooms sporting colored glass, dry-erase walls and bright swiveling desks are meant to be incubators for teacher and student creativity. The idea to design and build classrooms for the 21st century came about in Atlanta. On Jan. 15, the scheduling committee, which included Head of Upper School Hollis Amley and history teacher Eleanor Cannon, made a two-day trip to Georgia to visit three high schools: The Lovett School, whose current Upper School Principal Dan Alig was previously Dean of Students and English Department Chair at SJS; the Westminster Schools and Pace Academy. “These schools are very similar to St. John’s. They all have high-performing students, great college placement and operate very traditionally in a sense,” Cannon said. “But they’d all changed their schedules dramatically. It was comparing apples to apples. If schools like SJS have done something different, then we wanted to examine the results.” While visiting Lovett, the teachers discovered a new, unconventional style of classrooms. “Lovett had these amazing rooms with different kinds of furniture, glass on the walls and a special kind of ambient lighting,” Cannon said. “It was just so inspiring to see how the teachers and students utilized the spaces because you had to be creative and innovative if you were going to teach for 60 to 80 minutes.” Lovett’s Model Classroom program began the summer of 2011 under the guidance of Director of Strategic Innovation Laura Deisley. The first prototype, The Story Studio, was launched in 2012 for a fine arts class. After the visit, the committee began considering the idea of introducing non-traditional classrooms to SJS in the Quad space that once housed the business, advancement and admissions offices. “By the time we’d gotten on the plane and were flying back to Houston, [Amley] was already on board for bringing innovation rooms

to our school, and I was already thinking, ‘I have to have one of these,’” Cannon said. Teachers were asked to submit proposals to Amley, Director of Technology Jeff Ritter and Director of Instructional Technology Lori MacConnell detailing how they would use an innovation room to enhance their teaching. “My plan wasn’t so much a plan as a vision,” Cannon said. “The bottom line is this: most of the things I teach in history, anybody can look it up and find the same answer. The content is out there. Especially with US history, students have already learned it in middle school. My vision was that this space could free not only my students but also myself into digging deeper.” Some teachers noticed a trend amongst the faculty who received innovation rooms. “If you look at the teachers who [applied], they’re mostly Generation X’ers,” Amley said. “This group is composed of people who already have reputable standings as educators, but they’re choosing at this point of their career to challenge themselves further.” Amley hopes that this change will encourage students to take more risks instead of adhering to conventional norms. “There can be an obsession with perfectionism at SJS — there are a lot of high-achievers and people who want to reach particular goals, but it’s not just student perfectionism; there’s also faculty perfectionism and administrative perfectionism,” Amley said. “A great way to combat this tendency is to encourage taking risks, and these seven teachers model risk taking daily.” Faculty reactions to their new rooms were largely positive. “The single biggest difference is the mindset,” Cannon said. “Last year in my old classroom, it was always ‘this is my room’. I covered every surface of every wall with my stuff: maps, lacrosse stuff, Duke things and brass rubbings of people who died in wars. But in this new classroom, it’s ‘our’ space because I’m not acting as the dispenser of all knowledge. I’m not at the front of the classroom being the ‘sage on the stage.’ The students and I are working together in a classroom that belongs to us.”

AUSTIN ZHANG

Innovative classrooms encourage creativity

NEW FURNITURE (From left) Juniors Sallie Chambers, Divya Jain and Rob Wallace write on the new whiteboard tables in an innovative classroom. In addition to the tables, the classrooms feature Steelcase Node chairs and glass boards. Director of Curriculum Dwight Raulston was initially skeptical about how an innovation room would affect him and his students. His stance soon changed. “Students love the ambience of the room. It’s easier for them to assemble into work groups because they don’t have to move chairs and backpacks,” Raulston said. “Subliminally, it makes it easier for me to achieve one of my goals: when I’m not sure how I want to do something, I try to do something new.” English teacher Kimberley Olan was impressed by the mobility of the room as well as the resulting ideas that students created in response to the new environment. “I can solve and get around obstacles much more quickly if a student can’t see because they can literally roll up to the walls. With the walls being made of glass, students no longer have to feverishly write as I wait to erase; I simply go to another wall,” Olan said. Students responded enthusiastically to the new rooms. “Innovation rooms drastically change the way you really feel during class,” foreign exchange student Victor Slavov said. “You don’t get the sense of being locked up or trapped in a room with a teacher. It gives you the freedom to express your inner creativity especially with the whiteboard walls.” This positive response has delighted the committee.

“The other day, I heard a student say that when he’s in the classroom, he doesn’t even feel like he’s at school,” Amley said. “An innovation room has the ability to inspire students and teachers to collaborate more and process differently so that the environment influences the way learning feels to them.” While Lovett rotates its teachers annually through the model rooms, Amley wants teachers to have time to settle in and is optimistic about the future of innovation rooms. “Since SJS is a K-12 school, funds cannot always be poured into the Upper School, but I hope that the innovation rooms will gradually increase,” Amley said. “Teachers are already asking if they can have new furniture next year, and perhaps later rooms won’t look like this generation [of innovation classrooms]. We all need to dream a little.” Calling the rooms “innovative” is still a subject of debate. “The committee didn’t want to call them technology classrooms because innovation does not necessarily depend upon technology; it can also involve using traditional methods in a new way,” Amley said. “We’re still not sure if that’s the perfect name — maybe the name will change later. Who knows? Perhaps in the future, we won’t even call them innovation classrooms. They’ll just be classrooms.”

Revamped Freshman Retreat fosters camaraderie by Dani Yan and Sadde Mohamed

SOPHIE CALDWELL

BREATH OF FRESH AIR Freshmen participate in activities. Clockwise from top: Saeed Chabayta skateboards; Katherine Granberry kayaks; Chabayta ziplines; and Sarah Koh makes bait for fishing.

Along the Frio River, students flipped in their kayaks and got stuck in rock beds. Other students rushed to the rescue. This year’s revamped Freshman Retreat was intended to create such moments: freshmen bonding with each other through shared, active experiences. Freshmen left for Camp Lonehollow in the Texas Hill Country on Aug. 13. The retreat is traditionally held in late September, but this year it was moved to the end of the summer. “It was a great opportunity for everyone to go and meet the new incoming students,” senior counselor Shane Zerr said. “My freshman retreat happened around three weeks into the year at a point where everyone already knew each other, so it wasn’t very helpful.” Changing the location from Camp Allen to Camp Lonehollow and lengthening the trip from two to four days helped bypass scheduling constraints that would have occurred during the school year. The camp lacked cell phone service, which encouraged more face-to-face interaction. “This year’s freshman retreat was generally just better. Mine was pretty boring, and I remember it heavily involving an anti-hazing seminar, which was pretty pointless as I didn’t want to be hazed initially,” Zerr said. The changes to freshman retreat were not just meant to increase the entertainment value. “The change is an attempt to be minimally disruptive to all that was going on in students’ lives,” said Marty Thompson,

Director of Experiential Education and year,” counselor Chris Randall said. organizer of the retreat. “Given the timing Freshmen also learned some interesting and duration of the [previous] trip, we felt things about their teachers. it was hard for students and teachers to be “The senior counselors were really nice fully present and achieve the goals of the and they were open to talking to you trip: for students to get to know one an- about high school and answered all your other.” questions,” freshman Kristin Ankoma-Sey The new base camp also allowed for a said. “It was just very easy to communicate more dynamic program. Freshmen alter- with them.” nated between a number of activities, inBoth freshmen and seniors enjoyed cluding mountain biking, zip-lining and bonding across grade levels. kayaking. “It was cool to go on the retreat because “The camp’s facilities, staff, and prox- even now I see familiar faces in the halls imity to the Frio River allowed us to shift and say ‘hi’ to them, and the freshmen got retreat activities to a more active agenda to meet a ton of seniors,” counselor Suman than in previous years,” Atluri said. “I’d say that it was Thompson said. more different in that there The multitude of ac- When we weren’t was a lot more physical activtivities available were told to do ity, but I think that allowed certainly instrumental them to only bond more.” something and to bonding, but even The freshmen got the chance when not participating participate in to meet their advisors and sein activities, freshmen activities, we niors while getting to know were able to connect. the 68 students entering SJS bonded the most. “When we weren’t for the first time. told to do something “It’s almost unfair when I Leanna Shebib compare that to the trip I and participate in acFreshman had,” sophomore Mia Guien tivities, we bonded the most,” freshman Leansaid. “They seem to have had na Shebib said. “We got a really great trip and bonding to know a lot of people.” experience. There were more chances to Despite many changes to the freshmen interact with different people.” experience, the retreat retained its core asThe organization of the retreat helped pects. Senior counselors joined the fresh- manage the large class of 174 freshmen men on the trip, organized advisory skits and keep everyone under control, accordand participated alongside them during ing to Zerr. activities. The counselors also facilitated Zerr said, “There were a whole bunch of discussions about high school life, sharing activities and these created instances where their own experiences and personal tips. people could meet a whole lot of people at “The freshmen got to meet and have once and become friends.” a fun time with some of the seniors this

NEWS

PHILIP KENSINGER

THE REVIEW I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

Justise Winslow (‘14) is used to playing basketball on national television in front of millions of people, but talking in front of a room of 14- and 15-yearolds was a more stressful experience. “He was so nervous,” said his mother, Robin Davis. “He has given other speeches, but this was home for him, so it meant more.” On Aug. 28, Winslow spoke to freshmen in the Chao Assembly Room

during lunch. Winslow shared his experiences at both SJS and Duke University, where he helped win the 2015 National Championship. Winslow was a first-round draft pick by the Miami Heat (No. 10 overall). The NBA season begins on Oct. 27. Winslow urged the freshmen to believe in themselves through their endeavors as he has done on the basketball court.

“I just wanted to give back, not really with my actions but with my words,” Winslow said. “I feel like I have a good story and can use that to inspire and motivate others to reach their goals.” Winslow hopes to come back to Houston frequently, his mom said. “This is the first of many things,” Davis said. “He’ll be back.”

by Michael VerMeulen

by Emily Chen Kelli McCarty has known what her career path would be ever since her days as a peer counselor in high school. Last November, McCarty moved from San Francisco with her husband and oneyear-old daughter. She left the Waldorf School to assume the role of Upper School counselor. The position has been vacant since 2014 with Director of All-School Wellness Jennifer Welch serving as counselor in the interim. “I always knew I was going to be a counselor. There’s really no other job I would do,” McCarty said. Her time as a high school peer counselor and her relationships with her friends inspired her to pursue this career. “I like the ability to connect with people, especially in their teenage years when they’re figuring out who they are,” McCarty said. “I like to be a part of that journey, help them recognize strengths in themselves and help them problem-solve.” McCarty, an avid traveler who once lived in Budapest for a year, left three siblings behind in California. The presence of the Wellness Program (which includes Welch, all counselors, nurses and athletic trainers) attracted McCarty to the school. “A school that was so focused on health and wellness — of course a counselor would want to come work at that kind of place,” McCarty said. “This Wellness Program is really innovative and ahead of its time. There seems to be a real focus on student health, which I wholeheartedly believe in.” As one of over 100 applicants for the counselor position during the nationwide search that ended in May, McCarty stood out from the crowd. “I’m interested in people who are able to think outside the box and people who are willing to take risks and do what they think is in the student’s best interest, even if the community doesn’t especially like that,” Welch said. “Ms. McCarty struck me as somebody who would be willing to stand up for what she thought was right and advocate for the kids, no matter what.”

The search committee was impressed by McCarty, who was the last candidate interviewed. “I’m really glad that we waited,” Welch said. “She was very thoughtful about responding to questions. I heard lots of people ask her the same kind of question in a slightly different way, and I never heard her give the exact same answer as if she had practiced it or rehearsed it.” McCarty became convinced that the school was the right place for her. While waiting for her interview, she read the April 2015 special section of The Review which focused on depression. “It was pretty amazing that this was just laying out for anyone to read. I was really impressed with this article and [Welch’s] comments in it,” McCarty said. “You could tell that this school was open to having conversations about topics that were really important.” The wellness program focuses on improving the physical, mental and social health of all members of the community, including students, parents and faculty. Welch plans to work with the counselors to make improvements in the program. “The counselors and I are working really hard on revising our Social-Emotional Learning classes in Middle and Upper School,” Welch said. “We’re also doing more parent education about things like relationships, drugs and alcohol, nutrition and body image, and all those things that aren’t academics.” The changes in the school after the implementation of the Wellness Program are not immediately obvious. Sophomore Caroline Kernell admits that

JARED MARGOLIS

Counselor guides wellness initiative

there is a stigma about those who go to the counselor, yet she said that the program is “a good idea because everyone is really stressed,” Kernell said. The program does provide some help for students. “The Wellness Program is a really good support system,” senior Lillian Chen said. “I know a lot of people who went to see Dr. Welch when they felt stressed. She’s very supportive.” McCarty has noticed the focused attitude of many of the students at St. John’s, which differs from other schools where she has worked. “Stay focused on what matters,” McCarty said. “We get so caught up on our chemistry homework or our math problem or something, but always keep in mind what the big picture is.” While McCarty has big hopes for the school and student wellness in the future, her goals for the upcoming school year are simple. Along with discovering new restaurants and parks in the Houston area, she wants to connect with students.

“If there is a stigma about seeing a counselor, I hope that changes and people see me as a resource,” McCarty said. “Ultimately, my goal is that students trust me and want to talk to me.” McCarty is passionate about her job as a school counselor and optimistic about her work. “I get to help people for a job. It doesn’t even feel like work to me. I always liked to help people when they were having a hard time,” McCarty said. “I look forward to seeing what [the Wellness Program] can become because I think there’s a lot of possibilities and potential.” Welch has confidence that her new colleague has the requisite skills for the job. “If she were sitting across from you now, you would know that she was interested in you and that she wanted to learn more about you,” Welch said. “That’s what matters more than anything else for a counselor.”

WELLNESS IS KEY Kelli McCarty, the new Upper School counselor, teaches freshmen in Social and Emotional Learning Class, an altered version of Skills. SEL teaches students about decision-making and stressmanagement.

Behind the organ: Donald Doucet

Vegetarians confront eating obstacles

by Sadde Mohamed

P5 P6

90% of Americans eat meat

10% of Americans have a meat-restricted diet

32% are strict vegetarians

5% are vegans

SJSREVIEW.COM I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

than everybody thinks,” Dodd said. “Most places have good vegetarian After a four-year hiatus, the Vege- options, and I didn’t really notice the tarian Club is up and running once difference when I started.” Since only 3.2 percent of the US again. Motivated by her grandfather, population is vegetarian, according an avid member of Houston’s Vegan Society, junior Divya Jain revived the to Vegetarian Times, there are bound club in order to educate others about to be some unfavorable social situations. a meatless lifestyle. “If your friends want to go out and “I envisioned a club that was essentially a place for vegetarians and eat at a barbecue place, then it’s hard non-vegetarians to learn a little more to join in,” Dodd said. The school dining staff has offered about what being vegetarian is like,” Jain said. “The club would talk about a vegetarian option in the cafeteria for several years. common misconcep“I’ve been very tions about being I find it helpful to pleased with the offervegetarian, health dialogue with other ings,” Beard said. “As benefits, sharing reca vegetarian, I’ve alipes and reasons peo- people who are ways had a great meal vegetarian as well ple are vegetarian.” I’ve never English teacher as with people who experience. felt like I was missing Brian Beard (’95), a aren’t. out at all.” vegetarian himself, Some students feel is the club’s faculty limited sponsor. Brian Beard tions. by their op“I find it helpful to Vegetarian Club “I usually always dialogue with other sponsor get soup during lunch people who are vegbecause it’s usually etarian as well as with people who aren’t,” Beard said. “Divya wanted very good, but once in a while they’d all these strands and voices to come make chicken noodle soup or a soup together and learn from each other. with some sort of meat in it,” junior Emma Boehme said. “I’d prefer it if I thought it was a fascinating idea.” Jain, who practices Jainism and there were a separate soup option Hinduism, was born into a vegetar- that would strictly cater to vegetarians.” ian lifestyle. Vegetarians also face challenges in “We believe in non-violence.” Jain said. “My parents fed me absolutely creating a complete meal. “Some days there’s good food, but no meat. We don’t even keep meat in on other days there’s stuff that isn’t the home.” Some decide to practice vegetari- really adequate for a meal,” senior Anirudh Suresh said. anism for purely voluntary reasons. Though the cafeteria consistently “I started being a vegetarian for health reasons,” freshman Josephine offers vegetarian dishes, this is not Dodd said. “I also don’t like killing always the case at school-sponsored events. animals, so that helps too.” “Whenever SJS tries to host someThe conversion to a meat-free diet thing, people would order in Chickwas smoother than Dodd expected. “It’s a lot easier to be a vegetarian fil-A, and all they’d get is chicken

NYLA JENNINGS

TURE S A E

EAT YOUR VEGGIES Junior Emma Boehme, a vegetarian, holds a cucumber that she brought for lunch from home. Boehme has joined the vegetarian club to discuss obstacles that vegetarians face every day. nuggets,” Boehme said. “I can’t make a meal out of that.” Jain hopes the Vegetarian Club will reach out to all students. “I want people to know that the club isn’t just for vegetarians,” Jain said. “It’s a club for everyone who is interested in what vegetarianism is.” Beard looks forward to the discussions the club will encourage.

“The speakers, dialogue and discussions to follow are all going to be great and help us all become more mindful of the choices we make and why we make them.”

Data from Vegetarian Times

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

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THE REVIEW I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

FEATURES

Doucet sits behind the scenes, music at forefront

JARED MARGOLIS

piano man Accompanist Donald Doucet plays the organ in the back of St. John the Divine during Chapel. Doucet has been accompanying the school’s choirs and bands since 2002.

by Gabe Malek

n the first day of school, students filled St. John the Divine as “Voluntary in D” played in the background. The man behind the music is accompanist Donald Doucet, making his presence felt through the sounds of the church organ. While some might not see him as he sits removed from the student body, senior Kantorei member Emma Wertheimer always listens to Doucet because “there is nobody else in this world like him.” Doucet was hired in 2002 as the school’s first full-time accompanist. Doucet had heard about the opening from Choral Director Scott Bonasso, whom he knew from Southminster Church in Missouri City. “As a conductor, I have worked with a lot of different accompanists, and he is the best,” Bonasso said. At an early age, Doucet was exposed to music by four older siblings who all played piano. “I would climb on the bench and point at what I wanted to play,” Doucet said. “I was very aware of music, and my parents thought I showed potential. My father taught me the notes by the time I was five, and I started taking les-

sons by the time I was six.” After playing for a few years, Doucet realized he adored music. “You get into some pretty deep levels when you think about the idea of music being a language, of being a way to tap into deep emotions you might not otherwise and to be able to express those emotions publicly,” Doucet said. “Music was always a compulsion. My parents actively discouraged me from going into music as a career, but there was no question — it was something I had to do.” Doucet spent his childhood engrossed in tunes. “We had an old reel-to-reel recorder and hi-fi system that was in a corner of our house, and I used to go back there and indulge,” Doucet said. “I listened to everything: jazz, rock, The Beatles. I was assimilating all different kinds of style which helps me now because I have to play all different styles.” After receiving his Master’s in Music from the University of Cincinnati in 1979, Doucet returned to Houston to involve himself with the local music community, but he did not get his first full-time accompanist job until 1982 at Rice University. Before joining SJS, Doucet was also considering an offer from the Houston Ballet. “The situation at SJS was far superior,” Dou-

cet said. “The people I work with make this job great. These people are serious about excellence, know what they’re doing, know how to teach and know how to get results from the kids.” Doucet’s favorite aspect of the job is working with the students. “The students really buy into this. When I first came here, Chorale had 50 students; now we have over one-fourth of the Upper School involved in choir,” Doucet said. “Students could just as easily keep walking through the tunnel and straight to their cars, but no. They stay.” Bonasso cites Doucet’s involvement as a reason for the program’s growth. “We’re all spoiled here because he’s so good and so efficient,” Bonasso said. “With the little time we have it’s important that we use it well, and a bad accompanist can wreck your productivity.” Doucet also helps teach students. “I worked with him on voice auditions for college, and he gave different input from my voice teacher,” senior Olivia Havel said. “He makes you think about the piece as a whole, not just what you’re singing. He doesn’t say much, but when he does, it’s very smart.” Doucet still takes piano lessons regularly from his own instructor, Robert Brownlee, who has taught Doucet for 43 years. “Every time I work a solo recital, I’m at his

house,” Doucet said. “How many guys my age can still say they are studying with their high school piano teacher?” Doucet still wonders how Brownlee can provide such valuable insight. “He keeps hearing things and guiding things in a better direction,” Doucet said. Fellow music teachers turn to Doucet for advice. “He is a wealth of musical knowledge and information, and if he can’t answer a question then it’s probably not answerable,” Bonasso said. “He has an encyclopedic brain about music; his capability is prodigious.” Band Director Darrell Parrish formed a jazz trio with Doucet and Bonasso last year and enjoys performing with them in churches around town. “Any time you can play with someone who’s at that level is outstanding,” Parrish said. “I’ve played with every kind of group, but certainly playing with people who have that musicianship is great.” Bonasso considers Doucet, the often unseen accompanist, the gem of the department. “Everything is better because of his involvement.” Bonasso said. “To have a musician of his caliber on our faculty is a treasure.”

SJSREVIEW.COM I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

OR TS P S

THE REVIEW I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

LAST MEN STANDING

Online

Episcopal Game Photo Gallery

P12 PHILIP KENSINGER

The spill on hydration culture

Oct. 2

Football at Episcopal School of Dallas

NINE ON THE LINE Only nine seniors remain on the football team due to injuries and safety concerns. Their dwindling numbers correspond with an increased national concern with head and brain injuries linked to playing football.

Sports Shorts CROSS COUNTRY

Boys begin rebuilding in Brenham Few teams could lose a senior class of record-breaking runners and have a positive outlook – but the boys’ cross-country team is doing just that. Sept. 26, the Mavericks ran through the Hill Country at the Brenham Hillacious Invitational. “Brenham is a great course, definitely the hardest course we run all year,” junior Jake Schick said. “Hills are tough to find in Houston, so it was a good experience.” SJS was the only SPC school running at the meet and placed sixth out of 25 schools participating. Senior Joe Faraguna and his brother, freshman Sam Faraguna, had the top two Maverick times. Upcoming meets like the Nike South Invitational on Oct. 3 will be good indicators of team strength. “Nike South is one of the most competitive races in the nation,” coach Richie Mercado said. “It’ll push us, but I know this team can do it.”

FIELD HOCKEY

Mavs remain undefeated Maverick field hockey emerged from the Hockaday Field Hockey Festival with an 8-0 season record. “We were able to see the north zone competition,” senior captain Jennifer Trieschman said. “We were exposed to a lot of good hockey.” The Festival also provided a taste of SPC competition. All three field hockey teams worked on improving their skills in the concentrated two days of constant playing and getting many chances to handle the ball. “We’re working harder this year than ever before,” sophomore Audrey Ledbetter said of the team’s so-far perfect season. Trieschman and Ledbetter attribute their winning record to their strong midfield and defensive depth.

Briefs by Joseph Hlavinka and Gracie Blue

by Megan Shen The number of seniors on varsity football has dropped sharply: from 19 and 18 in the past two seasons to just nine this year. “Usually 15 to 20 seniors is the average, so having seven juniors last year was way below that,” Head Football Coach Steve Gleaves said. “We used to have two junior varsity teams with separate schedules for four or five years until our numbers started dwindling a little bit.” Although students cite varying reasons for quitting football, the decline reflects a nationwide trend linked to the increasing scrutiny of safety issues. “Because of the concern that started from the NFL and all the information about concussions that came out, we went through a period where football all over, in schools and little leagues, were down in numbers,” Gleaves said. “Everybody got a little cautious.” Last September, more than 5,000 former NFL players sued the league for covering up the dangers of football-related concussions. The NFL released data in the court settlement suggesting that nearly 30 percent of players will develop Alzheimer’s, dementia or other neurological disorders – a far greater proportion than in the general population. While many people were aware of the high rate of concussions in football, the NFL’s admission that these injuries could contribute to long-term neurological risks triggered a new wave of concerns. “After I got a second concussion last year, my mom was extremely worried. From her perspective, I couldn’t play anymore,” said junior Hayden Simmons, who now runs cross country. Junior Alex Ramzel also stopped playing football this year after playing on varsity last season. Simmons and Ramzel suffered a concussion in both their freshman and sophomore years. “After the first two, I knew it was more likely that I’d get more concussions if I kept playing. I didn’t like the sport enough that it was worth the risk,” Ramzel said. According to HEADS UP, a program from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that raises concussion awareness in youth sports, 47 percent of all reported high school concussions occur during football. A study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 58 percent of them occur during practice. In addition to head trauma, the high-contact nature of football contributes to the highest rate of injuries of any youth sport. Senior John Viguet was forced to quit footEMILY RAGAUSS

ball after a multitude of injuries, including two concussions, two broken collarbones, a partial ACL tear and multiple shoulder dislocations. “In one of my first games sophomore year, a 300-pound lineman stopped me as I was running the ball, and my left arm was thrown out of the socket. When he landed on top of me, he crushed my shoulder back in,” Viguet said. “I was put back in [the game], but then the shoulder came out a second time. I was scared to move the arm for a long time after that.” After a month-long recovery, Viguet dislocated his shoulder again in his first game back. “At that point, I knew that something about my football career was about to change,” Viguet said. Viguet tried to recover as best he could to continue playing his junior year, but two days before preseason ended, his shoulder dislocated once again. Doctors told him he needed to stop playing at that point. “I still thought that football was worth it. It’s the most challenging sport I’ve ever done, but there’s something about the team building and practices that I love. I never found any other place where I could make friendships like that,” Viguet said. “But at that point the doctors said I couldn’t play, and it wasn’t really my decision anymore.” Viguet admits that his case is unusual. “Doctors told me I have loose joints, so I’m a bit of a weird case,” Viguet said. Senior captain Cade Luedde never had any football-related injuries until he broke his leg in the Kinkaid game last season. “My injury was a fluke accident: it was a normal play, and I landed the wrong way,” Luedde said. “Dealing with injuries is a part of the game you can’t get away from, but if you think about getting injured, you’re more likely to get injured: that just comes from practicing hard and getting into the game.” Most players agree that injuries are simply part of the sport and do not take away from its appeal. “I always knew that safety issues like concussions come along with football, but I was willing to take that risk to play,” senior captain John Ballard said. “All the work you put in starting from the summer makes Friday nights feel so much more special.” While the intense nature of the sport creates controversy, it also contributes to football’s allure and revered place in high school culture. Other rival private schools in Houston all have more than twice as many seniors, including Kinkaid (19), Episcopal (23), and Houston Christian (20). Ultimately, Gleaves looks forward to an upsurge over the school’s numbers in the next few years. “When an issue like that first comes, everyone’s concentrating on it, but now we’re settling back down,” Gleaves said. “Looking down the line, with 25 freshmen and around 30 [students] on the middle school teams, it’s exciting knowing our numbers are back up.” Gleaves says that the focus on safety has benefited football overall. In recent years, many states and schools have toughened measures on concussion protocol, and improvements in equipment

and rules have contributed to increased player protection. “I think it’s good for football that things are progressing,” Gleaves said. “Anything you can do to step back, evaluate and improve safety with new equipment and how you’re teaching the sport is beneficial.”

Number of seniors playing football helmet = 2 players

St. John’s

Kinkaid

houston christian

Episcopal

ALL DATA FROM MAXPREPS

SPORTS

SJSREVIEW.COM I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK Freshmen gain experience on varsity football

BIG FISH

Freshman Matthew Kushwaha is one of three freshmen to play varsity football. Jarvis Johnson and Genson Hooper Price also made the uncommon transition from middle school. JARED MARGOLIS

by Brooke Kushwaha When freshmen Jarvis Johnson and Genson Hooper Price first arrived on campus, they had only known each other as rivals. They both played Amateur Athletic Union basketball and went head-to-head at middle school football games. Now they have to set aside their rivalry and become teammates on the football field for the first time. According to Johnson, Hooper Price “was just another opponent to play, but I always thought he was pretty cool,” Johnson said. “We started out as enemies and became friends.” Johnson and Hooper Price are two of the three freshmen to make the varsity football team this year, along with Matthew Kushwaha. It has been five years since any freshman has made the varsity team from the outset of the season. The last player to do so was Risher Randall in 2010. The current freshman class has 25 students playing football, a marked increase from previous years. “It’s very rare that we take freshmen, and there are lots of factors involved. We won’t take them unless they can play at [the varsity] level,” Head Football Coach Steve Gleaves said. “We look at teams and numbers and positions and try to get the best team on varsity. There were some years where we had freshmen that could play, but we didn’t need them, and some years where we did.” Kushwaha has played football since seventh grade, scoring 19 touchdowns in his middle school career and accumulating over 1,500 rushing yards. He plays inside linebacker, fullback and special teams. In sixth grade, Kushwaha jokingly went up to Gleaves and told him he was going to make varsity his freshman year. “It was just banter at the time, but it turned into one of my main goals in middle school,” Kushwaha said. “I just worked hard enough to achieve that goal.” Coming from Pin Oak Middle School, Johnson has played football since the first grade. He was a part of the Texas Youth Football League and made his reputation as a wide receiver, the only position he had ever played. When he arrived in the Upper School, he was more surprised by moving to cornerback than making var-

sity. “At first I was confused, but because we run the veer, [the coaches] said the running back gets the ball more than the receiver anyway, so I don’t mind not playing [receiver]. Anyone who knows me knows I love to score,” Johnson said. Hooper Price played for West Briar Middle School against Johnson in eighth grade. Hooper Price, who also plays cornerback for the Mavs, started playing football in seventh grade. At sixfoot-four, Hooper Price blends in just fine with the upperclassmen. “It’s a lot tougher than middle school and a lot faster paced,” Hooper Price said. “You have to give 110 percent every play or else you’ll bring the team down. No one wants to be that guy. At the same time, one man can’t carry the team, either. You have to work collaboratively.” The freshmen have had a lot of support from both coaches and upperclassmen in their transition. In a moment of doubt, Hooper Price relied on this support. “One practice it just really wasn’t my day, and I was getting a little frustrated. Coach Cumbo came up to me and he said, ‘Trust me and thank me later.’ So I trusted him, and the next play it worked, and the next play it worked, and I started thinking that I could handle this,” Hooper Price said. “That was when I started trusting coaches with all my heart.” Even though there are fewer seniors on the team than usual, those who remain play a significant role in guiding the team. “You would think that with a smaller senior class there wouldn’t be as much leadership, but that’s not necessarily the case. It’s the makeup of the leaders that matters,” Gleaves said.

“Having a small class sometimes brings players closer together and makes them lead as a unit.” Senior captain and quarterback Cade Luedde tries to instill a strong work ethic in the new players. He made varsity as a sophomore and knows how it feels to learn from upperclassmen. “It’s very important to steer them the right way,” Luedde said. “We have to set an example for them and make sure they know how to practice right, or else they’re more likely to get injured in a game. You can’t have an off-day as a senior because you’re constantly setting the tone.” When freshmen mix with seniors, there can be social complications such as hazing or bullying. While hazing is not a tradition on the football team, coaches make sure to check in with underclassmen to see if they are feeling included. “Back in the day when they did initiations or hazings, most of the time it wasn’t done maliciously, just for team camaraderie,” Gleaves said. “There’s always the possibility it could go the other way, so we don’t want to have that possibility.” Kushwaha does not feel intimidated by his upperclassmen teammates. “Being the youngest child, I was always around older kids, so I sort of knew how to interact.” Kushwaha said. I can see how I can come across as annoying, but overall I’m pretty knowing, pretty savvy,” Starting the season, it was important to the captains that the freshmen absorb as much as knowledge as they could. Senior captain Hunter Kowalski says the current freshman class will be a powerful force over the next four years.

“I hope they just keep getting experience,” Kowalski said. “They have a big class, and if that stays together, by the time they’re seniors, they’ll be really successful.”

Scouting Report Genson Hooper Price (#9) 6-foot-4 175 lbs Running Back / Kick Return West Briar Middle School Jarvis Johnson (#4) 6-foot 160 lbs Running Back / Cornerback Pin Oak Middle School Matthew Kushwaha (#25) 5-foot-10 174 lbs Running Back / Linebacker St. John’s Middle School

FRESH FACES Freshmen Matthew Kushwaha, Jarvis Johnson and Genson Hooper Price stand at attention. As the number of seniors playing football this year has decreased, this trio has seen significant playing time.

PHILIP KENSINGER

THE REVIEW I September 30, 2015

KATRINA: 10 years later How the St. John’s community remembers the day that changed everything written by irene vazquez Design by matthew neal additional reporting by christian maines

Evacuation memories With the start of the 2015-2016 school year, some of the last students with vivid memories of Hurricane Katrina entered the upper school. Five current students were displaced by the storm, including junior Campbell Hinrichs, who was in the first grade when Katrina hit on Aug. 29, 2005. “My dad told us all we had to pack a bag and one little brown lunch bag of toys,” Hinrichs said. “My sister stole my bags and put her toys in them.” Some families considered not evacuating. “New Orleans gets so many hurricane warnings,” senior Phoebe Myers said. “But we realized we had to evacuate two days before the storm. The traffic was horrible.” The Hinrichs family left New Orleans early in the morning of Aug. 29, evacuating to Nashville to visit family. Like many

Former Mayor Bill White recalls how Houston responded to Katrina On July 13, Gabe Malek sat down with Mayor Bill White to discuss how Houston handled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. White was in office from 2004-2010. What stands out to you 10 years later? I worked non-stop for 100 days, every waking hour. The suffering and the heroism by so many volunteers and the suffering of the refugees I’ll never forget. Now we more or less take it for granted that we have so many citizens living in our community who made a move that they never contemplated.

New Orleans families, Hinrichs thought they would be gone for a short period of time. “Even when I started school here, we were still living in a hotel,” Hinrichs said. “Eventually we got an apartment, and I realized we would be [in Houston] for a while.” Other New Orleans transplants recall the feeling of displacement. “When we first came over, it was like a vacation for us,” senior Will Bickham said. “We stayed for the first three weeks at the St. Regis hotel, and we treated it like a vacation from the first day of school.” According to the National Weather Service, 28 tropical or subtropical cyclones have hit the state of Louisiana since 2000. Due to their young age and the frequency with which hurricanes hit the New Orleans area, many of the evacuees did not grasp the severity of Katrina for several weeks. “At the St. Regis [our family friends] were walking around the hotel with two dogs and an iguana named Frederico,” Bickham said. “About two or three weeks into our stay, we put the iguana in the elevator and pushed all the buttons. When we hopped on the elevator, the manager was there, and he knew exactly what had happened. I remember it being very funny.” Bickham started at River Oaks Baptist and fellow senior Prentiss Havens entered SJS along with Hinrichs in September 2005. “I watched [Hurricane Katrina] from Houston,” Havens said. “It’s hard to watch your city be destroyed when you’re in another place.” Many students, parents and teachers in the school community turned out to help in whatever way they could. English department chair Angela Flowers volunteered at the Astrodome at the onset of the evacuation. “The SJS community was there in full force,” Flowers said. “I was bumping into people [from SJS] the whole time. I remember all these parents working around the clock, working three days, no sleep. Nobody’s parents were

home. I remember being there all night, adjust to a different way of life. Junior not sleeping and then going to work.” Daniel Perrier’s relatives ended up staying In the aftermath of the hurricane, the with his family for six months. school undertook several fundraising ef“My cousin Addie ended up playing for forts, including bake sales, car washes and the school’s first grade soccer team with food and clothing drives. me, and her brother Larkin, who is two According to Flowers, in order to help years older than me, shared a room with out at the Astrodome, potential volunteers me,” Perrier said. “It was a bit hectic since had to have an inside connection. my cousins felt out of place in Houston.” “So many people wanted to help that The Upper School welcomed 25 students there was a kind of hierarchy,” Flowers from New Orleans private schools. said. “I had to call some people and pull English teacher Kem Kemp inherited a some strings to be able to go help.” new advisory consisting entirely of underThe Astrodome was filled with thousands classmen evacuees. of people and industrial-sized garbage bags “[The students] were very quiet and in which belongings were kept. reserved,” Kemp said. “I wondered how “When they evacto get to know the kids uated, people didn’t and how to help them have time to get their get to know each other. suitcases,” Flowers It was hard. I couldn’t said. “It looked like outwardly see that they trash, but it was peowere traumatized, and I ple’s clothes and padidn’t want to ask pernew orleans perwork.” sonal questions in front Flowers worked in students joining of everyone.” the nursery with chilFor many students, the dren, and several par- the upper school evacuation coupled with ents worked with the the school’s rigorous acain 2005 medical staff. demic nature made for a “It was like an army: rough transition. the doctors, the med“They opened up a ical staff, with these little bit. It didn’t gel as current upper makeshift tents trying much as I wanted it to,” to address people’s school students Kemp said. “I felt like immediate needs,” they had a distance, an from new orleans Flowers said. amnesia if you will.” Meanwhile, famiSchools in New Orlein 2015 lies with ties to New ans began to reopen as Orleans took friends early as November. Some and family into their students went back then, homes. Junior Miranwhile others waited until da Allegar’s maternal relatives lived in New the end of the semester or the school year. Orleans, and most of them moved in with While Bickham stayed in Houston, Myher family during the storm. ers, Hinrichs and Havens all moved back “Since I was so young, I didn’t really un- to Louisiana, only to return to Houston in derstand what was happening, but I was fall 2006. excited to have my grandparents pick me “It’s not nice being the new kid, and the up from school every day,” Allegar said. only new kid, and the new kid that still “Some of my strongest memories from identifies as a New Orleanian,” Hinrichs that time are making caramel popcorn said. with my grandmother in her apartment.” Years later, Houstonians look positively Junior Christina McGee and her sister on how the city responded to the hurriEleni (‘15) welcomed grandparents into cane. their home during the evacuation. “I’m very proud of how Houston re“They were going to stay [in New Or- sponded to the evacuation,” Flowers said. leans] but left in the middle of the night “We immediately said ‘come’ and didn’t as the weather report looked worse and put any barriers in people’s way. As a city worse,” Eleni said. “I remember watching and as a school, we did the right thing. It’s the news and being terrified at the pic- the best I’ve ever felt about being a Houstures.” tonian.” In time, as many New Orleanians stayed in Houston, hosts and evacuees began to

katrina by the

numbers (St. john’s)

What were the steps you went through to handle the influx of so many people?

How did you prepare the astrodome to handle the evacuees?

First, I had done scenario planning for hurricanes because Houston is in a hurricane zone. We had responders pre-positioned outside of New Orleans, and I followed the weather carefully. Second, I was aware of the vulnerability of the levee system, having read two books about it. On Aug. 29 I had a conversation with the CEO of Shell telling me the levees had been breached. Even though the news from Washington was optimistic, I immediately called my senior staff to run our city because I would need to spend time on the largest long-term evacuation of a major American city in the nation’s history. We began pulling together business, civic, nonprofit, and political leaders for one-hour meetings at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

We essentially had to create small cities in both the Astrodome and George R. Brown Convention Center. There were also over 50,000 occupied hotel rooms crammed with people, and many were staying inside churches. So there were far more evacuees in the area than the pictures of the Astrodome indicate. Next, I wanted people to look forward and take responsibility for getting kids in school and finding a job; I didn’t want people to only look back and grieve. We developed an emergency housing program that, at its peak, housed 120,000 people. The program used apartment vouchers in order to move people into approximately 35,000 apartments in about 90 days.

How did you go about getting kids into schools? We housed people in apartments that fed into nearby public schools. We raised funds to get

teacher assistance, but the longer challenge was bringing kids up to grade level because many kids in the New Orleans school districts were not performing at a comparable grade level to the kids in Houston. Within days after Katrina, I set up a fund which primarily focused on school programs which consisted of after-school tutoring and summer school.

What cultural effects have you witnessed from the evacuees who came from New Orleans? So many people came because they had relatives already living in Houston. There’s always been a good tie between the two cities, and a lot of the larger businesses in New Orleans were branch offices of businesses in Houston. I don’t care where people come from; if they bring a little of their heritage with them, we’re all richer.

SJSREVIEW.COM I September 30, 2015

THE CITY: THEN AND NOW Since Katrina, New Orleans has undergone numerous changes. For many, the biggest shocks are not the large-scale shifts, but the more personal changes of day-to-day life. “All of my grandparents lost their houses or were unable to move back in,” Allegar said. “Visiting them in their new houses was one of the most striking parts of the experience. It was so unsettling for me.” Though many had to rebuild, most families were able to pick up where they left off before the storm. “There was absolutely nothing left of [my grandparents’] house on the gulf coast,” Perrier said. “Around two years or so after the hurricane they were able to rebuild their house simply two feet higher. While my grandmother and family may lack many of the pictures and physical items that we had before the storm, we have still kept all of the memories.” Everything along the Gulf is delineated as either pre- and post-Katrina. “Even though Katrina was a horrible disaster, it gave everyone a clean slate and a way to make things even better than they were before,” said Eleni McGee, a freshman at New Orleans’s Tulane University. Students at Tulane are experiencing the reality of being in the city today. “For the people who remained here, the city has definitely taken a turn towards being more modern,” said Erin Granberry (‘13), a Tulane sophomore. “It’s a very artsy New Orleans-esque modern, but it’s still modern.” Granberry noted that not all the changes are necessarily for the better. “Just like in Houston, more apartment complexes are popping up and many of the poor people who have lived here all their lives are having to find new places to live because slowly but surely, they can’t afford to live in their own neighborhoods anymore,” Granberry said. Most agree that the storm provided a clean slate for the city to come back stronger. “It was especially great to visit after the Saints won the Super Bowl,” Christina McGee said. “The city is full of caring, proud and unique people, and I’m so glad that wasn’t lost in the storm.” Recently, Allegar visited New Orleans over Labor Day weekend. “New Orleans is such a strong city full of strong people,” Allegar said. “I think it’s that unique culture that explains how it’s come back as much

uprooted A car washed up against a tree in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Hundreds of thousands of evacuees resettled in Houston after their homes were destroyed.

as it has. Even though there’s some level of regret or loss underneath, it’s almost like the city’s even stronger than it was before. If we can come back from that, we can keep going through anything.”

courtesy of campbell hinrichs

A DECADE OF REFLECTION Ten years later, the displaced New Orleanians see that the biggest changes caused by Katrina are within themselves. “It made me a lot more resilient because it was really tough having to leave all of my friends,” Bickham said. “At my age, none of us had phones, and when the storm hit, my parents could only send text messages, so that was the first time they sent text messages.” Hinrichs says the experience changed him for the better. “I understand the reality of how major events shape people’s lives,” Hinrichs said. “I understand, going into college, that everything will be different. I’ll move a lot in my life, and I’ve accepted that.” Even 10 years later, students still see Louisiana as a part of their identity. “I’ll always see Louisiana as my home,” Bickham said. “It’s kind of a pride thing, and just as people are proud of Texas, I’m proud to be a Texan, but I still consider myself as Louisianian.” Like many current Tulane students, Granberry’s experiences with New Orleans are largely post-Katrina. “It tends to be a touchy subject to many New Orleans locals for people who are new to the area to pretend that they know what happened and how horrible it was,” Granberry said. “Just because we’ve seen pictures does not make us eligible to pretend that we know what they all went through.” Not all see the 10-year anniversary as a time of celebration. “I’ve seen many accounts on Facebook from locals who say they don’t think it’s right to ‘celebrate’ the tenth anniversary and how far the city has come because they think it should be much more of a day of mourning and remembrance for all the people who starved or drowned,” Granberry said. “It’s only been in the last few years that I’ve really learned more about what actually happened and understood more of why the event was so tragic; more tragic than it needed to be.”

katrina By the numbers (city of houston) 600,000+

250,000

120,000

households displaced WIthin a month

number of new orleans evacuees in houston

people given emergency housing

August 29, 2005 KATRINA MAKES LANDFALL, LEVEES BREAK August 30 ORDER TO EVACUATE September 1 SENATE PASSES RELIEF PACKAGE

September 2 NATIONAL GUARD FIRST DEPLOYED September 7 NEW EVACUEES SJS ORIENTATION

September 11 SJS HOLDS FIRST FUNDRAISER FOR EVACUEES MATTHEW NEAL

courtesy of campbell hinrichs

You received the JFK Profile in Courage Award, given to leaders who stick to their conscience in the face of criticism. What backlash did you face most prominently and how did you work against that? There were people who feared the financial obligations of funding the relief effort, but through hard work and help from members of both parties, the city of Houston got all expenses reimbursed. There were critics who feared that there would be a large number of people who would be unemployed and that would drain our economy, but in fact they were consumers, and we found that most people from New Orleans decided to make their home here. Whether they contributed working in the back of the kitchen or working in the executive suite, we benefited from the growth in workforce. I didn’t talk about some of the economic benefits at the time because I didn’t want people to think we were celebrating

our neighbor’s loss, but there was an unequivocal plus to Houston with the number of people and companies that moved here. Lastly, people criticized the initial rise in crime. New Orleans did have higher crimes rates than most cities, but there was no way you could pick out people who were inclined to criminal activity. However, we had special housing for those people- the jail. And we created zero-tolerance zones in areas that experienced spikes in crime. Crime went up during the first four months, but within a year crime rates returned to their pre-Katrina levels.

How did you handle the scare of Hurricane Rita only three weeks after Katrina? During the Hurricane Rita evacuation, every hotel room in the whole region was full with people from Katrina, so people in storm surge areas were all on the roads instead of being able to go inland. That created a traffic nightmare which was compounded by the fact that many

Houstonians were scared by the images from Katrina and decided to evacuate even when they weren’t in danger zones.

Do you think the minimal response from the federal government increased the role Houston had to play? After Katrina, federal law was rewritten to model a Houston-type housing program. FEMA didn’t know what to do, but we did. The local FEMA people were content to be assigned roles and not be in charge, and the federal government itself consulted me quite a bit to change their future procedures. But the most important thing was to be able to call on corporations and religious groups so that you could supplement the expertise in the public sector.

Do you think the way with which you handled the situation propelled Houston to greater national acclaim?

The biggest transformation was in how we looked at ourselves. I encountered a senior citizen who was African American at a large African American church that I attended on occasion two or three months after the evacuation. She told me that she was around when the Civil Rights laws were passed, and they made a difference in the legal rights, but they didn’t change attitudes and stereotypes. She thought that it would take at least a couple of generations before a white person looked at her and just saw a person and not a black person. Then Katrina came along, and all these people were looking at the folks from New Orleans as just neighbors who needed help. She told me she then realized that most people’s attitudes had indeed changed. Katrina helped Houston see itself in a new light.

THE REVIEW I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

CAMPUS EMBRACES HYDRATION CULTURE BY MICHAEL VERMEULEN

ater-refilling fountains adorn the walls of the new Campus Center, allowing students to fill up their water bottles whenever they want. “I carry a 32-ounce Nalgene bottle around school every day,” junior field hockey player Reese Vogel said. “If I don’t drink water throughout the day, then I can’t perform as well during practice, so the new stations have been really nice.” Athletes drink more water throughout the day than the average student. Many coaches encourage their students to drink water to keep in top shape.

ion e

“A common expression is that if you wait to drink until you’re thirsty, it’s too late,” cross-country coach Richie Mercado said. “We work with a nutritionist who tells our athletes to check the color of their urine. Fluids are also vital at this age because of the amount of water and nutrients being used up in the growing process.” Many athletes always have water within arm’s reach. “I don’t even usually have to ask to know who’s an athlete and who’s not among my students,” biology teacher Paula Angus said. “Athletes

always have water on their tables, and they’ll ask me for permission to refill their water bottles. They’re even reminding me to stay hydrated myself.” While hydration is a widespread practice at SJS, it does not exist everywhere. “I didn’t really start paying attention to my daily water consumption until I got to SJS,” senior cross-country captain Maya Bhandari said. “Most people at St. John’s carry around water bottles, which no one at my middle school did, and that makes you drink a lot more water without even noticing.” The community’s embrace of hydration is not new. “About 25 years ago, back when I was helping coach football, we had an athletic trainer who really stressed drinking a lot of water,” Mercado said. “For a while we would play a big opening game versus St. Pius, and each year we would start out losing. However, about midway through the third quarter their players would start to cramp up, and we would come back to win the games. It was then that I knew that whatever we were doing seemed to be working.” Especially for athletes, water renewal is one of the most important factors in staying healthy in the Houston weather. “Water is key to any function that the body carries out,” Angus said. “It is absolutely necessary to maintain blood pressure, to maintain the digestive process and to carry out the chemical reactions needed for muscles to work. While the amount of water that a person needs per days varies on factors like their weight and how much exercise they get, everybody needs about 24 ounces for every pound they lose in order to stay healthy.” Because of Houston summer’s heat and humidity, it is much easier for athletes to get dehydrated than in

other parts of the country, even if they try to stay hydrated. “The majority of the team carries water bottles around, but we always have a few girls every year get dehydrated and throw up or feel faint and then have to sit out,” Vogel said. Many athletes have become more conscious about how they are impacting the environment through their actions. A widespread belief is that it is preferable to drink water from Nalgene-type bottles instead of disposable plastic bottles. “Drinking bottled water is expensive and a waste of plastic in my opinion,” Mercado said. “There are recent studies that bottle water is more likely to contain bacteria than city tap water supplies.” Some people have attempted to find ways to hydrate other than simply drinking water, but critics claim that none of these methods are work as well as the old-fashioned way. “There’s talk about coconut water as the new thing, but it’s not perfect in the least because it does not have any sodium,” Mercado said. “Gatorade is good right after hot exercise, but if you decide to drink it normally at any other time of the day, then it really is just like drinking soda without the bubbles because of the amount of sugar.” Athletes face an uphill battle in being at their physical peak on game day, but keeping hydrated seems to be part of a winning strategy. “It’s hard to keep up, but you have to drink often and at the right times in order to be at your best,” Mercado said.

DRINK UP Football players take a water break during practice. Filling up on water is a common occurrence during all athletic events, as coaches stress hydration in and out of competition.

JARED MARGOLIS

MATTHEW NEAL

“I drink probably two or three liters a day,” senior boys’ cross-country captain Joe Faraguna said. “Drinking enough water is really important because dehydration has a negative impact on both mental and physical function.” There has been some controversy about the issue of hydration. According to an Aug. 24 New York Times article, athletes should wait until they are thirsty before they drink because the human body is finely tuned to signal when to take a drink.

LTURE U C

Online

Musical policy causes drama

Faking news: ‘Daily Show’ loses iconic host by Chris Zimmerman and David Nathan

The Alma Mater’s Second Verse Summer films sink and swim

SJSREVIEW.COM I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

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Culture Briefs Imagination Lock-in brings writers, artists together

The Chao Assembly Room was filled with poetry books and dream catcher coloring pages on Sept. 18 for the annual Imagination Lock-in. From 5 to 10 p.m., more than 20 writers, artists and editors from the campus literary magazine, wrote stories, ate pizza and read poems aloud. The lock-in is traditionally held at the beginning of the year to gather submissions for the magazine, which will be published this winter. The lock-in was more structured than in previous years. Editors led activities and games for most of the time to help make people feel included. “In the past, the lock-in has been a lot of free time, which is fun, but we really wanted to make people feel welcome even if they didn’t know anyone else there,” managing editor Cara Maines said. “I really wanted this to be a time for artists and writers to bond while doing what they love.”

‘Clinger’ to debut at Alamo Drafthouse

Michael Steves’ (‘09) comedy horror film “Clinger” will open at Alamo Drafthouse from Oct. 23-29 and ‘on demand’ on Oct. 23. Steves co-wrote the film along with classmates Gabi Chennisi Duncombe and Bubba Fish. “Clinger” was acquired for U.S. distribution by Paragon Releasing, and the film will premiere in New York, Houston and Los Angeles. The film tells the story of Fern Peterson (Jennifer Laporte), a high school senior whose life transforms when her overly affectionate boyfriend, Robert Klingher (Vincent Martella), dies in an accident. Robert returns as a ghost and plots to kill Fern so they can be together. Critics pre-screened the film at the Park City Slamdance Film Festival in January. Film critic James Patterson called “Clinger” a “light, entertaining, and extremely bloody take on the idea of teen love, a topic that in and of itself is a complete horror show for the most part.”

Briefs by Cara Maines and Christian Maines

Jon Stewart hosted “The Daily Show” from 1999 to 2015. Editor-in-Chief Chris Zimmerman and adviser David Nathan reflect on Stewart’s departure and his legacy. I started watching “The Daily Show” a few weeks before our seventh grade trip to Washington D.C. so I would be in the know on all national political happenings. As it turns out, that information didn’t come into play during the Washington Nationals baseball game, but it did spark a six-year infatuation with Jon Stewart. With depressingly little free time in high school, it became harder to follow “The Daily Show” during the week, but I made sure to set aside an hour every Saturday to catch up on the episodes I missed. Watching those four episodes allowed me to appreciate the consistency of “The Daily Show.” It seemed like Jon Stewart expected the same integrity and consistency from politicians and newscasters that he expected from himself. Stewart’s monologues were witty and incisive, the correspondents were appropriately mocking and satirical, and the guest interviews were genuine and straightforward. Stewart’s frankness especially impressed me. Last year he asked former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, “Can you ever not disappoint us?” and he told former New York Times reporter Judith Miller that she helped President George W. Bush make the “most devastating mistake in foreign policy that we’ve made in 100 years” by overstating the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. My favorite Stewart moment — and the greatest guest appearance ever on TV — was in 2004 when he went on CNN’s “Crossfire” and told hosts Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala their show was “hurting America.” Three months later, “Crossfire” was canceled. Under the guise of a fake news show, Stewart kept the political system honest. I know that I romanticize Stewart. He wasn’t always right and wasn’t always unbi-

ased, but he was a real-life superhero fighting the war against ignorance and bigotry. I attribute my interest in politics and my general public awareness to Stewart. He made the news enjoyable and easy to swallow. But most importantly, I trusted him. For several years, Stewart was ranked as the most trusted person in the media, an impressive feat for a fake news show. Stewart’s job was never to report the news, but rather to correct the bias, misconceptions and outright lies promoted by the “mainstream media,” but especially Fox News. I turn 18 in October and plan to vote in the party primaries and 2016 general election. Going through an election cycle without Stewart, my first election at that, worries me. I trusted him and relied on him more than any other person for news, and it’s hard to imagine not having Stewart to pick through the spin, bias and general manure. Jon Stewart helped me and all millennials be more aware and informed, but more importantly, he taught us how to be critical. Thank you, Jon. Enjoy your moment of zen. Chris Zimmerman I didn’t grow up with Jon Stewart, but I became a better adult because of him. At the turn of the century, with the outset of the 24-hour news cycle, Twitter and the In-

So long, Jon. Hello, Amy.

terweb, it became increasingly difficult for me to cut through the noise, but Jon Stewart and his irreverent news team delivered the truth in a fake news show. Jon Stewart not only made me laugh, but in the process he bridged the gap between me and my students. When I first started teaching in the mid-1990’s, the cultural connections to my students were “The Simpsons” and “Seinfeld,” but when I came to St. John’s in 2001, I transitioned to “The Daily Show,” and so did most of my favorite students. If you were a fan of “The Daily Show,” you were a friend of mine. There are former students to this day that I recall solely due to the bond we shared with Jon Stewart and “The Daily Show.” Back then I had two small kids and a job — there was precious little time to read the daily newspaper, and I gave up watching the local TV news because every night was a depressing stream of stories about fires, crime and tropical storms. Joseph Heller, who wrote my favorite novel, the darkly satiric “Catch-22,” once said that he wrote his magnum opus so he could laugh to keep from crying. And so it was with “The Daily Show.” Those twenty minutes (admittedly I would sometimes skip the interviews) were my time to decompress. I needed to laugh at the end of the day. Jon Stewart basically got me through the global war on terror. It happened so gradually, but eventually I realized that I was getting more and more of my information about the world from Jon Stewart than anywhere else. And I wasn’t alone. For years, public opinion polls and surveys ranked Stewart the most trusted journalist in the country. And for the host of a fake news show not beholden to journalistic ethics, that is quite an achievement. Jon Stewart may have abdicated his throne, but his former correspondents have filled the void, including Stephen Colbert (“The Late Show”), Larry Wilmore (“The Nightly Show”) and John Oliver, who hosts the current best fake news show on TV, HBO’s “Last Week Tonight.” Jon Stewart’s show might have been fake, but his legacy is real. David Nathan BROOKE KUSHWAHA

Schumer fills comedy gap with hit TV show, movie by Brooke Kushwaha My first encounter with Amy Schumer happened in the summer of 2012. In my early adolescence, I stumbled upon her entirely inappropriate stand-up routine, “Mostly Sex Stuff.” Even though I couldn’t relate to 90 percent of what Schumer was joking about, she just seemed so, well, relatable. She was far from the perfect TV personality: she was human and unapologetic without the Jennifer Lawrence caveat of still being unattainably attractive. By 2015, Schumer’s notoriety had spread beyond the walls of Comedy Central. Her Emmy-winning show “Inside Amy Schumer” made waves for its tongue-in-cheek commentary of women in comedy and Hollywood in general. Her parody of “12 Angry Men” answered the age-old question, “Is Amy Schumer hot enough to be on TV?” The answer is a resounding “Why should that even matter?” Between every serious point she makes are ten jokes full of innuendo. Her humor is reminiscent of that of a smarter Seth Rogen in high heels. Her ability to keep audiences laughing is the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down. Until this year, Schumer was all but a niche comedian on basic cable. She was primarily known for her raunchy, self-deprecating humor and her scene-stealing appearances on Comedy Central Roasts. During one roast, Seth MacFarlane notably said, “What can I say about Amy Schumer? I don’t

know, because I have no idea who she is.” Hosting the MTV Movie Awards in April gave her some name recognition, but by mid-summer it seemed like Schumer had taken over every clickbait blog and Internet think piece. Even though Schumer has been a prominent name in comedy for years, her sudden popularity had inflamed society overnight. Luckily, Schumer has experience with controversy. It’s proof enough of Schumer’s power that she can pull high ratings on a heavily male-skewing network like Comedy Central. Her success inspired the network to take more chances on female talent, leading to shows like “Broad City” (it’s like “Girls” but without Lena Dunham’s pretentiousness). Schumer was even approached about replacing Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show,” an offer she refused in order to pursue projects in Hollywood. The summer hit “Trainwreck” became the catalyst that made Schumer a household name. Following the semi-autobiographical story of a commitment-averse slacker, “Trainwreck” takes well-known romantic comedy tropes and tempers the sickly sweetness with a healthy dose of promiscuity and professional athleticism. Pro wrestler John Cena and NBA star LeBron James both appear in supporting roles, so women had a way to bring their boyfriends along. “Trainwreck” marks the first time that director Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”) adapted a screenplay written by someone other than himself. “Trainwreck” opened at No. 3 in the box office,

grossing over $100 million domestically. Advertising for the movie relied heavily on LeBron, but word of mouth and genuine hilarity sent moviegoers to the theaters in larger numbers. Schumer now has Hollywood as her oyster. She’s planning a screenplay with her recent BFF Jennifer Lawrence, and “Inside Amy Schumer” has been renewed for a fourth season. While it may seem easy to box Schumer into a new-wave Millennial trend, her appeal transcends age and gender. I felt both disquieted and oddly proud when my mom started raving about “Trainwreck” to her middle-aged friends or chuckling at guest appearances by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on “Inside Amy Schumer.” Schumer herself is in her 30s and therefore straddles the gap between Generation X and the Millennials. Schumer’s old enough to appreciate Martha’s Vineyard and young enough to (allegedly) receive a lifelong ban from ever vacationing there again. Most refreshingly, Schumer provides a much-needed respite from male-centric comedy that dominates movies and television. I’m tired of hearing about crazy ex-girlfriends, crazy mothersin-law, and how much straight men regret their marriages. I’m tired of everything Adam Sandler has the audacity to call a movie. (“Pixels,” anyone?) And with Jon Stewart gone, there is a comedy void. Schumer has big shoes to fill, but realistically she and Jon Stewart are probably the same size.

THE REVIEW I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

JARED MARGOLIS

Singers spend summer with Houston Symphony Chorus

by Christian Maines While some students were off exploring Europe or the Bahamas over the summer, three singers blazed a trail right here in Houston as some of the youngest performers in the Houston Symphony Chorus. The official choral unit of the Houston Symphony consists of talented volunteers from a variety of backgrounds. Junior James Boehme, senior Yousef Gaber and Elizabeth Elrod (’15) sang “Carmina Burana” at Jones Hall as members of the Houston Symphony Chorus Youth Singers. “It was a great honor for our three students to be chosen to sing and to have the opportunity to perform with the Houston Symphony Chorus and the Houston Symphony,” Director of K-12 Academic Programs Megan Henry said. Henry is a member of the Houston Symphony Chorus. When Director Betsy Weber decided to include youth singers,

Henry recommended Boehme, Elrod and Gaber, as well as senior Kyra Link, who could not participate due to a scheduling conflict. “I got an email from Mr. Bonasso saying that there was a great singing opportunity for me this summer,” Boehme said. “We met with Ms. Henry and were told that we were being sponsored.” The singers rehearsed from the beginning of June to mid-July. Bonasso chose one singer per voice part from the SJS choral program to participate. “I guess [Mr. Bonasso] thought that I had a voice that was suited to singing opera,” Boehme said. “I was very honored.” The singers rehearsed Tuesday evenings for seven weeks leading up to the performance. During the final week, the singers had all-day rehearsals, some at Jones Hall. “My best experience was on opening night, going out in front of everyone, because there were several thousand people

in Jones Hall,” Boehme said. “It was such a cool feeling to be able to sing with such talented people.” The singers were partnered with hosts, choir performers who showed the youth singers the ropes and gave them advice. “Most of [the singers] were much older than us, and this was something that they did as an activity in their free time,” Gaber said. “They were very experienced, and it was awesome to be around such talented and developed voices.” The singers performed with the Columbian Youth Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada. The chorus also rehearsed with Weber before they began working with Orozco-Estrada. “[Weber] had an incredible sense of music and great musicality about her,” Gaber said. “She imparted a bit of her love of music to me.” The Youth and Collegiate singers rehearsed and performed alongside 125 adult volunteers.

“Singing with so many talented adults was definitely intimidating,” Elrod said. “At first, I was worried that I might get called out by the director and taken out of the program for making even a tiny mistake.” Over time, the singers became more comfortable in their environment. “Everyone in the choir was extremely nice, welcoming and eager to show us the ropes,” Elrod said. “The performances were the best nights of my life — the sheer power of the sound the choir produced shocked both me and the audience, and it was a beautiful experience.” Elrod now attends Carnegie Mellon University. “For me, singing with the Houston Symphony Chorus was a fantastic way to finish up my time in Houston,” Elrod said. “I know that James, Yousef and I are hugely grateful to Ms. Henry and Mr. Bonasso for providing us with this opportunity.”

joyful noise Junior James Boehme and senior Yousef Gaber work on their singing skills during Chorale practice.

UNDER REVIEW

Summer blockbusters succeed when nostalgia hits home by Michael VerMeulen

Animated films “Minions” and “Inside Out” a much more obscure superhero, “Ant-Man” “Pixels” appealed to audiences by centering the story around the possible destruction of the attracted much younger viewers. These fami- succeeded due to a refreshingly low-stakes and The summer blockbuster season is over, mark- world by, of all things, 80’s video game charac- ly-friendly animated films were able to compete sweet tone that fits the size of its titular hero. ing the annual shift from giant explosion fests to ters. While director Chris Columbus (of “Harry in the movie marketplace thanks to their famil- Popular comedy star Paul Rudd takes on an acawards-bait. This summer, the trend of reboots, Potter” fame) showed off with visual effects, he iarity with audiences. In the case of “Minions,” tion role for the first time in his career. the use of popular side An actor who has regularly starred was unable to save a sequels and adaptations continued, in action roles is Tom Cruise, and characters to star in with the majority of successful films film that doesn’t know his biggest franchise continued this falling into these categories. While the audience it is aima spin-off guaranteed ing for and unwisely success, no matter summer with “Mission: Impossible original ideas were surprisingly rare, how mediocre the film - Rogue Nation,” the fifth installretains the stupidity of not all the summer’s clichés were ment in the series. The latest entry Adam Sandler’s usual turned out to be. With necessarily bad. was a big hit, proving that at 53 “Inside Out,” Pixar The summer’s biggest hit, and humor. years old, Cruise can still carry an the third highest grossing film of “Straight Outta returned from an exaction movie that is fun and thrillCompton” also aimed tended waiting period all-time, “Jurassic World” was beto appeal to a nostalgic and drove audiences to ing entertainment, and the fact that loved because it revitalized a hugely audience but, unlike the theater. Cruise was willing to do his own nostalgic franchise while catering to Another original film insane stunts instead of relying on modern tastes by casting new stars “Pixels,” was a massive that piggy-backed on CGI should be commended. like Chris Pratt. Plot holes notwithhit on a much smaller standing, the familiar adventurous budget. An N.W.A. the company brand, These summer blockbusters phenomenon once in this case Marvel, prove that a well-known title does tone allowed for enjoyment. action RECORD BREAKER THE throwback again took over the was “Ant-Man.” Now not necessarily make for a big hit. “Terminator: Genisys” also atextravaganza Dinosaurs made a N.W.A. biopic struck the highest-grossing Films have to build relationships tempted to revitalize a famous senation, reminiscent of Tom Cruise still big comeback, with their audiences, and they have ries, including bringing back star the rap group’s heyday. a cord with die-hard franchise in history, shines, this time earning $208 million to adapt to modern tastes without Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it was An effective marketing fans and critics alike the Marvel Cinematic hanging onto the opening weekend losing the sense of enjoyment that met with disdain. Instead of just push pulled the film’s Universe has earned outside of a plane referencing the previous movies and target audience through viral adver- enough trust for audiences to spend made viewers want to go back to the modernizing like the Jurassic franchise, the film tisements, including a popular Internet meme, their money on their CGI extravaganzas, even theater in the first place. recreated exact scenes from the previous entries while still drawing an older demographic with ones in which a man becomes the size of an ant. and destroyed the series’ continuity. the promise of an honest story and the group’s The critically destroyed “Fantastic Four” reboot Even more than “Terminator”, Adam Sandler’s popular music. (which was not made at Marvel) bombed. With

SJSREVIEW.COM I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

by Amy Liu The decision to restrict participation in the spring musical has created a lot of drama. Last year’s visit with Independent School Management schedule consultants, as well as feedback from parents and students, shed light on the alarming amount of time students spent on campus. To address this problem, rehearsal times for the spring musical have changed to weekdays from 3:45 to 6:00 p.m. Rehearsals traditionally occurred on Sunday afternoons and Monday through Thursday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. “The school has had concerns for a long time about stress and extracurriculars combined with workload.” said Megan Henry, Director of K-12 Academic Programs. This is the first step in addressing these issues,” Because the new schedule conflicts with winter sports practice, students cannot participate in both a winter sport and the spring musical. Rehearsals for the fall musical, “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat,” will follow the usual schedule so that winter athletes can still participate in at least one production. “I’m glad they compensated about not being able to do the spring musical,” said John Ballard, who plays football and was cast as the lead in the fall musical. “Still,

seniors are working hard for college. There’s a large chunk of the school that can’t do it.” The musical will require a larger cast and ensemble than a regular play. The fall musical, held Nov. 13-14, will be performed on the Great Lawn. “We wanted to celebrate the Great Lawn, as we’ve always done what fitted that particular year and season,” Director of Fine Arts Bill McDonald said. Earlier rehearsals will allow production faculty to balance work and family. Choir director Scott Bonasso has two sons, technical director Benjamin Garmon and his wife are expecting a baby, and dance teacher Victoria Arizpe is repairing her house that was flooded in May. “There have been times when I haven’t seen my house in daylight for three months,” McDonald said. “It’s going to make the production team’s lives more pleasant. For students, their energy levels will be much higher and their stress levels lower.” The schedule is intended to help students prioritize their interests rather than struggle to build an impressive scope of activities.

JUGGLING ACT Athletes must choose between winter sports and the spring musical because of the new wellness initiative. The restriction is meant to keep students from overcommitting.

ASHWINI BANDI

“It becomes unhealthy when students do all of these things to build résumés,” Director of Wellness Jennifer Welch said. “We should help students continue things they actually enjoy, and for those who really do want to do it all, help them understand it’s not healthy to do it all at once.” Some students say that wellness must ultimately be left up to personal control. “They should guide us, but not necessarily restrict,” Johnnycake officer Jason Souvaliotis said. “Students need to understand the commitment they put in, but it

EMILY RAGAUSS

Altered rehearsal schedule causes controversy

might not be Wellness’s job to stop students from pursuing their passions. Still, they have good intentions, and there’s no right answer.” Welch says that overcommitting may force students to compromise time with family and friends. “Is it worth emotional and physical stress? Is it worth giving up relationships?” Welch said. “I’m proud that we’re acknowledging this out loud. The more we make it clear that health matters, the easier it will be for people to say, ‘I agree. I’ll take care of myself.’” Some theater and sports participants who have successfully managed their time in the past find the changes unnecessary. “If it were so hard for me to manage my work, I would remember it as a bad experience. But every single year I’ve had nothing but good memories,” senior Elizabeth Moore said. “When I’m supposed to be enjoying myself senior year, I have to decide between two of my favorite things.” McDonald encourages students to consider other theater opportunities available if the spring musical is not an option. Welch says that students who spend their high school years racing to rack up academics and extracurriculars may be neglecting a pivotal time for self-growth. “There’s something about the SJS community that makes students and parents think, ‘I know it’s a really bad grind and not good for us, but it’s worth it’,” Welch said. “But I disagree. This time in your lives matters, and not only because it gets

you to the next stage.” Student opinions vary on how many activities they can handle and knowing when they have reached the limit. “If people want to do both things, they need to realize the consequences and the rewards, but if they’re too stressed, they shouldn’t need to,” Ballard said. “Give them all the opportunities to grow in the arts and athletics.” The school will be instituting an entirely new schedule next year, on top of the theater changes. “In the next couple of years we are going to see some positive changes about how the school approaches students’ time,” McDonald said. “I anticipate many things changing.” While the school works towards an ideal balance between health and productivity, one solution may not suit all students. “It’s going to be impossible to make everyone happy. Students can feel pulled in different directions,” Welch said. “They want to do it all, but there’s a part of them that says, ‘Maybe I don’t want this. I don’t really don’t know what I want.’ And that’s okay. Nobody has it all figured out.”

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE The cast of “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” practices a dance routine. Students in the spring musical will not be allowed to partake in winter athletics due to the scheduling change.

EMMA SHEA

BEYOND

THE REVIEW I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

JEFFREY MORRIS

Ice Cream Queen: Lai leaves government for sweets

A LA MODE Victoria Lai’s (‘97) Washington D.C. ice cream parlor, Ice Cream Jubilee, was ranked as the 10th best ice cream shop in the country by TimeOut Magazine. Her passion for ice cream went from a blogging hobby to a brick-and-mortar store.

by Cara Maines For years, Victoria Lai (‘97) led a double life. By day, she worked in the Department of Homeland Security as a presidential appointee on immigration issues. By night, she made creamy confections and wrote for her blog, Ice Cream Jubilee. “I would wake up at 5:30 in the morning and make my ice cream base, then put some flavors into the ice cream machine to freeze and churn it and turn it into ice cream,” Lai said. “Then I would go to work and get back and try to photograph scoops in the sunset. The next morning, I would wake up and try to photograph the ice cream flavors in the sunrise.” In 2013, Lai entered the DC Scoop recipe competition. Up against 18 other ice cream producers — some of which had been open for decades — Ice Cream Jubilee was voted People’s Choice Award. A year later, she opened a shop in Washington D.C. by the same name and left Homeland Security. This summer, TimeOut Magazine rated Ice Cream Jubilee No. 10 on a list of the top 21 ice cream shops in the country, citing their unusual flavors like caramel popcorn and Thai iced tea. “I love introducing people to interna-

tional flavors,” Lai said. “Passionfruit Guava is a vegan non-dairy sorbet that tastes like the soda I tasted when I visited Hawaii with my mom.” According to Lai, running an ice cream shop is no different from running any small business. “I love that there’s an endless number of things to do,” she said. “I’ve always felt like I’m a jack of all trades, and I’ve loved working in political campaigns and leading organizations. Running a business is very similar to those fast-paced environments.” Lai learned some necessary business skills in high school. At the age of 15, she went to Fort Worth Country Day with a friend over the summer to work on forming a Houston branch of Summerbridge (now Breakthrough Houston). She ended up teaching middle school students for the program. “I feel lucky that I learned to manage people and teach people at an early age,” Lai said. “Our students were 12 to 14 years old, and I was only 15. I learned to act and think like my coworkers who were as much as seven years older than me, rather than the eighth-grade students.” Lai’s work as a student-teacher gave her important experience as a leader. “Teaching is very much like manage-

ment, and when you learn to lead and can motivate people — whether it’s a classroom or your own employees — these are skills that are applicable in many jobs.” Since her early work for Summerbridge, Lai has tried several different career paths. “I was always open to new experiences. Even within the legal field I went from corporate law to clerkship to working for the executive branch as an appointee for President Obama,” she said. After graduating from Wellesley College in 2001, Lai decided to pursue her passion for politics. She worked on three political campaigns, then moved to Washington, D.C. to work for the Democratic National Committee. When the John Kerry presidential campaign lost in 2004, she went to law school at Fordham University. “The things I like about the campaigns are similar to running my own business,” Lai said. After clerking for a 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals judge, Lai had three months off before her next job started. She made pastries at the Four and Twenty Blackbirds pie shop in Brooklyn during this break. “It was so much fun,” Lai said. “Someone would be peeling apples, I would be making pie crusts, someone would be making coffee, and we’d all be talking about books we’d read, meals we wanted to eat, food we

wanted to try. It was very different from the legal environment.” When Lai ended up at the Department of Homeland Security, she felt something was missing. “I was working for an organization that had 12,000 employees across the globe, and it wasn’t the workplace environment for me — it was just too big,” Lai said. “I grasped onto the joy I had when I was working at the pie shop and the creativity I felt.” Lai claims that working Read the TimeOut at Ice Cream Jubilee is “relist of the top 21 warding every day.” ice cream shops “People are always looking in the country. forward to coming to the ice Ice Cream cream store and they’re always Jubilee really happy when they leave.” ranks Lai developed a relationship with No. customers, ranging from school 10. groups to families. “I love talking with new people and seeing the same kids and families, and seeing twenty- and thirty-somethings come to get ice cream on a regular basis. I feel like I’m a part of these people’s lives and communities.”

Catching up with Drum Corps Captains

Savannah Ezelle (‘13)

Katherine McFarlin (‘14)

Jerald Barbe (‘15)

As Drum Corps Captain, I had the opportunity to really get involved in school pep rallies and in school spirit in general. I joined the cheer team upon entering Rice and, in my sophomore year, joined the executive board of Rice Rally, a student-run group that plans, promotes and runs athletic events with the goal of potentially bringing a little Maverick spirit to the Owls. I’m a junior majoring in geology. This year, in addition to my position on the executive board, I’m operating as one of the Rice Rally co-heads for all Rice football events. Despite all this change, every time I’m in the Rice Stadium tunnel getting flag runners ready for the game, I still think about how I was lugging drums down the same ramp for the Kinkaid Game three years ago.

I can’t believe it’s already been two years since my time as a Drum Corps Captain. There does seem to be a small “Pep Band” here at UChicago with a similar fun and nonchalant air, but I don’t think anything will ever beat my time with the SJS crew. I personally loved the costume side of things with all its freedom and wackiness. The UChicagoans tend to have eclectic and quirky styles, so I’m right at home. Most of my time is sucked up by my studies, but I’m not complaining. I’m pursuing a degree in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, but I often just tell people I’m studying archaeology instead of explaining Egyptology. I hope to get a job at the museum on campus this year, but we will see what happens.

Being in Drum Corps was one of the greatest things I did at St. John’s. From going to the football games to practicing in the morning, I loved every minute of being a part of this awesome group. One of the unique things I loved about Drum Corps was the freedom that we were given with the program, coming up with our own themes and beats. I made some of my lifelong friendships through Drum Corps, and it will always be one of my favorite parts of my high school experience. I’m a freshman at Texas A&M where I’m majoring in engineering. While I’m not currently playing the drums, I love going to the football games and watching the Fighting Texas Aggie Band. I just started school, and I’m looking to join the Automotive Society of Engineers and the Emergency Care Team.

I N I ON P O

SJSREVIEW.COM I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

ON POINT Sunday Prom, no school Monday Great Lawn pep rallies Martians join in on hydration culture

OFF TARGET Blood Moon MIA (See ya in 2033) New bell sounds like Girl Scouts at the door Sophomores not waiting in lunch line

Club fatigue: How many is too many? First on the plaza, then in the gym, then on the Great Lawn, hundreds of students every year swarm around posters, baked goods, and screaming club leaders all vying for more members. The friendly chaos may be confused for a small riot, but Club Fair is one of the most educational aspects of the school. Students can join Music and Art Synthesis Club, Young Conservatives, or Dino Club. Anything the light touches is theirs. The sheer variety of clubs may seem overwhelming, but it’s a freshman rite of passage to sign up for 30 clubs, test-drive their passions or maybe just get a cool sweatshirt. The most defining part of Club Fair is the freedom it gives students to pursue literally anything they can think of. Students are often inundated with the learning they have to do, so why not give them this choice? If a student thinks their interests are being overlooked, they can take the initiative and easily form their own club. Clubs build leadership skills and strengthen community ties, while their niche appeal gives students a chance to express their individuality. Some argue that clubs shouldn’t be as easy to form as they are. They take up space on Club Fair tables only to meet twice a year, or students sign up just to receive a sweatshirt. Nevertheless, the administration shouldn’t have one student’s passion is inferior to another’s. Clubs can be as serious or as

brooke kushwaha

PRO CON

lighthearted as they want, as broad as “Things You Should Know” Club and as specific as “Scandal and Popcorn Enthusiasts” Club — as long as they bring something sweet to Club Fair. The truth is, no matter how many clubs are at Club Fair, there will always be a student who can’t quite find what they’re looking for. They may be dying to share their enthusiasm for freeform jazz and extreme mountain climbing. I say don’t stop them. I may disagree with their club, but I will always fight for their right to form it.

christian maines

Club Fair should be renamed Sweatshirt Day because it seems that for many the only real objective of forming a club is ordering food and merchandise rather than actually meeting for a specific purpose. I walked up and down the Great Lawn on Sept. 2 with a plate of chicken in one hand and a pen in the other, signing up for the same clubs that I’ve participated in these last few years — not because I wanted a sweatshirt or free food, but rather because I see great importance in each one. SJS has a club problem: we have too many of them, and there aren’t enough students to seriously

STEPHEN KIM

support every one. Membership is a valuable commodity in the club economy, and right now, that economy is being dominated by clubs that appeal to little more than humor and hunger. I risk sounding like the Grinch Who Stole Club Fair not because I think that certain clubs do not deserve to exist — although that is part of it — but because these clubs detract from the legitimacy of other important organizations. Besides stealing membership from the clubs that really deserve people’s attention, extraneous clubs add up to make a comforting yet misleading statistic about what SJS has to offer. Some might argue that students should have free rein to create whichever clubs they want to avoid excluding any students’ interests, but there remains a nefarious purpose behind the creation of some clubs. Part of the high school process is competitive college admissions, and some students believe that they can pad their résumés with club presidencies to prove their leadership ability. One solution to the club problem would be to make a more rigorous system for applying to create a club, so clubs have to establish a purpose beyond “awareness” or “appreciation.” That way, come Club Fair, students could walk around the Great Lawn knowing that each club has something significant to offer them, not just a sweatshirt and some popcorn.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

Refugees, prep schools, Blue Bell face rocky road

n “Why You Should Care,” a columnist will list some of today’s most imCARA portant issues — locally and around the word — and make the case for how they connect to SJS life. First up, senior Cara Maines will take on a few issues; in the future, we will invite guest writers.

MAINES

St. Paul’s case THE ISSUE: At the elite St. Paul’s boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire, senior boys choose freshman girls to hook up with before graduation as part of an unofficial ritual: the Senior Salute. When a fifteen-year-old girl accused senior Owen Labrie of rape, he took the stand in court to plead not guilty. The plaintiff testified for three days. Labrie was convicted and sentenced to up to seven years in jail on one felony count of using a computer to entice a minor and three counts of misdemeanor statutory rape, yet he will not serve jail time for felony rape. WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Though not a boarding school, St. John’s bears many similarities to St. Paul’s. Both are smaller, privileged, co-educational independent schools with rigorous academics. This case should make us examine our surroundings, our behavior and our culture. Do we have a culture of entitlement? How do we make sure something like this does not happen at SJS? In recent years, the conversation about sexual assault has shifted from a focus on “no means no” to “yes means yes,” with leading

advocates arguing that affirmative consent is essential to healthy relationships. The conversation must extend beyond Social and Emotional Learning class until it is not just a talking point but an essential part of our culture of respect.

Blue Bell THE ISSUE: In early 2015, three Blue Bell customers died from Listeria. After tests found Listeria at other plants, including the one in Brenham, Blue Bell laid off over a third of its workers, furloughed over a thousand employees, and finally suggested shutting down the company. An FDA examination found that condensation was dripping into the ice cream; even after Blue Bell discovered Listeria bacteria in their drains, the company did not change its safety policies or practices. WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Although Houstonians may rejoice at the return of Pralines n’ Cream, the company’s practices are irresponsible at best and horribly unethical at worst. It’s easy to ignore the conditions that go into making the things we love, but to be responsible consumers, we must be critical. With every purchase, we are making a statement. It’s not just Blue Bell, either. Some of our favorite brands, from Urban Outfitters to Forever 21, have been slammed in the media for their unethical practices. While it’s probably impossible to make every purchase in your life an ethical one, it’s still worth considering how much you’re willing to compromise. This is a time for everyone to reflect on what they believe in and how much they are willing to stick up for it. Knowledge is power, but it’s a lot harder to crusade when it’s your favorite dessert.

EMMA SHEA

Syrian Refugees THE ISSUE: Since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, four million people have fled the country. Syrians face terrorist threats, corrupt government officials and dangerous conditions. Over the past few months, Europe has started to feel the strain; as thousands cross their borders, countries like Hungary have closed off their borders. The European Union, United States and Kuwait have pledged $2 billion in aid to refugees, yet the United Nations contends that the refugees need $5.5 billion in aid and that displaced Syrians who have not emigrated need an additional $2.9 billion.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: While Europe struggles to find room for hundreds of refugees, the United States has pledged to take in 10,000 Syrians over the next year. As Houstonians, we live in one of the largest acceptors of refugees in the world. According to the Houston Chronicle, Houston ranks fourth among countries of the world — not cities — for refugee resettlement. The Bayou City proved its hospitality ten years ago when we accepted evacuees from Hurricane Katrina, and it’s time to open our arms again. As the presidential candidates stumble through debates, make sure to pay attention to their stances on accepting refugees. If you’re interested in getting involved in helping refugee families, check out opportunities to volunteer with Interfaith Ministries or YMCA.

OPINIONS

SJSREVIEW.COM I SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

STAFF EDITORIAL

Give athletes choice to participate in the musical The staff editorial differs from opinions pieces in that it is written by the Editorial Board, which consists of Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editor and Senior Design Editor. For the first time in years, students will not be rushing from swim practice with wet hair to musical rehearsal or leaving school at 9:00 p.m. on a December night to finish a full day’s worth of homework. In theory, the recent decision to prohibit winter athletes from participating in the spring musical will help students balance their academics and extracurriculars. Yet the Editorial Board contends that this decision is both unnecessary and limiting to students. For freshmen who are new to juggling clubs, fine arts, sports and academics, this rule may do some good, and we applaud the wellness initiative. But for upperclassmen who know how to balance their time and prioritize, changing the rehearsal times for the musical is to their disadvantage: students are forced to choose sports or fine arts. Adolescence is an important time to explore our interests, and it’s not hard to believe that the same student on the basketball team might

want to sing on stage, too. Part of being a teengiven the freedom to decide for themselves ager is trying out different activities to decide what category they fall under. Learning to what we like and what we’re good at. Starting judge our own boundaries is an important skill to develop during adolescence, and simply in middle school, SJS has always encouraged preventing that decision altogether is ultimately students to be involved in as many activities as they like. We’ve not a solution. Only allow juniors In college (and for always been an Stick with the and seniors to parcurrent system the rest of our lives), “and” school, a ticipate in what (9%) they choose (11%) we will have to make place where stueven more difficult dent-athlete is really choices about what an equal balance, where Sundays deserves our time. According to a can be divided poll of 103 people between singing at on The Review choir rehearsal and Online, 80 percent tumbling at cheer preferred the old practice. Go back to the For some system of allowing old system (80%) students to pursue students, musical winter sports and rehearsal after a the musical. Though sports practice may this represents only a be unhealthy; for Data taken from a poll of 103 subjects on The Review Online. others, it may be sampling of students, manageable given their course load or other the results speak for themselves. Students are genuinely interested in a wide extracurriculars. Some may fully identify as range of activities; they aren’t just adding them athletes while others may be self-proclaimed to their college résumés. Most students realize “theater kids.” Either way, students should be

that being in the chorus of the musical or even playing on a sports team won’t add much to their college application. They do it for the exercise, the fun, the experience and above all, the camaraderie -- a camaraderie that is enriched by having a wide range of students involved. By the time seniors reach second semester, it’s a tradition for many to audition for the spring musical for the first time. This new measure means seniors in winter sports will no longer get that chance. Some students will have to choose between a sport they’ve played for years and their final shot at a role in the musical. For actors, this new policy precludes those who want to perform in a play on the main stage. The Editorial Board, in a 5-0 vote, applauds this step toward wellness and the consideration the administration has taken toward making sure we have balance in our lives, but this new policy is not constructive. According to the school mission statement, SJS seeks to develop the “whole person” as well as a sense of “personal responsibility.” The decision to limit students from participating in the musical and winter sports hinders both of these goals.

From the editors Dear Reader, Welcome to the 2015-2016 year of The Review. Over the past few weeks, we’ve settled into our classes, made friends with the freshmen and, of course, started thinking about the future of our publication. As seniors, it’s hard not to look back on the last three years without thinking of how much things have changed. We’re proofreading in The Review room instead of brainstorming in the staff room. We’re eating dumplings in Flores Hall instead of brown-bagging it in the Plaza. And with all these changes going on around us, we thought The Review needed a new look. For one, you may notice that the issue you’re holding is 24 pages long. Instead of publishing eight issues of 16 pages, we intend to publish seven issues with at least 20 pages per issue. Our stories may look a little different, too. Editors traveled to Columbia University’s summer journalism workshop this June and returned with a heightened focus on what newspaper clinicians call “issue-driven content.” In other words, we want our articles to provide local connections to national problems and most importantly to be

topical. Check out our spread on the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. We’re taking a special angle on it, examining its effects on SJS students and the broader Houston community. Our new column, “Why You Should Care” examines international, national and local news through the St. John’s lens. In our first edition, we examine stories from Blue Bell to the Syrian refugee crisis. In the future, we will also have teachers give their perspectives on important issues of the day. Even with the recent changes, we’re going to keep a few things constant. We hope to continue our legacy of excellence, having recently earned our first nomination for a Pacemaker from the National Scholastic Press Association. This may not sound like much, but in the strange world of high school journalism, it’s a big step for us. The Review wants to continue encouraging discourse within the community. If there’s an issue you want addressed, a club you want covered, an article you disagree with — tell us. No issue is too big or too small. Email us, Facebook message us, approach us in the hallway. We’ll respond. Help us be your voice.

We also encourage letters to the editor, which we will publish at our discretion. All letters are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy, and good taste. It’s going to be our most ambitious year yet, but we hope it’ll be a good one. And we hope you’ll follow us along this journey. Peace,

Love,

Joy,

VIEW

JARED MARGOLIS

Welcome back

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

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

Staff

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

Advisers David Nathan, Shelley Stein (‘88)

Mission Statement The Review strives to report on issues with integrity, to recognize the assiduous efforts of all, and to serve as an engine of discourse within the St. John’s community. Publication Info The Review is published seven times a school year. We distribute 1,000 copies each issue, most of which are given for free to the Upper School community of 607 students and 80 faculty members. Policies The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions and staff editorials contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Headmaster or the Board of Trustees of St. John’s School. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the entire

editorial board unless otherwise noted. Writers and photographers are credited with a byline. Corrections, when necessary, can be found on the editorial pages. Running an advertisement does not imply endorsement by the school. Submission Guidelines Letters to the editor and guest columnists are encouraged but are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, accuracy and good taste. On occasion, we will publish letters anonymously, provided the editor knows the author’s identity. The Review reserves the right not to print letters received. Either email letters and guest columns to review. sjs@gmail.com; give them to David Nathan in the Review Room (Q210); or mail letters to The Review, 2401 Claremont, Houston, TX 77019.

ODDS AND ENDS

Word for word

Gabe Malek: If we don’t behave, they’ll potentially close Senior Country for a week. Paul Labanowski: I left a biscuit in there. Do you think I could go get it?

I’m really in love with moss. If I could have my body covered in moss, that would be really cool. Frenchy Farris opines during the Imagination lock-in

Does it walk like a duck? Does it quack like a duck? Dr. Sharp identifies a series

Dept. Profile

Science

Dept. Head Susan Bigge

PHILIIP KENSINGER

Sixty Seconds

Serious repercussions at the senior class meeting

4 yrs, Physics I, AP Physics

Veterans Roxie Allen 26 Years, Chemistry

with John Ballard

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

John Ballard 12 Texas Being new Green for sure High School Musical When people don’t pitch the ball Eating some cereal in the morning

Traffic Beach volleyball Staying on the couch and watching a movie Single Sun Chips Anywhere Cat Inception blew my mind Cockroaches Super Smash Bros. (Melee) Wish I played volleyball Yes and follow me @johnballard14

Paula Angus JARED MARGOLIS

21 Years, Biology

Erol Turk 19 Years, Physics

Key Additions Patty Carr Chemistry

Franco Posa Physics

Lara Appleby Biology JARED MARGOLIS

Graham Hegeman Biology

Carol Teeter Biology



PHILIIP KENSINGER

Soundbites around campus

Kushwahaha By Brooke Kushwaha

HALL MONITOR 1.

The Campus Center is more than just a place to eat. The Chao Room (photo 1) provides a multi-purpose space large enough for 206 people. The Spirit Store (2), formerly known as the bookstore, sells textbooks, school supplies and out-

erwear. The new green screen room (3) allows students to perform in new settings. After a year in a temporary building, the art classrooms have a new home on the second floor of the Campus Center (4).

Photos by Philip Kensinger (1, 2) and Jared Margolis (Center, 3, 4) | Story by Jared Margolis

THE REVIEW I SPECIAL SECTION

unwrapping the Campus Center

PHOTOS BY PHILIP KENSINGER, JARED MARGOLIS DESIGN BY MATTHEW NEAL

THE REVIEW I SPECIAL SECTION

center of att Java purists

how two friends left oil behind and learned the coffee trade by Irene Vazquez Richard Colt (‘74) and Fielding Cocke (‘73), the suppliers of coffee at the Maverick Cafe, started Java Pura Coffee Roasters in 2007. Since its opening, the Maverick Cafe and Java Pura coffee have taken campus by storm. “They’ve definitely got a monopoly on the coffee supply here,” junior Emily Pedrick. Many students visit the cafe once a week, with a steady group of regulars going daily. “I was going every day for a while,” junior Emma Robinson said. “But then I realized how much I was spending and figured my mom might cut me off, so I go once a week now.” Fielding and Cocke met in the Upper School and became fraternity brothers at the University of Texas. “I went into the oil industry and that crashed,” Colt said. “Then I went into commercial real estate, and that crashed too. Eventually in the mid-80s, I took up windsurfing.” While windsurfing in the Pacific North-

west, Colt learned how to taste and source coffee from a master roaster. He came back to Texas with a desire to enter the coffee business. In Houston, Colt started Texas Java Company in 1992, opening kiosks around the city, from the University of Houston to the Galleria. “This was before Starbucks ever thought about showing up here,” Colt said. Eventually city inspectors took notice of Colt’s enterprise, and he was forced to shut down because his kiosks lacked grease traps. But once Colt had a taste of the coffee business, he was determined to stay in the game. He shifted focus to his espresso catering business. In 2007, Colt reached out to Cocke, who was working in his family’s oil and gas business, to see if he wanted to join him in his new coffee venture: Java Pura. “I had always liked coffee, even back when the only thing around was percolator coffee,” Cocke said. In 2008, after hiring a master roaster to teach them the tricks of the trade, they began Java Pura. They bought a Guatemalan

coffee company and began to expand from there. Their mission was to “raise the bar in quality,” Colt said. Java Pura doesn’t compete with the national mega-coffee shops. “Starbucks created the niche we’re in, but we’re taking it to another level,” Colt said. “We want to be at the top of the quality scale.” In 2010, Central Market began selling Java Pura. Within three months, it became the best-selling coffee by volume, and it has remained in first place almost every week since then. “We were told no one was going to beat Texas Pecan flavored coffee,” Colt said. “But people tasted our coffee and said ‘Oh my God, that’s different.’” Java Pura houses its roasting facilities in an office park in Bellaire. They use smallbatch roasters to roast each batch of coffee. In the roasting process, the beans are green to begin with and are heated for 10 to 12 minutes at around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Even one degree can make a difference in the coffee as a final product. Over the course of the roasting, the bean changes from green to yellow to brown, at which point the beans begin to pop. Before the roasting begins, Fielding and Cocke take great care to find the best coffee in order have the best base for their product. Many of Java Pura’s coffees come from Central America due to their proximity, a number of which come from Costa Rica and Panama, where the weather is ideal. the daily grind Owners of Java Pura Coffee Roasters, Richard Colt (‘74) (left) and Fielding Cocke (‘73) (right) show off their state-of-the-art coffee grinder. The alumni started Java Pura in 2007 and now serve their coffee at the Maverick Cafe.

JARED MARGOLIS

They acquire their coffee in single-origin microlots, which allows them to have personal connections with their farmers. “We’re super meticulous in our sourcing,” Cocke said. “It all comes down to the coffee and the milling process.” Every January, Fielding and Cocke take a trip to Central America where their coffee is grown. Their longest-standing direct trade partner is Marco Garbanzo from Costa Rica. Java Pura cuts out the middleman, buying straight from Garbanzo, which allows him to make more per pound and ensures that Java Pura gets the best coffee beans. Last year, they bought 22,800 pounds from him. “We did the math, and that’s three minutes of coffee to Starbucks. They go through 84 million pounds of coffee every year,” Colt said. “They can’t focus in on someone like Marco or any of our small-share farmers. And the difference in our coffee comes from what he does correctly at origin.” Photos of Garbanzo’s farm, as well as those of other farmers, are on display in the Maverick Cafe. “The photos tell the story of why our coffee is different,” Colt said. Food Service Director Anita Walker heard about Java Pura from her son, who first tasted their coffee at work. “They are amazing resources,” Walker said. “Their knowledge and passion can’t be beat.” The cafe and adjoining seating area have become a popular place for students and faculty alike to gather in their free time. Colt and Fielding look to expand their variety of coffees and products at SJS in the coming months. “We think SJS will be a great opportunity not just for us, but for the students, parents, and teachers as well,” Colt said.

THE REVIEW I SPECIAL SECTION

tention

weighing in Students commend, critique new facilities by Christian Maines

people to interact more and befriend new people, because of the new big tables,” freshman Maggie Allegar said. “But then, people While mostly freshmen are truly experiencing the Upper School in smaller groups may feel isolated from everyone else.” Whether or not the tables will affect interactions in the dining for the first time, all grades have new ground to tread in the Camhall is a subject of debate. pus Center. Students visit the Campus Center for everything from “I think it’s really nice. I like having a cafeteria instead of not lunch to class meetings, but reactions to the building vary. “It makes me feel like a freshman because I have no idea where having a cafeteria, and it’s a lot better than the old campus area anything is, but also like a college student because of the dining that used to be here,” freshman Sebastian Varma said. “I don’t think it will change any social dynamics because people can still hall atmosphere,” senior Gage Williams said. sit at tables. It’s not like the tables are any bigger Some students think the Campus Center has or any smaller. a restricted architectural layout. The Great Hall is Freshman Emily Feng says the Campus Center “I think it’s a beautiful space for promoting pretty spacious, is excessive for its purpose. community, but I wish they had connected the but it still feels cozy “I think the Campus Center is only good as a two sides of the building instead of having the cafeteria, but besides that I feel like it’s unnecwhen the community high vaulted ceilings,” senior Emlynn Smith essary.” said. “The food serving area is also a little small is all together in one The Campus Center features a dining hall along and dysfunctional compared to the huge size of space. with the Maverick Cafe, outdoor seating and a the dining room.” number of classrooms and conference rooms on Others applaud the Campus Center for providing a common community space. Jacob Tulek the second floor. “The new Campus Center is definitely going “The Great Hall is pretty spacious, but it still Freshman to bring different groups together because last feels cozy when the community is all together in year we just got to eat with a few people every one space like that,” freshman Jacob Tulek said. time, but now everyone can sit in the cafeteria One common criticism is that the lines for together.” senior Amy Dong said. “On the flip food overlap and overcrowd the dining hall. side, it could distance some people because there are just so many “[The Campus Center] really helps unify the grades since everyone can use the cafe and indoor space,” senior Daniel Shebib said. different things to do now.” Students praise the Campus Center for its outdoor area, the “They should figure out the cafeteria layout situation because the Great Lawn, where students play baseball, ultimate frisbee and fast food and entree line overlap in a bad way. I also like to see golf, among other activities. people studying and hanging out outside the cafe.” “The Great Lawn is a great place for people to hang out and play Some commend the dining hall’s round tables for putting people sports, instead of doing it in the halls where they get in trouble,” face to face. “I think [the campus center] is beautiful, it’s a great addition to sophomore Sachin Jaggi said. Whether or not the Campus Center is perfect, students enjoy the campus,” junior Hank Lasley said. “It provides us an actual having a place to eat after more than a year of construction. eating space where we can enjoy the company of our friends. I “You see a lot more people than you did last year because evdon’t know if there’s anything I would change about it.” The dining hall’s round tables were intended to promote a sense eryone was eating in different places,” freshman Mia Guien said. of community, but some feel that the Campus Center only sup- “Now I see a lot more people than I did last year, which is nice.” port large groups of students and possibly excludes some. “The new Campus Center has both pros and cons. It encourages

campus center glossary Campus Center Includes the cafeteria, College Counseling Office, Admissions Office, the Chao Assembly Room, Heritage Hall and Sarofim Family Fine Arts Studios. Chao Assembly Room Hosts all class and faculty meetings and other special events. Not to be confused with the Chao Center (Q224). Maverick Cafe AKA the coffee bar. Open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Serves Java Pura coffee, fro-yo, smoothies and snacks. Does not accept Starbucks gift cards. Perfect place to (not) write the Great American Novel. Flores Hall The dining hall. Often mistaken for Hogwarts. Spirit Store Formerly known as the Book Store. Offers everything from mechanical pencils to Maverick-themed beanies. Frankel Balcony and Dining Room Located on the second floor overlooking the dining hall. You are not allowed to eat in here. Heritage Hall Currently houses a display on the history of St. John’s. Exhibits, including student artwork, will be rotated through the space. Great Lawn Friday: Pep-rally. Monday through Thursday: Anything goes. Fairbanks Family Student Servery Where you get your food.

SJSREVIEW.COM I September 30, 2015

‘Our Most Important Classroom’ Headmaster reflects on Campus Center

Mark

Desjardins This new space is fundamentally designed to reshape how students and faculty interact on a daily basis. Prior to this building, students had few areas where they were able to gather and hang out. Hallways were overflowing and the library was challenging because students were often forced to be quiet. Now students have ample opportunity to come together with friends and or find a quiet space to work alone. The Great Lawn also recognizes the importance of unstructured play in the course of the school day. We want students to take full advantage of this space and enjoy the fact that throughout most of the year you can be outside. The patio was designed to take advan-

tage of having access to the Great Lawn and be in a sheltered environment, and of course we wanted full access to wi-fi throughout the building, including outside areas. When you add the convenience of the Maverick Café, our goal was to create a “learning commons” where students could easily get access to good food and be in a comfortable venue. The whole concept was to create an enjoyable and relaxing experience to help offset the normal routines and rituals of a typical school day. All great school campuses share one thing in common and that is they each have a “signature space” that truly defines the mission and culture of the school. We felt we had the opportunity to create such a space with this new building. Building and enhancing the sense of community is a critical element in elevating the quality of the daily experience for both faculty and students. This new space enables faculty to gather at lunch either among themselves and or with a group of students. In the past, faculty would eat in their

rooms because the dining space was jammed and noisy. Now faculty have a great space from which they can partake in the lunchtime rituals. Having the Admission Office within this Campus Center was a critical feature of this new design. We wanted new families to be brought into the center of campus so that they could see and experience the daily flow of life at St. John’s. Previously all parents had to do was park their car and step inside the Admission Office. They could walk away with no interaction with students and or without seeing how the community interacted. This new location for Admission truly will make a difference in how perspective families see St. John’s. I felt that this building had to have an art gallery because it would allow the school to demonstrate publicly and in a high traffic space our commitment to the fine arts. We needed a place to display K-12 artwork, and we are truly excited that it is such a beautiful and easily accessible space.

The placement and design of the Campus Book and Spirit Store was very intentional. We wanted to emulate what you would typically find on a college campus, and I think we have succeeded. The new space provides opportunities to expand our inventory and make it really convenient for parents and students to drop in. I have used a line from Winston Churchill who once said, “first we build our buildings and then they build us.” I believe that this new building will begin to reshape and remold the way we interact and congregate as a community. It’s a magnificent building that reminds us we are all in a special place and that education is more than just what takes place in the classroom. The entire building, both inside and out, becomes our largest, and in many respects, our most important classroom. I truly hope it generates a lifetime of terrific memories for our students about their time at St. John’s.

Returning alumni respond to new Campus Center by Brooke Kushwaha

PHILIP KENSINGER

modating Houston’s growth.” The exhibit in Heritage Hall, located outside the With the construction of the Campus Center, alumni far and wide are making pilgrimages Chao Assembly Room, feato the new building. Some alumni took active tured a timeline of past buildroles in constructing the building, while others ings, including Farish Hall and Winston Hall. dropped by over the summer to scope it out. “The Heritage Hall remind“This has seamless transitions with the older ed me of the stages the school buildings,” said former Trustee Deborah Deterhas gone through to get to ing (‘59), who served on the building committee here and how important this during the last North Campus remodel. “Plus, I stage is for the next generalove the view from those windows.” tion of students,” Hamman Alumni appreciate efforts to keep the classic aesthetic while updating it with state-of-the-art said. Many alumni agree that the features. Campus Center succeeds in Emily Kelley was reminded of her school days. “They kept the architecture in the same era. It’s creating a sense of commuold world,” said Kelley, parent of second grade nity. “I think the architects and student Rusty. Mark [Desjardins] and the Emily Boyce (‘12) appreciates that even in this Board have done an amazing period of change, the school will maintain the a job with bringing the campus sense of tradition. together,” Cole Dawson (‘81) “The building is beautiful mostly because you can’t tell that it is new — it looks like it has al- said. “The building was enviways been a part of the school. The fact that they sioned to be the centerpiece have preserved the school and tried to keep the of the life of the school instead of the life same, traditional design being spread to is very special, and I am back to school Janet Childers, Brad Childers, and Steven Owsley (’75) enjoy breakfast at the Flores Hall The building is beauti- the corners.” very grateful for that,” ribbon-cutting ceremony. For some alumni, this is the first time visiting campus since graduation. Alumna Elizaful mostly because you Boyce said. beth Jones (‘76) can’t tell that it is new “My grandmother, thinks the buildmom, uncle and I all — it looks like it has al- ing will also but clearly this is nicer and much more represen“It has a little smaller eating area than I expectgraduated from SJS, and ways been a part of the promote wellness among students. tative of the aspirations of the school,” Ba Nguy- ed, but for the most part it’s very impressive,” even though the school school. The fact that Jones’s father and grandfather built en (‘92) said. “At the end of the day, no matter Bernazzani said. “I wish I had had this when I will look different when they have preserved the Winston building that was torn what the brick and stone and mortar looks like, was in school here.” my sister [senior Julia] Overall, alumni anticipate positive effects on graduates, it is still in the the school and tried down to make room for the Cam- the experience for students will be based on the pus Center. time they’ve spent here and the friends they’ve student life. style that it was in the to keep the same, tra“This building does what’s best made.” “Student life will certainly be enriched by 1950’s when my grandditional design is very for the students in this current day Anya Ring (‘13) is a little unnerved by the better buildings, but the spirit of St. John’s remother graduated,” she sides in the students, faculty, staff and alumni special and I am very and age in terms of wellness, nutri- change. said. tion and art,” Jones said. “Those red “I can’t say I know what the impact will be for that make the school great,” Alison Weaver (‘89) grateful for that The Campus Center cloth panels on the buildings allow sure, but it was definitely a weird feeling to go said. “St. John’s has only improved in the years also paid homage to the great acoustics. One can have inti- back and have the place where I had advisory ev- since I graduated, and I have no doubt it will old campus with an exhiEmily Boyce (’12) mate conversation in a space that’s ery morning be completely different,” Ring said. continue to flourish in the future.” bition in Heritage Hall, so grand.” “But it’s definitely very impressive.” “I love how little parts More recent graduates compared Blake Kushwaha (‘12) and Jimmy Bernazzani of this building show the Campus Center with Winston, often wish(‘12) both snuck into the Campus Center over interest in our history, like the banner and the ing they had graduated a little bit later. the summer so they could witness the changes inset,” Anne Hamman (‘79) said. “It makes me “What we had before seemed fine at the time, before going back to college. really proud that the school’s growth is accom-